Posts Tagged: Morning
The Morning After: Amazon stops paying bonuses to Alexa developers
Amazon has cut paid perks for Alexa developers. With a bigger focus on generative AI, the voice assistant’s third-party apps (skills) aren’t a priority. An Amazon spokesperson told Engadget that the “older programs have simply run their course, so we decided to sunset them.”
Launched in 2017, when Alexa was all the rage, the program paid developers bonuses for skills that resonated with users. It was part of Amazon’s quest to turn Alexa Skills into a booming app store. (Did that happen?)
At the company’s fall 2023 devices event, Amazon previewed its next-gen version of Alexa, with ChatGPT-like generative AI abilities. With AI powers, Alexa appeared versatile enough to address all sorts of queries and requests without creating apps and skills manually. Alexa isn’t going anywhere; Amazon is just making it think for itself.
— Mat Smith
The biggest stories you might have missed
The Fallout TV series is V.A.T.S. (a very awesome TV show)
Physicist Peter Higgs, who predicted the God particle, has died at 94
US bill proposes AI companies list what copyrighted materials they use
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 review: The 14-inch gaming laptop to beat
ISPs roll out mandatory broadband ‘nutrition’ labels that show speeds, fees and data allowances
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Google Photos’ enhanced editing tools will no longer require a subscription
Magic Eraser, Photo UnBlur, Magic Editor and more will be widely available in May.
Free Google Photos users get enhanced editing features without paying $ 20+ annually. This means all users will get a few of Google’s AI-powered tools, such as Photo UnBlur, Magic Eraser, and Magic Editor. I can attest: Photo UnBlur is a game-changer when taking shots of toddlers that will. Not. Stay. Still.
Knock another $ 74 off the Nothing Phone 2
It works on T-Mobile and AT&T’s networks.
Amazon has the Nothing Phone 2 on sale for the first time since its launch. The offbeat mainstream smartphone alternative is $ 74 off its usual price, down to $ 625. The deal includes the version with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and it’s ready for activation on T-Mobile or AT&T.
Vampire Survivors hits PlayStation this summer
The game is also getting Contra DLC in May.
Hit retro bullet-hell-rogue-ish Vampire Survivors is coming to PlayStation — possibly the only platform it hasn’t been on yet. The game is also getting a batch of crossover DLC on May 9. Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns brings Contra characters and weapons, so expect a lot more guns. 22 of them, in fact.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-amazon-stops-paying-bonuses-to-alexa-developers-111557415.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Morning After: 80 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions comes from just 57 companies
A new Carbon Majors Database report, which examines carbon dioxide emissions, found that just 57 companies were responsible for 80 percent of the global carbon dioxide emissions between 2016 and 2022. ExxonMobil, which topped the list of United States companies, contributed 1.4 percent of all global carbon dioxide emissions. It has net zero emissions targets.
Nearly 200 parties adopted the 2015 Paris Agreement, committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, 58 of the 100 state- and investor-owned companies in the Carbon Majors Database have since increased their production.
The International Energy Agency found coal consumption increased by eight percent over the seven years to 8.3 billion tons — a record high. State-owned Coal India is one of the top three carbon dioxide producers. Russia’s state-owned energy company Gazprom and state-owned oil firm Saudi Aramco rounded out the group.
— Mat Smith
The biggest stories you might have missed
X is giving blue checks to people with more than 2,500 Premium followers
Hatsune Miku in Crypt of the Necrodancer feels like the perfect crossover
The best multi-device wireless charging pads for 2024
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The chaos of YouTube’s multicam Coachella stream
When you apply sports logic to a music festival.
YouTube is hyping its exclusive Coachella streaming coverage, which starts next week. The headlining feature is the platform’s multiview experience (already familiar to sports fans) — but who wants to watch up to four stages simultaneously, with audio for one of them. It’s… a music festival. Coachella runs from April 12 to 14 and April 19 to 21.
The latest Razer Blade 18 is now available to order
If you want 4K 200Hz display, you’ll need an extra $ 1,700 and a bit of time.
Finally, after a reveal at CES, the 2024 edition of the Razor Blade 18 arrives for $ 3,099. The base system has an i9-14900HX processor, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage, Wi-Fi 7, a triple-fan cooling system and a six-speaker array with THX spatial audio support. You can equip the laptop with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (the base model has a 4070 graphics card). In what Razer claims is a first for a laptop, there’s Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, but only if you opt for a 4080 or 4090 GPU.
Apple cuts over 700 jobs as it closes car and display projects
Eight offices in Santa Clara, California were affected by the layoffs.
Over 700 people at Apple have recently lost their jobs, mostly from offices in Santa Clara. The location that dealt with the company’s electric vehicle projects has lost 371 people. There may not be enough space at that new home robot project.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-80-percent-of-global-carbon-dioxide-emissions-comes-from-just-57-companies-111514748.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Morning After: United Airlines grounded its new Airbus fleet over ‘no smoking’ signs
United Airlines had to ground its new Airbus A321neo planes, not due to a major safety issue, but because the light-up “no smoking” signs are automated.
A 1990 ruling mandates that the signs on aircraft must be manually operated by the crew. Airbus A321neo features software that automatically displays the signage during a flight, so the crew doesn’t switch it on and off. Bear in mind that smoking was fully banned from both domestic and international flights nearly 25 years ago.
Even more frustratingly, automated signage systems are not even new. Many air travel companies apply for exemptions with the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) – which United did for its entire fleet back in 2020. However, the company's Airbus A321neo is so new that it doesn’t fall under that protection.
The federal agency has now permitted United to fly its fleet of A321neos, five in all, while evaluating those pesky signs.
– Mat Smith
The Flipper Zero digital multi-tool can now play games
It uses an external module powered by Raspberry Pi.
The Flipper Zero digital multi-tool can interact (or hack) wireless devices and smart home systems, connecting through IR, NFC, RFID, Bluetooth and physical connections. Now, it can even play games, thanks to a partnership with Raspberry Pi. A new add-on can run games programmed in C, C++ and MicroPython. To suit the quirkiness of Flipper’s device, it even features sensors for hand-tracking. The Video Game Module can also output video to external displays.
Nothing's next phone will debut on March 5
It will see a limited release in the US as part of a 'developer program.'
Nothing says it will reveal its latest Phone 2a on March 5th. However, instead of an official release like the Phone 2, the device will be part of a "developer program in the US." The company didn't reveal any images of the device or pricing, but the company may use a simplified Phone 2 esthetic, given the naming convention. The Phone 2 had a unique design with a transparent Gorilla Glass back and 11 LED "Glyph" strips.
Sarah Silverman’s copyright lawsuit against ChatGPT gets reduced
But the core accusation remains.
Sarah Silverman’s lawsuit against OpenAI will advance but some of her legal team’s claims have been dismissed. The comedian sued OpenAI and Meta in July 2023, claiming they trained their AI models on her books and other work without consent. US District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín threw out parts of the complaint on Monday, including negligence and unjust enrichment, but the principal claim remains; that OpenAI directly infringed on copyrighted material to train its AI models.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-united-airlines-grounded-its-new-airbus-fleet-over-no-smoking-signs-101534262.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Morning After: Foldable iPhone rumors, Rogan’s new Spotify deal and more
Welcome to the weekend. First, read our Vision Pro review, but also try not to look directly at Devindra's Vision Pro avatar. I think it may be cursed. Yes, Apple's vision of the future of computing is here to bleed early adopters of thousands of dollars. I half-joke: Apple has brought its intelligence to AR, gesture interfaces and high-technology (those screens!) to drop jaws around the world. But you might not need one just yet. We also touch on the biggest podcast in the world getting bigger and those perennial folding iPhone rumors. It might happen, but you'll probably get a foldable iPad first.
This week:
↩️📱↪️: Apple has reportedly made foldable iPhone prototypes
🍎🥽: Apple Vision Pro review: Beta testing the future
🎙️👨🏼🦲: Joe Rogan’s $ 250 million deal with Spotify
Read this:
Do you need all the AI tricks under the sun to make a competitive smartphone in 2024? Well, OnePlus is here to disprove that. The OnePlus 12 has the same speedy performance and better battery life than the Galaxy S24+, along with solid cameras and a great screen for $ 200 less. There are few, if any, AI tricks, but that doesn’t detract much from great battery life, high-res cameras, and an $ 800 price. Full review right here.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-foldable-iphone-rumors-rogans-new-spotify-deal-and-more-160006214.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Morning After: Apple’s car project still exists
Remember the Apple car rumors? Project Titan, as it’s apparently called, is still progressing, with perhaps, a dose of reality. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says the company’s decade-old project has shifted from creating a fully self-driving car to an EV more like Tesla’s. The car’s autonomous features have reportedly been downgraded from a Level 5 system (full automation) to a Level 4 system (full automation in some circumstances) — and now to Level 2+ (partial automation). For context, Tesla’s Autopilot is Level 2. Level 2+ doesn’t have a formal description yet.
Some rumors and reports posited a vehicle without a traditional steering wheel or pedals, but it might end up a more traditional car now. Apple has apparently talked with potential manufacturing partners in Europe about its updated plans. Bloomberg says the company still wants to offer a Level 4 autonomous system… at some point.
Some of us can wait. Some of us have been writing about it since 2015.
— Mat Smith
The biggest stories you might have missed
Nintendo honors Princess Peach with a pair of pastel pink Joy-Cons
Google’s next Chrome update adds three new generative AI features
Samsung says its new 990 Evo SSD delivers improved performance and efficiency
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TurboTax owners face FTC ban on advertising free services
The Commission said Intuit’s actions were misleading.
Intuit is, again, facing consequences for misleading advertising. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is banning TurboTax’s maker from claiming services are free when most customers will have to pay. The FTC said in a statement: “We find that Intuit’s ads on their face, expressly or by strong implication, conveyed to reasonable consumers the message that they can file their taxes with TurboTax for free”.
Framework Laptop 16 review
Modular marvel, mediocre gaming laptop.
