Monthly Archives: June 2024

Prime Day deals include the Ring Video Doorbell on sale for $50

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Thanks to Amazon Prime Day, the second-generation Ring Video Doorbell is half off and on sale for only $50. That's the best price we've seen on the 1080p video doorbell that includes motion detection and night vision. The device also supports two-way audio, so you can communicate with anyone approaching your home.

This Ring model is battery-powered, so you won’t need to worry about a complicated wired setup. All you have to do is mount it and connect it to your Wi-Fi network through the Ring app. (You can still hardwire it to your existing doorbell system if you don’t want to bother with occasional recharging.)

When you pair it with the Ring app, you’ll receive notifications when someone rings the bell or triggers its motion sensors. The doorbell works with Alexa, including optional announcements when someone arrives. You can also view its live feed or recordings on Echo devices with screens and Fire TV products.

The doorbell has night vision for clearer shots when it’s dark. In addition, you can manually set its motion zones to avoid streets, sidewalks and other high-traffic areas outside of your home.

The Ring video doorbell comes with a mounting bracket and the tools required to get started. If you’re in a rental, you may want to consider a third-party mount that latches onto the side of your front door without requiring any drilling.

Amazon also has other Ring devices and accessories on sale, including bundles with Ring Chime, Ring Stick Up Cam and more.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-deals-include-the-ring-video-doorbell-on-sale-for-50-194202740.html?src=rss

Custom DeLorean DMC-12 electric plug-and-play kit breathes clean life into an aging classic

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DeLorean Alpha5 is DMC’s take on the electrified future, all set to release the modern roadster later this year. The interest in an electric version of the iconic car, made famous by the Back to The Future franchise, took a long time to materialize, but finally, it did.

Coming back to the present, the EV still has some months to roll off the manufacturing lines. Perhaps the perfect time for Electrogenic (UK-based EV conversion specialist) to release a plug-and-play kit for the DeLorean DMC-12. As surreal as that might sound, this drop-in solution will beef up the performance of the otherwise coughing DeLorean. The company has previously designed specialized kits for famous models like Land Rover, Porsche 911, Jaguar E-Type and a custom 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II for Jason Mamoa.

Designer: Electrogenic

Well before the Cybertruck honed about the stainless steel exterior, the DMC-12 had it back in the late 1970s. Now Electrogenic is revamping the drivetrain of the gull-winged car and making clever changes to the overall design. All this while maintaining the integrity and signature DNA of the original vehicle. While the official electric DeLorean coming to life pretty soon has a futuristic aesthetic, different from the original, this kit will preserve most of what made it a cult favorite.

Designing an electric drivetrain for any car model is no ordinary feat, let alone doing it for a car from the 1980s. The company states that its version is future-proof and is completely reversible if the client doesn’t like it for some reason. Going back to the old engine seems unlikely for proud DMC-12 owners who’ve decided to take the leap I believe. Coming onto the specifications, the conversion kit has 43 kWh batteries placed right where the original fuel tank would reside. The upgraded DeLorean will have 160 kW of power and 229 lb-ft of torque at its disposal. Like all Electrogenic kits, this one also comes with fast charging capabilities. The only limitation due to the chassis size of the vehicle is the limited range of 150 miles but I’m not complaining.

No cutting of the chassis is required as the electric kit’s battery packaging is designed smartly. Although the battery package adds 40kg to the overall weight of the V6 DeLorean, the powerful new electric drivetrain brings down the acceleration time. It will be capable of going from 0-60 mph in five seconds compared to the ten seconds on the original. Modern EV features are also a novelty here with inclusions like regenerative braking and driving modes depending on requirements. On the inside, the car owners can opt for a bespoke virtual dashboard, Launch Control, improved air conditioning or Apple Car Play.

The post Custom DeLorean DMC-12 electric plug-and-play kit breathes clean life into an aging classic first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Steam Summer Sale is here to empty your bank accounts

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It’s that time of year again. The Steam Summer Sale is officially live, offering deep discounts on thousands of games and even the Steam Deck. The sale goes until July 11, so you have a bit of time to browse and fill up that wishlist.

