Bluetooth trackers are handy little things that can help you find valuables after misplacing them. Our pick for the best Bluetooth tracker is the Chipolo One, and a four-pack has dropped close to its record-low price. The bundle (which usually costs $75) is currently available for just $60, which makes each tracker just $15 - that's a record low for each unit. Alternatively, you can buy a single tracker for $20 (usually $25) if you really only need one.The Chipolo One can't really measure up to the crowd-sourced finding network of AirTags or Tile trackers, so it's perhaps not the best option for monitoring the location of your luggage while traveling. However, it does a more than capable job of helping you find items around the house. It has the loudest ring of all the trackers we've tested, for one thing, and there was no delay between pressing a button in an app and hearing the Chipolo One trill away.The One can be easy to spot, since it's a colorful plastic disc. It's fairly hardy too, since it has IPX5-rated splash resistance and a two-year battery life (the battery is replaceable). One other feature in the One's favor is that it's compatible with both iOS and Android, and we found it straightforward to pair with an iPhone and Samsung Galaxy phone.The aspect of the One that particularly impressed us was its separation alerts. Once you get around 350 feet away from the tracker, you'll get an alert on your phone asking if you might have left an item somewhere. Through your maps app, Chipolo can guide you back to the location where your phone and the One were last in contact. Of course, you can ring the tracker once you're close by to help you find it.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-four-pack-of-chipolo-one-bluetooth-trackers-is-on-sale-for-60-right-now-195303230.html?src=rss
Fallout games are having a moment in the wake of glowing reviews for the new TV series adaptation on Prime Video. Amazon has added two of the series' best games as freebies for Prime members on Luna, its cloud streaming service. Fallout 4 is also getting some love, as Bethesda said it will drop the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S update for the 2015 game on April 25.Amazon Prime members can play Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas on Amazon Luna for the next six months at no extra charge. Like other cloud streaming services, Luna requires a stable and low-latency internet connection since the games you play are processed on remote servers. Amazon recommends a network that can sustain at least 10Mbps for 1080p quality. An ethernet connection works best, but if you're on Wi-Fi, using the 5GHz band is preferable if your router supports it.They join Fallout 76, already announced as an Amazon Prime Gaming free game for April. As long as you claim it this month, you can download and keep it forever. It's redeemable for both Xbox and PC. In addition, the game has a free-play week for all platforms. From Thursday through April 18, you can play Fallout 76 for free on PlayStation, Xbox and Steam. You only need to download the game and sign in with a Bethesda account.BethesdaThe long-delayed big console update for Fallout 4 finally arrives for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on April 25. The next-gen" (now current-gen, if we're being technical) version lets you choose between Performance and Quality modes for prioritizing speed or spectacle. It also supports 60fps and higher resolutions alongside stability improvements and bug fixes. The stability fixes will also arrive in a Fallout 4 update for PS4 and Xbox One consoles to provide a more dependable experience for older hardware users.The Fallout TV series is damn good - and possibly the second-best gaming adaptation behind The Last of Us. The show starts with a bang and reels you in with magnetic characters and alluring visuals. Fallout is more than just a video game adaptation," Engadget's Sam Rutherford wrote in his review. It's a really good show in its own right - an apocalyptically good one at that."Fallout is now streaming on Prime Video. It stars Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets) as Lucy, Aaron Clifton Moten (Father Stu) as Maximums, Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks) as Hank and the scene-stealing master of ornery characters, Walton Goggins (Justified), as The Ghoul.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-members-can-play-fallout-3-and-new-vegas-on-luna-for-the-next-six-months-190132993.html?src=rss
Taylor Swift's music has returned to TikTok after a ten-week hiatus, according to a report by Variety. Her tunes left the platform after negotiations broke down between the social media app and Swift's label, Universal Music Group.It's unclear what kind of deal Swift struck with TikTok to allow her to return to the platform, but we know one thing. The deal did not include provisions for fellow UMG artists, so Billie Eilish, The Weeknd and Drake, among others, are still missing from TikTok. Taylor Swift, being the most popular musician on the planet, likely worked some magic here.She's not alone in her return to TikTok. Some songs by other UMG artists have begun appearing on the platform, ready for use in short-form videos. These artists include Ariana Grande and Camila Cabello. Variety suggests that their music was put up either by fans or representatives from the artists. We don't know if they struck their own deals like Swift may have.The return could also be a promotional move for her upcoming album. The Tortured Poets Department comes out on April 19 and will likely have plenty of tracks that will be perfect for TikTok singalongs. It's worth noting that she partnered with the platform to promote Midnights, her last album of all-new material.This all started when UMG threatened to pull songs from the platform after contract negotiations fell apart, with the label writing in an open letter that TikTok wanted to pay a fraction" of the rate paid by other social media sites. "As our negotiations continued, TikTok attempted to bully us into accepting a deal worth less than the previous deal, far less than fair market value and not reflective of their exponential growth," the company wrote. TikTok is trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music."TikTok went full fake news" in response, writing that despite Universal's false narrative and rhetoric, the fact is they have chosen to walk away from the powerful support of a platform with well over a billion users that serves as a free promotional and discovery vehicle for their talent." It's worth noting that TikTok's rebuttal did not mention artist payments, but did say that it has been able to reach agreements with other musicians and publishers.Whatever the reason for Swift's return, the nation's teens are no doubt rejoicing at once again being able to lip sync to "Cruel Summer" and "You Belong With Me." UMG and TikTok, however, are still battling it out, so this is likely not the last we'll hear about all of this.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/taylor-swifts-music-is-back-on-tiktok-184726589.html?src=rss
Instagram's status update feature, Notes, will soon be more prominent in the app. Up until now, Notes have only been visible from Instagram's inbox, but the brief updates will soon also be visible directly on users' profiles.The change should increase the visibility of the feature and give people a new place to interact with their friends' updates. (Instagram added reply functionality to Notes back in December.) The app is also experimenting with prompts" for Notes, which will allow users to share questions for their friends to answer in their updates, much like the collaborative add yours" templates for Stories.Notes are similar to Stories in that the updates only stick around for 24 hours, though they are only visible to mutual followers, so they aren't meant to be as widely shared as a typical grid or Stories post. The latest updates are another sign of how Meta has used the feature, first introduced in 2022, to encourage users to post more often for smaller, more curated groups of friends.Separately, the app is also adding a new cutouts" feature, which allows users to make stickers out of objects in their photos, much like the iOS sticker feature. On Instagram, these stickers can be shared in Stories or in a Reel. Cutouts can also be made from other users' public posts, effectively giving people a new way to remix content from others (Instagram's help page notes that users can disable this feature if they prefer for their content to not be reused.)This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagrams-status-update-feature-is-coming-to-user-profiles-182621692.html?src=rss
It's only been five months since Apple released the first M3-powered Macs, but we may not have to wait long to see laptops and desktops with M4 chipsets. According to Bloomberg, Macs with M4 processors could start arriving later this year (which isn't necessarily a massive surprise given the cadence of Apple silicon chips so far). While the M3 lineup didn't offer a massive upgrade from M2 chipsets, the M4 series could be a gamechanger since Apple is said to be placing far more onus on artificial intelligence this time around.There will be at least three main versions of the M4, according to the report, and Apple is expected to update every model of the Mac with one of those chips. As things stand, Bloomberg says Apple will release iMacs, an entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro, more powerful 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros and Mac minis with M4 chips by early 2025.Versions of the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air with M4 chips could arrive by the spring, with an M4 Mac Studio to follow around the middle of 2025 and a Mac Pro to come later in the year. However, the publication notes that plans may change.The Mac mini upgrade will be quite a long time coming, as Apple hasn't upgraded that device since January 2023. The Mac Studio and Mac Pro got M2 upgrades in mid-2023. M3-powered iMacs and MacBook Pros arrived in October (remember the Scary Fast event?). The MacBook Air, meanwhile, got an M3 upgrade just last month.With the higher-end Mac desktops, Apple may include support for up to 512GB of memory. The latest Mac Studio and Mac Pro max out at 192GB of RAM, but previous Intel-powered systems supported up to 1.5TB of memory using off-the-shelf components. Apple integrates memory more deeply into its own chipsets, so upgrading the RAM on silicon-based systems is more difficult.That said, Apple's major focus for the M4 lineup is said to be artificial intelligence as it aims to catch up (at least in terms of public perception) with the likes of Microsoft and Google. Bloomberg suggests that Apple will highlight how on-device AI processing capabilities of the M4 chipsets will integrate with the hardware and the latest version of macOS, which will debut at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.The company is also said to be planning AI-focused upgrades to the processors used in this year's iPhones. Previous reports suggested that Apple wants to integrate Google's Gemini AI into iPhones while it works on its own generative AI models.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-may-start-releasing-ai-centric-m4-powered-macs-later-this-year-175312540.html?src=rss
Apple just dropped a trailer for another of its never-ending cavalcade of sci-fi shows. Dark Matter stars Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly. It also happens to be based on a fantastic book by author Blake Crouch, which we recommended in 2021 after publication. The show premieres on May 8 with two episodes.I've read the book, and love it, but there will be no real spoilers here. Dark Matter follows a physicist as he gets involved with some serious sci-fi shenanigans. The trailer gives a bit of the plot away, enough to understand that these particular sci-fi shenanigans are of the multiversal variety. Again, the book is a rip-roaring page turner, so the show should follow suit. The rest of the cast includes Jimmi Simpson, Alice Braga, Dayo Okeniyi and Oakes Fegley.Crouch is actually the showrunner here, which is a first for the author. This isn't, however, the first TV show based on one of his books. Wayward Pines ran on Fox for two seasons and was based on a series of novels. Good Behavior, also pulled from a book series, aired on TNT back in 2016. The writer has penned a bunch of novels that haven't been turned into TV shows. We heartily recommend Upgrade, which made our list of the best books of 2022.Dark Matter joins an absolutely stacked collection of sci-fi shows on Apple TV+. There are the heavy hitters like Severance, For All Mankind and Silo, but also a bunch of lesser-known programs like Invasion and the recently-released Constellation. I'm not done. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters put Kurt Russell up against Godzilla and Hello Tomorrow is set in a retro-future wonderland. I'm still not done. See, Schmigadoon and The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey all have sci-fi elements. Finally, there's that fantasy show about an American college football coach who somehow becomes a soccer sensation in the UK without actually knowing anything about the sport.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-tvs-dark-matter-series-takes-on-one-of-blake-crouchs-best-books-174636542.html?src=rss
Yale is making it easier to go key-free with a smart lock system that can be retrofitted onto most existing deadbolts. You won't need to replace existing hardware with the Yale Approach Lock with Wi-Fi. It's an interior-only smart lock that Yale says takes just 10 minutes or so to install and you'll only need a screwdriver to help you get the job done. It also has a fairly slim profile as it will sit just 1.6 inches off the door.Once the smart lock is installed, you'll be able to use features like Auto-Lock and Auto-Unlock. If you're away from home and want to let in a friend to water the plants or check on your pets, you can unlock the door remotely via the Yale Access app. What's more, the Yale Approach is renter-friendly. It sits on the back of most standard deadbolts and you (and your landlord) can keep using the same keys. In addition, Yale Approach works with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Philips Hue and Samsung SmartThings. Matter support will be added later.Also new is the Yale Keypad, which is compatible with the Yale Approach, several of the company's other products and many August smart locks. Using the one-touch locking feature, you can lock the door and unlock it with a personalized code. You can provide guests with unique access codes. The backlit keypad is also IPX5-rated for weather resistance and you can place it anywhere within the lock's Bluetooth range. Yale plans to release a version later this year that will let you unlock the door with your fingerprint.Both items are available now in the US from Yale's and August's websites. The Yale Approach, which is available in black suede or silver, costs $130, while the Yale Keypad is $70. A bundle is available for $180. The devices will hit Amazon and other retailers soon. They'll also be available in Canada through Amazon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/yale-unveils-its-first-retrofit-smartlock-and-keypad-165842682.html?src=rss
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max streaming device is on sale for $40. That's a record low for Amazon's top-of-the-line streaming stick, which usually costs $60.The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max plugs into your TV's HDMI port to access all the top streaming services, including (among many others) Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Max, Apple TV+ and, of course, Amazon's Prime Video.The streaming stick has a 2GHz quad-core processor to help make navigation zippy and smooth. The device's 16GB of storage is double that of Amazon's cheaper models so that you can download plenty of apps and offline content without worries.The 4K Max supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos audio for a dynamic viewing experience and more immersive audio (with compatible TVs and speakers). It also supports Wi-Fi 6E for smoother streaming with fewer hiccups if your router also supports it.It includes Amazon's latest Alexa Voice Remote. The accessory has four pre-programmed shortcut buttons (for apps like Netflix and Prime Video). It supports Alexa, so you can use it to control the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and other Alexa-compatible smart home devices from your couch.If you'd prefer to save money over having Amazon's highest-end model, the Fire TV Stick Lite is also on sale. It's Engadget's pick for the best budget streaming stick. The device doesn't support 4K, so this is only a good option if your television's resolution is 1080p or lower. (However, it does support HDR.) Usually $30, you can get the entry-level model today for $20.For those who want an upgraded audio setup, the Fire TV Soundbar is $20 off. It supports virtual surround sound with DTS Virtual:X and Dolby Audio. It hooks up to your TV's HDMI port and only takes up 24 inches (with a 2.5-inch height) on your entertainment center. The device works with anything connected to your TV, not only the devices in Amazon's streaming devices. As an alternative, you can connect it to other devices via Bluetooth. Typically $120, the Fire TV Soundbar is available today for $100.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-amazon-fire-tv-stick-4k-max-is-only-40-right-now-164554306.html?src=rss
One of our favorite Anker USB-C hubs is on sale for $40 via Amazon. The Anker 555 is typically $50, so this is a discount of 20 percent. This is one of the best hubs money can buy, even at its original price. It made our list of the best MacBook accessories, but it's a mighty fine addition to any PC.The Anker 555 USB-C hub gives you eight ports to connect just about anything under the sun. There's two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, SD and microSD card slots, one Ethernet jack and two USB-C ports. One of the USB-C ports provides 85W of power to charge various devices, including laptop computers.It can handle up to 10 Gbps file transfers and can connect to a 4K/60Hz monitor via the HDMI slot. It's also extremely portable, making it easy to just throw in a bag until you need it. To that end, it ships with a nice little travel pouch. We wrote that the Anker 555 has enough power and versatility to be the only laptop hub you need."The sale extends to other Anker hubs, if the 555 doesn't do it for you. The simply-named Anker USB C Hub also costs $40, which is a discount of 15 percent. It comes with 10 ports, including 4K HDMI, 1080p VGA, USB-C, USB-A, Ethernet and a 100W USB-C charging port. There's also a slot for SD cards. The transfer speed is a bit slower here, however, at 5 Gbps.Finally, there's the Anker 565. This hub costs $59 as part of this sale, which is a massive discount of 41 percent. It kicks things up a notch, with 11 available ports. These include a 10 Gbps USB-C data port, a 10 Gbps USB-A data port, a 4K HDMI port, a 4K DisplayPort, a 100W USB-C input port for charging devices, two 480 Mbps USB-A data ports, an Ethernet port, an AUX port and microSD card slots. It also allows for multi-monitor setups, thanks to the aforementioned DisplayPort and HDMI port options.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pick-up-one-of-our-favorite-anker-usb-c-hubs-for-only-40-162451076.html?src=rss
