TAG Heuer’s latest golf smartwatch offers more help with your shots

TAG Heuer was virtually certain to follow up its Connected Calibre E4 smartwatch with a version for golf enthusiasts, and it’s now clear you didn’t have to wait long. The watchmaker has introduced a Calibre E4 Golf Edition that melds the updated wristwear with some matching upgrades to your experience on the fairway. Most notably, the brand has overhauled the on-watch map interface to show more of the course and your game, including the distances for the target and tracking shot.

You can also expect automatic shot tracking when you swing at the tee — the feature will eventually come to the Apple Watch app, but it’s worth noting if you’re determined to perfect your drive. If you pair with an iPhone, you can also use TAG Heuer’s iOS app to share 3D videos of your best shots. Like you’d expect, the Golf Edition E4 has its share of game-inspired faces and a strap that not-so-subtly mimics the dimples on your ball.

This is otherwise the titanium 45mm Calibre E4 introduced in February, although that’s plenty if you want a reasonably current Wear OS watch. You’ll find a Snapdragon Wear 4100+ chip that promises both faster performance and 30 percent more battery life than previous models. An altimeter will help with your hiking trips, and the brighter screen will help on sunny golfing days. TAG Heuer should upgrade the watch to Wear OS 3 when it’s available.

The Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition will be available this month for $2,650 with three Titleist balls and a spare marker in the box. That’s more than the regular titanium E4 ($2,550) and well above the $1,800 ‘entry’ price for the watch range. But let’s be honest: if you’re even considering a TAG Heuer smartwatch and already devote your weekends to golf, you can likely afford to pay the premium for this variant.

Apple can now fix Face ID on the iPhone X without replacing the whole device

Apple debuted a program in March that let it repair Face ID on newer iPhones without replacing the whole device, but it left the iPhone X out of the equation — frustrating if you’re determined to use that ‘classic’ handset for a while longer. This shouldn’t be a problem for now on, though. MacRumors has learned that Apple and authorized repair centers can now repair Face ID on the iPhone X without requiring a full-on replacement. Your much-loved handset should otherwise remain intact.

The initial program only offered these more targeted repairs for the iPhone XS and newer models. The update expands support to all iPhones with Face ID.

The expansion comes as Apple rethinks its overall stance on repairs. The company made it easier for third-party repair shops to fix displays without breaking Face ID, and has announced a self-service repair program. While these moves may be in response to public and regulatory pressure, they’re welcome news for anyone hoping to extend the life of an Apple gadget without hefty fees or unnecessary device swaps.

Xbox controllers can now switch TV input back to your console

You won’t have to reach for a remote the next time you’re ready to return to your Xbox after a TV session. Microsoft is rolling out an update that lets you press the Xbox button on your controller to switch the input to your Series X or Series S. You can flip to cable TV during a download knowing that you just have to grab your controller when you’re ready to play.

The feature depends on the newer Xbox consoles’ support for HDMI-CEC. You can enable it through the “Sleep mode & startup” settings section through the “TV & A/V power options” selection.

The concept isn’t completely new, whether in consoles or for HDMI-CEC devices in general Even so, it’s difficult to complain when this could save you time wading through TV menus just to get back to Halo Infinite.

Meta won’t host its F8 developer conference this year

Meta still isn’t keen on reviving its F8 conference, but this time it’s not due to the pandemic. The Facebook parent firm revealed that it “will not hold” F8 in 2022 as it retools for “building the metaverse.” Instead, Meta will lean on Conversations (its first business messaging event), Connect and other developer presentations throughout the rest of the year.

The company hasn’t held a live F8 since 2019. Both F8 2020 and 2021 were online-only due to COVID-19. This isn’t the first time Meta skipped F8 altogether, though. It didn’t hold conferences in 2009, 2012 and 2013.

A move like this isn’t shocking. Facebook only rebranded itself as Meta in October, and the company is still in the early days of defining its metaverse vision and creating relevant tools. The F8 2022 no-show could give Meta more time to present a clearer strategy, not to mention create more augmented reality and virtual reality technology it can pitch to creators.

