Amazon updated its Fire HD 8 lineup last week and has promptly discounted the slates for its October Prime Day sale. The new slab has more RAM, a better camera setup and built-in AI features to make it different from its predecessor. The device will normally start at $100 (with lock-screen ads), but Amazon is now selling the base model for $55 through October 9. An upgraded configuration with more memory and storage is also on sale for $85, down from its $130 MSRP.
As its name suggests, the new Fire HD 8 has an 8-inch display with a 1280 x 800 resolution (189 ppi). One of the 2024 model’s big upgrades is having 3GB of RAM in the base storage tier (32GB). The 64GB variant, meanwhile, slides up to 4GB of RAM. Of course, this is very much a budget tablet, so those aren’t close to barrier-breaking numbers. But it's still 50 to 100 percent higher than the 2GB of RAM in the 2022 model.
Amazon rates the Fire HD 8 for up to 13 hours of battery life. The tablet’s rear camera is 5MP. (That’s the same as the “Plus” version of its 2022 predecessor, but it’s higher than the 2MP in the old standard version.)
The tablets also include some generative AI capabilities. Like Apple’s early take on AI in its 2024 updates, these include a Writing Assist feature that can jot out messages based on prompts. It can also summarize web pages, make grammar suggestions and tweak brevity.
There are two kids’ versions of the tablet as well: the Fire HD 8 Kids and Fire HD 8 Kids Pro. As you’d expect from Amazon’s child-focused variants, these versions will include a “kid-proof” case in Disney-branded designs (including Pixar Cars, Disney Princess or Marvel Avengers). They also come with a subscription to Amazon Kids+, the company’s content delivery service (including mobile games!) for the kiddos. Between the two, the Kids version has a thicker case built for younger tykes, while the Kids Pro has a slimmer hard case designed for older children. Both Kids tablets will typically cost $140 but are currently down to $70 for Prime Day.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/october-prime-day-tablet-deals-discount-amazons-fire-hd-8-to-55-163611348.html?src=rss
Google is expanding Gmail’s summary cards, the service’s AI-driven contextual snippets extracted for things like incoming packages. Starting today, they’ll include cards for purchases, events, bills and travel. In addition, a new Happening Soon section will live at the top of your inbox, showing upcoming time-sensitive cards. The company says it’s making the changes because “email habits have continued to evolve.”
The new Happening Soon section will deliver “timely” summary cards at the top of your inbox. For example, when you open Gmail, you might see a card showing that an order you placed last week is out for delivery today. Google says all its summary cards are dynamic and updated in real time.
Gmail’s Happening Soon section will remind you about time-sensitive cards.
Google
Where appropriate, summary cards will also include action buttons. Google describes action buttons’ appeal as “no more digging for buried links.”
Purchase summary cards will let you track packages, view order details and keep tabs on online orders. Event cards will let you view your upcoming events, invite friends or get directions to the venue. Bill summaries will let you see or pay them (or set reminders to pay them in Google Tasks). Finally, Travel summary cards will let you manage reservations, check in for flights and see details like hotel check-in and check-out times.
Google’s release schedule for the new features is a bit complicated. Purchase summary cards for individual emails start rolling out “gradually” beginning today (although some users already reported seeing them earlier this week) on Android and iOS. Cards for the other categories for individual emails and the Happening Soon section will arrive “in the coming months.” And the four card categories showing everywhere (individual emails, Gmail search and Happening Soon) will come “in the future.” So, you’ll need to hang tight before you can try Google’s full summary card experience.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-is-making-gmail-summaries-more-useful-and-adding-a-happening-soon-tab-160026564.html?src=rss
Few brands have needed a car as badly as Polestar needs the Polestar 3. The Polestar 1 was cool in a wholly irrational and impractical way, more of a statement of intent than a viable product. The Polestar 2 was a much more serious market proposition and a legitimately great car. But a tall, sporty sedan was never going to be more than a niche contender. It certainly wasn’t something to build a brand upon.
The Polestar 3 was meant to be the thing that would really open doors — a mass-market machine to fill the needs and wants of buyers looking for an all-electric SUV with proper dimensions, avant-garde styling and bright yellow seatbelts. But it was supposed to be here in 2023. Now, as the clock starts to wind down on 2024, it's finally arriving at dealerships.
