If you're in the market for a new Android phone, take note: Samsung has discounted the majority of its Galaxy S24 lineup as part of Amazon's latest October Prime Day sale. The deals bring the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra down to $998, which is 23 percent off the jumbo-sized phone's list price and about $100 off its street price on Amazon in recent months. If the premium path isn't your style, the Galaxy S24+ is also on sale for $750, while the standard Galaxy S24 is on sale for $600. We'll quickly run through each offer below. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra This is a particularly nice price cut for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which has a list price of $1,300. That means you can keep an extra $300 compared to buying from Samsung directly and walk away with one of our top Android phones of 2024. The Ultra impressed us with the upgraded titanium frame, improved display and camera options, and AI capabilities that offered function as well as flash. Its performance from a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC offered a 30 to 35 percent spike over the previous year's chip. One of the only downsides our review found was the price tag, so a sale like Prime Day is a great time to snap up something from the higher end of the Samsung line. Samsung Galaxy S24+ This Prime Day deal can save you $250 on the Galaxy S24+, which normally costs $1,000. The S24+ was expected to be a minor iteration on the Samsung product line, but this mid-range option provided a solid experience for customers who aren't interested in shelling out for the bleeding-edge features on top-flight, premium end of phone models. This models had respectable performance speeds in our tests, boasted a Quad HD+ screen and offered notably long battery life. The specs may not blow your mind, but it still showcased the possibilities of Samsung's Galaxy AI suite. Samsung Galaxy S24 Sometimes, you want to keep it simple. The introductory Galaxy S24 model is getting a $200 discount on its $800 baseline package for Prime Day. Like the S24+, this phone probably isn't going to be a conversation starter, but it's a solid choice for a workhorse device that gets daily use. And like its mid-range counterpart, the S24 packed solid battery performance into its 6.2-inch frame and it has a Full HD+ screen. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-prime-day-samsung-galaxy-deals-include-up-to-25-percent-off-the-galaxy-s24-lineup-101558797.html?src=rss
Hearst has become the latest major US publisher to sign an agreement to license its content to ChatGPT creator OpenAI. As part of a partnership announced on Tuesday, content from more than 60 Hearst-owned publications will appear in ChatGPT and other OpenAI products. Some of the publisher's more notable properties include Esquire, Cosmopolitan and Elle. It also owns newspapers like the San Francisco Chronicle. When Hearst content appears in ChatGPT, the software will provide citations and direct links.The organizations did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement. Unlike the partnership OpenAI signed with Dotdash Meredith in May, its deal with Hearst doesn't appear to include a plan for the two firms to collaborate on ad tech.As generative AI matures, it's critical that journalism created by professional journalists be at the heart of all AI products," said Jeff Johnson, president of Hearst's Newspapers unit. This agreement allows the trustworthy and curated content created by Hearst Newspapers' award-winning journalists to be part of OpenAI's products like ChatGPT - creating more timely and relevant results."The announcement comes less than a week after news broke that OpenAI had recently raised a record-breaking $6.6 billion in new venture capital funding. Since the start of 2024, OpenAI has signed licensing agreements with The Financial Times and Conde Nast, the owner of publications like Vogue, The New Yorker and Wired. At the same time, not every publisher has been so keen to work with the AI giant. At the end of last year, The New York Times sued OpenAI, with Alden Capital Group, the owner of publications like The Chicago Tribune and New York Daily News, later launching a suit of its own.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-partners-with-cosmopolitan-and-elle-publisher-hearst-180517248.html?src=rss
Roli is no stranger to quirky musical instruments. After all, it pioneered the idea of a squishy" MIDI controller. The company's latest tool, however, could be its weirdest. The Roli Airwave is an AI-infused piano teaching gadget that also doubles as a digital theremin. Yes, the same high-pitched theremin that has appeared on hit records like The Beach Boys' Good Vibrations"and Erykah Badu's Incense."The Airwave is basically a tall stand with a camera on top. This camera points downward to track the player's finger movements on a connected MIDI keyboard. Movements are tracked in real time and beamed to a tablet, which then displays visuals to teach users how to correctly play a song and fix any mistakes they are making. It'll even try to fix bad playing posture.The Airwave uses machine intelligence and computer vision to track the player's hands and to offer its advice on where those hands should be placed. There's some machine learning baked into this system when analyzing live footage to come up with accurate teaching methods.The affiliated app also integrates with ChatGPT, allowing for natural language queries. For instance, users can ask relevant questions about the song being learned or general-use queries about music theory. Being as how a player's hands would be occupied when in the midst of a piano tutorial, these questions can be asked by voice instead of by typing into a virtual keyboard. This won't beat interacting with a real piano tutor, but it'll likely be easier than hunting for a needle in the YouTube video haystack.Basically, 100 percent of your time when you practice, you're going to practice correctly now," Roli's CEO, Roland Lamb, told Wired. So you'll be developing good habits over time."The Airwave isn't just for students. The device is also being marketed as an outlet for experimental music-making. There are five inputs that adjust various parameters via hand movements. This means that players can use one to radically change the sound of the instrument being played.With the simple raise of their hands, creators can transform a piano into a full orchestra, just as a conductor would, or morph mellow synth pads into searing leads with a tilt of a wrist," Roli wrote in a press release.Now onto the caveats, and there are a few. This is nifty tech, of that there's no doubt. However, there's a significant barrier of entry. First of all, the Airwave itself will cost $300 when it releases in February. The device cannot be used on its own. It requires a pre-existing Roli keyboard, like the $1,400 Seaboard Rise 2 or the much cheaper Lumi (now called the Piano M.) Also, to access the teaching tools, users will need to bring in their own tablet. There are apps for both Android and Apple devices, but only newer iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab models will be supported.Finally, budding piano players will also have to fork out $15 a month to access the Roli Learn music education subscription service. If money's no object, this looks like a fairly novel way to learn the piano.Roli says the Airwave is just the first release in what it's calling its Music Intelligence (MI) platform. The company writes that the Roli MI platform will be the foundation of a roadmap of future intelligent products, starting with Airwave." Preorders for the Airwave are available right now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/the-roli-airwave-is-a-high-tech-keyboard-teaching-tool-inspired-by-the-theremin-172342147.html?src=rss
It's Prime Day again, and Amazon has the Sonos Era 100 speaker, the critically acclaimed successor to the Sonos One, on sale for $50 off. The deal could be worth a look if you're eyeing a terrific-sounding home speaker or want to expand your existing Sonos setup. Usually, it is $249, but you can order the Sonos Era 100 today for only $199. If home theater is your priority, you can also save up to $110 on the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) or Ray soundbar. The Sonos Era 100, which only arrived last year, sounds better than its successor and has more convenient controls and easier TruePlay tuning. The latter automatically adjusts its sound based on your room's acoustics. Previously requiring a phone (and iPhone only, leaving out Android users), the feature now uses the speaker's built-in mics for Quick Tuning." (iOS device owners can optionally still use the more advanced TruePlay tuning for a more thorough setup.) The speaker is surprisingly loud and has more potent bass than the Sonos One lineup it replaced. It has two tweeters for better high-end output. Engadget's Nathan Ingraham found the speaker's sound quality to surpass that of the One, offering a full-bodied listening experience. You can optionally buy two (or a second while on sale if you already own one) for a stereo pair. Use the Sonos app (which has had problems lately, but the company is working to improve it) to link your two speakers, providing a richer listening experience with stereo separation. It also supports Amazon Alexa and Sonos' assistant for voice control. If you have a Sonos soundbar, you can set it up as a rear speaker for surround sound while watching TV or movies. Speaking of soundbars, Amazon Prime Day also has a couple of those on sale, too. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) soundbar, typically $499, is available for $399. The speaker has a compact design and enhanced sound quality with Dolby Atmos support. The Sonos Ray, the company's entry-level soundbar, is on sale for $110 off. An upgrade over your TV's built-in speakers, the solid speaker is good for TVs in smaller spaces. You can get the Sonos Ray for $169 (typically $279). Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonos-speakers-and-soundbars-are-up-to-20-percent-off-for-prime-day-162830423.html?src=rss
Fourteen years after it debuted on PS3 and Xbox 360, and endless rumors later, Red Dead Redemption is finally coming to PC. It will hit the Rockstar Store, Steam and the Epic Games Store on October 29 with the Undead Nightmare standalone expansion included.Developer Double Eleven helped Rockstar with the port, which has many of the bells and whistles you'd come to expect from a PC version of a classic. Rockstar says RDR will run at up to 144Hz (no unlocked framerates, sadly) in a native 4K resolution if you have capable hardware. There's support for HDR 10 along with Ultrawide (21:9) and Super Ultrawide (32:9) monitors. You'll be able to play with a keyboard and mouse too.Upscaling tech in the form of NVIDIA DLSS 3.7 and AMD FSR 3 is supported. So too are NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation, adjustable draw distances, shadow quality settings and other things that would sound like newfangled gobbledygook to John Marston.Rockstar brought RDR to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch last year, but it's the PC version that many folks have long been waiting for. I can't wait to see what modders do with this one.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/red-dead-redemption-finally-comes-to-pc-14-years-after-its-original-release-141709270.html?src=rss
As TikTok faces the possibility of a ban in the United States, a new study sheds light on the type of accounts US adults follow on the platform. According to the report, published by Pew Research, political content and news are only a small fraction of the accounts US adults follow in the app.The report is based on an analysis of 227,946 accounts followed by 664 TikTok users who participated in the study. Of those accounts, less than one percent were politicians, civic actors or traditional media outlets and journalists," Pew found, noting that the typical U.S. adult on TikTok follows no accounts in each of these categories."Instead, people were more likely to follow accounts that posted about entertainment and pop culture, humor and viral dance clips. To the extent Americans' followed accounts discuss politics, it tends to be mixed with other topics," Pew writes. Some 43% of all followed accounts that discussed politics or current events during the study period also discussed entertainment and pop culture."Pew Research CenterThe content of users' following feeds doesn't offer a complete picture of what people see on TikTok. The app defaults to the algorithmic for you" feed, which is made up mainly of recommendations. And even though most users may not choose to follow explicitly political accounts, previous research from Pew found that 45 percent of US TikTok users report seeing at least some" content about politics or political issues in the app.The question of what US users see on TikTok has been more closely scrutinized over the last year. Some lawmakers stepped up calls for a ban of the app last fall after TikTok critics used hashtag data to suggest that the app was disproportionately recommending pro-Palestinian content. The company said such takes were the result of unsound analysis." TikTok stopped showing view counts for specific hashtags earlier this year.While Pew's report doesn't touch on TikTok's algorithmic recommendations, the authors note that follows are an important signal for the app. User interactions with posts from the accounts they follow play a nontrivial role in shaping their For You page,'" the report says. And studying these followed accounts can give us a better understanding on the content that users actively choose to look for on the platform."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/most-us-tiktok-users-arent-following-political-accounts-study-says-140053492.html?src=rss
