To support its latest Pixel 9 phones with faster charging speeds, Google has quietly unveiled a new 45 watt charger. That speed is well beyond what its latest devices can handle, so it may allow for future device support.
Charging rates are a mixed bag with the new Pixel 9 phones. The Pixel 9 charges at 27W, the same as before, and the Pixel 9 Pro also charges at 27W, less than the Pixel 8 Pro's 30W. The new Pixel 9 Pro XL, however charges at 37W, up considerably from any previous model (the PIxel 9 Pro Fold's 21W max charging speed is unchanged).
The previous charger topped out at 30W, matching the Pixel 8 Pro's maximum rate, but the new 45W model has an extra 8W of capacity over the Pixel 9 Pro XL. That could allow Google to use the same charger for the Pixel 10, much as it used the 30W charger for both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 8.
It's nice to have the extra charging speeds on the Pixel Pro XL (and no other model) and it does keep pace with its primary competitor, Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra (45W). However, some Chinese phones like the Redmi Note 12 Explorer (210W) and Realme GT5 (240W) leave them both in the dust. The latter, for instance, can go from empty to a 100 percent charge in less than 10 minutes. The fastest-charging phone currently sold in the US is the OnePlus 12 (80W).
Google's new charger sells for $30, which is a decent price if you want to stick with the brand. However, you can find a fully compatible Anker or third-party 45W USB-C PD charger for $20 any day of the week.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/google-announced-a-45w-usb-c-charger-thats-faster-than-its-new-pixel-9-phones-can-handle-120035213.html?src=rss
Under a cloud of studio closures and layoffs, there's a sliver of sunshine in the gaming business. After being closed by Microsoft in May, Hi-Fi Rush studio Tango Gameworks has been acquired by PUBG: Battlegrounds developer Krafton.
"Krafton intends to collaborate with Xbox and ZeniMax to ensure a smooth transition and maintain continuity at Tango Gameworks, allowing the talented team to continue developing the Hi-Fi Rush IP and explore future projects," Krafton wrote in a press release spotted by Polygon.
Following its $7.5 billion purchase of ZeniMax in 2021, Microsoft shut down three of its studios, Arkane Austin, Tokyo-based Tango Gameworks and Alpha Dog Studios. Tango was behind several notable titles, including The Evil Within, Ghostwire Tokyo and the rhythm-based brawler Hi-Fi Rush. The latter debuted in 2023 as an exclusive on Xbox Series X and PC, and recently came to PS5 in March this year.
Krafton said the acquisition will not affect current Tango games including The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyo and Hi-Fi Rush.
Tango Gameworks was founded in 2010 by Resident Evil 4 game director Shinji Mikami and initially made its name with horror titles like The Evil Within. Hi-Fi Rush was a significant departure and became a critical hit with a 10 out of 10 Steam score thanks to the fluid, engaging gameplay and unique graphical style.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pubg-battlegrounds-publisher-acquires-hi-fi-rush-studio-after-microsoft-shut-it-down-120005467.html?src=rss
Intel has unveiled a discrete GPU for cars, the Arc A760A, designed to bring the "triple-A gaming experience" from home over to your car, the company announced. No automotive partners were revealed, but vehicles with the new chips will go on sale as soon as 2025.
With car buyers increasingly focused on in-vehicle entertainment above all else, the chips are designed to "unlock a new era of AI-powered cockpit experiences," according to Intel's press release.
The GPUs will allow voice, camera and gesture recognition to make it easy to control up to "seven high-definition screens rendering 3D graphics and six-in vehicle cameras and interactive features." At the same time, it can supposedly run demanding triple-A gaming titles, in-vehicle entertainment and AI-powered productivity apps.
Intel
The system will also be highly personalized to the driver. It'll include the ability to "execute complex vehicle control commands through natural language processing, answer vehicle-related questions accurately, and even engage in leisurely chat with users, providing a more interactive and enjoyable journey," according to Intel.
