You'll have to pay a bit more for a PS5 DualSense controller that you might be expecting if you're getting a new one. As IGN reports, Sony has raised the controllers' prices worldwide by $5, even in its own shop. The standard DualSense controllers in the basic colors will now cost you $75 instead of $70, while the more expensive metallic variants — sterling silver, cobalt blue and volcanic red — will set you back $80. Retailers selling the controllers have already changed their prices upon checking, including Amazon, Best Buy and Target. The new prices seem to have taken effect in other regions, as well, including the UK, EU countries and Australia.
Back in August, Sony raised PlayStation 5 prices in Japan by 19 percent due to "challenging economic decisions." The company didn't elaborate, but it is expecting fewer PS5 sales in 2025, even though the console is still outselling the Xbox Series X/S. It also raised the prices of PS5 accessories in Japan at the time, and now the rest of the world has followed suit.
Sony will hold an event today, September 10, for a PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation that will stream live on its YouTube channel starting at 11AM ET. It didn't say what the event is about, but all signs point towards the unveiling of the PS5 Pro. PS5's lead architect, Mark Cerny, will lead the event, which will focus on "PS5 and innovations in gaming technology." We'll be covering the presentation and let you know the latest PS5 news when it comes out.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-raises-ps5-dualsense-controller-prices-by-5-120030046.html?src=rss
The word that perfectly defines me, and is a major part of my identity is ‘Bibliophile’. I’m a bibliophile through and through! Give me a good book, and I’ll be tucked away in a corner with it for hours on end, completely detached from reality and immersed in the fictional world. My love for books means I own a lot of them, and I love coming across functional and adorable products that make my reading experience smoother and more fun. We’ve curated a collection of clever and must-have products that every bibliophile needs in their arsenal. From a transparent bookmark that holds your book open for you at all times, to a nifty reading light you can clip onto your book – these fun yet functional products will improve your reading experience by manifolds.
1. Bookish Bookmark
This ingenious little design is called the Bookish Bookmark, and it provides you with a smooth and hands-free reading session, ensuring your book stays open while you read it. You don’t need to adopt any uncomfortable workarounds to keep your book open while reading or performing other tasks while doing so. It has a clear transparent design, making it great for those who follow cookbooks while preparing meals.
If you’re a true blue bibliophile, and you like to display your books at home, then the Bookish Bookmark is the product for you. You can keep your book open, adding an aesthetically pleasing element to your desk, coffee table, or bookshelf on account of its transparent design.
What we like
Lets you showcase your beloved books in an organized and attractive style
What we dislike
The bookmark seems to be too large for small books and isn’t an ideal option for those who like small and subtle bookmarks
2. Japanese Lantern Candle
If you like spending your evenings curled up with your favorite book in the warm light of a candle, then you may want to consider purchasing the Japanese Lantern Candle. This beautiful little candle is inspired by the Japanese ‘chouchin’ lantern, and it offers some soft yet generous illumination to your reading sessions.
The Japanese Lantern Candle draws inspiration from the iconic Japanese lantern design. The age-old lantern was modernized, creating a surreal lighting solution with a calming glow. The product is handcrafted by artisans in Kurashiki, Japan, making it a veritable collectible.
What we like
The outer wax doesn’t melt too fast, creating a clear body on the lantern candle
What we dislike
The candle does have an open flame, so make sure you don’t place your books too close to it, for fear of catching fire
3. Bowie 2.0
Every book lover needs a trustworthy and dependable reading light, and I do swear by Bowie 2.0. This clever reading light not only offers illumination to the pages of your book but the room as well. The light looks like a leather fashion accessory, that you can easily clip onto the left and right sides of your book cover.
Why is it noteworthy?
The light’s strap features LEDs, which offer a soft and warm glow, that is powerful enough to let you read in the dark. The strap illuminates the pages with a warm LED light, allowing you to read easily and peacefully. You can turn the pages and move about without the light causing any issues.
What we like
Equipped with touch-sensitive brightness settings, that let you adjust the LED brightness
What we dislike
Some people may find it inconvenient and annoying to hold a book with a clipped-on reading light
4. The Ptolomeo Bookshelf
Created by Bruno Rainaldi, the Ptolomeo Bookshelf is a beautiful ode to books, and the people who love to read. The bookshelf is designed especially for bibliophiles, serving as a rejuvenated and refreshing variant of the traditional bookshelf. The revamped design converts an everyday bookshelf into a fascinating design object, bordering on an art piece.