The venerable Steam Deck is on sale, with some caveats. The deals only apply to the LCD model, and not the newer OLED version. Also, the 256GB LCD is not on sale. That leaves the 64GB at $300 instead of $350 and the 512GB model at $382 instead of $450. Incidentally, that puts the 64GB model at the same price as the Nintendo Switch. I love the Switch, but it sure can’t run Elden Ring.

Speaking of Elden Ring, it’s on sale for $42. The good news? That’s a 30 percent discount. The bad news? There’s no sale for the recently-released (and brutally difficult) expansion DLC Shadow of the Erdtree. That’ll have to wait for next year.

That’s not the only AAA title available at a discount. Cyberpunk 2077 is half off, at $30, and Baldur’s Gate 3 is $48, which is 20 percent off. It’s rare to find a discount on Baldur’s Gate 3 at all, so this might be just the time to finally try out 2023's Game of the Year winner. Hogwart’s Legacy is just $24, the indie smash Palworld is $23 and Star Wars: Jedi Survivor is more than 50 percent off, at $32.

There are also plenty of indie darlings available for cheap. The iconic Stardew Valley is $9 and the retro shooter Cuphead is $14. The fantastic Dave the Diver is also $14, which is a discount of 30 percent. Hades is $10, but the sequel remains full price. Even the recently-released smash hit Balatro, which is a sort of roguelike sequel to poker, is on sale, though only with a ten percent cut.

The Steam Summer Sale includes some really deep discounts on popular games. We are talking impulse buy territory here. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is only $4 and the renowned platformer Celeste is just $2. Borderlands 2 is $3, Castle Crashers is $1.50 and Batman: Arkham Knight is $2. As usual, The Witcher 3 is heavily discounted at $4.

If you are like me, you’ll use this sale to snatch up anything that’s been hanging out in your wishlist for a while, where it will then go into a digital unplayed pile until the end of time. To that end, a researcher recently used SteamIDFinder's database to calculate that unplayed Steam games account for $19 billion dollars. Let’s get it to at least $20 billion by July 11.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-steam-summer-sale-is-here-to-empty-your-bank-accounts-184158057.html?src=rss

Xbox Gaming coming to select Amazon Fire TV devices in July

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Soon you’ll have another means of playing Game Pass titles without breaking the bank for an Xbox Series X|S console. Microsoft and Amazon are teaming up to bring Xbox Gaming to select Amazon Fire TV devices in July. According to Microsoft, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers in over 25 countries will be able to access the Xbox app with the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Stick 4K..

Once the new functionality goes live you can sign in to your Microsoft account, connect a compatible Bluetooth controller and start playing hundreds of games, including Fallout 76, Fallout 4, Starfield and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. Current-gen Xbox and PlayStation controllers will both work.

Xbox Gaming will come to Amazon Fire TV two years after Microsoft released the Xbox app on Samsung smart TVs. The new integration with Amazon products also comes as Microsoft appears to be losing faith in its console business. The company's hardware refresh fell well short of its prior roadmap, and one of its biggest console-pushing series, Call of Duty, will have its next title appear on Game Pass at launch.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/xbox-gaming-coming-to-select-amazon-fire-tv-devices-in-july-182541532.html?src=rss

The nation’s oldest nonprofit newsroom is suing OpenAI and Microsoft

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The Center for Investigative Reporting, the nation’s oldest nonprofit newsroom that produces Mother Jones and Reveal sued OpenAI and Microsoft in federal court on Thursday for allegedly using its content to train AI models without consent or compensation. This is the latest in a long line of lawsuits filed by publishers and creators accusing generative AI companies of violating copyright.

“OpenAI and Microsoft started vacuuming up our stories to make their product more powerful, but they never asked for permission or offered compensation, unlike other organizations that license our material,” said Monika Bauerlein, CEO of the Center for Investigative Reporting, in a statement. “This free rider behavior is not only unfair, it is a violation of copyright. The work of journalists, at CIR and everywhere, is valuable, and OpenAI and Microsoft know it.” Bauerlein said that OpenAI and Microsoft treat the work of nonprofit and independent publishers “as free raw material for their products," and added that such moves by generative AI companies hurt the public’s access to truthful information in a “disappearing news landscape.”

