Florida asks Supreme Court to decide fight over social media regulation

Florida is calling on the US’ highest court to settle the dispute over social media speech regulation. The Washington Postnotes the state’s attorney general has petitioned the Supreme Court to determine whether or not states are violating First Amendment free speech rights by requiring that social media platforms host speech they would otherwise block, and whether they can require explanations when platforms remove posts.

In making its case, Florida argued that the court needed to address contradictory rulings. While a 5th Circuit of Appeals court upheld a Texas law allowing users to sue social networks for alleged censorship, an 11th Circuit of Appeals court ruled that Florida was violating the First Amendment with key parts of a law preventing internet firms from banning politicians.

The backers of the Florida and Texas laws have argued that the measures are necessary to combat alleged censorship of conservative views on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Legislators have contended that social networks are common carriers, like phone providers, and thus are required to carry all speech that isn’t otherwise illegal. The companies, meanwhile, believe laws like these are unconstitutional and would force them to host hate speech, hostile governments’ propaganda and spam. They say the constitutional amendment is meant to protect against government censorship, and that private outlets have the right to decide what they host.

It’s not clear how the Supreme Court will rule. While conservative judges dominate the legislative body, the court granted an emergency request that put the Texas law on hold before it was upheld in the 5th Circuit last week. The higher court hasn’t yet issued a definitive ruling on the matter, and a decision in favor of Florida could also help more liberal-leaning states with their own proposed bills requiring greater transparency for hate speech and threats.

Iran restricts access to WhatsApp and Instagram in response to Mahsa Amini protests

Iran has blocked access to Instagram and WhatsApp as its government attempts to subdue protests that began last week following the death of a woman at the hands of local authorities. As of Wednesday, demonstrations across the country had been ongoing for four consecutive days. The protests began over the weekend after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in the custody of Iran’s morality police on September 16th. She was arrested for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code for women.

According to internet watchdog NetBlocks (via Reuters), the Iranian government has gradually restricted web access across much of the country in recent days. The blackout began in Tehran and other parts of Iran when protests first broke out on Friday. On the evening of September 19th, the government extended restrictions to parts of the western Kurdistan province. As of Wednesday, accessing WhatsApp and Instagram through any of the country’s major internet providers was impossible. According to NetBlocks, the current restrictions are the most severe since 2019, when Iran shut down all internet access in response to fuel protests.

Meta did not immediately respond to Engadget’s request for comment. NetBlocks suggests the disruptions are likely to significantly limit the ability of the Iranian people to communicate freely. In theory, Iran’s government may believe that restricting internet access will reduce the likelihood of protestors organizing and allow it to better control the narrative of Amini’s death. 

XPeng claims its G9 SUV is the world’s fastest charging EV

Chinese EV maker XPeng is no stranger to boundary-pushing car tech. In 2020, it unveiled the P7 sedan, which featured 200 more miles of EV range than the Tesla Model 3. Today, it’s targeting charging speed with its G9 SUV. The new flagship model can charge at up to 480 kW, allowing it to go from a 10 percent charge to 80 percent in 15 minutes (or 124 miles in 5 minutes). In the US, we’re limited to 350 kW fast chargers at best (and even then, you’ll need a fairly new or premium EV to support that speed). 

Of course, to see that fast charging rate, you’ll need to use one of the company’s chargers in China. XPeng plans to bring the G9 to European markets though, so perhaps 480 kW chargers will follow. 

Beyond its charging tech, the G9 also appears to have just about everything you’d want in a premium mid-size electric SUV. Its design and leather-filled interior evokes luxury car brands, while its dual-motor 4WD models can reach up to a whopping 551 hp. Powered by two NVIDIA Orin chips, the G9 also offers advanced driver assistance with 31 sensors and dual-LiDAR sensors, as well as automatic driving and parking assistance. 

Microsoft will host its next Surface event on October 12th

Microsoft isn’t going to be left off the fall hardware event calendar. The company will hold a Surface event on October 12th at 10AM ET. While it’s not completely clear what Microsoft plans to show off beyond “devices,” we may get our first official look at the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5 in a few weeks. Some details about the upcoming products emerged this week via retailer leaks.

According to WinFuture, the devices will likely use 12th-gen Intel CPUs, though the Surface Pro 9 may have an ARM-based processor option with 5G support. Microsoft may offer up to 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM in both devices. It seems there are new color options too.

Microsoft is adding its name to a busy event schedule. Amazon will hold a hardware showcase on September 28th, while Google has set a Pixel event for October 6th. Apple is also expected to run a Mac- and iPad-focused event in October.

Volvo will unveil the electric EX90 SUV on November 9th

Volvo’s EV range to date has been limited to smaller vehicles like the C40 Recharge, but it’s now ready to tackle the high end. The company has announced that it will reveal the “flagship” EX90 electric SUV on November 9th. While the brand is unsurprisingly shy on details, it claims the new model will offer the best standard safety features of any Volvo to date.

