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Google just announced some nifty improvements to its Gemini AI chatbot for Android devices as part of the company's I/O 2024 event. The AI is now part of the Android operating system, allowing it to integrate in a more comprehensive way.The coolest new feature wouldn't be possible without that integration with the underlying OS. Gemini is now much better at understanding context as you control apps on the smartphone. What does this mean exactly? Once the tool officially launches as part of Android 15, you'll be able to bring up a Gemini overlay that rests on top of the app you're using. This will allow for context-specific actions and queries.Google gives the example of quickly dropping generated images into Gmail and Google Messages, though you may want to steer clear of historical images for now. The company also teased a feature called Ask This Video" that lets users pose questions about a particular YouTube video, which the chatbot should be able to answer. Google says this should work with "billions" of videos. There's a similar tool coming for PDFs.GoogleIt's easy to see where this tech is going. Once Gemini has access to the lion's share of your app library, it should be able to actually deliver on some of those lofty promises made by rival AI companies like Humane and Rabbit. Google says it's just getting started with how on-device AI can change what your phone can do" so we imagine future integration with apps like Uber and Doordash, at the very least.Circle to Search is also getting a boost thanks to on-board AI. Users will be able to circle just about anything on their phone and receive relevant information. Google says people will be able to do this without having to switch apps. This even extends to math and physics problems, just circle for the answer, which is likely to please students and frustrate teachers.Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-builds-gemini-right-into-android-adding-contextual-awareness-within-apps-180413356.html?src=rss

Google has introduced another capability for its Circle to Search feature at the company's annual I/O developer conference, and it's something that could help students better understand potentially difficult class topics. The feature will now be able to show them step-by-step instructions for a "range of physics and math word problems." They just have to activate the feature by long-pressing the home button or navigation bar and then circling the problem that's got them stumped, though some math problems will require users to be signed up for Google's experimental Search Labs feature.The company says Circle to Search's new capability was made possible by its new family of AI models called LearnLM that was specifically created and fine-tuned for learning. It's also planning to make adjustments to this particular capability and to roll out an upgraded version later this year that could solve even more complex problems "involving symbolic formulas, diagrams, graphs and more." Google launched Circle to Search earlier this year at a Samsung Unpacked event, because the feature was initially available on Galaxy 24, as well as on Pixel 8 devices. It's now also out for the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S22, Z Fold, Z Flip, Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 devices, and it'll likely make its way to more hardware in the future.In addition to the new Circle to Search capability, Google has also revealed that devices that can support the Gemini for Android chatbot assistant will now be able to bring it up as an overlay on top of the application that's currently open. Users can then drag and drop images straight from the overlay into apps like Gmail, for instance, or use the overlay to look up information without having to swipe away from whatever they're doing. They can tap "Ask this video" to find specific information within a YouTube video that's open, and if they have access to Gemini Advanced, they can use the "Ask this PDF" option to find information from within lengthy documents.Google is also rolling out multimodal capabilities to Nano, the smallest model in the Gemini family that can process information on-device. The updated Gemini Nano, which will be able to process sights, sounds and spoken language, is coming to Google's TalkBack screen reader later this year. Gemini Nano will enable TalkBack to describe images onscreen more quickly and even without an internet connection. Finally, Google is currently testing a Gemini Nano feature that can alert users while a call is ongoing if it detects common conversation patterns associated with scams. Users will be alerted, for instance, if they're talking to someone asking them for their PINs or passwords or to someone asking them to buy gift cards.Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/androids-circle-to-search-can-now-help-students-solve-math-and-physics-homework-180223229.html?src=rss

As part of its push toward adding generative AI to search, Google has introduced a new twist: video. Gemini will let you upload video that demonstrates an issue you're trying to resolve, then scour user forums and other areas of the internet to find a solution.As an example, Google's Rose Yao talked onstage at I/O 2024 about a used turntable she bought and how she couldn't get the needle to sit on the record. Yao uploaded a video showing the issue, then Gemini quickly found an explainer describing how to balance the arm on that particular make and model.Google"Search is so much more than just words in a text box. Often the questions you have are about the things you see around you, including objects in motion," Google wrote. "Searching with video saves you the time and trouble of finding the right words to describe this issue, and you'll get an AI Overview with steps and resources to troubleshoot."If the video alone doesn't make it clear what you're trying to figure out, you can add text or draw arrows that point to the issue in question.OpenAI just introduced ChatGPT 4o with the ability to interpret live video in real time, then describe a scene or even sing a song about it. Google, however, is taking a different tack with video by focusing on its Search product for now. Searching with video is coming to Search Labs US users in English to start with, but will expand to more regions over time, the company said.Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/googles-gemini-will-search-your-videos-to-help-you-solve-problems-175235105.html?src=rss

Dead by Daylight fans can check out the Dungeons and Dragons chapter starting today, but Behaviour Interactive teased another high-profile crossover during an anniversary showcase on Tuesday. A Castlevania chapter is on the way to DbD. There aren't any details yet about what that will include, but you just might get to play as Alucard or Simon Belmont in the fog. Behaviour plans to divulge more info about the Castlevania tie-up, which will arrive later this year, in August.As for the Dungeons and Dragons chapter, which brings a dark fantasy element to DbD for the first time, Behaviour spilled the beans on that during the stream. PC players will be able to try out the chapter on the public test build today before it goes live for everyone on June 3.Behaviour InteractiveThe new killer is Vecna (the D&D version rather than the Stranger Things baddie) and stalwart video game actor and Critical Role mastermind Matt Mercer is voicing the character. The latest survivor is actually two identities in one. It's a bard character that you can opt to play as an elf female or human male, bringing a slight element of D&D-style character creation to DbD.The chapter will also include a new map, which (surprise, surprise) is a dungeon. Whenever you're up against Vecna, you'll be able to find treasure chests which will trigger a roll of a 20-sided die when opened. Rolling a one will net you a nasty surprise while getting a 20 grants you a powerful magical item. Roll any number in between and you'll get a helpful item.Speaking of maps, there will be larger ones to check out in an upcoming new mode. DbD has long pitted four survivors against one killer. A pair of killers will soon be able to team up and hunt eight survivors. They'll be able to take advantage of team powers too.There will be a lot of changes for this 2 vs. 8 mode, which will be around for a limited time at first. Perks will be jettisoned in favor of a class system, and there won't be any hooks. Downed survivors will instead go straight to a cage. If a survivor is caged three times, they're out of the game. Behaviour sees this as more of a party mode as opposed to the competitive nature of 1 vs. 4. The 2 vs. 8 mode is slated to arrive later this summer, and you can expect to find out more about it in July.Behaviour also had some news about several DbD spinoff games that are in the works. The Casting of Frank Stoneis a single-player, narrative-focused game set in the DbD universe and developer Supermassive has released the first gameplay trailer.The spinoff tells the story of a group of young people who venture into a condemned steel mill in 1980 while attempting to film their own horror movie. There, they discover evidence of crimes committed by serial killer Frank Stone.The gameplay sounds very familiar for those who have experience of previous Supermassive games like Until Dawn and The Quarry. The direction of the story will shift based on your narrative decisions and how you handle environmental puzzles and quick-time events. The Casting of Frank Stone, which is said to be about five to seven hours long, is slated to arrive later this year.An untitled co-op shooter spinoff from Midwinter Entertainment is still in early development, but it now has a codename: Project T. It'll be a third-person game and unlike the survivors in DbD, you'll actually be able to fight back against enemies using guns. Fans who want to find out more can sign up for an insider program, which will include updates, closed playtests and the chance to provide feedback.That's not all though, as Behaviour announced yet another DbD spinoff. What the Fog is a two-person co-op roguelike that it developed in-house. The premise is that DbD survivors Claudette and Dwight are sucked into a cursed board game, Jumanji-style. The game is mainly played in third-person, but if you die you'll move into a bird's-eye support mode, where you can help your teammate survive. Just like in DbD, you'll need to interact with a hook to revive your ally. There's a single-player mode, while Feng Min is an unlockable character.Behaviour InteractiveWhat the Fog shares some elements with DbD. You'll need to pick up tokens called blood points by roaming the map and killing enemies. These let you activate generators so you can escape a room. You'll get a buff from each generator and acquire a weapon upgrade after each round. There are bosses to take down too. What the Fog also has a more cartoony look than DbD's more realistic art style.I've played a few rounds of the single-player mode and I'm enjoying it quite a bit so far. The metal soundtrack and monster-slaying chaos actually reminds me a bit of the Doom series. After unlocking a door, I'd suggest sticking around in the room a while longer to kill some more enemies and snag a bunch of blood points. That way, you'll be able to repair the next room's generators quickly and power up before taking on a fresh army of monsters.What the Fog is available now on Steam. The first 2 million copies are available for free, though you'll need a Behaviour account to claim one. If you're not quick enough to snag a free copy or just feel like giving Behavior a few bucks, the game costs $5.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/castlevania-is-coming-to-dead-by-daylight-later-this-year-164509826.html?src=rss

Apple's M1 iPad Air has dropped to a new low price of $399, just as the latest model prepares to hit store shelves. This sale is from Amazon and it doesn't include every color, though both blue and purple are covered by this steep discount. The other colors are also on sale, but the deals aren't quite as spicy. Amazon's sale is for the base 64GB model.This device tops our list of the best iPads, though that's likely to change once the new models enter the chat. No matter what happens with our list in the future, however, this is still a powerful and highly capable tablet with plenty of bells and whistles. We love the gorgeous screen, which is a serious step up from the bottom rung 10th-gen iPad. This one also gets you a more powerful chip.We also enjoyed the form factor. It's called the iPad Air and it shows. This is a lighter-than-average tablet that's easy to hold and maneuver, even for long periods of time. The M1 chip is powerful enough to handle just about any app or game you throw at it and the 10.9-inch display is bright, sharp and accurate. It's pretty much the Platonic ideal of a tablet. We even called it the closest to being universally appealing and the best iPad for most people."There's no Face ID, which isn't a huge deal by my estimation as tablets are harder than phones to wrangle into that sweet spot for a quick facial scan. The 64GB of available storage is also on the smaller side, making this device more of a content consumption machine than anything else. The only major downside is that the new iPad Air is a hair better in just about every aspect, though it's also at least $200 more expensive.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-m1-ipad-air-drops-to-a-new-low-of-399-155816959.html?src=rss

Microsoft has unveiled the next round of Xbox Game Pass arrivals. The marquee attraction is Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, which launches as a day-one Game Pass title on May 21. But the second May batch also includes Humanity (one of the best PlayStation games from last year), hockey sim EA Sports NHL 24, magical first-person shooter Immortals of Aveum, the heartfelt classic Brothers: A Tale of Two Sonsand more.First up is Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, the 2013 puzzle-adventure game that returns to Game Pass today after several years off the platform. Engadget's review from yesteryear described the game as an essential treasure" that makes up for its bland and redundant title with a unique control scheme (a thumbstick for each bro), beautiful visuals (although dated today), clever puzzles and a touching story that weaves together nicely with its action. The game is available for Game Pass members today (Tuesday) for console, PC and cloud players.The long-awaited Senua's Saga: Hellblade II arrives on Game Pass on May 21. Announced way back in 2019 alongside the Xbox Series X, the game sends the hero to Iceland, where she tries to find the Vikings who have invaded her hometown. Developer Ninja Theory promises more perception puzzles led by [Senua's] experiences of psychosis," one of the highlights of the 2017 original. You can play it on the cloud, PC and console (Xbox Series X / S) when it lands on Game Pass next week.Humanitytha LTD.Humanity, the innovative puzzler that launched on PlayStation and Steam in 2023, heads to Game Pass on May 30. From Rez creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the game puts you in charge of a Shiba Inu guiding herds of Lemmings-like humans across an impressive 90 stages, including boss fights. It also includes a level-creator tool that lets you make your own or try others' constructions online.Meanwhile, Immortals of Aveum borrows first-person shooter mechanics but swaps guns for a little hocus pocus. The single-player, narrative-driven game comes from independent developer Ascendant Studios but manages to look and feel like a big-budget game. Wield otherworldly magic at your fingertips as you step into the Everwar, taking on the Rasharnian Army. The 2023 game comes to Game Pass (cloud, PC and current-gen consoles) on May 16.Other titles arriving in the second half of May and beyond include the 2014 action RPG Lords of the Fallen (May 30 - cloud, PC, console), EA Sports NHL 24 (May 16 - Xbox Cloud Gaming via EA Play!), puzzle-adventure title Chants of Sennar (May 15 - cloud, console, PC), Moving Out 2 (May 28 - cloud, console, PC) and Firework (June 4 - PC). Several day-one launch titles coming to Game Pass soon include Galacticare (May 23 - cloud, PC, console), Hauntii (May 23 - cloud, console, PC), and Rolling Hills (June 4 - cloud, console, PC).This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/senuas-saga-hellblade-ii-highlights-the-next-round-of-may-game-pass-titles-155216691.html?src=rss

Amazon's Prime Video is riding a high after the success of Falloutand it has more video game-related projects lined up. The streaming service has ordered a Tomb Raider series with Phoebe Waller-Bridge of Fleabag fame set as writer and executive producer. The show was rumored to be happening as far back as January 2023 and now it's official.If I could tell my teenage self this was happening I think she'd explode. Tomb Raider has been a huge part of my life and I feel incredibly privileged to be bringing it to television with such passionate collaborators," Waller-Bridge said in a statement. "Lara Croft means a lot to me, as she does to many, and I can't wait to go on this adventure. Bats n all."Few other details about the "epic, globetrotting" project have been revealed (it's not yet known who's playing Lara Croft, for one thing), though it stems from a deal between Amazon MGM Studios and Crystal Dynamics to develop shows and movies based on Tomb Raider. There's no release window for the series as yet, but Amazon says it will premiere in more than 240 countries and territories. The company's games division is also publishing Crystal Dynamics' next Lara Croft adventure, while a long-awaited animated Tomb Raider series is slated to hit Netflix this year.Prime Video has also lined up a docuseries about EA's blockbuster Madden NFL games. EA Sports will open up its vault of rare and unreleased footage for the project. A documentary crew will follow the development of the next game in the series.These are just some of the many announcements that Prime Video is making today as it tries to win over advertisers at its upfront event. A pop culture version of Jeopardy! is on the way to the service, which will host its first NFL Wild Card Playoff game in January. A Legally Blonde prequel series called is coming too.Elsewhere, Prime Video renewed its hit show The Boys for a fifth season, announced a live-action Spider-Man Noir show starring Nicolas Cage and revealed the first trailer and release date for the second season of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. In addition, a documentary following the last 12 days of Roger Federer's professional tennis career is coming to Prime Video on June 20.