Sony just announced a trio of new speakers in a new line of audio products called the ULT Power Series. This is an attempt by the company to reduce some of the clutter involved with its naming conventions, so say goodbye to the Extra Bass and XE-Series products. Both lines are being wrapped up into the ULT Power Series branding. To suit this new branding, each of the following speakers include something called the ULT button, which provides a bass boost.The ULT Field 1 is your standard portable Bluetooth speaker. It's compact and comes in a variety of colors, including black, white, gray and orange. The battery lasts around 12 hours per charge and the casing is IP67 water resistant, dustproof and shockproof. Like many of these ultra-portable Bluetooth speakers, the design lets users stand it on its end or lay it on its side, to make use of space. There's also a built-in mic for hands-free calling. This speaker costs $130 and will be available later this spring at major retail outlets.SonyThe ULT Field 7 is basically a beefier version of the Field 1. It's bigger, though still portable, and includes two dedicated ULT buttons. One provides deeper bass in the lower frequency range and the other brings a powerful, punchy bass. There's also plenty of ambient LED lighting that synchronizes with the music.The battery lasts 30 hours, which is a fantastic metric, and includes quick-charging capabilities. It's also being advertised as a karaoke machine, thanks to the built-in microphone port. Finally, Sony says people can string together up to 100 of these things to make a cacophony of noise that'll really annoy the pants off of their neighbors. Those neighbors, however, are likely to live in a glorious mansion, as just one Field 7 costs $500. They go on sale later this spring.SonyThe ULT Tower 10 is, as the name suggests, a Bluetooth tower speaker intended for living spaces. This speaker wirelessly connects to stereo systems and TVs for enhanced audio and includes the same two ULT bass boost buttons found with the Field 7. There's also a sound optimization feature that detects local noise and adjusts the settings to accommodate the surroundings.The speaker boasts omni-directional synchronized lighting, which Sony says makes listeners feel like they are at a music festival." There are two microphone inputs for belting out karaoke duets and the speaker actually ships with one wireless mic. Listeners can also connect up to 100 compatible speakers at once, including the Field 7. This is one expensive tower speaker, however, so it'll set you back $1,200 when it releases later in the season.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-new-ult-bluetooth-speakers-are-bringing-back-the-90s-bass-boost-button-160056401.html?src=rss
Sony's Extra Bass line of headphones has given listeners an added dose of low-end tone for years, and was generally cheaper than its high-end 1000X cans. The company is still keen on offering brain-rattling bass to those who want it, but the Extra Bass moniker and its confusing alpha-numeric product names are gone (more to come on that change). Today, Sony is introducing ULT Power Sound, a feature it's calling the ultimate step into the evolution" of its portable audio gear.ULT Power Sound will also be available on Bluetooth speakers of various sizes, but the first headphones to feature the new audio direction are the ULT Wear ($200). A direct replacement for the WH-B910, the ULT Wear contains 40mm drivers that Sony says are specifically designed for deeper bass. If the stock tuning isn't enough, there's a ULT button for two more levels of low-end boost. Plus, the company crammed in some of its best features from more-expensive headphones: the V1 audio chip, 30-hour battery life, Quick Attention mode, 360 Reality Audio with head tracking and more.The first thing I noticed about the ULT Wear is its design. These headphones don't immediately strike me as less-than-premium cans. The matte white finish on my review unit helps mask the mostly plastic construction which looked cheap on previous products like the WH-CH720N. It's definitely a more refined aesthetic than the WH-XB910 that's being replaced. There are certainly some nods to the premium 1000X line in a few areas, like the curves of the ear cups and headband.Sony decided on a mix of physical and touch controls for the ULT Wear, which is another way it's bridging the gap between its most affordable and most expensive headphones. On the edge of the left ear cup is a power/pairing button and a control for cycling between active noise cancellation (ANC) and ambient sound modes. Further up along the bottom is a third button for ULT bass boost. This item switches between off, ULT 1 (deep bass) and ULT 2 (more powerful sound with deep bass). Over on the right, the outside of the ear cup has a touch panel that you can tap and swipe on for playback controls, volume adjustments and calls.As the ULT Wear sits in the middle of Sony's headphone lineup, it has a few of the handy features from the 1000X line that the company's cheaper options don't employ. For example, placing your open hand over the right ear cup activates Quick Attention mode that lowers the volume so you can respond to a co-worker or grab your cortado without pausing your tunes. Adaptive Sound Control is here as well: Sony's long-standing tool that automatically adjusts the headphone's settings based on your activity or location. General niceties like multipoint Bluetooth and wear detection are present too. The convenient Speak-to-Chat function from more-recent 1000X headphones isn't available though, which is a considerable omission in terms of overall utility.Photo by Billy Steele/EngadgetBass reigns supreme for the ULT Wear's tuning and you certainly get a heavy dose of it. Those new specifically tuned drivers muster a lot of low-end thump before you even start exploring the ULT boosts. The out-of-the-box level was good enough for me for most genres, although the overall sound can get muddy with more chaotic styles like metal and some synth-heavy electronic tracks. For the most part though, the stock bass provides depth and range that complements full mids and cutting highs.On Bayside's There Are Worse Things Than Being Alive, there's a thundering kick drum to drive the punk-tinged indie rock tunes, but the texture of the crunchy distorted guitars stands out and vocals cut through clearly. Plus, you can add Sony's DSEE upscaling through its app, a software trick that's designed to recover sonic elements lost to compression. And if you have access to 360 Reality Audio content, the ULT Wear supports head-tracking so that sounds stay put when you move. This offers a more realistic experience since the immersive audio in this format would otherwise move with your head.When you hop into the ULT boost modes, things are a mixed bag. Sony has done bass boost better than most other companies here, as songs are still actually listenable across musical styles rather than just becoming a muffled mess. ULT 1, the option for deeper bass, is the best in my opinion. You don't lose much detail using it and things like kick drums are still punchy throughout. Hip-hop tracks are a better canvas, with songs like Killer Mike's Down By Law" blasting bombastic, yet finessed, amplified bass. His album Michael is one of the better-sounding selections I tested with ULT 1 enabled.ULT 2, a setting for more powerful sound alongside even deeper bass, isn't great. During my tests, I didn't find a single track where I thought it sounded good across driving low-end styles like hip-hop and EDM. It sounds like you're standing in front of the subwoofer at a concert where bass is most prominent and everything else gets drowned out. And while I'm sure some people enjoy that extent of brain rattling, it's not what I'm looking for.Photo by Billy Steele/EngadgetSony improved ANC from the WH-XB910 by installing its V1 audio processor from the 1000X series in the ULT Wear. The result is noticeably improved noise-canceling performance for a set of $200 headphones, but you shouldn't expect distraction-blocking as robust as what the WH-1000XM5 offers. It's good in most situations, but in some scenarios it simply dulls the roar. The ULT Wear does, however, do a decent job with human voices - much better than the Sennheiser Accentum Plus I recently reviewed.The company didn't go out of its way to discuss call quality on the ULT Wear, but the performance here is slightly above average. It's not pristine, but it also doesn't have the obvious speaker phone sound most headphones do. Low-to-mid-volume background noise is also dealt with nicely. Ambient sound mode on the ULT Wear is more natural that what most headphones offer, save for the AirPods Max. You can hear a good amount of your own voice, so you're free to speak at a normal volume during calls. And any sounds from your surroundings come through clear, so you don't have to worry about not hearing alerts or announcements.Sony says you can expect up to 30 hours of battery life with ANC on or up to 50 hours with it off. The company doesn't specify if either of the ULT modes impact longevity, and I didn't have them on long enough to tell. After 20 hours of use with mostly ANC and several instances of ambient sound for calls, both used at around 50-60 percent volume (trust me that's plenty loud here), Sony's app was showing 44 percent battery left. This is more efficient than the stated figure, but I'll update this review when the full rundown is complete.If you crave a deep bassy thump that most headphones haven't been able to deliver, the ULT Wear does a much better job boosting low-end tone than Sony's previous efforts. The sound out of the box is certainly boomy, but not at the cost of any detail, and the company gives you the option to add two more servings of bass when you crave it. These won't be for everyone as a lot of people will prefer the more even-handed tuning of Sennheiser's Accentum Plus in the $200 range. However, Sony has done well to dress up a more affordable set of headphones as a premium product, in terms of both looks and features.The ULT Wear headphones are available in black, white and green color options for $200. Sony says they'll start shipping sometime this spring.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-ult-wear-headphones-review-brain-shaking-bass-160000739.html?src=rss
Substack shows are now on Spotify. The partnership lets Substack podcast creators add Spotify distribution for their programs with only a few clicks." The move could boost the streamer's library after scaling back its exclusive podcast ambitions last year in favor of broader distribution - including a non-exclusive contract renewal with noted vaccine aficionado Joe Rogan.When listening on Spotify, you'll see a padlock (or Paid" tag, where applicable) next to Substack podcasts. You'll need to link your Substack account before you can begin listening.Some Substack podcasts are free, and you can listen to those immediately after linking accounts. For paid programs, you'll still need to pony up for those on Substack before you can hear them on Spotify. (The move is less about giving you freebies and more about expanding Substack's audience.) But you don't need Spotify Premium; you can listen to the same Substack content whether you're on a free or paid Spotify plan.Spotify says podcast creators retain complete control of their content, subscriber bases and revenue. When setting it up, podcast makers need to choose an option to sync with Spotify in their Creator Account settings. That will instantly make all of their current and future programming available on the streaming platform.The partnership is built on the Spotify Open Access API, which publishers like Calm, The Economist, Freakonomics Radio, Patreon, Dateline NBC and The Wall Street Journal also use to tap into the music platform's listener base. It's easy to see the appeal for creators: Spotify reported 602 million monthly active users and 236 million premium subscribers at the end of 2023.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/you-can-now-listen-to-substack-podcasts-on-spotify-150046948.html?src=rss
Apple, a company that talks a big game about sustainability but would love for you to buy a new iPhone every year, is expanding its self-repair program. Consumers and repair shops will soon be able to employ genuine used Apple parts to fix devices rather than having to order brand-new components. The company claims that used parts "will now benefit from the full functionality and security afforded by the original factory calibration, just like new genuine Apple parts."The initiative will start this fall with iPhone 15 and newer models, according to The Washington Post. So if your iPhone has a busted screen and you have one of the same model with a display that's intact, you'll be able to switch in the panel and it should work. As things stand, if you swap in a used screen from another iPhone, certain features, such as True Tone or automatic brightness adjustment, may not work. The upgraded self-repair program should resolve that.The program will also cover parts like batteries, cameras and (eventually) Face ID sensors. In addition, consumers and repair shops won't have to provide Apple with a device serial number when ordering most parts from the Self Service Repair Store - they'll still need to do so for a logic board replacement.Users are already able to see whether their iPhone has been repaired and, if so, which parts have been replaced. Starting this fall, those who access the Parts and Service History section of their iPhone settings will be able to see if a replacement part is new or a genuine used one from another iPhone.Apple will use a "parts pairing" process directly on the phone to detect whether a replacement component is genuine. It says that's necessary to maintain the "privacy, security, and safety of iPhone."To that end, Apple will be employing its Activation Lock feature to try and dissuade the use of parts from stolen iPhones for repairs. If a device that's being fixed detects that a replacement part was taken from one where Activation Lock or Lost Mode was enabled, Apple will restrict calibration for that part, so it may not work properly.On one hand, this shift could make it easier for folks to repair a busted iPhone (or eventually another Apple product) if they have a spare with the necessary parts on hand. Repair shops often have bits and bobs culled from many different units that they'll be able to use. That said, this could be seen as Apple attempting to exert more control over the repair process by employing pairing and potentially edging out third-party aftermarket parts.The company's senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus told the Post that while Apple supports the use of third-party parts in repairs (as long as the device owner is aware of that), it doesn't know how to properly calibrate such components as it would for its own parts.However, Apple might have to start getting in touch with aftermarket parts manufacturers and figuring out how to do that. A right-to-repair bill that Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed into law last month bans the practice of parts pairing. The idea is to prevent device manufacturers from using that process to stop consumers and repair shops from using third-party components to fix their gizmos. The law will apply to devices built after January 1, 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/iphones-will-soon-be-repairable-with-genuine-used-components-but-parts-pairing-persists-142958993.html?src=rss
Sometimes, you're in bed and the glow from your smart ring's optical heart rate sensor creeps into your peripheral vision. It got me thinking about how Samsung (and potentially Apple) will join the smart ring market, and why that's a terrible idea. You see, these companies want devices that make their presence known in your life, embedding themselves in your routine. But smart rings blend into the background on purpose, which limits how much you can, or will want, to do with them.Back in February, Samsung announced the Galaxy Ring, a health-tracking wearable baked into a ring. When it launches later this year, it will continuously monitor your sleep, breathing, movement and reproductive cycle. Entirely coincidentally, I'm sure, Bloomberg reported Apple was also conducting investigations into its own smart ring platform. Both companies are not-so secretly gunning for the Oura Ring, the market leader in finger-worn wearables. And I've been testing one of these for a long while.Oura tracks your sleep, temperature, activity, post-exertion recovery and menstrual cycle. It's a marvel of engineering to get so much technology into such a small and elegant package. The downside, if you can call it that, is there's no way to access the data the ring collects, or its insights, unless you have a phone on hand.But here's the thing: It's not that often I find myself actually opening the app to see what the stats are saying. If I wake up feeling like crap, there's normally a self-evident reason why that needs no further explanation. And on those rare occasions when I wake up and don't know why I'm feeling bad, the last thing that would occur to me is to check my phone. Who wants to look at fine-grain data when your head is pounding and your eyes refuse to focus?That friction, that small gap between having the information there and it being easily accessible is a problem. Yeah, you can get a notification if your "Readiness Score" - Oura's proprietary metric for overall health - falls below a certain level. But I've been using this thing for long enough that I've never taken up the habit, and I suspect others would struggle to do so, too. It's nice to have that information on those rare occasions when I'm thinking enough about it to look at my data over a longer period of time. But I can't imagine myself looking at this data once or twice a day.It's also not that useful for workout tracking, principally because you won't want to risk your $300 gadget in the gym. The first time I took it to work out, I picked up a pair of metal dumbbells, realized their knurled handles were rubbing against the metal of the ring and quickly took it off.Because there's no direct method of input, it's far too easy to forget it's there and not make use of its information. If you're all-in on using a ring to track your fitness because you won't wear a smartwatch or fitness tracker, and you're always checking your stats, then it'll work for you. But, deep down, I prefer a watch with a display that's easy enough to check as a matter of instinct. And it's this that I think should be a concern for Samsung and, potentially, Apple, as they look to move into this space. A smart ring caters to a niche inside a niche - quantified self obsessives who refuse to wear a watch. They obviously believe that's enough of a draw to devote time and money to building their own, but I'm not sure it'll be a blockbuster.Not to mention these rings only have a few hooks to keep users inside their specific corporate bubble. Both Apple and Samsung have dedicated health-tracking apps and it's likely whoever buys one of these will have one fewer reason to switch providers in future. But compare that to the watches, which offer health tracking, messaging, app interactions and mobile payments. Smartwatches are beneficial to these platforms because they help draw together various features from the phone. Rings do not.Perhaps this is another sight tech's biggest players now just need to copy and destroy their smaller rivals rather than striving for new products. Smart rings cater to a small market, albeit one that big tech could dominate with very little time and effort. Especially given the strength of their relative brands, which means these devices will more or less sell themselves to diehard fans. But is that all a new product can be in 2024, and is that what we could or should expect these companies to be doing?This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/smart-rings-are-meant-to-be-invisible-and-thats-a-bad-thing-140927134.html?src=rss