Why is it noteworthy?
The bookshelf is freestanding, amped by a clean and minimal form, which disappears or becomes ‘invisible’ as you fill it up with books! Ptolomeo’s thin and narrow shelves seem to vanish once you place books in them. The mesmerizing piece creates the impression of a stack of books floating in the air.
What we like
The bookshelf seems to “mock the law of gravity”, creating a playful illusion
Functional and sturdy furniture piece, plus amped with good aesthetics
What we dislike
It is a large and space-consuming piece, not well-suited for smaller homes
5. Reference Bookend
Designed by Henry Julier, the Reference is a minimal and classy bookend, designed for those who love to showcase their favorite books. The bookend was created to be a problem-solving tool, facilitating greater connections between the product, and the people who use it. The bookend features a round top flange offering users enough material to hold onto while adding books and adjusting it.
Why is it noteworthy?
Light bookends are tough to adjust with heavy books, hence the Reference was created to function as a sturdy, heavy, and stiff sheet steel bookend that doesn’t need downward pressure to firmly hold onto the books. The Reference Bookend is also quite easy to pick up and put down as and when needed, owing to its unique form.
What we like
The sturdy form that holds the books without any external pressure or support
What we dislike
The aesthetics of the bookend are pretty somber and sober, and may not appeal to everyone’s tastes
The latest Apple Watch Series 10 and the updated Apple Watch Ultra 2 introduce significant advancements in wearable technology. These models offer a complete redesign, new functionalities, and enhanced performance, making them standout choices for tech enthusiasts and health-conscious users alike. With a sleek new look, powerful upgrades under the hood, and innovative features for […]
If you missed it, Apple unveiled all the new iPhones we expected, a new Apple Watch that might steal a lot of the headlines (bigger, thinner, better!) and a surprising new push for its wireless headphones, with three new models and a software update for AirPods Pro that brings the company into a new product category, through software alone.
We’ll chew over those below, but first up: the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro. There’s a surprising parity of new features in the two devices this year. The iPhone 16 gets an action button (left edge, above the volume buttons) and a new camera button, too.
Well, it’s more than just a button. With all sorts of sensors and tech crammed inside, you can adjust controls and settings in the camera — think zoom, exposure and aperture — with gentle slides and presses. Apple is already planning an update for a half-press to focus the camera and a full press to capture.
Why did Apple redesign the iPhone 16 camera module? The cynic in me thought this change, with lenses stacked vertically, was just a desperate indicator to show that folks had the newest iPhone, but there’s a reason. Apparently, this arrangement means the cameras can work in tandem to capture spatial video and photos.
The iPhone 16 Pro (and Pro Max) both get an array of upgraded shooting features. There is (thankfully!) parity between the 6.9-inch Pro Max and 6.2-inch Pro, with the smaller Pro getting 5x optical zoom this year. The ultra-wide-angle camera has been upgraded from 12 megapixels to 48 megapixels in both Pro models. The iPhone 16 Pro can shoot video in 4K at 120 fps, so you can switch to and from slow-mo footage after the fact — no slow-motion recording mode necessary.
The iPhone 16 Pros have a larger battery, delivering us that perennial line: the “best iPhone battery life ever.” However, on Apple’s own specification cheat sheet, it gets a little more specific, saying it was the “Best iPhone battery life on Pro Max.” That’s something to scrutinize in reviews. But after last year’s shift to USB-C, the lightness of a titanium build and an action button is not quite as convincing an upgrade.
Having said that, what am I doing? I currently juggle an Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and a Pixel 9 Pro XL, which are too big for me. Last year, I leaned on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, instead of the iPhone 15 Pro, for 5x camera zoom… and nothing else.
This time around, like the iPhone 14 series, there are pretty much identical specs across the iPhone 16 Pro duo — which is how it should be — so I’m lining up a pre-order for a black iPhone 16 Pro, with 1TB of storage. I might change my mind.
If you’re a Pro Max kind of iPhone owner, I think you could probably wait a year, but it’s also a great time to upgrade to the base iPhone 16. It gets those new buttons, it’ll work with Apple Intelligence in a few months and it has a pretty gorgeous lineup of colors.
We’ve got hands-on impressions on everything below.