Google has released a new feature for Docs that will make it easier to break down - and, later, to find and access - information into separate sections. It's adding tabs to Docs, so that you can "build content in a way that makes it possible for you to find what you're looking for quickly." Instead of creating multiple Doc files or merely using headings to organize information, you can write down whatever you want into distinct tabs, which will be much quicker to parse than a lengthy document. Tabs could also make collaborating with classmates or co-workers less chaotic.In its announcement, Google enumerated several examples of how tabs could help people. "A project manager," the company wrote, "can create a tab for budget, roles and responsibilities, goals, and key dates so that their working team can stay on track." In addition to Google's examples, we could also see the feature being useful to authors, who can use separate tabs for their outline, character profiles, plot plans, scenario details and other important notes.Document tabs will take up the left-hand section of the Google Docs interface. You can create several subtabs under each tab if you want to break down the information that's supposed to go into that section each further. If you edit a tab's name, you'll also be able to set an emoji to best represent what it's about, which will then replace the default article icon. The new feature has already started rolling out and will be making its way to all Google Workspace users, as well as everyone with personal Gmail accounts, over the next 15 days.GoogleThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/google-docs-adds-tabs-to-help-you-stay-organized-130016429.html?src=rss
The Kindle that lets you take handwritten notes is on sale for Amazon Prime Day. The 16GB model of the Kindle Scribe is currently $85 off and down to $255 instead of the usual $340. That's not an all-time low - the ereader hit $240 as recently as July's Prime Day - but this is the lowest price we've tracked since then. And, while there's likely a new Kindle or two on the horizon, nothing is confirmed just yet. The Kindle Scribe is our pick for the best E Ink tablet that's also an ereader. The latency is next to nothing when it comes to drawing and handwriting notes, and we like that the basic stylus is included in the price (instead of coming as a separate purchase like with some E Ink slabs). You also get a number of brush types to choose from, like fountain pen, marker and pencil, and it's easy to create and manage notebooks in which you can put those stroke styles to work. We gave the device a score of 85 in our full review of the Kindle Scribe, again praising the writing experience as well as the premium build and ample screen size. One caveat is the lack of support for writing in the margins on most Kindle ebooks. While there's a small library of titles that allow you to scribble directly on the page, they're mostly crosswords and planner titles. For most ebooks, you'll make notes in a pop-up window linked to the text. As an ereader, the Scribe has a few abilities other ereaders don't, such as letting you read two pages side-by-side when the screen is in landscape orientation. It also has a flush-front display and auto-adjusting warm front lights. We also like how easy it is to read borrowed library books on a Kindle. Plus a recent update enabled handwriting-to-text conversions that you can email to your contacts. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-kindle-scribe-is-85-off-for-prime-day-120059393.html?src=rss
Prime Day has returned for the fall, which means there are tons of deals to check out at Amazon. Robot vacuums (and cordless ones for that matter) are some of the machines we most recommend picking up during sale events like this because you can often save hundreds on the stick price. One of the best Prime Day robot vacuum deals we found is on the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, which is a vac-and-mop hybrid. You can snag it for $800 right now, which is $600 off. This is our pick for the best robot vacuum and mop combo. The Roomba Combo j9+ covers all the bases - and floor types - as it offers just about everything you could want in such a device. It has strong suction, the ability to give your floors a deep scrub and the intelligence to avoid obstacles. The accompanying Clean Base not only allows the Combo j9+ to self-empty, it refills the robot's liquid tank with water or solution. As such, you shouldn't have to empty the debris bin or top up the base's liquid tank for weeks at a time. You can set up vacuuming and mopping routines, and ask Alexa or Google Assistant to start an ad hoc cleaning. The Combo j9+ can map out your home faster than previous models and you can label objects to help direct the Roomba to clean a specific area. The Combo j9+ is certainly a more premium option, but there are other Roombas on sale for Prime Day. Another vacuum and mop combo (Y0140) has dropped from $275 to $219. Meanwhile, you can pick up the even more budget-friendly Roomba Q0120 vacuum for $190. It usually costs $250. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/irobots-roomba-combo-j9-robot-vacuum-and-mop-is-600-off-for-prime-day-172009289.html?src=rss
Didn't we already have a Prime Day? Yes, but that was Amazon's July Prime Day - this one is in October. While it typically doesn't offer the same breadth of deals (or deep discounts) as the OG day, if you've been keeping your eye on a certain pair of AirPods, Kindle tablet or, randomly this year, a lot of Lego, then you might be in luck. Some highlights include $154 off AirPods Max (both Lightning and the recent USB-C version), the recently launched Ring pan-and-tilt security camera for $50 and Anker's travel-friendly MagGo 3-in-1 Charging Station that can charge an Apple Watch, AirPods and smartphone all at once down to $88. Sony's best headphones, another perennial Prime Day attendee, are on sale too: The WH-1000XM5 are on sale for $298, that's $101 off. If you're shopping for a phone, though, no iPhones are discounted. Boo. However, the Pixel 8a is $100 cheaper ($399) and the OnePlus 12 is down to $650. We'll be pulling the best deals into a single place, right here. - Mat Smith The biggest stories you might have missed
Amazon has the Dyson Airwrap available for close to an all-time low. The Prime Day sale shaves $100 off the price of this innovative styling tool, which can reduce styling time and potentially boost your hair's long-term health. Usually $600, Amazon's Prime Day sale drops the tool's price down to $500. The secret sauce to the Dyson Airwrap is the Coanda effect, which describes airflow's tendency to follow a curved surface's path. In this case, the air jets follow the Airwrap's barrel or brush attachment. This phenomenon helps avoid the extreme heat (which can cause long-term damage) many competing products use. The Dyson Airwrap measures the airflow's temperature over 40 times per second, ensuring it stays within a safe range for your hair. Dyson advertises that the device can simultaneously dry and straighten hair with up to 58 percent less frizz and fewer flyaways than the original model. (This sale is for the 2022 upgrade, which followed the 2018 original.) The tool includes six attachments for different hair types, styles and lengths. It comes with two barrels (in 1.6-inch and 1.2-inch lengths), two smoothing brushes (soft and firm), a round volumizing brush and a Coanda smoothing dryer. A filter cleaning brush and storage case are also in the box. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/save-100-on-the-dyson-airwrap-for-october-prime-day-111540673.html?src=rss
Amazon Prime Day is a peak time to make upgrades to home tech, with some steep discounts on gadgets that might feel like too much of a splurge at list price. If you've been considering letting a machine take over vacuuming responsibilities in your house, then the Shark AI Ultra Robot Vacuum is on sale for just $300. That's the lowest price we've seen for this gadget; normally you need to shell out up to $420 to add it to your housework routine. The model on sale today is a version of the one we found to be a top all-around performer in our tests of robot vacuums. The Shark AI Ultra model is a bag-free vacuum, which we appreciate since it removes the recurring cost of replacing bags every few months. It's also a self-emptying model and this version is the 60-day capacity, meaning you can go two months before you need to get involved in disposing of the accumulated dust and dirt. Shark says it gets 120 minutes of runtime. If you want a more heavy-duty option, the Shark Detect Pro Robot Vacuum is also on sale this Prime Day for $400. This model has the same bagless and self-emptying features as the Ultra and a 30-day capacity. It also can lift itself to better navigate around obstacles while it runs, and it uses blasts of air to better clean up corners and edges that are typically difficult for a round vacuum to reach. The average battery life is a little shorter than the Ultra at 110 minutes, but still a solid amount of cleaning time. The Prime Day discount can save you $150 off the usual $550 price tag for the Detect Pro. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-deals-include-this-self-emptying-shark-robot-vacuum-for-a-record-low-price-110002458.html?src=rss
Amazon's October Prime Day sales event is here and the deals are rolling in. The Dyson V15 Detect Plus cordless vacuum is on sale for $700, which is a discount of $50. This isn't just any cordless vac. The V15 Detect topped our list of the best cordless vacuums for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the suction power is impressive. Cordless vacuums can struggle in this department, but the V15 makes short work of even the smallest dust and debris." We were consistently shocked by how much cat hair was hiding in the carpet during our tests. The Detect" in the model's name refers to a light embedded within the Fluffy Optic cleaning head, which is a brush roll intended for hard floors. This helps illuminate patches of dust and debris build ups, so the vacuum can do its job on the first pass. It's worth noting that this model ships with other head attachments, but they don't include the same light. There's also a nifty LCD screen that lets users know exactly what's being sucked up into the machine, with data on the size and frequency of debris particles. This isn't really necessary, but it's fun to see all of the gunk being removed from a home during a cleaning session. The V15 Detect even ships with a piezo sensor that automatically adjusts the internal engine depending on how dirty the floors are. This is a slightly upgraded version of the V15 Detect, thus the Plus" in the name. There's an improved filter with this one that promises to trap 99.99% of particles as small as 0.3 microns." Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-deals-include-50-off-the-dyson-v15-detect-plus-cordless-vacuum-093012161.html?src=rss
Amazon's October Prime Day 2024 is a great time to shop for holiday gifts for that photographer on your gift list, or pull the trigger on a camera or accessory you've been lusting after. There are some particularly good offers this year from many of the major brands including Sony, Canon, DJI, GoPro and Fujifilm.Many models are priced well under $500 and some premium models, including Canon's EOS R5, the GoPro Hero 12 and Sony ZV-1F, have significant discounts. We've rounded them up here and if you're unsure about a model, you can see the recommendations in our 2024 camera guide.Prime Day camera deals: Engadget's top picksGoPro Hero 12 Black for $299 ($50 off)
We could all use a little help keeping track of our stuff, and Bluetooth trackers can do just that. Apple's AirTags are some of the most popular available and you can pick them up for less right now thanks to Prime Day deals. A four-pack of AirTags is 19 percent off and down to $80, bringing the price per tag down to just $20 each. If you only need one, you can get a single AirTag for $25. These are our top pick for the best Bluetooth trackers for iPhone users, thanks to their seamless connection with the iOS device and their integration with Apple's Find My network. It takes mere seconds to pair and AirTag to your iPhone, assign it to your stuff and start monitoring its location via the Find My app. We found AirTags to be quite accurate when locating lost things out in the while, and those with newer iPhones can take advantage of their ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless compatibility. When you're close enough to your lost stuff, your iPhone can show you on-screen directions to lead you right to it. AirTags also have solid separation alerts, which will notify you if you, say, leave a coffee shop without your bag or leave your jacket behind at a restaurant. In our testing, we got roughly 1,200 feet away before getting most separation alerts, which isn't too far and should mean you cna easily (and quickly) return to grab your things before anything nefarious happens to them. The main thing to know about AirTags, aside from their iOS exclusivity, is the fact that you don't have a built in keyring hole. That means you'll need an AirTag holder or case if you plan on attaching the small disk to your keys. If you want to use it to monitor a wallet or a backpack, you could more easily get away with just slipping it into an interior pocket. Also, AirTags run on coin-cell batteries; you shouldn't have to replace it for a couple of years, though, and battery replacement is quite simple. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-airtags-are-nearly-20-percent-off-for-prime-day-072900571.html?src=rss
Last Prime Day (way back in July), Amazon dropped the price of Apple's current-model iPad mini to $380. October has now brought us a shiny new Prime Day sale and a new low price on the smallest Apple tablet, making it just $350. That's a hefty $149 discount off the $499 sticker price.