Instagram is far from a gleaming example of protecting young people online, having failed to prevent its algorithm from promoting child sexual abuse material. But new features bring some (at least a little?) hope that the platform could become a bit safer. Meta announced it's rolling out new tools meant to protect users against intimate image abuse and sextortion - when a person is digitally blackmailed under threat of sharing intimate media.One of the most significant updates is that nudity protection is coming to private messages. Meta first confirmed it was building this technology back in 2022, and it will automatically activate the tool for users under 18. Once switched on, a machine learning tool will detect and blur images it suspects of containing nudity for the recipient. The analysis happens on the user's device, so messages should remain end-to-end encrypted without Meta ever having access to them. Users will have the option to view the image alongside a pop-up message from Meta that they shouldn't feel pressured to respond, along with a safety tips button and an option to block the sender.Meta's new tool - which it will start testing "soon" - also detects if a person is sending a nude image and warns them to "take care when sharing sensitive photos" while outlining potential risks. Plus, it reminds users that they can delete a message before anyone sees it. Then there's the final warning: a reminder to be responsible and respectful appears when someone tries to forward a message with detected nudity (though it still lets the image be forwarded).Then there are the tools designed to detect potential scammers or sextortionists and make it more difficult for them to approach teens. Message requests from these possible bad actors should now go to hidden requests, and anyone already involved in a conversation will receive a warning with boundary reminders and steps to report users. As for young people, Meta previously barred people from messaging users 16 or under if they weren't mutually connected - even if the other account claimed to be the same age. Now, these potential scammers won't see the option to message a teen even if they follow each other.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-will-test-nudity-protection-in-messages-to-fight-sextortion-131516318.html?src=rss
When DJI's Avata came out in 2022, its agility and people-safe propeller guards made it an instant hit - especially with video pros and content creators. It was hampered by poor video quality, though, and gave users no ability to see the outside world when using the Goggles 2 pilot headset. It was also less maneuverable than other FPV drones and quite expensive.Now, the company has released its successor, the Avata 2. The camera now uses the same 1/1.3-inch sensor as the Mini 4 Pro, so video quality is highly improved. The Goggles 3 have passthrough cameras to show the world around you and the Avata 2 can now maneuver more like a real FPV drone. Battery life has improved and it's cheaper to boot.It sounds great, but how is it in the real world? With my drone and FPV pilot friends, we tested it in a variety of scenarios and events. In general, it's much improved from its predecessor, but there are a few things to know if you're considering buying one, especially around the Goggles 3.BodyThe Avata 2 has been completely redesigned to improve flight characteristics. It's more oblong, less top-heavy, comes with a bigger battery and weighs 30 grams less at just 377 grams. It also just looks less toy-like and more professional.The updated propeller guards and extensive obstacle detection make it far more crash-resistant than other drones. Updated binocular fisheye sensors cover both the bottom and rear views to detect hazards while increasing flight stability. It also features a turtle mode" that flips the drone back to a normal stance for takeoff if it hits something and flips over during flight.The propellers have the same 3-inch size as before, but engine noise is reduced to 81dB, making it more suitable for events like weddings.Steve Dent for EngadgetThe camera unit and gimbal are larger and the protective covering is easier to install and remove. The USB-C and card slots, notoriously hard to access on the Avata, are much easier to get to here. Another welcome update is the generous 46GB of onboard storage, more than double the last model and considerably higher than most other drones.The 18-minute battery life was a big issue with the Avata, but the new model now boasts 23 minutes max flight time, up 28 percent. The batteries can be charged quickly using the charging hub, too, from 0 to 100 percent in 45 minutes with a 60W charger - a bit faster than before, considering the higher capacity. The hub also supports DJI's new power accumulation feature, letting you completely drain the two weakest batteries to transfer power to the strongest.Transmission and controlsLike the Mini 4 Pro and Air 3, the Avata uses DJI's latest O4 transmission system that boosts range to 13km in the US and 10km in Europe - impressive for an FPV drone. It streams a 1080p video feed at up to 100 fps, with latency as low as 24 milliseconds using the Googles 3.Steve Dent for EngadgetSpeaking of, the Goggles 3 have a built-in battery like the Goggles Integra while updating to O4 capability. Along with the improved transmission, they now come with higher-resolution 1080p MicroOLED displays and improved eye comfort compared to the Goggles 2 that shipped with the original Avata.The big update, though, is the Real View pass-through cameras. With a double tap on the side of the headset or side button on the RC Motion 3 controller, you'll instantly switch to a forward view outside the Goggles 3. The resolution isn't very high, but at least you can see outside without removing them. A setting allows you to see the drone view as a picture-in-picture to boost situational awareness.The Goggles 3 now allows you to capture up to 1080p video directly to a microSD card on the headset itself and you can even stream live to another Goggles 3 headset simultaneously. Video quality is still higher when capturing directly to the drone, of course, but it does provide a backup. You can also record a view showing the on-screen controls - handy for reviewing flights.Another new feature is head tracking to control the aircraft and gimbal with head functions, allowing better control for experienced pilots.Steve Dent for EngadgetThere are a few downsides. It still doesn't support glasses, so folks with astigmatism will need to purchase custom lenses. If you have the Goggles V2, which does support eyeglasses, it's unfortunately not compatible with the Avata 2.DJI hasn't quite nailed the comfort part, either. The padding isn't soft enough, so the edges pushed against the bridge of my nose, creating some discomfort. It was better after installing the additional (included) pad, but still not perfect.The RC Motion 3 controller has been considerably revamped for the better. It's smaller, lighter and has a more comfortable grip. Controls are also more precise, with a new sidelink wireless solution boosting the quality of the joystick's signal. And for FPV enthusiasts who prefer a classic drone controller, the Avata 2 also works with the new FPV Remote Control 3.PerformanceSteve Dent for EngadgetWhere the original Avata dumbed down FPV performance, the Avata 2 goes all in. It's incredibly maneuverable, and unlike most FPV drones, highly crash-resistant.Maximum speeds are the same as the Avata at around 60MPH in manual mode with obstacle detection turned off. That might be slower than purpose-built open-propeller FPVs, but it's fast for a consumer product and won't slice up bystanders like regular drones.Though it's not faster, it's quicker and more precise than the Avatar thanks to the slimmed-down and better-balanced body. It turns on a dime around obstacles and climbs and descends with alacrity. At the same time, you can plow through small twigs or leaves and barely slow down.Flying it is truly fun. The improved Goggles 3 with O4 give a clearer view, and the Motion 3 controller allows for precise and intuitive control. For events around people, you can fly in normal or beginner modes for safety, or elsewhere at 35 or 60 MPH in sport and manual modes.Steve Dent for EngadgetThe Motion 3 adds a new trigger setting that rotates the Avata 2 in place for easier maneuvers and it now includes a dedicated mode button for normal or sport flying. The joystick is larger and the controller more responsive and precise overall.Head tracking is a common feature on FPV and Cinewoop drones, and it now works on the Avata 2. I found it helpful mainly for controlling the camera tilt, as it's a natural way to adjust that parameter.If you want to fly the Avata 2 at top speed in manual mode, you'll need the FPV Remote Controller 3, which is sold separately for $199.The Easy Acro mode is cool, but a bit cumbersome since you have to switch it on and off. Also, it's so easy to implement with the RC Motion controller that it's almost... boring. Tricks include slides, 180-degree drifts and flips, though you can't record video in flip mode.Steve Dent for EngadgetThe Avata 2 is better than before in stiff winds, but can still get buffeted around and often has to lean against the breeze, causing choppy or unlevel footage. Keeping things smooth, particularly outdoors, requires more practice than with a drone like the Mini 4 Pro.It doesn't have forward-facing sensors, so its main protection is the prop guards and high durability. It does detect obstacles from the rear and below, and that kept me safe in some tight spots. I still crashed it at least four to five times though, luckily just in the grass or against small twigs and leaves - without leaving a scratch. This could make some pilots overconfident, though.Battery life is noticeably better than the Avata and eliminates much of the range anxiety typical with FPV drones. However, you only get 18-20 minutes of realistic range. Most serious pilots will want to have at least three batteries with the Fly-More kit, and preferably more.VideoThe Avata 2 eliminates the Avata's mediocre video quality via a much larger 1/1.3-inch sensor with 10-bit D-LogM capability borrowed from the Mini 4 Pro.As before it offers normal, wide and ultra-wide shooting with up to a 155-degree field of view. It has two stabilization modes, RockSteady 3.0 and HorizonSteady. The latter is best if you want to keep things level, particularly in high winds - it does tend to lean into wind. RockSteady smooths footage more while allowing the camera to tilt, all the better to show off thrilling maneuvers.It supports 4K video at up to 60 fps or 1080p and 2.7K at 120 fps. However, it can only capture 12-megapixel JPEG stills, so it's not ideal for photography.All that puts it leaps ahead of the Avata for video. Images are generally sharper and colors more accurate. The 10-bit D-LogM mode allows for higher dynamic range in bright or contrasty conditions. The one quality flaw I noticed was occasionally blockiness in video at 4K 60p when flying fast, likely artifacts due to the 130Mbps bit rate (beware of re-encoding for YouTube).It's much improved in low light for cityscapes or interiors as well thanks to the larger sensor. It's not up to the level of a mirrorless camera, but as with the Mini 4 Pro, it's fine for well lit night scenes in most cases. ISO levels are usable up to 12800 with noise reduction, with the 25600 max setting being for emergency use only.Wrap-upSteve Dent for EngadgetThe Avata 2 is bound to be another hit for DJI. It eliminates nearly every flaw on the Avata, boosting picture quality, FPV maneuverability, battery life, range and more. Video quality, in particular, will make it even more desirable for content creators, event videographers and others (my pro friends, who already own the Avata, are planning to order one). At the same time, it's a fantastic FPV drone for beginners - just super fun to use.It's also more affordable. The Avata 2 is priced at $1,000 with a single battery in the Fly-More kit with the Goggles 3 and Motion 3 controller, or $1,200 with three batteries, the two-way charging hub and a carrying case. You can also purchase it alone at $490.That compares to original $630 price for the Avata. That model also cost $1,388 for the Avata with Goggles and Motion Controller, plus another $279 for the 2-battery/charger Fly-More kit (for $1,667 total) - so the Avata 2 is nearly $500 cheaper in that configuration. As mentioned, the FPV Remote Controller 3 is $199, while the ND Filters Set is $79.The Avata 2 doesn't have much competition, as regular FPV drones generally lack propeller guards and rivals like Autel don't offer similar products. That doesn't really matter, though, as DJI's latest drone is both powerful and attractively priced - making it a highly desirable product for creators of all stripes.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dji-avata-2-fpv-drone-review-a-cheaper-more-potent-tool-for-creators-130052278.html?src=rss
Plenty of women who use rideshare services regularly send details of their trips to loved ones and take other precautionary measures, especially at night. Now, Uber is putting all its safety tools in one place, making them easier to access and allowing users to customize them so that they'd automatically switch on. In the app's new safety preferences section, passengers can choose to schedule when its safety tools should automatically get activated, whether it's for every ride after 9PM, on the weekends or only for rides that begin within 50 meters of a bar or a restaurant. They can also ensure that Uber's safety features are active for every single ride they take if they want to.One of the tools passengers can activate in the new portal is audio recording, which the company introduced some time ago. Uber assures users that those recordings are encrypted and can't be accessed by anyone, even by the company. However, if something happens during the trip, passengers can choose to report an incident and share the recording with Uber for proof. Users can also switch on PIN verification so that they can be sure they're getting into the right vehicle, as well as RideCheck, which helps Uber detect if a ride goes off-course or stops unexpectedly. Finally, there's Share My Trip, allowing passengers to automatically share their live location and trip details with trusted contacts.At the moment, the new safety preferences page is only live in the US, Canada and Latin American countries, but the company plans to expand its availability to more regions. To access the new portal, users can go to Settings and find a link to it or tap the Safety Toolkit blue shield while on a trip and then tap "Set up safety preferences."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/uber-makes-its-safety-tools-easier-to-access-and-customize-123036849.html?src=rss
Many web browser companies offer VPNs these days, including Google, Mozilla and Opera. DuckDuckGo is the latest to join the fray, with a Privacy Pro plan that includes three services. Along with a VPN, you'll get personal information removal and identity theft restoration services for $10 per month or $100 per year. The subscription is only available in the US for now. The Privacy Pro features are built directly into the DuckDuckGo browser, so you won't need to install separate apps.DuckDuckGo says it won't keep VPN logs in order to help maintain user privacy. As such, it says it has "no way to tie what you do while connected to the DuckDuckGo VPN to you as an individual - or to anything else you do on DuckDuckGo, like searching." DuckDuckGo is using the open-source WireGuard protocol to encrypt your traffic and route it through VPN servers. As it stands, the company has VPN servers across the US, Europe and Canada. It plans to add more over time.DuckDuckGoOne subscription will cover up to five desktop and mobile devices. Rather than using an account, you'll have a random ID that you'll need to keep safe. If you wish, you can add an email address for easier authorization across devices. Still, you won't need to hand over any personally identifiable information to DuckDuckGo - the company is using Stripe, Google Play and the Apple App Store to handle payments.DuckDuckGo's focus on protecting user privacy extends to the personal information removal tool, which removes details such as your full name, home address and birthday from people search sites and data broker services. The details you provide during the setup process stay on your device and requests to remove your personal information start directly from your desktop (for now, you need a Windows or Mac computer to set up and manage the personal information removal tool).DuckDuckGo says this is a first for a service of its ilk, as your details aren't stored on remote servers. To help it build the tool, DuckDuckGo bought data removal service Removaly in 2022. The personal information removal service will regularly re-scan people search sites and data brokers to see if your info pops up again, and deal with it accordingly.As for the identity theft restoration service, DuckDuckGo will connect you with an advisor from Iris, its partner, if your identity is stolen. The advisor will help with restoring any stolen accounts and financial losses, as well as fixing your credit report. Moreover, they can help you cancel and replace important documents such as your driver's license, bank cards and passport. Iris can also provide you with a cash advance if you're far from home and stuck due to identity theft.Again, you won't have to provide any of your personal information up front. You'll only need to provide an advisor with those details if you need help after having your identity stolen.Expanding privacy protections through these services is a logical way for DuckDuckGo to try and boost its bottom line. Privacy Pro seems reasonably priced compared to some of the alternatives too - Mozilla's personal information removal service alone costs $9 per month.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/duckduckgo-unveils-a-10-privacy-pro-plan-with-a-no-log-vpn-120007653.html?src=rss