The good news is that it's great. But is it great enough?
The Polestar 3 can be cynically thought of as the five-passenger flavor of Volvo's three-row EX90. The EX90 has likewise had a troubled gestation. It’s almost a fraternal twin to the Polestar, similarly tangled up in a mire of software delays, then further complicated by an evolving set of international tariffs targeting Chinese-built EVs.
Tim Stevens for Engadget
The Polestar 3 shares the same platform, motors, basic layout and technology as the Volvo. Its specs are, therefore, quite similar: The EX90 makes 402 horsepower and 568 foot-pounds of torque on the base model, stepping up to 510 hp and 671 lb-ft of torque in the Twin Motor Performance trim.The Polestar 3, meanwhile, makes 489 hp and 620 lb-ft in the base, Long Range Dual Motor version, or 517 hp and 671 lb-ft when you add on the Performance Pack. While the Polestar 3's base has considerably more shove, on the top-shelf flavor, they're basically neck-and-neck.
The pricing is significantly different, though. Where the EX90 starts at $79,995 for a base Plus and goes up to $84,345 for the Plus trim with the Performance option, the Polestar 3 starts at $73,400 for the base Long range Dual motor model. When you factor in the Performance pack, that brings the starting price up to $79,400. You can also add on a few upgrades, including the Plus pack with a Dolby Atmos sound system from Bowers & Wilkins for $5,000.
I drove both models, starting with a non-Performance Launch Edition, which includes the Pilot and Plus options packages, all the active safety goodies and many other lifestyle features. Add on $2,300 for 22-inch wheels, and that SUV came to $82,800 after a $1,400 destination charge.
The Performance model that I drove had yet more options, including $1,300 for the metallic Thunder paint (an evocative name for dark gray). With a whopping $5,500 for the ventilated Nappa leather, the price goes up to $93,100 after the $1,400 destination charge.
Why the price difference for basically the same car as the Volvo? The primary difference is the Luminar Lidar pod on the roof of every EX90. That'll be an option on the Polestar 3 for those who really want to spend $5,000 more. Its absence makes for a considerable cost reduction despite having no loss in immediate functionality. On the Volvo, that sensor won't even be switched on until sometime next year, and who knows when it'll actually start feeding into the safety system.
Even without the Lidar, the Polestar 3 has a comprehensive set of sensors, including a 360-degree camera, ultrasonic sensors for parking and even active driver monitoring. The Pilot package, which comes standard, does a nice job of keeping the vehicle centered on roads of all sorts. It also includes active driver monitoring to ensure you stay focused on the road ahead and not the beauty of the Grand Tetons, which often distracted me on my day behind the wheel of this new SUV.
Polestar
The in-car experience is dominated by a 14.5-inch portrait touchscreen in the middle of the dash. The look and feel is quite similar to the current Polestar experience but with refreshed visuals and more comprehensive functionality. Thanks to Android Automotive, you have things like Google Maps, YouTube Music and Google Assistant baked right into the car. For the Android faithful, this is a boon. One sign-in means you have everything from your address book to your guilty pleasure music playlists at your fingertips, even if you forgot your phone in your office.
The UI refinements are subtle but welcome, making it easier to get to common controls, like increasing brake regen or cycling the heated and ventilated seats. There's also a small gauge cluster behind the wheel, which has a few different views, and thankfully now includes a proper navigation view. If that's not enough, a heads-up display is standard on the launch edition.
That's, again, all quite similar to the EX90. The most significant difference between the two is the look. While the Volvo has a clean and fresh exterior, which is a robust new face for the brand, its stately air won't resonate with everybody. The Polestar 3 is much more aggressive, from the cheeky wing on the hood to the pronounced fenders at the rear. Despite being roughly the same size, it looks far more svelte and offers a fair bit more character than the Volvo.
The Polestar 3 also feels much roomier inside. That's the benefit of shifting from three rows to two. Obviously, it won't do you much good if you need to haul more than five people, but if your shuttling duties are less demanding, the Polestar 3 offers more commodious seating.