Since Apple never bothers to put its own products on sale, we have to rely on third party retailers to do it for them. Amazon Prime Day is always a good bet for Apple deals (as long as you're not looking for new, unlocked iPhones) and this October event is no different. Right now, Apple's over-ear headphones, the AirPods Max, have returned to $395. That's a record low and one we first saw during July's Prime Day sale. Note this is the model with a Lightning charging port. During the iPhone 16 event in September, Apple announced new standard AirPods but didn't reveal a new pair of over-ear phones. Instead, the AirPods Max were given a couple of new colors and an upgrade to a USB-C port. Those models aren't seeing the same discount, however. If you're fine using an older charging method and don't need one of the new colors, you can save a decent amount of cash. We should also point out that new Max headphones may come next year, but they aren't likely to be near this price. Internally, the models are the same, with the same balanced audio and solid active noise cancellation we experienced during our review of the cans back in 2020. Our reviewer, Billy Steele, noted that the Max headphones are on the heavy side at 385 grams but that the design makes them feel remarkably light. The onboard controls are also a joy to use and the integration with Siri is helpful. Our main complaint with the Max is the high asking price. At $395 that issue is mitigated a bit, putting them around the same price as the top pick in our headphone guide. Still, for Apple fans who crave the brand's premium build and aesthetic, this is a pretty good deal. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-airpods-max-return-to-an-all-time-low-of-395-for-prime-day-072754255.html?src=rss
The Apple Watch may be our top pick for the best smartwatch you can get right now, but not everyone is going to feel comfortable spending $400 on a wearable - particularly if you've never had one before. Instead, we recommend the Apple Watch SE for folks who fit into that category, and October Prime Day deals are making it even more tempting to pick one up. The Apple Watch SE has dropped to a new low of $170 for the sale event, which is about $80 off. While there were rumors Apple was going to release a new Watch SE in September alongside the latest iPhones, that didn't materialize. The second-gen SE remains the most up-to-date version of the wearable, and it has very specific omissions to get its price down, namely the lack of an always-on display, no blood oxygen or temperature monitoring and no support for the Double Tap feature introduced with the Series 9. But otherwise, the Apple Watch SE has all of the core features that the main Apple Watch Series 10 does including all-day activity and sleep monitoring, heart rate tracking, emergency calling, up to 50 meters of water resistance, crash detection and excellent workout tracking. It has a built-in GPS for making the latter even better, mapping outdoor activities like runs, and bike rides. And since it syncs seamlessly with iPhone, you can consider it an extension of your handset. That means you'll receive call, text and app notifications to your wrist and you can decide which are important enough to whip out your phone for, or which can be left for later. That said, arguably the biggest downside of the Apple Watch SE is one that all Apple Watches share - they only work with iPhones. But chances are, if you're even considering an Apple Watch at all, you likely have the phone you'd need to use it (Android users should consider Samsung or Google wearables instead). And at this sale price, it'll be hard to beat for iPhone users who are new to smartwatches or if you're looking for a gift for an iPhone user in your life who you know is keen on tracking their activity more consistently or looking at the phone less throughout the day. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-apple-watch-se-drops-to-a-new-low-of-170-in-this-prime-day-deal-072721213.html?src=rss
October Prime Day has brought a bunch of sales to Amazon's own tech, including its Echo smart displays. Among these deals is an all-time-low price on one of our top picks for the best smart displays, the Echo Show 8. You can pick up this midrange, mid-sized model for $85, which is $65 off its regular price. We'd say any time you can get the Show 8 for less than $100, it's a good deal, but this but this is the best price we've seen and it hasn't been this cheap since Prime Day in July. We consider this to be the best smart display with Alexa compatibility due to the fact that it combines a lot of handy features and is almost a goldilocks size. The Show 8 has an eight-inch 1,280 x 800 touchscreen, which is just big enough to clearly see recipes and watch videos comfortably without being too large that it would take up too much space on a countertop or side table. The Show 8 has an improved 13-megapixel camera with auto-framing, which will make for better video calls with friends and family. The camera can also double as a security device, allow you to check in on your home when you're away. And when you're not using it, or if you just prefer extra privacy, there's a physical shutter that will cover the camera entirely. Of course, devices like the Show 8 are designed to showcase Alexa's talents. You can use the voice assistant through the smart display to check weather forecasts, refer to your calendar to know when your next appointment is, bring up the show you were binge-watching on Netflix and more. This model also has a built-in Zigbee smart home hub, which means you can directly connect smart home gear like smart light bulbs and plugs without the need for an extra hub. And if those IoT devices have Alexa smarts, you can use voice commands to control them as well. If you're looking for something a bit more nightstand-friendly, there are other Alexa smart displays on sale right now, too. The Echo Show 5 is down to $50, while the recently revived Echo Spot has dropped to $45. The former is also one of our favorites thanks to its compact design, ambient light sensor and sunrise alarm feature. The Echo Spot just came back into the lineup a few months ago, and Amazon's billing it as a true smart alarm clock. It has a cute, circular design with a bold, half-moon shaped screen that can show the time, weather, alarms, currently playing music and more. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-deals-include-the-echo-show-8-for-an-all-time-low-price-131553591.html?src=rss
If you've had your eye on Blink security cameras to make your home a bit more safe, October Prime Day has you covered with some good discounts. A number of security cameras and bundles are on sale for the event, with one of the most impressive discounts being on a bundle that includes both the Blink Outdoor 4 and the Blink Mini 2 for just $50. That's a massive savings of $90, or 64 percent, which is a record low. You get the Blink Sync Module 2 in this bundle as well, making it a great option for those who don't have an existing Blink system already. The Blink Outdoor 4 security camera easily made our list of the best smart home devices, and for good reason. Despite having outdoor" in the name, this camera also excels with indoor use. The device runs on two AA batteries, so pop it in the backyard, the basement, the kitchen or wherever. The batteries last a full two years before running out. It's weather resistant and supports night vision, motion detection and two-way audio. You need a subscription to store clips in the cloud, but it also integrates with USB flash drives via the Sync Module 2 peripheral (sold separately.) It offers Alexa support, which is nice, but doesn't work with any other smart assistants. The Blink Mini 2, which also comes in this bundle, is a simple little security camera with color night vision, a built-in spotlight, two-way audio and motion detection. It needs to be plugged into an electrical socket or a USB port to work. This Amazon sale features another bundle with two Mini 2 cameras for $42. Another notable deal is for a bundle that includes three Outdoor 4 cameras and the Blink Video Doorbell, along with the Sync Module 2 for saving clips to a flash drive. This one costs $120, which is a massive savings of $200. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice in the lead up to October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/blink-security-cameras-are-up-to-64-percent-off-for-prime-day-153819713.html?src=rss
In our review of the OnePlus 12, we said the smartphone's affordability was one of the best things about it. Now, thank's to Amazon's upcoming Prime Day sale, that's an even more compelling point. A 19 percent discount drops the price to $650 for the model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. That's a a new all-time low (it's gone for $700 a few times previously). The model with 16GB/512GB is also $150 off and down to $750. Other than being a great value for a flagship phone, the OnePlus also has solid cameras that take sharp and clear images. Just note that the camera module is strikingly bulky and you'll see a watermark from Hasselblad (the camera company OnePlus partners with) unless you opt to remove it. The battery life is another win. We measured a lifespan of over 26 hours in our video rundown test. And after just 10 minutes of wall charging, the phone got from 10 to 55 percent. It refilled to 37 percent in the same amount of time sitting on a OnePlus wireless charger, which is available separately for $50. The design is pleasingly "retro" (if you can apply that term to an aesthetic that harkens back a mere five years) with the rounded corners and tapered edges of something like the Galaxy S10+. The OnePlus 12 also takes notes from the past when it comes to AI - in that it mostly forgoes the buzzy new tech in favor of basic (but solid) smartphone functionality. The screen and processor are fully modern, however, with a super bright and crisp 120Hz screen and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip that we found to offer fluid performance, despite clocking in a tad low on some benchmarks. Elsewhere, Amazon is also selling the OnePlus Open for $1,300, which is a $400 discount on the phone we named the more affordable pick for a flagship foldable. That's a price the Open has hit previously, as recently as last month. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-oneplus-12-smartphone-drops-to-a-record-low-of-650-for-prime-day-220729473.html?src=rss
