Author Archives: Steve Dent

Fujifilm X100 VI review: A one-of-a-kind camera for street photography and travel

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Fujifilm’s X100 V became a surprising viral hit thanks to influencers who loved not only its performance but also its retro-chic cool factor. Now, the company has launched its successor, the similar-looking but more-capable X100 VI. It’s only been on sale a short time, but retailers are already reporting months-long waiting lists.

It features some key improvements over the previous model, including a much higher-resolution 40-megapixel sensor, in-body stabilization and better video. At the same time, it retains the looks and compact size people loved about the X100 V.

I couldn’t wait to get a hold of one to check out the performance for myself and see if it’s worth a purchase or upgrade. To test, I hopped on the Eurostar over to London with my French photographer friends to see if it’s worth the high price and considerable wait.

Body and handling

The X100 series is beloved in large part because of the vintage rangefinder camera styling, and Fujifilm didn’t mess with that. In addition to the near-identical looks, the X100 VI’s button and dial layout is unchanged. Fujifilm also kept the previous model’s 23mm f/2 lens.

To accommodate the in-body stabilization, the X100 VI is slightly chunkier and weighs 18.4 ounces, about 1.4 ounces more than before. That’s not much, but every bit counts for a camera designed to be carried around all day.

The control design with dedicated dials for ISO, shutter, aperture and exposure compensation is a bit old-fashioned compared to modern cameras. But it does serve a purpose, showing settings at a glance. That’s a must for shooting on the fly.

The X100 VI isn’t just cosplaying as a rangefinder, either. On top of the 3.69-million dot electronic viewfinder (same as the last model), it offers a rangefinder-style optical finder and a hybrid of the two with a picture-in-picture EVF. The last setting is for people who still want a digital security blanket, and it works very well.

Also unchanged is the rear display, allowing basic up and down tilting for high or low angle shooting. That’s not great for selfies or vlogging, but perfect for shooting from the hip.

The menu system is mostly the same, which is a good thing as it’s relatively easy to find key settings. To avoid diving in, though, you can use the quick menu and numerous buttons and dials for easier adjustments. It’s also customizable and I’d advise buyers to set it up to their preferences to avoid any shooting errors.

The X100 VI has a single slot that only supports slower UHS-I cards, unfortunately, along with a USB-C port for charging and data. The MicroHDMI port also lets you use external recorders, though the tiny camera looks awkward with one attached. Finally, the battery is the same smallish one as before, unfortunately — more on that in a bit.

Fujifilm X100 VI sample image gallery
Samuel Dejours for Engadget

Despite the higher resolution, the X100 VI still shoots at a decent 11 fps, with buffer space for about 17 uncompressed RAW frames. JPEG bursts are a bit faster at 13 fps in electronic shutter mode and the buffer size jumps to 37 frames in that case.

Unless you really need total silence, the mechanical shutter is your best bet. It’s very quiet, and you’ll see considerable rolling shutter in electronic mode.

Autofocus is much-improved compared to the V. It’s more reliable for subject tracking and adds new autofocus modes for animals, birds, cars, motorcycles, airplanes and trains. Fuji’s eye- and subject-detection are in separate modes though, forcing you to change settings.

Fujifilm’s AF system was already middling, lagging behind Sony and Canon. The X100 VI is even less effective than Fujifilm’s larger X-H2 and X-T5, due to the slowish motors on the fixed lens. That means focusing on moving subjects is a bit hit or miss. That said, burst shooting is not what this camera is for and the fact that it’s decent at all is a bonus.

Fujifilm X100 VI mirrorless camera review
Steve Dent for Engadget

In-body stabilization might be the biggest improvement to come to the X100 lineup. With six stops of shake reduction, you can get sharp photos down to about a quarter second. That lets you blur motion to make interesting, creative shots.

The optical finder takes some getting used to, as it’s not a direct view through the lens like with DSLRs. It’s off to the side of the lens, so this parallax means subjects that are close to the camera may not be framed the way you expect. That’s why the EVF insert mode is so handy as it supplies a second true view of the scene.

One issue is battery life, with only 450 shots on a charge or 310 if you use the EVF. I found that one battery wasn’t enough for a full day’s shooting, so factor extra ones into your buying decision. You may also want an external charger, as Fujifilm doesn’t supply one in the box.