The trick is an improved “understanding” of both the driver and the environment. The EX90 will supposedly include a cutting-edge sensor array that includes cameras, radar and LiDAR on the outside. In the cabin, more cameras and capacitive steering wheel sensors will detect inattentiveness and take gradually more drastic actions to protect you, including stopping the car at the side of the road and calling for help.

Some of these safety concepts aren’t new. Systems like GM’s Super Cruise check that your eyes are on the road, while Tesla cars will disable Autopilot and come to a stop if you don’t put your hands on the wheel. Volvo is clearly hoping it offers the best safeguards of the bunch, though, and LiDAR might provide an advantage over rivals like Tesla (which doesn’t use LiDAR) and Lucid (still a relatively small brand).

It’s safe to say the EX90 will represent a change of tack. Instead of competing with the Tesla Model Y and other ‘entry’ luxury SUVs or crossovers, Volvo is more likely to aim squarely at the high end. This vehicle could serve as a halo product that draws EV buyers to the brand, even if they ultimately buy something more affordable.

James Webb Space Telescope captures the best image of Neptune’s rings in decades

The James Webb Space Telescope’s tour of the Solar System just shed light on the most distant planet in our cosmic neighborhood. Researchers have shared the observatory’s first image of Neptune, and it offers the best view of the icy world’s rings in over 30 years. The picture is not only clear, but offers the first-ever look at the dust-based rings in the near-infrared spectrum. At these wavelengths, the planet doesn’t look blue — it absorbs so much infrared and visible red light that it takes on a dark, ghostly appearance.

The image also shows seven of Neptune’s 14 confirmed moons, including Triton (the ‘star’ at top) as well as Galatea, Naiad, Thalassa, Despina, Proteus and Larissa. The bright spots and streaks on the planet represent methane-ice clouds, including a swirl surrounding a vortex at the south pole. Triton’s attention-grabbing look is the product of both the James Webb telescope’s telltale diffraction spikes as well as a condensed nitrogen surface that typically reflects 70 percent of sunlight.

Neptune captured by James Webb Space Telescope
A closer view of Neptune and six of its moons (Galatea, Naiad, Thalassa, Despina, Proteus and Larissa).
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Neptune is a particularly important target for scientists. At roughly 2.8 billion miles from the Sun, it’s far enough to deal with conditions that aren’t present for nearer planets, such as very low temperatures and a very long (164-year) orbit. Triton’s odd retrograde orbit even suggests might be a Kuiper Belt object that succumbed to Neptune’s gravitational pull.

This is just the start of studies using the James Webb telescope, and researchers expect to collect more observations of both Neptune and Triton within the next year. As with the recent looks at Mars and Jupiter, astronomers are only collecting preliminary data at this stage. You may have to wait a while before there are further insights that could improve our understandings of Neptune and space at large.

2K confirms its support desk was hacked to send malware to gamers

Video game publisher 2K is warning the public not to open any emails from its support account after confirming it had been hacked. “Earlier today, we became aware that an unauthorized third party illegally accessed the credentials of one of our vendors…

Logitech reveals a $100 Litra Beam key light for creators

Logitech has unveiled two new products aimed at creators, including one designed to help them look their best while streaming or recording videos. Litra Beam is a key light that has a three-way adjustable desktop stand, which should help you find the right height, tilt and rotation for your needs. Logitech notes that, by adding one or more of the lights to their setup, creators can employ various lighting techniques, such as Front, Split, Butterfly or Rembrandt.

The key light employs TrueSoft tech. According to Logitech, that helps to provide “balanced, full-spectrum LED light with cinematic color accuracy for a natural, radiant look across all skin tones.” The company also claims the Litra Beam can do away with harsh shadows thanks to its frameless diffuser. Since it can run on either USB or AC power, you’ll have more flexibility over where to place the device.

There are buttons on the rear, which provide a way to quickly switch between five brightness and five color temperature settings. Alternatively, you can control the Litra Beam via the Logitech G Hub desktop app. From here, you can tweak brightness by percentage value, adjust the color temperature by Kelvins, control multiple key lights at the same time and manage presets.

Logitech Blue Sona XLR microphone attached to a stand with a person speaking into it.
Logitech

You might want your streams, videos and calls to sound good too. Logitech also announced a Blue Sona XLR broadcast mic. It has a built-in preamp that offers a +25dB gain boost, a dual-diaphragm capsule and supercardioid pickup pattern (designed to reduce or eliminate background noise) and a 290-degree swivel mount. It’s available in graphite and off-white finishes with swappable red and graphite windscreens.

The Litra Beam, which follows the $60 Litra Glow light Logitech announced earlier this year, won’t break the bank. It costs $100/£99/€119, so it’s perhaps a more budget-friendly alternative to Elgato’s lights. As for the Blue Sona, that will run you $350/£329/€349. Both products are available starting today in the US, Canada and some European countries.