Nintendo's new Switch bundles are here. As the seven-year-old console takes its victory lap ahead of the Switch 2, the standard Switch and the OLED model are now available in the new bundles announced in September. The systems are each packaged with redemption codes for a 12-month Switch Online membership and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The standard bundle costs $300, and the OLED variant costs $350. The baseline bundle includes the standard Switch with a 6.2-inch LCD and red and blue Joy-Cons. Meanwhile, the OLED console has a 7-inch OLED display and white Joy-Cons. For only $50 extra, the latter gives you extra screen real estate along with the richer colors and deeper blacks of OLED. Although the standard model still looks good, comparing them side-by-side makes the $50 more expensive OLED one hard to turn down. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been one of the console's flagship titles since its arrival shortly after the console itself in 2017. Initially released for the Wii U, the Switch revamp of the racing classic adapts its controls well to the portable system. The game's optional smart steering feature helps make it more fun for those who frequently drive off-course and spend the next 30 seconds trying to get back on as their competitors lap them. (Raises hand.) The game looks terrific on the Switch's screen - especially the OLED - and it runs in an enhanced 1080p mode when docked. Nintendo Meanwhile, Switch Online enables online play on Mario Kart 8 and many other titles, along with cloud-based saves. You also get access to hundreds of old-school games from the NES, SNES, Game Boy and Game Boy Advance, N64 and Sega Genesis (Mega Drive) eras. You'll find Nintendo's own Mario, Zelda and Metroid classics there, along with plenty of third-party fare to keep you entertained. The biggest caveat to this bundle is that the Switch 2 (or whatever Nintendo calls its successor) is on the horizon. Although Nintendo hasn't announced the successor yet, the company is rumored to reveal it anytime. The sequel is expected to have a more powerful processor, more RAM and storage and support for NVIDIA's DLSS upscaling tech. But even if Nintendo unveils the console soon, it isn't expected to arrive until sometime in 2025, so it won't be an option for this holiday season either way.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendos-discounted-switch-bundles-are-now-available-174016292.html?src=rss
If you're active on Meta's Threads app, then you've probably encountered some amount of engagement bait in your for you"" feed. Now, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has acknowledged the issue, saying that the company is working to get it under control" after a spike in such posts.We've seen an increase in engagement-bait on Threads and we're working to get it under control," Mosseri said in a post on Threads. He didn't say what steps the company is taking but said there would be more to come" on the issue.Mosseri's comments are the first time the Meta executive has acknowledged the problem that's become an increasingly prominent topic of discussion on Threads. Because the app defaults to the algorithmic for you" feed, engagement bait style posts that attract a lot of replies often go viral on the app even if it's the type of content many users say they don't want to see.But addressing the issue could be tricky because what people often refer to as engagement bait" takes many forms in the app. There are downright spammy posts that lift the kind of copypasta content that's shared widely on Facebook (here's a particularly egregious recent example). There are accounts that post open-ended AskReddit-style questions. And then there's the rage-bait posts, as recently documented by Business Insider's Katie Notopoulos.Those posts, which often touch on polarizing topics, seem like they're only meant to elicit angry responses from other users who have a controversial opinion from someone they don't know thrust into their timeline. For example, I've seen dozens of posts with hundreds of replies about whether young children should be allowed on airplanes. In her experiment, Notopoulos got more than 1 million views and 5,000 replies on a post - heavily inspired from a two-year-old viral tweet and Reddit post - about not feeding children who come over for playdates.And while Mosseri and Meta haven't explained why it's proved so easy to game Threads' algorithm to go viral with this kind of content, it seems to be related to how the app has prioritized replies in deciding what to surface to users. Not all comments or replies are good," Mosseri said.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-is-working-to-fix-threads-engagement-bait-problem-173135011.html?src=rss
Many fans of 2014's Alien: Isolation video game praised its graphics, story and general gameplay, making it a bit of a standout from many other games adapted from a movie. It even received seven separate DLC packs. Gamers have been enjoying this cult classic on mobile and Switch for a while now, but today, on the game's 10th anniversary, the developers announced that they're developing a sequel.Yes, you heard us right. Alien: Isolation now has a sequel in early development. If you don't believe us, take the official X account's word for it.We currently don't have any other details on this sequel, but a look back at reviews for Alien: Isolation should give you hope we'll get another solid game here. If the sequel is anything like the original, then you can expect horror, stealth and second-guessing yourself just as the claws of an alien take your life.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/sequel-to-2014s-alien-isolation-is-now-in-development-162213148.html?src=rss
There's little better than finding a killer deal on a great product, and here's an October Prime Day deal that checks pretty much all the right boxes. Sony's WH-1000XM4 headphones are on sale for $130, which is a new record low. They often sell for $348 and the previous record low price was $198. These aren't quite the very best Sony headphones on the market anymore. The XM5s are now at the top of the mountain (they're our favorite noise canceling headphones overall). However, the XM4s are still a fantastic set of cans, especially at this bargain price. We gave the XM4s a score of 94 in our review. The powerful, customizable active noise cancellation was a major selling point, as was the immersive audio. The "pause when you speak" feature is quite nifty, while multipoint connectivity is always welcome. The price was one of our main drawbacks, but thankfully that's now far less of an issue. Sony says you'll get up to 30 hours of usage from a single charge (which matches up with our testing) and you'll get five hours of playback time after a 10-minute quick charge. We felt that the touch controls worked reliably well, while the five-microphone array should help make your voice clear on calls. In addition, the XM4s support Sony's 360 Reality Audio format for immersive sound. The songs typically sound better than standard tracks and the library of supported music has grown over the years, but not every streaming service supports the format. Amazon Music Unlimited is the best-known option. Tidal, on the other hand, dropped support for the format this summer in favor of Dolby Atmos. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-wh-1000xm4-headphones-drop-to-a-new-low-of-130-for-prime-day-142955371.html?src=rss
Ring devices are on sale for October Prime Day already, joining a bevy of other Amazon devices that have discounts you can snag right now. Take, for instance, the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam, which was unveiled back in May. The device is on sale for $50. That's a discount of $30 and its lowest price to date. There's no prizes for guessing what this camera can do - it has a motorized base that can rotate 360 degrees to give you a complete view of the room (as long as it's positioned optimally, of course). The camera also has a tilt range of 169 degrees and it captures HD video. It has the same features as other indoor Ring cams, such as Live View and two-way talk. Those with a Ring Protect Plan will gain access to additional features. There's also a physical privacy shutter that disengages the mic and camera. Elsewhere, the new Ring Battery Doorbell is 40 percent off and down to $60 and the Doorbell Pro is 35 percent off and down to $150. These are both some of the newest video doorbells Ring has debut over the past year, and both have easy-to-remove batteries that you'll recharge periodically to keep the devices running. Also, the regular Ring Indoor Cam has dropped to $30, which again marks a record low. It's 50 percent off the usual price of $60. Likewise, the Ring Stick Up Camera Pro is half off and has reached a record low price. This model, which is designed to withstand regular rain and snow while capturing footage in 1080p HDR, is on sale for $90. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-starts-tomorrow-and-the-ring-pan-tilt-indoor-cam-is-already-on-sale-for-a-record-low-of-50-144458370.html?src=rss
At yesterday's Halo World Championships, developer 343 Industries announced that it was officially changing its name to Halo Studios. The company also revealed that it has multiple new games in the pipeline and is switching all future Halo development from its proprietary Slipspace Engine to Unreal Engine 5.In a YouTube video (below) the new studio showed elements from the "Project Foundry" Unreal Engine research effort that has been ongoing for the past several years. While just a tech demo for now, it showed Master Chief and Covenant elite designs, along with three biomes including a Cascades-type location, Flood-impacted Blightlands and snowy Coldlands."Respectfully, some components of Slipspace are almost 25 years old," Halo Studios art director Chris Matthews told Xbox Wire. Although 343 were developing it continuously, there are aspects of Unreal that Epic has been developing for some time, which are unavailable to us in Slipspace - and would have taken huge amounts of time and resources to try and replicate."The company plans to hire new employees and have multiple teams working on several games at once using a centralized UE5 pipeline. Halo Studios didn't reveal any specific projects or timelines, with CEO Pierre Hintze simply saying that they'll be "ready when they're ready." The studio has been under the leadership of Hintze, GM Bryan Koski and COO Elizabeth Van Wyck since studio GM Bonnie Ross left in 2022.Some of this information was leaked in early 2023, with reports that 343 was "starting from scratch" on Halo development following layoffs. The studio was said to be shifting to Unreal Engine after struggling with its aging Slipspace platform. At the time, 343 Industries affirmed that it was "here to stay" following rumors that Microsoft might shift the Halo franchise to other studios.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/halo-developer-343-industries-rebrands-itself-to-halo-studios-120041943.html?src=rss
Playing Phoenix Springs feels like being trapped in a gorgeous dream that's steadily becoming a nightmare. It's a point-and-click mystery set in a bleak futuristic world of dramatic shadows and muted primary colors, its scenes connected by streams of anxious static. The game stars Iris Dormer, a technology reporter who's searching for her estranged brother, Leo. Her hunt takes her from the abandoned buildings of a rundown city, to a rich suburb, and finally to Phoenix Springs, a desert oasis bathed in golden light and occupied by a handful of odd, disconnected people. Iris is the heart of Phoenix Springs. She narrates the on-screen action in a stoic, unaffected tone that belies the cutting poetry of her observations. Iris has just three options when interacting with people and items: talk to, look at or use. Relevant concepts and objects are collected in her mental inventory, a simple word cloud of black text on a white background. Open the inventory with a right click and select a word to bring it into the scene, where it's combinable with other ideas and with Iris herself, prompting her to remember the clue or provide more details about it. Making Iris remember certain things is a key mechanic throughout the mystery, and it's a good move to keep in mind if you ever feel stuck in a point-and-click hole while playing. Iris is the game's only voice and she talks directly to the player, sharing unfiltered thoughts as she processes each new set piece. Iris is jaded, dogged and insightful, and her cadence is sedate but sharp. It's the kind of voice that could make a take-out menu sound both sinister and profound, and it's a thrill to listen to throughout Phoenix Springs. Iris' city is desolate and rife with inequity. The streets are dotted with deserted buildings