OpenAI and Microsoft did not respond to a request for comment by Engadget.

The CIR’s lawsuit, which was filed in Manhattan’s federal court, accuses OpenAI and Microsoft, which owns nearly half of the company, of violating the Copyright Act and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act multiple times.

News organizations find themselves at an inflection point with generative AI. While the CIR is joining publishers like The New York Times, New York Daily News, The Intercept, AlterNet and Chicago Tribune in suing OpenAI, others publishers have chosen to strike licensing deals with the company. These deals will allow OpenAI to train its models on archives and ongoing content published by these publishers and cite information from them in responses offered by ChatGPT.

On the same day as the CIR sued OpenAI, for instance, TIME magazine announced a deal with the company that would grant it access to 101 years of archives. Last month, OpenAI signed a $250 million multi-year deal with News Corp, the owner of The Wall Street Journal, to train its models on more than a dozen brands owned by the publisher. The Financial Times, Axel Springer (the owner of Politico and Business Insider), The Associated Press and Dotdash Meredith have also signed deals with OpenAI.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-nations-oldest-nonprofit-newsroom-is-suing-openai-and-microsoft-174748454.html?src=rss

Honor Magic V3 Leaked and Rumored to Have a Crazy Thin Foldable at 6mm with Advanced Features Set to Impress

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Honor has been a significant player in the smartphone world, particularly with its foldable devices. The Honor Magic V2 set a high standard with its sleek design and impressive features. Now, with the Magic V3 on the horizon, Honor is set to push the envelope even further. Let’s take a closer look at what made the Magic V2 special, including the Porsche Edition, and what we can expect from the upcoming Magic V3.

Designer: HONOR

The Honor Magic V2 quickly became a favorite among tech enthusiasts when it launched. At just 9.90 mm thick, it was one of the slimmest foldable phones available. This was no small feat, considering it still packed all the high-end features you’d expect from a flagship device. The design of the Magic V2 blended style with practicality seamlessly. The hinge mechanism was designed to be both smooth and durable. The use of lightweight materials made the phone easy to handle without feeling flimsy. The Porsche Edition of the Magic V2 added an extra layer of sophistication. With premium materials and a unique design, it offered something special for those who appreciate finer details.

Honor Magic V2 Porsche Edition

The Magic V2 featured a bright and vivid display that made everything look great, whether you were browsing, watching videos, or playing games. Performance was top-notch too, thanks to its powerful internals that handled everything smoothly, from multitasking to demanding apps. Battery life on the Magic V2 was impressive, lasting through a full day of use without any issues. When it did need a charge, the 66W wired charging ensured it powered up quickly, minimizing downtime. The camera setup on the Magic V2 was another highlight. The 50 MP “eagle eye camera” captured detailed and vibrant photos, making it a reliable companion for photography enthusiasts.

While Honor has been tight-lipped about the specifics, leaks and rumors have given us a good idea of what to expect from the Magic V3. The upcoming device is rumored to be even thinner than the Magic V2, potentially around 6.xx mm. This would make it one of the slimmest foldable phones on the market, continuing Honor’s tradition of pushing design boundaries. The Magic V3 is expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, promising fast and efficient performance. In addition to standard connectivity options, the Magic V3 will support “5.5G” and satellite connectivity (in China), ensuring you stay connected in more places and more ways than before.

Battery capacity is expected to be between 5,000 mAh and 5,990 mAh, with the same fast 66W charging. This means you’ll get long battery life and quick recharges, just like with the Magic V2. The camera setup is another area where the Magic V3 is expected to excel, featuring a 50 MP “eagle eye camera” that promises high-quality photos. An ultra-thin USB Type-C connector is also anticipated, fitting perfectly with the overall sleek design of the device.

Honor’s Magic V2 set a high bar, but the Magic V3 looks set to surpass it. The combination of a thinner design, powerful performance, advanced connectivity, and robust battery life makes the upcoming Magic V3 a highly anticipated device. With the advancements hinted at in the leaks, it seems Honor is ready to redefine the standards for foldable smartphones once again. As we look forward to its debut at MWC Shanghai 2024, the Honor Magic V3 is set to impress and push the boundaries of what a foldable phone can be.

