Motorola’s two new budget smartphones look great, but how do they compare? We put the Moto G Power 5G (2024) against the Moto G 5G (2024) to find out.
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Confession time: I already have a copy of Final Fantasy XVI and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for the PS5 even though I still don't have a PlayStation 5 console. I never get consoles the moment they come out and usually wait a few years for their next version. In the PlayStation 5's case, I thought it was going to be the PS5 Slim, but it looks like I could have another option by the end of the year: The PlayStation 5 Pro. Tom Henderson of Insider Gaming says the PS5 Pro details leaked by the Moore’s Law is Dead YouTube channel came from documentation Sony itself recently sent to third-party developers.
Take the website's confirmation with a grain of salt, of course, but Henderson has a pretty good track record when it comes to leaks. In 2022, he reported that Sony was working a "genuine professional controller" for the PS5, two months before the DualSense Edge was officially announced. He also revealed that the company was set to release a version of the console with a detachable disc drive a full year before Sony introduced the smaller and lighter PS5 model.
Based on leaked information on the PS5 Pro so far, it will offer improved and consistent frame rate (FPS) at 4K, as well as a "performance mode" for 8K resolution. It's also expected to be able to render games up to 45 percent quicker and to have ray tracing capabilities that are two to three times faster than its non-pro counterpart. Plus, the documentation Moore’s Law is Dead featured in its video shows that it will have a GPU with 67 Teraflops FP16 (33.5 Teraflops FP32) performance, which indicates faster speeds and better graphics overall.
Henderson says Sony is targeting a holiday release for the PS5 Pro, most likely to take advantage of heightened sales for the season. However, that could still change, depending on whether the company feels there haven't been enough first-party title releases this year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-ps5-pro-is-reportedly-coming-this-holiday-season-084404542.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
It’s March 2024, and we’re still waiting for Apple to announce new iPads. Thankfully, that should be changing — and soon.
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Incredible footage released by Varda Space Industries gives us a first-person view of a space capsule’s return trip to Earth, from the moment it separates from its carrier satellite in orbit all the way through its fiery reentry and bumpy arrival at the surface. Varda’s W-1 capsule landed at the Utah Test and Training Range, a military site, on February 21 in a first for a commercial company. It spent roughly eight months leading up to that in low Earth orbit, stuck in regulatory limbo while the company waited for the government approvals it needed to land on US soil, according to Ars Technica.
“Here’s a video of our capsule ripping through the atmosphere at mach 25, no renders, raw footage,” the company posted on X alongside clips from reentry. Varda also shared a 28-minute video of W-1’s full journey home from LEO on YouTube.
Below is a longer 5-minute edit from separation to touchdown:
The full unedited raw footage and audio from separation to touchdown is available on our YouTube: https://t.co/ipdBvx93iB pic.twitter.com/ggIRHUvnnI
— Varda Space Industries (@VardaSpace) February 28, 2024
Varda, which worked with Rocket Lab for the mission, is trying to develop mini-labs that can produce pharmaceuticals in orbit — in this case, the HIV drug ritonavir. Its W-1 capsule was attached to Rocket Lab’s Photon satellite “bus,” which the company said ahead of launch would provide power, communications and altitude control for the capsule. Photon successfully brought the capsule to where it needed to be for last week’s reentry, then itself burned up in Earth’s atmosphere, SpaceNews reported. Now that the capsule has returned, Ars Technica reports that the ritonavir crystals grown in orbit will be analyzed by the Indiana-based pharmaceutical company, Improved Pharma.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/this-is-what-it-looks-like-to-reenter-earths-atmosphere-from-a-space-capsules-pov-211120769.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
OnePlus has taken the OnePlus 12R to new heights with this gorgeous limited edition inspired by Genshin Impact.
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The Samsung Galaxy S24 has a competent camera setup. But compared side-by-side with another Android phone, it’s not even close.
Digital Trends
Did you think you’ve seen the last of Doom running on random stuff? Think again. Landscaping technology company Husqvarna just announced that the game will run on some of its robot lawn mowers. So you can mow down hellspawn just ahead of mowing down errant blades of grass.