The 40MP sensor obviously delivers a big boost in resolution over the X100 V’s 26MP. The extra pixels are also handy if you need to crop in, which is a common requirement with a fixed wide-angle lens camera. And while the lens is the same as before, it’s sharp enough to resolve the extra detail.

If this sensor seems familiar, that’s because it’s the same as the one on the X-T5 and X-H2, so the image quality here is similar to those. In-camera treatment of JPEG and 10-bit HEIF files is handled well, with pleasant, accurate colors and a nice balance of noise reduction and detail. You can often share photos straight out of the camera, too, something that’s important to street photographers who do little to no post-processing.

The 14-bit RAW photos offer plenty of room for fine-tuning, even in bright or dark areas. However, if you underexpose shots and try to boost levels, noise can get out of hand compared to a full-frame camera.

Fujifilm X100 VI sample image gallery

The higher resolution doesn’t hurt image quality much at higher ISOs. Noise is well controlled up to ISO 6400, and you can go up to 12800 if exposure is set correctly. I was impressed with the quality when shooting in bars and other dark environments.

And of course, the X100 VI offers Fujifilm’s full array of film simulation modes. You can experiment with popular looks like Velvia, Eterna or Acros black and white, and still have a full-color RAW backup. As the only major camera company also selling 35mm film, Fuji’s simulations are the most pleasing and realistic.

The X100 VI’s excellent video specs are another bonus. It has nearly the same feature set as the X-T5, so you can shoot 6.2K at 30 fps with a 1.23x crop, or 4K at up to 60 fps with line-skipping and a 1.14x crop. The camera also offers sub-sampled 4K at up to 30p using the full sensor width, or high-quality 4K 30p with a 1.23x crop. Fujifilm also introduced 10-bit and F-Log2.

Fujifilm X100 VI review
Samuel Dejours for Engadget

It took me a while to get used to the different modes and cropping levels. At 6.2K and 4K HQ, rolling shutter is pronounced so you’ll need to be aware of that. At the same time, full-sensor sub-sampled 4K is noticeably more low-res than the HQ mode.

Video autofocus matches what I saw with photos, meaning it was decent but not super reliable for moving subjects. The AI-powered AF did lock onto subjects, but again, couldn’t always keep up to flying birds, animals or vehicles.

Handheld video is now a realistic option with in-body stabilization. It worked well as long as I didn’t move around much, and offers a “boost” mode that smooths out jiggles further. Digital stabilization is also an option, but isn’t supported with the 6K or HQ modes, and doesn’t really reduce jolts for walking or fast movements.

Video quality is solid for a small compact camera, offering the same accurate colors you see in JPEG photo modes. Shooting in 10-bit F-Log makes it possible to adjust footage considerably in post or get creative. You can also shoot video using the film simulation modes if you want a specific look straight out of the camera.

Fujifilm X100 VI sample image gallery
Samuel Dejours for Engadget

Fujifilm has made all the right moves to keep the X100 VI’s popularity high by tucking a very competent street and travel camera into a beautiful retro-cute body. The extra resolution, in-body stabilization and new video features should be more than enough to tempt owners to upgrade.

At $1,600, the X100 VI doesn’t have a lot of competition — which is odd, given its success. Leica springs to mind with the Q3, though that costs a whopping $6,000. Another option is the $1,000 Ricoh GR IIIx, which also offers in-body stabilization and an ND filter. However, resolution is lower at 24MP and it lacks the X100 VI’s high-end video features.

Sony’s ZV-1 II is also in this compact category, but it’s mostly designed for video. Keep an eye on Panasonic, as it may release a new compact camera, according to recent rumors. In any case, if you’re in the market for a high-end compact and can afford the X100 VI, I wouldn’t hesitate — there’s a lot of camera inside that beautiful body.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fujifilm-x100-vi-review-a-one-of-a-kind-camera-for-street-photography-and-travel-133004951.html?src=rss

Nintendo to announce Switch successor before March 2025

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Nintendo will unveil a successor to the Switch sometime "within this fiscal year" ending March 2025, president Shuntaro Furukawa wrote in a post on X. That differs slightly from reports that the next-gen console would be announced this year, as it could also be revealed early in 2025. 