Framework has already proved it can build compelling modular laptops, but can the Laptop 16 cram in powerful graphics, a fast display and other components to keep up with the likes of Alienware, Razer and ASUS? Sort of. Hardware quirks abound, battery life is mediocre and it still looks like an incredibly generic laptop. But how many other notebooks could let you completely upgrade your CPU or GPU in a few years’ time?
Death Stranding is coming to select Apple devices on January 30
It’s also half off on iPhone, iPad and Mac if you pre-order.
Hideo Kojima’s walking simulator — the director’s cut — will be available on iPhone 15 Pro models and iPads and Macs with M-series chips on January 30. This version of the gloomy open-world adventure will run you $ 40. However, if you pre-order, you’ll save up to 50 percent. And you’ll be ready for the forthcoming sequel when it arrives.
The OnePlus 12 will cost $ 799
And the OnePlus 12R will use an older Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and cost $ 599.
OnePlus has announced Western pricing and availability for its flagship OnePlus 12. While it’s been on sale in China for a while, you’ll still have to wait till February 6 to get one. Prices start at $ 799 for the 256GB version, with the 512GB model priced at $ 899. The base model is $ 100 more than last year’s, so what’s changed?
The OnePlus 12 has a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and a new camera system. This has a 50-megapixel main camera and a 64-megapixel periscopic telephoto lens, capable of 3x optical zoom. This is the first OnePlus flagship to feature its new Aqua Touch screen technology, where you’ll still be able to operate the device even if it’s covered in rain or water.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-apples-car-project-still-exists-121559781.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Morning After: Dell updates its XPS laptops
Last year’s Dell XPS 13 Plus looked slightly different to the XPS laptops preceding it. But the company seemed to like it, because it’s now retooled the rest of the XPS lineup to match. Yes, CES 2024 hasn’t even had its press days yet, let alone started in earnest, but Dell is busy.
The new XPS 13, 14 and 16 laptops all sport the XPS 13 Plus’ glass wrist rest, which hides an invisible haptic touchpad. They also pack touch-sensitive function buttons above the keyboard and larger keycaps for your typing ease. These laptop keyboards are also among the first to get that spicey new Copilot key. Swoon.
This new XPS lineup will be available soon, with the XPS 13 starting at $ 1,300, the XPS 14 at $ 1,700 and the XPS 16 at $ 1,900. Read our first impressions here.
— Mat Smith
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The biggest stories you might have missed
The new Razer Blade 16 laptop will have world’s first 16-inch 240Hz OLED display
The return of the physical iPhone keyboard case
Clicks has made cases for the latest iPhone models.
A company called Clicks is introducing a new iPhone keyboard accessory if you’re still (still!) pining for the typing experience of a BlackBerry. The keyboard sits at the bottom of the case and doesn’t cover any part of the screen or device at all other than its back and edges. Instead, it extends the phone’s length, so it could make your iPhone 15 Pro Max even more of a pocket-breaker. But maybe that’s the price of having a physical keyboard.
Qualcomm will debut upgraded VR headset chips at CES 2024
The company continues to beef up its silicon for VR, MR and the rest.
Qualcomm is teasing a new VR/MR chip for CES. The Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 is an update to the vanilla XR2 Gen 2, revealed last year. The chip is for virtual reality headsets, mixed reality headsets and even other wearables. It’ll support 4.3K per eye resolution, compared to 3K per eye with the previous version, and can integrate with up to 12 cameras at once, up from 10, for improved body tracking.
Yes, this is an Xbox Series S toaster
Goes with your Xbox fridge.
For $ 40, you can now buy an Xbox Series S toaster. Thanks, Walmart. It’ll even toast the Xbox sphere logo onto your bread. It also has six browning levels, an LED countdown and crumb tray — but no ray tracing.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-dell-updates-its-xps-laptops-121516778.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Morning After: Google will settle $5 billion lawsuit over tracking Incognito Chrome users
Google’s Chrome has long featured the ability to launch the browser in Incognito mode, offering a seemingly blank slate for your internet browsing, away from your usual cookies, forms and web history. But that seemingly didn’t mean Google wasn’t keeping an eye on where you were browsing.
The company faced a lawsuit in 2020 that accused it of tracking Chrome users’ activities even when they were using Incognito mode. Google has now agreed to settle the complaint that originally sought $ 5 billion in damages, after failing to get the suit dismissed.
The plaintiffs said Google used tools like its Analytics product, apps and browser plug-ins to monitor users. By tracking someone on Incognito, the company was falsely making people believe that they could control the information that they were willing to share with it.
The lawsuit’s plaintiffs revealed internal emails that allegedly showed conversations between Google execs proving that the company monitored Incognito browser usage to sell ads and track web traffic. Which does sound like a thing Google would do. According to Reuters and The Washington Post, neither side has made the details of the settlement public.
– Mat Smith
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The biggest stories you might have missed
This is the future of generative AI, according to generative AI
Apple reportedly faces pressure in India after sending out warnings of state-sponsored hacking
Russia will assist NASA with ISS space flights through 2025
The best PS5 accessories for 2024
Xiaomi says its EV can outperform Porsche and has more tech than Tesla
It tapped former BMW and Mercedes designers.
Xiaomi, best known for its smartphones, smart home peripherals, and many other things, has made an EV. Unveiled at a Beijing event yesterday, the Xiaomi SU7 — pronounced “soo-chee” in Chinese — is a sedan that will come in two flavors: the dual-motor all-wheel-drive SU7 Max, and the single-motor rear-wheel-drive SU7.
Xiaomi claims the SU7 Max has a range of up to 800km and a 0-100km/h acceleration of just 2.78s, both of which apparently beat Tesla’s Model S and Porsche’s Taycan Turbo. There’s also a lot of tech splashed around, with a dedicated in-car entertainment system, ports for your (Xiaomi, of course) tablets and headlamps designed to look like the chinese character for rice – also the ‘mi’ in Xiaomi. We’ve chewed over all the details below.
Apple is selling its contested Watch models again
Both the Series 9 or Ultra 2 are available again from the company’s website.
The Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 are back on sale, after a federal appeals court in Washington D.C. granted a temporary pause on an import and sales ban. However, Apple’s wearables aren’t out of the woods just yet: the ban could be reinstated on January 10, when the International Trade Commission (ITC) decides on whether to grant Apple a longer pause.
The ban could also return on January 13, when the same agency makes a decision regarding Apple’s redesign of both smartwatches. The original ban lasted a little more than a day.
Look at LG’s two-legged robot
It’ll feature AI-powered skills and face recognition.
Yes, CES is in a couple of weeks. Why do you ask?
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-google-will-settle-5-billion-lawsuit-over-tracking-incognito-chrome-users-121651324.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Morning After: Google’s geothermal power plant in the desert and more
Sorry to interrupt your Saturday, but did you somehow miss that Google made a geothermal energy plant in the middle of Nevada? You know, that place with all the water for turbines? Or the incredibly dumb way security researchers were able to pull private information from ChatGPT? This week's YouTube-coated version of TMA covers that and getting far too enthusiastic (or entirely non-plussed) about all these other things from this week in tech.
This week:
Read this:
Not everything on Engadget benefits from heavy paraphrasing and a guy talking at a camera for under 10 minutes. This week, take a look at this great profile of the growth, growth and further growth of ChatGPT, OpenAI's chatbot. It reframed generative AI for the wider public, and had the biggest tech companies scrambling to catch up. And that was just its first year.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-googles-geothermal-power-plant-in-the-desert-and-more-140010085.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Morning After: Sony offers 100 free movies to its PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers
Sony has released its own movie streaming app for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. There’s a decent perk for subscribers of PlayStation Plus Premium: Members get access to a library of up to 100 ad-free Sony Pictures films at no extra cost.
Sony says the lineup includes Looper, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, Elysium and Resident Evil Damnation. The company also plans to add some anime content from Crunchyroll to Sony Pictures Core, and it added that benefits for all PS Plus subscribers are on the way. It should go a little way to rationalizing the recent increased price of the PS Plus Premium plan.
Given Sony’s big push to turn its gaming franchises into movies and TV shows, it makes sense for those franchises to return to the PlayStation. And if Netflix can do games, PlayStation can do movies, okay?
— Mat Smith
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The biggest stories you might have missed
There’s a live-action Cyberpunk 2077 show or movie on the way
Apple Watch Series 8 price drops to a new low of $ 225
Three kitchen gadgets to take the guesswork out of sourdough
Unreal Engine will get more expensive, but not for game dev
Lucid’s most affordable Air EV still has a projected 410-mile range
Samsung’s $ 30 Galaxy SmartTag 2 arrives on October 11 with an all-new design
A single model that supports both Bluetooth and ultra-wideband.
Samsung has unveiled the SmartTag 2, its AirTag-like tracking device and successor to the original 2021 SmartTag. Unlike the original, which had both Bluetooth and ultra-wideband (UWB) variants, the new version combines both features in a single model. It’s now IP67 dust- and water-resistant, but it still only works with Samsung smartphones.
Netflix nabs the iconic Dead Cells for its ever-growing games library
The streamer also announced a sequel to Slayaway Camp.
Netflix’s game studio is slowly but surely dropping new titles, adding around 40 mobile releases in 2023. One such game is the universally acclaimed Metroidvania/roguelike action gem Dead Cells, just announced as part of the streamer’s Netflix & Thrill promotion for Halloween. Dead Cells: Netflix Edition appears to include the full original game along with all kinds of DLC. A traditional Netflix subscription gives you access to the game on both iOS and Android devices. There’s also a Dead Cells animated series in the works. Interestingly, there’s no home for it yet, but this move certainly hints that it could premiere on Netflix.
Engadget’s guide to the best smartwatches
Will the Pixel Watch 2 make it?
The wearable world is filled with high-quality options, and a few key players, like the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch and Fitbit Versa, have muscled their way to the front of the pack with their smart features. Chances are, if you’re reading this guide, you’ve probably already decided it’s time to upgrade whatever gadget’s on your wrist. We walk you through the crucial specs and features you should look for.
