Netflix’s recent foray into video games continues. On Friday, the company announced the existence of Kate: Collateral Damage. Like Eden Unearthed, the VR experience we saw make the media rounds earlier in the week, the new game is a tie-in to a recently released Netflix original. In this case, it’s here to promote the release of action thriller Kate, which stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as a deadly assassin.
Netflix describes Kate: Collateral Damage as an time-attack, action roguelike. If you’ve played games like Hotline Miami and Katana Zero, you have a good idea of the setup. Each enemy in Kate: Collateral Damage only takes a single hit or two to dispatch, but the same is true of your character.
Much like in the movie, Kate is poisoned by a substance called Polonium 204, leaving her with only 24 hours to live. How that plays out in the game is that the more efficiently you can take out enemies, the more time you’ll have to complete a run. Since most firearms have limited ammo, you’ll also need to get creative and adapt your tactics to the moment.
The clock is ticking, you have 24 hours and ONLY revenge on your mind. ? KATE: COLLATERAL DAMAGE is coming to Steam on October 22nd. pic.twitter.com/8HHGqty3GS
Michigan State Police has put a version of the 2021 Mustang Mach-E SUV through its paces over the past week, and the Ford Pro all-electric police pilot vehicle seems to have met the agency's bar. According to Ford, it's the first EV that's passed the Michigan State Police's model year evaluation test.
The #MustangMachE just became the first all-electric vehicle to pass the rigorous vehicle evaluation tests by the Michigan State Police. Another real-world application for EVs to help law enforcement agencies reduce their fuel usage and CO2 emissions, plus it's freaking FAST. pic.twitter.com/vZSXDqc2xU
The agency is one of two that runs annual evaluations of new model year police vehicles. Later this fall, it will publish the results of those tests for law enforcement agencies across the US. Michigan State Police assessed the EV's acceleration, top speed, high-speed pursuit and braking attributes, along with emergency response handling.
The pilot vehicle's success in the tests is a win for Ford. Through its Police Interceptor program, the automaker alters vehicles for police use, usually by bulking up the suspension, brakes and horsepower. Ford plans to use the test results as a benchmark while it considers eventually making "purpose-built electric police vehicles" as part of its pledge to invest $30 billion into EV tech. Meanwhile, the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, has ordered two of the EVs to use as patrol cars.
The wait is nearly over. Jeep will debut the long-awaited 2022 Grand Cherokee, including the nameplate’s first-ever 4xe plug-in hybrid model, on September 29th at 9AM ET, the automaker announced today. Jeep had initially planned to debut the 2022 Grand Cherokee in August at the 2021 New York Auto Show, but that plan went out the window when the event was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
We got our first good look at the SUV when Jeep shared its updated electrification plans in July. Unsurprisingly, it looked a lot like the Grand Cherokee L but with a shorter wheelbase. The upcoming 4xe model is expected to feature the same gasoline-electric powertrain as the 2021 Wrangler 4xe. That SUV can output a combined 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque.
Its 4xe models are becoming increasingly important to Jeep. In July, the automaker said it expects electric vehicles to account for 70 percent of all of its sales by mid-decade. To that end, it plans to offer a “fully electric” 4xe model in every SUV category it sells by 2025.
The Department of Justice has reached an agreement with Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou that will let her return home to China, pending a judge's approval. Meng was arrested in Canada in 2018 on behalf of the US for allegedly violating American sanctions against Iran. She's been fighting attempts to extradite her to the US.
Meng, who is in house arrest while on bail, will admit to some improprieties and in return, prosecutors will postpone and eventually drop bank and wire fraud charges, according to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Meng remotely appeared at a federal court on Friday afternoon, with the Justice Department saying in a filing it will submit a "resolution" to the charges against her.
Prosecutors claimed that Meng misled banks in 2013 about Huawei's connections to Iran. She denied the charges, for which she had faced up to 30 years in prison.
Meng's detainment caused an international incident. Two Canadians were apprehended in China within days of Meng's arrest. The WSJ reports the deal with Meng could prompt China to release Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig.
Officials from the Trump administration are said to have offered Meng a similar deal last year, but she reportedly refused to admit to any wrongdoing. Biden admin officials reopened the talks in recent weeks, according to reports, and with Meng seemingly seeking a reunion with her family, she may have been more open to a compromise. A judge in Vancouver was expected to rule on Meng's possible extradition to the US later this year, following almost two years of hearings.
Huawei and its subsidiaries are still facing charges in the US, including conspiracy to steal trade secrets and racketeering conspiracy. The company is not said to be part of Meng's deal and it will reportedly keep fighting the charges.
