Author Archives: Lawrence Bonk

Epic will charge non-game developers $1,850 ‘per seat’ to use Unreal Engine

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Epic Games has announced a new pricing structure for non-game developers to use its Unreal Engine, after teasing the change last year. The Fortnite developer will charge an annual “per seat” subscription of $1,850. The term “per seat” is tech nomenclature that effectively means “a person using the software.” These changes will go into effect with the release of Unreal Engine 5.4 in late April.

Though Unreal Engine is primarily known as a game development tool, it’s regularly used in a diverse array of industries, which is where this pricing structure comes in. Companies that make linear content, like TV shows and movies, will have to cough up that $1,850 fee, as will organizations that develop in-car infotainment platforms and immersive experiences, like theme park rides. Currently, Epic makes no money from the majority of these users, as the end products aren't, as Sweeney put it last year, "royalty-bearing."

The annual fee provides these users with access to the Unreal Engine itself, the Twinmotion real-time visualization tool and the company’s RealityCapture 3D modeling software. However, organizations can purchase standalone licenses for each. Twinmotion will cost $445 per year and RealityCapture will cost $1,250 each year.

There are some exclusions here. Companies that make less than $1 million in annual gross revenue won’t have to pay the fee. The same goes for students, educators and hobbyists. Companies that develop plug-ins for the Unreal Engine can continue to use the software for free, but Epic will take a cut via its revenue share model.

Epic’s real bread and butter, game developers, will continue to have access to Unreal Engine for free, only paying a five percent royalty on software that earns over $1 million in lifetime gross revenue. Epic extended the royalty-free cutoff from $50,000 to $1 million back in 2020. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/epic-will-charge-non-game-developers-1850-per-seat-to-use-unreal-engine-162015997.html?src=rss

Motorola just announced two new budget phones, the Moto G Power and Moto 5 5G

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Motorola just announced a couple of new budget-friendly smartphones, which are set to be released in the near future. These are refreshes of the popular Moto G Power and the Moto 5 5G phones. The upcoming handhelds don't reinvent the wheel, as they are iterative updates, but there are some decent specs worth sharing.

The 2024 Moto G Power boasts a 6.7-inch FHD+ 120Hz display, Dolby Atmos stereo speakers and a 50MP camera system with image stabilization tech. There’s a MediaTek Dimensity 7020 chipset, 128GB of internal storage with a microSD slot, 8GB of RAM, 5G connectivity and a 5000mAh battery complete with 30W fast-charging. This will certainly get the job done when it comes to streaming media, light gaming and browsing the web.

The new Moto G Power even features a fingerprint-resistant back cover made from vegan leather, which the company says provides a “stunning, premium design and comfortable feel.” This phone is coming to Cricket first, on March 22, before an unlocked version hits traditional retailers on March 29. It’ll cost $300.

A smartphone front and back.
Motorola

The Moto G 5G includes a slightly smaller 6.6-inch 120Hz display, Dolby Atmos stereo speakers and a 50MP camera system complete with a macro lens. As the name suggests, this is a 5G-capable phone with a Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 processor and 4GB of RAM. Just like the G Power, there’s a 5000mAh battery with quick-charging. It ships with 128GB of internal storage, but there’s an expandable microSD slot.

The updated Moto G 5G will be available at T-Mobile and Metro on March 21, with wider availability starting on May 2. It costs just $200. Motorola also recently released a refresh of the G Play smartphone, which is priced at $150. The company sure does love its G series phones.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/motorola-just-announced-two-new-budget-phones-the-moto-g-power-and-moto-5-5g-130007027.html?src=rss

The Anova Precision Cooker Nano sous vide machine drops to a record low of $60

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The Anova Precision Cooker Nano sous vide machine is on sale for just $60, which is a record low price for the cooking gadget. This amounts to a discount of 60 percent, as the MSRP for this thing is $150. In other words, there’s no better time to dip your toes into the temperature-controlled water bath that is sous vide cooking.

The Nano is an entry-level sous vide machine, so there aren’t too many bells and whistles. It does, however, feature a reliable and fairly portable heating mechanism. This heating element weighs just 1.7 pounds and is small enough to fit inside a utensil drawer.

It plugs right into a standard wall outlet and includes Bluetooth, so culinary wizards can monitor cooking progress from a smartphone. Don't let the photos fool you. The Nano doesn’t come with a dedicated container or any resealable bags. The good news? It works with just about any pot and store-bought bags.

