Tag Archives: author_name|Will Shanklin

The Nuio Flow is a customizable split ergonomic keyboard with magnetic peripherals

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The Nuio Flow is a new ergonomic keyboard and accessory system for those who don’t mind trading serious cash for a sleek and thoughtful design. Co-founded by two brothers, one of whom is a former Apple designer, Nuio has an Apple-like value proposition: a split keyboard and an optional trackpad, desk pad, magnetic stands and wristpads for $400 for the keyboard alone to over $1,000 for all of components.

At the center of Nuio’s product lineup is the Flow split ergonomic keyboard, which (here’s the Apple influence again) “puts the human form at the center of every design.” Nuio CEO Tom Wilson says the product’s purpose is to reject legacy decisions that often dictate keyboard design. “There are literally no right angles in the human body,” Wilson wrote in a press release shared with Engadget. “Yet we spend most of our lives hunched over rigid, rectangular keyboards and peripherals — often enduring hours of wrist pain, tech fatigue and poor posture.”

Angle view of the Nuio split keyboard with trackpad, wristpads and deskpad.
Nuio

The company describes the keyboard’s split, radial design as optimal for hand positioning. (Of course, there are plenty of ergonomic and split keyboards you can already buy for much less.) It has curved keys with a scissor-switch mechanism (like many laptops, including Apple’s current models), so this model isn’t for those who like mechanical keyboards.

The keys and their symbols are backlit but without color customization. Each charge of the Flow keyboard is estimated at up to 28 days, but that drops to around 15 days with “some backlight use.” The keyboard includes a split USB-C cable that charges both halves simultaneously.

The company estimates that the non-user-replaceable internal battery will last about two years, but it says you can send it to the company for a battery replacement after that. When we reached out to the company to clarify the service’s cost, a Nuio spokesperson said the battery replacement is free for the first two-year window. After that, “there will be a nominal replacement charge.”

Unlike many top-of-the-line keyboards, you can’t swap out the Flow keyboard’s physical keys. Nuio also doesn’t appear to offer key-changing on a software level; its FAQ says it offers “a limited amount of key customization” through your device’s operating system.

While most ergonomic keyboards have built-in stands, Nuio sells a $99 pair of magnetic ones separately. They let you “tent and tilt” the keyboard along multiple axes. The company says the stands hold their position firmly after each adjustment.

Product shot (angle) of the Nuio Flow Trackpad.
Nuio

Nuio also sells a $249 wireless multitouch Flow trackpad to complement the keyboard. The company says its edge-to-edge glass surface offers precision tracking and pressure-sensing. Unlike Apple’s current Magic Trackpad, it clicks mechanically, not with haptics and pressure-sensing. Nuio says its trackpad offers full gesture support but doesn’t support deep-presses like Apple’s. You can also buy a $59 magnetic stand for the trackpad with multi-axis tilt support.

The rest of the Nuio system includes a $99 pair of “supremely comfortable” wristpads. They can attach to a deskpad, available first in a travel-friendly small size for $129. The price of a large one, initially listed on the website at $179, is “still in the works,” according to a company spokesperson. The deskpads include magnets, too, allowing “precise and flexible positioning of all NUIO components.” The company says it strikes a balance between firmly holding all the system’s components in place while still being easy to adjust.

Array of different colors of the split Nuio Flow Keyboard
Nuio

If you order the keyboard, trackpad, stands for each and large desk pad, you’re forking over $1,084. (Cue spit take.) Like a luxury watch or car, the Nuio Flow system asks you to care enough about an elegant, modern design while typing (and perhaps have an Apple designer’s salary yourself) to invest in the elegant-looking accessory ecosystem.

The Nuio Flow Keyboard and its peripherals are now available to pre-order from the company’s website. The keyboard in space gray with a macOS legend, small deskpad keyboard stands, trackpad stand and wristpads are expected to ship in early December. Meanwhile, if you want the keyboard with Windows / dual OS legends or in other colors (silver, gold, rose gold, blue, green and brown), you’ll have to wait for early January. The large deskpad is “coming soon.”

Update, October 15, 2024, 5:50PM ET: We updated the story to reflect more current details about the keyboard’s estimated battery life and the large deskpad’s pricing, according to a company spokesperson.

Update, October 15, 2024, 5:00PM ET: This story has been updated to add a Nuio spokesperson’s info about the battery replacement service’s cost.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/the-nuio-flow-is-a-customizable-split-ergonomic-keyboard-with-magnetic-peripherals-192259319.html?src=rss

Intel and AMD team up to stem the x86 bleeding

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Like Professor X and Magneto, Intel and AMD know when to team up and take on a shared adversary. The two companies have formed a new x86 advisory group to stem the platform’s bleeding from Arm’s rapidly growing adoption. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, whose company is also part of the initiative, said the board will “help drive software consistency and standard interfaces.”