Amazon’s first satellites to launch October 6
The company will test its answer to SpaceX’s Starlink service.
Amazon’s Kuiper satellites will soon make their debut in orbit. Project Kuiper is Amazon’s answer to SpaceX’s Starlink service. At the moment, its plans entail launching 3,200 satellites over the next six years to form a constellation of internet connectivity to far-flung places. The company says it’s on track to deploy its first production satellites in the first half of 2024 and to start beta testing with commercial users.
The Gmail app for Wear OS is finally available
There’s still no Calendar support.
Google has finally released a version of Gmail for Wear OS to accompany the launch of the Pixel Watch 2, as originally spotted by 9to5Google. The company teased this feature back in May at I/O — it’s been a long time coming. Google hasn’t offered a direct way to access Gmail with its smartwatches, outside of notifications. And it made Gmail…
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-sony-offers-100-free-movies-to-its-playstation-plus-premium-subscribers-111549132.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Morning After: The NSA announces new artificial intelligence security center
The National Security Agency (NSA) has launched a dedicated artificial intelligence security center. This apparently follows the increased government use of algorithms and AI systems, related to defense and intelligent systems. The security center aims to protect these systems from theft and sabotage, as well as safeguard the country from external AI-based threats.
The NSA’s outgoing director, General Paul Nakasone, says the division will operate within the existing Cybersecurity Collaboration Center. This entity works with private industry and international partners to protect the US from cyberattacks from China, Russia and other countries with active malware and hacking campaigns.
One reason we might hear more on defensive measures is the incoming US presidential election, although Nakasone said he’s not seen evidence of that just yet.
— Mat Smith
The biggest stories you might have missed
Watch The Morning After Episode 5 on YouTube
The Supreme Court will hear social media cases with immense free speech implications
Hitting the Books: We are the frogs in the boiling pot, it’s time we started governing like it
The Creator review: A visually stunning, yet shallow, AI epic
The best smart light bulbs for 2023
Your phone will blare a national emergency alert test on October 4 at 2:20 PM ET
It’ll still probably make you jump.
The US government will conduct a nationwide alert test on Wednesday, October 4. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will send notifications to your phones (and radios and TVs) to test the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. If you live near a decent-sized metro area, there’s a solid chance you’ve received AMBER alerts through this system before. But you’re still going to be surprised.
Analogue’s limited edition Pockets are delightful and frustrating
Its dedication to retro authenticity goes far beyond creating desirable gaming hardware.
No one appears to understand the tug of retro game collectors’ emotions better than the team at Analogue, makers of some of the most desirable modern retro consoles. According to Engadget’s James Trew, it’s perfected the art of inducing both ends of that emotional spectrum. Almost two years after the release of the (delightful) Pocket handheld, many are (still) waiting for key accessories and even consoles to be in stock reliably. Meanwhile, the company just unveiled some seriously alluring limited editions. Good luck snatching one of those.
Cocoon is a near-perfect puzzle game
The lead gameplay designer of Limbo and Inside has brought us a new classic.
With Cocoon, there’s no preamble, no text overlays and no overt hints. So, you walk around interacting with things that look like you can interact with them, scratching away at the game within. You’ll soon find an orb, which you can initially use to open doors, before discovering inside every orb is a new world of puzzles. I could oversimplify it and call it bug puzzle Inception, but it’s more satisfying than that.
Engadget Podcast: Meta’s Quest 3, AI and Ray-Ban smart glasses
Zuckerberg tries to make the metaverse and AR happen.
This week, it’s Meta’s turn to highlight AI during its device event. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn dive into all of the news from Meta’s Connect 2023 event, where it unveiled Meta AI and accompanying celebrity-powered chatbots, a new VR headset and even new smart glasses, or should we say, smart sunglasses.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-the-nsa-announces-new-artificial-intelligence-security-center-111537538.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Morning After: 50 attorneys general urge Congress to fight AI-generated child sexual abuse images
“We are engaged in a race against time to protect the children of our country from the dangers of AI,” the attorneys general wrote in an open letter to Congress, asking for increased protective measures against AI-enhanced child sexual abuse images.
Using image generators like Dall-E and Midjourney to create child sexual abuse materials isn’t a problem, as the software has guardrails to stop those prompts. However, when open-source versions of the software and similar tools without guardrails or oversight arrive, it could be a major issue. Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has stated that AI tools would benefit from government intervention to mitigate their risk.
– Mat Smith
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The biggest stories you might have missed
Disney+ tempts new and returning subscribers with a $ 2-per-month teaser offer
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor patch promises 'solid 60 fps' performance on consoles
Cyberpunk adventure game Stray will be adapted as an animated movie
Facebook’s News tab is going away in the UK, France and Germany
Alone in the Dark reboot delayed to the oh-so-spooky month of January
China plans $ 40 billion fund for its chip industry
United Airlines grounded flights for an hour after a bad software update
A ‘widespread slowdown’ paused departures.
United Airlines issued a nationwide ground stop because of a "computer issue." "United Airlines asked the FAA to pause the airline’s departures nationwide," the Federal Aviation Administration told Engadget. United said a software update "caused a widespread slowdown" in its technology systems, but airborne flights still carried on to their destinations during the pause.
United had a similar issue in the UK just last week. An air traffic control glitch led to the cancellation of a fifth of UK departures and 27 percent of flights due to arrive the day of the issue.
The Android logo gets a new look and a 3D bugdroid
Google's quarterly Android update adds some useful accessibility features.
Android 14 is fast approaching. But before Google releases the next big version of the mobile operating system alongside its latest Pixel devices, the company has revealed a refreshed Android logo. Yeah, it hasn’t exactly reinvented the wheel, or the droid, as it were. Android consumer brand management director Jason Fournier said the company wanted the bugdroid to "appear as dynamic as Android itself." Sounds like a self-burn The plan is to ensure the bugdroid looks consistent across digital and real-world environments.
There's also a useful-sounding accessibility feature coming to Android soon. It's called Image Q&A on Lookout. You'll be able to use voice commands or type questions to find out more details about AI-generated audio descriptions of visual content. A new widget called Assistant At a Glance is also inbound, to bring weather alerts, event reminders and travel updates.
The best cameras for 2023
Compacts, DSLRs, action cams and, of course, mirrorless cameras.
Since smartphones obliterated the casual photography market, camera manufacturers are focusing on building models designed for very specific uses. Mirrorless cameras continue to improve in autofocus, video and more, while lens ranges expand yearly. Action cams provide sharp, fluid video, compact cameras target both tourists and vloggers and DSLRs are available at some of the best prices we’ve seen. If you’re considering a camera upgrade, this is a particularly good time to do so. Engadget’s Steve Dent walks you through the options.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-50-attorneys-general-urge-congress-to-fight-ai-generated-child-sexual-abuse-images-111525174.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Morning After: Russia bans Apple devices for state officials
Russian authorities are banning government employees from using Apple devices for official state use, according to the Financial Times. As of Monday, the country’s trade ministry will prohibit the use of iPhones for all “work purposes.” Other agencies, including Russia’s telecommunications and mass media ministry, either have similar mandates already in place or plan to enforce some soon. The Financial Times reports the ban covers all Apple products – no, not Yuri’s AirPods, too? Well, officials will apparently be able to continue using those for personal use.
The ban comes after Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed at the start of June it had uncovered a “spying operation by US intelligence agencies” involving Apple devices. The FSB said thousands of iPhones, including those in use by the country’s diplomatic missions in NATO countries, had been “infected” with monitoring software. The FSB claimed — without showing evidence — that Apple had worked closely with US signal intelligence to provide agents “with a wide range of control tools.” The company denies this. The move comes when Russia is also trying to reduce its dependence on foreign-made tech.
– Mat Smith
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Microsoft and Sony agree to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation
Bluesky allowed people to include the n-word in their usernames
Larry Hryb, Xbox’s ‘Major Nelson,’ is leaving Microsoft
The NES at 40
Seven ways it changed the gaming world forever.
To celebrate Nintendo’s first home console’s anniversary, we’ve taken a closer look at some of the major ways it’s shaped gaming since 1983. That includes innovations (at the time!) like the d-pad, the idea of gaming franchises and game characters and mascots that have stood the test of time.
iOS 17 preview: FaceTime, everywhere
Plus, a better messaging experience.
Ahead of its full launch later this year, there's plenty to test out in the latest iOS beta. Its new StandBy feature might not be a smart display killer, but it’s possibly a free alternative. Other highlights include a revitalized FaceTime experience, a streamlined Messages app and a long-overdue solution for sharing contact details.
Elon Musk says Twitter’s ad revenue has dropped by 50 percent
"We're still negative cash flow."
To the shock of none, Elon Musk tweeted the company was suffering an approximate 50 percent drop in advertising revenue and heavy debt burden. According to an estimate research firm Sensor Tower shared with Bloomberg, advertising spending fell by 89 percent to $ 7.6 million during a two-month period earlier this year. The admission comes in the same week Twitter’s ad-revenue sharing program began paying out some creators, including a handful of controversial far-right influencers. On Friday, Musk also claimed the social network could see “all-time high device user seconds usage” sometime this week.
Apple’s first M3 Macs could arrive in October
There may be new iMac and MacBook Air models.
Writing in his latest newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports there “should be another launch” after the company’s annual iPhone event in September, with a new slate of Macs likely the focus of whatever Apple has planned. “October is too early for new high-end MacBook Pros or desktops, so the first beneficiaries of the new [M3] chip should be the next iMac, 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro,” he notes.
In the past, Apple has typically announced new iPad models alongside its latest Macs, but it sounds like that won’t be the case this time. “I wouldn’t expect any major upgrades until the M3 iPad Pros with OLED screens arrive next year,” Gurman writes.
Assassin's Creed haptic shirt will give you 'exclusive sensations never felt before'
Don’t want to feel like I’m being stabbed though, thanks.