Here’s the deal. It’ll only be available on the company’s Automower Nera robotic lawn mower models, beginning this April. Once downloaded, you play the game via the lawn mower’s onboard display. Rotating the control knob turns Doomguy left and right and pressing the knob makes you shoot. Holding down the start button initiates forward movement. It’s Doom. You know the drill.
There are some caveats here. First of all, you have to sign up to download the software by September 9. It won’t be available for US residents, despite Husqvarna making a concerted effort to sell more robot lawn mowers in the United States. Finally, this is just the game running on the onboard display. It’s not as if the mower turns your yard into an actual level, with unwanted greenery representing demonic enemies. Still, it’s always nice to see Doom continue to do its thing.
The idea to make the shooter available to lawn mower enthusiasts came after a successful test run at the gaming event DreamHack Winter 2023, which was held in Sweden last December. This is just the latest example of Doom popping up where it shouldn’t. We’ve seen the FPS running on pregnancy tests, rat brain neurons and even inside of other games, like the sequel Doom II and Minecraft. Most recently, Doom was spotted running on actual gut bacteria with a frame rate so atrocious it would take 600 years to reach the ending.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/can-your-robot-lawnmower-run-doom-this-one-can-162641979.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
One of 2023’s most interesting smartphone companies is at MWC 2024, and it just gave us a sneak peek at what the future of smartphone design could look like.
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The Google Pixel series has always had a lot of amazing software features, but the Pixel 8 will soon be getting one that allows touch sensitivity to be automatically adjusted.
TalkAndroid
It’s hard to be surprised by Android phones in 2024. But this new mid-range option from Poco does exactly that.
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Check out this BBC news item from 2001 that reports on the arrival of the first (very basic) camera phone — six years before the first iPhone hit the market.
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Grab this 5-in-1 AppleAir Tag gadget while it is on sale at Huckberry.
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Expensive phones like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max have a lot to offer. But chances are, you’re much better off with other options instead.
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Against all odds, Japan’s SLIM lander managed to turn back on more than a week after it plopped upside down onto the surface of the moon — but now, it’s gone dormant for the duration of the lunar night, and it may not be able to wake up again. The SLIM team from the Japanese space agency, JAXA, on Thursday shared the last image the lander captured at the moon’s Shioli crater before dusk, as night encroached. Lunar night lasts the equivalent of two Earth weeks and can get colder than -200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Last night (1/31 ~ 2/1) we sent a command to switch on #SLIM’s communicator again just in case, but with no response, we confirmed SLIM had entered a dormant state. This is the last scene of the Moon taken by SLIM before dusk. #GoodAfterMoon #JAXA pic.twitter.com/V1iAUoxJFK
— 小型月着陸実証機SLIM (@SLIM_JAXA) February 1, 2024
The team has confirmed that the solar powered lander is in a dormant state that will last at least the duration of the lunar night. Its chances of resuming operations afterward aren’t great, but then again, it’s already surprised us once. “Although SLIM was not designed for the harsh lunar nights, we plan to try to operate again from mid-February, when the Sun will shine again on SLIM’s solar cells,” the team wrote on X. If this truly is SLIM’s last photo, it sure is a spooky one.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/japans-moon-lander-took-this-eerie-photo-before-being-enveloped-by-lunar-night-221438290.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
Dave the Diver is coming to PS5 and PS4. The 2023 breakout hit won Indie Game of the Year at The Game Awards — stretching the definition of “indie” — and was included in Engadget’s Best Games of 2023. It arrives on Sony’s consoles in April, and a Godzilla crossover DLC (sure, why not!) follows it in May.
The game has you exploring a vast underwater world full of mysteries during the day, and helming a sushi restaurant at night. As Engadget’s Lawrence Bonk wrote, “The daytime adventures are sort of like an underwater Metroidvania while the nighttime restaurant management is a combination of a Kairosoft sim and the arcade classic Tapper.” It doesn’t sound like it would work, but it does.