Intel added that it has created over 500 features and AI apps for automobiles, with over 100 independent software vendors working on in-vehicle experiences. In addition, the A760A will be fully compatible with software developed for its iGPU PC platform, while scaling from entry- and mid-tier vehicles up to higher-end cars.
Intel said it wants to be the "go-to partner for automakers." It's clearly looking to diversify its offerings in the wake of quality-control problems with recent PC chips and financial woes that may see it lay off up to 15,000 employees.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/intel-is-bringing-gpus-to-cars-120057738.html?src=rss
Just five days after blocking Instagram, Turkey has banned Roblox over reports of inappropriate sexual content perceived as exploiting children, Türkiye Today reported. An official from the Türkiye Directorate of Communications also cited "promotion of homosexuality" and incentives for children via the game's Robux virtual currency as reasons for the ban.
The regulator also said that monitoring content on Roblox is a significant challenge. The countrywide restrictions were imposed following an investigation by the chief public prosecutor's office.
Last week, Instagram was blocked in in the country following a dispute over Hamas-related content on the platform. Turkey’s head of communications stated in a post on X that Instagram was "actively preventing people from posting messages of condolences” for Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader who was killed earlier this week.
Turkish authorities have banned major social media services before. Twitter was briefly blocked in the country last year following an earthquake that killed thousands of people. YouTube and Twitter were also blocked in 2014.
Roblox has had its own problems, particularly around complaints of child exploitation. Earlier this year, the company was hit with a lawsuit accusing it of exploiting child labor and deceptive advertising. The company was also sued in 2022 for allowing adult users to sexually prey on a 10-year-old girl. Discord, Snap and Meta were also named in that suit.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/turkey-has-blocked-roblox-over-child-exploitation-reports-120018044.html?src=rss
Fujifilm’s X-T30 II is one of my favorite cameras, as it offers many of the capabilities of the higher-end models for a lot less money. So I was particularly excited when the company launched the X-T50, which is like a miniature version of the $1,700 X-T5.
It shares many features, including a 40.2-megapixel sensor, 6K 30P video support and, in a first for the series, in-body stabilization. At the same time, it retains the small size and retro-cute styling of past models.
At $1,400 it’s not nearly as affordable as the $900 X-T30, though. To find out if it’s worth an extra half grand, I tested the X-T50 out in London with some professional photographer friends.
Body and handling
The X-T50 is all about portability and style, so it’s nice and light at 438 grams (0.96 pounds), just 50 grams more than the previous model. If you’re traveling with a compact lens, it can easily be slipped into a bag.
At the same time, the grip has been enlarged enough to make the camera easier to hang on to. Operation is largely unchanged, with two control dials, a shutter speed dial and an exposure compensation dial, along with a joystick and eight buttons. However, Fujifilm did introduce one new trick: a film simulation dial in place of the previous drive mode — more on that shortly.
All of that makes it nearly as easy to control as much larger cameras. The dedicated shutter dial is an unusual feature these days, so it does take some getting used to. The advantage is that you can see that setting just by looking down at the camera, a must for discreet street or travel shooting.
Like past models in this series, the X-T50 has a tilt-only display that doesn’t flip out, which is likely a bummer for the vloggers it’s tantalizing with its video capabilities. And rival models like the Sony A6700 and Canon R7 do have flip-out displays. The 2.36-million-dot electronic viewfinder isn’t super sharp, but is par for the course in this price range.
With a smallish battery like the one on the X100 VI, the X-T50 can manage just 305 shots on a charge or 390 in economy mode. That’s near the bottom in its category. By comparison, Canon’s like-priced R7 can take up to 660 photos before the battery dies.
The X-T50 has a decent array of ports, including microHDMI, USB-C and a mic jack. As before, there’s no headphone input, but you can use the USB-C slot with a 3.5mm adapter to monitor audio. It comes with a single, but fast UHS-II card slot.
Performance
If it’s pure performance you’re after, the X-T50 probably isn’t for you. Burst speeds are decent at up to 13 fps in electronic shutter mode or 8 fps with the mechanical shutter — far from the 30 fps of the Canon R7 in electronic mode. Also, the electronic shutter is only good if your subject doesn’t move too quickly, as rolling shutter distortion is very noticeable in this model.