Starting in 2030, California will require all light-duty autonomous vehicles that operate in the state to emit zero emissions. Signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday, SB 500 represents the latest effort by the state to limit the sale of new internal combustion vehicles with an eye towards reducing greenhouse emissions. In 2020, Newsom signed an executive order that effectively banned the sale of new gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles by 2035. That same year, the state’s Air Resources Board mandated that all new trucks sold in California emit zero emissions by 2045.
“We’re grateful for California’s leadership in ensuring this will be the industry standard,” said Prashanthi Raman, head of global government affairs at Cruise, in a statement to Engadget. “The AV industry is primed to lead the way in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in cities, and it’s why we’ve operated an all-electric, zero-emissions fleet from the start.” Cruise backed SB 500 through its involvement with the Emission Zero Coalition, a group that also includes autonomous delivery startup Nuro.
Per the Environmental Protection Agency, the transportation sector has been the single largest source of greenhouse emissions in the US since 2019, with light-duty vehicles accounting for more than half of that output. However, autonomous cars currently represent only a tiny fraction of the nearly 15 million vehicles on California roads. Moreover, both Cruise and Waymo, two of the most prominent companies testing fully autonomous taxi services in the state, utilize fleets made almost exclusively of electric and hybrid vehicles. This latest move from California then is about preventing autonomous vehicles from becoming major polluters in the future, particularly if driverless taxi services become popular among commuters.
This week brought iPhone reviews, new Surface devices and a bunch of tech deals across the web. Apple's MacBook Air M1 returns to the best price we've seen it while the iPad Air remains discounted by $100. Some of our favorite Sennheiser wireless earbuds are $100 off, too, and you can still grab a great deal from Oculus that knocks $100 off a second headset when you buy a Quest 2 VR system. Here are the best tech deals we found this week that you can still get today.
MacBook Air M1
Engadget
Apple's MacBook Air M1 is back down to an all-time low of $850, which is $150 off its normal price. It earned a score of 94 from us for its stellar performance, attractive, fanless design and its comfortable keyboard and trackpad.
Amazon has the new, space gray iPad mini for $459, or $40 off its normal price. Apple announced the upgraded tiny tablet last week and it's officially available today. We gave it a score of 89 for its much improved design, speedy performance with the A15 Bionic chip, long battery life and USB-C charging.
Apple's iPad Air is $100 off right now, bringing it down to $500. All five colors are on sale at Amazon. thanks to automatically applied coupons, although with various shipping times. We gave the Air a score of 90 for its speedy performance and WiFi, healthy battery life and support for the second-gen Apple Pencil.
Apple's Mac Mini M1 returned to its all-time-low price of $600 thanks to a sale and an automatically applied coupon. You're getting all of the performance boosts provided by the M1 chipset in a compact desktop package. This is a good machine to get if you have an older desktop that needs replacing, but you don't want to spend a ton of money.
Through September 27, you can get $100 off a second headset when you buy an Oculus Quest 2. That means you'll get two VR machines for as little as $500. We gave the Quest 2 a score of 89 for its powerful hardware, higher resolution screens and excellent performance as a standalone and a desktop VR set.
Amazon and Sennheiser have the excellent Momentum True Wireless 2 earbuds for $200, or $100 off their normal price. We gave these buds a score of 85 for their stellar audio quality, good ANC, smaller size and handy companion app.
The original Echo Show 5 is down to $45 again, a return to its all-time low. It's not much different from the second-generation device, which came out earlier this year, so you can safely save some money if you're willing to grab the older device. We gave the Echo Show 5 a score of 85 for its compact size, decent audio quality and its sunrise alarm feature.
With the announcement of an updated Kindle Paperwhite coming this October, Amazon knocked $50 off the previous Kindle Paperwhite, bringing it down to $80. We gave this e-reader a score of 95 for its improved, waterproof design, Audible support and higher-contrast display.
Google's Pixel 4 smartphone is down to a new low of $379 at B&H Photo. We believe the launch of the Pixel 6 to be right around the corner, so you may want to wait if you want the latest phone from Google. However, the Pixel 4 remains a solid handset — we liked its speedy performance, lovely display and stellar camera experience.
Through December 8, you can enter to win four-day passes to San Diego Comic-Con 2022. Along with the passes, you'll get access to a special preview night, reserved seating in Hall H, a personal concierge, a private tour of the Comic-Con Museum, dinner in Balboa Park and tickets to the "Night at the Comic-Con Museum" event. It's free to enter, but funds from this sweepstakes will go to the San Diego Comic Convention.
Amazon has the Logitech G915 TKL keyboard for $50 off, bringing it down to $180. This one has low profile mechanical switches and an attractive aluminum alloy body. It's also a wireless keyboard that can last up to 40 hours before it needs a recharge.
WarnerMedia pulled HBO Max from Amazon Prime Video Channels this week, but it's hoping to entice fans to subscribe directly with a new offer. Through September 26, new and returning HBO Max subscribers can get six months of the service for 50 percent off, which comes out to $7.49 per month. That's one of the best deals we've seen, but just remember the price will automatically go up after the six-month period.