Dave the Diver launched on PC in June and arrived on Switch in late October.
Sony touts the game’s DualSense support. “The controller’s haptics offer the realistic feeling of a hooked fish tugging the line,” the company wrote in an announcement blog post. “The adaptive triggers respond differently depending on which weapon you’re using, making the combat and fishing experience even more immersive.”
As for the Godzilla DLC, we don’t know much yet other than it will introduce “even more enormous threats lurking in the depths” as you “prepare to meet the King of the Monsters in the Blue Hole.”
You can watch the trailer for Dave the Diver on PlayStation below, including a peek at Godzilla near the end.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dave-the-diver-is-bringing-godzilla-with-him-to-ps5-this-spring-233136441.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, featuring expandable storage of up to 1TB and an 8.7-inch touchscreen, is down to just $ 99 from Walmart after a $ 60 discount.
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The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the company’s latest flagship phone and sure to be fantastic. Here’s the best pre-order deal around.
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The Honor Magic V2 is one of the newest folding phones to hit the scene. And it has one big advantage over other foldables.
Digital Trends
Following Apple's announcement of enabling third-party app stores for iOS users in the European Union, Epic Games confirms that it'll be bringing Fortnite back to the iPhone and iPad in Europe later this year — by way of a new Epic mobile games store. This will mark the title's official return to Apple's platform since it was yanked back in August 2020, after Epic offered discounts to payments made directly to its own store, instead of Apple's App Store and Google Play which would take a 30-percent cut. iOS users have had to rely on Xbox Cloud Gaming or GeForce Now to play Fortnite, but this will soon be a thing of the past for those based in Europe.
Fortnite's grand return to iOS in Europe is all thanks to the EU's new Digital Markets Act, which goes into effect March 7. This allows developers to take payments and distribute apps from outside of the App Store, pending Apple's new "Notarization" approval process to spot harmful apps. Apple is also introducing a new fee structure that claims to cost less, if not the same, for most developers who publish to European markets.
Fortnite will return to iOS in Europe in 2024, distributed by the upcoming @EpicGames Store for iOS. Stay tuned for details as we figure out the regulatory timeline. We'll continue to argue to the courts and regulators that Apple is breaking the law. https://t.co/MHh6EGVinC
— Epic Games Newsroom (@EpicNewsroom) January 25, 2024
Even though the upcoming changes will allow Epic Games to make money off iOS users once again (at least in Europe), founder and CEO Tim Sweeney called out Cupertino for the "new Junk Fees on downloads and new Apple taxes on payments they don't process." The exec later spotted more "hot garbage" in the details, particularly the terms related to requesting an entitlement from Apple. "Under what possible theory of antitrust regulation is it acceptable for a monopoly to decide what companies are allowed to compete with it, and on what terms they can compete? Apple makes a mockery of free market competition," Sweeney said in a post on X. The infuriated tone here comes as no surprise, especially after the US Supreme Court rejected Epic's appeal that Apple violated federal antitrust laws earlier this month.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/epic-games-confirms-fortnite-is-coming-back-to-ios-in-europe-this-year-040818909.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
Samsung and major carriers have some amazing pre-order deals on the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus. Here’s why they’re worth your time.
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TCL’s NxtPaper 11 is a budget tablet with a premium feel and a unique display. Is it worth checking out? We find out.
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Do you wish your iPhone had physical buttons? Now it can with the Clicks keyboard. The new accessory, which fits around the smartphone, arrives soon.
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Tetris is one of the most popular and enduring video games of all time, with versions on just about every console, computer and gadget. Many of these iterations have endings baked into story modes and the like, but the original endless mode was considered unbeatable by humans, until now. A 13-year-old boy has become the first person to ‘beat’ the NES version of Tetris, 34 years after it originally released back in 1989, as announced by YouTuber aGameScout.
The reason we put ‘beat’ in quotes is due to the nature of the achievement. Oklahoma teenager Willis Gibson, also known as Blue Scuti on YouTube, didn’t access an authorized ending, as there isn’t one. Instead, he played the game so perfectly for so long that it forced a kill screen that crashed the game. These kill screens are usually caused by an overflow error that occurs when you speed the game up so much that the software can’t keep up.