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is on sale via Amazon for just $34, which is a savings of 32 percent and one of the best prices we've seen all year. As the name suggests, this is a streaming stick that provides 4K visuals and ships with a voice remote that works with Siri, Alexa and Hey Google. Of course, this remote also has buttons.The stick easily made our list of the best streaming devices, for a great many reasons. We were impressed by the sheer amount of free and live content available via Roku's ecosystem. There's a diverse array of free linear channels and video-on-demand (VOD) services here, with thousands of series and films to choose from. Not having to pony up for yet another subscription is always nice.The Roku Streaming Stick 4K can also access all of those paid subscription services, from Disney+ to Peacock and beyond. The interface is uncluttered and easy to navigate, with a simple content list at the left and an app grid on the right. In addition to 4K, the device supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. The player even supports Apple AirPlay 2 for streaming audio and video from a tablet or phone.If we had to nitpick, and that's pretty much our job, the device's What to Watch menu prioritizes the aforementioned free content over titles pulled from paid apps. It'd be nice if things were a bit even, just in case people need a little reminder to finish Sugar on Apple TV+ or Shogun on Hulu. However, it's tough to be too miffed, as free content is where this Roku device really shines.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/one-of-our-favorite-roku-streaming-sticks-is-on-sale-for-only-34-145718364.html?src=rss

Amazon's Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was both extremely successful and extremely divisive in the LOTR fan community. (Separate question, has any recent adaptation or new content in a beloved franchise not been divisive? Thoughts for another time.) Lots of people whined about how Amazon should just trash the first season and start over, but clearly that was never going to happen. What is happening is that season two of The Rings of Power has its first trailer and an August 29 release date.I'm a pretty big Lord of the Rings fan and found season one enjoyable if not essential, but I like the looks of how things are ratcheting up here for season two. We get plenty of teases of epic battles and creepy creatures as Sauron reveals himself and begins to tighten the noose on all of Middle-earth; there are also looks at him in his "fair" form as he forges the titular Rings of Power with Celebrimbor.Amazon says the first three episodes will arrive on August 29, with subsequent entries following every week. Like the first season, this one will consist of eight episodes total.This announcement comes less than a week after Warner Bros. Discovery announced it would release a new live-action Lord of the Rings film in theaters in 2026. Tentatively titled The Hunt for Gollum, the film is directed by and will star Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. That project will be set in the same universe that Jackson built, while Amazon's series is an entirely separate entity. There is some shared DNA, though - the first season of The Rings of Power was shot in New Zealand, like Jackson's films, and composer Howard Shore wrote the main credits theme for Amazon's show after scoring all six of the Middle-earth films.Oh, and Lego just dropped this incredible Barad-Dur set - it's a big week for Lord of the Rings across the board!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lord-of-the-rings-the-rings-of-power-trailer-reveals-season-two-release-date-142522261.html?src=rss

Your experience while taking a flight comes down to many random factors, including who sits next to you. Your seatmate has plenty of ways to bother you - you've lived them, we don't need to remind you how - but now there's a whole new option. Meta has announced a new feature called Travel Mode for its Quest 2 and 3 headsets that lets people use the devices while on a plane.Meta claims it has "specially tuned" its algorithms, so the experience remains stable, even if you direct it out the window. Users can try Travel Mode out for themselves by visiting the experimental features section in settings. They can quickly turn the feature on and off in quick settings and should also get a prompt to activate it while flying on some airlines - though Meta doesn't specify which ones.In general, if someone is traveling on a flight with Wi-Fi, then they can access entertainment like movies, games, and messages, but, as Meta's photo indicates, it definitely could go into the next person's space (or at least mean their seatmate is flailing their arms all around. However, Meta is also partnering with Lufthansa to offer Quest 3 headsets with custom content and entertainment on select flights' Business Class Suites. As usual, getting any dedicated space on a plane costs a lot of money.Interestingly, Meta decided to introduce Travel Mode on planes and not something more stable (read: moving on the ground), but it plans to expand the feature to trains and other modes of transportation.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-encourages-you-to-disregard-your-seat-mates-and-use-vr-headsets-on-a-plane-141942620.html?src=rss

As if it wasn't already clear enough that streaming is basically just cable by another name at this point (though it's arguably less expensive for now), many of the top services are banding together to create bundles. A package combining Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV+ is expected to debut later this month. This StreamSaver bundle will be available to Comcast customers, according to CEO Brian Roberts.While Roberts didn't reveal how much the package will cost or what tiers of each service it will include, he said StreamSaver will offer them at a vastly reduced price to anything available today." According to Variety, he told attendees at MoffettNathanson's Media, Internet and Communications Conference that the aim was to add value to consumers" and take dollars away from competing streaming services.The StreamSaver announcement comes a few days after it emerged that a bundle of Disney+, Hulu and Max is coming this summer. A super-sized sports bundle featuring ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox services is also slated to arrive later this year, though critics such as FuboTV have claimed that the offering is anti-competitive. No pricing for either package has been announced.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-vastly-reduced-netflix-peacock-and-apple-tv-bundle-is-coming-this-month-135815744.html?src=rss

The United States is taking additional measures to quash China's influence on its economy. The White House has announced a tremendous increase in tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports, including semiconductors, steel, aluminum and EVs. The latter's tariff is set to increase fourfold, from 25 percent to 100 percent-a move that the White House claims will protect American manufacturers." The announcement further reported that China's EV exports grew 70 percent between 2022 and 2023.Other tariff increases, such as the jumps from 25 percent to 50 percent for semiconductors and solar cells, are also significant. Then there are batteries, which are getting a tariff raise from 7.5 percent to 25 percent. Medical products are also a part of this hike, with tariffs on needles and syringes increasing from zero percent to 50 percent.The Biden administration stresses that American companies need a real shot at competing against Chinese imports. China's unfair trade practices concerning technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation are threatening American businesses and workers. China is also flooding global markets with artificially low-priced exports," the White House stated in a release. Biden's decision builds on tariffs implemented by his predecessor and current election opponent, Donald Trump.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/biden-administration-quadruples-import-tariff-for-chinese-evs-130047911.html?src=rss

Apple's new iPad Pro is one of the most divisive (and thinnest) devices the company has made in years. Sure, it's an undeniable feat of engineering and thinner than an iPod nano. Apple squeezed a new M4 chip and tandem" OLED panel into its latest flagship tablet.The new OLED enables more brightness and improved HDR performance compared to the old iPad Pro-standard screen brightness is up to 1,000 nits, compared to 600 nits for the last model. It's so powerful and so beautiful. But this cutting-edge tech makes it more expensive than ever, putting it out of reach of most and pitting it against flagship laptops, price-wise.As Nathan Ingraham explains in his review, the iPad Pro lineup has always been about showing off just how good an Apple tablet can be, but this one truly is without compromise. For the rest of us, there's the new iPad Air.Later today, Google I/O's big keynote will reveal the company's latest AI ambitions. We'll be reporting live, later today.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedWhat to expect at Google I/O 2024: Gemini, Android 15, WearOS and more detailsMeta's next hardware project might be AI-infused headphones with camerasiOS 17.5 has support for web-based app downloads in the EUiPad Air (2024) review: This is the iPad to getYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!OpenAI's free GPT-4o model can talk, laugh, sing and see more like a humanAnd it looks like a big ole black hole.OpenAIOpenAI on Monday announced GPT-4o, a brand-new AI model the company says is one step closer to much more natural human-computer interaction." The new model accepts any combination of text, audio and images as input and can generate output in all three formats. It also sounds a lot more like digital assistant Samantha from the movie Her. During the presentation, OpenAI showed GPT-4o translating live between English and Italian, helping a researcher solve a linear equation in real time on paper and providing guidance on deep breathing. OpenAI's demonstrator even used the smartphone's camera to show how GPT-4o would describe the room they were in. It could infer they were in a studio, filming video or possibly a livestream. OpenAI is making the new model available to everyone, including free ChatGPT users, over the next few weeks.Continue reading.Google teases new camera-powered AI feature a day ahead of I/OThe feature looks like an AI-infused version of Google Lens.Not to be outdone, ahead of Google I/O (kicks off later today - stay tuned for all the news right here), Google teased its own incoming AI camera features. It's not exactly clear what the feature is, but it bears some similarities to Google Lens, the company's camera-powered search feature. What's shown in the teaser video, however, appears to be working in real-time and responding to voice commands.Continue reading.Dyson's first dedicated hard-floor cleaner doesn't suckThe Wash G1 is your upgrade from the humble mop.DysonIt's a new direction for Dyson: a floor cleaner without mention of suction, cyclone technology or any of its usual vacuum vocabulary. The Wash G1 is the company's debut hard-floor cleaner, and it swaps suction for high-speed rollers, water and nylon bristles. It'll go on sale later this year for $700 - we got to test it at Dyson HQ, ahead of launch.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-our-verdict-on-the-new-ipad-pro-111537244.html?src=rss

test-sectionThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/technology/gaming/test-section-095524709.html?src=rss

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SEI) has announced a new leadership structure that puts two people in charge of different parts of its business. Hideaki Nishino, who is currently serving as the SVP for the Platform Experience Group, will become the CEO of SIE's Platform Business Group starting on June 1. On the same day, Hermen Hulst will take on the role of CEO for SIE's Studio Business Group after serving as SVP and Head of PlayStation Studios.The two executives are stepping into their roles after Jim Ryan decided to leave his seat as SEI's CEO in March. When he announced his departure, he said he was finding it "increasingly difficult" to juggle his home life in the UK and his job that's located in the US. Ryan helped establish the company's presence in Europe and oversaw the launch of the PlayStation 5 in the midst of the pandemic. Both Nishino and Hulst will report to interim CEO Hiroki Totoki, who will take a step back and continue his role as Chairman of SIE as as well as President, COO and CFO of Sony Group Corporation.Nishino currently leads the team that develops all the experiences and tech for PlayStation services and products. He'll continue being responsible for those, but he will also oversee the company's work with third-party publishers and developers. Nishino will be in charge of SIE's commercial operations, including sales and marketing for all PlayStation hardware, services and peripherals, as well. Meanwhile, Hulst has been heading efforts for content development across PlayStation consoles and PCs. He's also in charge of the development of video game adaptations for movies and TV, such as The Last of Us. In the future, he will be "responsible for the development, publishing, and business operations of SIE's first-party content."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-playstation-will-soon-have-two-ceos-090041004.html?src=rss

test-setcionThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/technology/computing/test-setcion-061926526.html?src=rss

Lawmakers from opposites sides of the aisle are looking to sunset Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, because it has "outlived its usefulness." House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers and ranking member Frank Pallone, Jr. have released a bipartisan draft legislation introducing their proposed bill, which is seeking to render the provision ineffective after December 31, 2025. In the op-ed piece the lawmakers wrote for The Wall Street Journal, they admitted that Section 230 "helped shepherd the internet from the 'you've got mail' era into today's global nexus of communication and commerce." However, they said that big tech companies are now exploiting the same law to "shield them from any responsibility or accountability as their platforms inflict immense harm on Americans, especially children."They added that the lawmakers who previously tried to address issues with Section 230 didn't succeed because tech companies refused any meaningful cooperation. Their bill would compel tech companies to work with government officials for 18 months to conjure and enact a new legal framework to replace the current version of Section 230. The new law will still allow for free speech and innovation, but it will also encourage the companies "to be good stewards of their platforms." Rodgers and Pallone said that their bill will give companies the choice between ensuring the internet is "a safe, healthy place for good" and losing their Section 230 protections altogether.Section 230 shields online publishers from liability when it comes to content posted by their users. Companies like Meta and Google have repeatedly used it in the past to get lawsuits dismissed, but it has come under intense scrutiny in recent years. Last year, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill that would amend the section to require big platforms to pull down content within four days if they were deemed illegal by courts. Another bipartisan group also proposed a "No Section 230 Immunity for AI Act," which seeks to hold companies like OpenAI liable for harmful content, such as deepfake images or audio created to ruin somebody's reputation.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-bipartisan-bill-is-looking-to-end-section-230-protections-for-tech-companies-055356915.html?src=rss

It's a new direction for Dyson: a floor cleaner without mention of suction, cyclone technology or any of its usual vacuum vocabulary. The Wash G1 is the company's debut hard-floor cleaner, and it swaps suction for high-speed rollers, water and nylon bristles. It'll go on sale later this year for $700/ 600, which is expensive but still cheaper than Dyson's top-of-the-line Gen 5 vacuum. I got to test out the Wash G1 at Dyson's HQ, a few hours west of London in the UK.The product was born from the increased presence of hard floors in our lives. Dyson says there are fewer and fewer carpeted rooms in homes around the world. However, hard-floor cleaning (industrial processes aside) has remained a pretty manual process, usually involving mops (or Swiffer cloths, you monster) that leave smears and streaks. Typical mopping also leads to wiping diluted dirt and stains around your floors after the first dunk.Photo by Mat Smith/EngadgetDyson's method keeps the fresh and dirty water separate as you clean, with dual microfiber rollers that apply the water, mechanically removing stains and dirt. The company dabbled with this on its V15 Detect Submarine, which had a dedicated cleaning head with (much smaller) water compartments built in. The Wash G1 pulls dirty liquid up into its own container, capturing any physical debris into a slim tray with a mesh filter.The rollers rotate in opposite directions, which helps lift stains and dirt. While testing it, the rollers also gave the cleaner a floaty sensation as I swished it around. The high-density microfiber cloths then absorb and trap both liquids and solid dirt, while hardened nylon bristles pull away bigger dirt and objects into a tray. The dirty water is also squeezed out of the rollers and pulled upwards into the machine.The Wash G1 has 26 hydration points to precisely" soak the microfiber rollers, ensuring they're hydrated enough to tackle stains and dried dirt. The company claims there's enough water in a single tank to clean the surface area equivalent to a tennis court - but that will depend on the machine's settings.There are three hydration levels, while an additional max setting drains the tank much faster, applying as much water as possible for the most stubborn stains. This doesn't notably affect battery power, as the maximum setting would on a vacuum, because the Wash G1 isn't pushing the engines harder - it's just using more water. To reach floor edges, Dyson shifted the roller's engines to one side so the right side can closely brush up against walls and edges.Photo by Mat Smith/EngadgetThe Wash G1 can even perform a self-clean, using half of the clean water tank to flush out the system and clean the brushes. There's no heating feature, but the rotation should wring out most of the water. This is all done while the Wash G1 is docked and charging, which, instead of the typical cable or rack that Dyson's other vacuums use, is a flat surface that plugs into the wall.After using up the clean water tank, it was straightforward to remove and refill - much easier than a coffee machine. The unit with both containers clicks out of the body so you can tip away the dirty stuff and refill it with clean water. The container for the filthy water has a wide mouth, so it's easy to clean without touching the accumulated dirt.One issue though: The dirty water tank is... gross. I understand the satisfaction of seeing the dirt and muck as you clean your floors, but a container of cloudy beige mystery is, in person, rather icky. Perhaps Dyson could make it out of a smoky plastic that obfuscates the dirty water, at least a little?The way Dyson separates out liquid and solid mess also reduces the amount of sludgy muck you'll get from cleaning floors with water (not to brag, but I may have cleaned a carpet or two in my life). It does this by ensuring that solids aren't in the water for too long. Dirty water is pulled into its removable container through a pressure differential, meaning there's also no chance for the dirt to meddle with motors, filters and other delicate parts.A final microfiber roller then takes up any residual water, and Dyson says it buffs the floor to avoid a streaky finish. During my brief time with the Wash G1, it was still leaving a streaky finish, but maybe Dyson will fix this. After all, there's plenty of time before this ships to consumers. In the UK, the company is aiming for a fall (well, Autumn) launch, with the Wash G1 coming to the US later this year. The demo space was also a reflective marble surface - arguably a more challenging surface to clean perfectly. My hardwood floors at home probably wouldn't have shown streaks.Photo by Mat Smith/EngadgetThis is Dyson's first attempt at dedicated hard floor cleaning, and I still have a lot of questions about how well the filtration tray works. How much can you cram into such a slender little thing? We hope to get more answers when we take a closer look ahead of launch later this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dysons-first-dedicated-hard-floor-cleaner-doesnt-suck-230124850.html?src=rss