NordVPN, one of our favorite VPNs, is running a sale on a two-year subscription. You can sign up and pay $99 for two years, plus you'll get an extra three months free. We like NordVPN for its speed, its no-logs policy, the thousands of servers it has to choose from and that one account supports up to six connected devices.
Netflix has announced a slate of upcoming true crime documentaries. Along with a second season of Tiger King, there's a documentary on the way that will dive into one of the messiest Bitcoin tales to date.
Trust No One: The Hunt For The Crypto King will debut in 2022. It centers around a group of cryptocurrency investors turned amateur detectives. They attempt to get to the bottom of the suspicious death of crypto exchange founder Gerald Cotten and figure out what actually happened to the $250 million they think he stole from them.
Cotten was the founder of QuadrigaCX, said to be the biggest crypto exchange in Canada for a spell. He died in December 2018 of Crohn's disease complications. According to his widow, Jennifer Robertson, Cotten was the only one who knew the passwords to QuadrigaCX's offline crypto storage, meaning that digital currency that was worth around $200 million CAD in early 2019 was no longer accessible.
However, internet sleuths uncovered some eyebrow-raising details about the saga. For one thing, Cotten wrote a will a month before his death in which he left all of his assets to Robertson. There were also suggestions QuadrigaCX didn't have enough cash on hand to pay all of its creditors and even that Cotten faked his death and disappeared with the money. The company ceased operations in 2019 after it was declared bankrupt.
The FBI started investigating that year, seeking information from those who lost money after Cotten's death and QuadrigaCX's collapse. It remains to be seen whether the documentary will include any concrete details about the resolution of the saga, but it should at least direct the spotlight toward one of the more curious crypto cases of recent years.
Also on the way to Netflix is The Tinder Swindler, a documentary about a conman who posed as a billionaire on the dating app and the women who tried to stop him. That documentary will start streaming in February.
A phone can be endowed with the fastest processor in the world, but if it’s saddled with a slow screen, it could still feel sluggish — especially when compared to a similarly equipped device with a faster panel. That’s why the iPhone 13 Pro’s most important new feature is its ProMotion display.
But ProMotion is only included on the Pro and Pro Max models this year, making it one of the features that differentiate them from the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, not to mention last year’s 12 Pro. For an extra $200 to $300, the Pro series also offers an additional telephoto camera, a new macro photography mode, as well as more power and endurance. But are the iPhone 13 Pro’s new cameras and screens worth the extra money?
Design
Before we get into those features, though, there’s one thing you should consider: weight. At 204 grams (7.19 ounces), the 6.1-inch 13 Pro is heavier than both the 12 Pro and the iPhone 13. The 13 Pro Max, which has a 6.7-inch screen, outweighs last year’s Pro Max and Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra. While I didn’t mind the regular Pro, it was uncomfortable to use Apple’s biggest flagship one-handed for more than a few minutes at a time.
David Imel for Engadget
In addition to being heavier than last year's models, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max are a bit thicker, too. They also have larger rear camera modules and slightly smaller display notches. Otherwise, Apple hasn’t strayed far from the 12 Pro’s design. These phones have similar stainless steel enclosures with glass coverings, and are rated IP68 for water and dust resistance.
Even the colors available are familiar: The typical trio of graphite, gold and silver are now accompanied by Sierra Blue. Personally, I prefer this paler shade to the Pacific Blue offered on the last generation.
Display and audio
I realized something when I started testing the iPhone 13 series last week: Basically everything I do on a phone requires scrolling. That includes browsing social feeds, looking for the right component on a spec sheet, reading through old conversations, creeping on my Instagram viewers and reading articles, to give you a non-exhaustive list.
This is why Apple’s new ProMotion screen on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max is a big deal, and also why it’s kind of annoying that it took the company so long to adopt this technology in the first place. Google was already a little behind when it added 90Hz panels to the Pixel 4, after companies like ASUS and OnePlus had already introduced higher refresh rates. Nowadays, this tech isn't just for premium, top-tier Android devices either.
David Imel for Engadget
This is hardly the first time Apple is late to adopt a new technology. But it is worth emphasizing that the faster screens on the iPhones make a real difference. Like many Android phones, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max adjust their refresh rates depending on what you’re doing. They can go as low as 10Hz when you’re looking at a static image, or up to 120Hz for scrolling and compatible games.
The benefits might not be obvious at first, but when you go back to a slower screen, you’ll quickly notice the jagged artifacts they produce.
Aside from ProMotion, the iPhone 13 Pro’s OLED displays are also 25 percent brighter than their predecessors, which is nice for outdoor reading. But without a side-by-side comparison, the difference is subtle at best.