I've found myself at a loss for words when trying to explain the Humane AI Pin to my friends. The best description so far is that it's a combination of a wearable Siri button with a camera and built-in projector that beams onto your palm. But each time I start explaining that, I get so caught up in pointing out its problems that I never really get to fully detail what the AI Pin can do. Or is meant to do, anyway.Yet, words are crucial to the Humane AI experience. Your primary mode of interacting with the pin is through voice, accompanied by touch and gestures. Without speaking, your options are severely limited. The company describes the device as your second brain," but the combination of holding out my hand to see the projected screen, waving it around to navigate the interface and tapping my chest and waiting for an answer all just made me look really stupid. When I remember that I was actually eager to spend $700 of my own money to get a Humane AI Pin, not to mention shell out the required $24 a month for the AI and the company's 4G service riding on T-Mobile's network, I feel even sillier.What is the Humane AI Pin?In the company's own words, the Humane AI Pin is the first wearable device and software platform built to harness the full power of artificial intelligence." If that doesn't clear it up, well, I can't blame you.There are basically two parts to the device: the Pin and its magnetic attachment. The Pin is the main piece, which houses a touch-sensitive panel on its face, with a projector, camera, mic and speakers lining its top edge. It's about the same size as an Apple Watch Ultra 2, both measuring about 44mm (1.73 inches) across. The Humane wearable is slightly squatter, though, with its 47.5mm (1.87 inches) height compared to the Watch Ultra's 49mm (1.92 inches). It's also half the weight of Apple's smartwatch, at 34.2 grams (1.2 ounces).The top of the AI Pin is slightly thicker than the bottom, since it has to contain extra sensors and indicator lights, but it's still about the same depth as the Watch Ultra 2. Snap on a magnetic attachment, and you add about 8mm (0.31 inches). There are a few accessories available, with the most useful being the included battery booster. You'll get two battery boosters in the complete system" when you buy the Humane AI Pin, as well as a charging cradle and case. The booster helps clip the AI Pin to your clothes while adding some extra hours of life to the device (in theory, anyway). It also brings an extra 20 grams (0.7 ounces) with it, but even including that the AI Pin is still 10 grams (0.35 ounces) lighter than the Watch Ultra 2.That weight (or lack thereof) is important, since anything too heavy would drag down on your clothes, which would not only be uncomfortable but also block the Pin's projector from functioning properly. If you're wearing it with a thinner fabric, by the way, you'll have to use the latch accessory instead of the booster, which is a $40 plastic tile that provides no additional power. You can also get the stainless steel clip that Humane sells for $50 to stick it onto heavier materials or belts and backpacks. Whichever accessory you choose, though, you'll place it on the underside of your garment and stick the Pin on the outside to connect the pieces.Hayato Huseman for EngadgetHow the AI Pin worksBut you might not want to place the AI Pin on a bag, as you need to tap on it to ask a question or pull up the projected screen. Every interaction with the device begins with touching it, there is no wake word, so having it out of reach sucks.Tap and hold on the touchpad, ask a question, then let go and wait a few seconds for the AI to answer. You can hold out your palm to read what it said, bringing your hand closer to and further from your chest to toggle through elements. To jump through individual cards and buttons, you'll have to tilt your palm up or down, which can get in the way of seeing what's on display. But more on that in a bit.There are some built-in gestures offering shortcuts to functions like taking a picture or video or controlling music playback. Double tapping the Pin with two fingers will snap a shot, while double-tapping and holding at the end will trigger a 15-second video. Swiping up or down adjusts the device or Bluetooth headphone volume while the assistant is talking or when music is playing, too.Cherlynn Low for EngadgetEach person who orders the Humane AI Pin will have to set up an account and go through onboarding on the website before the company will ship out their unit. Part of this process includes signing into your Google or Apple accounts to port over contacts, as well as watching a video that walks you through those gestures I described. Your Pin will arrive already linked to your account with its eSIM and phone number sorted. This likely simplifies things so users won't have to fiddle with tedious steps like installing a SIM card or signing into their profiles. It felt a bit strange, but it's a good thing because, as I'll explain in a bit, trying to enter a password on the AI Pin is a real pain.Talking to the Humane AI PinThe easiest way to interact with the AI Pin is by talking to it. It's supposed to feel natural, like you're talking to a friend or assistant, and you shouldn't have to feel forced when asking it for help. Unfortunately, that just wasn't the case in my testing.When the AI Pin did understand me and answer correctly, it usually took a few seconds to reply, in which time I could have already gotten the same results on my phone. For a few things, like adding items to my shopping list or converting Canadian dollars to USD, it performed adequately. But adequate" seems to be the best case scenario.Sometimes the answers were too long or irrelevant. When I asked Should I watch Dream Scenario," it said Dream Scenario is a 2023 comedy/fantasy film featuring Nicolas Cage, with positive ratings on IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. It's available for streaming on platforms like YouTube, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. If you enjoy comedy and fantasy genres, it may be worth watching."Setting aside the fact that the answer" to my query came after a lot of preamble I found unnecessary, I also just didn't find the recommendation satisfying. It wasn't giving me a straight answer, which is understandable, but ultimately none of what it said felt different from scanning the top results of a Google search. I would have gleaned more info had I looked the film up on my phone, since I'd be able to see the actual Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores.To be fair, the AI Pin was smart enough to understand follow-ups like How about The Witch" without needing me to repeat my original question. But it's 2024; we're way past assistants that need so much hand-holding.We're also past the days of needing to word our requests in specific ways for AI to understand us. Though Humane has said you can speak to the pin naturally," there are some instances when that just didn't work. First, it occasionally misheard me, even in my quiet living room. When I asked Would I like YouTuber Danny Gonzalez," it thought I said would I like YouTube do I need Gonzalez" and responded It's unclear if you would like Dulce Gonzalez as the content of their videos and channels is not specified."When I repeated myself by carefully saying I meant Danny Gonzalez," the AI Pin spouted back facts about the YouTuber's life and work, but did not answer my original question.That's not as bad as the fact that when I tried to get the Pin to describe what was in front of me, it simply would not. Humane has a Vision feature in beta that's meant to let the AI Pin use its camera to see and analyze things in view, but when I tried to get it to look at my messy kitchen island, nothing happened. I'd ask What's in front of me" or What am I holding out in front of you" or Describe what's in front of me," which is how I'd phrase this request naturally. I tried so many variations of this, including What am I looking at" and Is there an octopus in front of me," to no avail. I even took a photo and asked can you describe what's in that picture."Every time, I was told Your AI Pin is not sure what you're referring to" or This question is not related to AI Pin" or, in the case where I first took a picture, Your AI Pin is unable to analyze images or describe them." I was confused why this wasn't working even after I double checked that I had opted in and enabled the feature, and finally realized after checking the reviewers' guide that I had to use prompts that started with the word Look."Look, maybe everyone else would have instinctively used that phrasing. But if you're like me and didn't, you'll probably give up and never use this feature again. Even after I learned how to properly phrase my Vision requests, they were still clunky as hell. It was never as easy as Look for my socks" but required two-part sentences like Look at my room and tell me if there are boots in it" or Look at this thing and tell me how to use it."When I worded things just right, results were fairly impressive. It confirmed there was a Lysol can on the top shelf of the shelving unit" and a purple octopus on top of the brown cabinet." I held out a cheek highlighter and asked what to do with it. The AI Pin accurately told me The Carry On 2 cream by BYBI Beauty can be used to add a natural glow to skin," among other things, although it never explicitly told me to apply it to my face. I asked it where an object I was holding came from, and it just said The image is of a hand holding a bag of mini eggs. The bag is yellow with a purple label that says mini eggs.'" Again, it didn't answer my actual question.Humane's AI, which is powered by a mix of OpenAI's recent versions of GPT and other sources including its own models, just doesn't feel fully baked. It's like a robot pretending to be sentient - capable of indicating it sort of knows what I'm asking, but incapable of delivering a direct answer.My issues with the AI Pin's language model and features don't end there. Sometimes it just refuses to do what I ask of it, like restart or shut down. Other times it does something entirely unexpected. When I said Send a text message to Julian Chokkattu," who's a friend and fellow AI Pin reviewer over at Wired, I thought I'd be asked what I wanted to tell him. Instead, the device simply said OK and told me it sent the words Hey Julian, just checking in. How's your day going?" to Chokkattu. I've never said anything like that to him in our years of friendship, but I guess technically the AI Pin did do what I asked.Hayato Huseman for EngadgetUsing the Humane AI Pin's projector displayIf only voice interactions were the worst thing about the Humane AI Pin, but the list of problems only starts there. I was most intrigued by the company's pioneering Laser Ink display" that projects green rays onto your palm, as well as the gestures that enabled interaction with onscreen" elements. But my initial wonder quickly gave way to frustration and a dull ache in my shoulder. It might be tiring to hold up your phone to scroll through Instagram, but at least you can set that down on a table and continue browsing. With the AI Pin, if your arm is not up, you're not seeing anything.Then there's the fact that it's a pretty small canvas. I would see about seven lines of text each time, with about one to three words on each row depending on the length. This meant I had to hold my hand up even longer so I could wait for notifications to finish scrolling through. I also have a smaller palm than some other reviewers I saw while testing the AI Pin. Julian over at Wired has a larger hand and I was downright jealous when I saw he was able to fit the entire projection onto his palm, whereas the contents of my display would spill over onto my fingers, making things hard to read.It's not just those of us afflicted with tiny palms that will find the AI Pin tricky to see. Step outside and you'll have a hard time reading the faint projection. Even on a cloudy, rainy day in New York City, I could barely make out the words on my hands.When you can read what's on the screen, interacting with it might make you want to rip your eyes out. Like I said, you'll have to move your palm closer and further to your chest to select the right cards to enter your passcode. It's a bit like dialing a rotary phone, with cards for individual digits from 0 to 9. Go further away to get to the higher numbers and the backspace button, and come back for the smaller ones.This gesture is smart in theory but it's very sensitive. There's a very small range of usable space since there is only so far your hand can go, so the distance between each digit is fairly small. One wrong move and you'll accidentally select something you didn't want and have to go all the way out to delete it. To top it all off, moving my arm around while doing that causes the Pin to flop about, meaning the screen shakes on my palm, too. On average, unlocking my Pin, which involves entering a four-digit passcode, took me about five seconds.On its own, this doesn't sound so bad, but bear in mind that you'll have to re-enter this each time you disconnect the Pin from the booster, latch or clip. It's currently springtime in New York, which means I'm putting on and taking off my jacket over and over again. Every time I go inside or out, I move the Pin to a different layer and have to look like a confused long-sighted tourist reading my palm at various distances. It's not fun.Of course, you can turn off the setting that requires password entry each time you remove the Pin, but that's simply not great for security.Though Humane says privacy and transparency are paramount with AI Pin," by its very nature the device isn't suitable for performing confidential tasks unless you're alone. You don't want to dictate a sensitive message to your accountant or partner in public, nor might you want to speak your Wi-Fi password out loud.That latter is one of two input methods for setting up an internet connection, by the way. If you choose not to spell your Wi-Fi key out loud, then you can go to the Humane website to type in your network name (spell it out yourself, not look for one that's available) and password to generate a QR code for the Pin to scan. Having to verbally relay alphanumeric characters to the Pin is not ideal, and though the QR code technically works, it just involves too much effort. It's like giving someone a spork when they asked for a knife and fork: good enough to get by, but not a perfect replacement.Cherlynn Low for EngadgetThe Humane AI Pin's speakerSince communicating through speech is the easiest means of using the Pin, you'll need to be verbal and have hearing. If you choose not to raise your hand to read the AI Pin's responses, you'll have to listen for it. The good news is, the onboard speaker is usually loud enough for most environments, and I only struggled to hear it on NYC streets with heavy traffic passing by. I never attempted to talk to it on the subway, however, nor did I obnoxiously play music from the device while I was outside.In my office and gym, though, I did get the AI Pin to play some songs. The music sounded fine - I didn't get thumping bass or particularly crisp vocals, but I could hear instruments and crooners easily. Compared to my iPhone 15 Pro Max, it's a bit tinny, as expected, but not drastically worse.The problem is there are, once again, some caveats. The most important of these is that at the moment, you can only use Tidal's paid streaming service with the Pin. You'll get 90 days free with your purchase, and then have to pay $11 a month (on top of the $24 you already give to Humane) to continue streaming tunes from your Pin. Humane hasn't said yet if other music services will eventually be supported, either, so unless you're already on Tidal, listening to music from the Pin might just not be worth the price. Annoyingly, Tidal also doesn't have the extensive library that competing providers do, so I couldn't even play songs like Beyonce's latest album or Taylor Swift's discography (although remixes of her songs were available).Though Humane has described its personic speaker" as being able to create a bubble of sound," that bubble" certainly has a permeable membrane. People around you will definitely hear what you're playing, so unless you're trying to start a dance party, it might be too disruptive to use the AI Pin for music without pairing Bluetooth headphones. You'll also probably get better sound quality from Bose, Beats or AirPods anyway.The Humane AI Pin camera experienceI'll admit it - a large part of why I was excited for the AI Pin is its onboard camera. My love for taking photos is well-documented, and with the Pin, snapping a shot is supposed to be as easy as double-tapping its face with two fingers. I was even ready to put up with subpar pictures from its 13-megapixel sensor for the ability to quickly capture a scene without having to first whip out my phone.Sadly, the Humane AI Pin was simply too slow and feverish to deliver on that premise. I frequently ran into times when, after taking a bunch of photos and holding my palm up to see how each snap turned out, the device would get uncomfortably warm. At least twice in my testing, the Pin just shouted Your AI Pin is too warm and needs to cool down" before shutting down.A sample image from the Humane AI Pin.Cherlynn Low for EngadgetEven when it's running normally, using the AI Pin's camera is slow. I'd double tap it and then have to stand still for at least three seconds before it would take the shot. I appreciate that there's audio and visual feedback through the flashing green lights and the sound of a shutter clicking when the camera is going, so both you and people around know you're recording. But it's also a reminder of how long I need to wait - the shutter" sound will need to go off thrice before the image is saved.I took photos and videos in various situations under different lighting conditions, from a birthday dinner in a dimly lit restaurant to a beautiful park on a cloudy day. I recorded some workout footage in my building's gym with large windows, and in general anything taken with adequate light looked good enough to post. The videos might make viewers a little motion sick, since the camera was clipped to my sports bra and moved around with me, but that's tolerable.In dark environments, though, forget about it. Even my Nokia E7 from 2012 delivered clearer pictures, most likely because I could hold it steady while framing a shot. The photos of my friends at dinner were so grainy, one person even seemed translucent. To my knowledge, that buddy is not a ghost, either.A sample image from the Humane AI Pin.Cherlynn Low for EngadgetTo its credit, Humane's camera has a generous 120-degree field of view, meaning you'll capture just about anything in front of you. When you're not sure if you've gotten your subject in the picture, you can hold up your palm after taking the shot, and the projector will beam a monochromatic preview so you can verify. It's not really for you to admire your skilled composition or level of detail, and more just to see that you did indeed manage to get the receipt in view before moving on.Cosmos OS on the Humane AI PinWhen it comes time to retrieve those pictures off the AI Pin, you'll just need to navigate to humane.center in any browser and sign in. There, you'll find your photos and videos under Captures," your notes, recently played music and calls, as well as every interaction you've had with the assistant. That last one made recalling every weird exchange with the AI Pin for this review very easy.You'll have to make sure the AI Pin is connected to Wi-Fi and