The expensive and gorgeous iPad Pro M4 is a complicated device that's hard to outright recommend - does it make sense to spend well over $1,000 for a tablet with the inherent limitations of iPadOS compared to a Mac or Windows PC? The iPad Air, however, is much easier to evaluate. Since its 2020 redesign, the Air has had nearly the same form factor as the Pro, with some corners cut to differentiate the two. But the Air is also a clear upgrade over the base iPad, appealing to someone like me who appreciates its excellent screen, superior chip, improved multitasking capabilities and a better accessories experience.It's pretty easy to sum up what's new about the iPad Air this year. It has a faster M2 chip compared to the old M1, it works with a new Apple Pencil Pro, the front camera has moved to the landscape edge and it starts with 128GB of storage (double the prior model) at the same $599 price. These are all expected updates given that it's been two years since the last iPad Air. But with the 2024 iPad Air, Apple is also offering an intriguing new option: the first 13-inch iPad that doesn't carry the pro" designation and associated costs. The 13-inch Air starts at $799, which is $500 less than a comparably-sized iPad Pro. (The model I tested with 512GB of storage and 5G costs $1,249.)Hardware updatesI've never considered buying a 13-inch iPad Pro. Besides the high price, I also find such a large and heavy iPad difficult to use handheld. It's great when in a keyboard dock, as the bigger screen is much more suitable for multitasking, but I also want my iPad to be easy to hold for casual tasks, playing games, watching movies and all the other basic stuff tablets are good for.My current personal iPad is an 11-inch Pro from 2020, so I'm an obvious mark for the new iPad Air. And after testing the 13-inch Air, I'm thinking about jumping on the big tablet bandwagon for the first time. Part of my reasoning is that the 13-inch iPad Air weighs less than the previous-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro it is based on. Those tablets typically weighed in around 1.5 pounds, but the Air comes in at 1.36 pounds.That doesn't sound like a major difference, but it's been just enough for me to feel more comfortable using the Air as a tablet rather than just docked in a keyboard case. It's still a little more unwieldy than I'd like, and it's still heavier and thicker than the new 13-inch iPad Pro. But, the iPad Air is $500 cheaper; at that price, I'm willing to accept a little trade-off.Photo by Nathan Ingraham / EngadgetThe new 11-inch model is indistinguishable from the 10.9-inch one it replaces in dimensions, weight and screen size. Don't let Apple fool you into thinking the screen is a whopping .1 inches bigger this year, because it's not - the company is just rounding up. (The same goes for the 13-inch Air; it has the same 12.9-inch screen size and resolution as the old iPad Pro.)The M2 chip is a big selling point for the iPad Air, but note that if you have the 2022 model with an M1, you won't experience massive performance gains here. Geekbench 6 tests show that the M2's GPU is about 30 percent faster than the M1, with lesser gains in single- and multi-core performance. But, compared to my 2020 iPad Pro with an A12Z processor, the M2 is more than twice as fast. So if you don't have an iPad with an M-series chip, the new Air will be a major step forward.That camera is basically the same as the one in the last iPad Air, but now that it's on the landscape edge it's much better for video calling when you're using it with a keyboard. I'd actually consider taking work calls with the iPad now, something that wasn't the case before.I'm also very happy that the base iPad Air comes with 128GB of storage rather than the stingy 64GB it was stuck on last time. It's far easier now to recommend people pick up the cheapest configuration. And you can also get up to 1TB of storage in the Air for the first time, if you need it.Photo by Nathan Ingraham / EngadgetMagic Keyboard and Apple Pencil ProThe Air is stuck with the old Magic Keyboard, which is heavier and thicker than the new model and lacks the helpful row of function keys. The Magic Keyboard remains crazy expensive - $299 for the 11-inch and $349 for the 13-inch - but it's still my favorite keyboard for an iPad. Well, it's my favorite after the updated version for the iPad Pro. It's comfortable, quiet and responsive, particularly considering how thin it is, and I have no problem banging out stories on it for hours at a time.If you're a fan of the Apple Pencil, though, the good news is that the iPad Air supports the brand-new Pencil Pro. I cover it in more detail in my iPad Pro review, but it does everything the older second-generation Apple Pencil can while adding new features like haptic feedback, Find My support, a squeeze gesture for bringing up menus and the ability to roll the Pencil in your hand to change the width of a brush thanks to built-in gyroscopes. It costs $129, which is the same as the second-generation Pencil. The only bad news is that the old Pencil isn't compatible with the iPad Air because of a redesigned charging and pairing system that accommodates the landscape front camera.Photo by Nathan Ingraham / EngadgetWhat hasn't changedThat's essentially everything new about the iPad Air this year. The display remains the same standard Apple LCD, which looks very good for everything I use an iPad for. It's definitely not in the same league as the new tandem OLED screen in the iPad Pro, or even the mini-LED display that came before it. I definitely noticed the comparatively worse brightness and contrast in the Air's screen when comparing it side-by-side with the Pro. But, the good news is that I don't spend all of my life comparing screens, and the iPad Air's is still a strong selling point for the tablet. It's laminated to the front glass, unlike the screen on the basic iPad, and it's more than bright enough for indoor use.The only thing I wish it had was a higher frame rate. The iPad Pro's ProMotion" feature adjusts the frame rate from 10-120hz, while the Air maxes out at 60hz. Over time, I stop noticing that the UI feels comparatively jerky in animations and don't think about it too much. But whenever I switch back to the iPad Pro, I quickly appreciate how much smoother and more fluid everything feels.The back camera is identical to the one on the prior iPad Air, which is fine. It'll take a decent snapshot in good lighting and you can shoot video in 4K at a variety of frame rates. But you can't record in the ProRes format - Apple limits that to the iPad Pro. But that likely will not be an issue for anyone considering an iPad Air. Similarly, the iPad Air's USB-C port doesn't support faster Thunderbolt 4 speed, but in my testing it was fine for pulling in RAW photos from my camera. If your workflow is such that you'll use that port a lot and benefit from faster speeds, I will shockingly recommend you check out the Pro.I haven't even had the iPad Air for a week, so I've yet to run our time-intensive battery test. But from the daily use I've put in, it typically meets Apple's 10-hour rating for light tasks like internet browsing or watching videos. Doing more processor-intensive tasks will surely wear it out faster, and I've noticed battery life tends to dip a bit when I'm using the Magic Keyboard. But, as with most iPads, you won't need to reach for the charger too often.Photo by Nathan Ingraham / EngadgetWrap-upJumping back and forth between the iPad Air and Pro has emphasized how great of a value the Air is. I can't deny there are a number of niceties that all add up to make the iPad Pro experience better. Face ID is clearly superior to Touch ID, for example - I quickly got tired of reaching for the power button to unlock the Air. The iPad Pro's screen is the definition of luxury, and the improved keyboard case provides a slightly better experience. It's also lighter and easier to hold, with better speakers, too. And, of course, it has that new M4 chip.These things are all important and useful, but after getting used to the Air again, I don't miss them too much. The M2 is plenty powerful for my needs, the Apple Pencil Pro experience is identical, the old Magic Keyboard is still great to type on, the screen is bright and colorful and - perhaps most importantly - it's $500 cheaper than a comparable iPad Pro.For some, that extra cash might be well worth it. There are some things the Pro can do that the Air cannot, like shooting ProRes video or go into Apple's Reference Mode for improved color accuracy and consistency against a bunch of color standards. And the M4 will save time on processor-intensive jobs like rendering video. And some people will simply want to get the best iPad they can, money be damned.But for the rest of us, the iPad Air is still here, offering 80-ish percent of the iPad Pro experience for a lot less money. And for the first time, there is a large-screen iPad at a much more approachable price. My heart may want an iPad Pro, but my head (and wallet) agree that the iPad Air is a far more reasonable option.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ipad-air-2024-review-of-course-this-is-the-ipad-to-get-210019225.html?src=rss

It hasn't even been released yet, but Apple's new iPad Pro is probably one of the most divisive devices the company has made in years. On the one hand, it's an undeniable feat of engineering. Apple squeezed a new M4 chip and tandem" OLED panel into a tablet that's somehow thinner and lighter than the one it replaces. And the prior iPad Pro was no slouch either, garnering loads of praise for its combo of power and portability since it was first introduced in 2018.On the other hand, this tech comes at a cost: the 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $999, while the 13-inch model costs $1,299. That's $200 more than before, and that's without a $299 or $349 Magic Keyboard and a $129 Pencil Pro. (The unit I'm testing is a 13-inch system with 1TB of storage and 5G, which costs $2,099) The iPad Pro has always felt like Apple flexing its muscles, showing off an absurdly powerful and portable vision of tablet computing that's overkill for almost everyone, and that's more true than ever. Furious debate has ensued over the value of an iPad Pro and why in the world anyone would buy one instead of a MacBook. This isn't a new conversation, but it feels particularly heated this time.Before getting into the details, it's worth noting that I haven't even had a week to use the iPad Pro M4. So I can't assess things like long-term durability, which I can't help but wonder about given just how thin it is. But in the short time I've had the iPad Pro, I can say that it's somehow a major leap forward that doesn't significantly change the iPad experience. As such, you'll have to really ask yourself if it's worth the price.HardwareIf you stare at the iPad Pro M4 head-on, you won't notice any difference between it and the previous model. The display still makes up the vast majority of the front, with thin, equally sized bezels surrounding it. The Face ID camera is now on the landscape edge (a great change that Apple first brought to the basic iPad in late 2022), but it's basically invisible to the eye - no notch for the Pro.However, picking up the iPad Pro tells another story altogether. While the new 13-inch model is fractionally taller and wider than the 12.9-inch version it replaces, the iPad Pro M4 is 20 percent thinner and about a quarter-pound lighter. I cannot stress enough how radically this changes the experience of holding the iPad Pro, especially the larger of the two.Before, the big iPad Pro was just a bit too big and heavy to be comfortable as a hand-held tablet. I used to prefer using the 11-inch iPad Pro or Air when I'm relaxing on the couch browsing the web, playing some games, messaging friends and doing other light tasks. Now, however, it feels entirely reasonable to use the 13-inch model in that fashion. I still think smaller tablets are better for hand-held tasks, but the reduced thickness and weight make the new iPad Pro much easier to handle.I want to talk a little more about how ridiculously thin this iPad is. Apple has rightly gotten its share of flack for relentlessly trying to make its products thinner, to the point where it affects durability and usability. Perhaps the best examples are the Touch Bar MacBook Pro models that Apple first introduced in 2016. Those laptops were indeed thinner and lighter than their predecessors, but at the expense of things like battery life, proper thermal cooling and a reliable keyboard. Apple reversed course by 2020 when it brought its own chips to the MacBook Pro; those laptops were heavier and chunkier than the disastrous Touch Bar models, but they had more ports and better keyboards and no issues staying cool under a heavy workload.This is all to say that, for those computers, the pursuit of thin and light" hampered their primary purpose, especially since they aren't devices you hold in your hands all day. But with something like an iPad, where you're meant to pick it up, hold it and touch it, shaving off a quarter of a pound and 20 percent of its thickness actually makes a huge difference in the experience of using the product. It's more comfortable and easier to use - and, provided that there are no durability concerns here, this is a major improvement. I've only had the iPad Pro for less than a week, so I can't say how it'll hold up over time, but so far it seems sturdy and not prone to bending.The iPad Pro on the left, next to the iPad Air on the right.Photo by Nathan Ingraham / EngadgetBeyond that significant change, the new iPad Pro retains the same basic elements: There's a power button in one corner, volume up and down buttons on another, and a USB-C Thunderbolt port on the bottom. There's a camera bump on the back, in the same position as always, and a connector for the Magic Keyboard. Finally, there are four speakers, one in each corner, just as before. They sound much better than speakers from such a thin device should sound, a feat Apple has consistently pulled off across all its devices lately. Aside from the size and weight reduction, Apple hasn't radically changed things here, and that's mostly OK - though I could imagine some people wanting a second Thunderbolt port just for power when a peripheral is plugged in.The specs of both the front- and back-facing cameras are unchanged; both are 12-megapixel sensors. Somewhat surprisingly, Apple removed the ultra-wide camera from the back, leaving it with a single standard camera alongside the LiDAR sensor and redesigned True Tone flash. That's fine by me, as the standard lens is just fine for most things you'll want out of an iPad camera. Its video capabilities are still robust, with support for ProRes video recording and 4K at a variety of frame rates.Meanwhile, the front-facing camera on the landscape edge of the tablet means you can actually do video calls when the iPad is in its keyboard dock and not look ridiculous. I generally avoided doing video calls with my iPad before, but I've done a handful on the iPad Pro and all the feedback I've received is that the video quality is solid if not spectacular. Regardless, I won't think twice about jumping onto FaceTime or Google Meet with the iPad Pro now that the camera position is no longer an issue.Photo by Nathan Ingraham / EngadgetTandem OLEDsThe next thing you'll notice about the new iPad Pro is its OLED display. Specifically, Apple calls it a tandem OLED" display, which means that you're actually looking at two OLED panels layered on top of each other. The screen resolution is essentially the same as the old iPad Pro (2,752 x 2,064, 264 pixels per inch), but a number of other key specs have improved. It now features a 2,000,000-to-1 contrast ratio, one of the things OLED is best known for - blacks are literal darkness, as the pixels don't emit any light.The OLED enables more brightness and improved HDR performance compared to the old iPad Pro - standard screen brightness is up to 1,000 nits, compared to 600 nits for the last model. As before, though, HDR content maxes out at 1,600 nits. This is a nice upgrade over the Mini-LED screen on the old 12.9-inch iPad Pro, but it's a massive improvement for the 11-inch iPad Pro. That model was stuck with a standard LCD with no HDR capabilities; the disparity between the screens Apple offered on the two iPad Pros was significant, but now both tablets have the same caliber display, and it's one of the best I've ever seen.Photo by Nathan Ingraham / EngadgetEverything is incredibly bright, sharp and vibrant, whether I'm browsing the web, editing photos, watching movies or playing games. I cannot stress enough how delightful this screen is - I have a flight this week, and I can't wait to spend it watching movies. Watching a selection of scenes from Interstellar shows off the HDR capabilities as well as the contrast between the blackness of space and the brightness of surrounding stars and galaxies, while more vibrant scenes like the Shire in Fellowship of the Ring had deep and gorgeous colors without feeling overly saturated or unrealistic. Given how the screen is the most crucial experience of using a tablet, I can say Apple has taken a major leap forward here. If you're upgrading from the Mini-LED display in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, it won't be quite as massive a difference, but anyone who prefers the 11-inch model will be thrilled with this improvement.As usual, these screens have all the usual high-end features from prior models, including the ProMotion variable refresh rate (up to 120hz), fingerprint-resistant and antireflective coatings, True Tone color temperature adjustment, support for the P3 wide color gamut and full lamination. Other iPads have some, but not all of these features; specifically, ProMotion is saved for the Pro line. And this year, Apple added a $100 nano-texture glass option for the 1TB and 2TB models to further reduce glare, a good option if you often work in bright sunlight. (My review iPad did not have this feature.) Between that and the improved brightness, these tablets are well-suited to working in difficult lighting conditions.M4 performanceChoosing to debut the M4 chip in the iPad Pro rather than a Mac is a major flex by Apple. Prior M-series silicon hit Macs first, iPads later. But as Apple tells it, the tandem OLED displays needed the new display engine on the M4 to hit the performance goals it wanted, so rather than engineer it into an existing processor, it just went forward with a whole new processor. The 1TB and 2TB iPad Pros have an M4 with four performance cores, six efficiency cores, a 10-core GPU and 16GB of RAM, while the less-expensive models have to make do with three performance cores and 8GB of RAM.Either way, that's more power than almost anyone buying an iPad will know what to do with. Interestingly, even Apple's own apps don't quite know what to do with it, either. When the company briefed the press last week, it showed off new versions of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for the iPad, both of which had some impressive additions. Final Cut Pro is getting a live multicam feature that lets you wirelessly sync multiple iPhones or iPads to one master device and record and direct all of them simultaneously. Logic Pro, meanwhile, has some new AI-generated session players" that can create realistic backing tracks for you to play or sing over.Photo by Nathan Ingraham / EngadgetBoth features were very impressive in the demos I saw - but neither of them requires the M4 iPad Pro. Final Cut Pro will still work on any iPad with an M-series processor, and Logic Pro works on M-series iPads as well as the iPad Pro models with the A12Z chip (first released in 2020).Of course, when you're spending in excess of $1,000, it's good to know you'll get performance that'll last you years into the future, and that's definitely the case here. As apps get even more complex, the iPad Pro should be able to make short work of them. That includes AI, of course - the M4's neural engine is capable of 38 trillion operations per second, a massive upgrade over the 18 trillion number quoted for the M3.Unsurprisingly, the iPad Pro M4's Geekbench CPU scores of 3,709 (single-core), 14,680 (multi-core) and 53,510 (GPU) significantly eclipse those of the M2 iPad Air (2,621 / 10,058 / 41,950). In reality, though, both of these tablets will churn through basically anything you throw at them. If your time is money and having faster video rendering or editing matters, or you work with a lot of apps that rely heavily on machine learning, the M4 should shave precious seconds or minutes out of your workflow, which will add up significantly over time.Fortunately, the new chip remains as power efficient as ever. I haven't done deep battery testing yet given I've only had the iPad Pro for a few days at this point. But I did use it as my main computer for several days and got through almost 10 hours of work before needing the charger. My workload is comparatively modest though, as I'm not pushing the iPad through heavy video or AI workloads, so your mileage may vary. As it has for more than a decade now, Apple quotes 10 hours of web browsing or watching video. But given what the M4 is capable of, chances are people doing more process-intensive tasks will run through the battery a lot faster.New Magic KeyboardAs rumored, Apple has two new accessories for the iPad Pro: a new keyboard and the Pencil Pro. Both are still just as pricey as before. $350 for a keyboard case still feels like highway robbery, no matter how nice it is. But at least they're not more expensive.The good news is that the new Magic Keyboard is definitively better than the old one in a number of ways. First off, it's thinner and lighter than before, which makes a huge difference in how the whole package feels. The last iPad Pro and its keyboard were actually rather thick and heavy, weighing in around three pounds - more than a MacBook Air. Now, both the iPad and keyboard case are thinner and lighter on their own, making the whole package feel much more compact.Photo by Nathan Ingraham / EngadgetThe base of the Magic Keyboard is now made of aluminum, which makes the typing experience more like what you'll find on a MacBook. The keys are all about the same size as before, and typing on it remains extremely comfortable. If you're familiar with the keyboards on Apple's laptops, you'll feel right at home here. Apple also made the trackpad bigger and added a function row of keys, both of which make the overall experience of navigating and using iPadOS much better.The trackpad also now has no moving parts and instead relies on haptic feedback, similar to the MacBook trackpads. Every click is accompanied by a haptic that truly tricks me into thinking the trackpad moves, and small vibrations accompany other actions as well. For example, when I swipe up and hold to enter multitasking, there's a haptic that confirms the gesture is recognized. Third-party developers will be able to add haptic trackpad feedback to their apps, as well.Between the improved layout and thinner design, the Magic Keyboard is essential gear if, like me, you make your living while typing. It's wildly expensive, yes, but it's also extremely well-made and thoughtfully designed in a way that I just haven't seen anyone else match yet. Yes, there are plenty of cheaper third-party options, but the Magic Keyboard is the best option I've tried.Apple Pencil ProPhoto by Nathan Ingraham / EngadgetWhenever I review an iPad, I can't help but lament my complete lack of visual art skill. But even I can tell that the new Pencil Pro is a notable upgrade over the model it replaces, which was already excellent. As before, it magnetically attaches to the side of the iPad Pro for charging and storage, something that remains an elegant solution.The Pencil Pro does everything the second-gen Apple Pencil does and has some new tricks to boot. One is Squeeze, which by default brings up the brush picker interface in apps like Notes and Freeform. It's a quick and smart way to scrub through your different options, and it's open to third-party developers to use as they wish in their own apps. The Pencil Pro isn't too sensitive to the Squeeze gesture; I didn't find myself accidentally popping open the menu while doodling away. The new Pencil also has a gyroscope, which lets it recognize rotation gestures - this means you can turn" your virtual brush as you paint, giving it another layer of realism. Between tilt, pressure and now rotation sensitivity, the Pencil Pro is even better at capturing how you are using it.Apple also added haptic feedback, so when you squeeze the Pencil you'll get a vibration to confirm the action. It's also used in a great new undo" menu: if you squeeze the Pencil and then tap and hold on the back button, you can then quickly scrub through and undo everything you've written, step-by-step. This history makes it easy to take some risks while working on something and then quickly rewind if you're not happy with the results. And each step of the log is accompanied by a haptic buzz as you scroll forwards and backwards.Finally, the Apple Pencil Pro has Find My integration, which will make it easier to find when you inevitably lose it in the couch cushions (or leave it at a coffee shop). Given that Apple threw in a lot of new features and kept the price the same, I can't complain too much about the Pencil Pro. The only bummer is that the new iPad Pro doesn't work with the second-generation Pencil, presumably due to a different battery charging and pairing setup necessitated by moving the front camera to the same edge as the charging area. So if you're upgrading, a Pencil Pro (or the less capable $79 USB-C Pencil) will be a requirement.iPadOSI think it's worth a quick mention that Apple has not made any changes to iPadOS to go along with this release, and it's one of the things that has made the internet very angry. There's been a lot of chatter from some people who think the iPad Pro should run macOS or similar software; the vibe is that the iPad's hardware is wasted on iPadOS.I can only speak for myself and note that I was able to do everything my job asks of me on the iPad Pro while I was testing it, but that doesn't mean it would be my choice over a Mac for certain situations. If I was at an event like CES, I'd want my MacBook Pro to facilitate things like transferring and editing photos as well as working in Google Docs. I can do those things on an iPad, but not as easily, mostly because the Google Docs app doesn't handle going through comments and suggestions well. I did, however, find it easy and fast to import RAW photos from my SD card to the Lightroom app. For the first time, I felt comfortable doing my entire review photo workflow on an iPad. Even things like tearing through my email are better in the Gmail web app than the Gmail app for iPad. Overall, though, I was perfectly happy using the iPad Pro as my main computer; some things are a little tougher and some are easier. The whole experience doesn't feel significantly better or worse, it's just different. And at this point, I enjoy seeing what I can do on platforms that aren't Windows and macOS.Ultimately, Apple has shown no indication it's going to make iPadOS more like a Mac. By the same coin, it still shows no indication of making a Mac with a touchscreen. For better or worse, those two worlds are distinct. And with no rumors pointing to a big iPadOS redesign at WWDC next month, you shouldn't expect the software experience to radically change in the near future. As such, don't buy an iPad Pro unless you're content with the OS as it is right now.Photo by Nathan Ingraham / EngadgetWrap-upThe iPad Pro M4 is a fascinating device. I can't help but want to use it. All the time. For everything. It's truly wild to me that Apple is putting its absolute best tech into not a Mac but an iPad. That's been a trend for a while, as the iPad Pro lineup has always been about showing off just how good of a tablet Apple can make, but this one truly is without compromise. It doesn't just have a nice screen, it has the best screen Apple has ever made. It doesn't have the same processor as some Macs, it has a newer and better one.To get all of that technology into a device this thin and light truly feels, well, magical. That's how Steve Jobs described the first iPad; significantly, he also said it contained our most advanced technology." In 2010, it was debatable whether the first iPad really had Apple's most advanced tech, but it's absolutely true now. And that's what makes the iPad Pro such a delight to use: it's a bit of an otherworldly experience, something hard to come by at this point when so much of technology has been commoditized.But when I think realistically about what I need and what I can reasonably justify spending, I realize that the iPad Pro is just too much for me. Too expensive, too powerful, maybe a little too large (I truly love the 11-inch model, however). If you're in the same boat, then fortunately, there's an iPad that offers nearly everything the iPad Pro does for significantly less cash. The iPad Air may not be nearly as exciting as the Pro, but it offers the same core experience for a lot less cash. But if you aren't put off by the price, the new iPad Pro is sure to delight.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ipad-pro-2024-review-so-very-nice-and-so-very-expensive-210012937.html?src=rss