It's also slightly more engaging to drive. While the throttle curve is surprisingly relaxed, requiring a deep application of the go pedal to get the car going, once you get in there the SUV leaps forward. The steering is wonderfully sharp, if a bit numb, paired with engaging handling for a machine of this stature.
Polestar
I have to say, though, that I didn't find the extra horsepower and torque of the Performance model particularly compelling. It definitely accelerates more quickly, but both models run out of steam at higher speeds, surging forward and then falling a bit flat. It was quick and fun when zipping through traffic though, or making the most of short passing zones.
The Polestar 3 is just as good at cruising calmly. It's quiet and smooth at speed, providing a great sound stage for the optional 25-speaker, 1,610-watt Bowers & Wilkins sound system with Dolby Atmos. The front seats are supportive yet comfortable. Heating and ventilation are great, and the ability to enable both simultaneously is a rare treat, giving a bit more intensity to the warmth. The heated steering wheel is also quite toasty, but annoyingly, it is not a standard feature. It's part of the Plus pack.
Thankfully, a heat pump is standard fare, something that should help this SUV deliver better range in cold weather. In ideal conditions, the Polestar 3 will do up to 315 miles on a charge, per the EPA, out of its 111-kilowatt-hour (107 usable) battery.
Like on my first drive of the EX90, I did experience a few software glitches here. Early on in the drive, the Polestar 3 said it could not detect my hands despite them definitely being on the steering wheel. Thankfully, that issue righted itself quickly, but later in the day we got another, more troubling warning: "Driver support system fault. Book a service." That alert, too, disappeared a moment later.
As with the Volvo, I'm sure these issues will be fixed in short order. They'd better be, at least, because the first Polestar 3 SUVs are hitting dealerships any day now. The first shipment was built in China, but future models will come from Volvo's factory near Charleston, South Carolina, where they'll share a line with the EX90.
Which is the better of the two SUVs? It really comes down to how many seats you need and whether you're willing to spend more for a Lidar sensor that might, someday, provide more advanced driver assistance functionality. Both models are shaping up to be solid SUVs, and that's excellent news for Polestar. It desperately needed this car to be great, and minus those few software glitches, it is.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/polestar-3-first-drive-the-long-awaited-suv-is-finally-here-and-its-good-154552543.html?src=rss
October Prime Day deals are proving to be just as good as those we saw in July, at least for some of Amazon's own devices. The recently revamped Echo Spot is back on sale for a record low of $45, a discount that we last saw during the summertime sale event. The original Echo Spot came out in 2017, but it only lasted two years before it was discontinued. Amazon brought back a redesigned version of the Alexa speaker earlier this year. You can also opt for a bundle and get a TP-Link Tapo Smart Color Bulb with it for the same price.
The new Amazon Echo Spot forgoes the circular speaker of the original and instead offers a split look: the top half screen and the bottom half speaker. Amazon bills it as having improved sound and display quality. Otherwise, it has all the same basic features, like Alexa integration, music streaming, and displaying the weather forecast.
If you were put off from getting an Echo Spot in the past due to the inclusion of a camera (it does feel a bit weird for a bedside device), then you're in luck. Amazon foregoes the camera this time, giving you extra peace of mind.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazons-echo-spot-smart-alarm-clock-is-at-a-record-low-price-for-october-prime-day-151013382.html?src=rss
This February, NVIDIA released a one-stop graphical adjustments app in beta, succinctly named the NVIDIA App. The app isn’t a direct replacement for the existing GeForce Experience app since it also lets you install other NVIDIA apps like GeForce NOW (cloud gaming) and NVIDIA Broadcast (improved streaming experience), which GeForce Experience isn’t capable of. However, the latest NVIDIA App updates are slowly attempting to combine the two experiences into one, as the company announced today.
For most gamers with NVIDIA GPUs, GeForce Experience is the most common option for adjusting game graphical settings, updating drivers, and some other quick settings. The new NVIDIA App can do all of that and more, such as activating AI-powered ray-tracing filters for supported games. It also features a new in-game overlay, among other features.
One of the additions in today’s update is RTX HDR multi-monitor support. Those who own multiple HDR-certified monitors can now enable HDR on them simultaneously. You can also now configure G-Sync with the NVIDIA App, something you previously could only do with the NVIDIA Control Panel, which can be confusing to navigate to some people.