Steve Dent for Engadget
Autofocus still isn’t a Fujifilm strong point, either. When I was shooting quick-moving subjects, it was a bit hit or miss in continuous mode, particularly when they were close to the camera. However, performance depends greatly on the lens being used.
On top of face and eye detection, Fujifilm has added subject-tracking autofocus modes for animals, birds, cars, motorcycles, airplanes and trains. This feature is completely separate from the regular eye and face detection modes, so you have to dive into the menus to switch between them, or program two separate buttons.
For the other types of photography it's designed for, the X-T50's autofocus works well, though it isn’t quite up to Sony, Canon or even Nikon’s standards.
A key new feature is in-body stabilization. With up to seven stops of shake reduction, you can get sharp photos down to about a quarter second. That’s the same as the 557-gram X-T5, which is quite an accomplishment given the size difference. It makes the X-T50 far more versatile, letting you blur motion to create interesting shots or shoot in dark environments.
Image quality
With the same 40MP sensor as the X-H2 and X-T5, the X-T50 offers a major boost in resolution over the 26MP X-30 II. On top of boosting sharpness, the extra pixels make it possible to crop in, something that’s handy for travel photography, wildlife shooting or anything else where you might not be able to get close to the subject.
In-camera treatment of JPEG files is handled well, with pleasant, accurate colors and just the right amount of sharpening and noise reduction. You can often share photos straight out of the camera, with no need for any post-processing — an advantage for street and other photographers who don’t like to mess around in post.
The 14-bit RAW photos offer plenty of room for fine-tuning, as they retain high amounts of detail in highlights and shadows. As such, I saw low levels of banding, noise and other artifacts at low ISOs in all image areas.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The higher resolution doesn’t hurt image quality much in low light, either. Noise is controlled well up to ISO 6,400, and you can go up to ISO 12,800 in a pinch. Considering that the X-T50 is an APS-C and not a full-frame camera, I was impressed with the lack of noise when shooting in bars and other dim environments.
And of course, the X100 VI offers Fujifilm’s full array of film simulation modes, and they’re easily accessible on the new dial. You can experiment with popular looks like Velvia, Eterna, Acros black and white and others. It also comes with Fujifilm’s new Reala Ace, based on one of the company’s old negative films. At the same time, you get a RAW backup in full color, so you’re not locked into a specific look.
Video
With excellent video specs, the X-T50 is a solid hybrid camera, as long as you keep in mind some caveats — particularly around cropping and sharpness.
Much like the X-T5, you can shoot 6.2K at 30 fps with a 1.23x crop, or 4K at up to 60 fps with line-skipping and a 1.14x crop. The cropping occurs because 6K video only requires 24 megapixels, and the sensor/processor combination isn’t up to the job of supersampling the entire sensor width.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The camera also offers sub-sampled 4K at up to 30p using the full sensor width, or high-quality 4K 30p with a 1.23x crop. For super slow-motion, Fujifilm also introduced 10-bit and F-Log2 settings for extra dynamic range.
At 6.2K and 4K HQ, rolling shutter skewing is pronounced so you’ll want to avoid excessive or sharp camera movements. Sub-sampled 4K is better in that area, but video is noticeably less sharp.
Video autofocus matches what I saw with photos, meaning it was decent but not ideal for moving subjects. The AI-powered AF did lock onto subjects, but again, couldn’t always keep up with birds, animals or vehicles.
Handheld video is now a realistic option with in-body stabilization. It works well if you don’t make abrupt movements, and the “boost” mode offers near tripod-like smoothness. Digital stabilization is also available, but isn’t supported with the 6K or HQ modes, and doesn’t reduce jolts when walking.
Video quality is solid for such a small camera, offering the same accurate colors I saw in photo modes. Shooting in 10-bit F-Log made it possible to adjust footage considerably in post or get creative. You can also shoot video using the film simulation modes if you want a specific look straight out of the camera.
