Jack in the Box will experiment with burger-flipping robots

Add Jack in the Box to the list of fast food chains experimenting with robots. The company is launching a pilot program that will test Miso Robotics’ Flippy 2 (frying) and Sippy (drink-prepping) robots in a San Diego restaurant. Jack in the Box wants to see how much help the automatons can offer to busy staff who may want to spend more time with customers and less time in the kitchen.

The companies didn’t say how long the pilot might last. Jack in the Box said it was open to “further integration” in coming months, however.

The restauranteur joins Chipotle, Panera, White Castle and others in using Miso’s technology. As with those companies, efficient meal-making isn’t the only goal. The robots promise more consistent quality, so there’s less risk of receiving an undercooked burger or the wrong drink.

The same perks and pitfalls remain. This could alleviate stress for workers who might be overwhelmed, particularly in an era when restaurant staff shortages are all too common. At the same time, there’s a concern operators might use robots like these to automate staff out of jobs or avoid hiring more people. Miso’s machines can’t completely replace humans at present, though, so a larger automation crisis isn’t likely in the near future.

The Pentagon’s new AI chief is a former Lyft executive

The Pentagon is still new to wielding artificial intelligence, and it’s looking to an outsider for help. Breaking Defense has learned Lyft machine learning head Craig Martell is joining the Defense Department as its Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO). He’ll lead the American military’s strategies for AI, analytics and data, and should play a key part in a Joint All-Domain Command and Control initiative to improve multi-force combat awareness through technology.

Martell is a partial outsider. While he directed the Naval Postgraduate School’s AI-driven Natural Language Processing Lab for 11 years, he hasn’t served in military leadership. Outside of Lyft, he’s best-known for heading up AI work at Dropbox and LinkedIn. As CDAO, Martell said he expected to spend to spend the first three to six months identifying “marquee customers” and the systems his office will need to improve. He’ll have a $600 million budget for fiscal 2023.

The office itself was only created months earlier, though. Martell also told Breaking Defense he believed someone with his private background could be “very agile” in a way an established military leader might not. The Defense Department “really needs” someone who can quickly shift strategies in AI and analytics, the new CDAO said.

The US military is relatively new to AI use as it is. The Defense Department only published its draft AI ethics guidelines in late 2019, and its use of the technology initially focused more on experiments rather than autonomy on the frontlines. Martell may play a significant role in defining the Pentagon’s approach to AI for years to come, if just because many areas remain relatively unexplored.

Elon Musk to buy Twitter for $44 billion

Twitter has accepted Elon Musk’s buyout offer. Musk is purchasing the social media giant for $54.20 per share, or about $44 billion. The Tesla chief will take the company private, and also said he planned to upgrade Twitter by protecting free speech, open-sourcing algorithms, fighting spam bots and “authenticating all humans.”

Twitter’s board unanimously approved the acquisition. The deal is expected to close sometime in 2022, although that will hinge on approvals from both regulators and shareholders.

The decision comes after a flurry of activity from Musk. The Tesla CEO bought a 9.2 percent share of Twitter in early April following criticism of the social media firm’s free speech policies. He argued Twitter was falling short of its duties as a “de facto public town square.” Twitter quickly said Musk would join its board of directors, but the tech executive decided against the move days later. While he didn’t say why he had second thoughts, the board appointment would have prevented him from owning more than 14.9 percent of the company — he couldn’t have taken control during his term.

Twitter was initially cautious and adopted a “poison pill” share strategy to prevent a hostile takeover. However, it reportedly gave Musk’s final offer a second look this weekend. The two sides are believed to have hashed out finer details at the last minute, such as financial guarantees if the purchase falls apart. In the announcement, Twitter’s independent board chair Bret Taylor said the company agreed to the buyout after a review process that concentrated on “value, certainty and financing.”

Musk still faces problems following this decision, including the SEC’s insider trading investigation and a class action lawsuit accusing him of stiffing shareholders through the timing of his Twitter investment disclosure. The Twitter buyout won’t help him escape that scrutiny. It won’t be surprising if there’s a significant change of direction at the social network, though, and this still means that Musk is now competing with Meta, Snap, TikTok (that is, ByteDance) and other social networking heavyweights.