Most importantly, NVIDIA is now working hard to integrate more Control Panel features into the NVIDIA app. Once the app exits beta around the end of the year, the company plans to migrate all GeForce Experience users to the new app. For now, users are highly encouraged to provide feedback.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/the-nvidia-app-currently-in-beta-will-replace-geforce-experience-soon-152853070.html?src=rss
Being stuck at home for months on end has been an eye-opening experience for many people. For some, it revealed how little space we have at home, while others realized how they are ill-equipped to work at home. At the same time, many people have also become more aware of how the tools they use, especially consumer electronics, have aesthetic value that could either uplift their mood or burden their subconscious minds because of their designs. Wi-Fi routers, in particular, come in uninspiring or sometimes menacing designs that we often hide in corners or behind other objects that can actually negatively affect their performance. This router concept design tries to address that and other pain points with a design that turns a boring box into something like an art object that unfurls its beauty like a peacock when the Wi-Fi signal is strong.
Designer: Sunjin Na
Common home routers are simple boxes with one or two antenna rods sticking out from them. More powerful and sophisticated equipment, however, would have multiple antennas that transform the router into something like a robotic sci-fi creature. Unless you actually go for that kind of aesthetic, chances are you’ll be hiding the router from view. But if you’re not careful, that could actually affect the signal that it transmits. Additionally, you wouldn’t have any way of knowing whether the router itself is receiving a good Internet signal without looking at your phone’s Wi-Fi bar or some other app.
Blooming Out is a design concept that fixes those problems by making sure you wouldn’t want to hide the router in the first place. It gives the router a makeover that isn’t just aesthetically pleasing but also functional. It uses the concept of a folding fan that “blooms out” when the Wi-Fi signal is strong but retracts and folds in when it is weak. It’s not a binary state, though as the 29 fans can indicate the signal strength in between.
The router also has visible antennas, but not in the design you’d normally expect. The three antennas stand together a bit off-center and can be rotated to maximize the spread of the signal. Because of this design, Blooming Out looks more like a peacock fanning out its tail in pride when it’s working in full force.
With this design, the Blooming out router concept becomes more than just a tool. It becomes an aesthetic object that adds visual value to any space, disguising its actual function without compromising its functionality. Of course, there could still be some technical drawbacks with this unconventional design, but it could be something that’s easily resolved with today’s technologies.
Nintendo hates discounting its first-party games when they are five years old, let alone five days old. Woot is selling the just-releasedThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom for $52, which certainly breaks from tradition. This is a discount of $8 or 13 percent. It’s unlikely you’ll find anything lower until the game starts showing up in used bins.
This is a physical copy of the new Zelda game that we called “both familiar and fresh” in our official review. It’s familiar because this is a top-down adventure that calls to mind The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, among others. It’s fresh because of, well, everything else.
This is the first game in the franchise that lets you control the titular princess (no I’m not counting the ancient Philips CD-i title.) This isn’t just a skin swap. Zelda is a completely different hero, with a unique moveset that changes just about every aspect of gameplay. Where Link is a standard sword-wielding warrior, Zelda is a mage/summoner.
She can summon (literally) hundreds of items, including nearly every monster in the game. This means you can roll into battle flanked by an army of bloodthirsty Moblins, though lately I’ve been going with crows. These monsters typically have a secondary use for puzzle solving and traversal, which is an absolute blast.
There’s also a whole lot of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom in this game’s DNA. It looks like an old-school Zelda game, but kind of plays like a new one. There are traditional dungeons, which is great, but there’s no pressure to complete them. I’ve only done one and I’ve put in like 15 hours so far. Instead, I’m using wild and wacky mechanics to explore every nook and cranny of the (surprisingly) huge map, on the hunt for secrets and new summons.
There’s only one downside that most reviews have touched on. There are a lot of summons in this game, which are called echoes. Picking and choosing from over a hundred monsters and objects can require some cumbersome menu navigation. As for this sale, Woot is only allowing one copy per customer, with a shipment date of October 11.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-legend-of-zelda-echoes-of-wisdom-is-13-percent-off-less-than-a-week-after-its-release-151553553.html?src=rss
Meta is consolidating its three creator monetization programs for Facebook to make it easier for users to start earning on the social network. The company has three ways for creators to earn on the website: Via In-stream ads, Ads on Reels and Performance bonuses. Each one has a different eligibility requirement and sign-up process. The new Facebook Content Monetization program will simplify things for creators who want to earn on the website, since they'll only need to apply and go through the onboarding process once.