It's no secret that Meta is eager to prove itself as an AI company, and it might be eyeing a new hardware project to help it get there. The company is in the early stages of exploring" designs for AI-enabled headphones, according to a new report in The Information.The company is reportedly calling it Camerabuds," because the headphones or earbuds (the company is considering both designs) would have two outward-facing cameras that would be able to detect the wearer's surroundings and power real-time AI features. In that way, it sounds a but like what the company has done with the multimodal AI features in its smart glasses.For now, it's unclear if such a project would actually move forward and Meta didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly seen several possible designs for the device" but hasn't been satisfied" with any so far. Internally there are also engineering concerns, like issues around battery life and heat, as well as the myriad of privacy issues that come with camera-enabled wearables. People with long hair could also pose a potential challenge as their locks would block the cameras' view.As The Information points out, Meta has a somewhat mixed track record when it comes to hardware projects. It killed its lineup of smart speakers, called Portal, in 2022 and axed a long-rumored camera-enabled smartwatch. But the most recent version of its Ray-Ban-branded smart glasses, which feature Meta AI, have been more positively received. The company hasn't disclosed how many pairs it's sold, but Zuckerberg has said that there's been high demand" and that the glasses have seen better and more sustained engagement than the first-generation shades.Putting Meta AI into another piece of hardware would also be very much in line with the company's ambitions to compete with other leading AI firms. While AI-specific hardware like Rabbit's R1 and Humane's AI Pin have so far been underwhelming, Meta is likely hoping that putting its latest AI features into a device people are already used to wearing, like headphones, will be an easier sell.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-next-hardware-project-might-be-ai-infused-headphones-with-cameras-204741102.html?src=rss

It's almost that time again, folks: we're about to find out about some of Google's big ideas for the year ahead at its I/O developer conference. Most of the big news will come from the opening keynote on May 14, which will almost certainly give us more info on Android 15 as well as a whole bunch of AI updates.There will surely be some surprises, though we'll more than likely need to wait until the fall to get the full lowdown on the company's latest flagship hardware.As always, the rumor mill has been churning away with a number of reports highlighting what Google is likely to discuss at I/O. To that end, here's what to expect from the Google I/O 2024 keynote:Android 15Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetI/O is a developer conference first and foremost. This is always where Google gives third-party devs the full lowdown on the next major Android version so they can start working on apps for it or modify their existing products.The first Android 15 betas are already out in the wild. Among the features are an updated Privacy Sandbox, partial screen sharing (so you can record or share a certain app window instead of the entire screen) and system-level app archiving to free up space. There's also improved satellite connectivity, additional in-app camera controls and a new power efficiency mode.However, Google is saving the bulk of the Android 15 announcements for I/O. The company has confirmed satellite messaging is coming to Android, and we could find out more about how that works. Lock screen widgets may be a focus for tablets, while Google might place an onus on an At a Glance widget for phones. A status bar redesign may be in the offing, and it may at long last be easier for you to monitor battery health.Wake words may once again be in the offing for third-party assistants such as Alexa and even ChatGPT. Rumors also suggest there may be a feature called Private Space to let you hide data and apps from prying eyes.AI, and lots of itGoogleIf you drop a dollar into a jar every time someone mentions AI during the keynote, you'll probably stash away enough cash for a vacation. The safe money's on Google talking about Gemini AI, which may end up replacing Assistant entirely. If that's the case, we could find out some of the details about the transition at I/O.Back in December, it was reported that Google was working on an AI assistant called Pixie as an exclusive feature for Pixel devices. Pixie is said to be based on Gemini and may debut in the Pixel 9 later this year, so it would make sense for the company to start discussing that at I/O.It wouldn't be a surprise to learn about generative AI updates for key Google products such as Search, Chrome, Maps and G Suite. AI-driven accessibility features and health projects may be in the offing too. Meanwhile, with Google once again delaying its plan to kill off third-party cookies in Chrome, it may see AI as a solution to ad targeting and spill the beans on any plan for that at I/O.Everything elseGoogleThe full I/O schedule offers some insight into what else Google will discuss, even if those products and services won't necessarily get airtime in the keynote.Google has lined up a panel on the future of Wear OS, which will include details on "advances in the Watch Face Format," so expect some news about its smartwatch operating system. There will also be updates on Google TV and Android TV.Meanwhile, Google's quantum computing team will talk about what's feasible in the space and attempt to separate fact from fiction. An Android Auto panel is on the schedule too, hinting at developments for multi-display and casting experiences.What not to expect: Pixel 9 or Pixel FoldPhoto by Cherlynn Low / EngadgetIt would be a major surprise for Google to reveal a Pixel 9 or a new Pixel Fold this early in the year. The company is probably going to save those details for the fall ahead of those devices going on sale around that time. However, it did formally reveal the Pixel Fold at I/O last year, so we could get a glimpse of some hardware - especially if it wants to get out ahead of the leakers and control the narrative.On the other hand, Google recently consolidated its Android and hardware teams under Rick Osterloh. His team may want a little more prep to make sure new devices are ready for primetime under the latest regime. As such, any hardware news (including anything to do with Nest or wearables) could be a little farther out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/what-to-expect-at-google-io-2024-gemini-android-15-and-more-174535938.html?src=rss

Apple has rolled out iOS 17.5, which includes a bunch of updates, including support for a cross-OS alert system for unwanted Bluetooth trackers that the company worked on with Google. The other headline feature is the introduction of web-based app distribution in the European Union.This is a function that Apple is introducing in the wake of the bloc's Digital Markets Act coming into force. It won't be a free-for-all, however. Developers who want to let users download iOS apps from their websites will need to opt into new App Store rules that will mean they have to pay a fee for each user after hitting a certain threshold. They'll also need to have a developer account that's in good standing and to have an app that had more than a million iOS installs in the EU in the previous year.There's another notable update in iOS 17.5 in the form of a new feature called Repair State. In a nutshell, this will mean that iPhone users no longer need to turn off Find My when they send in their iPhone for repair.Elsewhere, there are some changes on the Apple News+ front. The app now at long last has an offline mode, so you can use it to catch up on some reading while you're on a flight and don't feel like paying for Wi-Fi. The Today feed and News+ tab will work without an internet connection.Apple is also moving beyond crosswords and deeper into the daily word game trend popularized by the likes of Wordle. Quartiles is a Boggle-style original game for Apple News+ subscribers. You'll connect tiles of various word combinations to create words and score points. You'll be able to share your scores with other players.AppleLast but not least, Apple has the latest incarnation of its annual Pride collection in honor of the LGBTQ+ community, including a Pride Radiance watch face and iOS and iPadOS wallpapers. You'll be able to customize these with a range of colors.You'll see the colors trace numerals of the watch face and react as you move your Apple Watch. A matching Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop will be available to order on May 22 for $99. The iPhone and iPad backgrounds spell out "Pride" in bold beams of color and move when you unlock the device.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ios-175-is-here-with-support-for-web-based-app-downloads-in-the-eu-192624433.html?src=rss

OpenAI on Monday announced GPT-4o, a brand new AI model that that the company says is one step closer to much more natural human-computer interaction." The new model accepts any combination of text, audio and images as input and can generate an output in all three formats. It's also capable of recognizing emotion, lets you interrupt it mid-speech, and responds nearly as fast as a human being during conversations.The special thing about GPT-4o is it beings GPT-4 level intelligence to everyone, including our free users," said OpenAI CTO Mira Murati during a live-streamed presentation. This is the first time we're making a huge step forward when it comes to ease of use."During the presentation, OpenAI showed off GPT-4o translating live between English and Italian, helping a researcher solve a linear equation in real time on paper, and providing guidance on deep breathing to another OpenAI executive simply by listening to his breaths.

A group of Amazon workers in Quebec have formed the first union at one of the company's Canadian warehouses. On Friday, the province's labor tribunal granted union accreditation to workers at the DXT4 warehouse in Laval, a Montreal suburb. It determined that a majority had opted to unionize after signing union cards.A group of some 200 workers are organizing as the Laval Amazon Workers Union under the Confederation des syndicats nationaux (CSN), which represents around 330,000 people across a variety of industries in Canada. A general assembly to decide on a constitution, bylaws and representatives will take place in the coming days. A consultation with union members will then take place to agree on a list of demands.The union says Amazon is legally required to come to the negotiation table to hash out a contract. However, it expects Amazon to appeal the labor tribunal's decision after allegedly attempting to stop the unionization efforts.First and foremost, this is a great victory for the men and women from Latin America, Chad, the Maghreb and Asia who were not afraid to stand up for their rights," CSN president Caroline Senneville said in a statement. Over the past few months, Amazon has pulled out all the stops to block our unionization campaign, flooding the workplace with scaremongering messages. DXT4 workers have given us all a lesson in courage. Of course, we hope it spreads."Amazon claimed in a letter to the labor tribunal on May 6 that the accreditation would not "respect the interests of its employees." The company argued that some workers signed union cards after being misled and that some aspects of the Quebec labor code run contrary to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms."We believe that all people should have the right to inform themselves and to vote according to their situation and convictions at the time," Amazon spokesperson Barbara M. Agrait told the CBC. "If a simple majority of people at an employer have joined a union at any point, then there's no vote and representation is automatic for all employees - including maybe dozens or hundreds of employees who didn't even know it was being considered."Amazon has long been accused of attempting to upend unionization efforts at warehouses in the US and Europe. In 2022, workers at a warehouse in Staten Island, New York, became the first in the company to form a union. But the Amazon Labor Union does not yet have a contract with Amazon, and reports suggest it's running low on funds ahead of a leadership election.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-workers-become-the-first-to-unionize-at-one-of-the-companys-canadian-warehouses-180447875.html?src=rss

Google is teasing an intriguing new AI feature one day ahead of its I/O developer conference. The company shared a brief video on X that appears to show a new camera-powered AI feature that's able to recognize what's in the frame in real time.The video, which is labeled as a prototype," shows what appears to be a Pixel device with the camera open viewing the keynote stage at I/O. The person holding the camera asks, hey, what do you think is happening here?"A voice replies that it looks like people are setting up for a large event, perhaps a conference or presentation." It's also able to identify the IO" letters as being tied to Google's developer conference and mentions new advancements in artificial intelligence." As the two voices go back and forth, a text transcript appears on the screen.