and barbed wire, and only the richest citizens are allowed to use energy without restriction. Down one alleyway, an intoxicated man is passed out on top of a shipping container, while a mute boy sits nearby, making a plant dance with an electronic box. In an abandoned university, a DJ blasts a thundering playlist for days on end as part of a mass sleep-deprivation experiment, delirious dancers and unconscious bodies piling up on the auditorium floor. The city's shadows are tinged with green, oppressive and sickly. There's a mid-century edge to the game's technology - globe lights, push-button intercoms, bulky computer terminals and long train rides - which makes the world feel intensely familiar, at least until the stasis pods appear. Make no mistake, Phoenix Springs is hard cyberpunk. Oddly enough, this only becomes clearer once you make your way to the oasis. The lushness of Phoenix Springs is an immediate relief, its flowing waters, red wooden huts and vibrant natural textures highlighting the sterility of the city's metal, glass and wires. It's almost relaxing enough to make you ignore the high strangeness of everything and everyone there. Almost. Calligram Studio On top of combining items to generate new leads about Leo's disappearance, it's critical to speak with people, bring them relevant ideas from your inventory and listen closely to their answers. The game relies on making common-sense connections and following your intuition, and rarely are solutions provided at face value. At times trial-and-error is a valid way to progress, and in other cases it's just a matter of taking a breath and thinking about the problem from a fresh angle. My advice is to have patience and try absolutely everything that comes to mind; if you're paying attention, chances are, you're on the right track. Phoenix Springs occasionally suffers from the most common issue in point-and-click games, where it feels like you've tried every combination and nothing is working, so you just randomly click around until something happens - but I encountered only two instances like this in about six hours of playtime. Thankfully, Calligram Studio provides a link to a walkthrough guide in the pause screen, so hope is never truly lost. Calligram Studio The game's simple control scheme supports a surprisingly complex narrative that unspools in Iris' measured narration. There's nothing rushed about Phoenix Springs. Iris walks leisurely across expansive wide shots, her light blue silhouette cutting through high grasses and across cold concrete at the same unhurried pace. When she speaks, she gives each thought time to permeate the scene, sentences short and powerful. Haunting choir chords and droning bass lines are eventually replaced by pristine silence and birdsong. Where the environments aren't blanketed in shadow, their colors constantly shift like there's a stop-motion river flowing just beneath the screen. Each second of Phoenix Springs demands your attention. In return, the game provides a million moments of intrigue for your eyes, ears and deductive mind. And at the inevitable conclusion, every small detail slides elegantly into place. I want to print out this game, frame by frame, and plaster its hand-drawn neo-noir vistas over every square inch of my office walls. Phoenix Springs is an interactive art installation that happens to use point-and-click game mechanics, and Calligram Studio's emphasis on creating something beautiful - and then using this canvas to tell a twisted story about biohacking and familial love - is clear. Calligram Studio What's exciting about Phoenix Springs is that it excels as both a piece of art and a detective game. It occupies a similar territory as Kentucky Route Zero, another title that offers depressing social commentary in a visually fascinating package, also made by a small artist collective. In the case of Phoenix Springs, stunning art direction, expert writing, incredible sound design, fabulous voice acting and satisfying mechanics combine to create an unforgettable, utterly unique sci-fi experience. Sure, Phoenix Springs is a game - but mostly, it's gorgeous. Phoenix Springs is now available on PC, Mac and Linux, developed and published by Calligram Studio. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/phoenix-springs-review-a-dazzling-and-disquieting-sci-fi-mystery-120029156.html?src=rss
It's been a wait. Apple Intelligence will start rolling out on October 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple said last month it was targeting October for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 - which will bring some of the first Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 16 and the rest of the Apple family.The first wave of Apple Intelligence-powered features will include its summarization tool, Writing Tools and smart audio recording and transcriptions for Mail, Notes, Pages and other apps. I've been testing the beta, and so far, the most useful feature has been the summarization tool, tackling my forest of notifications and messages and parsing them into glanceable summaries.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missed
A lot of people started to care about high resolution" digital audio when Apple launched its upgraded music service to the masses. Call that the Apple effect," as infuriating as it may be, but the iPhone maker isn't the only one in the hi-res audio game: Qobuz, Tidal and Deezer have been doing it for a while, and Spotify has been toying with releasing its own version for a while. However, as many were quick to point out, some of Apple's own products don't necessarily support the higher sample rate and bit-depths on offer. No worries, there's a dongle for that, and there are options for Android and desktop, too. We've tested dozens of these devices and the best DACs listed in this guide will play nice with any of the aforementioned services (aside from Tidal's MQA, which is a little more specific). What is a DAC? James Trew / Engadget A digital-to-analog converter takes the digital (D) music from your phone or computer and converts (C) it into analog (A) sound you can hear. All phones and PCs have them, but since handsets moved to USB-C, Lightning or Bluetooth for music, the task of converting that signal was generally outsourced to either your adapter or your wireless headphones. DACs can be used with phones, laptops and desktops but tend to be much simpler than a regular external audio interface. One basic distinction is that DACs are usually for listening only whereas an audio interface might have ports to plug in microphones and instruments (but an external audio interface is also technically a DAC). Some high-end DACs even include XLR outputs for better connectivity with professional audio equipment. The best DACs tend to be lightweight, making them more suitable for mobile use, although it still gets a little tricky with the iPhone as you still might need to add another dongle to make it play nice with Lightning. Also, not all DACs support all the higher audio resolutions like DSD. Most standalone DACs require external power or an onboard battery, though some can use the power from whatever you plug them into - in which case expect a hit to your battery life. Best DACs for 2024 DAC FAQs What does DAC stand for? DAC stands for digital to analogue converter. It's a device that takes digital files, stored on a laptop, computer, etc., and converts them into audio that we can listen to with better clarity and depth. Devices that provide sound, like a CD player, Blu-ray player, TV box, and so on, require good DACs so that the digital files can be decoded in order to output audio. Most of the time, a DAC is built-in to these devices, but sometimes they are external and require a power supply. Why do I need new hardware to listen to music? The short answer is, you don't. You can play hi-res" audio files on most phones and PCs, you just might not be getting the full experience. If your device's audio interface tops out at 44.1 or 48kHz (which is fairly common and covers the vast majority of music online) then that's the experience you'll get. If you want to enjoy better sounding music at a higher sample rate and bit-depth (aka resolution), you'll need an interface that supports it and wired headphones, potentially using a headphone amp for an enhanced experience. It's worth pointing out that lossless" and hi-res" are related terms, but not the same thing and will vary from service to service. Apple uses ALAC encoding which is compressed, but without loss" to the quality (unlike the ubiquitous .aac or .mp3 file formats). CDs were generally mastered to at least 16-bit / 44.1kHz which is the benchmark that Apple is using for its definition of lossless. In audio circles, a general consensus is that hi-res is anything with a sample rate above 44.1kHz. Increasingly, though, the term is being used for anything 96kHz and above. This, of course, isn't only about Apple's new streaming formats. External DACs and audio interfaces are a great way to get the best sound and upgrade your listening experience generally. Especially if you want to get into the world of more exotic (read: pricey) headphones, as they often even require a DAC to provide enough clean digital signal to drive them. For audiophile headphones, a phone or laptop's internal sound chipset often doesn't have the oomph needed to deliver a hi-fi experience, meaning a better DAC could make all the difference in sound quality. Okay, but can't I just use the headphone adapter for my phone? No. Well, yes, but see above. A Lightning or USB-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter often is an audio interface and most of the ones you're buying for $7 (or that come free in the box) do not support hi-res audio beyond 48kHz / 24-bit. Android is a little more complicated, as some adapters are passive" and really just connect you to the phone's internal DAC like old school headphones. Others (active ones) have a DAC built-in and good luck finding out what your specific phone and the in-box adapter delivers. (Hint: connect it to a PC and see if it comes up as an audio interface. You might find some details there if it does). What about Bluetooth headphones? Chances are that over the last few years you've migrated from wired to wireless headphones (thanks, Apple). The world of Bluetooth headphones changes things a little when it comes to seeking better audio performance. What matters here is twofold, the headphones you're using (as those will technically be the DAC") and the codec - the method used to send the musical data over to the headphones. It's worth checking to see if your headphones support aptX and which version - aptX HD, aptX Adaptive are better than standard and becoming more common. Other systems exist, like Sony's LDAC, but Qualcomm's AptX has wider support thanks to its prevalence in Android devices. Some high-end wireless headphones might even come with a headphone jack for wired connections when higher-quality audio is needed.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-dac-for-lossless-high-resolution-music-iphone-android-160056147.html?src=rss
Choosing the best portable speaker can be a daunting task with the amount of options available today. Whether you're gearing up for a camping trip, a beach outing, or a backyard barbecue, finding the right speaker that delivers on sound quality, durability, and portability is crucial. We've tested dozens of Bluetooth speakers across various price points to help you navigate this crowded market. While many of them sound impressive, comparing them head-to-head allowed us to identify the features that make certain portable wireless speakers stand out.