Ubisoft has teamed up with OWO to release an Assassin's Creed Mirage edition haptic feedback shirt. You'll apparently be able to feel parkour, impacts and "exclusive sensations never felt before" — yes, really. You might want to close the door while you're playing, from the sound of it. OWO's shirt includes haptic points on your chest, stomach, lower back and arms. The trick is an algorithm that adjusts nine wave parameters to simulate interactions ranging from the wind to a dagger. Details of pricing and release date are TBC, but it will work with PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. The game comes out October 12th, and the OWO shirt will include a game code. OWO's Founder Edition shirt sold for a heady €499 ($ 560).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-russia-bans-apple-devices-for-state-officials-111540456.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Morning After: Apple’s mixed-reality headset may have MagSafe-style ports and external power supply
As Apple’s WWDC approaches, the rumor frequency for the company’s VR/AR headset is gathering pace. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says the device, rumored to be named Reality Pro or Reality One, will have two ports: a USB-C interface for data transfers and a “new proprietary charging connector.” Judging by Gurman’s description, the latter is reminiscent of Apple’s recently reintroduced MagSafe power port. As for the power supply, it’s about the size of an iPhone, similar to Apple’s own MagSafe Battery Pack for iPhones. The component can reportedly power the wearable for up to two hours on a single charge, but you’ll be able to buy extra packs, given how quickly the headset may drain them.
It doesn’t sound particularly elegant, but there are reasons for it. At the start of 2023, Gurman first hinted at an external power supply. He reported Apple was concerned about the device overheating, while also chasing a lighter, more comfortable headset.
– Mat Smith
The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.
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Hitting the Books: We'd likely have to liquidate Jupiter to build a Dyson Sphere around the Sun
Recommended Reading: The websites that make ChatGPT and other AI sound smart
Google gives Bard the ability to generate and debug code
I love Quella’s gorgeous retro cafe racer e-bikes
Chromebooks' short lifespans are creating 'piles of electronic waste'
Leaked Pixel Fold video shows an internal display with chunky bezels
It looks a lot like the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Days after CNBC reported Google’s plans for a foldable Pixel phone at I/O 2023, an alleged video of the device is circulating online. On late Friday evening, leaker and developer Kuba Wojciechowski shared what he says is a clip of the Pixel Fold. Unfortunately, the video doesn’t show any features that definitively identify the foldable as a Pixel device, but if this is the real thing, be prepared for some noticeable borders to the device’s internal screen. The Pixel Fold will reportedly cost around $ 1,700 when it arrives later this year. According to CNBC, the device will have a book-like design, with a 5.8-inch external screen and a 7.6-inch folding display. It’s also said to sport the “most durable hinge” of any foldable to date and a battery that can last up to 72 hours in Extreme Battery Saver mode.
Twitter adds blue checks to accounts of dead celebrities
Tapping the icon says the deceased individuals are "subscribed" to Twitter Blue.
Twitter has begun handing out blue ticks to celebrity users and accounts with more than one million followers. Among the users who received the verification but say they did not pay for the service include author Neil Gaiman, actor Ron Perlman, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Twitter comic dril. Also, accounts that once belonged to Chadwick Boseman, Kobe Bryant and Anthony Bourdain, celebrities who died long before Musk’s takeover of Twitter, were also reverified over the weekend. On Friday, Musk claimed he was “personally” paying the Twitter Blue subscription for a few celebrities, including LeBron James and Stephen King.
You can't share Xbox clips directly to Twitter anymore
The change is likely down to Twitter's decision to charge for API access.
Microsoft said it had to switch off the option to upload Xbox screenshots and clips directly to Twitter from Xbox consoles as well as the Game Bar on Windows. There are other options, but they're a little more inconvenient. You can use the Xbox mobile app to download console captures and share them to Twitter.
When asked for comment, Xbox declined to shed more light on the reason for the change. It seems likely that Microsoft dropped the built-in sharing option due to Twitter's decision to charge at least $ 42,000 per month for enterprise access to its APIs. That move is breaking functionality for all kinds of organizations, including disaster response services. This week, Microsoft said it would soon remove Twitter integration from its social media management tool for advertisers.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-apple-mixed-reality-headset-rumors-111549504.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Morning After: Microsoft’s new Xbox controller is partially made of ground-up CDs
Microsoft has announced a new, slightly more sustainable Xbox controller. Arriving as an Earth Day promotion, the Xbox Remix Special Edition wireless controller uses recycled materials from old gamepads, auto headlight covers and reclaimed CDs (among other sources) to give each accessory a unique look – but no special functionality. I’m totally OK with that.
Microsoft describes the combination of recycled resins with regrind as creating “custom, earth-tone colors with subtle variations, swirling, markings, and texturing – giving each Remix Special Edition controller its own look and feel.” While it’s hard to see that on the press images, it should result in a satisfying textured pattern on the bumpers and side grip. The company also bundles an Xbox Rechargeable Battery Pack with each gamepad, ensuring fewer AA batteries head to landfills.
– Mat Smith
The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.
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Catan creator Klaus Teuber has passed away at 70
Motorola's Edge 40 Pro offers 125W fast charging and a 165Hz screen
Microsoft's Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock is a high-speed laptop and tablet hub
Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 is a value-packed EV sedan
Jury reduces Tesla's $ 137 million racism lawsuit penalty to $ 3.2 million
Apple's Mac Mini M2 is back on sale for $ 549
Biden says it 'remains to be seen' if AI is dangerous
The president has met with advisors to discuss the 'risks and opportunities' of AI.
According to reports, President Joe Biden has met with his science and technology advisors, which include academics and executives from Google and Microsoft, to discuss the "risks and opportunities" of artificial intelligence. While the meeting is unlikely to lead to a ChatGPT ban like in Italy, the president doesn't seem to be convinced that AI is perfectly safe at this point in time. When asked if AI is dangerous, he responded: "It remains to be seen. Could be." He told the group: "Tech companies have a responsibility, in my view, to make sure their products are safe before making them public.”
The best e-readers for 2023
Kindles are no longer your only options.
After staring at screens all day, you deserve a break. E-readers are the perfect way to unwind with a book. They're easy on your eyes, portable and have a huge selection of titles. Amazon still dominates in this market, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t worthy competitors. We tested out some of the best e-readers available – here are our picks.
Virgin Orbit files for bankruptcy protection as it seeks a buyer
The company recently shut down its space launch operations.
Virgin Orbit has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection a few days after officially shutting down its space launch operations. The private space company has been burning money for a while now and reported a loss of $ 49.2 million in its last fiscal quarter. Its financial issues came to a head after its Start Me Up mission didn't quite go as expected. It was supposed to be a historic event as the first orbital launch from UK soil, but it failed to reach orbit due to a dislodged fuel filter.
Nintendo offers unlimited free repairs for Joy-Con drift issue in Europe
The company will fix 'drifting' Joy-Cons at no cost even if they're no longer under warranty.
Nintendo has been repairing Switch players' Joy-Con "drift" issues for free, even if they're no longer under warranty, in North America since 2019. It then launched the same program in France and Latin America. Now, the gaming giant has expanded its free unlimited repair service for drifting Joy-Cons to the European Economic Area (EEA), UK and Switzerland "until further notice." On its UK website, the company said it's offering repairs in those areas "for responsiveness syndrome relating to control sticks." And, it will fix the known problem for users even if it's "caused by wear and tear."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-microsofts-new-xbox-controller-is-partially-made-of-ground-up-cds-111501121.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Morning After: Microsoft’s VALL-E AI can replicate a voice from a three-second sample
Microsoft’s latest research in text-to-speech AI centers on a new AI model, VALL-E. While there are already multiple services that can create copies of your voice, they usually demand substantial input. Microsoft claims its model can simulate someone’s voice from just a three-second audio sample. The speech can match both the timbre and emotional tone of the speaker – even the acoustics of a room. It could one day be used for customized or high-end text-to-speech applications, but like deepfakes, there are risks of misuse.
Researchers trained VALL-E on 60,000 hours of English language speech from 7,000-plus speakers in Meta’s Libri-Light audio library. The results aren’t perfect: Some are tinny machine-like samples, while others are surprisingly realistic.
Microsoft isn’t making the code open source, possibly due to the inherent risks. In the paper, the company said: “Since VALL-E could synthesize speech that maintains speaker identity, it may carry potential risks in misuse of the model, such as spoofing voice identification or impersonating.”
We’ve all seen the 1992 movie Sneakers, right? Right?!
– Mat Smith
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Samsung’s first Unpacked event of 2023 takes place February 1st
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Hyundai managed to put its ‘crab-walking’ e-Corner technology into an Ioniq EV
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What an ‘oddball’ star in the Cygnus cluster can teach us about how masers are made
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DJI’s lightweight RS 3 Mini camera stabilizer is designed to be used with one hand
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‘TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge’ hits iOS and Android as a Netflix mobile exclusive
Amazon expands Prime shipping to more shopping sites
But you’ll need a Prime subscription.
Amazon is expanding Prime to cover more of the web. The company says it’s making Buy with Prime “widely available” to eligible third-party sites in the US on January 31st. More shops can offer free shipping, streamlined checkout and simplified returns to Prime members. The theoretical advantages are clear: You get products with less hassle, while stores are more likely to turn visitors into paying customers. Amazon, meanwhile, is hoping to boost interest in Prime subscriptions. The catch, of course, is you have to pay for that pesky Prime sub.
NASA funds ideas and prototypes for future space exploration
Including a Titan seaplane and faster deep space travel.
NASA is handing out $ 175,000 initial study grants to 14 new projects potentially useful for missions in and beyond the solar system. TitanAir might be the most unusual one: a seaplane from Planet Enterprises’ Quinn Morley that could fly through the nitrogen-and-methane atmosphere of Saturn’s biggest moon, Titan, and sail its oceans.
MIT’s Mary Knapp has proposed a deep space observatory that would use a swarm of thousands of tiny satellites to detect low-frequency radio emissions from the early universe, and UCLA’s Artur Davoyan’s idea could speed up exploration at the outer edges of space. His design would propel spacecraft with a “pellet-beam” of microscopic particles traveling at very high speed (over 74 miles per second) using laser blasts.