Apple and Google's long-in-the-works effort to alert people to unwanted Bluetooth trackers that may have been planted on them has come to fruition. The companies have developed an industry standard called Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers. This makes it possible to alert someone via iOS or Android if they're being tracked with one of those devices.When an unknown Bluetooth device is seen moving with someone over a period of time, they'll get an alert that reads [Item] Found Moving With You," no matter which platform the tracker is paired with. Apple and Google are rolling out the capability in iOS 17.5 and across Android 6.0 and later devices starting today.The companies announced a partnership to tackle this issue last May with backing from industry partners such as Samsung and Tile. Apple says that Chipolo, Eufy, Jio, Motorola and Pebblebee are among the companies who say that their future Bluetooth tags will work with the new standard.Not long after Apple started selling AirTags three years ago, stories of bad actors using the devices to track people and steal cars started to emerge. Apple quickly started working on ways to make it harder for stalkers to use AirTags illicitly and it refined its approach to that over time. The company also released an Android app in late 2021 to help folks find out if an AirTag had been planted on them, but the new approach will take an OS-level approach to warning people about unwanted trackers across both platforms.Apple has been hit with legal challenges over AirTag stalking. In March, a San Francisco judge rejected the company's effort to dismiss a class-action lawsuit over the issue.The timing of the Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers alert rollout is intriguing. There have long been rumors that Google was working on its own Bluetooth tracker. With its I/O developer conference taking place on Tuesday, perhaps such a device is about to come to light.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-and-google-roll-out-a-cross-platform-feature-to-tackle-unwanted-bluetooth-trackers-172411423.html?src=rss

Google is teaming up with HP to bring its futuristic video conferencing technology Project Starline to enterprise consumers. The company first began demoing this service in 2021 and the first iteration involved a 3D video chat booth with a projection of the person you're talking to. We came away extremely impressed by the holographic technology, remarking on how realistic everything seemed and that the other person seemed to be in the room with you.However, this technology isn't quite the same as what we tried a couple of years back. Since then, Google has streamlined and simplified the system a fair amount. There's no more video chat booth, as the whole thing has been moved to a system that features a large TV and cameras. This scales back some of the wow factor, but makes it much easier to implement.To that end, Google and HP will be integrating Project Starline with common video conferencing apps like Google Meet and Zoom. There's no information as to how much it'll cost for companies to sign on to use this technology, or any details regarding the initial setup. Google says more information will be revealed later this year with actual commercialization beginning in 2025.HP calls it an immersive collaboration experience" and it certainly looks to be a better telepresence solution than a tiny smartphone screen. At the end of the day, though, it's just a big display. The updated Project Starline tech doesn't include anything resembling holographic projection.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/googles-project-starline-video-conferencing-tech-is-coming-to-offices-171622980.html?src=rss

It's only been a month since Apple started allowing retro game emulators on the App Store and we already have our second bona-fide hit. The newly-released Gamma is a free PS1 emulator with plenty of bells and whistles for those looking to dive back into the world of blocky polygons. It joins the massively popular Nintendo emulator Delta. We have no idea why these apps keep getting named after the Greek alphabet, as both are made by completely separate devs.Gamma comes courtesy of developer ZodTTD, which has been in the space nearly since the dawn of the iPhone. The app is primarily for Apple's smartphone, but there is a dedicated iPad version, which is always nice. Gamma integrates with Bluetooth controllers and keyboards, offering a myriad of input options. It also features customizable on-screen controller skins, but we all know how frustrating it can be to play old-school games with a touchscreen. It's nice to have the option though.The app uses Google Drive and Dropbox syncing for backing up game files and save states, and the software will even automatically grab game cover artwork. The whole thing's actually based on the codebase for Delta, according to reporting by The Verge. As always with emulators, you'll have to supply the games. To stay on the right side of the law, convert titles that you already own into ROM files.

A Prince of Persia game from the studio behind Dead Cells was supposed to hit early access on PC on May 14. That's no longer the case. Evil Empire says The Rogue Prince of Persia's debut is delayed until later this month, and it's because of a little game called Hades II.Soon after a technical test wrapped up, Supergiant Games released Hades II into early access on Monday. It skyrocketed up the Steam charts and quickly reached a peak of 102,000 concurrent players. Evil Empire suggested that everyone and their mom" is playing Hades II, including its own team, so it's getting out of that game's way.While we have every confidence in The Rogue Prince of Persia, it's not every day that a game in the same genre as you, which is one of the most anticipated upcoming games of 2024, will release into early access a week before you plan to do the same," Evil Empire wrote on X. We are not prideful enough to ignore the implications of that, and we truly believe that this short delay is the best decision for us and our early access journey.

Apple last week refreshed its iPad lineup by upgrading the iPad Pro and iPad Air. The latter got its first hardware update in over two years. The latest iPad Air is powered by an M2 chipset and it ships on May 15. If you're interested in picking one up and haven't yet done so, you're in luck. You'll get a $30 discount on the M2 iPad Air if you preorder one at Amazon. The discount is available on select models such as several colorways of the base 11-inch iPad Air with 128GB of storage, which drops to $570. The purple 256GB variant of the 13-inch iPad Air is also $30 off at $870.The M2 is one of the two major changes to the iPad Air this time around. The chipset is about 50 percent faster than the M1, according to Apple, so the latest model should be noticeably zipper than the previous generation. However, the iPad Pro is now significantly more powerful than the Air, as the high-end models arriving this week run on the new M4 chipsets, making them the first Apple devices to do so.The screen is the other major change to the iPad Air. Not only is the base model's display 0.1 inches larger, making it a tidier 11 inches, there's a 13-inch variant of an iPad Air for the first time. That means the iPad Air has the same screen sizes as the iPad Pro (which is now somehow thinner and lighter than its mid-range sibling).There's one other immediately noticeable change to the iPad Air The front-facing camera is now positioned along the landscape edge. That should make video calls a bit more palatable for those who tend to have their iPad in that orientation, including those who use keyboard attachments.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-m2-ipad-air-is-30-off-if-you-preorder-at-amazon-153809896.html?src=rss

One of Anker's MagGo power banks is on sale for just $32 via Amazon. This is a discount of 21 percent, as the device is typically $40. For the price, you get a full-featured magnetic power bank that boasts a 10,000mAh capacity, which allows for around 22 extra hours of use with a modern smartphone.The power bank features magnetic charging technology, like Apple's MagSafe, and the device automatically attaches to the back of a smartphone via those same magnets. It's also light and portable, so most pockets and handbags should be able to accommodate both the power bank and the attached smartphone.On the downside, it's not for every smartphone. It's only for the iPhone 12 and up, as that's when Apple introduced its MagSafe technology to the lineup. However, it can be used with other gadgets that allow for magnetic charging, like AirPod cases and the like. It's also worth noting that, while cool, wireless magnetic charging is much slower than traditional wired charging.We gave another Anker MagGo charger the top spot in our list of the best power banks. Anker makes good stuff. The primary difference between the one that topped our list and this one is that the former boasts Qi2 wireless charging technology, which is faster, and a nice LED display for data metrics. It's also more than twice the price.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pick-up-this-anker-10000mah-magnetic-power-bank-for-only-32-150230046.html?src=rss

Things are really changing over at Apple with the announcement of a new M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air. The company has also discontinued the ninth-generation iPad and cut the price of its 10th-generation model to $349. While that was exciting on its own, Apple's 10th-gen iPad is now available for an even better deal on Amazon: $334. The discount brings Apple's 64GB base model to a new record-low price.The 10th-gen iPad is becoming Apple's cheapest option on the market and it's a solid product. We gave it an 85 in our review when it debuted in 2022 thanks to updates like a USB-C charging port and a redesign that made it more comparable to the iPad Air. It also has a landscape-mode front-facing camera so you can join video calls without being awkwardly vertical on people's screens.Apple's most affordable iPad also has a 10-hour battery estimate but lasted 11 hours and 45 minutes for us when playing a movie pushed from iTunes - though gaming or other active use would shorten the amount of time it works between charges. This iPad also has a 10.9-inch screen, compared to it's predecessors 10.2-inches. Plus, it uses an A14 chip (the same one as in an iPhone 12).Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-10th-gen-ipad-hits-a-new-low-of-334-141510163.html?src=rss

The recipe for Google's A-series Pixels is incredibly straightforward: Combine top-notch cameras with a vivid display and then cram all that in a tried and tested design for a reasonable price. But with the addition of a Tensor G3 chip, the Pixel 8a now supports the same powerful AI features as Google's flagship phones. So when you consider that all this comes for just $499, you're looking at not just the top midrange Android handset on the market but possibly one of the best values of any phone on sale today.Design and displayAside from a new aloe color option - which in my opinion is the best of the bunch - the Pixel 8a is nearly identical to the standard Pixel 8. However, there are a few subtle differences that become more noticeable when the two are viewed side-by-side. The most obvious is slightly larger bezels, which also has an impact on the Pixel 8's screen size. Instead of a 6.2-inch display like on its pricier sibling, the Pixel 8a tops out at 6.1 inches. That said, you still get a vibrant OLED panel that produces deep blacks and rich colors, plus a slightly faster 120Hz refresh rate compared to the 90Hz on last year's Pixel 7a.The phone's frame is still made out of aluminum, which feels great, while the metal camera bar in the back is actually a millimeter or two thinner, resulting in an ever so slightly sleeker device. Google also switched out the Pixel 8's rear glass panel for plastic. But thanks to a new matte finish that's supposed to mimic the texture of cashmere, it definitely doesn't feel cheap. And while its IP67 rating for dust and water resistance is one step down from what's on the mainline Pixel 8, that's still enough to withstand dunks of up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. Not bad.PerformanceOne of the biggest knocks against Google's Tensor chips is that they don't offer the same level of raw performance you get from rival Apple or Qualcomm silicon. And while that's still true of the G3, when we're talking about it powering a phone that costs $499, I'm much less bothered. In normal use, the Pixel 8a feels swift and snappy and even when gaming. Titles like Marvel Snap and TMNT: Shredder's Revenge looked smooth. The only time I noticed significant hiccups or lag was when playing more demanding shooters like Call of Duty: Mobile.While both sport very similar designs, the Pixel 8a (left) has a slightly smaller 6.1-inch screen with larger bezels than the standard Pixel 8 (right). Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetOf course, the other part of the performance equation is all the on-device AI features that the Tensor G3 unlocks such as Audio Magic Eraser, Best Take and the Magic Editor, which you can use as much as you want instead of the 10-picture cap that free users are subject to in Google Photos.CamerasThe Pixel 8a features the same 64MP main and 13MP ultra-wide sensors used in last year's P7a. But that's OK, because Google's affordable phones punch way above their weight. So instead of comparing it with a similarly priced rival, I decided to really challenge the Pixel 8a by putting it up against the Samsung 24 Ultra. And even then, it still largely kept up.In bright light, I'd argue the Pixel 8a might be the superior shooter, as it captured more accurate colors and excellent details compared to the warmer tones and often oversaturated hues from Samsung. This was especially noticeable when shooting a single yellow rose. The S24 Ultra made the middle of the flower appear orange and super contrasty, which looks great in a vacuum but doesn't reflect what I saw in real life.However, at night the S24 Ultra's massive 200MP main sensor pulled back in front, producing images that were generally sharper and more well-exposed. That said, thanks to Google's powerful Night Sight mode, the Pixel 8a wasn't far behind, an impressive feat for a phone that costs $800 less.Finally, while the Pixel 8a doesn't have any other hardware tricks besides a solid 13MP selfie cam, Google's AI is here to take your photos even further. Best Take allows you to capture multiple group shots and then swap in people's reactions from various options. It's easy to use and lets you create a composite where everyone is smiling, which feels like a win-win scenario. Then there's the Magic Editor, a fun and powerful way to eliminate distracting elements or move subjects around as you please. It's the kind of thing you might not use every day, but now and then it will salvage a shot you might have otherwise deleted. So even if you don't care about AI or how it works, Google is finding a way to add value with machine learning.Battery life and chargingPhoto by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetWhile the Pixel 8a's 4,492 mAh battery is a touch smaller than what you get on the standard model (4,575 mAh), it actually boasts slightly better battery life, possibly due to its more petite screen. On our video rundown test, the 8a lasted a solid 20 hours and 29 minutes, barely beating the regular Pixel 8's time of 20:16.Meanwhile, when it comes to recharging, both wired and Qi wireless speeds have stayed the same. This means you get up to 18 watts when using a cable, but a rather lethargic rate of 7.5 watts if you slap it on an induction pad. That might not be a big deal if you only use wireless charging overnight or to conveniently top up the phone while you're doing something else. But if you need some juice in a jiffy, you better grab a cord.Wrap-upGoogle isn't breaking new ground with the Pixel 8a. But the simple formula of class-leading cameras, a great display, strong battery life and a slick design will never go out of style - especially when you get all this for just $499. And with the addition of AI features that were previously only available on Google's flagship phones, the Pixel 8a is a midrange smartphone that really is smarter than all of its rivals. To top everything off, there's a configuration with 256GB of storage for the first time on any A-series handset (though only on the Obsidian model), plus even better support with a whopping seven years of Android and security updates.Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetThe one wrinkle to this is that the deciding factor comes down to how much its siblings cost. If you go by their default pricing, the $499 Pixel 8a offers incredible savings compared to the standard $799 Pixel 8. However, prior to the 8a's announcement, we saw deals that brought the Pixel 8 down to as low as $549, at which point you might as well spend an extra $50 to get the full flagship experience.But for those who don't feel like waiting for a discount or might not care about details like slower wireless charging speeds, in addition to being the best midrange Android phone, the Pixel 8a is just a damn good deal.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-8a-review-the-best-midrange-android-phone-gets-flagship-ai-features-140046032.html?src=rss

Over the last few days, heightened solar activity (and those heady geomagnetic storms) led to outages in the GPS navigation systems that guide some modern tractors from John Deere and other brands. 404 Media reported farmers have been told to pause using high-tech tractors that use GPS systems to program and tightly farm their land. John Deere's tractors' Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) systems can apparently plant precisely, down to the centimeter. A bit of GPS noise could derail that.REUTERS / ReutersThe weekend's geomagnetic storm is the strongest in the last 20 years and reached G5 levels, considered extreme," on Friday and Saturday morning.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedDoctor Who: The Devil's Chord review: Is this madness?What we're listening to: Trail of Flowers, Hyperdrama, Science Fiction and morePre-orders for Ghost of Tsushima on PC are being canceled in countries without PSN accessYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!Most Apple App Store developers aren't trying outside paymentsOnly 38 of a possible 65,000 have applied.Apple's recently added option for App Store developers to include links to external payment methods isn't actually all that appealing. In a hearing on Friday, as part of the ongoing legal battle with Epic, Apple said only 38 developers have applied to add such links - out of roughly 65,000 that could. The changes were to satisfy an injunction ordered by US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in 2021. According to Bloomberg, Rogers said during the latest hearing: It sounds to me as if the goal was to then maintain the business model and revenue you had in the past."Continue reading.Alienware m16 R2 reviewWhen less power makes for a better laptop.EngadgetThe Alienware m16 R2 is a rarity among modern laptops. Normally after a major revamp, gadget makers like to keep new models on the market for as long as possible to minimize manufacturing costs. However, after the freshly designed m16 launched last year, the company re-engineered it again. This time limiting the GPU. By doing that, Alienware could rework the m16 into a gaming laptop with a sleeker design, better battery life and a more approachable starting price - built for what customers were buying when the original launched. It's a good approach. Check out our review.Continue reading.Waymo's robotaxis are making 50,000 paid trips every weekAcross three cities.The Alphabet-owned autonomous taxi company has announced it's now serving more than 50,000 paid trips every week across Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Waymo One operates 24/7 in parts of those cities, so if the company is getting 50,000 rides a week, that's five bookings every minute.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-those-geomagnetic-storms-are-messing-with-farming-techs-gps-systems-111558939.html?src=rss