The Nano’s larger sibling, the Precision Cooker 3.0, topped our list of the best sous vide machines on the market, so this is a well-regarded company. The Nano and the 3.0 share many similarities, from the overall design language to an easy-to-use temperature adjustment panel. The Nano lacks the adjustable clamp that accompanies the 3.0 and it swapped out Wi-Fi for Bluetooth, but is otherwise a capable stand-in. Thanks to this deal, it’s also a fraction of the price.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-anova-precision-cooker-nano-sous-vide-machine-drops-to-a-record-low-of-60-151347686.html?src=rss

Mar10 Day deals include a $25 gift card when you buy a Nintendo Switch

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Mario Day, otherwise called MAR10 Day or just March 10, is upon us. This is the date to celebrate Nintendo’s iconic plumber. It’s not his birthday or anything, but rather a random day on the calendar that sort of looks like his name when spelled in a certain way. You know, like how Star Wars Day falls on May 4.

Still, Nintendo has been putting its corporate might behind the celebration since 2015, offering up Mario-themed experiences at the company’s official store, discounts on games and various contests. Retailers have also been following suit in recent years, marking down Nintendo products to coincide with March 10. With that in mind, here are the best deals for MAR10 that could very well elicit a “wahoo” or two.

One of the marquee deals is for the Switch itself. There’s no actual discount on the console, but each purchase includes a $25 gift card from the retailer you bought it from. Participating retailers include Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop and Target and the promotion goes from March 10 through March 16. This deal applies to the OLED Switch, Nintendo’s latest and greatest console iteration, the original Switch and the Switch Lite. It’s the perfect way to catch up on Metroid Dread, Super Mario Wonder and, of course, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

There’s a major caveat here. The Switch is on its way out, with a replacement likely headed our way in the beginning part of next year, and we don't know how long Nintendo intends to support the original hybrid console for after that. Still, the Switch has a massive back catalog worth exploring.

Speaking of that back catalog, many retailers are offering $20 discounts on a number of first-party Nintendo games. These include Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Party Superstars, Luigi's Mansion 3, and more. This brings the price down to $40 per game. There’s also a cool bundle available that includes a tropical-themed Switch Lite and a digital copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons for $200, available at both Target and Walmart. It’s not part of the MAR10 festivities, but it’s a good deal nonetheless.

The company has also doubled the free trial period for Nintendo Switch Online, from seven days to 14 days. This lets people play online, as the name suggests, but also opens up its catalog of retro NES and SNES games. Switch owners have until March 17 to activate the trial and it's even available to people who have already tried the service in the past.

Finally, there are some real-world events for Nintendo die-hards. There’s a meet-and-greet with Mario and Luigi at the Nintendo Store in New York City, complete with plenty of giveaways and a screening of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. GameStop is also doing in-person giveaways on March 16.

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/mar10-day-deals-include-a-25-gift-card-when-you-buy-a-nintendo-switch-070026315.html?src=rss

The Chevy Blazer EV is back on sale with functioning software and a big price drop

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Chevrolet is resuming sales of the 2024 Chevy Blazer EV after pulling the car last year following reports of major software issues, as indicated by Car and Driver. The company says the malfunctions have been patched, thanks to “significant software updates.” To entice wary consumers back into the fold, Chevy has slashed prices on the vehicle. The sticker price has been reduced by $5,600 to $6,500, depending on the trim.

Here’s how that breaks down. The Blazer EV LT AWD now starts at $50,195, instead of $56,715. The RS AWD now sells for $54,595, down from the original MSRP of $60,215. Finally, the RS RWD goes for $56,170, down from $61,790. These prices all include destination charges.

Also, the 2024 Blazer EV line is eligible for that $7,500 federal tax credit. This lowers the price of the LT AWD to just $42,695 and can now be applied directly at the dealership, so buyers don’t have to wait for a rebate check. If that’s still too rich for your blood, the Blazer LT FWD EV is still slated for release later this year. Chevrolet says it’ll start “under $50,000”, though exact pricing has yet to be revealed. If Chevy follows through with that pricing promise and it qualifies for the full tax credit, we could be looking at a real budget-friendly contender in the EV space.