Intel and AMD aim to find new ways to expand the x86 ecosystem with greater cross-platform compatibility. Arm, licensed for Apple silicon, Qualcomm chips and some Big Tech data centers, currently has a simpler and more flexible design. Compared to x86, Arm makes it easier for licensing companies to adapt the architecture to their needs.

The new x86 group wants a more unified set of instructions and architectural interfaces. Intel and AMD believe greater predictability and consistency across their products will foster developer innovation and help the platform survive and thrive. 

In addition to the pair of chipmaking rivals, the group’s founding members include Microsoft, Google, Meta, HP Inc, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Lenovo, Broadcom, Dell, Oracle and Red Hat. Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney and Linux creator Linus Torvalds are also members.

“We are on the cusp of one of the most significant shifts in the x86 architecture and ecosystem in decades — with new levels of customization, compatibility and scalability needed to meet current and future customer needs,” Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger wrote in a press release. “We proudly stand together with AMD and the founding members of this advisory group, as we ignite the future of compute, and we deeply appreciate the support of so many industry leaders.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/intel-and-amd-team-up-to-stem-the-x86-bleeding-205731857.html?src=rss

One of our favorite Samsung microSD cards drops to a record-low price

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Today’s a good day to grab a spare microSD card for your Nintendo Switch, phone or tablet (some still support them!), drone, camera or home security system. Amazon has the highly-rated Samsung EVO Select card in most capacities for record-low prices. That includes a 1TB one for $80 (usually $110).

The Samsung EVO Select is Engadget’s pick for the best value in microSD cards — at its full price. When you slash up to $30 off, it’s a can’t-miss deal.

If 1TB for a record-low $80 is overkill for your needs, you can save on cheaper cards, too. The 512GB EVO Select card, which usually costs $56, is on sale for a mere $40. Meanwhile, a 256GB one (typically $30) is available for $22, and the 128GB variant is only $15 (from $19). The only one not on sale is the 64GB one, so skip that one today and go with 128GB if you were eyeing the entry-level tier.

The Samsung EVO Select is a U3 Class 10 card. This is the latest 2024 model that supports sequential transfer speeds of up to 160 MB/s. If you’re shopping for storage for your Switch console, that’s far ahead of Nintendo’s recommended transfer speeds, so you’re more than golden there. It’s also great for high-resolution video recording.

The microSD card is rated to withstand up to 72 hours in seawater. Each card includes an adapter that lets you use the microSD as a full-sized SD card.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/one-of-our-favorite-samsung-microsd-cards-drops-to-a-record-low-price-155747738.html?src=rss

The iPad mini 7 goes big on Apple Intelligence

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Meet Apple’s seventh-generation iPad mini. Arriving over three years after its predecessor, the new tablet adds a faster A17 Pro chip originally found in the iPhone 15 Pro series with support for Apple Intelligence, more entry-level storage and support for the Apple Pencil Pro.

The iPad mini 7 has the same 8.3-inch screen size as the previous model and an identical 2266 x 1488 resolution at 326 ppi. Unfortunately, the refresh rate remains a modest 60Hz; from what we can tell, the display is identical to the one in its predecessor. It’s dimensions remain unchanged as well. The front-facing camera is still in the portrait position, something that makes sense for a device of this size, and both the front- and back-facing cameras appear unchanged from the previous iPad mini.

Without any significant design upgrades, this update is more about what’s inside. The A17 Pro chip lets the new tablet use Apple Intelligence features like smarter Siri, Writing Tools, Image Playground and Genmoji. It also has more RAM and 128GB of storage in the base-level model, double that of the 2021 model. There's also a 512GB storage option for the first time.

The new iPad mini arrives on October 23 and starts at $499 for 128GB storage.

Update, October 15 2024, 9:40AM ET: This post originally said that the new iPad mini used the A18 chip; it has been updated to note that it uses the A17 Pro chip. We apologize for the error.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/the-ipad-mini-7-goes-big-on-apple-intelligence-130848482.html?src=rss

Google strikes a deal with a nuclear startup to power its AI data centers

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Google is turning to nuclear energy to help power its AI drive. On Monday, the company said it will partner with the startup Kairos Power to build seven small nuclear reactors in the US. The deal targets adding 500 megawatts of nuclear power from the small modular reactors (SMRs) by the decade’s end. The first is expected to be up and running by 2030, with the remainder arriving through 2035.

It’s the first-ever corporate deal to buy nuclear power from SMRs. Small modular reactors are smaller than existing reactors. Their components are built inside a factory rather than on-site, which can help lower construction costs compared to full-scale plants.

Kairos will need the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to approve design and construction permits for the plans. The startup has already received approval for a demonstration reactor in Tennessee, with an online date targeted for 2027. The company already builds test units (without nuclear-fuel components) at a development facility in Albuquerque, NM, where it assesses components, systems and its supply chain.