Apple's first unionized Store in Towson, Maryland has now authorized the first strike against the retail giant. That follows what the union called "over a year of negotiations with Apple management that yielded unsatisfactory outcomes," according to a press release from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers' retail coalition (IAM CORE).The Maryland store located in a Baltimore mall represents around 100 employees and unionized in 2022, becoming the first Apple Store to do so. The vote concluded last weekend and allows workers to walk out at any time, but no date has been set yet.While the sides have agreed on principle in 25 areas, other key matters remain unresolved. "The issues at the forefront of this action include concerns over work-life balance, unpredictable scheduling practices disrupting personal lives and wages failing to align with the area's cost of living," the union wrote."We deeply value our team members and we're proud to provide them with industry leading compensation and exceptional benefits. As always, we will engage with the union representing our team in Towson respectfully and in good faith," Apple said in a statement.The union previously accused Apple of illegally withholding new benefits including healthcare and other perks from workers at the Towson Store. Last year, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) said Apple violated federal law with anti-union meetings in Atlanta. A New York judge also issued a cease-and-desist order against Apple for abusing employee's rights.Apple and IAM CORE will return to the negotiating table on May 21, according to the union. "This vote today is the first step in demonstrating our solidarity and sends a clear message to Apple," the union said in a statement. "As discussions with Apple management continue, we remain committed to securing tangible improvements that benefit all employees."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-store-workers-in-maryland-have-voted-to-authorize-a-strike-091428890.html?src=rss

It seems Apple's recently added option for App Store developers to include links to external payment methods isn't actually all that appealing. In a hearing on Friday as part of the ongoing legal battle with Epic, Apple said only 38 developers have applied to add such links - out of roughly 65,000 that could, according to Bloomberg. The new guidelines, introduced in January, require developers get Apple's approval before they can add alternative payment options and stipulate that they'll still have to pay a commission fee of up to 27 percent.The changes were intended to satisfy an injunction ordered by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in 2021, but, per Reuters, Epic in March called Apple's attempt at compliance a sham" and filed a complaint with the court. At this point, Rogers doesn't really seem impressed either. It sounds to me as if the goal was to then maintain the business model and revenue you had in the past," Rogers said of Apple's solution during the latest hearing, according to Bloomberg.On top of Apple's commission, developers also need to consider payment processing fees, which altogether could lead to them paying even more than they did before. You're telling me a thousand people were involved [in approving the new fee] and not one of them said maybe we should consider the cost [to developers]?" the judge reportedly said.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/most-app-store-developers-arent-taking-apple-up-on-its-new-outside-payments-option-210802382.html?src=rss

Space weather has been known to cause disruptions to GPS and communications systems, and perhaps no one is feeling those headaches more than farmers this weekend. 404 Media reports that the heightened solar activity over the last few days has led to outages in the GPS navigation systems that guide some modern tractors from John Deere and other brands. The technology has allowed farmers to plant more efficiently in ultra-tight, straight lines, but they've been advised to temporarily stop using it due to the potential for inaccuracies that could cause havoc down the line come harvesting time.John Deere's tractors connect to what are known as Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) systems, 404 reports, which allow for precision planting down to the centimeter level. If farmers were to go ahead and plant without their usual accuracy, we expect that the rows won't be where the AutoPath lines think they are" when it's time to tend and harvest the crops, Landmark Implement, owner of some John Deere dealerships, told 404 Media.The timing is terrible - it's peak planting season for corn, and one Nebraska farmer, Kevin Kenney, told 404, All the tractors are sitting at the ends of the field right now shut down because of the solar storm." Many farms have had to pause planting, while others are carrying on and just hoping for the best.The geomagnetic storm we're currently experiencing is the strongest observed in the last 20 years, and reached G5 levels on Friday and Saturday morning, which is considered to be extreme." It later died down some to G4/G3, but is expected to surge again on Sunday evening when some intense but slower-moving coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun reach Earth. That's great if you want to see the northern lights, but not so much if your livelihood depends on the technology the storm is interfering with.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-geomagnetic-storm-is-a-nightmare-for-farmers-relying-on-precision-agriculture-tech-180252016.html?src=rss

People who pre-ordered the PC port of Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut in countries that don't have access to PlayStation Network (PSN) were reportedly notified this weekend that their purchases have been canceled and auto-refunded. Steam, Green Man Gaming and the Epic Games Store have all been canceling these orders, Eurogamer reports. Developer Sucker Punch previously said that a PSN account would only be needed for the game's multiplayer mode, and the single-player campaign would be playable without it. But, here we are - and just days after the Helldivers 2 mess that transpired last week.According to Eurogamer, people in affected areas were sent an email letting them know their orders were being refunded, saying, The publisher of this game is now requiring a secondary account to play portions of this game - and this account cannot be created from your country." Prior to this, Ghost of Tsushima was delisted from Steam in the over 170 countries without PSN, PCGamer and other outlets have reported. Sony hasn't said anything publicly about the whole debacle yet. Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is slated to be released for PC on Thursday.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pre-orders-for-ghost-of-tsushima-on-pc-are-being-canceled-in-countries-without-psn-access-155429366.html?src=rss

The strongest geomagnetic storm in 20 years made the colorful northern lights, or aurora borealis, visible Friday night across the US, even in areas that are normally too far south to see them. And the show may not be over. Tonight may offer another chance to catch the aurora if you have clear skies, according to the NOAA, and Sunday could bring yet more displays reaching as far as Alabama.

Fans have been waiting a long, long time for another installment in the 28 Days Later franchise, and we now know when the next followup is coming out: June 20, 2025. Per Variety, Sony Pictures announced the release date for the upcoming film 28 Years Later on Friday. It would have been kind of cool if it were timed with the original film's actual 28th anniversary in 2030, considering how close we are to that now (horrifying, I know), but I can't blame them for not keeping people hanging even longer.28 Days Later, starring Cillian Murphy in what turned out to be his breakout role, came out in 2002, and was followed by a sequel with a different cast, 28 Weeks Later, in 2007. There were at one point murmurs of plans for 28 Months Later, but it looks like we're skipping over that. The new film will be directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland, who both helmed the first movie, The Hollywood Reporter reported earlier this year. Murphy will be among its executive producers, according to Variety, but don't get your hopes up for seeing him in a starring role. As of now, it doesn't seem like that'll be the case.We don't know anything about the plot yet, but 28 Years Later will reportedly star Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes. And it could be the first of three new movies in the franchise. According to THR, the plan is ultimately for a trilogy.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/28-years-later-is-coming-to-theaters-next-summer-171831988.html?src=rss

In this installment of What We're Listening To, Engadget writers and editors discuss some of the recent music releases we've had on repeat. It's safe to say there's some variety on this list.Sierra Ferrell - Trail of FlowersSierra Ferrell seems almost like an anachronism in 2024, but in the best possible way. She has this effortless, old-timey country style that is at points reminiscent of the likes of The Carter Family or Flatt and Scruggs (her brilliant covers of songs once performed by the latter duo are permanently seared into my brain), and it's just so refreshing. Trail of Flowers, Ferrell's second studio album, toes a little further into a more modern sound, but it maintains this deeply Americana feel that just seems to roll off the West Virginia-born artist so naturally.Country music isn't just one thing, and neither is Trail of Flowers. It meanders through different flavors - folk, bluegrass, hints of jazz - but it manages to do so in a way that feels cohesive when it's all taken together. The wistful American Dreaming" and Wish You Well" are offset by sillier, whimsical numbers like I Could Drive You Crazy" or the deep cut cover, Chitlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County." Tracks like Money Train," I'll Come Off the Mountain" and Lighthouse" are instantly catchy. Why Haven't You Loved Me Yet" and No Letter" feel like classics in the making.And then there's the cheekily sinister, scorned-lover's lament, Rosemary." It's one of the songs that first got me hooked on Sierra Ferrell years ago, as I imagine is the case for a lot of fans who have followed Ferrell's career since her busking days or her unforgettable GemsOnVHS performances. I was almost nervous to hear it on Trail of Flowers, with a full production, after loving the raw, stripped-down recording I've been replaying on YouTube for so long. But they've done a beautiful job of capturing that magic, and Rosemary" may be my favorite track on the album. It's hard to pick, though.Castle Rat - Into the RealmSometime early last year, I discovered something I didn't realize was missing from my life: medieval fantasy doom metal. I was at a show at the gloriously trippy Brooklyn Made watching an opener ahead of the band I'd gone there to see, and unexpectedly found myself witness to an on-stage choreographed sword fight (well, there was a scythe involved too) between a woman in chainmail and someone wearing a hooded rat mask and lingerie. I'd already been enraptured by the band's heavy, immersive riffs and the singer's hypnotic 1970s-esque vocals, but in that moment, yeah, things really clicked into place. This was my introduction to Castle Rat, and it was a damn good one.I've been eagerly awaiting the release of their debut album ever since, and from the second it dropped last month - an LP called Into the Realm - I've pretty much been playing it on a nonstop loop. It would actually be embarrassing if you were to check the number of times I've listened to the album's standout ballad, Cry For Me." It is a haunting, emotional song that really takes you on a journey and I'm a little obsessed with it. Into the Realm opens strong with the boppy Dagger Dragger," and some real heavy-hitters follow in tracks like Feed the Dream," Fresh Fur" and Nightblood." Red Sands" is a slow-building powerhouse, and I've even found myself loving the three roughly minute-long instrumental interludes that tie the whole album together.Doom bands love a good theme (as do I), and we tend to see a lot of weed, witchcraft, science fiction and fantasy pop up throughout the subgenres that fall under this umbrella. Castle Rat definitely isn't the first to have a shtick, but there's a certain freshness to the band's even more specific, self-described medieval fantasy brand, perhaps because they commit to it so hard. Their 70s and 80s influences are obvious, yet everything they've put out so far still feels original. Some people might find the whole thing gimmicky, but I think it's working. Especially since they have the chops to back it up. I'm excited to see where Castle Rat goes from here.Honorable Mentions:Girl with No Face, Allie X- Another song I've been listening to an embarrassing amount these days is Weird World, off Allie X's latest album, Girl with No Face. I somehow haven't tired myself of it yet, it makes me go absolutely feral. Girl with No Face is full of synth-pop gems, like Off With Her Tits" - a dancey, angsty anthem sure to resonate with anyone who has experienced dysphoria around their body image - John and Johnathan," Black Eye" and Staying Power."Club Shy, Shygirl - This is just a collection of straight-up bangers. It's not even 16 minutes long, but it really hits. If you need an instant mood-elevator ahead of a night out, this album is it.Stampede: Volume 1, Orville Peck - Orville Peck's first release in his fringeless era is a duets album, the first part of which was released on Friday and features artists including Willie Nelson, Noah Cyrus and Elton John. I haven't had much time to spend with Stampede: Volume 1 yet, but I'm into it so far. Conquer the Heart" ft. Nathaniel Rateliff and How Far Will We Take It?" with Noah Cyrus feel like they combine the best elements of Pony (2019) and Bronco (2022). Bronco came in two waves, so I expect we'll see a Volume 2 for Stampede before long, too.- Cheyenne MacDonald, Weekend EditorHannah Jadagu - ApertureWhenever I hear the words banger" or bop," I don't think about artists like Taylor Swift. I think about the nebulous musical genre known as bedroom pop. Bop, after all, is right there in the name. Hannah Jadagu is a bedroom pop wizard of the highest order. Her first EP was made entirely on an old iPhone and still slaps, though she has since graduated to real recording studios. Jadagu's latest full-length on Sub Pop, Aperture, is filled with both bangers and bops, and my favorite is the lovelorn Say It Now." Listen to this thing. It just may be the perfect pop song and is absolutely crying out for some road trip singalongs. The shoegaze-adjacent What You Did" is another classic and would be at home on any decent summer playlist.- Lawrence Bonk, Contributing ReporterJustice - HyperdramaJustice's first full-length release Cross from 2007 is one of my favorite albums of all time. Not only did it define the crunchy electronic sound of the blog house era in the late 2000s and early 2010s, it also felt like a new French duo had picked up where Daft Punk left off following 2005's Human After All. Now Justice is back with its fourth album in Hyperdrama. But instead of being inspired by a specific genre of music like we heard in Audio, Video, Disco's stadium rock tracks or Woman's disco-fueled beats, this album feels more like the soundtrack to a moody sci-fi thriller, almost as if this is Justice's alternate reality take on the Tron: Legacy soundtrack.Generator" is a certified banger and probably the song that sounds the most like classic Justice. Neverender" and One Night/All Night" are also highlights, though I think Justice may have leaned a bit too heavily on Tame Impala to give this album personality. Dear Alan" delivers super smooth vibes and Thundercat makes a delightful appearance and finishes things strong in The End."The one thing I really miss is at least one truly danceable track like we got on all of the band's previous albums. I also have to admit that some of the songs in the middle blend together in a less-than-memorable way. So while Hyperdrama isn't the top-to-bottom masterpiece that Cross was a decade and a half ago, more Justice isn't a bad thing.- Sam Rutherford, Senior ReporterUtada Hikaru - Science FictionOver the past few weeks, I've mostly been listening to songs from Science Fiction, the first greatest hits album by J-Pop artist Utada Hikaru. I've been a fan since they released their debut album First Love back in 1999, when people were far more likely to be weirded out by the fact that yes, you can enjoy music with lyrics in a language you don't understand. Utada has been in and out of the J-Pop scene since then, and there were long stretches of time when I wouldn't hear anything about them. Every new music drop is a gift, especially this album, since it's tied to an upcoming concert tour, which they only do once in a blue moon.Utada experienced a resurgence in 2022 when their songs First Love" and Hatsukoi" - which also translates to first love" - were featured in a hit Japanese drama series on Netflix called (you guessed it) First Love. Those tracks are, of course, in Science Fiction, which also includes songs from various points in Utada's career.The album will take you on a journey from when they mostly wrote R&B-inspired pop to an era when their music became more experimental, and it will introduce you to their current sound, which is both mainstream and unique. While some of the re-recorded versions of their older songs like Traveling" don't quite hit the mark, it's still a good representation of who Utada is as a musician. As a long-time fan, though, this album isn't just a collection of songs to me, but a collection of memories from different stages of my life.- Mariella Moon, Contributing ReporterCaroline Polachek - Starburned and Unkissed"There are a few reasons that Starburned and Unkissed" stands out against the I Saw the TV Glow soundtrack, which is replete with not only beloved mainstays like Broken Social Scene's Anthems For A Seventeen-Year Old Girl" as well as other original songs from luminaries like Phoebe Bridgers and Hop Along's Frances Quinlan. If cornered, I would say the most brilliant thing about Starburned and Unkissed," its greatest strength, is that it's just a little too slow.Every note stretches and yearns with the impatience of adolescence, verges on running out of air, of snapping in two. Much like the scene of the utterly and equally brilliant I Saw the TV Glow it was written for, it captures the sleepy anxiety of a too-warm high school, overcrowded and isolating. The heaviness of its crushing guitars ebbs and flows unsteadily, mimicking the experimentation of callow hands. (It takes the second try on the chorus for the drums and guitars to all come in on cue.)It's unstable, hopeful. Caroline's voice - gently mangled by intentional autotune pitch shifts - falls out of key in the song's last few refrains, threatening to derail the dreamy beauty of the past three minutes. It ends abruptly, begging for another listen, another return to a time that can't be recaptured.Honorable mentions:Lover's Spit Plays in the Background," Claire Rousay - Rousay's sentiment is a perfect album for reading outside on an overcast day. I'm not sure I can pick a standout track, as the experience is really in letting the whole thing wash over you, but this one's close enough.Stickers of Brian," Hot Mulligan - Classic pop punk subject matter (my job sucks and I hate everyone") but my god what an earworm.On Brand," Ekko Astral - Levels of snottiness previously considered unachievable. Hard not to love what a beautiful mess these folks make.Cometh the Storm," High on Fire - Most of High on Fire's 20+ years of output sounds like - and lyrically is probably about - an axe-wielding barbarian ripping a bong, or whatever other D&D nonsense they're up to. (I say this lovingly. I adore High on Fire.) The title track off the new one is... unusually dirge-like? At first it felt very old band showing their age" but it's grown on me as an intentional and welcome change. They're not off the hook for using AI for the Burning Down" music video though. C'mon guys.- Avery Ellis, Deputy Editor, ReportsThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/what-were-listening-to-trail-of-flowers-hyperdrama-science-fiction-and-more-143052023.html?src=rss

If you've been seeing more Waymo robotaxis recently in Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles, that's because more and more people are hailing one for a ride. The Alphabet-owned company has announced on Twitter/X that it's now serving more than 50,000 paid trips every week across three cities. Waymo One operates 24/7 in parts of those cities. If the company is getting 50,000 rides a week, that means it receives an average of 300 bookings every hour or five bookings every minute. Waymo has revealed, as well, that it's had over one million rider-only trips across four cities, including Austin, where it's currently offering limited rides to select members of the public.In its announcement, Waymo credited its "safe and deliberate approach" to scaling its program for reaching the milestone. "We see people from all walks of life use our service to travel carefree, gain independence, reclaim their commute and more. Fully autonomous ride-hailing is a reality and a preferred mobility option for people navigating their cities every day," it added.While Waymo certainly seems to be doing better than Cruise, which only recently re-deployed some of its autonomous vehicles following a much-needed hiatus, it's had its share of controversies. In April, six Waymo robotaxis blocked traffic in a San Francisco freeway, and it was just one of the instances wherein the company's vehicles caused traffic blockage. Earlier this year, two Waymo vehicles crashed into the same pickup truck one after the other, because their software had incorrectly predicted the future movements of the truck. The company issued a software recall after the incident to fix the issue and prevent similar incidents from happening.