The company added that it will not release any details on the Switch 2 (or whatever it'll be called) at its upcoming Nintendo Direct event in June, so we won't hear anything until at least the second half of 2024.  

"It will have been over nine years since we announced the existence of Nintendo Switch back in March 2015," Furukawa wrote. "We will be holding a Nintendo Direct this June regarding the Nintendo Switch software lineup for the latter half of 2024, but please be aware that there will be no mention of the Nintendo Switch successor during that presentation."

Nintendo also dropped its earnings report that contained both good and bad news. The company had already boosted its Switch sales forecast for the last fiscal year to 15.5 million units, but it bested that figure with 15.7 million units sold for the full year ending March 2024. While down compared to the previous year (17.97 million units), it helped Nintendo grow sales and operating profit by 4.4 and 4.9 percent, respectively, year over year.

Things won't be so rosy in fiscal 2025, though, as the company projects that Switch sales will drop to 13.5 million units for the year ending in March 2025. That will result in a 19.3 percent and 24.4 percent drop in net sales and operating profit, respectively. 

Nintendo has done a good job maintaining Switch sales, considering that the console went on sale over seven years ago. That was helped in large part last year by games including bestsellers The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Bros. Wonder.  

Now that Nintendo has given a timeframe for the launch of the new console, however, interest in buying the current Switch is bound to wane. The company no doubt hopes that several upcoming titles, including Paper Mario (May 23) and Luigi's Mansion 2 (June 27), will help juice sales. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-to-announce-switch-successor-before-march-2025-091457457.html?src=rss

Sony quickly backs down on Helldivers 2 PSN requirement for PC players

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After creating a massive kerfuffle by forcing Helldivers 2 PC players to link their Steam accounts to the PlayStation Network, Sony is backing down. The May 6 update will no longer be released and, presumably, the game won't be removed from sale on Steam in 177 countries and territories as reported yesterday.

"Helldivers fans — we’ve heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account linking update," the company said on X. "The May 6 update, which would have required Steam and PlayStation Network account linking for new players and for current players beginning May 30, will not be moving forward."

In a separate post, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt said, "firstly, I am impressed by the willpower of the @helldivers2 community and your ability to collaborate. Secondly I want to thank our partners and friends at @PlayStation for quickly and effectively making the decision to leave PSN linking optional. We together want to set a new standard for what a live game is, and how developers and community can support each other to create the best game experiences."

After Sony's announcement that it would require players to link their Steam and PSN accounts, users pushed back en masse. Thety complained not just about privacy issues, but the fact that the game was removed from all countries without PSN access — some 177 in total, according to @SteamDB. That resulted in over 200,000 negative reviews on the game, which led to an apology from Pilestedt. "Ouch, right in the review score," he wrote. 

Earlier this year, Sony President Hiroki Totoki promised to shrink the gap between PlayStation 5 and PC releases in an effort to grow profit margins. Helldivers 2 followed that dictum, releasing to PSN and PC on the same day, February 8. 

Helldivers 2 was supposed to require a PSN link from launch day, but Sony delayed the plan due to network limitations. Other multiplayer titles include Ghost of Tsushima (Legends) also supposedly require a PSN account, but it's not clear if Sony will retain that requirement given the recent bad publicity. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-quickly-backs-down-on-helldivers-2-psn-requirement-for-pc-players-120030227.html?src=rss

Boom’s XB-1 supersonic jet has been authorized to break the speed of sound

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Boom's supersonic XB-1 test jet has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to fly past Mach 1, the company announced. Tests are slated to take place later this year at the Black Mountain Supersonic Corridor in Mojave, CA, and the results could help prove the feasibility of the design in areas like fuel consumption, speeds and flight characteristics.

"Following XB-1’s successful first flight, I’m looking forward to its historic first supersonic flight,” said Boom Supersonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl. "We thank the Federal Aviation Administration for supporting innovation and enabling XB-1 to continue its important role of informing the future of supersonic travel."

The approval arrives just weeks after a successful X-B1 test flight at subsonic speeds by a pair of test pilots. It follows a thorough review and environmental assessment, and mandates a chaise plane to trail the XB-1 to monitor and record flight safety, according to the company.