Off-Planet Dreams gives you everything you need to succeed, if you really want that. Help is just a few button-presses away at (almost) all times. Because of that, it feels uniquely accessible for what it is - an invisible puzzle platformer" designed to trip you up over and over again until you've learned enough from your mistakes to move forward. Depending on how you approach it, Off-Planet Dreams is either a trial-and-error nightmare loop or a relatively easygoing platform adventure. Or something between the two. I died 274 times in my first playthrough, if that's any indication of how challenging it can be. Off-Planet Dreams presents you (playing as a blob) with a grid and some floating doors, and says, essentially, okay, now find your way out.' There are platforms that form a path to each door, but all the platforms are invisible. This is where the game's difficulty is what you make of it" ethos comes in. You can commit to jumping into the abyss every time and hoping to land on a platform, memorizing each misstep so you know what not to do the next time around if you die, or you can choose one of the three available tools for some guidance. Peek" will give you a quick glimpse of any platforms nearby, Paint" will highlight any platform you've stepped on, and Show" will reveal all of the platforms in that room. Being stubborn, I was determined to get as far as I could without any help. But, I was humbled not too far in when I found myself trapped in Level 2-5 - a level with multiple sublevels that'll repeatedly throw you back to its start if you go through the wrong doors. Here, I eventually caved and enabled Show" just to give my brain some space to work out what the puzzle was without having to worry about remembering platforms. (When I finally figured it out, it wasn't even that complicated. Sigh). After that point, I bounced between going unaided and using the Paint" option as a little treat. The game throws a curveball at you about halfway through when it introduces a new mechanic that requires the crank, which I thought was really clever once I got over the initial frustration of not knowing what the hell was going on. And further on, Off-Planet Dreams undergoes a stylistic shift that transforms it into something else entirely than what it was at the beginning. The developers wrote in the description that Off-Planet Dreams is more than a grid of dots," and they weren't kidding. I had a lot of fun with it. You can get it now on the Playdate Catalog for $6.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/off-planet-dreams-is-a-delightfully-tricky-playdate-platformer-with-invisible-puzzles-230024431.html?src=rss
It seems Apple has a slew of hardware announcements in store for us this fall. In the Power On newsletter this week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is gearing up to announce new MacBook Pro models, the redesigned Mac mini, the M4 iMac and a new iPad mini before the end of the month, and is targeting a release date of November 1 for at least some" of these products.According to Gurman, we're likely to see a low- and high-end 14-inch MacBook Pro, both packing the M4 chips. There will also be a 16-inch high-end MacBook Pro. As for the Mac mini, Gurman previously reported that the upcoming M4 Mac mini may be tiny compared to its predecessors, with a build roughly the size of an Apple TV box. The size reduction may also mean it drops the USB-A ports. Following the fall releases, Gurman predicts Apple will have a bunch of other products ready for early 2025, including a 13-inch and 15-inch M4 MacBook Air, along with a refreshed iPhone SE and iPad Air in both sizes.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/apples-revamped-mac-mini-and-ipad-mini-could-be-here-as-soon-as-november-1-171029304.html?src=rss
Apple Intelligence will start rolling out on October 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple said last month that it was targeting October for the release of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 - which will bring some of the first Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 16 and other Apple devices - but it didn't set a firm release date at the time. The first wave of Apple Intelligence features will include the text editor and summarization tool, Writing Tools, along with smart audio recording and transcriptions for Mail, Notes, Pages and other apps.We'll also likely see the new Memories feature in Photos, which is designed to be an easy-to-use editor for making movies with images from the gallery, and Clean Up, which can remove objects from the background of images. Other Apple Intelligence features, like ChatGPT integration and Genmoji, are expected to come with later versions of iOS 18 that will roll out across the end of the year and early 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-first-apple-intelligence-features-are-expected-to-arrive-on-october-28-144459627.html?src=rss
Three new theft protection features that Google announced earlier this year have reportedly started rolling out on Android. The tools - Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock and Remote Lock - are aimed at giving users a way to quickly lock down their devices if they've been swiped, so thieves can't access any sensitive information. Android reporter Mishaal Rahman shared on social media that the first two tools had popped up on a Xiaomi 14T Pro, and said some Pixel users have started seeing Remote Lock.
New releases in fiction, nonfiction and comics that caught our attention. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/what-to-read-this-weekend-preventing-an-asteroid-apocalypse-cult-of-the-lamb-comic-louise-erdrich-mighty-red-190816097.html?src=rss
Despite the company's recent decision to abide by the demands of the Brazilian Supreme Court, X still isn't back online in Brazil - and according to Reuters, that's at least in part because it paid its fines to the wrong bank. After weeks being banned in Brazil, X in late September named a legal representative for the country as ordered, and took down accounts the court accused of spreading misinformation and hate speech. Its final hurdle was to pay off the fines that it had racked up, reportedly amounting to roughly $5 million.Citing Friday court filings, Reuters reports that X says it's paid the fines and requested to have services restored. But, Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the funds went to the wrong bank, and the decision will have to wait until they've been transferred. X maintains that it paid its fines correctly, according to Reuters. X has been banned in Brazil since the end of August. While the company initially resisted the court's orders, it recently changed its tune and said it was working with the Brazilian government to get the platform back online in the country.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-reportedly-paid-its-brazil-fines-to-the-wrong-bank-causing-further-delay-in-reinstatement-case-164959494.html?src=rss
People who visited Lego's website on the evening of October 4 were welcomed by a banner with illustrated golden coins bearing the company's logo, claiming that the "Lego coin" is now officially out. It even promised "secret rewards" to those who'd buy some. But Lego wasn't truly launching an official cryptocurrency coin, and according to The Brick Fan, the button to buy led to an external cryptocurrency website selling "LEGO Tokens" with Ethereum. The website was, seemingly, hijacked by bad actors who switched its banner and used it for some sort of crypto scam.As users on the Lego subreddit have noted, the incident happened overnight for Lego's headquarters. The company responded relatively quickly, though, and removed the unauthorized banner and links. As of this writing, the Lego Fortnite collaboration banner is back up, and the "buy now" link leads to the collection. Lego told Engadget that no user accounts were compromised and that it has identified the cause of the issue. It also said that it was implementing measures to prevent anything similar from happening again in the future. However, the company has declined to share details about that "cause" or the measures it's implementing.Here's the company's official statement:
A few months ago, Google introduced a new way to search Gmail with the help of its Gemini AI. The feature, called Gmail Q&A, lets you find specific emails and information by asking the Gemini chatbot questions. You can ask things like "What time is our dinner reservation on Saturday?" to quickly find the information you need. It was only initially available on Android devices, but now Google has started rolling it out to iPhones.In addition to being able to ask questions, you can also use the feature to find unread emails from a specific sender simply by telling Gemini to "Find unread emails by [the person's name]." You can ask the chatbot to summarize a topic you know you can find in your inbox, such as work projects that you've been on for months consisting of multiple conversations across several threads. And you can even use Gemini in Gmail to do general search queries without having to leave your inbox. To access Gemini, simply tap on the star icon at the top right corner of your Gmail app.Google says the feature could take up to 15 days to reach your devices. Take note, however, that you do need to have access to Gemini Business, Enterprise, Education, Education Premium or Google One AI Premium to be able to use it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/gmails-gemini-powered-qa-feature-comes-to-ios-120015661.html?src=rss
Square Enix's multiplayer shooter Foamstars is moving to a free-to-play model. The four-player team multiplayer melee officially turned into a free game today on Sony's PlayStation 4 and 5 meaning you also won't need a PlayStation Plus subscription to play it, according to a posting on the studio's support page.If you purchased the game before Square Enix's price change, the studio will send you a free Legacy Gift" that includes 12 exclusive color-variant Bubble Beastie skins, an exclusive Slide Board design and a Legacy" title. You'll need to keep an eye on the game's official website and X account to find out how to obtain your free Legacy Gift."Foamstarsreleased earlier this year on Sony's past and current gen consoles as a third-person multiplayer battle game. It's basically a mix of the homebase building mechanic of Fortnite and Nintendo's family friendly multiplayer shooter melee Splatoon. Teams use mounds of foam to build terrain for their shooters to traverse at high speeds or build higher vantage points to attack their enemies. You shouldn't learn anymore about the game's backstory and where the mounds of foam come from or at least not while you're eating. Trust us on this one.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/foamstars-is-going-free-to-play-starting-today-231750186.html?src=rss
The past week hasn't been the kindest to the electric vehicle industry. Now, it's capped off with news that the EV startup Fisker is the subject of an investigation from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).TechCrunch reported that SEC officials sent several subpoenas to Fisker. The filing doesn't specifically say what the subpoenas are asking for or looking into but it's clear that the SEC has launched an investigation into the floundering EV maker that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June.Fisker has been struggling to keep its head above water ever since last year's disastrous rollout of its Ocean SUV that failed to score more than a few thousands sellers even though it produced well over 10,000 units. Following its Q4 earnings report last year that saw a gross margin loss of 35 percent, the car maker announced it would lay off 15 percent of its workforce the following March as it shifted to a direct-to-consumer sales strategy.A Fisker spokesperson declined to comment on the matter to TechCrunch saying they could not comment on the existence or nonexistence of a possible investigation."Fisker isn't the only EV maker to suffer a noticeable setback. Tesla saw a major stumble with the fifth recall of its beleaguered Cybertruck.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/fisker-faces-more-bad-news-as-the-sec-starts-investigating-its-business-practices-222504280.html?src=rss