— Mat Smith
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Apple’s wearable had the biggest spec jump at its event yesterday, with the biggest display and thinnest design ever on an Apple Watch. The wide-angle OLED display is even a bit larger than the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Apple claims the screen is 40 percent brighter when looked at from an angle, thanks to that new OLED tech, and it’ll show a second hand ticking away even when your wrist is down. The company claims an 18-hour battery life, which someone needs to remind Apple is not a full day.
Apple launched its fourth-generation AirPods this week, as rumors suggested. They have a redesigned bud shape that’s supposed to fit more ear shapes. The new entry-level AirPods also have the H2 chip to power features like Spatial Audio. The charging case has a USB-C port, and it’s the smallest AirPods charging case to date. To throw a wrench into the works, Apple announced a second model supporting active noise cancellation and Transparency mode. Not to be confused with the AirPods Pro, which still exist.
Spare a thought for Deputy Editor Cherlynn Low. As we bundled her into a plane for Cupertino to report on all that Apple stuff, she was wrapping up her review of Google’s Pixel Watch 3. While we had compared Google’s latest wearable to Apple’s Watch Series 9, we think Apple has some wearable competition here, thanks to solid battery life and a comprehensive and intuitive suite of health-tracking features.
Sony has announced a PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation stream at 11AM ET today on the PlayStation YouTube channel. All indications point toward this being the official unveiling of the PS5 Pro. Mark Cerny, the lead architect of the PS5, will host the stream, which will focus on the PS5 and innovations in gaming technology. For less than 10 minutes.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-should-you-upgrade-to-an-iphone-16-111524098.html?src=rss
Claude 3 is a powerful language model created by Anthropic, that offers you a wide range of functionalities designed to enhance your productivity and unleash your creativity. This guide by AI Foundations provides over 30 essential tips for beginners to master Claude 3. From basic prompting techniques to advanced project management and customization features, by […]
The Apple Watch Series 10 is the latest iteration of Apple’s popular smartwatch lineup, bringing a host of new features and improvements to the table. This new model focuses on enhancing the overall user experience through refined design, expanded functionality, and advanced health monitoring capabilities. With its sleek appearance and powerful features, the Series 10 […]
It's a bad day for big tech in the EU. After rejecting Google's appeal of a $2.7 billion antitrust fine, Europe's highest court ruled that Apple must pay back its €13 billion ($14.4 billion) Irish tax break deemed illegal by the EU Commission way back in 2016.
The decision by the European Court of Justice overturns an earlier 2020 decision by a lower court in Apple's favor. "[The decision] confirms the European Commission's 2016 decision: Ireland granted Apple unlawful aid which Ireland is required to recover," the judges wrote.
In a statement to the Financial Times, Apple said the EU was "trying to retroactively change the rules and ignore that, as required by international tax law, our income was already subject to taxes in the US."
Apple's effective tax rate for revenue earned in Europe was an effective 1 percent on European profits and as low as .005 percent in 2014. Because the deal gave Apple a "significant advantage" over the competition, the EU Commission ordered it to pay back "illegal state aid" over the ten-year period before it began investigating its tax practices.
The decision follows several setbacks for the European Commission against US corporations. Last year, the ECJ ruled that Amazon wouldn't be required to pay €250 million ($276 million) in back taxes to Luxembourg and lost a similar case to Starbucks in the Netherlands. So despite today's wins for the EU, those decisions could haunt future EU cases against big tech around tax havens in individual member states.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-ordered-to-pay-back-its-illegal-144-billion-irish-tax-break-110041387.html?src=rss
Cloud computing and Edge AI are two transformative technologies that play crucial roles in advancing artificial intelligence. Cloud computing provides the computational power and scalability required to train AI models and store vast amounts of data, while Edge AI enables these models to run on local devices, reducing latency and improving efficiency. Together, these technologies […]
Microsoft Copilot, the new AI-powered tool integrated into Excel, transforms the way you perform data lookup and merging tasks using functions like VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process of using Copilot to streamline your data management workflows, offering both traditional and AI-assisted methods. Understanding Microsoft Copilot for Excel TL;DR […]
The Amazfit T-Rex 3 is the latest addition to Amazfit’s lineup of smartwatches, designed specifically for those who crave adventure. This military-grade smartwatch offers unparalleled durability, innovative outdoor navigation features, and an impressive battery life, making it the perfect companion for explorers and fitness enthusiasts alike. With its rugged construction and advanced features, the Amazfit […]