The company will conduct 10-20 flights before attempting to break the speed of sound. It will "systematically expand the flight envelope during that time" to confirm performance and handling qualities, Boom said, while performing in-flight checks of all systems and demonstrating a safe margin to flutter/vibration boundaries. Test pilot Tristan "Geppetto" Brandenberg will be at the controls during the first supersonic flight.

Passenger flights are still a long way off, though. The XB-1 is a scaled-down version of Boom's ultimate goal, a commercial liner called Overture that's expected to carry under 100 passenger at "business class" comfort levels. The company has said that plane will be able to fly from Tokyo to Seattle in four hours and thirty minutes. 

The company has seen its share of issues, with test plans delayed and a rupture with original engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce. The company subsequently partnered with a company called FTT to develop its own custom "Symphony" jet engine. Still, the company already has customers lined up, with American Airlines and United Airlines having place orders for multiple jets. 

NASA is also working on a supersonic jet called the X-59 with a reduced sonic profile, but Boom Supersonic hasn't provided much detail on how it plans to reduce the, well, supersonic boom.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/booms-xb-1-supersonic-jet-has-been-authorized-to-break-the-speed-of-sound-120036963.html?src=rss

Google says its secure entry passkeys have been used a billion times

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As part of World Password Day (yes, that's a thing), Google is hyping up its security achievements and sharing updates on its latest endeavors. The company revealed passkey adoption metrics for the first time and said they have been used more than one billion times by 400 million Google accounts. "Since launching, passkeys have proven to be faster than passwords, since they only require users to simply unlock their device using a fingerprint, face scan or pin to log in," Google wrote.

The company launched broad support for passkeys in 2022 and rolled them out across its services a year ago. Over the past 12 months, the technology has been adopted by Amazon, 1Password, Dashlane, Docusign and others, joining companies like eBay, PayPal and WhatsApp. Google boasted that the tech helped Kayak users sign in 50 percent faster and said Dashlane has seen a 70 percent increase in conversion with passkeys. 

Google will soon be expanding passkeys to users at the highest risk of targeted attacks as part of its Advanced Protection Program (APP). That offering is aimed at individuals including campaign workers and candidates, journalists, human rights workers and others, according to the company. 

"APP enrollment traditionally required the use of hardware security keys as a second factor, but users will soon have the option to enroll with any passkey in addition to using their hardware security keys," Google wrote. "This expanded passkey support will help reduce the barrier of entry to APP while still providing phishing resistant authentication... [and] is coming during a critical election year." 

It's also expanding Cross-Account Protection to safeguard users on multiple platforms. That system lets Google share security notifications about suspicious event with non-Google apps and services. "This is a critical benefit since cybercriminals often use an initial entry point as a foothold to gain access to more of your information." 

Google suggests creating a passkey for your account to benefit from the new protections. In the meantime, practice good password hygiene by using long passwords with a mix of characters, numbers and symbols, applying two-factor authentication (2FA), never recycling passwords and more. According to HIPAA, attackers can crack a simple 8-number password in just 37 seconds, but it takes 19 quadrillion years to break an 18-digit cypher with a mix of numbers, upper and lowercase letters and symbols. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-says-its-secure-entry-passkeys-have-been-used-a-billion-times-120001230.html?src=rss

Olivia Rodrigo, Drake and other Universal artists return to TikTok

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TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG) have signed a deal that will allow Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, The Weeknd and other artists to return to the platform, the companies announced in a press release. Universal pulled songs from its roster of performers back in February and with some exceptions, its music hasn't been there since. Both sides are now "working expeditiously" to get content back on the platform that's home to a billion-plus users. 

A key part of the deal is artist protection from generative AI. "TikTok and UMG will work together to ensure AI development across the music industry will protect human artistry and the economics that flow to those artists and songwriters," the companies wrote. "TikTok is also committed to working with UMG to remove unauthorized AI-generated music from the platform, as well as tools to improve artist and songwriter attribution."

Also part of the deal are "new monetization opportunities" from TikTok's recent expansion into e-commerce. TikTok will reportedly also assist artists by providing tools around analytics, integrated ticketing, an "Add to Music App" and more. 

Universal took the drastic move of pulling music earlier this year, forcing the platform to mute videos or replace tracks with options from other labels. "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," UMG said at the time. 