The following includes spoilers for The Devil's Chord."For a show about time (and space) travel interwoven with British pop culture since its start in 1963, a trip to visit the Beatles is an obvious premise. So obvious that this is the second time we've had a what if" episode hinging on the Fab Four's cultural impact. After all, both the Beatles and Doctor Who became global cultural exports as Britain flexed its post-imperial soft power. But while there's plenty of material to mine in that premise, this isn't an episode that's interested in doing that, relegating the Beatles to little more than window dressing.This has always been a trick in Doctor Who's toolbox, especially when Russell T. Davies is in charge. He loves dangling an idea, or eye-catching visual, to lure in an audience before moving the focus to something else. I'm reminded of the kung-fu monks from Tooth and Claw" which looked great in the trailers but had no real impact on the story. It's Tooth and Claw" that The Devil's Chord" feels similar to - an early season one episode that doesn't quite work in and of itself, but does spend a lot of its time gesturing to this year's recurring themes. (FilmStories reported from a recent Q&A, where Davies said that this episode lacked a central plot and was, instead, "Just some subplots.")James Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC StudiosBut to understand that, and my stance, we're going to have to take a little look at The Context before we get to examining the meat. You see, during its history, Doctor Who has bent itself to fit the vision of its primary creative figure and Davies is a voracious watcher of TV. He's obsessed with the form and format of TV as much as its content, and this is reflected in his work. His episodes often develop with news reports, CCTV clips and deeper forms of exposition revealed through screens. Bad Wolf" is a great example, where the show lands at a TV studio that's making sci-fi versions of the then-current pantheon of British reality TV.Davies also trusts his audience to instinctively know the unspoken rules of TV even if they can't name them. Which is why I think it's worth looking at The Devil's Chord" as an episode that is, for want of a better phrase, collapsing in on itself. When Mrs. Flood talks to the camera at the end of Church on Ruby Road," it felt Deliberately Wrong, especially after she was seemingly unaware of the TARDIS earlier in the episode. Here, the numerous fourth wall breaks and lapses in storytelling are similarly an intentional sign of How Wrong Things Are. What starts out as a by-the-numbers celebrity historical quickly collapses into a fever dream like Sam Lowry's descent into madness at the end of Brazil.James Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC StudiosWe open in a concert hall in 1925 as a teacher outlines the basics of music theory for a young child. He shows off that he has discovered" The Devil's Chord and, by playing it, unleashes Maestro (Jinkx Monsoon), the embodiment of music. Maestro is a godlike elemental force and a child of the Toymaker - featured villain of the 60th Anniversary special episode The Giggle." After praising the musician for their genius, Maestro then sucks the music out of their heart and eats it like cotton candy before staring into the camera and playing the show's theme tune on the piano.When the titles end (notice the theme is playing out of the jukebox) it's clear Ruby has been on the TARDIS for some time. She asks the Doctor if it would be possible to visit the recording of the Beatles' first album at the EMI's studios on Abbey Road. Before they open the doors, she asks if it might be worth them changing into less conspicuously modern clothes and they spring off to sample the delights of the TARDIS wardrobe, complete with a wig for the Doctor.James Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC StudiosThe pair sneak into George Martin's producer's booth but quickly spot something is wrong with the scene in front of them. Rather than playing any of Please Please Me's big and recognizable hits, they're turning out mop-top music about animals. The Doctor doesn't know it yet but Maestro has spent the last few decades swallowing all of the music out of people's hearts. It's a genius way to get around the fact that, even with all the cash thrown at Get Back and Disney's vast bank balance,Doctor Who still can't readily afford to license Beatles songs.Next door, (famous British singer / TV presenter / notorious diva) Cilla Black is similarly stricken with a case of the muzaks while a concert orchestra is just about mustering a version of Three Blind Mice. The Doctor and Ruby head to the canteen to corner John and Paul to try and find out what went wrong with history. They then head to the roof with a piano, where Ruby plays a tune she wrote to help a friend get over a breakup. But once the Doctor hears Maestro's giggle, he sprints away, hiding in a nearby basement.James Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC StudiosThe Doctor explains that any villain who laughs is tied to the Toymaker and is a sign of the fractured universe. Fighting the Toymaker in The Giggle" was sufficiently draining and difficult, especially given how powerful these elemental forces are, that he doesn't want to do it again. Maestro is hunting for them, but the Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to kill all of the sound in the area. (The Doctor knows just enough about how the form and format of TV works to turn the tables on their opponent.) Maestro works out how to undo the blocking - with some magnificent sound editing - but is then distracted from their pursuit of the Doctor by an older woman Ruby had inspired to play the piano.The eagle-eyed among you will notice that this is the second time in two episodes that Ruby has inspired another person to be bold to their detriment. Her words were enough to encourage Eric to try and take on the bogeyman single-handed in Space Babies," nearly imperiling him. The older woman isn't so lucky and gets consumed by MaestroBecause of how long Doctor Who has run, it's often its own source material. Ruby, once they've escaped, assumes that everything is okay because she recalls listening to music as a child and so therefore Maestro can't have won. So, in a scene pulled from Pyramids of Mars," the Doctor takes her to 2024 in the TARDIS to show the wreckage of the alternate future. Because while she's protected from the ravages of continuity by the fact she's traveling through time, the rest of the universe isn't so lucky.Natalie Seery/Bad Wolf/BBC StudiosBut this flash-forward, in an echo of the meeting with the Toymaker, flips from a visage of a bombed-out London to a stagey set. Maestro arrives behind a white piano to outline their plan to rid the universe of music, leaving just the aeolian tones of the wind brushing against objects. But the Doctor says that a universe without music, unable to express joy or anger through art, turns sour and destroys itself. It's a feeling I can relate to - like when love becomes so painful in its absence that you'd rather disappear into the void than keep going on. Davies is also a nihilist so many of his episodes have revolved around the dark face of humanity that reveals itself when denied Earthly pleasures.Escaping back to the 60s, the Doctor and Ruby meet Maestro and find the walls of reality are collapsing. Murray Gold's swirling soundtrack isn't just the background music, it's bled into the fabric of the show itself. The Doctor and Ruby start trying to find a chord that will bind Maestro with the Mrs. Mills piano, a (real) fixture of Abbey Road's studio. As they play, the notes are rendered floating over the piano, but the pair fail to identify the final note before Maestro turns up.Maestro begins attacking, throwing around musical scores as weapons and hurling the piano into the hall. It's here that the episode's coherence starts to sag, the scenes get longer and odder, a wonky version of a standard monster-of-the-week TV show conclusion. The tension builds, and all looks lost, until John and Paul stumble upon the piano in the hallway. They're able to see the notes hanging in the air over the piano and with their, uh, innate musical nous, and complete the chord to bind the villain. But before they're whisked away, Maestro has time to reveal they aren't the only one of the Toymaker's minions coming, and the one who waits" is lurking in the background.Out of nowhere, the episode ends with a big musical number that features the cast dancing through the Abbey Road sets, delighted at the return of music. Even the steps of the road crossing light up as the Doctor and Ruby cut a rug across them. I can't work out if it's simply an indulgent sequence, or another big sign that the show's structure is breaking down. That the Doctor and Ruby are blind to the apparent Wrongness of it all hints at the latter, especially given the deeper context of the song's title - see below.James Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC StudiosThere are other signs that Doctor Who is collapsing into its own TV series, including the casting decisions. The older woman who plays the piano is June Hudson, the show's costume designer from 1978 to 1980 - who famously redesigned the fourth Doctor's costume. The musician at the piano during the dance number is Murray Gold, while the figures the Doctor and Ruby dance with at the end are Strictly Come Dancing stars Shirley Ballas and Johannes Radebe. Maybe the big nemesis haunting the series will be some form that could threaten its existence as a TV show itself.It's worth saying that Doctor Who has an uneasy relationship with big" villain performances which can turn hard into hamminess. But Jinkx Monsoon manages to pitch Maestro as just big and flamboyant enough to steal every scene they're in, but never too silly. It's also the right side of charming and magnetic, and while they don't have anywhere near enough time to properly face off against Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor, it's still a great match-up.The problem of Susan TwistAs much as I don't want to get into the weeds here, it's possible this stuff is going to come up later that I need to flag it. Doctor Who has been running for more than 60 years with a revolving door of creative figures who paid little-to-no attention to consistency. A convenient way to justify these is by suggesting time travel, by its very nature, would always mess up your personal history. But, in latter days, the show has often preferred to overlook the thornier parts of its backstory, like the existence of the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan.When the show started, the Doctor was joined on his adventures by Susan and a pair of teachers who followed her home one night. Long before any mention of Time Lords or Gallifrey, she was just the kid figure who often wound up needing rescuing. Then, in The Dalek Invasion of Earth," the Doctor exiles her to 22nd century Earth because she wants to kiss a boy. His goodbye speech has been long since de-contextualized and made to sound noble. But it is essentially him going yeah, you're interested in boys now, so you go make babies (eww babies) and stay here while I go off running around the universe." Yes, it is a bit yikes.This ties in with a small body of writing about this trope in children's literature about the way female characters are treated when reaching adulthood. In combination with a sexual awakening, this is often used as justification to dump them out of the narrative. It's even called The Problem of Susan," albeit named after Neil Gaiman's rebuttal of what happens to Susan at the end of The Chronicles of Narnia. If you'd like to learn more, you can read Elizabeth Sandifer's essay on "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" which talks about this in some detail.Why is this relevant? Because when Davies' returned to Doctor Who, he cast the same actress in two different episodes. Susan Twist played Mrs. Merridew in "Wild Blue Yonder" and was seen again in "The Church on Ruby Road," which sent keen-eyed fans into a frenzy. She pops up here as a tea lady and, on the roof of Abbey Road; the Doctor even talks about the fact another of his incarnations is living in Shoreditch in 1963 with his granddaughter. That the episode ends with a musical number called There's always a Twist at the end" with Ncuti Gatwa winking to camera is as big a neon sign as you could hope for.Doctor Who fans - never ones to not scour the text, metatext and paratext of each episode - took Twist's repeated casting as a signpost. They assumed, not unjustifiably, that this series would feature a twist about Susan, and that Davies was subtly signaling this to diehard fans. Given Twist's appearance here, and that we get a song saying the quiet part out loud, seems to vindicate those theories. Unless, of course, it's all a triple bluff, but I'm not sure how anyone could game that successfully. The only question that remains, of course, is what Davies' plan is, and how exactly it'll play out in the next six episodes.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/doctor-who-the-devils-chord-review-is-this-madness-010056449.html?src=rss

The following includes spoilers for Space Babies."You can't help but admire Russell T. Davies' audacity. He plucks the rights to make Doctor Who from the BBC. He gets Disney+ to write an enormous check to bring the show to life in a way never before attempted. Then, with so much money at stake and a months-long promotional campaign, he opens season one and the door to new fans with this.We kick off at the end of The Church on Ruby Road," with the Doctor's latest companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), entering the TARDIS for the first time. The Doctor introduces himself and offers a quick run-through of the premise for the folks at home. They're an alien, adopted by the Time Lords of Gallifrey who were then wiped out. That leaves the Doctor (once again) as the last of their kind; a quasi-immortal time traveler who can go anywhere in the universe.To set the scene, the pair hop back to prehistoric Wyoming to gaze at a detailed vista of some CGI dinosaurs. This is the show boasting about what it can do even for a throwaway scene with its new bigger budget. And it helps banish the memories of some of the less successful attempts to do a dinosaur episode from way back when.Ruby is already savvy to the conventions of the time-travel genre and asks about the risks to causality if she steps on a butterfly. The Doctor dismisses this idea out of hand before Ruby does and causes unutterable damage to the timeline. The butterfly is quickly revived and the Doctor nips back into the TARDIS to activate the Butterfly Compensator. Which is as close as this show gets to saying that it has never been a hard sci-fi show and it never will be.James Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC StudiosFor their next trip, they travel into the far future, landing on a space station that grows babies for colony projects. The bowels of the vessel are being stalked by an eyeless, teeth-heavy monster while the upper deck is crewed by talking babies. Mere seconds after proving the show can do decent-looking dinosaurs, it overreaches and adds an appallingly creepy CGI mouth to a baby. I've seen this done in movies, and commercials, and it never works, and please God stop trying.The Doctor and Ruby encounter the crew, a bunch of babies with the minds of preschoolers and the mouths of adults, or something. They've been left to run the station, with pulleys and cables letting them control specific onboard functions, and smart strollers to carry them around. The only other presence on the ship is an AI, NAN-E, which acts as a comforting voice for the kids.Ruby's genre-savviness kicks in again here, and she notices there's almost a storybook quality to the situation. A bunch of kids being menaced by an unwelcome, bogeyman-esque presence below, and the need for a hero to step in and rescue them. The pair give the babies some much-needed cuddles and are then invited to another part of the station by NAN-E.On the way, the pair discuss origin stories and how Ruby, following on from the events of The Church on Ruby Road," wants to use the TARDIS to find out who her parents are. While they talk, snow - the same snow that fell when Ruby was left on the steps of the eponymous church - starts to fall inside the corridor. Ruby's memories and history are somehow seeping through into the present, or she's able to do something to alter the universe.James Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC StudiosBut they can't focus on that too much, since they're interrupted by NAN-E, who turns out not to be an AI, but a person. Jocelyn Sancerre (Golda Rosheuvel) is the last adult crew member, who stayed on the station to care for the children when everyone else was ordered to leave. The government of the planet below pulled funding for the stations and ordered the adults to leave, abandoning the children in place. But, because the planet is also anti-abortion, they wouldn't terminate the as-yet unborn babies, preferring them to slowly die from external factors. Geez, do you think they might be talking about us?Much as this will be framed as a post-Roe story by US audiences, it's worth saying the UK's Conservative Party has taken a similar approach. In 2010, the Labour government had worked to greatly reduce child poverty and homelessness with a number of targeted programs. These were quickly unwound by the incoming Conservatives, not only undoing all of those gains but making the issue a lot worse. So much so that the UN - the UN! - of all people upbraided the nation.The streak of saying the quiet part out loud continues when, while hatching a plan to save the babies, they opt to take them to another planet in the system. It's a world that takes in refugees, but you have to turn up on the planet's doorstep to get any help, because it won't lift a finger to help rescue people in need from further afield. Again, this is a not-so oblique reference to the UK's monstrous policy of attempting to block refugees from reaching the country via sea. It is a point of enormous pride for the Prime Minister that he has boasted about his work to prevent boat crossings.This is made all the more painful as, for a brief moment, the country was reconsidering its approach following the death of Alan Kurdi, a two-year-old boy who drowned while attempting passage to Europe from Syria. The image of his body became a harrowing and defining image of the day, but the press quickly worked to stifle any pro-migrant sentiment, enabling the country to engage in an enormous boondoggle by spending millions of pounds building a detention center in Rwanda to forcibly-relocate people seeking asylum in the UK as a deterrent."James Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC StudiosThe grown ups can't mull their problems for long as Eric, one of the babies (sorry, space babies) heads down to the lower level to tackle this bogeyman. There's a telling moment where Ruby sprints out to rescue the child far ahead of the Doctor, continuing a thread from the Christmas special: Ruby Sunday is willing to throw herself head-first into the action rather than waiting for help, steel pipe in hand. Doctor Who has always thrived when the companions - a name we've been saddled with since 1963 - are active figures in the narrative. Every one of the show's sidekicks, bar one, has their ardent fans, but commanding figures like Sarah Jane and Ace are always the most beloved.Once the baby is rescued by the other babies wielding a gas pipe as a flamethrower, they're sent back upstairs while the Doctor and Ruby take on the bogeyman. Ruby's assumptions are proved further right when it turns out the alien is actually a bogey-man, as in made of snot. The station's malfunctioning systems sought to build an appropriate environment for the kids, and used children's literature as its template.Jocelyn works out that she can force the bogeyman toward an airlock while keeping the Doctor and Ruby safe. She then exposes the monster to the void of space, but the Doctor can't be so cruel to another lonely, misunderstood figure. He makes his way into the airlock room and closes the door to seal them both in to save the bogeyman's life.The episode ends with the Doctor realizing that the station can eject its six full years worth of soiled diapers to propel it towards the refugee planet. It's entirely fair game to resolve a crisis precipitated by rogue bodily fluids with a poop joke.Crisis averted, he and Ruby walk back to the TARDIS where he gives her a key and welcomes her to the team, before adding that, as much as she may want to, he can't take her back to the moment she was abandoned. He covertly begins scanning Ruby to work out what exactly is her deal, and why she's capable of bending the universe. (And yes, there are shades of the Impossible Girl arc in how this is playing out.)The TARDIS lands back at Ruby's home, smashing up the kitchen and the Christmas dinner therein.James Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC StudiosI imagine it won't be long after the episode airs that the usual corners of the internet will scream culture war. Davies was always a political writer and feels a duty to be unapologetic about his viewpoint on current-day matters. His original tenure on the show was rooted at the tail-end of the Blair and Brown years, fueled by righteous fury around the invasion of Iraq. This is, again, all the more surprising given it's being broadcast on Disney+, the model of conservative restraint.During his first tenure, Davies would begin the production of every episode with a tone meeting which outlined how each episode would maintain a consistent feeling in the writing, acting and direction. By comparison, Space Babies" lurches wildly: Poop and fart jokes in one scene, unsettling horror in the next, weighty examinations of human morality between. The scenes of Jocelyn's adult dialog being run through the nanny filter" is a good source of comedy, it's just odd that they're juxtaposed with high drama.But that's more or less what makes Doctor Who one of the best shows on TV - its ability to do anything it damn well pleases. If the weirdness of what you've just seen appeals then you've just become a Doctor Who fan. If it didn't, then you might find the next episode will serve up what you were looking for.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/doctor-who-space-babies-review-bet-you-didnt-expect-that-000030277.html?src=rss