The first-ever UK space flight fails to reach orbit
Virgin Orbit said the rocket suffered an anomaly that prevented it from reaching its destination.
Meanwhile, the UK’s first efforts at space flight have ended in failure. Virgin Orbit’s historic Start Me Up mission launched from Spaceport Cornwall on January 9th as planned, but it failed to reach orbit. Apparently, the company tweeted, because of “an anomaly.” The mission carried payload satellites from seven commercial and government customers. They include a joint UK–US project called CIRCE (Coordinated Ionospheric Reconstruction CubeSat Experiment) and two CubeSats for the UK’s Ministry of Defense. As noted by Ars Technica, this failure could have a huge impact on the company, which is struggling to launch enough missions to break even.
Apple may use in-house wireless chips in iPhones by 2025
Broadcom and Qualcomm may get the boot very soon.
Bloomberg sources claim Apple is not only prepping its first cellular modem (now slated for late 2024 or early 2025) but also a combination of Bluetooth and WiFi chips to replace the Broadcom chip currently handling those duties in iPhones. While the exact reasoning for the transition wasn’t mentioned, it’s no secret Apple started designing its own silicon across multiple products.
The Morning After: Biometric devices with military data were being sold on eBay
German researchers who purchased biometric capture devices on eBay found sensitive US military data stored on the machine’s memory cards. According to The New York Times, that included fingerprints, iris scans, even photographs, names and descriptions of the individuals, mostly from Iraq and Afghanistan. Many individuals worked with the US army and could be targeted if the devices fell into the wrong hands, according to the report. One device was purchased at a military auction, and the seller said they were unaware that it contained sensitive data. There was an easy solution too: The US military could have eliminated the risk by simply removing or destroying the memory cards before selling them.
– Mat Smith
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Razzmatazz review: A delightful (and delightfully pink) drum machine
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LG's 2023 soundbars offer Dolby Atmos and wireless TV connections
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What we bought: The standing desk I chose after a lot of research
A third Blizzard studio pushes to unionize
The campaign involves all non-management workers.
Workers at Proletariat, a Boston-based studio Blizzard bought earlier this year, announced they recently filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Proletariat is the third Activision Blizzard studio to announce a union drive in 2022. However, past campaigns at Raven Software and Blizzard Albany involved the quality assurance workers at those studios – the effort at Proletariat includes all non-management workers. The employees at Proletariat say they aim to preserve the studio’s “progressive, human-first” benefits, including its flexible paid time off policy and robust healthcare options. Additionally, they want to protect the studio from crunch – compulsory overtime during game development.
LG's new minimalistic appliances have upgradeable features and fewer controls
Upgradeable, to an extent.
LG is taking a more minimalist approach to its kitchen appliances in 2023, with less showy profiles, colors and, seemingly, controls. While we’re not getting a close-up look at all the dials and buttons yet, the appliances look restrained compared to previous years’ models. In the past, we’ve seen a washing machine whose flagship feature was an entire extra washing machine. There was also a dryer that had two doors. Just because. LG says it’s used recycled materials across multiple machine parts, adding that its latest appliances also require fewer total parts and less energy than typical kitchen appliances. This would dovetail with the company’s announcements at the start of the year, where LG said it would offer upgradability for its home appliances. So far, that’s included new filters for certain use cases and software upgrades with new washing programs for laundry machines.
US House of Representatives bans TikTok on its devices
Lawmakers and staff members who have TikTok on their phones would have to delete it.
TikTok is now banned on any device owned and managed by the US House of Representatives, according to Reuters. The House's Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) reportedly told all lawmakers and their staff in an email that they must delete the app from their devices, because it's considered "high risk due to a number of security issues." Further still, everyone detected to have the social networking application on their phones would be contacted to make sure it's deleted.
LG teases a smaller smartphone camera module with true optical telephoto zoom
It could lead to smaller smartphone camera bumps.
LG may not make smartphones anymore, but it's still building components for them. The company's LG Innotek arm just unveiled a periscope-style true optical zoom camera module with a 4-9 times telephoto range. Most smartphone cameras use hybrid zoom setups that combine certain zoom ranges (typically 2x, 3x, 10x, etc.) with a digital zoom to fill in between those (2.5x, 4.5x, etc.), leading to reduced detail. LG's "Optical Zoom Camera," however, contains a zoom actuator with movable components, like a mirrorless or DSLR camera. That would help retain full image quality through the entire zoom range, while potentially reducing the size and number of modules required. Could this mean the death of the camera bump?
The Morning After: Dell’s modular laptop concept can be dismantled in seconds
With no cables or screws, Dell’s latest Concept Luna device is pretty compelling. It’s a laptop you can take apart in around 30 seconds, using just a push-pin tool. And we’re talking about replacing the entire keyboard, processor or display because it’s entirely modular.
When it's all put together, the new Concept Luna looks like a typical Dell laptop (more a Latitude than a slim XPS, to be clear). The new Luna laptop also has room for a CPU fan, to house more powerful processors. Once you’ve replaced a part, it does take longer to boot up, as it, sensibly, has to run through multiple tests to ensure each part works like it should.
We’ve seen modular tech for PCs and even smartphones come and go, but can Dell make this stick? The ability to replace components on, say, an army of enterprise laptops for a company could create huge savings for both the environment and the corporate bottom line.
– Mat Smith
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Amazon's God of War series will tell the story of the 2018 Norse reboot
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Nothing Phone (1) heading to the US in Android 13 'testing program'
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Twitter suspends journalists who cover the social network and Elon Musk
Musk insinuated they were suspended due to Twitter's new doxxing rules.
Twitter suspended several journalists from various publications last night. One thing they seem to have in common was covering the social network and Elon Musk, who once described himself as a "free speech absolutist," and recent stories about the Twitter account @Elonjet, which tracked Elon Musk’s private jet, using publicly available information.
Notable accounts include The Washington Post's Drew Harwell and CNN's Donie O'Sullivan, the latter whose last tweets included his interview with Jack Sweeney, the college student who ran the @ElonJet account. The New York Times' Ryan Mac lost access to his account after talking about Sweeney and Twitter's policy changes following @ElonJet's suspension.
Musk subsequently said on Twitter that accounts "engaged in doxxing receive a temporary 7 day suspension" as a response to his tweet insinuating the journalists were banned due to the website's new doxxing rules. Musk also entered a Twitter Space discussion and was immediately confronted by Harrell, who accused him of lying about posting links to his private information. Musk soon left the Space.
'Death Stranding' will get a movie adaptation
It will feature new elements and characters.
Kojima Productions is working with LA-based Hammerstone Studios to develop a movie adaptation of Death Stranding. The 2019 action game was already an incredibly cinematic experience, with lengthy cutscenes and dramatic expositions, which is probably partly why they aren't directly adapting its story into film. According to Variety, the movie will introduce new elements and characters into the Death Stranding world – perhaps teeing up some of the characters in the sequel?
Everything NASA is taking to the moon before colonizing Mars
The Artemis missions will spend this decade setting up humanity's first extraterrestrial outpost.
“NASA is building a coalition of partnerships with industry, nations and academia that will help us get to the Moon quickly and sustainably, together,” then-NASA director Jim Bridenstine said in 2020. NASA can put people on the Moon – but it’s the whole keeping them there, alive, that’s the issue. The Moon is generally inhospitable to life, what with its weak gravity, massive temperature swings, razor-sharp, statically charged dust and general lack of liquid water and breathable atmosphere. The first colonists will need power, heat, atmosphere, potable water and more. Andrew Tarantola lays out what the Artemis missions aim to accomplish.
Oppo reveals another short foldable smartphone
There's also a smaller Flip phone with a large cover screen.
Oppo's Find N2 shares a similar landscape screen design with its predecessor, yet it weighs as little as 233 grams. That's 42 grams lighter than before, around 30 grams less than the likes of Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 4. The Find N2 has a slightly larger 5.54-inch external display, and, while its 7.1-inch flexible screen has kept the same 9:8.4 "golden" aspect ratio (1,792 x 1,920), it apparently has a less visible crease and improved visibility.
As is often the case with Chinese phone companies, however, Western launches aren’t a definite. Both phones are available for pre-order in China today, ahead of the December 23rd launch for the Find N2 and the December 30th launch for the Find N2 Flip. Oppo reps also told Engadget the Flip will launch in international markets, but they are still evaluating whether to do the same with the bigger Find N2.
The Morning After: Is the M2 iPad Pro any good?
What’s stopping me (or you) getting an iPad Pro? The cost, for one. And a belief that anything I’d want to use an iPad for, I can already do with my eighth-generation vanilla model. That said, Nathan Ingraham’s review of the M2 iPad Pro did make me check if my bank balance could sustain the purchase. It can’t.
Apple’s top-end iPad hasn’t changed much since last year, with the same compromises around displays evident if you get the smaller model. In fact, aside from the M2, it’s pretty much the same as before, for better and, occasionally, worse. The major changes are all enabled by the even brawnier silicon inside that chassis.
That includes Stage Manager, the multitasking setup Apple hopes will unlock the iPad’s clearly hidden potential. Certainly, the system has not been warmly received by all iPad users, and Nathan found it lacking the usual level of elegance. Oh, and you can now shoot video in ProRes 4K at 30 fps. Useful? Not for many. Cool? Undoubtedly.
Unfortunately, such an iterative upgrade gave Nathan plenty of time to look for things that really should be fixed on a tablet that can cost well north of $ 2,000. That includes the awkward front camera placement − it’s clear for all to see it’ll be moved to the “top” side, like the new iPad, at some point.
– Dan Cooper
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Sony has sold over 25 million PS5s
And expects to sell a bunch more before March.
Sony’s most recent financial results revealed it has sold more than 25 million PlayStation 5 consoles. That’s a staggering figure given the hardware’s high price, poor availability and strong competition. The company says it’s not even done and expects to shift a significant number of units through the holiday season. That’s the only way it’ll be able to hit an ambitious target to shift 18 million units in the financial year, which ends March 2023.