The post Honor Magic V3 Leaked and Rumored to Have a Crazy Thin Foldable at 6mm with Advanced Features Set to Impress first appeared on Yanko Design.

80% of Mattel Games will be made Color-Blind Accessible by the end of 2024

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For generations, classic games like Uno have brought people together for friendly competition. But for the estimated 300 million people worldwide with color blindness, these games haven’t always been accessible. Mattel, the iconic toymaker behind these beloved games, is making a significant stride towards inclusivity. They recently announced that by the end of 2024, 80% of their global games portfolio will be colorblind accessible, with that number rising to 90% by the end of 2025.

Designer: Mattel

This update isn’t a radical overhaul. Instead, it involves subtle design tweaks that ensure gameplay isn’t hindered by color vision deficiency. For instance, Uno will now feature symbols alongside the traditional colors and numbers. A square represents blue, a circle red, a diamond yellow, and a triangle green. This way, players can identify cards based on the symbol without relying solely on color. Similarly, Blokus, a strategic board game, will incorporate patterns on its colored game pieces for better differentiation. These changes extend to other popular Mattel games like Dos, Phase 10, Skip-Bo, and Ker Plunk.

Partnering with ColorADD, a group specializing in colorblind-friendly design solutions, Mattel demonstrates a commitment to thoughtful implementation. This isn’t just about adding symbols; it’s about collaborating with experts to ensure the updates are effective for players with color blindness. The new features go beyond the games themselves. Updated instruction sheets will include dedicated sections for colorblind players, and the packaging will sport a special badge featuring a multicolored eye icon for easy identification.

The post 80% of Mattel Games will be made Color-Blind Accessible by the end of 2024 first appeared on Yanko Design.

Images of unannounced Samsung watches and earbuds appear to have leaked

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Samsung has an Unpacked event scheduled for July 10, with plenty of hardware announcements expected. A reliable leaker, however, already has images of many of the big hitters, including the Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. It’s like Christmas for Samsung fans!

First, a caveat. These are leaked images obtained by Evan Blass and published on his Substack and X account. Blass has a very good track record with this kind of thing, but of course, nothing will be certain until Samsung itself confirms it. (Disclosure, Blass was a contributor and editor for Engadget from 2005 until 2008.)

A smartwatch.
Evan Blass

There are glorious images of the forthcoming Galaxy Watch Ultra. The squarish smartwatch looks to feature a gray exterior with orange accents. It also boasts a durable-looking band that recalls the one originally introduced alongside the Apple Watch Ultra. The watch also seems to have eschewed the typical spring pin connector and replaced it with a new system that, once again, recalls Apple’s connector.

A green smartwatch.
Evan Blass

The Galaxy Watch 7 comes in a new olive green colorway, though the design looks almost identical to the Watch 6. There’s the same spring pin band connector and alternative gold and silver colorways. That green exterior sure does pop though. 

Samsung buds.
Evan Blass

Images of the Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro were also leaked, though there’s some confusion here. While Blass did publish images of two different pairs of earbuds, there’s no branding so it’s impossible to tell which is which. In any event, both of these are stemmed earbuds, with one featuring an open design just like Apple’s entry-level AirPods. It’s likely, though unconfirmed, that the open design represents the standard Buds 3. That leaves the one with the silicone eartips as the Buds 3 Pro.

Samsung hasn’t revealed any of the specs for the above items, though an additional leak suggests the Watch 7 will be available in a 40-millimeter size, with an unnamed three-nanometer chip powering the whole thing. It'll also allegedly feature a new BioActive Sensor for health metrics and, of course, plenty of AI bells and whistles. 

Additionally, the upcoming event should reveal new foldables and the long-awaited Galaxy Ring fitness device. Samsung will livestream Unpacked on its YouTube channel, main website and Newsroom site at 9AM ET on July 10.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/images-of-unannounced-samsung-watches-and-earbuds-appear-to-have-leaked-171013394.html?src=rss

NASA gives SpaceX the privilege of crashing the ISS into the sea

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SpaceX just won a $843 million contract to, basically, crash the International Space Station (ISS) into the sea. It’s part of a NASA program to safely deorbit the ISS within the next ten years.

The ISS has been continuously operating since 1998 and, like all things, has been aging. The space station is due to end its orbital tenure in or around 2030. However, NASA doesn’t want the whole thing just careening into Earth’s atmosphere, throwing dangerous junk everywhere like season two of Breaking Bad. The agency wants a nice and controlled re-entry. That’s where SpaceX comes in.

According to the terms of the contract, SpaceX will develop a spacecraft called the “US Deorbit Vehicle” to safely bring the ISS back to Earth without any undue risk to population centers. SpaceX’s rocket will guide it into the Pacific Ocean, where it can bother a bunch of fish and not humans.

The ISS isn’t heading to just any part of the Pacific Ocean. It’s going to the spookily-namd “spacecraft cemetery,” which is an uninhabited area between New Zealand and South America that’s absolutely littered with the remains of space stuff. All told, nearly 300 spacefaring vehicles have been laid to rest in this section of the ocean, including capsules, cargo craft, rockets and more. Many of these ships were actually used to reach the ISS, so this will be a homecoming, of a sort.

The project won’t be easy for SpaceX. The ISS is nearly a million pounds and is too massive to burn up upon re-entry. The company’s deorbiting vehicle is expected to take several years to both develop and test. The ISS will undergo a phased disintegration, meaning that the process should unfold in three stages. The rocket will first guide the solar arrays and radiators to the sea, followed by the individual modules and, finally, the primary structure, typically called the truss.

“Selecting a US Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations,” said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters.

The ISS is the largest structure ever built in space and was a collaborative effort between the US, Europe, Japan, Canada and Russia. The US and its partners promise to maintain operations right to the end, but Russia’s commitment finishes in 2028. The space station costs around $3.1 billion per year to run. It is hoped that the private space industry will pick up the slack here, constructing orbiting stations that astronauts can use on a pay-per-visit basis.

To that end, plenty of private organizations have previewed their own space stations. Vast and SpaceX plan to launch one in 2025 and Blue Origin has a station called Orbital Reef preparing for launch toward the latter part of the decade. Voyager, Lockheed Martin and Nanoracks don't expect to operate their Starlab facility until at least 2027.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nasa-gives-spacex-the-privilege-of-crashing-the-iss-into-the-sea-155755209.html?src=rss

Campfire Audio’s Moon Rover In-Ear Monitors deliver surreal audio to match the striking cosmic look

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Choosing IEMs over TWS earbuds is a no brainer if you appreciate the good things in life. Campfire Audio has stood out amongst the sea of IEMs that promise reference-like sound signature. The premium audio company has won the trust of professional music creators with successful products like the Fathom and Andromeda. Now they have yet another IEM to reinstate their top position.

This striking in-ear monitor called Moon Rover is a limited edition creation that levels up the audio performance and design to become the prized collection of audiophiles. Only 888 units will be created of the Moon Rover, so you better gets your hands on them. The monitors are priced at a mind-numbing $1199 making them a choice for avid listeners with fat-pockets.

Designer: Campfire Audio

The brand claims that the pair has a neutral and analytical sound signature that’s better than any of their current IEMs. Moon Rover is identified by its crystal clear sound and wide soundstage, with exciting upper frequency, a balanced mid delivery and a punchy low end. This is made possible with a newly developed 12mm magnetic planar dynamic driver that has a fast delivery for peppy sonic sound. So, you can expect it to outperform the competition when it comes to playing hard rock or club beats.

Design of the IEM is not understated either in the shape of a hand-crafted, encased titanium shell that’s flame-treated for a distinct look. The awesomeness doesn’t stop there as they have a PVD steel spout and gold-plated screws. The namesake comes courtesy of the shell having a cosmic theme drenched in hues of blue, purple and yellow that change color depending on the amount of light falling on them. The monitors are bundled with a 3.5mm cable, silicone eartips (small, medium and large foam size)  and waxed leather case.

The post Campfire Audio’s Moon Rover In-Ear Monitors deliver surreal audio to match the striking cosmic look first appeared on Yanko Design.