Regardless, I enjoyed watching the visual perfection that is Doja Cat’s Kiss Me More music video on the iPhone 13 Pro’s True Tone display. The rosy, cotton-candy hues looked vibrant and her individual lashes were clear. The stereo speakers also did a respectable job of delivering crisp audio with adequate bass. Other things like voices and instrumental background music in videos and games all came through clearly as well.
Cameras
Apple says the iPhone 13 Pro’s rear cameras have received the “biggest upgrade ever,” touting “next-level hardware that captures so much more detail.” The triple 12-megapixel setup includes a primary sensor with a large f/1.5 aperture, a 77mm telephoto lens and an ultra-wide option with a 120-degree field of view. Night mode is now supported on all three of the cameras, so you don’t have to compromise on wide-angle or close up shots in low light. There’s also a new macro photography feature thanks to the updated ultra-wide lens, along with software like Photographic Styles and Cinematic Mode.
Those two modes are also offered on the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, and you can read my review of those phones for more details. In short, Photographic Styles lets you easily customize and set a sort of default for the contrast levels and color temperature of your images. Meanwhile, Cinematic Mode is good at identifying faces and people in a scene and blurring out everything surrounding a subject, but it struggled when I tried to change the focal point. The system is also a little wonky at outlining individuals, and stray body parts like thumbs and ears can get eaten up in the artificial blur. I found that adjusting the intensity via the f-stop setting helped keep this problem at bay, but the trade-off was less of a DSLR-like look in the final video.
David Imel for Engadget
One feature the Pros have over the regular 13 is macro photography. With this generation, you can get as close as two centimeters away from your subject and not lose focus. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t offer a way to manually enable a macro mode; the system automatically switches to the close-up camera when you get all up in something’s face.
The iPhone 13 Pro was generally accurate at detecting when I was trying to get a tight shot, but it kept changing back and forth between macro and regular views. Sometimes it would continually focus and refocus on the flowers behind the buds I was trying to shoot. The latter is a more understandable issue; every little hand tremor is magnified when a camera is zoomed that far in, making it hard to latch on to a subject. Not to mention something in motion, like a leaf in the wind. But that’s all the more reason to give users manual control.
Apple has said it will be releasing a software update soon that should prevent the camera from switching in and out of macro mode, which I of course can't vouch for yet.
When it worked as expected, macro mode delivered surprisingly great results. My shots of a closed flower bud and the vein system on a leaf’s surface were impressively detailed, showing individual hairs on the stem and petals. Close-ups of a fried fish clearly rendered the oil oozing out of the batter.
You need to make sure to let enough light shine on your subject, though, because my shots of a bee inside a flower were dark and splotchy. But that’s basically Photography 101; it’s not an issue specific to macro mode.
In general, the iPhone 13 Pro took sharp, colorful photos rivaling my sample shots from the Pixel 5 and Galaxy S21 Ultra. Apple’s default treatment renders pictures that are typically brighter and sometimes more saturated, but with Photographic Styles you can pick a look that you like and stick with it. I’m not a fan of the iPhone’s aggressive HDR effects compared to the Pixels’ more neutral landscapes, but frankly we’re at a point where Samsung, Google and Apple are generally on par in terms of sheer quality.
The iPhone 13 Pro’s upgraded sensors also really improved low light performance. I took photos of the moon peeking through some clouds in the middle of Manhattan skyscrapers with the S21 Ultra, Pixel 5 and iPhone 13 Pro, and they were all clean and sharp. They differed a bit in color temperature, but it’s not noticeable without a direct comparison. Google still retains an advantage with Night Sight, though; it produces photos that are significantly cleaner, brighter and richer in detail.
David Imel for Engadget
As for the 13 Pro’s front camera, it’s pretty much the same as the iPhone 13’s, and that’s not a bad thing. You’ll still get Cinematic Mode and Photographic Styles via the 12-megapixel True Depth sensor, and though selfies were a little soft in low light, they were otherwise sharp.
Because these are Pro-series phones, Apple also threw in support for ProRes videos in addition to its ProRAW format for stills… or at least it will eventually. ProRes won’t be available until a future iOS 15 update arrives at an unspecified date, but it promises to preserve colors at high quality. And, thanks to the A15’s hardware acceleration plus video encoders and decoders, you’ll be able to record in the format at up to 4K resolution (1080p for the base 128GB model) and 30 frames per second.
iOS 15
Speaking of, the iPhone 13 series runs iOS 15 out of the box, and I was able to test most of the new features when I tested the beta version. Focus modes, for example, let you set custom home pages and notification profiles based on your location or time of day. It’s one of my favorite new features on any smartphone platform in recent years because it allows people without a separate work device to switch off from work when they please.