We’d add that Twitter’s employees might also be less than thrilled. Sources for The New York Times said staff were largely left in the dark regarding the deal and throw their stock compensation plans into disarray. They were also worried Musk might undo years of efforts to fight “toxic” material. Some are excited, according to the insiders, but there is a chance some Twitter workers might balk at any significant changes in direction.

Sony’s next wireless earbuds may offer ‘automatic playback’

If you thought Sony’s LinkBuds let in too much of the outside world, don’t worry — there may be a follow-up that helps you tune things out. As The Walkman Blognotes, established leak poster SnoopyTech recently shared purported images of WF-LSN900 wireless earbuds, possibly called the LinkBuds S. Unlike the open LinkBuds, this model would let you “seamlessly shift” from allowing ambient sounds to enabling “advanced” noise cancellation. You would also have “automatic playback” based on your habits, although it’s not clear what that would entail — Sony already has some location-based audio settings.

The design appears to be a blend of the WF-1000XM4 and WF-C500, and would include an XM4-style proximity sensor as well as an outer mesh that might be used for noise cancellation features. The buds would be available in black, gold and white colors, and you could expect the obligatory charging case.

It’s not certain when Sony might ship these earbuds, or how much they would cost. We also wouldn’t count on the LinkBuds S naming scheme given the different design. You might not have to wait long to learn the truth, at least. Some FCC confidentiality for the WF-LSN900 is poised to expire on June 21st, suggesting Sony will formally unveil the earbuds by that date.

Chevrolet is making an all-electric Corvette

One of Chevy’s most iconic cars will get the EV treatment. GM has confirmed that it’s developing a “fully electric” Corvette, and an “electrified” (read: hybrid) version will be available as soon as 2023. The automaker didn’t provide more details, and even the video attached to the teaser (below) doesn’t offer any clues. Still, it’s a big move — the Vette is synonymous with gas-powered American sports cars, and now it will be a poster child for electrification.

A Corvette EV isn’t entirely surprising, mind you. GM plans to exclusively sell EVs by 2035, and the Vette was only going to survive that transition with an electric powerplant. Moreover, GM’s electrification strategy has so far revolved around higher-priced halo vehicles like the Hummer EV. An electric version of Chevy’s sports coupe may draw ire from combustion engine purists, but it could also attract customers who were otherwise uninterested in EVs or were considering rivals like the Porsche Taycan or even Ford’s Mustang Mach-E GT.

As it stands, GM’s electrification efforts are now extending into virtually every segment. It’s courting well-heeled pickup drivers with the upcoming Silverado EV, serving luxury buyers with the Cadillac Lyriq and addressing the mainstream with its future Blazer and Equinox models. In that light, it was just a matter of time before Chevy’s signature vehicle ditched conventional engines.

Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro falls to a new all-time low of $2,249

Apple’s latest 16-inch MacBook Pro is now more affordable than it’s ever been. Amazon is selling the 10-core M1 Pro variant with 512GB of storage at an all-time low price of $2,249, or $250 below the official sticker. That’s $50 below the previous best, and makes this a more viable option if you’ve wanted a large, powerful Mac laptop but couldn’t justify the usual cost.

Buy 16-inch MacBook Pro at Amazon – $2,249

The 16-inch MacBook Pro represents a return to form for Apple. It’s speedy while delivering long battery life, low noise and — much to the relief of many — a healthy range of ports. Throw in the high-quality display, a superb keyboard and surprisingly rich speakers and it’s an easy pick if you want a large-screen portable that can replace many desktops.

It’s not for everyone. This larger MacBook Pro is still expensive, and it’s best-suited to creative apps and general productivity — you wouldn’t buy one for gaming, for instance. There’s no way to expand the memory or storage, either, so you’ll need to be content with the included 16GB of RAM and 512GB of space for the life of the system. If those aren’t obstacles, though, you’ll likely be happy.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Hawaiian Airlines will be the first major air carrier to offer Starlink internet

Your next flight to Hawaii might come with speedy in-flight internet access. CNBCreports Hawaiian Airlines has signed a deal to offer SpaceX’s Starlink service aboard all its Transpacific flights. Fly aboard an Airbus A321neo, Airbus 330 or Boeing 787-9 and you’ll have free, relatively low-latency WiFi that should be quick enough to stream media and play online games.