The companies didn’t announce the financial details of the arrangement. Google says the deal’s structure will help to keep costs down and get the energy online sooner.

“By procuring electricity from multiple reactors — what experts call an ‘orderbook’ of reactors — we will help accelerate the repeated reactor deployments that are needed to lower costs and bring Kairos Power’s technology to market more quickly,” Michael Terrell, Google’s senior director for energy and climate, wrote in a blog post. “This is an important part of our approach to scale the benefits of advanced technologies to more people and communities, and builds on our previous efforts.”

The AI boom — and the enormous amount of data center power it requires — has led to several deals between Big Tech companies and the nuclear industry. In September, Microsoft forged an agreement with Constellation Energy to bring a unit of the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania back online. In March, Amazon bought a nuclear-powered data center from Talen Energy.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-strikes-a-deal-with-a-nuclear-startup-to-power-its-ai-data-centers-201403750.html?src=rss

Three Call of Duty games arrive on Xbox Cloud Gaming later this month

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Microsoft is bringing the latest Call of Duty game to Xbox Cloud Gaming on day one. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be available to stream for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers at 10AM PT on its launch day, October 25. Modern Warfare III and the battle royale Call of Duty: Warzone arrive on the platform on the same day.

This will be the first time Call of Duty games have been playable on Microsoft’s cloud gaming platform. “Game Pass Ultimate members will be able to enjoy Call of Duty in more places than ever before, including on their consoles, PCs, mobile devices, select Samsung TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Meta Quest devices,” Xbox VP of Gaming Experiences & Platforms Ashley McKissick wrote in a blog post. “This opens up even more ways to play Black Ops 6 starting on day one at launch.”

Ubisoft owns the rights to streaming Activision games after Microsoft cut a 2023 deal to gain regulatory approval for its purchase of the Call of Duty maker. So, Ubisoft appears to have licensed it back to Microsoft (and could do so with other cloud platforms).

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will have a full campaign set in the early 1990s. The game will add omnimovement, the new fluid mobility option that lets you sprint, slide, and dive in any direction.” Also new is Supine Prone, “the ability to rotate while prone,” which Activision describes as adding more freedom of movement and tactical flexibility. Its maps will span the Middle East, southern Europe, Russia and the US.

Modern Warfare III is last year’s installment, which came to Game Pass in July. One of the lowest-rated games in the franchise’s history, it’s a direct sequel to Modern Warfare II. The game follows a special operations unit tracking Russian ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makaro, who is (tsk, tsk) hatching a plot to start World War III. The game includes a single-player campaign, multiplayer and an open-world Zombies mode (just in time for Halloween).

Finally, Call of Duty: Warzone is Activision’s 2022 answer to the free-to-play battle royale trend. As with genre stalwarts like Fortnite, you parachute onto a shrinking game map and have at it. Locations include Urzikstan, Rebirth Island and Fortune’s Keep.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/three-call-of-duty-games-arrive-on-xbox-cloud-gaming-later-this-month-175819790.html?src=rss

Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine is back online after last week’s DDoS attacks

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The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine is back online in a read-only state, after DDoS attacks took the entire platform offline on October 9. Founder Brewster Kahle posted on Monday (via The Verge) that the service is “resumed in a provisional, read-only manner” without the ability to save new pages.

Security researcher Troy Hunt said last week’s attacks coincided with the Internet Archive’s plan to disclose a previous breach that led to the theft of over 31 million records. Hunt, who runs the Have I Been Pwned? service, believed the timing of the two attacks was likely “entirely coincidental,” citing the involvement of “multiple parties.”

The hacking group Blackmeta claimed responsibility for the attacks, posting that the Internet Archive “belongs to the USA.” The nonprofit, founded in the early days of the web in 1996, is headquartered in San Francisco.

Kahle says it’s “safe to resume” using the Wayback Machine, so you can resume your nostalgic trip to your favorite Geocities post-grunge tribute sites. However, the founder warns that the service may need further maintenance, so don’t be shocked if it goes down again.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/internet-archives-wayback-machine-is-back-online-after-last-weeks-ddos-attacks-155820797.html?src=rss

Ghost in the Shell’s rad PS1 soundtrack is finally coming to the West

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The soundtrack to the spider-bot-crawling 1997 Ghost in the Shell game adaptation is coming to the West for the first time. Titled Ghost in the Shell: Megatech Body (as an ode to the Fuchikoma mech you pilot in the game), the soundtrack was produced by Takkyu Ishino. It’s available to pre-order on iam8bit ahead of its 2025 release.