David Imel for Engadget
Since most of iOS 15’s new features will be coming to older iPhones, though, they’re unlikely to sway your decision on whether to upgrade. We’ll have a more in-depth review of iOS 15, but suffice to say I appreciate the level of control it offers. I’m especially looking forward to testing out SharePlay, which hasn't rolled out yet, but will let you watch shows with or stream your phone screen to friends over FaceTime.
Performance and battery life
The main difference between the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro’s processors is that the latter uses a beefier 5-core GPU. This means that graphics-intensive tasks like gaming or video editing should be executed more quickly. I made a trailer in iMovie and while I had to wait 51 seconds for it to finish exporting on the iPhone 13, it took a mere 15 seconds on the Pro.
The iPhone 13 Pro’s A15 Bionic chip is similarly powerful in less-intensive tasks. I played rounds of Catan, watched various YouTube videos, chatted with friends, played music and snapped photos in rapid succession — all without any delay. And I know I’ve already said this a lot, but I have to stress again that the faster screens here just make most tasks feel more responsive.
In the week or so that I’ve had the iPhone 13 Pros, I’ve only needed to charge them twice. Granted, I spent most of the first few days focusing on the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, using the Pros predominantly when I was doing intensive camera testing. But when I switched over to the more-premium devices, the iPhone 13 Pro lasted almost a full two days before needing a charge. Battery levels dipped more quickly when I was playing games and exporting videos, but not so much that I had to worry about running out of juice.
Considering its higher refresh rate, that’s an impressive runtime. I’m still running battery tests across the iPhone 13 lineup, and will update this review with more empirical results as soon as that’s done. For now, though, it’s clear that despite the ProMotion displays, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max can last longer than a day.
David Imel for Engadget
Wrap-up
With faster screens, superb performance and long-lasting batteries, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max are excellent phones. If you’re on a device older than a 12 Pro, you should consider upgrading just for the new ProMotion displays. Though the cameras also got a noteworthy improvement, I’m not sure they’re going to be the biggest draw. It’s honestly hard to spot the difference in quality between photos taken by Apple’s recent flagships.
Features like Cinematic Mode, Photographic Styles and macro cameras are nice to have, but won’t define your iPhone 13 Pro experience. And though Apple was playing catch up to Android flagships by finally introducing 120Hz screens to its phones, there are now fewer things that Samsung and Google offer that the iPhones don’t. But for basically anyone who uses iOS, the iPhone 13 Pro (and Pro Max, if you don’t mind its weight) is a worthy upgrade.
Key specs (iPhone 13 Pro)
Processor: A15 Bionic with 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU
Storage: 128/256/512GB or 1TB storage
MicroSD card support: None
Display: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion up to 120Hz
Display resolution: 2,532 x 1,170 (460 ppi)
Rear triple cameras: 12MP f/1.5 wide-angle camera with sensor-shift OIS; 12MP f/1.8 ultra-wide camera (120-degree FOV); 12MP f/2.8 77mm telephoto camera
Front camera: 12MP f/2.2 TrueDepth camera
Operating system: iOS 15
Battery: "Up to 22 hours video playback"
Charging: Lightning port with fast wired charging at 20W (up to 50 percent in 30 minutes); Support for MagSafe wireless charging up to at 15W; Qi wireless charging at up to 7.5W.
Dimensions: 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.30 inches; 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.65 mm
Weight: 7.19 ounces; 204 grams
Fingerprint sensor: No
Waterproofing: IP68
NFC: Yes
Headphone jack: No
Key specs (iPhone 13 Pro Max)
Processor: A15 Bionic with 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU
Storage: 128/256/512GB or 1TB storage
MicroSD card support: None
Display: 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion up to 120Hz
Display resolution: 2,778 x 1,284 (458 ppi)
Rear triple cameras: 12MP f/1.5 wide-angle camera with sensor-shift OIS; 12MP f/1.8 ultra-wide camera (120-degree FOV); 12MP f/2.8 77mm telephoto camera
Front camera: 12MP f/2.2 TrueDepth camera
Operating system: iOS 15
Battery: "Up to 28 hours video playback"
Charging: Lightning port with fast wired charging at 20W (up to 50 percent in 30 minutes); Support for MagSafe wireless charging up to at 15W; Qi wireless charging at up to 7.5W.
Dimensions: 6.33 x 3.07 x 0.30 inches; 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.65 mm
China is continuing to push forward in its cryptocurrency crackdown. The People’s Bank of China says crypto transactions are illegal and called for a formal ban. It cited concerns about national security and the safety of residents' assets.
The bank claims cryptocurrencies aren’t fiat currency and can’t be circulated, as Bloomberg reports. Any transactions involving crypto are now deemed to be criminal financial activity. The bank told financial and internet companies to stop allowing crypto trades on their platforms. Foreign exchanges are banned from providing services to Chinese residents too.