power, and be at least 50 percent charged before full-resolution photos and videos will upload to the dashboard. But before that, you can still scroll through previews in a gallery, even though you can't download or share them.The web portal is fairly rudimentary, with large square tiles serving as cards for sections like Captures," Notes" and My Data." Going through them just shows you things you've saved or asked the Pin to remember, like a friend's favorite color or their birthday. Importantly, there isn't an area for you to view your text messages, so if you wanted to type out a reply from your laptop instead of dictating to the Pin, sorry, you can't. The only way to view messages is by putting on the Pin, pulling up the screen and navigating the onboard menus to find them.Hayato Huseman for EngadgetThat brings me to what you see on the AI Pin's visual interface. If you've raised your palm right after asking it something, you'll see your answer in text form. But if you had brought up your hand after unlocking or tapping the device, you'll see its barebones home screen. This contains three main elements - a clock widget in the middle, the word Nearby" in a bubble at the top and notifications at the bottom. Tilting your palm scrolls through these, and you can pinch your index finger and thumb together to select things.Push your hand further back and you'll bring up a menu with five circles that will lead you to messages, phone, settings, camera and media player. You'll need to tilt your palm to scroll through these, but because they're laid out in a ring, it's not as straightforward as simply aiming up or down. Trying to get the right target here was one of the greatest challenges I encountered while testing the AI Pin. I was rarely able to land on the right option on my first attempt. That, along with the fact that you have to put on the Pin (and unlock it), made it so difficult to see messages that I eventually just gave up looking at texts I received.The Humane AI Pin overheating, in use and battery lifeOne reason I sometimes took off the AI Pin is that it would frequently get too warm and need to cool down." Once I removed it, I would not feel the urge to put it back on. I did wear it a lot in the first few days I had it, typically from 7:45AM when I headed out to the gym till evening, depending on what I was up to. Usually at about 3PM, after taking a lot of pictures and video, I would be told my AI Pin's battery was running low, and I'd need to swap out the battery booster. This didn't seem to work sometimes, with the Pin dying before it could get enough power through the accessory. At first it appeared the device simply wouldn't detect the booster, but I later learned it's just slow and can take up to five minutes to recognize a newly attached booster.When I wore the AI Pin to my friend (and fellow reviewer) Michael Fisher's birthday party just hours after unboxing it, I had it clipped to my tank top just hovering above my heart. Because it was so close to the edge of my shirt, I would accidentally brush past it a few times when reaching for a drink or resting my chin on my palm a la The Thinker. Normally, I wouldn't have noticed the Pin, but as it was running so hot, I felt burned every time my skin came into contact with its chrome edges. The touchpad also grew warm with use, and the battery booster resting against my chest also got noticeably toasty (though it never actually left a mark).Hayato Huseman for EngadgetPart of the reason the AI Pin ran so hot is likely that there's not a lot of room for the heat generated by its octa-core Snapdragon processor to dissipate. I had also been using it near constantly to show my companions the pictures I had taken, and Humane has said its laser projector is designed for brief interactions (up to six to nine minutes), not prolonged usage" and that it had intentionally set conservative thermal limits for this first release that may cause it to need to cool down." The company added that it not only plans to improve uninterrupted run time in our next software release," but also that it's working to improve overall thermal performance in the next software release."There are other things I need Humane to address via software updates ASAP. The fact that its AI sometimes decides not to do what I ask, like telling me Your AI Pin is already running smoothly, no need to restart" when I asked it to restart is not only surprising but limiting. There are no hardware buttons to turn the pin on or off, and the only other way to trigger a restart is to pull up the dreaded screen, painstakingly go to the menu, hopefully land on settings and find the Power option. By which point if the Pin hasn't shut down my arm will have.A lot of my interactions with the AI Pin also felt like problems I encountered with earlier versions of Siri, Alexa and the Google Assistant. The overly wordy answers, for example, or the pronounced two or three-second delay before a response, are all reminiscent of the early 2010s. When I asked the AI Pin to remember that I parked my car right here," it just saved a note saying Your car is parked right here," with no GPS information or no way to navigate back. So I guess I parked my car on a sticky note.To be clear, that's not something that Humane ever said the AI Pin can do, but it feels like such an easy thing to offer, especially since the device does have onboard GPS. Google's made entire lines of bags and Levi's jackets that serve the very purpose of dropping pins to revisit places later. If your product is meant to be smart and revolutionary, it should at least be able to do what its competitors already can, not to mention offer features they don't.ScreenshotOne singular thing that the AI Pin actually manages to do competently is act as an interpreter. After you ask it to translate to [x language]," you'll have to hold down two fingers while you talk, let go and it will read out what you said in the relevant tongue. I tried talking to myself in English and Mandarin, and was frankly impressed with not only the accuracy of the translation and general vocal expressiveness, but also at how fast responses came through. You don't even need to specify the language the speaker is using. As long as you've set the target language, the person talking in Mandarin will be translated to English and the words said in English will be read out in Mandarin.It's worth considering the fact that using the AI Pin is a nightmare for anyone who gets self-conscious. I'm pretty thick-skinned, but even I tried to hide the fact that I had a strange gadget with a camera pinned to my person. Luckily, I didn't get any obvious stares or confrontations, but I heard from my fellow reviewers that they did. And as much as I like the idea of a second brain I can wear and offload little notes and reminders to, nothing that the AI Pin does well is actually executed better than a smartphone.Wrap-upNot only is the Humane AI Pin slow, finicky and barely even smart, using it made me look pretty dumb. In a few days of testing, I went from being excited to show it off to my friends to not having any reason to wear it.Humane's vision was ambitious, and the laser projector initially felt like a marvel. At first glance, it looked and felt like a refined product. But it just seems like at every turn, the company had to come up with solutions to problems it created. No screen or keyboard to enter your Wi-Fi password? No worries, use your phone or laptop to generate a QR code. Want to play music? Here you go, a 90-day subscription to Tidal, but you can only play music on that service.The company promises to make software updates that could improve some issues, and the few tweaks my unit received during this review did make some things (like music playback) work better. The problem is that as it stands, the AI Pin doesn't do enough to justify its $700 and $24-a-month price, and I simply cannot recommend anyone spend this much money for the one or two things it does adequately.Maybe in time, the AI Pin will be worth revisiting, but it's hard to imagine why anyone would need a screenless AI wearable when so many devices exist today that you can use to talk to an assistant. From speakers and phones to smartwatches and cars, the world is full of useful AI access points that allow you to ditch a screen. Humane says it's committed to a future where AI seamlessly integrates into every aspect of our lives and enhances our daily experiences."After testing the company's AI Pin, that future feels pretty far away.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-humane-ai-pin-is-the-solution-to-none-of-technologys-problems-120002469.html?src=rss
Amazon has cut paid perks for Alexa developers. With a bigger focus on generative AI, the voice assistant's third-party apps (skills) aren't a priority. An Amazon spokesperson told Engadget that the older programs have simply run their course, so we decided to sunset them."Launched in 2017, when Alexa was all the rage, the program paid developers bonuses for skills that resonated with users. It was part of Amazon's quest to turn Alexa Skills into a booming app store. (Did that happen?)At the company's fall 2023 devices event, Amazon previewed its next-gen version of Alexa, with ChatGPT-like generative AI abilities. With AI powers, Alexa appeared versatile enough to address all sorts of queries and requests without creating apps and skills manually. Alexa isn't going anywhere; Amazon is just making it think for itself.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedThe Fallout TV series is V.A.T.S. (a very awesome TV show)Physicist Peter Higgs, who predicted the God particle, has died at 94US bill proposes AI companies list what copyrighted materials they useASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 review: The 14-inch gaming laptop to beatISPs roll out mandatory broadband nutrition' labels that show speeds, fees and data allowancesYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!Google Photos' enhanced editing tools will no longer require a subscriptionMagic Eraser, Photo UnBlur, Magic Editor and more will be widely available in May.Free Google Photos users get enhanced editing features without paying $20+ annually. This means all users will get a few of Google's AI-powered tools, such as Photo UnBlur, Magic Eraser, and Magic Editor. I can attest: Photo UnBlur is a game-changer when taking shots of toddlers that will. Not. Stay. Still.Continue reading.Knock another $74 off the Nothing Phone 2It works on T-Mobile and AT&T's networks.EngadgetAmazon has the Nothing Phone 2 on sale for the first time since its launch. The offbeat mainstream smartphone alternative is $74 off its usual price, down to $625. The deal includes the version with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and it's ready for activation on T-Mobile or AT&T.Continue reading.Vampire Survivors hits PlayStation this summerThe game is also getting Contra DLC in May.Hit retro bullet-hell-rogue-ish Vampire Survivors is coming to PlayStation - possibly the only platform it hasn't been on yet. The game is also getting a batch of crossover DLC on May 9. Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns brings Contra characters and weapons, so expect a lot more guns. 22 of them, in fact.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-amazon-stops-paying-bonuses-to-alexa-developers-111557415.html?src=rss
Some iPhone users got a very concerning alert to their devices on Wednesday. Apple sent notifications to individuals in 92 countries warning them that they may have been the target of mercenary spyware attacks, TechCrunch reports. "Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID -xxx-," the message read.Apple's alert went on to share additional information about the incident. "This attack is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do. Although it's never possible to achieve absolute certainty when detecting such attacks, Apple has high confidence in this warning - please take it seriously," the alert continued. Apple explained that it couldn't provide any information about what prompted the message out of concern that additional information would help attackers avoid future detection. The company uses internal information and investigations to pinpoint attacks.This instance is hardly the first time Apple has had to send this sort of notification. Since 2021, individuals in over 150 countries have received similar messages, including a warning to some journalists and politicians in India last October. However, it's unclear which countries individuals received alerts in this time around.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/iphone-users-in-92-countries-received-a-spyware-attack-warning-from-apple-104554943.html?src=rss
Mercedes-Benz has released a preview of its 2025 EQS electric vehicle model that comes with a new grille design featuring chrome slats against a deep black background along with a standing star on its hood. With just those changes, the upcoming EQS more clearly resembles Benz's S-Class vehicles, its counterpart in the automaker's non-EV lineup, than its predecessor does. In addition to the more traditional Benz look and upgrades that make its seats more comfortable, the 2025 EQS will also come with a larger battery.Its new battery has a larger usable capacity of 118 kWh, compared to the older model's 108.4 kWh. Of course, the higher the kWh, the longer an EV's range is - the first EQS had an EPA-estimated 350 mile-range, so expect Mercedes to announce a longer range than that. The 2025 EQS will feature new regenerative braking software that the automaker says can recover more energy for use, as well. That will also contribute to a longer range, lesser use of the car's brake discs and a better pedal feel.The automaker hasn't announced how much the model would cost yet, but prices will likely start at $100,000-plus when it arrives at US dealerships later this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mercedes-new-eqs-looks-a-lot-more-like-an-s-class-092237724.html?src=rss
In an interview with the channel TweakMusicTips, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy said that DJ streamers on the platform will have to share their revenue with music labels. As posted by Zach Bussey on X (formerly Twitter), Clancy said that Twitch is working on a "structure," wherein DJs and the platform "are gonna have to share money with the labels." He said he's already talked to some DJs about it. The DJs, of course, realized that they'd rather not share what they earn. But Clancy said that Twitch will pay part of what the labels are owed, while the DJs hand over a portion of their revenue.Clancy's statement was part of his response to the host's question about the copyright situation of music streamers on the platform. The CEO replied that Twitch has been talking to music labels about it in hopes of finding a stable solution so that DJ streamers don't get hit with DMCA takedown requests. He also said that the website has a "pretty good thing" going on with labels right now - a "thing" that involves Twitch paying them money, apparently - but it's not a sustainable long-term solution. Plus, the labels are only OK with that deal at the moment because they know Twitch is working on another solution that will make them (more) money.Clancy also clarified that live streams and videos on demand have different sets of rules for playing copyrighted music, and the latter is definitely a problem. That's why he suggests that DJs should mute pre-recorded videos on their own, because Twitch's system doesn't always detect copyrighted songs to mute them. The CEO said Twitch is close to signing the deal with labels, but it's unclear how the Amazon subsidiary intends to monitor live music streams and if it already has the technology to do so.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/twitch-ceo-says-djs-will-have-to-share-what-they-earn-on-the-website-with-music-labels-060210010.html?src=rss
Blizzard is taking mid-match leaves on Overwatch 2 more seriously and is implementing harsher punishments when Season 10 arrives. People playing Unranked games won't be able to join a queue for five minutes after leaving two of their last 20 games. And if they leave at least 10 out of the last 20, they'll be suspended for 48 hours. Players probably want to be even more careful when it comes to leaving Competitive games, though, because doing so 10 times out of 20 will get them banned for the rest of the season. In its announcement, Blizzard said that while it's aware not everyone abandons a game on purpose, these changes "should help curb those players who deliberately choose to leave a match."BlizzardThe developer is also making it easier for groups of friends to play together in Competitive mode, no matter their rank, by introducing "wide groups." A wide group is defined by having players from a wide range of ranks, from Diamond to tiers up to five Skill Divisions lower. Blizzard admits that opting for the new queue option will mean longer wait times, since it has to pair a wide group with another wide group with similar ranks in order to be fair. But it's hoping that the new feature will eliminate the need to use an alt account when playing with friends.The company is also adding new features designed to help prevent abuse and harassment in-game. People will soon be able to add up to 10 players in their "Avoid as Teammate" list instead of just three. It's also making it easy to report disruptive behavior by updating its reporting interface. Finally, Blizzard is blocking a player's access to text or voice chat in their matches if they were found to have engaged in abusive behavior and have broken the company's code of conduct. They can only get those privileges back if they spend time playing Overwatch 2 in their best behavior.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/overwatch-2-introduces-harsher-punishments-for-players-who-leave-mid-match-021319507.html?src=rss
Amazon has the Nothing Phone 2 on sale for the first time since its launch. The offbeat mainstream smartphone alternative is $74 off its usual price. The deal includes the version with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and it'sready for activation on T-Mobile or AT&T.The Nothing Phone 2 has an unusual design, with a transparent back revealing an eye-pleasing arrangement of its internal hardware. The aesthetic is a throwback to tech from the late 1990s and early 2000s, like Apple's iMac G3 and Nintendo's Game Boy Color. Meanwhile, the Glyph Interface on the phone's back uses LED strips to show customizable lights and patterns for your notifications. It's a charming package that stands out in a sea of smartphone sameness.Engadget's Sam Rutherford reviewed the phone in 2023, and he noted its eye-catching hardware design and Monochrome UI in its software. Nothing isn't marketing its phone based on record-breaking specs, but the startup still made a phone that never felt slow" while being well-equipped with handy features like reverse wireless charging."The phone runs on Nothing OS 2 (currently, it's on 2.5.3) on top of Android 14. It has a 6.7-inch OLED display, a 4,700mAh battery and a pair of 50MP rear cameras (main and ultra-wide).However, note that the phone is only compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile's networks in the US - not Verizon, Sprint, Cricket or other CDMA-based carriers. Nothing only brought its handsets (officially) to America with the current generation of hardware, so perhaps future models will offer broader stateside carrier support.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/you-can-grab-the-nothing-phone-2-for-74-off-right-now-210527323.html?src=rss