The teen achieved this feat after 38 minutes of gameplay and captured the moment on video. He’s the first person to do this, but not the first, uh, entity. An AI program called StackRabbit forced a kill screen with the NES Tetris back in 2021. Score one for the humans!
This was done by incorporating a gameplay style called the rolling technique, which has players glide their fingers along the bottom of an NES controller and use that momentum to roll the controller into the other hand. When done correctly, you can hit the D-pad up to 20 times per second. The method revolutionized competitive Tetris play a couple of years back. Prior to this achievement, the 13-year-old had already broken the game’s high score record, level achieved record and the total number of lines cleared by using the rolling technique.
Gibson, aka Blue Scudi, told another YouTuber that he’s dedicating the achievement to his late father, who recently passed away in December. He also said that the gameplay session was so frantic that he couldn’t feel his fingers afterwards.
Achieving the mythical kill screen is something of a rite of passage for old-school games. If you’ve seen the documentary King of Kong, involving the arcade cabinet Donkey Kong, you know just how competitive it can be to snag those bragging rights. Players have hit the kill screen on Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Duck Hunt, and many others.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/this-kid-just-became-the-first-person-to-beat-nes-tetris-191557002.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
Don’t like how most smartwatches look? The Withings ScanWatch Light is a smartwatch for those who don’t like smartwatches.
Digital Trends
The Motorola Razr Plus is a lovely little phone — but it also likes to play on your emotions. Let me explain what I mean.
Digital Trends
Remember the 20th anniversary limited edition PlayStation 4? No, I didn't get one, either. But what if Sony were to port that same sweet retro look from the PS1 to the PS5? Look no further than the farewell gift which SIE (Sony Interactive Entertainment) President and CEO Jim Ryan — who is retiring in March 2024 — received yesterday.
In a photo posted by Yuichi Haga, the Global Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Lead at SIE, the "one of a kind" PS5 console — not the slim model — was customized with the PS1's retro gray finish, along with the classic quad-color "PS" logo. Even the DualSense controller was given a DualShock 1 makeover, complete with a cable and a cute plug cover that goes over the PS5's front USB-C port. Ryan's team went the extra mile to make a special packaging design — one that pays homage to the PS1's box art.
Sad I won’t be around for #TheGameAwards but I couldn’t pass up the chance to go to Jim Ryan’s thank you party and be around some legends and this one of a kind “Jim Ryan” PS5 with PS1 style. pic.twitter.com/WP7qwtxDI0
— 🎮Yuichi (@InstallBase) December 7, 2023
At yesterday's thank-you party, the outgoing PlayStation boss was honored by many industry legends, including the "father of PlayStation" Ken Kutaragi, Gran Turismo's Kazunori Yamauchi, Team Asobi's Nicolas Doucet and, of course, Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida. PlayStation's BAFTA-winning indies lead, Shuhei Yoshida, was notably absent as he had to attend The Game Awards (while nabbing the "Games for Impact" award on behalf of Awaceb, the developer behind indie title, Tchia).
It's unclear as to whether us mere mortals will get to own a version of this special edition PS5, but considering that it'll be PlayStation's 30th anniversary next year, perhaps Sony will consider making one for the PS5 Slim then?
With PlayStation legends pic.twitter.com/HxdHc0UseA
— Nao Koto🍣 (@knyaop) December 7, 2023
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/feast-your-eyes-on-this-ps1-themed-playstation-5-080926381.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
The Samsung Galaxy S24 just had another big leak — this time giving us official-looking images of all three phones.
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The OnePlus 12, launching in China on December 4th, refines the OnePlus 11’s aesthetic and improves antenna signal performance and gaming latency.