Wrap-up
Steve Dent for Engadget
All told, the X-T50 is an awesome upgrade to the X-T30 II, with improvements in nearly every area — particularly resolution, stabilization and video. The film simulation button is a bit gimmicky, but it should appeal to fans of the brand, particularly those who love the X100 VI.
The problem I have with this camera is the price. The $900 X-T30 II was easy to recommend to buyers on a mid-level budget. However, at $1,400, the X-T50 is only $300 less than the superior X-T5, and at that price it has lots of stiff competition from the likes of the Canon R7 and Sony A6700, along with full-frame models like the Canon R8, Nikon Z6 II/Z5/Zfc and Panasonic S9.
Fujifilm likely figured that the X-T50 was nearly as capable as the X-T5 and that the 40-megapixel resolution beats out rivals — but it has priced a lot of potential buyers out of the market. If you’re looking for something that costs around the same as the X-T30 II, Nikon’s $1,100 Zfc is just as pretty and a lot less expensive.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/fujifilm-x-t50-review-a-big-improvement-for-a-lot-more-money-180046809.html?src=rss
A Tesla Cybertruck veered off a Texas road and crashed into a culvert, bursting into flames and killing the driver, KHOU 11 Houston reported. It appears to be the first fatality involving Tesla's new electric pickup and has triggered a probe by the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration), according to Reuters. The driver has not yet been identified.
It's not clear what caused the accident, but it wasn't related to Tesla's Autopilot as the Cybertruck has yet to gain that feature. Video from the scene shows that the vehicle was nearly completely consumed by the fire, which thwarted identification of the vehicle and driver, Texas state troopers said.
The first reported Cybertruck accident happened late last year near Palo Alto, with no injuries and little damage reported. Around 15,000 vehicles have now been sold, so the number of accident reports has ramped up of late. Tesla has issued four recalls for the vehicle, including one that could result in a stuck accelerator pedal.
Since its launch in November 2023, the Cybertruck has been criticized for poor build quality, malfunctions, and weird design decisions like "guillotine" body panels deemed unsafe for children and others. It's also come under fire for getting stuck easily and not performing well off road, in one case being outclassed by an ancient French Citroën C15.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/cybertruck-crash-and-fire-reportedly-causes-first-fatality-120031177.html?src=rss
A Tesla Cybertruck veered off a Texas road and crashed into a culvert, bursting into flames and killing the driver, KHOU 11 Houston reported. It appears to be the first fatality involving Tesla's new electric pickup and has triggered a probe by the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration), according to Reuters. The driver has not yet been identified.
It's not clear what caused the accident, but it wasn't related to Tesla's Autopilot as the Cybertruck has yet to gain that feature. Video from the scene shows that the vehicle was nearly completely consumed by the fire, which thwarted identification of the vehicle and driver, Texas state troopers said.
The first reported Cybertruck accident happened late last year near Palo Alto, with no injuries and little damage reported. Around 15,000 vehicles have now been sold, so the number of accident reports has ramped up of late. Tesla has issued four recalls for the vehicle, including one that could result in a stuck accelerator pedal.
Since its launch in November 2023, the Cybertruck has been criticized for poor build quality, malfunctions, and weird design decisions like "guillotine" body panels deemed unsafe for children and others. It's also come under fire for getting stuck easily and not performing well off road, in one case being outclassed by an ancient French Citroën C15.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/cybertruck-crash-and-fire-reportedly-causes-first-fatality-120031177.html?src=rss
Neuralink's brain chip has been implanted into a second patient as part of early human trials, Elon Musk told podcast host Lex Fridman on Saturday. The company hasn't disclosed when the surgery took place or the name of the recipient, according to Reuters.
Musk said 400 of the electrodes on the second patient's brain are working out of 1,024 implanted. "I don't want to jinx it but it seems to have gone extremely well," he said. "There's a lot of signal, a lot of electrodes. It's working very well."