In its announcement, Meta said it paid creators more than $2 billion for their Reels, videos, photos and text posts over the past year. However, it also said that creators aren't able to maximize what they could make on the platform, and only one-third of them earn from more than one of its programs. The consolidated scheme will work just like its older programs in that it has a performance-based payout model. Monetized users can still earn from the ads in their reels, longer videos, photos and text posts. Meta will give them access to a new Insights tab, though, which shows how much money they're making on different content formats. They can also see which videos and posts are making the most money. Previously, the company had separate insights tabs for each program.
The new monetization feature is still in beta mode and will be until next year. This week, Meta will start inviting 1 million creators already earning on the social network to take part in its beta testing, but it will continue sending invites to more people in the coming months. Creators don't have to take part in the test if they don't want to, but if they do, they can't rejoin Facebook's standalone monetization schemes. Those who don't get an invitation anytime soon but want to join the new program can express their interest through Facebook's official content monetization page.
Facebook
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-wants-to-make-it-easy-for-creators-to-earn-on-facebook-150037046.html?src=rss
Believe it or not, Bose hasn’t been in the noise-canceling earbuds game very long. The company’s first ANC model arrived in late 2020, with two more to follow in 2022 and 2023. It successfully brought its powerful active noise cancellation (ANC) tech to the true wireless form factor from the jump, but has further improved with each new version. And perhaps the company’s greatest earbud triumph thus far was the debut of Immersive Audio last year: spatial audio that doesn’t need specially created content to be enjoyed.
While other companies have been keen to offer multiple models at varying prices, Bose stuck to flagship-quality wares at premium prices. All three of its noise-canceling earbud models are priced around $300. So, while its competitors have created wireless earbuds that nail the basics for less money, but pack fewer premium features overall, Bose has stayed the course.
Now, though, Bose is taking a shot at the mid-range market. The company revealed the QuietComfort Earbuds ($179) earlier this month, finally giving consumers a second option in its lineup. Bose’s ANC is onboard, with longer battery life than 2022’s QuietComfort Earbuds II and a new app with features that are unique to this new model. Has the company successfully managed to scale down its flagship formula or will these earbuds leave you pining for more?
Design
The first thing that struck me about the new QuietComfort Earbuds is their smaller size. It wasn’t clear from the marketing materials that this model was more compact than the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, which have a similar design to the QC Earbuds II. Bose has never been shy about bigger buds, and the size hasn’t been a problem. But, with the industry continuously trending smaller, it's nice to see the company take an opportunity to shave off some excess.
The overall shape is more akin to Bose’s early (non-ANC) true wireless models than its recent ones. The oval-shaped stem isn’t here, as the circular exterior of the IPX4-rated QC Earbuds accept your taps and presses instead. The company is still using its so-called stability bands to help secure the fit, and there are three sizes of those to accompany the three ear tip options. During my tests, I never had an issue with the earbuds staying in place. Plus, the smaller size makes them more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time.
Bose went with a more common shape for the charging case this time. It’s larger than the one that came with the QuietComfort Ultra Open Earbuds, but about the same size as that of the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds – even though the shapes are quite different. For this new model, the case is lighter with a relatively thin lid, although I never felt like the buds weren’t adequately protected.
Features
For a while now, all of the features and settings for Bose’s earbuds and headphones were accessible in the Bose app. For the QuietComfort Earbuds though, the company specifically designed the Bose QCE App, and said that it will be the only Bose product that uses it. Bose explained that this model uses different hardware and firmware to its previous earbuds (and other products), so it needed a new app to bring the QuietComfort Earbuds to market as soon as possible.