The rise of crypto has invoked an increase in “money laundering, illegal fund-raising, fraud, pyramid schemes and other illegal and criminal activities,” the bank said. Those appearing to violate the rules will be “investigated for criminal liability.”
Several agencies in the country are working together to clamp down on crypto use. The National Development and Reform Commission is looking to put a halt to crypto mining, as TechCrunch notes. The Sichuan local government banned crypto mining in June, prompting some miners to leave the country.
The price of Bitcoin dropped from around $45,000 to approximately $41,500 on Friday morning, following the announcement.
It's fall, and new gadget season has officially begun! This week, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into all of Microsoft's new hardware: The Surface Laptop Studio, Pro 8 and Duo 2. Also, Commerce Editor Valentina Palladino joins to chat about the iPhone 13, 13 Mini and her iPad Mini review. And of course, we carve out some time to yell at Facebook.
Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
Credits Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar Guest: Valentina Palladino Producer: Ben Ellman Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos,Luke Brooks Graphics artists: Luke Brooks, Kyle Maack Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien
Amazon is working on a number of new devices including an Echo with a 15-inch wall-mounted display, a soundbar, new Echo Auto technology and wearables. Some may appear fairly soon at the company's September 28th hardware event, according to a Bloomberg report.
The splashiest-looking product would be an Alexa-enabled Echo with a display size around 15-inches. Codenamed Hoya, it could not only be placed on a stand like a regular Echo device, but mounted on a wall as well. It would serve as a smart-home center to control lights, cameras, locks and other devices, while showing weather, timers, appointments, photos and more. It's specifically designed to work in the kitchen, displaying recipes and YouTube cooking videos, while letting you stream Netflix and other apps.
The company may also announce its own soundbar, codenamed Harmony, to accompany a rumored lineup of Amazon-branded TVs. Unlike third-party Alexa-enabled soundbars, it would have a front-facing camera and support video calls from TVs, much like Facebook's Portal TV.
Finally, it's reportedly developing a new version of Echo Auto (codenamed Marion). The updated version will supposedly have a new design and allow for device charging via inductive technology. Amazon currently has a partnership with Ford to put Alexa in 700,000 vehicles, but it's apparently looking to team up with other automakers, too.
Other items in the works include new Echo speakers for 2022 and wearables for kids and seniors (the latter with fall detection). It's also reportedly building dedicated processors to improve artificial intelligence along with new technology to help its Fire TV, Echo and other devices work better together.
The company has some other, somewhat more unusual products in the works as well, according to the report. It has been working on a home robot codenamed Vesta that would use the Alexa interface and also an Alexa-powered karaoke microphone — though the team working on the latter project was reportedly disbanded.
OLED makes Dell's already excellent XPS 15 even better. That's it, that's all you need to know. I've seen dozens of OLED screens over the last decade, and they never fail to impress. By their very nature they look bolder and capture inky blacks better than most LCD screens. So take that together with the latest hardware from Intel and NVIDIA, and you've got a surefire ultraportable powerhouse.
Now, if you remember last year's redesigned XPS 15 you'll probably have a hard time telling this new model apart. It still has a sturdy and thin aluminum unibody case, but the star of the show is the 15.6-inch display. It has some of the thinnest bezels on the market, which almost makes the screen seem as if it's floating in the air. New this year is the 3.5K OLED touchscreen model, but you can also choose from two LCD panels: a 4K+ touchscreen and a 1080p+ display. The plus on those resolutions just means they pack a few more vertical pixels to reach a 16 x 10 aspect ratio.
While I'm clearly partial to what OLED adds to the experience, all of the displays should look great. They each support Dolby Vision HDR, and the LCD models are also fairly bright at 500 nits. The OLED version maxes out at 400 nits, but the vastly better contrast should make up for it. It's also the only screen that supports 100 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut, making it ideal for artists who demand color accuracy.
I'll admit: I'm mainly reviewing the XPS 15 to gawk at its screen. As soon as I powered it up, I put on the Matrix Resurrections trailer in 4K HDR just to see if it looked better than my OLED TV. Of course the TV looked better, but I was still impressed by the XPS 15. The glimpses we see at night look truly black, bright elements like explosions and sunlight were so brilliant they made me tear up a bit, and it managed to juggle scenes that had both bright and dark aspects. That's the advantage of OLED.
To push the XPS 15's display to the max, I turned to Ang Lee's Gemini Man, one of the few films viewable in 4K with HDR at 60 frames per second. Say what you will about the movie, but the OLED screen made the shootout between Will Smith and his younger clone feel almost as thrilling as watching it in theaters. Sure, it doesn't have a full 4K resolution, but that's not something you'll really notice while watching it. Another bonus: Dell's upward-firing speakers did a decent job throughout most of the action.