However, the EV Blazer line has experienced months of bad press following last year’s software malfunctions, which involved everything from drive motor control failures to glitchy and blank infotainment screens. Who knows if the price cuts will be enough for people to forget that embarrassment. GM has said that it’ll be instituting these software fixes to other EVs under its umbrella, according to The Verge. Chevrolet’s parent company also owns Cadillac, GMC and Buick.

One thing is for sure. Despite proclamations that the EV industry is going the way of the dodo, there’s still a whole lot of curious consumers out there. Manufacturer Rivian made a huge splash by announcing a trio of new vehicles this week, racking up over 68,000 preorders in under a day.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-chevy-blazer-ev-is-back-on-sale-with-functioning-software-and-a-big-price-drop-190245222.html?src=rss

The Chevy Blazer EV is back on sale with functioning software and a big price drop

Posted on by

Chevrolet is resuming sales of the 2024 Chevy Blazer EV after pulling the car last year following reports of major software issues, as indicated by Car and Driver. The company says the malfunctions have been patched, thanks to “significant software updates.” To entice wary consumers back into the fold, Chevy has slashed prices on the vehicle. The sticker price has been reduced by $5,600 to $6,500, depending on the trim.

Here’s how that breaks down. The Blazer EV LT AWD now starts at $50,195, instead of $56,715. The RS AWD now sells for $54,595, down from the original MSRP of $60,215. Finally, the RS RWD goes for $56,170, down from $61,790. These prices all include destination charges.

Also, the 2024 Blazer EV line is eligible for that $7,500 federal tax credit. This lowers the price of the LT AWD to just $42,695 and can now be applied directly at the dealership, so buyers don’t have to wait for a rebate check. If that’s still too rich for your blood, the Blazer LT FWD EV is still slated for release later this year. Chevrolet says it’ll start “under $50,000”, though exact pricing has yet to be revealed. If Chevy follows through with that pricing promise and it qualifies for the full tax credit, we could be looking at a real budget-friendly contender in the EV space.

However, the EV Blazer line has experienced months of bad press following last year’s software malfunctions, which involved everything from drive motor control failures to glitchy and blank infotainment screens. Who knows if the price cuts will be enough for people to forget that embarrassment. GM has said that it’ll be instituting these software fixes to other EVs under its umbrella, according to The Verge. Chevrolet’s parent company also owns Cadillac, GMC and Buick.

One thing is for sure. Despite proclamations that the EV industry is going the way of the dodo, there’s still a whole lot of curious consumers out there. Manufacturer Rivian made a huge splash by announcing a trio of new vehicles this week, racking up over 68,000 preorders in under a day.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-chevy-blazer-ev-is-back-on-sale-with-functioning-software-and-a-big-price-drop-190245222.html?src=rss

Russian state-sponsored hackers keep trying to infiltrate Microsoft

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Russian hackers keep trying to infiltrate Microsoft, the company revealed in a blog post. These hacks follow a similar incident from November of last year, in which state-sponsored agents obtained the emails of Microsoft’s senior level managers. An internal investigation led by Microsoft identified the hackers in both instances as a Russian group called Midnight Blizzard.

It looks like Midnight Blizzard has gotten bolder in its approach. Last year’s attack seemed to prioritize the collection of email addresses, but this most recent attack finds the group repeatedly attempting to breach the company’s systems and gain access to source code. Microsoft has filed an incident report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

We don’t know exactly what these hackers want, but Microsoft said they are likely using email addresses acquired during November’s attack to help gain access to internal systems. Midnight Blizzard “may be using the information it has obtained to accumulate a picture of areas towhich led to a breach of government networks. attack and enhance its ability to do so,” the company wrote. I know one thing. They had better leave Clippy alone.

Midnight Blizzard is believed to work directly for Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and is said to operate at the behest of Vladimir Putin. The group is likely behind 2016’s hack of the Democratic National Committee and 2020’s hack of the software company SolarWinds, which led to a breach of government networks. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/russian-state-sponsored-hackers-keep-trying-to-infiltrate-microsoft-162706062.html?src=rss

Russian state-sponsored hackers keep trying to infiltrate Microsoft

Posted on by

Russian hackers keep trying to infiltrate Microsoft, the company revealed in a blog post. These hacks follow a similar incident from November of last year, in which state-sponsored agents obtained the emails of Microsoft’s senior level managers. An internal investigation led by Microsoft identified the hackers in both instances as a Russian group called Midnight Blizzard.