While the overall look is similar to the other Bose app, the layout and interactivity is different. And that’s not a bad thing. For example, you get access to a lot more features on the main screen rather than having to dig into a more detailed settings menu. Pretty much anything you would need is right there, including advanced options like Voice Control, Low Latency Audio, Smart Calls and Battery Prediction. When you tap on a feature, a card pops up with the appropriate settings. I think it’s a cleaner implementation that helps you get to what you need a lot faster.
Voice Control allows you to handle media playback, volume, ANC mode, calls and more with a “Hey Headphones…” command. It’s not something I felt like using all the time, but it was nice to have when my hands were full. Plus, this is the only model in the Bose lineup to offer it at this time.
The QC Earbuds support multipoint Bluetooth, which isn’t always a standard feature on Bose devices. There’s also a new Remote Selfie tool that lets you trigger your camera app with either of those Voice Controls or a tap on the earbuds. Low Latency Audio mode is here for gaming and there’s the option of assigning an onboard tap for a Fast Mute during calls. Of course, this main screen also shows standard settings: Battery percentages for each earbud, ANC modes, EQ and the ability to remap the touch controls.
Sound quality
Billy Steele for Engadget
To me, Bose’s stock tuning has always been good, but not great. I typically notice a prevalence of treble and bass, with some lost fidelity in the mid range. For that reason, the company has lagged behind the likes of Sony and Sennhesier in terms of overall sound quality. But that changed on the QC Ultra Earbuds when Bose finally flexed its muscle with more robust, enveloping audio tuning.
On the QuietComfort Earbuds, there’s still an emphasis on punchy highs and snappy bass. It creates a pleasant foundation, and there’s plenty of crisp, clean detail in the tone. However, I’d like a little more mids, which thankfully I can get with the Custom EQ settings that provides a 5-band sliding to tweak as you desire. With that active, I can hear more detail in the guitars on Balance and Composure’s “With You In Spirit,” an alt-rock track with some crunchy riffs and layered interaction between those instruments.
You get a great feel for the low-end thump the QC Earbuds can muster on Justice’s Hyperdrama. Songs like “One Night/All Night” that have a driving, dance-y bass line thick with textured synths allow these buds to flex their bass chops. Something less intense, like Wyatt Flores’ “Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight” showcases the nuances in the sound from the acoustic guitar, fiddle and even the drums.
You’ll notice that I didn’t mention Immersive Audio, Bose’s take on spatial audio that debuted on the QC Ultra Earbuds and Headphones. Instead of relying on specially tracked content, the company uses software to do the heavy lifting. Immersive Audio isn’t available on the QuietComfort Earbuds right now, but the company’s website lists it as “coming soon.” For now, I’m only evaluating these earbuds on what they currently offer, but the addition of Immersive Audio could be significant in terms of overall sonic performance.
ANC performance
Billy Steele for Engadget
Bose likes to throw around words like “legendary” and “renowned” when describing its ANC’s effectiveness. And rightfully so. The company has been among the best when it comes to blocking environmental noise for years. The QuietComfort Earbuds line has offered some of the best options for silencing distractions since its inception in 2020, culminating with the QC Ultra Earbuds that debuted last year. So, with its most affordable option yet, it would be understandable if Bose backed off a bit on the ANC performance. Thankfully, that’s not the case.
I was pleasantly surprised at what Bose offers in a $179 set of earbuds. You’ll have no problem combating low-to-mid-range noise sources, like fans and white noise machines, and the QC Earbuds even do a decent job with human voices. They won’t completely silence a chatty neighbor, but they will reduce the distraction even with no audio playing. And sure, you’ll find more-robust ANC on the pricier Ultra model, but for most, this set will block what you need it to, and cost less doing it.
Transparency mode, or Aware, sounds pleasantly natural, although you won’t hear your own voice as clearly unless you have Side Tones enabled. This provides adjustable voice amplification for calls and in-game chats, but isn’t applied universally when Aware mode is active. And even then, it’s not as good as Apple’s AirPods Pro, which are the best when it comes to ambient sound.
Battery life
Bose promises up to 8.5 hours of use with ANC on with two and a half charges in the case. A quick-charge feature gives you three hours of playback in 20 minutes. Unlike other recent models, Bose built wireless charging into the QuietComfort Earbuds case, which means you won’t have to buy an additional cover for that.