Microsoft now implies it will support Call of Duty on PlayStation forever
It needs to quell objections to its proposed purchase of Activision Blizzard.
Microsoft’s purchase of publisher Activision Blizzard has met resistance from fans and rivals for obvious monopoly concerns. Once it owns franchises, like Call of Duty, Microsoft could pull those titles to funnel buyers toward buying an Xbox. But Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, has promised that isn’t the case, saying it will support PlayStation for “as long as there’s a PlayStation.” That may not be enough to quell regulators, however, who are still picking through the deal to see if it’s going to hand the software giant too much power.
SpaceX may send Starship on its first orbital flight in December
A NASA official said it expects to see the flight take place next month.
We may see the first orbital flight for SpaceX’s Starship craft as early as December, according to a senior NASA official. The trip, if successful, will see Starship launch from Boca Chica in Texas, orbit for a while, then land back in the ocean near Hawaii. It would also mean SpaceX has satisfied the FAA’s stringent requirements to ensure a launch is safe, both for SpaceX itself and the environment.
Twitter has removed 1,500 accounts following a coordinated trolling campaign
The company’s head of safety said the tweets weren’t widely seen.
Shortly after Elon Musk took over Twitter, a campaign of coordinated trolling started, to make people think the platform had relaxed its moderation policies. This included a surge of hate speech and hateful conduct on the site, forcing Twitter to address it. The company’s head of safety has revealed the platform has removed 1,500 accounts identified to be part of the campaign. Yoel Roth added that many instances of hate speech were not widely seen, and that work was continuing to address gaps in its enforcement policies.
Elon Musk says Twitter Blue will cost $ 8 and be required for verification
Perks include fewer adverts and the ability to post longer videos.
Elon Musk says Twitter Blue will be a prerequisite for users looking to be verified, and its price will increase to $ 8 a month. The Twitter CEO added that Blue users will gain priority in replies, mentions and Twitter’s search feature. Some high-profile users, including author Stephen King and gaming account Nibellion, have already denounced the change. It remains to be seen if users will pay, or if this will just encourage more to look for greener social media pastures.
The Morning After: Elon Musk reportedly wanted to lay off most of Twitter’s employees
According to a report from The Washington Post, Musk has told prospective investors he plans to axe 75 percent of Twitter’s 7,500-member staff upon completion of the deal, a move that would likely kneecap its ability to moderate content and ensure users’ security. Internal documents obtained by The Post reveal that, prior to the Musk deal, current company leadership planned to “pare the company’s payroll” by around $ 800 million, a relatively modest 25 percent reduction. The company’s General Counsel Sean Edgett told staff that discussions about cost savings happened earlier this year, and they stopped “once the merger agreement was signed.” Edgett added there have been no plans for company-wide layoffs since then.
– Mat Smith
The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.
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VanMoof’s new A5 and S5 e-bikes are harder to steal and smoother to ride
You might barely feel the upgraded gear-shifting technology.
VanMoof’s latest generation of premium e-bikes ushers in changes across the board. The company has tried to make most of the parts on its newest e-bikes. The most significant change might be the removal of the tube-based display of the company’s older bikes, swapping it for a duo of Halo Rings near the buttons on each side. The anti-theft technology in the S5 and A5 (both $ 3,498) includes an improved kick lock on the rear wheel. In addition, the bikes will automatically unlock if they detect the user’s phone nearby. And if you’re willing to pay an extra $ 398 for three years of coverage, your VanMoof ride will have support from a retinue of bike hunters – which still sounds cool.
Amazon faces $ 1 billion lawsuit over claims it ‘tricks’ UK customers into paying more
The company is accused of using the Buy Box to favor its own logistics network.
The Guardian reports lawyers are filing a class action lawsuit with the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal over claims Amazon’s Buy Box “tricks” shoppers into paying more than they should. Consumer advocate Julie Hunter says the section favors either Amazon’s own products or sellers who use the company’s logistics, not the best price or quality of service.
James Webb telescope captures ‘knot’ of galaxies in the early universe
The cluster could help scientists understand cosmic expansion.
Scientists have discovered a tightly packed “knot” of at least three galaxies forming around a quasar 11.5 billion years ago, just over two billion years after the Big Bang. The telescope’s near-infrared spectrograph shows this is one of the densest known areas of early galaxy formation. The density is unusually high enough that lead researcher Dominika Wylezalek suggested there may even be two “halos” of dark matter merging.
Apple Fitness+ comes to iPhone on October 24th
You won’t need an Apple Watch to use the service.
Apple’s Fitness+ will come to the iPhone, without the need for the company’s wearable, on October 24th. It’ll arrive alongside the iOS 16.1 update. You’ll need the handset to sign up, but it will also be accessible through the iPad and Apple TV. You’ll have access to the full range of workouts and meditations through the Fitness app. The main limitation is accuracy. Where Apple Watch owners can rely on constant heart rate monitoring to determine their calorie burn, iPhone users have to trust estimates.
The Morning After: The world of cryptocurrency continues to wobble
Transaction freezes at Celsius Networks, which we reported on a few days ago, seem to be just the start of another stormy week in cryptocurrency. Binance has been sued over the collapse of the TerraUSD stablecoin, and Coinbase — one of the biggest cryptocurrency platforms — cut over 1,000 jobs ahead of difficult economic conditions. The layoffs were abrupt. Coinbase cut affected employees’ system access at the same time as the announcement, to prevent “rash decision[s]” by outgoing staff.
TerraUSD’s value collapsed in May, causing massive losses for investors, who trusted its classification as a stablecoin that’s supposed to maintain its value of $ 1 per coin. Unlike other stablecoins backed by real-world assets, though, TerraUSD is an “algorithmic” stablecoin not backed by fiat currency — like the US dollar.
Instead, it’s backed by a cryptocurrency called Luna and has a mechanism to restore its value to $ 1 if it ever falls. That’s the issue a Utah resident took against Binance, accusing it of falsely advertising TerraUSD as a safe asset, backed by fiat currency.
There’s a “crypto winter” coming, according to Coinbase’s chief Brian Armstrong — it’s just started in the summer.
— Mat Smith
The biggest stories you might have missed
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Meta rolls out parental supervision tools for Quest VR headsets
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Ford voluntarily recalls 49,000 Mach-Es due to overheating batteries
The best smartwatches
No, the Apple Watch isn’t your only option.
The wearable world is heaving, but a few key players have muscled their way to the front of the pack. Maybe you want to reach for your phone less throughout the day, or maybe you want to stay connected but more discretely. Whatever the reason, we’ve laid out exactly what you need to look for and made several recommendations for your first steps into wearables, across iOS and Android.
The UK just eliminated its EV rebate incentive
‘The government has always been clear the plug-in car grant was temporary.’
The UK government has ended its plug-in car grant program, effective immediately. The scheme launched in 2011, with grants up to £5,000 ($ 6,089) or 25 percent of the cost of the car, which gradually reduced to £1,500 ($ 1,827) — until today. The grant ends on future sales but will still be honored for any buyers that already applied for it.
The UK government now plans to focus on charging stations but didn’t say if it planned to boost the £1.6 billion budget it had already set aside.
WhatsApp finally makes moving from Android to iOS less painful
Many of us can relate.
If the thought of losing all your WhatsApp chat histories has kept you from making the jump to iOS, you no longer have to worry. Today, the app is adding a feature to help you move your content using Apple’s Move to iOS tool. The feature is available as a beta for now, so you may notice a few bugs during the transfer.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 will be available to pre-order on June 17th
The upgraded laptop will reach customers on June 24th.
Apple has announced it’ll start taking orders for the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 on June 17th for deliveries on June 24th. The system starts at $ 1,299 ($ 1,199 for education) with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. In a sense, its greatest rival will come from Apple: the still-to-be-released MacBook Air M2. You won’t get a cooling fan or the longest possible runtime, but you will get a larger screen, a MagSafe power connection, more free ports and a slimmer, lighter chassis.
Microsoft ends Internet Explorer support in Windows 10
It’s the end of an era you probably won’t miss.
Microsoft will no longer support the Internet Explorer 11 desktop app for Windows 10 as of, well, today. You’ll still receive IE11 support if you’re using Windows Server 2022 or an earlier OS release with a long-term service extension, but this marks the effective end of software updates for most of us.
Apple TV will stream every MLS game for a decade, starting in 2023
You’ll need a separate subscription to catch every match.
Starting in 2023, Apple TV will be the only place to watch every Major League Soccer game for the next decade. Soccer fans around the world will be able to stream all of the league’s matches through the Apple TV app. Notably, there won’t be any restrictions or regional blackouts.
If you’re planning to watch every match, you masochist, you need to subscribe to a new MLS streaming service, which will only be available through the Apple TV app.
Netflix is creating a real-world competition based on ‘Squid Game’
Just less bleak.
Variety reports that Netflix is creating a reality competition show, Squid Game: The Challenge, based on the Korean series. The 10-episode production will pit 456 people against each other in games both “inspired” by the show as well as new events.
The Morning After: ‘Diablo Immortal’ arrives, with loot boxes
As long as you don’t live in certain countries, you’ll be able to play Blizzard’s latest Diablo game across mobile, console and PC starting today. Diablo Immortal actually snuck on to smartphone a day early and offers the waves of monsters and skill refinements fans will love. However, this is tempered by loot box mechanics, which means you’ll probably have to pay up to ensure your barbarian or magic-wielder can make it to the end-game.
Like many loot box systems, it’s intentionally messy: You’ll pay for crests for the opportunity (at varying probabilities) to pick up powerful gem add-ons — with differing degrees of power. Engadget’s Igor Bonifacic has played Immortal for a week and thinks there’s a good game here — especially for Diablo die-hard fans. But, ugh, loot boxes.