It looks like Midnight Blizzard has gotten bolder in its approach. Last year’s attack seemed to prioritize the collection of email addresses, but this most recent attack finds the group repeatedly attempting to breach the company’s systems and gain access to source code. Microsoft has filed an incident report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

We don’t know exactly what these hackers want, but Microsoft said they are likely using email addresses acquired during November’s attack to help gain access to internal systems. Midnight Blizzard “may be using the information it has obtained to accumulate a picture of areas towhich led to a breach of government networks. attack and enhance its ability to do so,” the company wrote. I know one thing. They had better leave Clippy alone.

Midnight Blizzard is believed to work directly for Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and is said to operate at the behest of Vladimir Putin. The group is likely behind 2016’s hack of the Democratic National Committee and 2020’s hack of the software company SolarWinds, which led to a breach of government networks. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/russian-state-sponsored-hackers-keep-trying-to-infiltrate-microsoft-162706062.html?src=rss

Playdate is having a sitewide games sale, like a real grown-up console

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The little console that could, Playdate, is having its first sitewide games sale, just like its more-established rivals. Manufacturer Panic is holding the sale to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the online store, which is officially called the Playdate Catalog.

The discounts are noteworthy. If you happen to own a Playdate, you’ll find plenty to like here. The cute little synthesizer app Playmaker is on sale for $8, instead of $15, and the action RPG Under the Castle is on sale for $7, which is a discount of 30 percent. Many titles go much lower than this. The bizarre unicycle/coffee-acquisition sim A Balanced Brew is on sale for just $2 and the Adventure-esque dungeon crawler The Keyper is only a buck.

One of the key selling points of the Playdate is its abundance of indie games that you can’t play anywhere else, which this sale shows off in spades. However, there’s one big game missing from the sale. Lucas Pope’s Mars After Midnight doesn’t come out until March 12, though the sale lasts until March 14, so maybe we’ll get a day-one discount.

For the uninitiated, the Playdate is a retro-styled portable console that resembles the original Nintendo Game Boy. It’s bright yellow and features a unique control mechanism in the form of a hand-powered crank. This crank is used in novel ways, like keeping the unicycler balanced in the aforementioned A Balanced Brew. It’s a gimmick, but a fun one.

Beyond the sale, new Playdate owners get 24 free games when purchasing the $200 console. These unlock on a week-by-week basis over 12 weeks. The console has technically been available for nearly two years, but there was an obscene waiting period as Panic worked to meet initial preorders. That’s gone now, so orders ship within a few days.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/playdate-is-having-a-sitewide-games-sale-like-a-real-grown-up-console-203552312.html?src=rss

Playdate is having a sitewide games sale, like a real grown-up console

Posted on by

The little console that could, Playdate, is having its first sitewide games sale, just like its more-established rivals. Manufacturer Panic is holding the sale to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the online store, which is officially called the Playdate Catalog.

The discounts are noteworthy. If you happen to own a Playdate, you’ll find plenty to like here. The cute little synthesizer app Playmaker is on sale for $8, instead of $15, and the action RPG Under the Castle is on sale for $7, which is a discount of 30 percent. Many titles go much lower than this. The bizarre unicycle/coffee-acquisition sim A Balanced Brew is on sale for just $2 and the Adventure-esque dungeon crawler The Keyper is only a buck.

One of the key selling points of the Playdate is its abundance of indie games that you can’t play anywhere else, which this sale shows off in spades. However, there’s one big game missing from the sale. Lucas Pope’s Mars After Midnight doesn’t come out until March 12, though the sale lasts until March 14, so maybe we’ll get a day-one discount.

For the uninitiated, the Playdate is a retro-styled portable console that resembles the original Nintendo Game Boy. It’s bright yellow and features a unique control mechanism in the form of a hand-powered crank. This crank is used in novel ways, like keeping the unicycler balanced in the aforementioned A Balanced Brew. It’s a gimmick, but a fun one.

Beyond the sale, new Playdate owners get 24 free games when purchasing the $200 console. These unlock on a week-by-week basis over 12 weeks. The console has technically been available for nearly two years, but there was an obscene waiting period as Panic worked to meet initial preorders. That’s gone now, so orders ship within a few days.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/playdate-is-having-a-sitewide-games-sale-like-a-real-grown-up-console-203552312.html?src=rss