GOG renews its focus on classic games, starting with ‘The Wheel of Time’

GOG originally stood for “Good Old Games,” and the online store wants to better match the expectations associated with that name. It’s launching a revival that will do more to highlight and support classic game releases. The initiative will not only apply a “Good Old Game” tag to retro hits in the catalog, but will include a ‘new’ game: a version of Legend’s 1999-vintage The Wheel of Time (timely given the Amazon series) that runs on modern hardware.

The Unreal Engine-based fantasy shooter won’t offer stunning visuals, but Nightdive Studios’ refresh lets it run on newer operating systems (Windows 7 and up) and support high-resolution displays. The premise remains the same: you play an Aes Sedai (magic-wielding woman) who uncovers a sinister plot decades before the timeline of Robert Jordan’s novels. You’ll also find deathmatch and capture-the-flag multiplayer modes, although Wheel of Time wasn’t exactly a staple of the online gaming scene when new.

There’s a strong competitive incentive for GOG to shift its attention to classic games — this could help it stand out compared to heavyweights like Steam and the Epic Games Store, many of which focus on the latest releases. The initiative could be useful for game preservation efforts, though. If nothing else, it could be helpful if you’ve been waiting decades to revisit a favorite.

Canada considers law requiring Facebook, Google to pay news publishers

Canada may soon echo Australia in making internet companies pay news publishers to use their content. CBC Newsreports Canada’s ruling Liberal Party has introduced legislation requiring that Facebook, Google and other online firms compensate news outlets for either reproducing or easing access to content. The money would help foster the “sustainability” of Canadian news, according to the government.

Companies that don’t pay publishers would be subject to binding arbitration led by Canada’s telecom regulator, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. The CRTC will also decide which news sources qualify for compensation.

Officials saw this as a matter of necessity. Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez claimed the news industry was “in crisis” and that publishers couldn’t rely on ad revenue like they had in the past. This merely addressed a “market imbalance,” he said.

We’ve asked Google and Facebook parent Meta for comment. In the past, they’ve maintained that publishers benefited from the traffic driven to their websites through search results and social media posts. They’ve also threatened to disable services rather than pay publishers, although Google ultimately caved in Australia and struck deals to avoid an arbitration battle. In a statement to CBC News, Google said it was “carefully reviewing” the legislation and “fully support[ed]” access to news.

The legislation may well pass. Although the Liberals don’t have a majority in Canada’s House of Commons, they recently reached an agreement with the New Democratic Party to advance bills reflecting shared interests. Whether or not it works as promised is another concern. As University of Ottawa internet research chair Michael Geist warned, there’s a concern that the CRTC’s role will lead to just a “handful” of major companies profiting at the expense of smaller outfits. If so, it might not prevent further damage to the country’s news industry.

Update 4/6 11:40AM ET: Google Canada spokesperson Lauren Skelly has shared the company’s full statement with Engadget. You can read the response below. Also, Meta Public Policy Manager Rachel Curran said her company was “currently reviewing” the legislation and would do more once it “fully understand[s]” the nature of the bill.

“We are carefully reviewing the legislation to understand its implications.  We fully support ensuring Canadians have access to authoritative news and we look forward to working with the government to strengthen the news industry in Canada.”

Pinterest will ban climate misinformation

Pinterest has a history of banning content it sees as harmful before other online platforms, and that approach is now extending to climate change issues. The social site is rolling out a policy that bans climate misinformation, including climate change denial, false claims about solutions to climate change, misrepresentations of scientific data and “harmful” bogus statements on natural disasters and other extreme weather. It’ll likely disappear if it contradicts the well-supported scientific consensus, in other words.

An update to Pinterest’s ad guidelines also “explicitly” bans marketing material that promotes climate change misinformation and conspiracy theories. The policies were built with the help of expert groups that include the Climate Disinformation Coalition and Conscious Advertising Network.