Last month, Taylor Swift's songs returned to TikTok, likely because she has full control of her own catalogue and was able to strike a separate deal. Some songs by other UMG artists, including Ariana Grande, also started appearing on the platform.

The dispute appears to be water under the bridge, but it's the least of TikTok's problems at the moment. US Congress recently voted in favor of a bill that would see TikTok banned in a year unless owner ByteDance sells the app. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/olivia-rodrigo-drake-and-other-universal-artists-return-to-tiktok-094057811.html?src=rss

T-Mobile finally owns Ryan Reynolds-backed Mint Mobile

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Over a year after announcing it would acquire Mint Mobile for up to $1.35 billion, T-Mobile has closed the deal. With the Un-Carrier's purchase of parent Ka'ena Corporation, it will not only get Mint, but internationally focused prepaid operator Ultra Mobile and wholesale wireless provider Plum. T-Mobile also promised to keep Mint Mobile's $15 per month/5GB offering that's among the least costly in the US.

Mint Mobile is backed by Ryan Reynolds, who is believed to own 20 to 25 percent of the company. The purchase was announced back in March 2023, but the FCC only approved the deal last week. Mint will continue to be operated as a separate brand with Reynolds as pitchman and founders David Glickman and Rizwan Kassim joining T-Mobile to guide the brands. 

Mint Mobile's $15 plan has a few loopholes, namely you have to pay for three months at the start to get that rate, then pay for an entire year to keep it ($180 in total). As a perk, T-Mobile is offering "unlimited" (40GB with throttling, really) data for the first months. Customers will also get unlimited talk and text in Canada, along with 3GB of roaming data. 

Mint's rivals include T-Mobile itself, which has a very similar plan but a hard cap at 5GB, along with AT&T, which offers 15GB for $25 including 10GB of hotspot data. A one-year contract and up-front payment is required for the latter. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/t-mobile-finally-owns-ryan-reynolds-backed-mint-mobile-082450117.html?src=rss

Nikon’s Z8 is a phenomenal mirrorless camera for the price

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Nikon is arguably the world's most famous camera brand, but with the decline of DSLRs it has lagged behind Canon and Sony. In 2022, it released the Z9, a flagship mirrorless camera that could finally hold its own against rivals, but the $5,500 price tag put it out of reach for most. To appeal to a wider audience, Nikon unveiled the Z8 last year with the same sensor and nearly the same specs as the Z9 for $1,700 less.

With a 45-megapixel stacked sensor and the latest Expeed 7 image processor, the Z8 can do everything from sports to wildlife to scenic photography. It's also a powerful video camera, offering 8K RAW internal capture at up to 60 fps.

The only other model that can really compare in terms of speed, resolution and video is the Sony A1, but it costs a whopping $2,200 more. To find out how the Z8 stacks up against that model and others, I rented a Z8 and shot with it around Vancouver, Canada with my photographer cousin.

Body and handling

Design-wise, you can think of the Z8 as the Z9 with the battery grip chopped off. It's still a chunky camera at 910 grams (2 pounds), though, compared to 737 grams for the Sony A1. That might suit pros or those who like a larger camera body, but the size and weight aren't ideal for travel. By the way, a $346 battery grip (the MB-N12) with secondary controls is available for the Z8, effectively transforming it into a Z9 for far less money.

The Z8 has a nice big grip and all the controls you'd expect, including a joystick, D-Pad style menu control, switch for camera/video settings and front and rear dials. Nikon users will enjoy the layout as it's largely similar to past models, but everything is just different enough that it may feel awkward for users coming from other brands.

Unlike the A1, the Z8 features a display on top that shows key settings like shutter, aperture and battery life. Although it takes up space that could be used by buttons or dials, it's a handy way to see everything at a glance and I miss it now on models that don't have it. If you do have to dive into the menus, they take a bit of getting used to, but work well once you're over the learning curve.

One of the key negative points is the lack of a fully articulating display. Instead, the rear 3.2-inch 2.36-million dot screen only tilts up and down and to the left or right. That's too bad, because the Z8 could be a powerful vlogging camera and a flip-out display is must for that type of work (especially as it makes solo shooting easier).