Outside of video, the XPS 15's OLED screen made looking at just about everything a joy. I've never had so much fun scrolling through text-heavy websites — even jotting ideas down in Evernote felt a bit more satisfying, thanks to the ultra crisp text. Photos just about popped off the screen, as you'd expect. The DCI-P3 color range is around 25 percent wider than the more common sRGB, which means images will be able to show off more depth.
The only way the XPS 15's screen could look better was if it took a cue from gaming laptops and offered a faster refresh rate. Going above 60Hz makes scrolling images and text look instantly smoother, but it'll likely be a few years before work-focused notebooks take advantage of that tech.
PCMark 10
3DMark Night Raid
ATTO disk speeds (top read/write)
Dell XPS 15 (Intel i7-11800H, NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti 45w)
ASUS ZenBook Duo (Intel Core i7-1165G7, Xe graphics)
4,704
15,315
3.3 GB/s / 2.48 GB/s
Our XPS 15 review unit was powered by an eight-core Intel i7-11800H, 16GB of RAM and a 45-watt version of NVIDIA's RTX 3050 Ti GPU. That's on the low-end of that GPU's potential power usage — it can go all the way up to 80 watts — which means it's far less capable than the same card in a gaming notebook. Still, it should be a huge upgrade from last year's GTX 1650 Ti. In the GPU-focused Geekbench 5 Compute benchmark, for example, the XPS 15 notched around 6,000 more points than last year's model.
I can't imagine too many people will be judging the XPS 15 on its gaming capabilities, not when you can get faster screens and potentially better hardware for similar prices from dedicated laptops. But if you're just itching to get a bit of Overwatch action in once in a while, it's good enough to reach 70fps in Overwatch at 2,560 by 1,600 (1,440p+) at the highest graphics settings. Honestly, it has enough power to tackle most modern games. Just don't try playing them at 3.5K.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
The XPS 15 also scored around 50 percent higher in the PCMark 10 benchmark, something I'd attribute both to that Intel CPU and the NVIDIA hardware. You can expect it to tackle most intense workloads with ease. It managed to transcode a one-minute 4K video file into 1080p in 35 seconds using Handbrake and the NVIDIA encoder.
As for the XPS 15's keyboard and trackpad, they're unchanged from last year. I appreciated the keyboard's wide layout and responsive keys, though I hope Dell explores ways to add even more depth. It'd be nice for some of that CherryMX technology from Alienware's gaming laptops to make its way to the XPS line. The trackpad, meanwhile, is luxuriously smooth. No complaints there.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
I'd like to see more than three USB-C ports, but at least two of them support Thunderbolt 4. And I'll always give a laptop extra credit for including a full-sized SD card slot. That's something photographers everywhere will appreciate. I was also surprised to find that the OLED screen didn't ding the XPS’s battery life as much as I thought it would. It lasted for nine hours and 55 minutes in our battery benchmark, compared to 10 hours and 10 minutes on last year's model with a 4K+ LCD.
The only downside of the XPS 15 is that Dell was a bit slow to add OLED. Remember, the company said OLED would be coming to the XPS 15 since CES 2019. I was surprised that Dell didn't include it in the XPS 15's redesign last year and I wager the pandemic slowed things down a bit. But other PC makers, like ASUS, were much quicker to build OLED laptops, so it’s hard to make excuses for Dell.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
The new XPS 15 starts at $1,300 with a Core i5 processor, integrated graphics, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. You'd have to shell out $2,000 to nab our review unit with a 512GB SSD. Those are reasonable prices for 15-inch workhorse machines, especially when the 16-inch MacBook Pro is a rather painful $2,400 and still has an aging ninth-gen Intel chip.
Honestly, I didn't expect Dell to do much with the XPS 15 after last year. But the addition of OLED goes a long way. It's one of the best screens you can find on a laptop today. It's so good, in fact, that it makes the XPS 15 almost perfect.
With its September Xbox update, Microsoft has brought the new, Chromium-based Edge browser to Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles. It supports a keyboard and mouse and will introduce new capabilities like access to Google Stadia, Discord, web apps and more.
Microsoft started testing the Edge update on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S earlier this year, but today it's coming to everyone. Edge has been the default browser on Xbox One, but not the latest Chromium version that enables features like Google Stadia gameplay.
It promises a "fast, secure and modern browsing experience right from your console," Microsoft wrote. It's nearly identical to the desktop version, with features like vertical tabs, collections and syncing of settings, favorites, history, tabs and more to other signed-in devices. As Reddit users have noted, though, it's missing extensions — so you won't be able to use an ad-blocker for now.
With mouse and keyboard support, gamers will find it far easier to use productivity apps. More importantly, you'll be able to play Google Stadia or Steam PC games with either a mouse and/or the Xbox controller. For now, there's no microphone support for live chats on Discord or other apps, according to The Verge.