Come comment on this article: This is our first official look at the OnePlus 12
Here to help you keep your smartphone and laptop powered up is Ugreen with a bunch of charging accessories that are hugely discounted this Black Friday weekend. Whether you are on the hunt for a slim 30W charger, a 200W USB-C Desktop charge, 25,000mAh power bank or even a power station and solar panel combo, […]
Come comment on this article: Save at least 40% on these Ugreen chargers, power banks, and USB-C Hubs this Black Friday weekend
Amazon has a hefty price cut on the Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro / Air. The Black Friday sale drops the (typically $ 299) accessory’s price to $ 199. That’s the lowest we’ve seen on the accessory that transforms the tablet into a pseudo-laptop with keys and a trackpad.
Initially launched in 2020, the Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad provides an easy and seamless way to jump between tablet and laptop(-ish) modes. Attach your iPad magnetically to the accessory’s back (it appears to “float”), and Apple’s software immediately recognizes it for typing and cursor control — no Bluetooth pairing or cables required. Engadget recommended it as one of the best iPad accessories.
Its (scissor mechanism) keys feel similar to those of recent Mac keyboards, and its trackpad, although smaller than those on MacBooks, gives you desktop-like cursor control and swipe-based multitasking gestures in iPadOS. The accessory supports USB-C passthrough charging, so you can juice up your iPad while plugging an external drive or monitor into the tablet’s port. The accessory is available in black and white.
This model is only compatible with recent iPad Pro and iPad Air models. Specifically, it supports the 11-inch iPad Pro (1st generation through the current 4th-gen model) and iPad Air (4th and 5th generations). If you have the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, there’s a separate Magic Keyboard model for it that’s also on sale: You can grab that one for $ 299 (it’s usually $ 349).
Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-apple-magic-keyboard-is-down-to-its-lowest-price-this-year-in-an-amazon-black-friday-deal-173034923.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
Black Friday week/month is upon us and for those looking at getting a shiny new smartphone Motorola is reducing a number of its latest handsets, with savings of up to $ 300 to be had. Whether its the new Razr+ foldable, the powerful Edge+ 2023, or the budget-conscious Moto G 5G 2023, there’s a deal to […]
Come comment on this article: Save up to $ 300 on your new Motorola smartphone this Black Friday
Apple has released some important information for anyone purchasing one of its products during the upcoming holiday season.
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Apple surprised many people when it revealed that its Scary Fast event was shot entirely on an iPhone using a free camera app.
Digital Trends
The year 2023 has been a bumper year for foldables of both the clamshell and fold varieties with Motorola’s superb Razr+ proving to be a viable Galaxy Z Flip alternative and Google’s Pixel Fold taking on the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Now it’s time for the OnePlus Open to break cover with a flagship Snapdragon […]
Come comment on this article: This is the OnePlus Open – the latest rival to Samsung’s Galaxy Fold Series
This is one of the most unusual iPhone cases we’ve seen. It’s the Oceanic+ Dive Housing, and it turns your iPhone into a dive computer and underwater camera.
Digital Trends
Amazon’s October Prime Day is discounting many of Anker’s best accessories. So if you’re in the market for cables, portable chargers or power adapters, you can get a those devices for a lot less money right now. A few of the deals are just for Prime members but others are open to anyone.
The sale includes chargers for every need, such as the three-port Nano II 65W USB-C charger with space to juice up your phone, computer and headphones all at once. The small charger is available for 39 percent off, dropping from $ 56 to $ 34. Similarly, the slightly larger Prime 67W USB-C Charger with two USB-C ports and one USB-A is 37 percent off, bringing its price from $ 60 to $ 38.
The best deal comes courtesy of Anker’s fast charging 765 USB-C to USB-C cable, which is down from $ 35 to $ 15 — a 57 percent discount. It’s compatible with the new iPhone 15 models, along with the MacBook Pro 2021, iPad Pro, iPad Air 4th and Samsung’s Galaxy S23+ and Ultra. If you’re still loyal to a USB charger but your cords are breaking at the seams, pick up Anker’s lightning cable three-pack for 20 percent off, dropping from $ 25 to $ 20.