The 3.69 million-dot electronic viewfinder is a bit low-res for a camera in this price range, especially compared to the 9.4 million-dot display on the Sony A1. Even Canon's cheaper R5 has a 5.76 million dot display that makes it substantially easier to check focus.

Battery life is on the weak side at 420 shots (one to two hours of video shooting depending on resolution), compared to 490 shots for the Canon R5 and 530 for the A1, according to CIPA ratings. Again, though, you can nearly double that with the battery grip. Other notable features include UHS-II and CFexpress B memory card slots, a full-sized HDMI port for external capture, as well as two separate USB-C ports for power delivery and data.

With the fastest high-resolution stacked sensor out there, the Z8 is unbelievably quick for a 45-megapixel camera. You can shoot RAW photos at 20 fps, a bit slower than the A1's 30 fps RAW capability, but the Z8 can shoot 30 fps in JPEG mode. It can handle 40 uncompressed RAW frames before the buffer fills, but can store more compressed images if you have a fast CFexpress card.

The hybrid phase-detect autofocus is Nikon's best to date due to the upgraded image processor, stacked sensor and huge number of AF tracking points. It offers reliable subject tracking, and the face, eye and animal detection is fast and accurate as well. In fact, the company has said it's nearly identical to the far more expensive Z9 as of the latest firmware.

That said, the Z8's AF isn’t quite as dependable as Sony’s A1 when shooting at the highest speeds. It occasionally had trouble tracking subjects, in particular those moving toward the camera, resulting in some out-of-focus shots. The Z8 (and Z9) is quite sensitive to setup, so it's best to fine-tune the AF settings until it works the way you want.

There’s no mechanical shutter, but the Z8’s sensor is fast enough that rolling shutter isn’t an issue, even on fast-moving objects like airplane propellers. The 5-axis in-body stabilization reduces shake by six stops, enough to get sharp photos down to a quarter second or so. That’s superior to the A1, but falls way short of the EOS R5’s 8 stops.

The Z8 has the same excellent sensor as the Z9, so of course image quality is identical in all respects. With 45.7 megapixels on tap, it delivers sharp photos on par with the 50-megapixel A1 and second only to Sony’s 60 MP A7R V in the full-frame realm. Dynamic range is also outstanding, arguably a touch better than the A1.

JPEG images are bright and punchy straight out of the camera, with the best results in terms of colors from the Natural Light Auto white balance setting. Colors are accurate, though skin-tones aren’t quite as warm as Canon’s R3 or R5.

Meanwhile, the 14-bit RAW images hold plenty of detail that can be teased out in Lightroom or ON1, particularly in the highlights. Like the Z9, the Z8 no longer has an "uncompressed" option, but now offers "lossless compression" and two high-efficiency lossy modes. I typically used the RAW setting with the highest compression, because it's super efficient and frankly, I can't see any difference between that and lossless compressed RAW.

The Z8 performs reasonably well in low-light, too. Grain is well-controlled up to about ISO 6400, and shots are usable at ISO 12800. Beyond that, noise can become distracting. That lines up with Canon’s R5, but Sony’s A1 performs a bit better in dim lighting.

The Z8’s video specs are pretty mind-blowing for a non-cinema camera and exceed the A1’s capabilities. You can shoot RAW video at up to 8K 60p in Nikon’s 12-bit N-RAW or 8K 30p with 12-bit ProRes RAW HQ internally, to CFexpress cards only, of course. It also captures 4K video oversampled from the full width of the sensor at up to 60p, and full-width 4K up to 120p — again, all in RAW.

It's worth noting that Nikon recently purchased RED cameras, so it now owns the RED RAW video patent that stymied so many other companies, including Apple. It'll be interesting to see if Nikon loosens up that enforcement, and if the acquisition impacts the tech in its own future models. 

As with photos, video autofocus is fast and reliable, while doing a good job tracking subjects, faces and animals. It can handle challenging situations like subjects moving toward the camera, though again, not quite as well as the A1.

Nikon Z8 hands-on
Rhonda Dent for Engadget

8K and 4K oversampled video is extremely sharp. Colors are accurate, but again, skin tones aren’t quite as pretty as on Canon’s latest models. Dynamic range is top-notch, particularly in the ISO 400-800 level in ProRes mode, making it easy to adjust shadows and highlights in post. If you love shooting ProRes footage, be sure to get some high-capacity CFexpress cards, because the files can get huge.