Microsoft also trumpeted the release of Play Later discovery, but it's not clear how that differs from the current Play Later features. It also re-announced the arrival of game streaming to PC via Xbox Game Pass cloud or using Xbox Remote Play. The new features are now available to all Xbox consoles.
Like a band with too few hit singles, the European Union is resorting to playing the classics over and over again. The bloc has, like clockwork, tabled a proposal for legislators to think about maybe possibly having a debate about if it’s worth creating a common charging standard.
This has happened more than a few times before, as it pushed micro-USB as a voluntary standard in 2009 and tried to pass it into law in 2014. And in 2018. And it started this process again in January 2020, although some world-shattering event got in the way of that process.
The new proposal would require that “all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld video game consoles” would use USB-C for charging. The law would also “unbundle” the sale of chargers from devices as a way of reducing e-waste.
EU officials are also proposing for technology manufacturers to harmonize their fast charging technology to ensure continuity between devices. Officials added that such harmonization would prevent “different producers unjustifiably [limiting] the charging speed” which isn't really the issue here.
Naturally, the obvious target for this is Apple, which has already come out against the proposal. Perhaps it will be this, rather than anything else, that prompts the arrival of the long-rumored portless iPhone.
This proposal may, like its predecessors, wind up dashed against the rocks of politics never to be heard from again. But, even if it does succeed, the transition period is going to be sufficiently long that no company needs to worry about this being some sort of cruel surprise.
It aims to eliminate the worst of Amazon’s warehouse policies.
California governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB-701 into law, a bill which aims to regulate productivity quotas for warehouse workers. Inspired by the horror stories of poor treatment coming out of Amazon’s logistics facilities, the law will make quotas more transparent. Workers will also be able to say no to doing work which isn’t in compliance with health and safety laws and can’t be fired for failing to meet an unsafe quota. The law, which comes into effect on January 1st, 2022, could improve the quality of life for thousands of employees. Or not.
Northwest University’s John Rogers is back in the headlines after his team created a microchip the size of a grain of sand. The team say that the chip, which could be made from biodegradable materials, would be carried on the wind like a cottonwood seed. It’s hoped that the chips will host sensors which could track air pollution or the spread of airborne diseases. If the team can work out the kinks in the idea, the chips could become vital tools for environmental monitoring in the future.
‘Lower Decks’ plays around with the knottiest of philosophical problems.
CBS
Humanity has yet to satisfactorily answer the question about how many rights, if any, an artificial intelligence deserves to have. It’s an issue that the latest episode of Lower Decks blows the odd raspberry toward during its latest episode. Mariner and Boimler wind up babysitting a sinister AI on its way to the Daystrom institute, with plenty of time to consider the issues. Or not, as it is, after all, an animated sitcom. Once you’ve watched the episode, however, come check out Kris Naudus’ deep dive into the episode, the highlight of which is the return of Star Trek legend Jeffrey Combs to the series that loves him the most. Kris also took a deep dive into this week’s episodes of Marvel’s What If and Star Wars: Visions if that’s more your sort of thing.
Razer has launched a cheaper version of its popular Kaira gaming headset that ditches the wireless connectivity to save money. The Kaira X costs $60, down from the $100 of its older sibling, and ships with a 3.5mm cable for connecting to your console of choice. Otherwise, however, you’ll still get the same 50mm “TriForce” drivers, cardioid boom mic and on-headset controls. If there’s one other compromise, it’s in the colorways: The PlayStation-compatible version is only shipping in a matching (and very fetching) monochrome.
A three-part documentary series on DC Comics is coming to HBO Max, according to Deadline. Warner Bros. Unscripted Television is producing the documentary, which will detail the influence and legacy of DC from the time it was established and the time Superman was born in the 1930s. The division is working with Leslie Iwerks (as co-director and executive producer) and Greg Berlanti (as executive producer) for the project.
Iwerks is known for several other high-profile documentaries, including The Pixar Story that showed audiences what happens behind the scenes at the animation studio and The Imagineering Story, which gives viewers a look at how Disney develops rides and attractions for its parks. She will co-direct the documentary with Mark Catalena, who served as editor for The Imagineering Story. Meanwhile, Berlanti is a prolific writer, director and producer who'd previously worked on Doom Patrol, Supergirl, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Superman and Lois, The Flash and Black Lightning.
Jim Lee, DC's Publisher and Chief Creative Officer, said in a statement:
"DC has a rich legacy of over 80 years of iconic storytelling: from the introduction of the genre defining Super Hero Superman in 1938 to the amazing movies, TV shows, cartoons, games and comics which have been synonymous with superheroism for generations thereafter. We are so excited to dive into this history and bring fans along this amazing journey."
The docu series doesn't have a release date yet, but it will expand HBO Max's DC offerings further when it arrives. WarnerMedia started migrating all DC Universe content to HBO Max last year, making the former streaming platform a comics-only subscription service.