Then there’s Anker’s portable chargers currently on sale for every time you stay out later than expected or drain your battery playing games. The Prime 20K Power Bank is down to $ 22.40 from $ 28 and can juice up an iPhone 12 halfway in 30 minutes using USB and USB-C chargers. For $ 30 (down from $ 60), you can pick up Anker’s Magnetic Portable Charger 5K for wireless charging. Plus, the Prime Power Bank with 200W Output and a smart display has fallen from $ 130 to $ 90 for Prime Day — giving you high-speed charging with enough money left over to buy quality cables.
If you’re a Prime Member, you can also save on our pick for the best budget wireless charging stand, Anker’s 313 Wireless Charger. Don’t expect fast charging here — this tops out at 10W (and just 5W for iPhones). But you can position your phone in landscape orientation to take advantage of StandBy mode on iPhones.
Anker’s Nano Power Bank comes with either a built-in Lightning connector (for iPhone 14 and earlier) or a built-in USB-C connector, for iPhone 15 and Android phones. They’re both on sale for Prime Day, but only for Prime Members. You’ll save 38 percent on the Lightning version and 25 percent on the USB-C version. Both will give your phone a partial charge whenever you need it.
Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/anker-chargers-and-accessories-get-deep-discounts-for-october-prime-day-110527447.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
Amazon Prime Day is almost upon us (10 & 11th October) and here with a bunch of early-access deals is Honor offering savings of £200 on its excellent Magic 5 Pro flagship (Review). Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and packing a class-leading camera setup, the Magic 5 Pro offers premium hardware at […]
Come comment on this article: Honor’s excellent Magic 5 Pro is just £749 this Prime Day, Honor 90 down to £350
Boost Mobile wants us to get an Apple iPhone 15 for free, here’s how to get one and what to pick from Boost.
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If you want the latest iPhone device without paying hundreds upfront, you can grab this Amazon deal on the iPhone 15 Pro Max for less just $ 65.56 per month.
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The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is a great tablet for web browsing or watching your favorite shows. It’s on sale now at Samsung so it’s far more affordable.
Digital Trends
Despite Samsung launching its new Galaxy Z Flip 5 recently, Motorola’s Razr+ still boasts the largest external display to be found in the foldable clamshell category and arguably still the most useful. If you didn’t manage to snag the Razr+ on AT&T’s promotion last month, perhaps Motorola’s offer to bundle in a free set of […]
Come comment on this article: Deal: Save up to $ 500 on Motorola smartphones this fall
The Fairphone 5 is very different from other smartphones, and could even last you a decade before replacement, but would you want to keep it that long?
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I put the Apple Watch Series 8 back on ahead of the Apple Watch Series 9’s announcement, and it made me wish I had worn it more this past year.
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Microsoft is set to launch its abusive-voice reporting feature for Xbox consoles. Announced in July, it lets gamers submit inappropriate remarks heard while playing multiplayer titles. The system captures a 60-second clip saved to the console; you then have 24 hours to complete the report. The feature arrives this week in the September update for Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. However, it’s initially limited to the “select English-language markets” of the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
Microsoft says it tailored voice reporting to balance ease of use with minimal gaming interference. “Our feature is designed so that only you, the player, can initiate the capture of the last 60 seconds of gameplay activity that occurred for content moderation purposes,” the company wrote. It works similarly to capturing standard gameplay clips, but content recorded for moderation review is only used for that purpose. “They will not appear in your recent captures, and clips cannot be downloaded, modified, or shared,” Microsoft wrote.
The company stressed that the console won’t save or upload any clips unless you start the reporting process. After capturing a clip of spoken chat that you believe breaks Xbox’s community standards, the sample will remain on your console for “24 online hours,” and you can choose to submit it immediately or wait for your gameplay session to end. In addition, your Xbox will alert you as a final reminder to send the report if the 24-hour period is about to expire. Finally, you’ll receive a notification later telling you whether the company took action against the perpetrator.
Also included in the Xbox September update is the ability to quickly stream Xbox gameplay to Discord. After updating your console, you can link your Discord account and join voice channels on the platform directly from the console. You’ll find the activation controls in the Xbox guide by navigating to Parties & Chats and choosing Discord.