Why is it so satisfying to toss, drop, throw and fling ragdoll characters down steps, out of windows and into oncoming traffic in games like Human Fall Flat? Ragdoll games just know how to scratch the lizard part of our brain that enjoys being the destructive force of mayhem while also meeting the moral center of our frontal lobe by not causing any real world harm (or felony charges).Now you'll be able to see the fruits of your destruction in a virtual environment as Human Fall Flat and its hapless, ham-handed hero head to the Meta Quest headsets and Steam VR on Halloween. Curve Games and No Brakes Games are also working on a version for the PSVR2 for a date yet to be announced.Human Fall Flat is a three-dimensional physics platformer that has you control a floppy, ragdoll human named Bob. Just like the other games, you'll see Bob in a third-person perspective as you use his sinewy limbs to guide him through a series of bizarre obstacles like a train that somehow derailed through the top floor of a Victorian style mansion, a dysfunctional power plant in dire need of a OSHA review and the inevitable ice world level.Owners of a Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3 or Meta Quest 3S headset can pre-order the game now on the Quest App Store for the discounted price of $9.99. The Steam port doesn't have a price yet but you can add it to your wishlist.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/soon-youll-be-able-to-fling-around-the-klutzy-schlub-in-human-fall-flat-on-vr-212033104.html?src=rss
X has lost a legal fight in Australia in which the company tried to avoid a $400,000 fine by claiming that Twitter no longer exists. The creative legal argument, first spotted by ArsTechnica, came amid a more than year-long dispute with Australia's eSafety Commission.The commission had asked the company, then known as Twitter, to provide details about its handling of child sexual exploitation on the platform last February. In its response, X failed to answer a number of questions and left some sections entirely blank," the commission said in a statement last year. As a result, the eSafety Commission slapped the company with a more than $415,000 fine for non-compliance.It was an attempt to fight that fine that led to X's claim that it shouldn't be responsible since Twitter had ceased to exist." From the court filing:
Samsung will begin using the One UI name for all its consumer devices, now including TVs and home appliances. Executive Vice President Sally Hyesoon Jeong made the announcement at the company's 2024 developer conference (via 9to5Google). The One UI branding was previously exclusive to its Galaxy phones, tablets and wearables.One UI now goes beyond mobile as the software experience for all Samsung consumer devices," Hyesoon Jeong said onstage at the San Jose keynote. It's part of the company's aim for more cohesive branding across its consumer ecosystem, especially as its AI approach evolves.SamsungSamsung also teased that its next software user experience, One UI 7, will arrive with the 2025 batch of Galaxy S phones. One UI 7 will bring a fresh, new look to the entire interface," Hyesoon Jeong said at the conference. She laid out three goals for the upcoming software: simple (with a purpose), impactful (leaving a signature impression"), and emotive design that elicits a human reaction from the user.The Samsung VP says the One UI 7 home screen grid represents the more focused design principles. It's sleeker and easier to use, giving you a neat home screen no matter which Galaxy device you're using," said Hyesoon Jeong.Although you'll have to wait until early next year for One UI 7, the company said a developer beta will be available to test-drive by the end of this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/samsungs-one-ui-now-covers-all-of-its-consumer-devices-including-tvs-and-appliances-201850799.html?src=rss
Once again, the European Union has issued a ruling preventing Meta from going too crazy with user information. The top court in the EU ruled that limits must be put in place for how long Meta and other social media networks can use people's information for ad targeting strategies.TechCrunch reported that the EU's highest court sided with an earlier opinion published in April by a court adviser. The previous ruling also urged for limits on the amount of time companies could retain customers' personal data for the purpose of targeting advertising.The rulings referred its retention guidelines to the bloc's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) established by the EU in 2018. Recital 65 of the GDPR establishes a person's right to be forgotten" and the right to rectification and erasure of personal data. Failure to comply with the GDPR could result in a 4 percent global annual turnover penalty, a number that could reach into the billions for a social media mega-corporation like Meta. Last year, Meta had to pay a $414 million fine (or approximately 390 million) for illegally requiring users of its social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to accept personalized ads.The EU and Meta along with other big tech companies like Apple and Google have tangled over the use of personal data in relation to the Digital Markets Act. Meta is currently awaiting a fine ruling for violating the EU's Digital Markets Act when it required users to pay to prohibit the company from collecting and sharing their personal data. Last year, the EU's Court of Justice ruled that Meta needed to obtain consent before delivering personal ads to users in the region.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/eu-court-rules-social-networks-cant-use-personal-data-forever-193013206.html?src=rss
Amazon Prime Day is right around the corner, so the deals are already coming in hot. For instance, the Oura Ring is up to $100 off. The discount depends on which design you go for. The Stealth Horizon design is $350 in all sizes, while many standard colors are $300. The gold option, however, jumps up to $450. The prices also fluctuate depending on if you choose the rounded Horizon design or the more blocky Heritage design. For the uninitiated, the Oura Ring is a smart wearable that tracks activity, sleep and more. The main benefit of choosing a smart ring over another type of fitness tracker is portability. It's a lightweight ring, so after a few days you forget it's even on. We called the Oura Ring the perfect wearable for people who don't like wearables" in our official review. It even made our list of the best sleep apps and gadgets. The device monitors over 20 biometric signals and is particularly precise when reading a pulse. The Oura Ring is also compatible with most of the most popular fitness-tracking apps, like Apple Health, Strava and Google Health Connect. Many of the designs are quite fetching and allow the device to easily pass as a regular non-techy ring. On the downside, a bunch of the ring's features are locked behind a subscription paywall. You get a month free with the initial purchase, but after that it'll cost $6 per month. It's also worth noting that this deal is for the third-gen Oura Ring. The fourth-gen device officially releases on October 15 and it's smaller, with more tracking capabilities. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-third-gen-oura-ring-is-up-to-100-off-in-this-early-prime-day-deal-184904718.html?src=rss
Meta just announced several updates coming to Facebook during the company's IRL event in Austin. It's testing an Explore tab and adding a new video tab.Let's start with the Explore tab. If you've ever perused Instagram, you likely know how exactly this will work. This tab will house a variety of content tailored to your interests."Meta says that the algorithm has been designed to serve up content that doesn't just entertain, but helps you dive deeper into your interests." Here's hoping I get nothing but content about wild traversal strategies in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. In any event, the new Explore tab is still in the testing phase so it could be a bit before a wide rollout.The video tab is also getting a major update to accommodate Reels. All of the video content on Facebook will now be housed behind this tab. The content will stream on a full-screen video player that lets users seamlessly watch the best short-form, long-form and live videos in a single experience."The updated video tab starts rolling out to users in the coming weeks." This is definitely an attempt by Meta to capture some of those younger eyeballs, as the announcement was accompanied by statistics indicating that young adults on Facebook spend around 60 percent of their time watching videos and Reels.I got news for you, Meta. My dad, who is not a young adult, also spends all of his time on Facebook watching videos and Reels. So we'll all benefit from this expanded video tab.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/facebook-is-testing-an-instagram-like-explore-tab-and-introducing-a-new-video-tab-for-reels-153033149.html?src=rss
By the end of 2024, the world will have nearly 2,000 Gigawatts of solar generation capacity in service. Each panel is made of silicon, glass, various polymers, aluminum, copper and an assortment of other metals that capture the sun's energy. It's a rule of thumb that, barring damage, a panel will last for up to 30 years before it needs to be replaced. But what happens to all of those raw materials when the current crop of solar panels becomes obsolete? Surely, we're not just wasting it all, are we?What kills a solar panel?Received wisdom suggests solar panels last for around 30 years, but that's not the whole story here. 30 years is our best guess," explained Garvin Heath of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). NREL found there was a higher rate of failures at the start of a panel's life, often due to manufacturing or installation faults. In midlife, only a handful of panels fail. Then the statistics begin to climb northward the closer to the three decade mark you get but, even so, the number of panels that break are less than one percent" of the total in operation at that time.Matt Burnell is the founder of ReSolar, a British startup looking into reusing, repowering and recycling solar panels. As part of his work, Burnell visited a 40,000 panel array solar farm where 200 of the panels were broken during installation. I took about 50 from that site, tested them to see their value for reuse [and] generation capacity," he said, most of which were within the tolerance range of the manufacturer." Essentially, for the odd crack in the glass or bump on the frame - which may cause problems down the line - the panels were otherwise perfectly functional.If a panel has survived its birth and installation, then the biggest thing that kills solar panels is the weather. Heath said a common cause is extreme weather events damaging the panel, or even just regular, aggressive weather causing things to degrade. Sadly, once a panel is broken, it's often not worth the effort to repair.So panels deemed broken" during manufacture or installation may still be very capable of making power from the sun. But there are also plenty of panels that are being withdrawn from service after 25 or 30 years, even if they aren't broken in any meaningful sense. There's a fairly simple reason solar farms don't allow these panels to soak up rays until they simply cease to function.It's the economics, stupid.The key issue is efficiency loss, which is when panels aren't able to generate as much power as they did when first installed. Most solar panels are made with laminated adhesive layers that sit between the glass and the solar cells to hold them together and aid rigidity. Sun exposure can cause those laminated layers to discolor, reducing the amount of light that can reach the cells. That diminishes the energy-generation capacity, which is a problem for large commercial farms.Manufacturer's warranty their [solar] modules' performance for a 30-year period," explained Garvin Heath. For instance, a maker will pledge that its panels will be at least 80-percent efficient for the bulk of its expected three-decade service life. These warranties give large utility-scale customers confidence in what they're buying, and at the point that term has expired, it's often far more cost-effective to simply junk and replace them.Power grids have a limited number of interconnections, essentially the on-ramp that enables them to push power to the grid. Each interconnection has a hard upper limit in terms of the power it can send, so solar farms need to generate the maximum permitted electricity at all times. [Even when] they're working within warranty performance, the opportunity cost of having a module producing [more] power on your interconnection is quite valuable," said Heath.ReSolar's Matt Burnell used an example of a 10 Megawatt solar farm in the UK that had a 15 Megawatt interconnection. 