Hawaiian will start deploying Starlink broadband with “select” aircraft in 2023. There aren’t any plans to add satellite access to the Boeing 717 airliners that provide short-hop flights between Hawaii’s islands.

The agreement makes Hawaiian the first major airline to use Starlink. SpaceX signed its first airline deal earlier this month with charter carrier JSX, which operates shorter, smaller-capacity flights. Delta has conducted Starlink tests, but it’s not clear if or when the company might adopt the technology.

The Hawaiian Airlines arrangement won’t necessarily guarantee more in-flight business for SpaceX. Some major airlines already offer satellite internet service to passengers, and might not be in a rush to replace equipment that sometimes took years to install. The new deal gives SpaceX a significant foothold, however, and it won’t be surprising if more airlines try Starlink before long.

‘Borderlands 3’ will finally add PlayStation cross-play support this spring

Sure, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands supports cross-play on all platforms, but what about that promised Borderlands 3 update? Don’t worry, it’s coming. Gearbox has confirmedBorderlands 3 will add cross-play support for PlayStation sometime later this spring. PS4 and PS5 owners will finally get to join the adventures of their PC, Stadia and Xbox counterparts.

Gearbox first added cross-play to Borderlands 3 in 2021, but PlayStation owners were conspicuously left out. Pitchford revealed that Sony blocked full cross-platform support. It later came to light in the Epic vs. Apple lawsuit that Sony asked for royalty fees for any game with cross-play, determining them based on the popularity and financial success of the PlayStation version. It’s not certain if that arrangement applied here.

Sony used to be adamantly against cross-play for PlayStation. Former SIE America CEO Shawn Layden said in 2018 that any inter-platform gameplay would only work if it was “supporting our business,” but many critics saw it as a cash grab — Sony didn’t like that you might buy content on a rival platform and get to use it on your PS4. The company gradually relented, though, and allowed the feature in games like Fortnite and Rocket League. Borderlands 3 is a latecomer in that regard, but the support remains a welcome sign of thawing relations between Sony and the rest of the gaming world.

Judge dismisses most claims in Sony gender discrimination lawsuit

A gender discrimination lawsuit against Sony has run into significant hurdles. Axios has learned that judge Laurel Beeler dismissed 10 of plaintiff Emma Majo’s 13 claims due to multiple issues. Majo didn’t provide enough evidence to make a case in some instances, Beeler said, while in others she incorrectly asserted that promotions and demotions constituted harassment.

Majo first sued Sony in November over allegations of institutional discrimination. The former PlayStation security analyst accused Sony of firing her for discussing sexism she reportedly encountered at the company. Sony tried to have the suit tossed out due to both vague details and a lack of corroborating claims, but the case gathered momentum in March when eight other women joined in and raised the potential for class action status.

The judge will still allow three claims surrounding wrongful termination and violations of whistleblower protections, however, and she rejected Sony’s attempt to block any chance of class action status. As the other claims were dismissed without prejudice, Majo is free to revisit them if and when she can better support them.

Sony denied Majo’s discrimination allegations, but it also said in March that it would take the women’s complaints “seriously.” As it stands, the partial dismissal clearly isn’t what the company wanted — it still has to face potentially grave implications, and may be pressured to join companies like Activision Blizzard in reforming its internal culture.

Tesla can now insure your EV in Colorado, Oregon and Virginia

Tesla’s in-house insurance is now available in three more states. As Forbesnotes, Tesla revealed during its latest earnings call that its “real-time” insurance has reached Colorado, Oregon and Virginia. The automaker has also filed paperwork in Nevada with plans to offer insurance as early as June, although nothing has been announced so far.

As in some other states, the insurance determines your premiums based on driving behavior rather than standard criteria like age and credit. Tesla examines the safety scores from its EVs and looks for signs of aggressive habits that might lead to incidents, such as collision warnings, hard braking and tailgating. This rewards better driving — and, of course, keeps you buying Tesla vehicles.

The company eventually plans to offer insurance across the entire US. Whether or not that goes smoothly is unclear. Tesla offers insurance in California, but it’s still seeking permission to use real-time info. It could be a while before the insurance and its signature feature are consistently available.