Prince of Persia fans are really feasting this year. We've already seen the release of the well-received Metroidvania Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, but Ubisoft just announced another game in the franchise. The Rogue Prince of Persia is a team-up with Evil Empire, the developers behind the iconic roguelite Dead Cells. It comes to Steam early access on May 14.It's a sidescrolling roguelite, just like Dead Cells. As you can see from the trailer, the graphics also recall the widely-acclaimed and highly addictive action-platformer. You play as, wait for it, the Prince of Persia, who has been equipped with a mystical device that allows him to resurrect after death. You try your best. You die. You buy upgrades in the hub world. This is the roguelite formula and I am absolutely here for it.Despite looking eerily like Dead Cells, the moveset looks to be pulled straight from the Prince of Persia franchise. Players will have access to the iconic wall run and related acrobatic skills to maneuver through the procedurally generated levels. To that end, there are a variety of colorful biomes, each inspired by Persian architecture.There are also plenty of weapons to choose from, to suit different playstyles. These include twin daggers, spears, broadswords, axes and more. Additionally, players can equip secondary weapons, like bows and grappling hooks, making each run a unique gameplay experience. Ubisoft says the game will receive numerous updates once it receives player feedback from early access purchasers, promising new levels, bosses, weapons, enemies and upgrades."The title was unveiled at the Triple-i Initiative event, an indie-themed gaming showcase. Evil Empire is very much an indie developer, but the same cannot be said of Ubisoft. This isn't the only time Evil Empire has dipped its toes into a long-standing franchise. The developer once made a Castlevania expansion for Dead Cells.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-new-prince-of-persia-game-is-coming-from-the-studio-behind-dead-cells-184040223.html?src=rss
Ever since Palworldfirst emerged, it's been described as "Pokemon with guns." A new mode that's coming to Pocketpair's massively successful game won't do much to get rid of those comparisons. Even based on a 15-second clip, it looks, sounds and smells just like Pokemon's player vs. player experiences.In the inventively titled Palworld Arena, you'll be able to take on other players with the help of the Pokemon Pals you've captured. Pocketpair says you can train your strongest critters to overcome your rivals. A brief teaser shown at the Triple-i Initiative indie games showcase showed a split-screen view, for what it's worth.At first glance, it seems like the main difference between this and Pokemon battles is that, instead of standing back and telling your Pals what to do, your character will be in the thick of the action as well, trying to take out the enemies with a range of weaponry.For those of us who aren't fans of turn-based combat (*waves*), it could be a more active, perhaps more compelling spin on Pokemon battles. But this really does just seem like Pokemon PvP modes with a different coat of paint. We'll get to find out just how alike the two franchises' takes on PvP really are when Palworld Arena arrives this summer.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/palworlds-upcoming-arena-mode-looks-like-pokemon-pvp-with-guns-182516871.html?src=rss
Two years after E-line Media revealed it was working on Never Alone 2, the first look at gameplay emerged at the Triple-i Initiative indie games showcase. The brief clip shows Nuna and her spirit companion Fox running across ice and encountering a pair of giant creatures. There's not much to the video (it's a teaser, after all), but it gives a sense of the game's look and feel.You'll venture through the Alaskan wilderness to look for ways to support your home village. Along the way, you'll unravel a mystery that poses a threat to the community. While the 2014 original (which nearly 15 million people have played) married 3D graphics and 2D gameplay, Never Alone 2 is billed as a "3D open-map sequel."Never Alone included solo and co-op modes (we found the latter made playing the game much better). The follow-up is designed primarily for two players, in either online or couch co-op modes, to place a focus on the theme of interdependence.Never Alone 2 has an original story from Inupiat writer Nasugraq Rainey Hopson, and it was designed with input from Alaska Native elders, writers, storytellers and community members. E-line Media hasn't revealed a release window for Never Alone 2 yet, but the developer has teamed up with publisher Humble Games to get it out into the wild. In the meantime, fans can wishlist the sequel for updates.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/never-alone-2-teaser-shows-nuna-and-fox-coming-face-to-face-with-giant-creatures-174736706.html?src=rss
Vampire Survivors is preparing to invade a whole new platform. More than two years after breaking through the noise on Steam, Android, iOS and Xbox, Vampire Survivors is due to hit PlayStation 4 and PS5 in summer 2024. Yep, the summer that starts in just a few months. The PlayStation version will include all DLCs and latest updates.Alongside the fresh platform announcement, Vampire Survivors is also getting a batch of crossover DLC on May 9. Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns brings Contra characters and weapons into the game with the mission statement, "The President's cousin's sister's dog has been kidnapped by Red Falcon. Are you bad enough to come to the rescue?" We bet you are.In classic Contra fashion, the characters added in Operation Guns will encourage min-maxing and stat manipulation, and there will be 11 new players total. The DLC adds 22 guns, a new stage and an old-school arcade difficulty curve. Its soundtrack has six songs that combine Contra jams with Vampire Survivors remixes.Who said vampires don't like sunlight? With two big updates landing this spring and summer, it seems like Vampire Survivors enjoys the light just fine. Of course, that could be because there are no actual vampires in the game, just hordes of other monster types and hours of mindless, bloody entertainment.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/vampire-survivors-hits-playstation-this-summer-174515287.html?src=rss
33 Immortals feels like a game that's going to need a lot of pre-release testing, and thankfully, that's exactly what developers at Thunder Lotus are setting up. Following a smaller alpha test, the closed beta for 33 Immortals will kick off on May 24 and run through June 2. Interested players can sign up to participate at the game's official site.Aside from the Dante's Inferno-inspired landscape and retro-cartoony visuals, the unique draw of 33 Immortals is its raid size. The game features 33-player co-op with a cast of seven unique fighters, and each round lasts about 25 minutes. It's all raids, all the time, and felled players are able to be revived if another warrior takes the time to chase down their ghost.UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith got his hands on 33 Immortals at Summer Game Fest 2023 and he saw the potential in Thunder Lotus' idea, writing, "With plenty of enemies on-screen, especially in the more challenging portal dungeons, it's a lot of fun just chaotically spamming attacks, helping the rest of your team finish off mid-bosses, or picking off easier foes at a distance before they coordinate their attacks." And that was with just six players at once - now add 27 more, and that's the base chaos level of this game.33 Immortals is due to enter early access on the Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Xbox later this year, and it'll be available on Game Pass.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/massively-co-op-game-33-immortals-will-have-a-closed-beta-at-the-end-of-may-174022411.html?src=rss
Electronic Arts just raised the price of its EA Play subscription service. The standard EA Play tier increased from $5 per month to $6 per month, while the annual fee rose to $40 from $30. These updated prices also impact premium EA Play Pro subscriptions, which allows access to the publisher's games as soon as they launch. This tier now costs $17 per month, an increase from $15, and $120 each year, an increase from $100.EA confirmed the changes to Engadget via email and noted that the prices are increasing in every country the company does business in. According to a report by Gamesindustry.biz, the new cost structure was decided on to bring fees in line with market value." The price increase is live for new members but pre-existing subscribers won't get dinged until May 10.For the uninitiated, EA Play is a subscription service that gives players access to a select number of games from the company, along with additional incentives like discounts and DLC. It's available on Xbox consoles, PlayStation consoles and PC. The service is in line with Microsoft Game Pass, PlayStation Plus and Ubisoft+, among others. As previously mentioned, EA Play Pro takes things a step further by letting subscribers play newly-released games. It's worth noting that Game Pass Ultimate members still have access to the standard EA Play tier as part of their subscription.It's always a bummer when these subscriptions go up in price, and EA is hardly alone here. Sony raised the price of PS Plus last year and Microsoft did the same for Game Pass subscriptions. Ubisoft+ Premium is likely the closest analog to Play Pro and it costs $18 per month, which is right in line with EA's updated pricing model.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-ea-play-subscription-service-is-getting-more-expensive-172942011.html?src=rss
Amazon has decided to cut off paid perks for Alexa developers. The company confirmed to Engadget on Wednesday that it will end the Alexa Developer Rewards Program at the end of June. A second program that rewards developers for using Amazon Web Services as the backend for their Alexa apps will wrap up at the same time.With the emergence of generative AI, the pioneering voice assistant's third-party apps (skills") no longer appear to be a central focus for the company. The news was first reported by Bloomberg and confirmed by Engadget with the company.Amazon described the move as a case of phasing out an old project that had run its course. These are older programs launched back in 2017 as a way to help newer developers interested in building skills accelerate their progress," an Amazon spokesperson wrote to Engadget. Today, there are over 160,000 skills available for customers, a well-established Alexa developer community, and new LLM-powered tools that will help developers build new experiences for Alexa. These older programs have simply run their course, so we decided to sunset them."The company told me the program launched when developers were still learning to make voice apps, and it was designed to help them get started. Amazon told Engadget that fewer than one percent of developers were using the program. It said Alexa developers will still get paid for in-app purchases from their Alexa skills, adding that the cost of making them has gone down while developer knowledge has gone up.The Alexa Developer Rewards Program was created to incentivize developers who made high-quality skills for the assistant. Launched in 2017, when Alexa was all the rage, the program paid developers bonuses for skills that met engagement thresholds in specific categories. It was part of Amazon's quest to turn Alexa Skills into a booming app store for a new generation of voice-first devices, a vision that never fully came to fruition.Now, the renewed interest in AI assistants is about generative AI, which can handle many of the same tasks as Alexa's skills (likely much better in some cases). At its fall 2023 devices event, Amazon previewed a next-generation version of Alexa with ChatGPT-like generative AI abilities. The company has also gradually integrated the next-gen tech into its seller tools and product pages.Bloomberg reports that third-party apps weren't making Amazon much money (unsurprising, given today's news). The company cut the available funds for Alexa developer payments in 2020. Amazon also laid off several hundred employees in its Alexa division late last year. Meanwhile, Google threw in the towel long ago: It eliminated third-party voice apps for Google Assistant altogether in 2022.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-will-stop-paying-bonuses-to-alexa-developers-171610161.html?src=rss
Marshall portable speakers are up to 25 percent off right now via Amazon. The sale includes the attractive and highly useful Middleton speaker, which is available for $237. This is a discount of 21 percent and marks a record low for the portable Bluetooth device.The Middleton made our list of the best portable Bluetooth speakers, and for good reason. It's the company's flagship portable speaker, so it's packed with both bells and whistles. It offers 50-watts of 360-degree sound and a rugged IP67 exterior. There are dual woofers and tweeters for the front and back, in addition to passive radiators along the side. In other words, people attending your backyard barbecue will have no problem hearing the tunes, and the same could be true of your neighbors.The speaker also features the company's Stack Mode, allowing it to easily pair with other Marshall speakers. This includes other Middleton units, the Willen and the Emberton II. We also enjoyed the multi-use joystick that can turn the unit on, change the volume, select tracks and adjust bass and treble.Marshall's Willen speaker is also part of this sale, with a current price of $90. That's 25 percent off. This diminutive, yet powerful, speaker made our list of the best gadgets of 2023. We praised the sound quality, the reliable Bluetooth connection and the battery, which lasts over 15 hours per charge. It's just about the perfect little speaker, especially for the price.The sale goes beyond portable speakers. Marshall's Minor III earbuds are on sale for $100, which is a discount of $30. These no-frills headphones feature custom-tuned 12mm drivers, touch controls and IPX4 water resistance. You can expect around five hours per charge, with the included charging case offering an additional 20 hours.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/marshall-portable-speakers-are-up-to-25-percent-off-right-now-164056685.html?src=rss
If you're just looking for a cheap way to keep your floors cleaner and don't need all the top-end features, you may want to check out this deal. Anker brand Eufy's BoostIQ RoboVac S11 is now down to $140 after a 44 percent discount. The sale comes as part of a larger sale on Eufy vacs, including ones with a few more bells and whistles. The S11 Max is our current pick for an ultra budget option in our buyer's guide to robo vacs because it's super affordable (especially after the discount), has good suction power and a long battery life. Probably the biggest caveat is that it's not Wi-Fi enabled.Instead of controlling the unit through your home's wireless network, the 11S Max comes with a remote that handles scheduling and other smart features like cleaning mode selection. It also has a manual button up top to start a session. It has three power modes - Standard, BoostIQ and Max - and BoostIQ provides a good balance of adequate suction and noise level. In our tests, a BoostIQ session lasted about an hour and 15 minutes. The obstacle avoidance is impressive at sidestepping random objects, though it occasionally bumped into walls. The vac is also about an inch an a half thinner than many other robot vacs we tested, which lets it get beneath low-slung furniture for more complete cleaning.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/one-of-our-favorite-affordable-robot-vacuums-is-on-sale-for-140-163249182.html?src=rss
Sony has revealed the latest batch of games that are coming to the PS Plus Catalog for Extra and Premium subscribers. This time around, there are three titles that will hit the service on the same day they debut on PlayStation. It had already been announced that the terrific Dave the Diver (April 16) and Tales of Kenzera: Zau (April 23) will hit the subscription service when they make their bow on PlayStation consoles. Now it has emerged Animal Well will join them on May 9.This sidescrolling platformer is the first game from YouTuber Dunkey's publishing label, Bigmode. Solo developer Billy Basso spent seven years making the eye-catching Animal Well, which is said to be packed with secrets for players to discover. Along with PS5, Animal Well is coming to Switch and PC.There haven't been too many games that have arrived on PS Plus on their release day, but the strategy can prove successful. Humanity, Stray, Teardownand Tchia, all of which are excellent, debuted on the subscription service. Going further back, so too did Rocket League and Fall Guys and those games were enormous hits, though they had the advantage of being multiplayer titles. On the other side of the platform divide, Palworld (aka the Pokemon with guns game) became a viral smash this year, thanks in part to it hitting Game Pass on its release day.The other titles that are coming to the PS Plus Catalog on April 16 are multiplayer party game Oddballers (PS4), Construction Simulator (PS4, PS5), The Crew 2 (PS4), Indian mythology-inspired action-adventure Raji: An Ancient Epic (PS4, PS5), Lego Ninjago Movie Videogame (PS4), Nour: Play With Your Food (PS4, PS5), Deliver Us Mars (PS4, PS5), Lego Marvel's Avengers (PS4), Miasma Chronicles (PS5) and Stray Blade (PS5).Those with a PS Plus Premium subscription will be able to check out a few extra games through the Classics collection. The original PlayStation versions of Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare, Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire and MediEvil will hit the catalog next week.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-is-bringing-another-game-to-the-ps-plus-catalog-on-its-release-day-162541995.html?src=rss
ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 has been one of our favorite gaming laptops for damn near half a decade. But the 2024 model is on another level. That's because even without a fresh generation of GPUs from NVIDIA, ASUS went and redesigned the entire thing anyway. And the result is a notebook with a gorgeous aluminum unibody chassis with a more mature design that doesn't need to throw RGB lighting in your face to get some attention. This edition is also sleeker and lighter while still providing powerful performance. Though ASUS made a few trade-offs when compared to its predecessor, with a starting price of $1,600, the new ROG Zephyrus G14 is not only a better value than almost all of its 14-inch rivals, it's also simply one of the best pound-for-pound gaming laptops around.DesignCompared to previous models that were awash in RGB or had dot-matrix displays built into their lids, this year's G14 is an exercise in restraint. It's almost like the line has grown out of its awkward teenage phase and become a stylish but still fun-loving adult. The lid is accented by a simple diagonal slash with white (not RGB) LEDs embedded down the middle. Meanwhile, on the inside, there's a sturdy deck with a large touchpad and surprisingly powerful speakers.The one thing I miss is per-key RGB lighting instead of ASUS' single-zone approach. After all, this is a gaming laptop and if you're going to offer multiple colors, it'd be nice to have full customizability.Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetThat said, the G14's redesign isn't just about style, it's functional too. The switch to a unibody aluminum frame has strengthened the whole machine. There's barely a hint of flex even on typically weaker parts like the lattice between keys. But more importantly, ASUS also reduced the laptop's weight to just 3.3 pounds, which is noticeably lighter than rival notebooks with similar metal builds like the Razer Blade 14 (3.95 pounds). Plus, even with the smaller size, the G14 features a healthy selection of ports including a full-size HDMI 2.1 jack, two USB-C (one of which supports Thunderbolt 4), two USB-A and a microSD card reader.DisplayPhoto by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetAnother glowing component of the G14 is its OLED screen. In addition to producing vibrant colors, it has a sharp 2,880 x 1,800 resolution along with a 120Hz refresh rate and a color gamut that covers 100 percent of the DCI-P3 spectrum. Recently, I've been watching Three Body Problem and I've been absolutely loving the OLED panel's excellent contrast and deep blacks. Furthermore, because ASUS includes a handful of color-calibrated settings for sRGB, D65 P3, DCI-P3 (but not Adobe RGB), the G14 is a very capable photo- and video-editing machine.The one small issue is that because 2,880 x 1,800 is a somewhat uncommon resolution, you may not be able to play all of your games at their native resolution, which is an issue I encountered when playing Returnal.PerformanceA big change for the 2024 ROG G14 is that GPU options now top out with an NVIDIA RTX 4070 instead of a 4080 like on the previous model. That may be a bummer for some, but as I prefer laptops that are easier to carry around, I'm OK with trading out a little top-end oomph for enhanced portability. And with all models featuring an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS chip along with at least 16GB of RAM (or 32GB like on my review unit) and 1TB of storage, you won't be lacking in speed.Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget On Geekbench 6, the G14 matched the performance we saw from a larger XPS 16 with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H chip. In games, it hit 90 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 on ultra settings, which is just shy of a much more expensive Razer Blade 14 (101 fps). That said, there are some important details you should know. Unlike previous models, the latest G14's memory is soldered to the motherboard, so there's no way to add extra RAM later. Additionally, while both ASUS and Razer's 14-inch systems appear to have the same RTX 4070 GPU, the G14's is capped at 90 watts versus 140 watts for the Blade, which explains the small gap in gaming performance.It's also worth noting that heat can be an issue in certain situations. In normal use, it's not a big deal as the fans rarely need to spin up when browsing the web or watching movies. But under load, because the G14's vents are on the bottom of the notebook, your lap can get toasty fast. Thankfully, this won't be a major problem if you're gaming, since you'll probably want to be at a desk or table to put an external mouse on anyway.Battery lifePhoto by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetWhile the G14 doesn't last quite as long as a traditional ultrabook, it still carries enough juice to last nearly an entire workday. On PCMark 10's Modern Office rundown test, it lasted 7 hours and 29 minutes which is slightly better than the Razer Blade 14's time of 6:46. And, new for 2024, ASUS has added its proprietary Slim Power Jack, which sort of looks like a USB-C port if you squint (but it isn't). However, if you want to really travel light, the G14 supports charging via USB-C so you can leave the adapter at home. The one caveat is that USB-PD on this maxes out at 100 watts (versus 180 watts when using the included brick), so the battery may still discharge while gaming or performing other intensive tasks.Wrap-upEven though we already loved its predecessors, the 2024 ROG Zephyrus G14 has managed to take another big leap. It's got an exquisitely crafted chassis along with a vibrant new display and boomier speakers - all while shedding nearly half a pound in weight. On the inside, you still get up to an RTX 4070 GPU. Sure, it's a touch slower than a similarly equipped Blade 14, but considering our review unit costs $2,000 compared to $2,700 for the closest equivalently specced Razer, I'm happy to trade a tiny bit of performance to get a much more affordable machine. And that's before you factor in a starting price of just $1,450 for one with an RTX 4060. My biggest gripe is that ASUS' Amoury Crate app still feels clunky, thanks to settings that are hard to find or toggles that don't work like you'd expect. But make no mistake, the G14 is a great laptop - for both gamers and content creators - who want good performance in a portable package. So while I appreciate what the Blade 14 and other high-end notebooks can do, ASUS' latest creation is the one I'd buy.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/asus-rog-zephyrus-g14-2024-review--this-is-the-14-inch-gaming-laptop-to-beat-161524669.html?src=rss
In a rare move, Google is extending everyone access to subscriber-exclusive Photos tools. Free Google Photos users are getting its enhanced editing features without paying a minimum of $20 annually. This means all users will get a few of Google's AI-powered tools, such as Photo UnBlur, Magic Eraser and Magic Editor.Photo UnBlur works just as it sounds, giving greater clarity to a photo that's a bit fuzzy. The Magic Eraser tool lets you remove or camouflage people or things from pictures, like a rogue trash can or photo bomber. Magic Editor uses generative AI to move, stretch and resize objects. You can even bring yourself to the center of a photo or closer to another person. It also lets you make large-scale edits, like changing the sky from gray to blue. Magic Editor Android and iOS Google Photos users will get ten monthly saves, while anyone looking to increase that limit will need either a Pixel device or paid Google One plan with 2TB+.The Google Photos features will roll out to non-subscribers over a few weeks, starting May 15. On desktop, they will only be available if you have a Chromebook Plus that has ChromeOS version 118+. To access on mobile, you'll need at least Android 8.0 or iOS 15 and 3GB of RAM.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-photos-enhanced-editing-tools-will-no-longer-require-a-subscription-160015336.html?src=rss
Peter Higgs, the physicist who predicted the Higgs boson particle, has passed away at the age of 94 due to a blood disorder. His work proposing the particle - and showing how it helped give mass to some matter - won him the Noble price in 2013. The Higgs boson is informally referred to as the God particle, after a book by Nobel laureate Leon Lederman.Higgs came up with the idea in the early 1960s as an attempt to explain why atoms have mass in the first place. The research didn't get any traction in scientific journals, primarily because few understood the concept, but he was finally published in 1964. This was just a theory at the time, but led to a 50-year race to prove the Higgs boson particle actually exists.Scientists hit pay dirt in 2012, thanks to physicists working at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland. It took four years of experiments, but the Higgs boson particle was finally discovered, proving his ideas and adding a major puzzle piece to the corpus of particle physics knowledge known as the Standard Model.As a matter of fact, modern theoretical physicists have posited the existence of up to five Higgs boson particles that fill up what is now called the Higgs field. Scientists hope to use the Higgs boson to one day find proof for ever-elusive dark matter.The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the Nobel, wrote about the importance of his discovery ahead of the ceremony in 2013. Even when the universe seems empty this field is there. Without it, we would not exist, because it is from contact with the field that particles acquire mass." The Nobel was shared with Francois Englert, a Belgian theoretical physicist whose work in 1964 contributed to the discovery."At the beginning I had no idea whether a discovery would be made in my lifetime", Higgs once said. He leaves two sons, Chris and Jonny, his daughter-in-law Suzanne and two grandchildren. His former wife Jody, a linguistics professor, died in 2008.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/physicist-peter-higgs-who-predicted-the-god-particle-has-died-at-94-153635259.html?src=rss
Summer Game Fest is still a couple of months away, as are major events from the likes of Ubisoft and Xbox. But you won't have to wait that long for a smorgasbord of gaming announcements. A bunch of notable names in the indie gaming space have come together to host the first showcase from The Triple-i Initiative.The stream will start at 1PM ET on April 10 and run for around 45 minutes. You'll be able to watch it above or on YouTube, Twitch, bilibili or Steam. The showcase will include world premieres, exclusive looks at gameplay, demo announcements and details of a sale.The organizers are promising more than 30 announcements with "no hosting segments, no advertisements, no sponsorships, no extra fluff, just games," according to Benjamin Laulan, the COO of Dead Cellsdeveloper Evil Empire. That studio came up with the idea of The Triple-i Initiative (Triple-i is a riff on AAA, a signifier of high-budget, high-profile games) a couple of months ago.A bunch of notable developers have joined the collective. They include Red Hook (Darkest Dungeon), Mega Crit Games (Slay the Spire), Poncle (Vampire Survivors), Thunder Lotus (Spiritfarer), Re-Logic (Terraria), Extremely OK Games (Celeste) and Heart Machine (Hyper Light Breaker). In other words, the studios behind many of the biggest indie games of the last several years are on board, so this will be a showcase worth paying attention to.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-watch-the-triple-i-initiative-indie-game-showcase-at-1pm-et-150048553.html?src=rss
Blizzard's games will once again be available in China, over 15 months after titles such as World of Warcraftand Overwatch 2 went offline in the planet's largest gaming market. Blizzard has renewed its licensing agreement with long-time partner NetEase and many of its games will return to mainland China in the coming months.NetEase oversaw Blizzard games in China for 15 years, but their agreement expired in January 2023, leading to the likes of Hearthstone and Starcraft shutting down in the country. The two sides had kept discussions going over the last year and they finally reached a new deal.It'll take a little while for Blizzard and NetEase to resolve technical issues and get things in place for the relaunch, but the games are expected to come back online in China starting this summer. According to Bloomberg, players will be able to resume progress they'd previously made on their accounts.Blizzard could be set for a notable boost to its bottom line with its games coming back to China. Overwatch is one of its more popular games there - the country is said to have made up most of the Overwatch League's viewership in the circuit's later seasons. One pro team based in China didn't play at all during OWL's final season in 2023.In addition, Chinese players will for the first time officially be able to play Diablo IV, which Blizzard released last June and was an instant hit. (Diablo Immortalremained available in China during the spat with NetEase as that game was subject to a separate agreement.)Meanwhile, Blizzard's parent company Microsoft has struck a separate deal with NetEase. They'll explore the possibility of bringing NetEase games to Xbox consoles and other platforms.Blizzard and NetEase have done incredible work to renew our commitment to players - Blizzard's universes have been part of players' lives in the region for many years," Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, said in a statement. Returning Blizzard's legendary games to players in China while exploring ways to bring more new titles to Xbox demonstrates our commitment to bringing more games to more players around the world."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/blizzard-games-are-returning-to-china-this-summer-145109338.html?src=rss
While the arrival of new iPad Pro and Air models seems imminent, rumor has it we won't be getting a classic update until next year. If you have no interest in waiting and want to explore some of the best iPads on the market, then the Apple 10th-generation iPad's current sale is for you. The 64GB Wi-Fi model is back down to its record-low price of $349 from $449 - a 22 percent cut. The discounted iPad is available right away in the blue version or for an extra dollar when applying a $79 coupon to the silver model.Apple released its 10th-gen iPad in 2022 and garnered an 85 in our review. It offered a new look and features, with new design elements such as a 10.9-inch screen and a Touch ID moving to the lock button. It also offers a liquid retina display with a 2360x1640p resolution.The 10th-gen iPad comes with an A14 chip - a step up from the ninth-gen's A13 but still not as strong as the M1 and M2 that power the iPad Air and Pro. It comes with a solid battery that lasts 11 hours and 45 minutes if you play iTunes movies on rotation and almost 10 hours when you're working with an attached keyboard.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-10th-gen-ipad-returns-to-a-record-low-of-349-143630423.html?src=rss
Roku has released a line of TVs called the Pro Series after first unveiling the collection at this year's CES. These televisions are packed with tech, with the standout feature being Mini LED backlighting for better brightness and contrast. The 4K TVs also boast QLED panels, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and a responsive refresh rate of 120Hz. The company's calling them the ultimate TVs" for streaming.To that end, the quad-core processor should allow for snappier menu navigation and for apps to launch quickly, so you can spend less time waiting on a load screen and more time binging Hulu's Shogun while scarfing down a big bowl of popcorn. They're also Wi-Fi 6 capable, which comes in handy when streaming 4K content.On the audio side of things, the Pro Series models include side-firing Dolby Atmos speakers for a wide, cinematic sound." The TVs integrate nicely with wireless soundbars, speakers and subwoofers, in addition to wired variants. Each model also features Bluetooth for connecting wireless headphones, to prevent spoilers from seeping into every corner of the house. They come with a refreshed remote control that includes motion-activated backlit buttons, USB-C charging and new shortcut options.The Pro Series TVs feature a new neural processing unit (NPU) that allows for some nifty OS features. Smart Picture Max uses AI to automatically adjust the best picture mode for a particular piece of content, refining the color, sharpness and motion as required. This carries over to brightness, which also automatically adjusts depending on room lighting.While Smart Picture Max might be tied to the Pro Series line of TVs, due to the updated NPU, there are more OS features coming to all Roku panels. The company's televisions will soon get something called Backdrops, which are basically just fancy screensavers pulled from a wide catalog of popular artwork or via uploaded images. This won't exactly turn a Roku into a Samsung Frame TV, but it's a start.RokuRoku TVs are also getting deep integration with IMDB in a forthcoming OS update. This will provide data sourced from the site as you scroll through potential shows and movies to watch. Finally, the mobile app is receiving a comprehensive upgrade, complete with a streamlined design, better search and new content categories.The Pro Series line is available now from Best Buy, Amazon and Walmart. Prices start at $900 for the 55-inch model and rise up to $1,700 for the chunky 75-inch version. There's also a wall-mount kit available for $100.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/roku-releases-its-line-of-premium-ish-tvs-with-mini-led-backlighting-130047599.html?src=rss
Fallout's transition to TV starts with a bang (or three depending on how you're counting). But even after the show emerges from the vault, the hits keep coming. That's because unlike a lot of other video game adaptations that receive a thin veneer designed to appeal to fans of the source material, the essence of Fallout runs so deep throughout this series it could weather an atomic blast. Its characters are magnetic and its visuals are downright impressive. But most importantly, just like HBO's The Last of Us, Fallout is more than just a video game adaptation. It's a really good show in its own right - an apocalyptically good one at that.The first thing that stands out about the show is just how good it looks. Every set and costume is packed with detail. The clean blues and yellow of vaultsuits are the perfect counterpoint to the dilapidated buildings and shaggy clothes of surface dwellers, which look so grimy you can almost feel the rads coming out of your screen. Meanwhile, Fallout's Power Armor might be some of the best-looking live-action mech-suits this side of Pacific Rim. Locations are also incredibly diverse and fleshed out while still paying homage to the franchise that inspired them. The settlement of Filly looks almost exactly how I imagine Megaton might appear in real life, you know, aside from having a massive bomb in the middle of town. The show's audio is also a treat, right down to the crunchy sounds of analog electronics and all the rockin' oldies that wafting in the background (including an obligatory playing of the Inkspots's I don't want to set the world on fire").Courtesy of Prime VideoI really liked how all the show's easter eggs and references to the video game never felt forced. Iconic gadgets like the Pipboy help build the world while simultaneously pushing the plot forward. Even its cinematography makes callbacks to the game with slow-mo that evokes the V.A.T.S. mechanic during firefights. And all the little critters Fallout fans love and hate like rad roaches, irradiated bears and a very good canine companion make appearances that feel right at home.Of course, all this would simply be window dressing without characters that bring the world to life. And once again the show doesn't disappoint. As a vault dweller, Lucy MacLean (played Ella Purnelle) is the perfect foil to ease us into the world of Fallout. As she explores and adapts to the surface, we get to meet an incredible cast of characters who highlight the struggles and revel in the weirdness of a post-doomsday world. I also need to call out the casting of Walton Goggins as the Ghoul, which feels like an especially enlightened choice. This man was made for this role, and even considering some of his previous appearances in Justified and The Hateful Eight, this might be his most engaging performance yet.Courtesy of Prime VideoThe most impressive thing about the Fallout show is how it balances several different stories with grace and intrigue. So often when you have branching plotlines, one arc drags while the others shine. But in Fallout, they are woven together so well that even if one scene goes long, the show on the whole never bores. Now I will admit that those new to the franchise may need to be a bit more patient, as Maximus' arc and the story surrounding the Brotherhood of Steel takes some time to get rolling.Perhaps the biggest issue with Fallout is its brutality. This is not a series for the faint of heart. Warning: There is some animal cruelty and there's so much gore that a regular bullet wound seems tame in comparison. It's also important to mention that the jump from pixels to live action adds even more impact to this. But coming from a franchise that's reveled in crass and crudeness since the beginning, it would feel weird any other way.Courtesy of Prime VideoAs a fan of the franchise, there's always a little trepidation when a game tests the waters of a new medium. But Fallout has absolutely nailed it. And looking back, it probably shouldn't have been a surprise, because unlike Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat whose stories always felt like afterthoughts, it was the world and the characters of Fallout that kept people coming back to the wasteland. While the game may have provided the blueprint to make the show a success, this adaptation can stand on its own.The Fallout series is available to stream today starting at 9PM ET on Amazon Prime Video.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-fallout-tv-series-is-a-very-awesome-tv-show-130039789.html?src=rss