— Mat Smith
The biggest stories you might have missed
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Focusrite Vocaster hands-on: Streamlined audio interfaces built for podcasters
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Buick’s Wildcat concept shows how the brand is approaching EVs
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Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go 2 offers more speed and storage capacity
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Loupedeck’s Live S gives creators an alternative to the Stream Deck
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Google is merging Duo and Meet into a single video calling platform
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Logitech’s new MX Mechanical Mini and MX Master 3S are already on sale
Porsche pours more cash into EV supercar company Rimac
Part of $ 500 million in total investments.
Porsche is strengthening its relationship with EV supercar company Rimac, investing “eight figures” for a total ownership stake of 20 percent. The company has become a key supplier and collaborator on EVs built by Hyundai, Porsche and other mainstream automakers.
Last year, Rimac set up a joint venture with Porsche to run Bugatti after Volkswagen ceded ownership. The new entity, called Bugatti Rimac, recently unveiled the 1,914HP Rimac Nevera EV hypercar. Price TBC, but probably heart-attack inducing.
The largest plant in the world is an ancient self-cloning seagrass
It covers 180 kilometers of Shark Bay in Australia.
Shark Bay, an Australian World Heritage Area, serves as home to animals that feed on its thriving seagrass. It turns out, that seagrass, called Poseidon’s ribbon weed, or Posidonia australis, is a single ancient plant that’s been cloning itself for 4,500 years.
Researchers from the University of Western Australia and Flinders University have found the seagrass stretching across 180 kilometers (112 miles) — the size of Cincinnati, as The New York Times notes — of Shark Bay is just a single plant.
Mercedes debuts the final version of its F1-inspired 1,000HP hybrid hypercar
But you’re more likely to drive the new hybrid-only GLC.
Mercedes is finally ready to show the finished version of its hybrid hypercar. The production Mercedes-AMG One now packs a Formula 1-derived, 1,063HP hybrid powertrain with a turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 engine and four electric motors. The first customers should get their Mercedes-AMG One cars in the second half of 2022. Not that you’re going to buy one — all of the production models have been spoken for despite the $ 2.7 million price tag.
‘Pokémon Scarlet’ and ‘Violet’ are coming to Switch on November 18th
The new games will feature four-player co-op.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the next mainline entries in Game Freak’s long-running RPG series, will come to Nintendo Switch on November 18th, The Pokémon Company announced today. In addition to including new creatures to catch, the two games will feature four-player multiplayer, allowing you and your friends to experience the game’s new region together. Game Freak promises Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will represent its first true open-world experience after the spin-off title Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
The Morning After: Our favorite small kitchen gadgets
As we wrap up our Cooking Week on Engadget, my purchase of a milk frother is just one part of the Engadget team’s surprisingly broad selection of essential small kitchen gadgets — big spenders can scroll down to Breville’s bonkers induction cooker.
But back to me: Nespresso’s Barista Recipe Maker heats and froths your milk (or milk alternative) simply to upgrade your espressos or moka coffees into flat whites, cappuccinos and more. I’ve owned mine for a couple of years, and I love how easy it is to clean. The spin mechanism is magnet-based, too, so it’s less likely to break and should last plenty of summers filled with iced macchiatos.
We’re also cheerleading digital scales, a not-so-digital Microplane and some other coffee-making upgrades. For all the other kitchen-centric stories this week, you can find them here.
— Mat Smith
The biggest stories you might have missed
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How the new PlayStation Plus stacks up against Xbox Game Pass
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Epic Game Store sale includes huge discounts for ‘Final Fantasy 7’ and ‘Far Cry’
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AIAIAI Studio Wireless+: Finally, low-latency headphones for music producers
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Framework brings 12th Generation Intel Core chips to its modular laptop
Engadget’s Cooking Week
The villain in Reddit’s GameStop investor saga is shutting down
Melvin Capital couldn’t survive the meme stock wars.
Melvin Capital, the hedge fund considered the nemesis of the meme stock affair encompassing GameStop, Blackberry and several others, is shutting down. Investors were told the “appropriate next step” after steep losses was to liquidate assets and return cash to investors. Its public bet against GameStop and other struggling companies made it one of the largest victims of a GameStop-centric investing spree by people coordinating across Reddit and social networks. As a result, the fund reported a 53 percent loss in January 2021.
Roku teams up for its first outdoor TV
The 55-inch Element Roku TV is coming to Walmart.com for $ 1,300.
Roku has joined forces with Element to create a 55-inch outdoor TV, the companies announced. The Element Roku TV looks nigh-on identical to Element’s existing 55-inch Patio TV, just with a different OS. It offers a good but not spectacular 700 nits of brightness, along with 4K streaming and HDR. More importantly, though, it has tempered anti-glare glass to combat reflections and IP55 weather protection.
Tesla Autopilot under investigation following crash that killed three people
US safety regulators are now probing more than 30 incidents.
Another Federal probe into Tesla’s Autopilot system is underway. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking into more than 30 incidents involving Tesla’s Autopilot.
This follows an accident with a Model S, which occurred on May 12th in Newport Beach’s Mariners Mile strip. The EV reportedly struck a curb and ran into construction equipment, killing all three occupants. Three construction workers were also sent to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police declined to say whether Tesla’s Autopilot was involved.
HP’s premium laptop revamp includes more OLED displays and new CPUs
Most Envy and Spectre notebooks are getting refreshed specs and features
HP is bringing upgrades and updates across practically all of its premium notebooks, including clamshells and 2-in-1s. The two stars of the updated Envy line are the Envy x360 13.3-inch and the Envy 16-inch. There are OLED display options for both, and all of the new Envy laptops are also getting upgraded 5-megapixel webcams with head tracking and beamforming mics to help you look and sound your best during video calls. You even get native handwriting recognition and a hidden magnetic stylus mount on the side of the system.
Breville’s PolyScience Control Freak is a pricey yet precise induction cooktop
Also, it’s $ 1,500.
Whether it’s a single burner or a full cooktop, induction tops heat faster than regular stovetops and offer more precise temperature control. Yes, yes, you can get a standalone burner for under $ 100, but there’s also Breville’s PolyScience Control Freak: a $ 1,500 induction device that reaches exact temps quickly and holds them there. The burner has a temperature range of 86 to 482 degrees Fahrenheit (30 to 250 Celsius). This gives you the option of everything from low-heat slow cooking to high-temp searing. We had to try it.
The current-gen version of ‘The Witcher 3’ is now slated to arrive in late 2022
After many delays on what is a pretty old game.
The long-awaited PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt once again has a release window. The new edition, which is also coming to PC, is expected to arrive in the last three months of the year, according to CD Projekt Red. It will be a free upgrade if you own the respective last-gen version on PC, PS4 or Xbox One.
The Morning After: Google and iFixit collaborate on parts to help you repair Pixel phones
Google is the latest phone maker to join Apple and Samsung in giving you resources to fix phones yourself. It’s partnering with the tinkerer of all tinkerers, iFixit, to provide official parts for Pixel phones later this year. Notably, the initiative will cover models ranging from the Pixel 2 (from 2017) through to the Pixel 6 Pro and beyond. According to the announcement, you’ll get access to a "full range" of components, like batteries, cameras and displays, whether you buy them individually or with iFixit’s own Fix Kit tools.
It’s shaping up to be an interesting year for people willing to repair their own phones. We still haven’t had a chance to see how Apple’s iPhone repair proposal will fare in real life — how hard is it going to be? — but Google is being smart by pairing with, arguably, the go-to people for those willing to take their phone’s life into their own hands.
— Mat Smith
The biggest stories you might have missed
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Apple Watch Series 7 models drop to $ 330, plus the rest of the weekend's best tech deals
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'Dancing with the Stars' will be the first live TV show on Disney+
Hummer EV first drive
An enormous electric super truck
The Hummer has always been ostentatious. So it’s no surprise the Hummer EV is not only large but also heavy, and really not all that efficient as an EV. But what it lacks in miles per kilowatt, it makes up for in over-the-top fun.
Roberto Baldwin got to drive the larger-than-life SUV, and it proved to be a capable off-roader that showcases GM’s Ultium platform. It is still, at its core, a Hummer.
iOS 16 could include upgraded health tracking features
But don't expect an UI redesign.
The next major update of iOS could include “significant enhancements,” according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman anticipates iOS 16 will include an update to notifications and an assortment of new health-tracking features.
Gurman added that the Apple Watch’s watchOS 9 may include upgrades to its activity and health-tracking features, but stopped short of sharing specifics. Boo.
‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ has the best opening weekend for a video game movie
Breaking the record set by… the first Sonic movie.
With a $ 71 million debut at the domestic box office, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has set a new record for the US film debut of a video game adaptation, beating the previous high watermark set by its predecessor in 2020. The sequel made $ 57 million during its opening weekend, and Paramount now plans to expand this success into a cinematic universe. What have you done?
Police got confused trying to pull over an autonomous Cruise vehicle
‘Step outside the vehicle, please.’
Since February, GM’s Cruise self-driving unit has offered public taxi rides across San Francisco. And so far, the service hasn’t had many issues. A video from April 2nd showed San Francisco police attempting to pull over a driverless Cruise vehicle in the city’s Richmond District, only for the car to temporarily take off.
Watch the first trailer for ‘Kingdom Hearts IV’
Disney, Final Fantasy and a kinda-Tokyo.
During an event celebrating the franchise’s 20th anniversary, we got our first proper glimpse at the next Kingdom Hearts game. Kingdom Hearts IV marks the return of Sora after 2019’s Kingdom Hearts III seemingly concluded the story arc that began with the original game in 2002. The trailer showed Sora waking up in a city called Quadratum, a Tokyo-inspired city rendered in a semi-realistic way, marking a major artistic shift for the series. The city is soon attacked by a towering monster and the story-centric opening scenes seamlessly transition to gameplay… and fighting.
The Morning After: Elon Musk is now Twitter’s largest shareholder
Twitter founder Jack Dorsey might not like what’s become of the internet. But the internet doesn’t stop moving. Elon Musk now owns part of Twitter, after purchasing $ 2.89 billion in stock, according to a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing spotted by CNBC. The purchase follows recent criticism by Musk over the social media site's free speech policies. Musk loves tweeting, so it makes sense beyond those criticisms. His tweets have even set off SEC lawsuits.
Musk is now the platform's largest shareholder, and he’s already inquiring into an edit button.
— Mat Smith
The biggest stories you might have missed
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UN report: We have three years to curb emissions to avoid climate catastrophe
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Alphabet's Wing will begin drone deliveries in Dallas-Fort Worth on April 7th
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Hertz will order up to 65,000 Polestar EVs for its rental fleet
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Amazon's planned worker chat app would reportedly ban words like 'union'
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Google's Pixel 6 April update arrives with camera and charging fixes
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Irreverent RPG 'Nobody Saves the World' comes to PS4, PS5 and Switch on April 14th
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Trump's Truth Social reportedly lost two critical executives
LG's 2021 C1 OLED TVs are up to 32 percent off right now
No, not my TV!
The worst thing about buying something new, cutting-edge and kinda pricey is when it’s no longer new, cutting-edge and, well, on sale. So my awesome LG C1 OLED has just had substantial price cuts from the 48-inch model through to the 65-inch option. Sigh. Still, they’re great TVs with some notable specs for gamers, like 120Hz refresh rates and support for variable refresh rates.
A Monkey Island sequel is incoming
From creator Ron Gilbert.
One of the best video game series of all time is making a return in 2022 with some of its key original creatives on board. Return to Monkey Island is "a game by Ron Gilbert," who conceived the point-and-click comedy-adventure saga in the late '80s.
Gilbert wrote and directed the original game, The Secret of Monkey Island. He was director, programmer and designer on the sequel, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge.
The UK plans to issue an official NFT
The government is moving to embrace stablecoins.
The UK government's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has announced the Royal Mint will issue an official NFT sometime this summer.
Yeah. I’m British and I winced too.
The DeLorean EV will be unveiled on August 18th
Italdesign helped shape the concept car.
After years of teasing, the DeLorean Motor Company announced it’ll unveil an all-electric vehicle on August 18th, promising to share its official name at the same time. Details on the concept car are scant. The automaker is working with Italdesign, best known for its work with Volkswagen, to design the upcoming car.
Samsung's 2022 TV lineup has something for everyone
Including its first new OLED TV in a decade.
The centerpiece of Samsung’s new TV family is the new QN900B, the centerpiece of the company’s Neo QLED 8K family. For 2022, Samsung has added 14-bit HDR mapping (up from 12-bit mapping on last year’s models) to improve picture detail in both bright and dark scenes. When combined with that massive 7,680 x 4,320 resolution, according to Sam Rutherford, the TV looks seriously sharp.
The Morning After: Tech that helps with those New Year’s resolutions
Welcome to the new year. How are those resolutions coming along? (Don't worry, we can help.)
Contrary to my expectations, CES 2022 is still happening. However, the organizers have announced that the tech show will be cut short by a day, as COVID-19 cases continue to surge. It’s also kind of started early, with some big announcements from Samsung already, including putting NFTs into its TVs, and an upgraded eco TV remote that sips on your WiFi waves for energy.
Expect a week of hardware announcements, even if chances to play with and assess these new devices are a little limited without attendance in person.
-Mat Smith
Alienware's Concept Nyx is like a Plex server for your PC games
But will it appeal to anyone beyond PC gaming fanatics?
Alienware’s newest concept can be boiled down to a gaming server that runs on your home network. You could conceivably run two games at once on your television, as Engadget saw during a recent demo in NYC. Since all of the rendering and network processing is happening in your home, Nyx would also be a lower latency experience than traditional cloud gaming.
This is a shiatsu hand massager for gamers
A hand warmer setting may help you get good.
To help soothe their weary mitts, Japanese company Bauhutte has created a hand massager for gamers. The device works on either hand and has a 15-layer airbag for each finger and a shiatsu plate for the palm. There are two main options: a Shiatsu mode for the entire hand, and one that focuses on stretching fingers.
The next AirPods Pro might support lossless audio
You might have an easier time finding your case, too.
Now that the third-generation AirPods offer some of the same features as the AirPods Pro, how will Apple’s higher-end wireless earbuds stand out? Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims Apple is launching its second-generation Pro earbuds in the fall with support for Apple Lossless (ALAC) audio. Kuo expects the updated headphones will offer a "new form factor design" and that the new buds will supposedly include a charging case that can make sounds, much like AirTags, to help find it behind your couch cushions.
Samsung’s latest remote turns router radio waves into energy
The 2022 Eco Remote has a white option to match Samsung's lifestyle TVs.
Samsung has revamped the solar-charging remote it debuted at last year’s CES. Along with using light to top up the battery, Samsung says the latest Eco Remote can convert routers' radio waves into energy to stay fully charged. There's still a solar panel on the rear of the remote, which is also made with recycled materials.
Twitter bans Marjorie Taylor Greene's personal account
Due to repeatedly spreading COVID-19 misinformation.
Twitter has banned Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene's personal account after a fifth "strike" for spreading COVID-19 misinformation. A fifth strike means it’s a permanent ban.
In the past year, she claimed in July that COVID-19 wasn't dangerous unless you were over 65 or obese, and in August said vaccines were "failing" against the new coronavirus' Delta variant. Both statements were untrue. The posts respectively led to 12-hour and one-week suspensions. Her official account is still active as of this writing because it hasn't run afoul of Twitter's rules. Beyond that, she may have to wait around for TRUTH Social to finally launch.
The biggest news stories you might have missed
The tech industry's accessibility report card for 2021
Netflix will be required to stream 20 state TV channels in Russia
Samsung's 2022 QLED TVs include the first 144Hz 4K and 8K sets
Tech that can help you stick to your New Year's resolutions
And the biggest losers in tech in 2021 are..
Samsung is putting NFTs in its smart TVs
The Morning After: Apple unveiled its $549 AirPods Max headphones
Despite it being December, Apple just won’t stop launching new devices and services. It blindsided most of us yesterday when it revealed its long-rumored AirPods Max — the company’s first over-ear headphones — along with a concrete launch date for Fi…
Engadget
The Morning After: Samsung might not release a new Galaxy Note next year
So Samsung might give the Galaxy Note series a break in 2021, according to a Reuters report, but the stylus (Samsung calls it an S-Pen, of course), compatible with Galaxy S devices, may well live on. The decision apparently comes due to a drop in dem…
Engadget
The Morning After: NASA looks at LTE for lunar missions
This week had a bit of everything, but Apple’s iPhone 12 series event took top billing. They bring support for a new wireless charging setup, but don’t have a revolutionary look on paper. Maybe that feeling will change once we’ve had some hands-on ti…
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The Morning After: The iPhone 12 has 5G, new sizes and MagSafe charging
The combined might of Apple (iPhone launch day) and Amazon (Prime Day) made for a hectic 24 hours in tech. But purchasing advice aside (there’s some of that below), I want to focus on Apple’s showcase from the afternoon. iPhones have 5G and have simu…
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The Morning After: We reviewed Google’s new Nest Audio smart speaker
It’s finally time for Apple to unveil this year’s new iPhones. Invitations have gone out for the “Hi, Speed” event on Tuesday, October 13th at 1PM ET where we expect to see Apple introduce its first new devices with 5G and the A14 Bionic chipset. Ch…
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The Morning After: Google unveiled new Pixels, Chromecast and more
Thank you, Google, for keeping your remote press conference mercifully short and to the point. Oddly, the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G phones — don’t confuse them — were given equal weighting with a new, prettier Chromecast dongle (with remote) and a new…
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The Morning After: AI-generated video plays out fake Wimbledon matchups
If you’re trying to make sense of the current climate for Big Tech, then Dan Cooper has some advice: look to the past. Specifically, he’s ready to rehash Microsoft’s antitrust battle over Internet Explorer in the late 90s, and infer what that means f…
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The Morning After: Apple started the public beta for watchOS 7
If you wanted a Microsoft Hololens but thought that headset was just too big, then maybe the Nreal Light glasses are for you. They advertise mixed reality tech in a much smaller package, and mostly deliver on it. They’re more stylish than Google Glas…
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The Morning After: Trump threatens to ‘ban’ TikTok
We didn’t even have to wait until August to find out who was behind that massive Twitter breach on July 15th. Florida authorities arrested a Tampa teenager as he and two others were charged with a litany of felonies in the attack that hijacked numero…
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The Morning After: Twitter hackers took over accounts for Elon, Obama and Apple
Twitter’s bad day started with a weird tweet from Elon Musk (not that unusual) and probably peaked when Barack Obama’s account suddenly posted a scam message begging for Bitcoin. Someone at Twitter decided to prevent all verified accounts from tweeti…
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The Morning After: Texas Instruments makes it harder to cheat on its calculators
Graphing calculators have clung on to school lives despite us all carrying around smartphones that are several magnitudes more powerful. (Let’s not even get into wearables.) In a bid to reduce cheating in exam settings, Texas Instruments is pulling s…
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The Morning After: A look at Dyson’s canceled electric car
The hopes and dreams of companies don’t always come true. The Nintendo PlayStation, that undersea electric railway, sometimes things just don’t work out. It’s always intriguing to see how far companies take research and prototypes before canning thei…
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The Morning After: What you actually need to play Stadia games in 4K
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The Morning After: ‘Call of Duty: Warzone’ joins the free battle royale trend
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The Morning After: MoviePass is bankrupt, and the Model Y ships in March
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The Morning After: Vine is back, but now it’s Byte
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The Morning After: PewDiePie is taking a break from YouTube in 2020
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The Morning After: Google prepares its first Pixel ‘feature drop’
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The Morning After: ‘Death Stranding’ is here — but is it a good game?
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The Morning After: Listing ‘basically everything’ launching with Disney+
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The Morning After: Our 2019 Microsoft Surface event preview
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The Morning After: Google Assistant can read out your WhatsApp replies for you
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The Morning After: FBI arrests woman for massive Capital One hack
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The Morning After: Reviewing Apple’s new 13-inch MacBook Pro
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