10 years ago, they could only fit 10 megawatts into the space that they had [...] but with newer and more efficient modules, it's now financially viable for them to strip the asset down and rebuild it." You have these big pension funds looking at this from a spreadsheet," looking for ways to better maximize their investment. The end result is that all of these otherwise fine panels are junked. When you think about the embedded carbon of bringing [the panels] over [from China]" said Burnell and then they go into the waste stream [...] seems mad."Even if panels could be repaired to full efficiency,it's not likely solar panel repair shops will be opening in droves. There's a serious question around the labor costs of testing and repairing versus just buying a new panel," said Burnell. He added in another example of panels that had to be taken down to address fire safety legislation, which were similarly at risk of being discarded because the effort to repurpose them was too great. To reduce waste, ReSolar actually wound up collecting and sending on a consignment of those panels to Ukraine for use in a hospital.In the trashMatt Burnell / ReSolarAnother rule of thumb is that only one in 10 solar panels is recycled, with the remaining nine sent to landfills. There is no standard method for tracking a panel's eventual destination, and it's not clear how such a system would be implemented. But there's a risk landfills are about to be overwhelmed with the volume of panels that'll be coming down from roofs. The Los Angeles Times, for instance, reported on the coming glut of panels in California after the state's push to get more solar installed from 2006 onwards.The legal situation is barely patchwork, with Grist describing things in 2020 as the wild west," since only Washington has any sort of mandatory legislation. Decommissioned solar panels are covered by federal solid and hazardous waste rules, dependent on the materials used in their construction. If a panel includes heavy metals like lead and cadmium, then they can't be sent to a general landfill, lest their poisons leech into the soil. But that often just means those panels are redirected to landfills that are designed to handle specialist waste.The EPA is, at present, looking at developing rules that would standardize the recycling process for solar panels and lithium batteries. But while there are no federal mandates for recycling, or even tough legislation at the state level, the situation is far from ideal. A small fraction of the panels are actually sent to recycling centers, the rest left to an uncertain fate. As Heath points out, the risk is that while recycling is uneconomical and unavailable, we'll see huge boneyards of working solar panels, left piled up while the situation changes.In the UK and Europe, solar panels are covered by the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive, or WEEE. The rules oblige supplying companies to collect and recycle discarded panels, or to shoulder the cost for another entity to do so. It means that, hopefully, we won't see tons more panels being dumped to landfills, but also means it's often going to be more economical to send working panels to recycling rather than repurposing them.RecyclingMatt Burnell / ReSolarIf you want to free up the raw materials lurking inside a solar panel, then there are two approaches. There's the mechanical way, in which you can shred the components, which is both simpler and more wasteful: it can recover glass and metal, but little else. Or there are thermal and chemical approaches that seek to separate the components, enabling more of the rarer metals to be recovered.Existing recyclers have traditional markets that their economics are built around, so glass recyclers look at a module and say wow, a module is 80 percent glass by weight, I know what to do with that," said Heath. With the materials inside, there are more precious metals with higher value," he said, but they're mixed in with the plastic polymer layers [...] which are hard to separate economically." Consequently, the silicon, silver and copper embedded in the cells are often ground down into bulk and abandoned.The IEA's 2024 report on panel recycling looked into how these mechanical methods aren't great for material qualities. The outputs of mechanical processing are usually not very pure and better yields of high-quality materials [...] especially silicon and silver, should be targeted," it said. It added that often these recycling processes aren't optimized to run solar panels, and so there is frequently some downgrading of recovered material quality," hardly a great step on the road to circularity.It's also hard to know what goes into a solar panel. The variation in materials [found in solar panels] is wild," said ReSolar's Matt Burnell. The litany of manufacturers don't yet have any obligation to share their raw material data, although new regulations will change that soon. Until then, it's difficult for recyclers to know what they'll be pulling out of the panels they're looking to process.As well as recyclers not knowing the composition of the panels, there's the risk of noxious chemicals being added to expedite some processes. Antoine Chalaux is the general manager of ROSI Solar, a specialist solar panel recycler in France. He talked about the inclusion of chemicals like Teflon and antimony, both of which are toxic and cannot be released into the atmosphere. We've developed our recycling processes to capture [them]," he explained, but we're pushing [manufacturers] to use it less [in future]."Burnell believes that the industry is really at the very dawn" of solar recycling but is confident that with investment today, solutions will be quickly found in the very near future. We've got this massive lead-in time," he said so we know what's coming onto the market today, and we know what's coming into the system in 25 to 30 years." The real ticking clock is for the glut of panels that were installed in the early 2010s that will start entering the waste stream in the next decade.Right now, ROSI's processes aren't as cheap as other recyclers, and Chalaux knows that it can be a problem. Right now, there's no economic reason for companies to [recycle with us], but there's the question of image," he said. All of the manufacturers and owners of PV projects want a good story for the end of life for their panels." The other benefit of this process, however, is to produce high-purity recycled materials that can be used by local manufacturers.The futureGraphic by Al Hicks / NRELOne step toward a more recyclable solar panel might be to eliminate the use of those adhesive polymers in its construction. If a panel could just use sheets of glass with the solar cells sandwiched inside, it would be a lot easier to deconstruct. Not to mention you'd likely get a longer and better performance out of them, since there would be no polymer layers to discolor.Thankfully, a team from the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has demonstrated that such a product can exist. Rather than gluing the layers together, femtosecond lasers weld the front and back panels of glass to each other. The solar cells are sandwiched inside, held by the bonding of the glass to its sibling, and nothing else. And when the panel eventually reaches its end of life, which may be a lot longer than 30 years, it can just be recycled by shattering the glass.The project, led by Dr. David Young, says that if the proposals are accepted, we could see a commercial version of the panel within two to three years. He added that the rigidity offered by welding will be just as sturdy and waterproof as panels using polymer layers. Unfortunately, by that point, we'll have decades upon decades of panels made using the old system that we'll still need to deal with. And until we get a cost-effective, scalable way to recycle them, the answer to the question What happens to solar panels when they die?' will be nothing good.'This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/what-happens-when-solar-panels-die-140019832.html?src=rss
Casetify is bringing back the accessories based on Neon Genesis Evangelionthat it originally launched in 2023, giving you another chance to grab one or two cases for your Apple devices. The crown jewel of the collection is perhaps the collectible case for the AirPods Pro and Pro 2, which was designed to look like the head of Evangelion Unit-01. It opens from the back to reveal a removable inner case that provides another layer of protection. You could also just carry the inner case if the Unit-01 head is a bit too bulky to fit in your bag or if you want to keep it pristine. In addition, the collection features cases for iPhones and iPads, including all iPhone 16 models, with photos of Eva pilots, as well as typography highlighting key terms from the anime series. Casetify says its cases aren't just for collection purposes, though, and can actually protect your devices with their impact-resistant design. There's also a MagSafe charger with a cord that resembles Evangelion units' umbilical cables, as well as other MagSafe-compatible accessories. The collection is now available from Casetify's Co-Lab page, its Co-Lab app and its physical studio locations. Take note that some of these items sold out quickly the first time around, especially the AirPods case which Casetify called a "sought-after item." Casetify This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/casetifys-evangelion-collection-returns-for-evangelion-day-134559673.html?src=rss
The feud between WP Engine and Matt Mullenweg, WordPress co-founder and Automattic CEO, recently came to a head when the web hosting service sued the latter, accusing him of "abuse of power, extortion and greed." In a new blog post, Mullenweg said his opponent's attacks on him and his company have been effective enough so that "a good chunk of [his] Automattic colleagues disagreed with [him and his] actions." As a response, he created a "buy-out package" that offered employees $30,000 or six months of salary, whichever is higher, if they resign. A total of 159 people, or 8.4 percent of the company, took the offer.Most of the employees who left came from the company's Ecosystem / WordPress business, while the rest came from the division working on apps like Tumblr and Cloudup. As TechCrunch notes, Mullenweg gave the event a positive spin and exclaimed that "the other 91.6 percent gave up $126 million of potential severance to stay!"Mullenweg called WP Engine a "cancer to WordPress" and accused the company of violating WordPress' trademarks. He said they offered WP Engine the option to "pay a direct licensing fee, or make in-kind contributions to the open source project," but the company refused. WP Engine argued that its use of the WordPress trademark was legal. In response, the WordPress Foundation changed its trademark policy page to say that the "WP" abbreviation is indeed not covered by the WordPress trademark, but to please not use it "in a way that confuses people." It named WP Engine outright and even said that the company has "never once even donated to the WordPress Foundation, despite making billions of revenue on top of WordPress." The WordPress co-founder also banned WP Engine from accessing some of WordPress' plug-ins and themes, which broke a lot of the websites it's hosting.WP Engine accused Mullenweg of demanding eight percent of the company's monthly revenue as royalty and of libel, slander, as well as of violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and IRS fraud. In a statement, Mullenweg said he stayed up all night reading the complaint and found the whole thing "meritless." He added that he's looking "forward to the federal court's consideration of [the] lawsuit."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/159-employees-leave-wordpress-founders-company-after-extortion-lawsuit-133040801.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics