Tecno has introduced its latest smartphone, the Tecno Spark 20 Pro 5G. This device stands out for its blend of advanced technology and user-centric design. If you’re exploring a new 5G smartphone with a mix of performance and style, you’ll find the Spark 20 Pro a compelling option. Let’s dive into the specifics of what […]
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The next Nintendo Direct is scheduled for June 18 at 10AM ET. Nintendo said during its latest earnings call that a showcase would take place sometime in June and the company has stuck by its word. The Direct is just far enough away from Summer Game Fest to let Nintendo have all of the attention to itself.
The stream will run for around 40 minutes and focus on games coming to Switch later this year. It really does feel like this is the swansong period for the Switch, as Nintendo confirmed it will finally reveal the console's successor by next April. However, the company has made it clear that there will be no discussion of the Switch 2, Super Switch or whatever the next console is called during the Nintendo Direct.
That said, here's hoping Hollow Knight: Silksong will show up here — that highly anticipated sequel was a notable no-show during Summer Game Fest. I have my fingers crossed for a Donkey Kong platformer too. It's been too dang long since the last one.
Join us for a #NintendoDirect livestream focused on #NintendoSwitch games coming in the second half of 2024! There will be no mention of the Nintendo Switch successor during this presentation.
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 17, 2024
📅 June 18
🕓 7:00 AM PT
⏳ Roughly 40 minutes
Watch it here: https://t.co/rYjTHHpayb pic.twitter.com/uAs6JYu31A
Apple CarPlay, the innovative in-car infotainment system, is set to receive a significant upgrade with the release of iOS 18. Ben Crick from the Apple Design Team recently unveiled the new features and enhancements that promise to transform the way you interact with your vehicle he walks us through these features in the video below. […]
The post Apple CarPlay in iOS 18 Detailed (Video) appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
Nikon has introduced the $2,500 Z6 III with the world's first "partially-stacked" 24.5-megapixel (MP) sensor. That allows for high speed shooting in both photo and video modes, while unlocking features like RAW video and faster autofocus — making it far more capable than its predecessor, the Z6 II.
Stacked sensors are rare so far, having only appeared on expensive models like the Sony A1 and Nikon's own Z8 and Z9. Those chips have circuits covering the entire sensor designed to read pixel data far more quickly than regular CMOS sensors.
By contrast, Nikon's new partially-stacked sensor has circuits covering only the top and bottom parts of the sensor. Those still accelerate readout speeds to much higher levels than ordinary CMOS chips, but fall a bit short of full stacked sensors — at a lesser cost.
That, combined with the Expeed 7 image processor used on the Z8 and Z9, provides the gift of speed. The Z6 III can shoot RAW at up to 20 fps with the electronic shutter or 14 fps with the mechanical shutter (yes, unlike the Z8 and Z9, the Z6 III does have a mechanical shutter). It also comes with a pre-release capture feature shooting at up to 120fps that operates before pressing the shutter, letting you grab fast moving subjects you might otherwise miss.
It offers autofocus (AF) that's 20 percent faster than the Z6 III, Nikon said. At the same time it works in low light down to -10 EV2, "superior even to flagship-level cameras," the company claims. Nikon also borrowed the advanced subject detection from the Z8 and Z9, allowing nine types of subject detection including people, animals and vehicles.
The video capabilities look formidable as well. It supports up to 12-bit 6K/60fps N-RAW and 10-bit 5.4K/30fps ProRes RAW capture, along with 4K/60fps (uncropped) and 4K/120fps (1.5x crop) video, plus 1080p/240fps recording.
Nikon is now matching Canon's EOS R5 with eight stops of shake reduction with the 5-axis in-body stabilization system. Rolling shutter should be minimal with the partially-stacked sensor, though Nikon has yet to specify the exact readout speed.
Other features are what you'd hope for in a hybrid camera. It has a fully articulating 3.2-inch rear display, along with "the brightest EVF on any mirrorless camera" at an eye-scorching 4,000 nits (and 5.67M dots of resolution), according to Nikon. Finally, it has one CFexpress card slot for N-RAW video and fast photo burst speeds, along with an SD UHS-II slot.
It looks like a formidable alternative to the like-priced 33-megapixel Sony A7 IV, offering faster speeds but slightly less resolution. It also competes with Canon's R6 II, which is missing features like N-RAW video recording. It remains to be seen whether it can keep up with those models in the real world, but Nikon has certainly supercharged the lineup, spec-wise. It arrives in late June for $2,500 (body only), or $3,100 in a kit with the Nikkor Z 24-70mm F/4 /S lens.
It has hit that time of year when all the rinky-dink chargers I bought have given up, and it's time to invest in some quality options. I'm personally a big fan of Anker, so it's exciting that Amazon is currently discounting some of Anker's best charging gear. Included in the sale is 30 percent off Anker's MagGo magnetic charging station, dropping its price to $70 from $100. This discount brings the Qi2-certified device to a new all-time low.
Anker's MagGo magnetic charging station is a great choice if you're looking for an all-in-one option for a range of devices. The 8-in-1 charger comes with two USB ports, two USB-C ports, three AC outlets and one magnetic pad. It offers 15W of power for wireless charging and gets faster when wired to devices — increasing to 67W for charging your MacBook through the USB-C port, for instance. Anker claims that speed can bring your laptop to 50 percent in just 26 minutes.
If you're just looking for a wireless charging pad, then you can opt for Anker's MagGo magnetic wireless charging pad instead. It's touting a 10 percent discount right now, which only saves you about $2 — it's available for $20 rather than $22 — but it's still something. The best deal of the bunch is half off Anker's 622 MagSafe power bank (5,000mAh), dropping its price to $35 from $70. It's a great option if you have a newer iPhone and want to have easy, cordless charging wherever you go.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ankers-magnetic-charging-gear-is-up-to-50-percent-off-right-now-134525337.html?src=rss
Aroma and essential oil diffusers have become quite the fad in the past few years, offering a slice of peace and calm by stimulating one of the most underrated senses that we have: the sense of smell. There is a wide variety of designs for these products, ranging from extremely minimalist clay pots to hi-tech boxes, from garish tech products to aesthetic pieces of art. Most of these use evaporation or water vapor to spread their scents around, but a few simply rely on natural air to do the heavy lifting, so to speak. This diffuser is part of the latter group, but it does more than just stand still and hope a gentle breeze will carry the aroma around. Instead, this upside-down lollipop uses a simple yet effective trick inspired by the last thing you expect: a child’s toy.
Designer: Diptyque
Although they might be effective in diffusing the scent of aromatic oils across a space, most diffusers also have some downsides, like being fire risks or raising the temperature and humidity in a room. For smaller enclosed areas, a passive or cold diffuser might be a better and simpler option, letting nature run its course by using the air around or a breeze to carry the aroma. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to give it a little push, which is what the Culbuto does by moving back and forth like a metronome.
The name might sound foreign, but all of us will be familiar with toys that have spherical bottoms swaying back and forth to the delight of many kids and even some adults. This oscillating diffuser uses that same motion to help fan the scent emanating from its ceramic stick, sending the scent of Baies or Berries, specifically blackcurrant berries, mixed with flowery smells to all sides of a room. It requires no flame or electricity, simply a literal nudge in the right direction, creating an experience that is fun and engaging.
The Culbuto oscillating diffuser, however, is also a work of art that deserves a prominent place on your desk or shelf. The spherical body is wholly made from beechwood, crafted using traditional wood-turning techniques that bring a touch of elegance to a utilitarian product. The aroma comes from a ceramic stick that, pardon the pun, sticks out from the ball of wood, complementing and contrasting the base in a beautiful manner. The stick is “endlessly refillable,” making the cold diffuser not only simpler and more beautiful but also more sustainable in the long run.
The post Toy-like cold aroma diffuser offers a fun way to make a room smell great first appeared on Yanko Design.
Logitech has unveiled a mixed reality stylus for Meta Quest headsets. The MX Ink is designed to help users craft more precise designs and illustrations. The $130 stylus, which is compatible with Quest 2 and Quest 3 headsets (but, curiously, not the Quest Pro), will be available in September.
The MX Ink will come with two spare tips, one fine and one wide, and you'll pair it using the Meta Quest App. You'll be able to adjust factors such as pressure curves and double tap timing directly from the Meta Settings.
Logitech says that you'll be able to switch between the MX Ink and Quest controllers with ease, and it's the first tracked peripheral from a third-party that Quest headsets officially support. You'll be able to write and design on 2D physical surfaces, then switch to a 3D space and back again as needed, while a pressure-sensitive tip and main button will enable "high-precision creativity," Logitech says. Six-degrees-of-freedom spatial tracking should help with that.
The MX Ink will run for up to seven hours on a single charge, according to Logitech. You can recharge it via USB-C or a dock that's available separately. An MX Mat accessory (a flat surface that Logitech describes as "a friction-free writing and drawing environment") will be available too.
The stylus will be compatible with several Quest apps out of the box, including Gravity Sketch, PaintingVR, Arkio, Engage, OpenBrush, Gesture VR and ShapesXR. As UploadVR notes, it will also work with PC apps Adobe Substance Modeler and Elucis via Quest Link or Air Link.
It's interesting to see Meta beating Apple to the punch when it comes to offering stylus support on a mixed reality headset. Apple, of course, has both the Vision Pro and the Pencil in its stable of devices. The company has reportedly tested a new version of the Apple Pencil that does work with the Vision Pro, but it's yet to see the light of day.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/logitech-reveals-a-3d-stylus-for-meta-quest-headsets-131105249.html?src=rssBack in April, The Information reported that TikTok was working on AI-generated avatars that advertisers could use to sell their products on the platform. Now, the company has made those plans public, announcing new AI-created “digital avatars” that it will begin offering to creators and brands on the app.
According to TikTok, the AI personas are meant to make it easier for creators and businesses to create branded content that still has a “human feel” but without the time and resources that would go into making a typical highly produced and edited ad.
TikTok is starting out with two kinds of avatars: stock avatars that are based on paid actors and custom avatars based on existing creators and brand spokespeople. These avatars will then star in TikTok videos promoting products and can be customized to speak different languages based on the intended audience.
The company says the new feature shows how generative AI can help creators reach even more people on its platform (and, presumably, generate more ad revenue for the company). But after looking at a couple of examples of these, I’m not that excited for a bunch of AI-generated creators to take over my For You feed.
Take the above example of a custom avatar shared by TikTok. The digital persona seems to be based on TikTok exec Adrienne Lahens. But while the avatar looks like her, the speaking style and movements aren’t… quite right. If you watch closely, you’ll notice there’s a slight jerkiness to the head and hand movements that is giving M3GAN vibes. And, speaking of creepy robots, there’s something extremely unnerving about the eyes on AI Adrienne.
Now, I’ve chatted with Lahens before and can confirm she speaks much more warmly and naturally than her AI avatar. Even the still shot of an AI avatar based off of creator O’Neil Thomas at the top of this article has an off-putting 1,000 yard stare that doesn’t seem to be representative of Thomas’ actual persona.
TikTok is far from the first company to experiment with “realistic” AI and come up with something that feels a little bit uncomfortable even if you can’t quite put your finger on what it is. At least, the company’s own rules require that this kind of content gets prominent disclosures. And maybe the new avatars will help creators sell more TikTok Shop gadgets or other supposedly “viral” products. I just hope TikTok can do something to make those AI-generated eyeballs feel a tad less creepy.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktoks-gen-ai-avatars-are-based-on-real-people-and-that-only-makes-them-more-creepy-130033649.html?src=rss
Enhancing your iPhone’s functionality through automation can transform how you interact with your device. The awesome video below from Stephen Robles explores the intricacies of creating advanced shortcuts for your iPhone, providing practical examples and essential actions to help you tailor shortcuts to your unique needs. By mastering these techniques, you can streamline your workflow, […]
The post How to Create Advanced Shortcuts on Your iPhone appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
Embracer Group has closed yet another studio. This time around, the embattled company has shut down Pieces Interactive, the developer of the recent Alone in the Dark reboot.
An image posted on the studio's X account reads "Pieces Interactive 2007 - 2024. Thanks for playing with us." The front page of Pieces' website notes that the developer has released more than 10 titles of its own over the last 17 years. It also worked as a support studio on other projects.
Embracer bought Pieces in 2017 and placed it under the umbrella of publisher THQ Nordic. In April, reports emerged that Pieces had laid off some of its employees, just a few weeks after releasing Alone in the Dark (which had been delayed a couple of times).
The closure of Pieces comes several weeks after Embracer said it had concluded its restructuring process following the collapse of a proposed $2 billion investment a year ago. The company shut down several studios, including TimeSplitters developer Free Radical Design and Volition (Saints Row), and it laid off nearly 1,400 workers in the second half of 2023. Embracer has also sold off several studios, including large parts of Saber Interactive as well as Gearbox Entertainment.
Meanwhile, yet another studio is shutting its doors. Galvanic Games founder Patrick Morgan said on Friday that the company is closing. Morgan noted that despite a promising start, sales of Gavlanic's final game, Wizard with a Gun, were "not strong enough to sustain our studio."
The number of layoffs in the game industry so far in 2024 is estimated to be around 10,800. That's already more than the 10,500 total for all of 2023, and we're not even halfway through the year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/embracer-shuts-down-alone-in-the-dark-reboot-studio-pieces-interactive-124555063.html?src=rss