The debate over using copyrighted materials in AI training systems rages on - as does uncertainty over which works AI even pulls data from. US Congressman Adam Schiff is attempting to answer the latter, introducing the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act on April 9, Billboard reports. The bill would require AI companies to outline every copyrighted work in their datasets."AI has the disruptive potential of changing our economy, our political system, and our day-to-day lives. We must balance the immense potential of AI with the crucial need for ethical guidelines and protections." said Congressman Schiff in a statement. He added that the bill "champions innovation while safeguarding the rights and contributions of creators, ensuring they are aware when their work contributes to AI training datasets. This is about respecting creativity in the age of AI and marrying technological progress with fairness." Organizations such as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), SAG-AFTRA and WGA have shown support for the bill.If the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act passes, companies would need to file all relevant data use to the Register of Copyrights at least 30 days before introducing the AI tool to the public. They would also have to provide the same information retroactively for any existing tools and make updates if they considerably altered datasets. Failure to do so would result in the Copyright Office issuing a fine - the exact number would depend on a company's size and past infractions. To be clear, this wouldn't do anything to prevent AI creators from using copyrighted work, but it would provide transparency on which materials they've taken from. The ambiguity over use was on full display in a March Bloomberg interview with OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, who claimed she was unsure if the tool Sora took data from YouTube, Facebook or Instagram posts.The bill could even give companies and artists a clearer picture when speaking out against or suing for copyright infringement - a fairly common occurrence. Take the New York Times, which sued OpenAI and Microsoft for using its articles to train chatbots without an agreement or compensation, or Sarah Silverman, who sued OpenAI (a frequent defendant) and Meta for using her books and other works to train their AI models.The entertainment industry has also been leading calls for AI protections. AI regulation was a big sticking point in the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes last year, ending only when detailed policies around AI went into their contracts. SAG-AFTRA has recently voiced its support for California bills requiring consent from actors to use their avatars and from heirs to make AI versions of deceased individuals. It's no surprise that Congressman Schiff represents California's 30th district, which includes Hollywood, Burbank and Universal City.Musicians are echoing their fellow creatives, with over 200 artists signing an open letter in April that calls for AI protections, the Guardian reported. "This assault on human creativity must be stopped," the letter, issued by the Artist Rights Alliance, states. "We must protect against the predatory use of AI to steal professional artists' voices and likenesses, violate creators' rights, and destroy the music ecosystem." Billie Eilish, Jon Bon Jovi and Pearm Jam were among the signatories.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/us-bill-proposes-ai-companies-list-what-copyrighted-materials-they-use-123058589.html?src=rss
Cruise will start re-deploying its autonomous vehicles after a major upheaval last year that led to a pause in its operations, the loss of its CEO and the dismissal of a big chunk of its workforce, including several executives. In a blog post on its website, the GM subsidiary said it's resuming its manual driving activities in order to gather road information and create maps for its autonomous vehicles. The first fleet of Cruise vehicles to go out on the road again will be deployed in Phoenix, Arizona, though the company plans to expand to other cities as it continues to "engage with officials and community leaders."If you'll recall, Cruise suspended all its driverless operations a few weeks after an incident in California, wherein one of its robotaxis ran over and dragged a pedestrian who was hurled onto its path after being hit by another vehicle. Both the California DMV and the California Public Utilities Commission revoked its licenses to operate in the state due to that incident and other safety-related issues. By November last year, Cruise also suspended manned robotaxi rides as part of an expanded safety probe conducted by an independent consulting firm.Kyle Vogt, the company's co-founder and CEO, resigned shortly after that. The company also dismissed nine key executives following an allegation by authorities that Cruise withheld a video showing the victim in the California incident pinned underneath its vehicle. In December, the robotaxi-maker laid off 24 percent of its workforce, which was around 900 personnel. The Intercept also reported last year that it saw internal safety assessment materials concluding that Cruise's vehicles had problems recognizing children.Cruise said in its post that it's been conducting testing on closed courses over the past few months as it works on rebuilding trust. All the robotaxis heading to Phoenix will be human-driven vehicles without autonomous systems engaged. Its ultimate goal, of course, is to deploy fully driverless vehicles again, but the company didn't say if it has a target date and didn't share a timeline if it does have one.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cruises-robotaxis-return-to-arizona-roads-120038794.html?src=rss
Hey, you! Yes. you. Do you need some extra motivation to reach your goals or just to get your chores done? Then perhaps you could use some inspiring words from one of the most successful multisport athletes of all time, direct to your foldable telephone.Boost Mobile will soon offer a limited-edition, Deion Sanders-themed Moto Razr. The phone has a black and gold finish (which kind of looks nice?), along with Sanders' "You Gotta Believe" mantra and his signature. If that's not enough to get you chasing after your dreams, you'll also receive weekly motivational messages from Sanders (aka Coach Prime).Sanders played in the NFL and MLB simultaneously. He's the only athlete ever to play in a Super Bowl - which he won twice - and the World Series. If anyone knows a thing or two about success, it's this guy.So if you're looking for some words of wisdom to help you take the next step toward your life, love, work and/or fitness goals, having Sanders deliver them straight to your phone might be the way to go if you're so inclined. Boost hasn't revealed how much the phone will cost, but for a certain person, it may be simply priceless. For everyone else, there's YouTube.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/boost-mobiles-deion-sanders-themed-moto-razr-is-a-gold-rimmed-motivation-machine-120016650.html?src=rss
Battery life always limits a drone's ability to perform tasks and get anywhere. So why not let it slurp from nearby power lines? (Well, there are reasons.)Researchers at the University of Southern Denmark attached a gripper system to a Tarot 650 Sport drone, which they customized with an electric quadcopter propulsion system and an autopilot module. An inductive charger pulls current from the power line, enabling it to recharge five times over two hours during tests. The benefit here is that power lines already exist (duh), but there is the real concern that a drone could damage a line and knock out electricity for thousands.- Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedDJI's RS4 gimbals make it easier to balance heavy cameras and accessoriesApple Vision Pro, two months laterKobo's new ereaders include its first with color displaysYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The owner of WordPress has bought Beeper, that brazen messaging appIt challenged Apple and lost almost immediately.WordPress and Tumblr owner Automattic has bought Beeper, the maker of the Beeper Mini app, which challenged Apple with iMessage tricks on Android phones, late last year. Although it ultimately lost its only USP when Apple blocked the exploit - mere days later - the incident gave the DOJ more ammunition in its antitrust suit against Apple. Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that Automattic paid $125 million. It's a lot of money, especially when Automattic already owns a messaging app, Texts. No, I hadn't heard of it either.Continue reading.Starlink terminals are reportedly being used by Russian forces in UkraineThere's a thriving black market for satellite-based internet providers.ReutersAccording to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Russian forces in Ukraine are using Starlink satellite internet terminals to coordinate attacks in eastern Ukraine and Crimea as well as to control drones and other forms of military tech. The Starlink hardware is reaching Russian forces via a complex network of black-market sellers. After reports in February that Russian forces were using Starlink, US House Democrats demanded Musk act, noting Russian military use of the tech is potentially in violation of US sanctions and export controls." Starlink can disable individual terminals.Continue reading.Congress looks into blocking piracy sites in the USThe Motion Picture Association will work with politicians.The Motion Picture Association chair and CEO Charles Rivkin has revealed a plan to make sailing the digital seas," so streaming or downloading pirated content, harder. Rivkin said the association is going to work with Congress to establish and enforce site-blocking legislation in the United States. He added that almost 60 countries use site-blocking as a tool against piracy.Continue reading.You can now lie down while using a Meta Quest 3 headsetFinally.Shh, relax... And strap two screens to your face.Relaaaaax.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-drones-that-can-charge-on-power-lines-111517677.html?src=rss
You can now ensure that you're not going to be hit by hidden fees and taxes before you sign up with an internet service provider (ISP). Starting today, big ISPs with more than 100,000 subscribers will be required to display "nutrition labels" both in store and online under a new FCC rule. Those labels have to show the companies' plans, fees and any additional costs, such as activation fees and upfront or rental fees for modems and other equipment.They also have to show whether a particular amount that's being advertised is an introductory or a discounted rate and how long you can enjoy that lower rate. Plus, the labels have to indicate each particular plan's download and upload speeds, as well as any early termination fee associated with it. ISPs can't hide these labels behind multiple clicks or camouflage them with other elements that make them hard to see. They have to be accessible from your customer account portal, and ISPs should give you a copy if you ask.The FCC first floated the idea of nutrition labels for ISPs back in 2016, but it wasn't until 2022 that it formally introduced rules requiring them to be displayed at the companies' points of sale. As you can see in the image below, it resembles the nutrition labels for food and will (theoretically and hopefully) account for every dollar you pay for a wired or wireless plan. Back when the rule was announced, FCC Chairperson Jessica Rosenworcel explained that the agency chose to approve and implement it as part of its efforts to "end the kind of unexpected fees and junk costs that can get buried in long and mind-numbingly confusing statements of terms and conditions."Based on the FCC's website, providers with less than 100,000 subscribers will be given a bit more time to comply and have until October 10. And in case you come across any ISP that isn't displaying any label even when they should or is showing inaccurate information, you can file a complaint with the commission through its official portal.FCCThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/isps-roll-out-mandatory-broadband-nutrition-labels-that-show-speeds-fees-and-data-allowances-103832369.html?src=rss
At CinemaCon this year, the Motion Picture Association Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin has revealed a plan that would make "sailing the digital seas" under the Jolly Roger banner just a bit harder. Rivkin said the association is going to work with Congress to establish and enforce a site-blocking legislation in the United States. He added that almost 60 countries use site-blocking as a tool against piracy, "including leading democracies and many of America's closest allies." The only reason why the US isn't one of them, he continued, is the "lack of political will, paired with outdated understandings of what site-blocking actually is, how it functions, and who it affects."With the rule in place, "film and television, music and book publishers, sports leagues and broadcasters" can ask the court to order ISPs to block websites that share stolen content. Rivkin, arguing in favor of site-blocking, explained that the practice doesn't impact legitimate businesses. He said legislation around the practice would require detailed evidence to prove that a certain entity is engaged in illegal activities and that alleged perpetrators can appear in court to defend themselves.Rivkin cited FMovies, an illegal film streamer, as an example of how site-blocking in the US would minimize traffic to piracy websites. Apparently, FMovies gets 160 million visits per month, a third of which comes from the US. If the rule also exists in the country, then the website's traffic would, theoretically, drop pretty drastically. The MPA's chairman also talked about previous efforts to enforce site-blocking in the US, which critics previously said would "break the internet" and could potentially stifle free speech. While he insisted that other countries' experiences since then had proven those predictions wrong, he promised that the organization takes those concerns seriously.He ended his speech by asking for the support of theater owners in the country. "The MPA is leading this charge in Washington," he said. "And we need the voices of theater owners - your voices - right by our side. Because this action will be good for all of us: Content creators. Theaters. Our workforce. Our country."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-motion-picture-association-will-work-with-congress-to-start-blocking-piracy-sites-in-the-us-062111261.html?src=rss
Rakuten has a trio of new Kobo ereaders, including the company's first two with color displays. On Wednesday, the company revealed the $220 Kobo Libra Colour and $150 Clara Colour alongside the monochrome $130 Clara BW. You can preorder them today, ahead of their April 30 launch.The Kobo Libra Colour has a seven-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 display, which should have a noticeable improvement with 16 levels of grayscale, 4,096 colors and 30 percent better color saturation than E Ink's last-gen tech. The Libra Colour is the only one of Kobo's new ereaders with stylus support for ebook annotations and highlighting. But you'll need to add the $70 Kobo Stylus 2 (also compatible with the Elipsa 2E) to enjoy that.The device has a curved, ergonomic" design with page-turn buttons. It supports portrait and landscape reading and has 32GB of storage (good for around 24,000 ebooks or 150 audiobooks). Rakuten says its battery can last up to 40 days on a single charge, but that's for reading for 30 minutes daily with the front light at 30 percent brightness and the wireless turned off. (Expect less if you read more than that or turn the brightness higher with wireless radios on.)Rakuten KoboMeanwhile, the six-inch Kobo Clara Colour and Clara BW forgo the Libra Colour's page-turn buttons and stylus support in favor of more accessible pricing. The Clara BW differs from the last-gen Clara 2 (Engadget's pick for the best ereader) with a faster processor, more storage (16GB) and the latest E Ink Carta 1300 display tech.Rakuten says the Clara Colour and Clara BW can last up to 53 days on a charge, but that's with half an hour of reading per day, the brightness set at a mere 10 percent and WiFi / Bluetooth off.All three devices have ComfortLightPro for automatic blue-light adjustment. They have an IPX8 water resistance rating, making them suitable for poolside or bathtime reading. The ereaders use recycled and ocean-bound plastics in their build materials, and Rakuten has partnered with iFixit for self-repairs.You can buy separate covers (made from recycled materials) with built-in stands for all three new devices. The Libra Colour has a standard $30 SleepCover and a $40 NoteBook SleepCover with a magnetic stylus slot. The Clara Colour and Clara BW have $30 SleepCovers and a cheaper $20 Basic SleepCover.You can preorder the new ereaders from Rakuten Kobo starting today. The Kobo Libra Colour costs $220, the Clara Colour is priced at $150 and the monochrome Clara BW runs $130. All three devices arrive on April 30.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/kobos-new-ereaders-include-its-first-with-color-displays-040153210.html?src=rss
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