The device allows patients with spinal cord injuries to play video games, use the internet and control electronic devices using their thoughts alone. In May, the company announced that it was "accepting applications for the second participant" in trials following FDA approval.
The original Neuralink implant patient, Nolan Arbaugh, described the surgery as "super easy." In a demo, the company showed how Arbaugh was able to move a cursor around the screen of a laptop, pause an on-screen music device and play chess and Civilization VI.
Arbaugh himself participated in the marathon podcast with Musk and Fridman. He said that the device allows him to make anything happen on a computer screen just by thinking it, helping reduce his reliance on caregivers.
However, problems cropped up shortly after his surgery when some of electrodes retracted from his brain. The issue was partly rectified later on by modifying the algorithm to make the implants more sensitive. Neuralink told the FDA that in a second procedure, it would place the implant’s threads deeper into the patient’s brain to prevent them from moving as much as they did in Arbaugh’s case.
Neuralink previously tested its implant in animals, including chimps, and some of those testing practices have been the subject of federal investigations.
Despite those issues, the company said it had over 1,000 volunteers for its second surgical trial. Musk said he expects Neuralink to implant its chips in up to eight more patients by the end of 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/neuralink-successfully-implants-its-chip-into-a-second-patients-brain-123013864.html?src=rss
HBO has released the first teaser for The Last of Us season two and while short, it offers clues as to what we can expect when the series debuts in 2025. It starts off with Joel (Pedro Pascal) in conversation with a new character played by Catherine O'Hara (seemingly his therapist), reckoning with his past actions. "Did you hurt her?" she asks. "I saved her," he replies.
On top of O'Hara's unknown role, we see other characters for the first time including Kaitlyn Dever's Abby, Jeffrey Wright reprising his video game voice role as Isaac, and Dina, played by Isabela Merced. Meanwhile, Joel's brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) appear briefly in some intense action scenes.
As revealed last year, showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann decided to split the events from The Last of Us Part IIvideo game into two seasons, since the story was far more complex than the original. The second season will be just seven episodes to create a natural break, while the third season will be "significantly larger," they said.
The original series mostly followed the events of the game, with some smart deviations and changes. Expect more of the same for season two, though the teaser already shows one significant divergence. In the game, Joel only confesses the events that occurred at the hospital to his brother, but here, he's telling O'Hara's character.
The teaser appeared as part of HBO's Coming to Max trailer, along with previews for The Penguin, Dune: Prophecy, It: Welcome to Derry, and our first peek at A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the next Game of Thrones spinoff.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hbo-drops-the-first-teaser-for-the-last-of-us-season-two-120035871.html?src=rss
The surprise 2022 hit PowerWash Simulator has already seen loads of extra content like a DeLorean car washing DLC and even a special edition to aid mental health research. However, the latest update gave users more than developer FuturLab bargained for, according to a recent post on X.
The company released a cruise ship DLC yesterday (Summer Seasonal 2024), but multiple users on Steam complained that they couldn't play it. While a fix was being readied, an upcoming level called "Muckingham Files 4" was somehow released for free onto Steam. Consequently, users on that platform (and no others) can now play both levels.
Some of you may have noticed that we messed up our Summer Seasonal release a tiny bit. This is now fixed 💦
Due to this tiny little mishap, the Muckingham Files 4 released a little earlier than planned for Steam players
The Summer Seasonal release lets you make a rusty, grubby cruise ship sparkle again. Meanwhile, Muckingham Files 4 lets users blast graffiti off the vandalized mansion of crypto enthusiast Devon King or clean the firefighting plane of Floraine Perez following a flight over "Mount Rushless."
Much like certain YouTube videos, PowerWash Simulator provides the simple but satisfying experience of blasting gunk off of different objects and... nothing else, really. Folks on Steam get to double up the fun this month, but FuturLab apparently doesn't want them to rub it in the faces of other platforms' users. "Just pretend it didn't happen," the developer advised.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/powerwash-simulators-developers-accidentally-gave-steam-players-a-free-update-120056355.html?src=rss