During my tests with ANC enabled and the volume at a comfortable 60-70 percent, I still had 12 percent battery left after the stated 8.5 hours. There were a few times I used transparency mode for calls and chats, but otherwise it was all ANC, all the time. According to the app’s Battery Prediction feature, 12 percent would’ve been good enough for another 45 minutes.
I should note that Battery Prediction shouldn’t be solely relied on for an indication of how much time you have left. The number is calculated based on the current use conditions when you ask for the figure. For example, if you tap it as soon as you put the QC Earbuds in and haven’t activated ANC, it will tell you there’s over 12 hours remaining. That’s not really achievable under normal use, not to mention if you’ve got active noise cancellation turned on.
Call quality
Billy Steele for Engadget
For wireless earbuds, call quality can be really hit or miss. Companies either nail it with something that blocks a ton of background noise and keeps you sounding decent, or you end up with speakerphone-quality, fuzzy voice performance. Most of the time, earbuds land somewhere in the middle. Call quality wasn’t the absolute best on the QC Ultra Earbuds during my review, but it was solid enough to get the job done and handled background noise well.
On the QuietComfort Earbuds, that wasn’t the case. My voice sounded slightly muffled during calls – somewhat clear, but far from pristine. The earbuds also managed to diminish the sound of a loud fan when I wasn’t speaking, but it got slightly louder when I began to talk. If you’re making a ton of calls with your earbuds, these might not be the best option for you. However, if you’re only planning to use them occasionally, and not for important meetings, you’ll probably be fine.
The competition
My pick for best wireless earbuds, Sony’s WF-1000XM5, is significantly more expensive than the QC Earbuds at nearly $300. Typically, when they go on sale, you’re looking at $248, although my deal-seeking colleagues have seen them as low as $228. So, even in the best-case scenario, you’re looking at an extra $50 over the QuietComfort Earbuds. For this reason, Sony’s LinkBuds S and Sennheiser’s Accentum True Wireless are more apt comparisons.
The LinkBuds S carry a lot of the same features from the 1000XM5 earbuds, including the overall design. You’ll still get Speak-to-Chat conversation awareness and Adaptive Sound Control that automatically adjusts settings based on activity or location – among other tools. Battery life is shorter at six hours, but the LinkBuds S are still rated IPX4 so they should be fine for workouts.
Sennheiser’s Accentum True Wireless serve the same purpose in the company’s lineup as the new QuietComfort Earbuds do for Bose. The Accentum model offers some of the attractive features of the pricier Momentum True Wireless 4 at a lower price. The key advantage here is better sound quality, which I’ve found Sennehsier to be reliably churning out with each new set. You’ll also get decent ANC, but not as good as the QC Earbuds, and 8-hour battery life.
Wrap-up
Bose has cracked the code for a compelling set of earbuds with its best features at a lower price. Effective ANC, great sound quality, extended battery life and loads of other handy tools are all here, including some you won’t find on the company’s other models. Sure, the noise cancellation, call quality and audio performance are better on the pricier QuietComfort Ultra, but there’s a lot to like here for $179. If Bose can quickly deliver Immersive Audio, the new QuietComfort Earbuds might become an even more compelling option.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/bose-quietcomfort-earbuds-2024-review-a-more-affordable-anc-ace-150018195.html?src=rss
Palworld could be on its way to a mobile device near you. Krafton, the publisher of PUBG: Battlegrounds, has agreed a licensing deal with the game’s maker, Pocketpair, to bring the smash hit to mobile.
Krafton’s PUBG Studios will develop the mobile version. No other details have been announced, other than to note that PUBG Studios will “reinterpret” Palworld’s gameplay for mobile devices, per an automated translation of a press release (which is in Korean). So it’s not completely clear whether this will be a faithful port of the full game or a spinoff that has some of the same features.
However, there’s a reason that Palworld isn’t available on PS5 in Japan for now. The game’s similarity to Pokémon (here, you also catch a variety of monsters, but some of ‘em have guns and you can also eat them) caught the attention of Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. The latter indicated in January that it was investigating the would-be rival. In September, the two companies filed suit against Pocketpair in Japan for alleged patent infringement.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/palworld-is-bound-for-mobile-thanks-to-the-maker-of-pubg-141104110.html?src=rss