The September update also lets users toggle the console’s variable refresh rate (VRR). You can now turn the feature off or back on by navigating to General > TV & display options > Video. You’ll see options to leave VRR “always on,” switch it to “gaming only” or disable it altogether.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/xboxs-reporting-system-for-abusive-voice-chat-arrives-this-week-175806184.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
We have new details about the iPhone 15 Pro and its possible colors. And I really, really hope they aren’t true.
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I’ve worn the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic and Ticwatch Pro 5 over the past weeks. They’re both great, but there’s only one I’d actually buy.
Digital Trends
Threads by Instagram will get a web version as soon as this week, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal. Earlier this month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised a web version with better search functionality, and Instagram head Adam Mosseri recently said that one is in testing. Currently, a full version of Threads is only available on iOS and Android, with limited read-only functionality on browsers.
A web version is near the top of the list of most-desired features for Threads, but the company is exercising caution with the release. “It’s a little bit buggy right now, you don’t want it just yet,” Mosseri said Friday on Instagram. “As soon as it is ready we will share it with everybody else.”
Threads recently added new features to Threads like the ability to set notifications and view posts in chronological order. The company also started labeling state-controlled media outlets after some were seen posting propaganda. Another new update is the “repost” tab makes it easier to see all reposted content. (X, previously called Twitter, recently renamed “retweets” to the more generic “reposts,” ironically following Threads’ lead.)
A web version would be coming at a good time for Threads. After a torrid launch with over 100 million users signing on in the first week, the number of daily active users (DAUs) dropped down to 80 percent by mid-August. Still, Threads is by far the most successful alternative to X, which counted around 238 million DAUs in August 2023 and 364 million monthly active users, X reported last year.
In any case, the launch of a web version will be particularly useful for social media power users, just when Twitter has put one of its key tools for those folks, Tweetdeck, permanently behind a paywall.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/threads-web-app-could-arrive-this-week-082645402.html?src=rss
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Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak will be free on the Epic Games Store later this month. The well-received 2016 prequel to 1999 real-time strategy classic Homeworld arrives ahead of Homeworld 3, due early next year after multiple delays. The (usually $ 50) Deserts of Kharak will be available to claim on Epic’s storefront from August 24th to 31st.
The 2016 game takes place over a century before the events of Homeworld on the desert world of Kharak. The arid planet is the once-home of the Kushan people, protagonists of the 1999 original and central figures in the series. It’s the only Homeworld installment to move the action from space to the ground as you navigate the terrain to gain the advantage over the Kiith Gaalsien. This cult-like faction believes anyone who dreams of flying to the stars deserves harsh punishment — something they’re all too happy to dole out. Its gameplay honors the series’ strategic roots while adapting to ground play’s reduced axes of movement by making elevation (navigating the desert’s plateaus and valleys) a core focus.
Snagging the game for free can give the franchise’s fans something to tide them over ahead of Homeworld 3 in February 2024 — and publisher Gearbox Software would surely love to lure some younger gamers into the nearly quarter-century-old series.
The Homeworld series has ridden an IP roller coaster since the RTS genre’s late 90s / early 00s heyday. After the first game’s critically acclaimed reception, original developer Relic Entertainment made two more (also well-received) games: an expansion and a proper sequel. However, after 2003’s Homeworld 2, THQ bought Relic and failed to produce a single Homeworld game under its ownership.
The series only got another lease on life after THQ folded and Gearbox Software won a 2013 auction to secure its rights. The Borderlands maker revived the saga with remastered versions of the classic titles. Deserts of Kharak followed soon after, and Homeworld 3 was finally announced in 2019, using a crowdfunding campaign to raise money and gauge consumer interest. After several delays, the long-awaited third installment will (hopefully) arrive next winter.
Claiming the PC game from August 24th to 31st will require an Epic Games account. During that time, you can navigate to the Deserts of Kharak store page in a browser or use the Epic Games Launcher to redeem it.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/homeworld-deserts-of-kharak-will-be-free-on-the-epic-games-store-this-month-181511485.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics