DJI Osmo Action 3: Far more battery life, fast charging and a spiffy new mount

DJI has done another 180 on its Osmo action cam lineup. The original Osmo Action had a classic GoPro look, but then with the Action 2 (no Osmo), DJI went to an oddball modular design. It had some interesting ideas – it was nice and small, and you could…

Google fails to overturn EU Android antitrust ruling but reduces its fine by 5 percent

Google has failed to convince Europe’s General Court to overturn the Commission’s ruling on its Android antitrust case and its decision to slap the company with a €4.3 (US$4.3) billion fine. The General Court upheld the Commission’s original ruling back in 2018 that Google used its dominant position in the market to impose restrictions on manufacturers that make Android phones and tablets. It did, however, reduce the fine a bit, deciding that €4.125 (US$4.121) billion is the more appropriate amount based on its own findings.

The Commission previously found that Google acted illegally by making it mandatory for Android manufacturers to pre-install its apps and its search engine. By doing so, the Commission said that the company was able to “cement its dominant position in general internet search.” Approximately 80 percent of smart devices in Europe as of July 2018 were running Android OS, and people tend to be content with the default options they’re given.

That is a huge deal according to FairSearch, the group of organizations lobbying against Google’s search dominance and the original complainant in the case, because Google’s search engine is monetized with paid advertising. The tech giant makes most of its money from online ads — based on information from Statista, Google’s ad revenue in 2021 amounted to $209.49 billion. FairSearch also said that by making it mandatory for Android manufacturers to install its apps and search engine, Google is denying competitors the chance to compete fairly.

In addition to imposing restrictions on Android manufacturers, EU officials also found that Google “made payments to certain large manufacturers and mobile network operators” in an alleged effort to ensure that carriers only installed Google Search on the devisions they sell. The General Court has agreed with the Commission, as well, when it comes to the anti-fragmentation agreements Android manufacturers have to sign. These agreements seek to “prevent the development and market presence of devices running a non-compatible Android fork,” the court wrote in its decision. 

In a statement provided to Engadget, Google has expressed its disappointment in the court’s decision and insisted that Android has created more choices for consumers:

“We are disappointed that the Court did not annul the decision in full. Android has created more choice for everyone, not less, and supports thousands of successful businesses in Europe and around the world.”

The General Court is the EU’s second highest court. Google could still pursue a dismissal, and the case could go to the European Court of Justice.

Google’s Jedi Blue ad deal with Meta wasn’t unlawful, judge rules

A New York federal judge has ruled that that multi-state antitrust lawsuit against Google spearheaded by the Attorney General of Texas can move forward. That said, Judge P. Kevin Castel has also dismissed the plaintiffs’ claim that Google’s online ad deal with Meta, codenamed Jedi Blue, was an unlawful restraint of trade. The judge said that “there is nothing inexplicable or suspicious” about the two companies entering the agreement. 

If you’ll recall, the states that filed the lawsuit accused Google of entering a deal with Meta that gave the latter certain advantages on the ad exchange the tech giant runs. As Bloomberg notes, Meta allegedly had to abandon its plans to adopt a new technology that would’ve hurt Google’s monopoly and to back the tech giant’s Open Bidding approach when it comes to selling ads in exchange.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that he was filing a “multi-state lawsuit against Google for anti-competitive conduct, exclusionary practices and deceptive misrepresentations” back in 2020. The lawsuit focused on Google’s advertising tech practices and how, Paxton said, the company uses its “monopolistic power to control pricing” of ads and “engage in market collusions.”

Google sought to dismiss the lawsuit earlier this year. While it failed to convince Judge Castel to fully toss the lawsuit out, the company still posted a celebratory note about the decision. “Importantly, the Court dismissed the allegations about our Open Bidding agreement with Meta — the centerpiece of AG Paxton’s case,” the company wrote in a blog post. The tech giant added that the agreement had never been a secret and that it was pro-competitive. It also called Paxton’s case “deeply flawed.”

Although the judge for this case dismissed the claim that Jedi Blue was unlawful, the deal and Google’s ad tech practices as a whole are still under scrutiny by authorities. The European Commission and UK’s Competition and Markets Authority launched an antitrust investigation into the companies’ agreement back in March. And just last month, Bloomberg had reported that the US Department of Justice was preparing to sue Google over its dominance in the ad market sometime this September.