One area where the Z9 bests the Z8 in video is with thermal performance, as the Z9’s larger body allows for 125 minutes of 8K 60p recording compared to 90 for the Z8 before overheating. There are very few content creators that will need to continuously shoot 8K video for that long, however.

Nikon’s Z8 is an extremely capable camera and shows that the company should offer as much speed and power as possible if it wants to catch up to Canon and Sony. For many hybrid shooters, the Z8 is a better option than Sony’s A1, particularly when it comes to video.

While it does out-spec the Sony in a number of areas, the Z8's autofocus isn’t quite as good — and that's arguably the most important feature on any camera. Shooters who require a mechanical shutter (for flash photography, etc.) will also need to look elsewhere. Another 8K-capable full-frame mirrorless model is Canon’s R5 that falls short of both models in many regards, but is cheaper at $3,200.

A decision to buy this camera might be based on what system and lenses you’re already into. However, if I was starting from scratch, I’d go for the Z8 over Sony’s A1, as you get the camera plus a very good lens for the same amount of money.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nikons-z8-is-a-phenomenal-mirrorless-camera-for-the-price-180209073.html?src=rss

Adobe’s new upscaling tech uses AI to sharpen video

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Most new features and experiments Adobe has announced recently involve AI, like object addition and removal for Premiere Pro and text-based image generation in Photoshop. Now, the company has unveiled VideoGigaGAN, an experimental AI feature it says can upscale video by eight times without the usual artifacts like flickering or distortion, The Verge reported. 

VideoGigaGAN beats other Video Super Resolution (VSR) methods because it avoids the usual artifacts and flickering introduced by GAN (General Adversarial Networks), according to Adobe. At the same time, it adds sharpness and detail — where most other systems fail to do do both of those things at once. 

Adobe's new upscaling tech uses AI to sharpen video
Adobe

Of course, the system is making up detail that doesn't exist out of whole cloth, so this wouldn't be suitable for things like forensic video enhancement, à la CSI-style crime shows. But the detail it does add looks impressively real, like skin textures, fine hairs, swan feather details and more. 

The model builds on a large-scale image upsampler called GigaGAN, according to to Adobe's researchers. Previous VSR models have had difficulty generating rich details in results, so Adobe married "temporal attention" (reducing artifacts that accumulate over time), feature propagation (adding detail where none exists), anti-aliasing and something called "HF shuttle" (shuttling high-frequency features) to create the final result. 

Adobe's new upscaling tech uses AI to sharpen video
Adobe

If added to products like Premiere Pro or After Effects, it could allow video producers to make low-resolution shots look a lot better, though using AI too enhance people is a controversial practice. There's no word yet on whether Adobe plans to do this (currently, the clips are short and only play at 12fps) but plenty of companies including NVIDIA, Microsoft, Blackmagic Design and others are working on AI upscaling technology as well. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/adobes-new-upscaling-tech-uses-ai-to-sharpen-video-103431709.html?src=rss

Windows 11 now comes with its own adware

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It used to be that you could pay for a retail version of Windows 11 and expect it to be ad-free, but those days are apparently finito. The latest update to Windows 11 (KB5036980) comes out this week and includes ads for apps in the "recommended" section of the Start Menu, one of the most oft-used parts of the OS.

"The Recommended section of the Start menu will show some Microsoft Store apps," according to the release notes. "These apps come from a small set of curated developers." 

The app suggestions are enabled by default, but you can restore your previously pristine Windows experience if you've installed the update, fortunately. To do so, go into Settings and select Personalization > Start and switch the "Show recommendations for tips, app promotions and more" toggle to "off."

The new "feature" arrives just weeks after it appeared as an Insider beta, showing how quickly Microsoft can implement things when it wants to. It certainly wasn't enough time to receive the kind of user feedback the Insider program is designed for.

The update is bound to rub customers the wrong way, considering that Windows 11 starts at $139 for the Home version. While removing it isn't a huge deal, it may also remind folks of the needless time they spent stripping bloatware from OEM Windows installations. Microsoft previously tested ads in the Windows 11 File Explorer, but ended the experiment shortly afterward.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/windows-11-now-comes-with-its-own-adware-124531977.html?src=rss