Apple will reportedly focus its first round of generative AI enhancements on beefing up Siri's conversational chops. Sources speaking with The New York Times say company executives realized early last year that ChatGPT made Siri look antiquated. The company allegedly decided that the large language model (LLM) principles behind OpenAI's chatbot could give the iPhone's virtual assistant a much-needed shot in the arm. So Apple will reportedly roll out a new version of Siri powered by generative AI at its WWDC keynote on June 10.Apple Senior Vice Presidents Craig Federighi and John Giannandrea reportedly tested ChatGPT for weeks before the company realized that Siri looked outdated. (I would argue that the epiphany came about a decade late.) What followed was what The NYT describes as Apple's most significant reorganization in more than a decade."The company sees generative AI as a once-in-a-decade tentpole area worth shifting heaps of resources to address. You may recall the company canceled its $10 billion Apple Car" project earlier this year. Apple reportedly reassigned many of those engineers to work on generative AI.Apple executives allegedly fear AI models could eventually replace established software like iOS, turning the iPhone into a dumb brick" by comparison. The clunky, awkward and overall unconvincing first wave of dedicated AI gadgets we've reviewed, like the Human AI Pin and Rabbit R1, aren't good enough to pose a threat. But that could change as software evolves, other smartphone makers incorporate more AI into their operating systems and other hardware makers have a chance to innovate.So, at least for now, it appears Apple isn't launching direct competitors to generative AI stalwarts like ChatGPT (words), Midjourney (images) or ElevenLabs (voices). Instead, it will start with a new Siri and updated iPhone models with expanded memory to better handle local processing. In addition, the company will reportedly add a text-summarizing feature to the Messages app.Apple's M4 chip (shown next to VP John Ternus) could help process local Siri requests.AppleApple's first foray into generative AI, if The NYT's sources are correct, sounds like less of an immediate threat to creators than some had imagined. At its May iPad event, the company ran a video plugging the new iPad Pro that showed various creative tools crushed by a hydraulic press. The clip accidentally served as the perfect metaphor for the (legitimate) fears of artists, musicians and other creators, whose work AI models have trained on - and who stand to be replaced by those same tools as they become more normalized for content creation.On Thursday, Apple apologized for the ad and said it canceled plans to run it on TV.Samsung and Google have already loaded their flagship phones with various generative AI features that go far beyond improving their virtual assistants. These include tools for editing photos, generating text and enhancing transcription (among other things). These features typically rely on cloud-based servers for processing, whereas Apple's approach will allegedly prioritize privacy and handle requests locally. So Apple will apparently start with a more streamlined approach that sticks to improving what's already there, as well as keeping most or all processing on-device.The New York Times' sources add that Apple's culture of internal secrecy and privacy-focused marketing have stunted its AI progress. Former Siri engineer John Burkey told the paper that the company's tendency to silo off the information various divisions share with each other has been another primary culprit in Siri's inability to evolve far past where the assistant was when it launched a day before Steve Jobs died in 2011.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-big-ai-rollout-at-wwdc-will-reportedly-focus-on-making-siri-suck-less-203035673.html?src=rss

Samsung's HW-Q990C was the best overall soundbar I tested last year, mostly due to its stellar audio and the fact that a subwoofer and rear speakers came with it. The company didn't change much for the 2024 version, the HW-Q990D, but one tweak delivers a feature last year's model should've had: HDMI 2.1. There are some new audio modes too, but you can find those on other Samsung soundbars. The Q990D is as powerful as ever, but it's still pricey at $2,000. If you already bought a Q990C, the company hasn't given you a reason to upgrade just yet.What's new on the Samsung Q990D?The biggest addition on the Q990D is HDMI 2.1. With this, Samsung addressed my main criticism of the Q990C, which debuted last year at a time when much of the competition had already adopted the standard. HDMI 2.1 delivers 4K passthrough at 120 frames per second, which will improve the visuals if you connect your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X directly to the soundbar.The Q990D also arrives with new audio modes. Private Listening turns off all of the front-firing drivers and uses only the rear satellite speakers. It's basically an expanded version of the night mode a lot of companies offer on soundbars, aimed at reducing boomy bass when family or roommates might be asleep. My house has an open floor plan and my TV faces towards the hallway to the bedrooms, which means any soundbar will beam noise in that direction. Private Listening sends the audio the opposite way, and while you have to sacrifice some overall quality, it's good enough for all the times you need to be quieter.There's also a new Party Play mode that provides more balanced sound between the soundbar and rear speakers for a better experience when you're hosting a rager. When this is active, you get the full audio range rather than just the channels specifically programmed for the speakers behind you. I actually turned the speakers around and faced them out of the living room to project the re-tuned audio into other communal spaces. This makes a bigger difference for movies and TV because music already plays from the rear speakers with more balanced levels.These two modes aren't unique to the Q990D; the rest of the 2024 Q-series lineup will be able to use them too. This is the first time I've tested them though, and it's notable that they actually work well on Samsung's most expensive soundbar.What's goodBilly Steele for EngadgetThe combination of a driver-packed soundbar, large subwoofer and more-robust rear speakers produces immersive sound that envelops my living room. Whether you're listening to music or the soundscape of Dune, the Q990D retains the sonic prowess of its predecessor. Dolby Atmos content from Disney+ is as immersive as ever. I could hear the finer details of Knowhere in the opening scenes of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, including the life-like reverb of Radiohead's Creep" playing over a loudspeaker. The directional sounds of the town, including the hustle and bustle of people moving around, make it seem like you're standing right there.For music, there's deep, boomy bass when a track calls for it, and that crisp detail that I heard in movies is here too. Justice's Hyperdrama shows off the Q990D's range, with driving low-end tone on songs like Neverender" accompanied by textured synths. Quieter genres like jazz are a blanket of sound too, with albums like Miles Davis' Kind of Blue offering subtleties that make you feel like you're in the studio.The thing I like most about the Q990D is that everything you need for a complete surround sound setup is included in the box. The subwoofer and rear speakers come with the soundbar and don't require an additional purchase. Those satellite speakers also house up-firing and side-firing drivers, which isn't always the case on comparable accessories from the competition. And the setup is as easy as plugging everything in because pairing with the rest of the system happens automatically.What's badBilly Steele for EngadgetAn all-in-one setup is great, but that also means the Q990D is expensive. At $2,000, this is a considerable investment even if you're getting everything you need in the package. The Q990D is currently on sale for $1,750, but we don't know how long that discount will last. For comparison, Sony's upcoming Bravia Bar 9 is $1,400. The cheapest subwoofer and rear speakers you can get for it are $400 and $350 respectively, which puts your total cost at $2,150. Of course, with Sony you have two options for subs and rears, and you don't have to buy all of them. LG offers some respite if you want to go that route, with its S95TR coming in at $1,500 and including the subwoofer and rear speakers with up-firing drivers.The overall size of the soundbar is something else you'll need to consider. The Q990D houses 11 front-facing speakers, two up-firing drivers and a subwoofer. All of those components need space, and accommodating them means this soundbar ends up being quite large at 48.5 inches wide. While that's not a deal-breaker per se, it does require some planning, so just know you'll need ample room.Like soundbars from other companies, the Q990D has some handy features that are reserved for Samsung TVs. For example, Q-Symphony, which uses your TV speakers in addition to the soundbar to expand the audio capabilities, requires a compatible 2020-2024 Samsung TV. The Q990D sounds great without this, but just know you're not getting the full bag of tricks unless you also have a supported TV.Wrap-upUnless you care for the latest HDMI standards, the Q990D doesn't offer a huge upgrade over last year's model. Their design and features lists are nearly identical, except for two new sound modes and 4K/120 passthrough. And some of those additions are available on more-affordable Samsung soundbars. So if you already sprang for last year's Q990C, there's probably not enough reason to make another sizable investment. If you don't already own a Samsung flagship soundbar, the Q990D offers boomy, immersive sound in an all-in-one package that now has all the modern conveniences it should.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-hw-q990d-soundbar-review-a-small-but-significant-update-180022782.html?src=rss

Climate protestors in Germany broke through police barricades on Friday, amid clashes between activists and law enforcement. The protestors either made it onto (according to protestors) or near (according to local police) the grounds of a Tesla gigafactory in Grunheide, Germany, near Berlin. It's part of a planned five-day demonstration ahead of a local government vote next week to determine whether Tesla's plant can expand.Wired flagged social media videos showing activists, many of whom have been camping out in treehouses in nearby forest encampments, running toward a Tesla building on the site. In addition, the German newspaper Welt said at least one person participating was injured. Police reportedly police used pepper spray and batons to try to thwart the crowd, and there were at least some arrests.A spokesperson for one of the groups participating in the protests told Wired that they broke the police barriers and stormed the Tesla grounds. Eight hundred people have entered the premises of the gigafactory," Lucia Mende of Disrupt Tesla said. However, local police posted on X (Musk's social media platform) that the activists only reached a field facing the site. We have been able to prevent them from entering so far," they posted.Axel Schmidt via Getty ImagesAt least at first glance, it's easy to wonder why activists are pouring so much energy into fighting Tesla. After all, despite Musk's increasingly unhinged right-wing conspiracy-mongering and Nazi-catering on X, other automakers pushing gas-guzzling cars seem like more appropriate targets (not to mention the fossil fuel companies spending big bucks on anti-climate-reform disinformation). However, several factors make the issues at the heart of the protests less simplistic.A (nonbinding) vote in February showed Grunheide residents opposed the expansion by almost a two-to-one ratio. If for no other reason, the local government having a chance to brush aside the overwhelming will of the voters in the name of capitalism is enough to raise the eyebrows of anyone who balks at minority rule.Wired notes the area is also one of the most water-scarce in Germany, and residents worry the gigafactory will drain the resource, leaving much less for the humans who live there. The plant could also pollute local water supplies.Those fears appear to have merit: The plant is licensed to use 1.4 million cubic meters of water annually, and a separate Wired report from Tuesday noted that's enough to supply for a large town. As for the contamination fears, Tesla was fined in 2019 by the EPA for several hazardous waste violations at a California factory. The company paid a grand total of $31,000 to settle. (Tesla had a market cap of almost $76 billion in 2019.)But some of the groups protesting have concerns that go much farther than those more immediate issues affecting the locals, instead taking issue with the entire electric vehicle movement. Companies like Tesla are there to save the car industry, they're not there to save the climate," Esther Kamm, spokesperson for Turn Off the Tap on Tesla told Wired.Another activist, who only gave Wired the name Mara, described the factory as the result of green capitalism." She views the EV movement as little more than a theatrical performance in the name of profit. This has been completely thought up by such companies to have more growth, even in times of an environmental crisis," she said.I wouldn't exactly say flipping the bird to the EV movement is a workable" solution to the very real and pressing climate crisis. Regardless of your thoughts on the matter, the world needs to move quickly to fend off climate change's most ravaging effects, and the scientific consensus is that the planned shift to EVs will need to play a central role.Tesla reportedly told its employees at the factory to work from home on Friday, shutting down the plants for the planned protests. As for Friday's protests, Welt reports that the situation had calmed by afternoon - at least for now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/climate-protestors-clash-with-police-outside-teslas-german-gigafactory-175726961.html?src=rss

Swiss start-up Climeworks has done it again. The company just opened the world's largest carbon capture plant in Iceland, dwarfing its own record of how much CO2 it can pull from the air. The company's previous record-holding carbon capture plant, Orca, sucks around 4,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere per year, but the new plant can handle nearly ten times that, as reported by The Washington Post.The plant's called Mammoth and boasts 72 industrial fans that can pull 36,000 tons of CO2 from the air each year. Just like with Orca, the CO2 isn't recycled. It's stored underground and eventually trapped in stone, permanently (within reason) removing it from the environment. The plant's actually located on a dormant volcano, so it'll make a great hideout for a James Bond villain should it ever cease operations.The location was chosen for its proximity to the Hellisheidi geothermal energy plant, which is used to power the facility's fans and heat chemical filters to extract CO2 with water vapor. After extraction, the CO2 is separated from the steam, compressed and dissolved in water. Finally, it's pumped 2,300 feet underground into volcanic basalt. This compound reacts with the magnesium, calcium and iron in the rock to form crystals, which become solid reservoirs of CO2. It's pretty nifty technology.However, it's not the end-all solution to climate change. It's barely a blip. For the world to achieve "carbon neutrality" by 2050, "we should be removing something like six to 16 billion tons of CO2 per year from the air," said Climeworks founder Jan Wurzbacher, according to reporting by CBS News.Therein lies the problem. This facility, the largest of its kind by a wide margin, can capture up to 36,000 tons of CO2 from the air each year, but that's just 0.0006 percent of what's needed to meet the minimum annual removal threshold as indicated by Wurzbacher. There are other plants, of course, but all of them combined don't make a serious dent in what's required to pull us from the brink.To that end, Wurzbacher has pleaded with other companies to take up the cause. He says that Climeworks has a goal of surpassing millions of tons captured per year by 2030 and a billion by 2050. The company's chief technology officer, Carlos Haertel, told 60 Minutes that scaling up the process globally is possible, but requires political will to rally behind the initiative.The Biden administration recently committed $4 billion to jumpstart the industry here in the states and earmarked $1.2 billion for a pair of large-scale projects. The US Department of Energy also started a program called Carbon Negative Shot, with a goal of fostering the development of budget-friendly carbon capture technology.

The new iPad Pro and iPad Air - and the internet's reaction to how they've been advertised - may have been the big Apple news of the week, but we're turning our attention to AirPods for our latest deals roundup. More specifically, all four models in Apple's wireless headphone lineup are currently on sale. The noise-canceling AirPods Pro and third-gen AirPods back down to lows of $180 and $140, respectively, while the entry-level earbuds and top-end AirPods Max are both cheaper than usual at $80 and $450. Beyond that, we've also found noteworthy discounts on Amazon's Kindle, LG's C3 OLED TV, Keychron's budget-friendly C3 Pro keyboard and annual Paramount+ with Showtime subscriptions, among others. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-entire-airpods-lineup-is-discounted-plus-the-rest-of-the-weeks-best-tech-deals-164320939.html?src=rss