The company claims to be the first major internet platform with “clearly defined” policies barring false climate change claims for both content and ads. That’s true to at least some degree. Facebook mainly labels misinformation and reduces its spread, while Twitter aimed to “pre-bunk” falsehoods during COP26 but stopped short of banning them. YouTube, meanwhile, doesn’t let climate change deniers monetize videos.

The timing is apt, at least. A just-released UN report indicates the world has three years to level CO2 emissions if it wants to avoid environmental catastrophes, and that those emissions must drop by a quarter by 2030. Pinterest isn’t basing its stricter policies on that report, but it clearly shares the view that a unified public stance based on accurate information is necessary to limit global warming.

Germany seizes the world’s largest, longest-serving dark web market

Authorities aren’t done busting dark web crime operations this week. German federal police (the Bundeskriminalamt) working with US law enforcement have seized Hydra Market, billed as the world’s largest and longest-serving dark web marketplace. It reportedly accounted for about 80 percent of all dark web-linked cryptocurrency transactions and had taken about $5.2 billion in crypto since 2015. It had roughly 17 million user accounts and 19,000 sellers.

The seizure included both the servers and crypto wallets holding about $25 million in Bitcoin. The US Justice Department simultaneously charged Russia resident Dmitry Pavlov with narcotics distribution and money laundering due to his operation of Hydra servers. Hydra mainly served people in Russian-language countries hoping to buy or deal in contraband, including drugs, hacking services and stolen data. It also participated in the previously mentioned laundering as well as crypto “mixing” that made it harder to track digital currency usage.

The Treasury Department further punished Hydra and Garantex, a Russian crypto exchange, by adding them and over 100 crypto addresses to a “specially designated nationals” list. In a statement, the Bundeskriminalamt said it had been investigating Hydra with US help since August of last year.

This is far from the first time authorities have shuttered major dark web markets. They shut down previous record-setters like AlphaBay, Silk Road and most recently DarkMarket. We wouldn’t count on the seizure preventing other dark web shops from taking Hydra’s place, then. It could disrupt operations for a while, though, and might serve as a reminder that even the larger digital black markets can fold with little warning.

Opera’s paid Android VPN secures your entire device

Opera has long offered a free VPN to its browser’s Android users, but now it’s hoping you’re willing to pay up. The software maker has launched a beta VPN Pro service for Android that, for a fee, secures connections across the entire device. That sounds much like any other paid VPN service, but Opera is promising a few advantages.

You can subscribe using an existing Opera browser and account, so you won’t have to download a separate app if you’re already using the free option. Opera also won’t maintain data logs that might be used to track your activity. It’s too soon to know if the company will live up to promises of “high-speed servers,” but you can combine Opera’s data-saving mode with VPN Pro to avoid running into any carrier data caps.

The VPN Pro beta is available now if you’re using at least Android 6.0 and Opera for Android Beta 68.2. The price may be appealing, too. Early adopters can subscribe for $2 per month if they commit to three months, or $3 for one month. This won’t be enough if you want VPN service across every device your own, but it might do the trick if you either value a more secure phone or just want to stream services in other countries.

Snapchat’s latest lens helps you learn the American Sign Language alphabet

Snap isn’t done teaching Snapchat users how to communicate using sign language. The social media service has introduced an ASL Alphabet Lens that, as the name implies, significantly expands the American Sign Language learning experience. You’ll still learn how to fingerspell your name using individual letters, but you now also get to practice the ASL alphabet and play two games to test your knowledge.

As before, Snap is using SignAll’s AI technology (including computer vision and machine learning) to recognize your hand gestures. Snap relied solely on Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing team members to develop the lens.

You can use the lens on Android and iOS by either scanning the Snapcode (below) or looking for “ASL Alphabet” in the Lens Explorer. For Snap, the goal remains the same. This is about using augmented reality to help more people communicate online and, of course, expand Snapchat’s audience in the process.

Snapchat ASL Alphabet Lens Snapcode
Snap