The PS1 game adaptation had late-90s gamers piloting a spider-like mech (first appearing in the 1991 manga), blasting enemies to smithereens with twin machine guns and guided missiles. Masamune Shirow, the original manga’s author, wrote and illustrated its story and art design.

But as 90s shooters often figured out, firing guns nonstop for hours on end is much better with a badass techno soundtrack pumping in the background like an energy drink for your ears. In addition to Ishino, it includes “warehouse-shaking bangers” from Mijk Van Dijk, The Advent, Joey Beltram and Brother from Another Planet (among others).

Promo for the Ghost in the Shell soundtrack coming to the west. Details about three different versions.
iam8bit

The soundtrack album first arrived in Japan alongside the game in 1997 in a single-disc version and an expanded two-disc limited edition. In an apparent nod to the original, the 2025 soundtrack for the West will be available on CD (23 tracks), a double LP (11 tracks) and a 12-inch picture disc ( a “carefully curated” six tracks).

You can now pre-order the three Ghost in the Shell: Megatech Body variants on iam8bit. The CD (packaged in a “stunning 3D lenticular case”) costs $43, the vinyl version is $55 and the picture disc (which comes on an illustrated two-sided disc that pays homage to the original release) costs $50. The soundtrack is expected to arrive in Q2 2025.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/the-ghost-in-the-shell-ps1-soundtrack-is-finally-coming-to-the-west-194447885.html?src=rss

Absurdist romance sim Date Everything! has been delayed to Valentine’s Day 2025

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Shut-ins of the world, you’ll have to wait a bit longer for your ultimate wish-fulfillment video game. Date Everything!, the cheekily bizarre romantic sim from Team17 and Sassy Chap Games, is no longer arriving on October 24, as was initially announced. On Friday, the team pushed back the game’s release date to Valentine’s Day 2025.

On a game design level, Date Everything! appears to be a simple dating simulator with dialogue branches and voiced characters. What sets it apart is its delightfully absurd premise: You can date all your household objects, thanks to magical glasses known as the “Dateviator.”

Your dateable objects each have a distinct personality and branching storylines. Your romantic possibilities include a laundry hamper (the fiery “Harper”), a vacuum cleaner (the hunky “Hoove”) and your overwhelming (and shirtless) sense of existential dread who would prefer just to be called “Doug.” As unappealing as that bunch sounds for a romantic fling, it may still beat today’s microtransaction-riddled dating apps.

Date Everything! screenshot. A shirtless person with a generic round face named Doug stands there.
Team17 / Sassy Chap Games

Depending on your dialog branch choices, each humanized object can become a Love, Friend or Hate. The game’s press release promised that each outcome influences a “critical path tying it all together,” so choose wisely between the lamp and the towel who dresses like Liberace.

Date Everything! arrives on February 14, 2025, on Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/absurdist-romance-sim-date-everything-has-been-delayed-to-valentines-day-2025-163412249.html?src=rss

How to watch Tesla’s robotaxi event

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On Thursday, Tesla CEO and noted fancy leaper Elon Musk will take the stage to showcase the company’s robotaxi plans, a la the “Cybercab.” Although the vehicle we see isn’t expected to be a fully functional product, investors and Tesla fans are hoping for a working prototype or other signs the company can navigate the technological and regulatory obstacles it will face. You can watch the event on an X livestream at 10PM ET.

With the Cybercab, Musk is aiming for a fully autonomous vehicle that runs on a Tesla ridesharing network. Owners will also reportedly be able to make their cars available on the network to run as autonomous cabs, likened to a “combination of Airbnb and Uber.”

The CEO began talking about the robotaxi plan years ago. However, it took on greater importance earlier this year when Tesla reportedly shelved its plans for an entry-level EV — often called “Model 2” — in favor of the autonomous ridesharing project.

Unlike competitors Waymo, Cruise and Zoox, Tesla’s current automation relies on cameras and AI. Reuters notes that Musk will aim to improve the tech rapidly enough to “crack” the highly regulated industry. No matter what is promised at the event, you may want to take the CEO’s promises with several grains of salt (if not Cybertruckloads). In April 2019, Musk said, “If you fast forward a year, maybe a year [and] three months, we’ll have over a million robotaxis on the road.”

Here we are in 2024 — which you may have noticed isn’t, in fact, 2020 — and Tesla doesn’t have a single robotaxi on the road.

Wired notes that the company doesn’t have an autonomous permit in California and reportedly hasn’t contacted the state’s AV regulators about testing. Waymo, Zoox, the beleaguered Cruise and Apple (no longer in the self-driving car business) have logged thousands of miles testing their self-driving vehicles in the Golden State. Waymo is the only company in the US currently operating robotaxis commercially.

You can tune in to the livestream to see what Musk and company have in store at 10PM ET / 7PM ET on Thursday.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/how-to-watch-teslas-robotaxi-event-230046409.html?src=rss