GM’s Cruise is making its own chips for self-driving vehicles to save on costs

GM’s Cruise division doesn’t want to rely on third-party manufacturers for the chips powering its autonomous vehicles — so, it’s making its own. Based on what Carl Jenkins, the company’s VP for Hardware Engineering, told Reuters, the main motivator for the switch is the lofty costs associated with paying for other companies’ chips. 

“Two years ago, we were paying a lot of money for a GPU from a famous vendor,” Jenkins told the news organization, referring to NVIDIA. He explained that Cruise couldn’t negotiate because it wasn’t mass manufacturing autonomous vehicles just yet. Its technology is still in its experimental stages, and while it recently became the first company to secure permission to charge for driverless rides, its operations remain limited. By making its own chips, Cruise — like Tesla, Apple and Volkswagen before it — is taking its future into its own hands. 

Jenkins has revealed that Cruise had already developed four chips at this point, starting with Horta, which was designed to become the main brains of the vehicle. Dune will process data from sensors, while another chip will process information from the radar. Yet another one will be announced at a later date. These components will power the Cruise Origin, the self-driving electric shuttle the company first announced back in 2020. The Cruise Origin will have no steering wheel or pedals and will instead have four seats inside facing each other. It’s intended to be used as a shareable vehicle that’s on the road at all times, shuttling passengers to their destinations.

Company executives didn’t say how much they spent on the chips’ development, but they believe they could recoup their investment once Cruise starts scaling up production. Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt said the company’s in-house chips would help Origin “hit that sweet spot from a cost perspective” by 2025 and that they make purchasing fully autonomous vehicles for personal use viable. It’s unclear if that means Cruise intends to sell the Origin to individuals, but GM chief Mary Barra announced at CES this year that the automaker wants to sell personal autonomous vehicles by the middle of the decade.

‘God of War: Ragnarok’ has a new story trailer and limited-edition PS5 controller

It’s been awhile since Sony teased us with the next installment in Kratos’ story. Earlier this year, a first look at God of War: Ragnarok showed us a father and son on a search for Tyr, the God of War of the Norse mythology. In the new trailer revealed during the September State of Play event, they have apparently found him, as he questions their motives, their quest and what they even know of so-called Godhood.

It’s a trailer that teases a complex story that seemingly has Kratos following his son’s lead this time around. Together, they will determine if they are bound by fate and prophecy, or make their own destiny — all while marching through a parade of stunning visuals and fast-paced combat while wielding familiar weapons like the Blades of Chaos and Leviathan Axe.

Between the story hints and action, the trailer definitely teases what looks like a worthy successor to 2018’s God of War — but if that’s not enough to convince you to pick up the game when it launches on November 9th, Sony is hoping a special limited-edition controller might do the trick. The God of War Ragnarok DualSense wireless controller is a blue and white affair decorated with a wolf and bear. The two-toned design is so subtle, you probably wouldn’t even recognize it as a God of War tie in at a glance. On the other hand, it’s not obnoxiously ugly, either.

God of War: Ragnarok, and its limited-edition gamepad, are both available on November 9th. Pre-orders for the controller open on September 27.

‘Rise of the Ronin’ is a historical action RPG from the team behind ‘Nioh’

The studio behind Nioh plans to take PlayStation fans on an adventure through Bakumatsu-era Japan. On Tuesday, Team Ninja — not to be confused with Ninja Theory — announced it is working on a new action-adventure game titled Rise of the Ronin. 

Set in 1863, about a decade after Commodore Matthew Perry ended Japan’s isolation from the West, the game grounds the player in an era of dramatic technological and political change. You’ll play as a wandering Ronin navigating a fractured country. This being a Team Ninja project, expect stylish third-person melee combat. It also looks like the game will take inspiration from Western open-world games like Assassin’s Creed — which, you have to admit, is fitting given the subject matter. Rise of the Ronin will be a PlayStation console exclusive when it arrives sometime in 2024.

Flickr adds a virtual photography category as more games embrace photo modes

Flickr is adding a new virtual photography category to help users find and categorize images they capture in their favorite video games. Previously, the platform only offered three content categories: photos, illustration and art, and screenshots. The …