Google Wallet is testing turning passports into digital IDs

Google will beta test a new feature for Google Wallet that can turn US passports into a new form of digital identification. Google announced the new feature on its official blog.

Now digital IDs made from passports and state issued IDs can be used as valid forms of identification at certain Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints at some US airports. Now you won’t have to play Beat the Clock with all of your pockets frantically searching for your wallet as you slowly approach a TSA agent in line.

This new digital ID feature won’t work at every airport. As of Thursday, 21 states and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico have at least one airport that accepts digital ID. You can consult the TSA’s digital map on its website to find out if the state you’re leaving or flying to accepts digital IDs at security checkpoints.

Digital ID adoption has grown across the country for both Android and iPhone users even if it’s not available in every state. Major airports in Arizona, Colorado and Georgia started accepting state IDs from Google Wallet users. Last month, California started accepting IDs in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet at some airports.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-wallet-is-testing-turning-passports-into-digital-ids-213526915.html?src=rss

The LCD Steam Deck is up to 25 percent off right now

Valve has big savings on the entry-level (LCD) Steam Deck. You can take 25 percent off the 512GB model or 15 percent off the 64GB one, dropping their prices to $336.75 and $296.65, respectively. The sale runs through September 26 while supplies last for the two phased-out models.

The 512GB (NVMe SSD) LCD Steam Deck initially cost $449, so the sale shaves over $112 off its MSRP. For some perspective, the OLED version with the same storage costs $549. This deal on the (lower-grade but still high-quality) LCD variant is a terrific chance to get started with handheld PC gaming on the cheap.

The LCD Steam Deck has a seven-inch display (1200 x 800) with 60Hz refresh rates and 400 nits brightness. The 512GB model adds anti-glare etched glass that the 64GB lacks, so — if both fall within your budget — the former is a no-brainer upgrade at only $40 extra.

Both variants have 40Wh batteries with a theoretical eight hours of uptime, but our tests found they averaged around 4.5 hours with regular use. (If needed, you can squeeze more out by lowering brightness and refresh rates.) Each model includes a standard carrying case.

In Engadget’s 2023 re-review of the LCD Steam Deck, Jessica Conditt concluded the entry-level model offers “a fantastic return on investment,” even compared to its premium OLED sibling. Most mainstream games that launch today are classified as either Verified or Playable on Steam Deck, and most gamepad-friendly games will fare well with the handheld.

The bottom line: Although the OLED model is worth the upgrade if it fits your budget, this LCD model — especially when cut by up to 25 percent — is still a fantastic entry-level handheld gaming device that offers only a slightly compromised experience compared to the (much more expensive) high-end one.

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/gaming/pc/the-lcd-steam-deck-is-up-to-25-percent-off-right-now-194740400.html?src=rss

The PS5 is getting a more customizable home screen

Sony just released a PS5 system update that includes new options for customizing the home screen. The just-announced Welcome hub is basically a blank canvas that users can fill with various widgets that display console storage space, battery level for accessories, online friends, trophies and a lot more. It replaces the current Explore tab.

These widgets can be resized and arranged in various ways, adding another layer of customization. The background can also be changed, allowing players to choose from animated effects or screenshots. This is still a far cry (reference intended) from the kind of system-wide themes of the PS3/PS4 era, but it’s a start.

The PS5 Welcome hub starts rolling out to US customers today, though it’s a gradual release so it could take a few days to hit every console. Sony says other parts of the world will get the feature “over the coming weeks,” with Japan and Europe grabbing first dibs.

That’s not the only feature arriving with this latest system update. Sony’s also introducing personalized 3D audio profiles for headphones and earbuds, allowing players to make a variety of adjustments to better fit unique "hearing characteristics." This is in beta for now. There’s also adaptive charging for PS5 Slim and the forthcoming (and uber-expensive) PS5 Pro, in addition to the ability to enable remote play for individual users.

PS5 Party Share feature.
Sony

Sony also teased something that’s coming in the next few weeks. Soon, users will be able to share party voice chat links on any messaging or social media app. This means players will be able to invite people to join one of these chats even if they aren’t friends on the PlayStation Network.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-ps5-is-getting-a-more-customizable-home-screen-192824758.html?src=rss

iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: Specs and features compared side by side

iPhone 16 and 16 Pro
Apple
Apple

The Apple event on Monday revealed the newest selection of iPhones, which includes the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. If you're looking into upgrading to one of the latest models but are unsure of the differences between the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro (other than the price tag), we can help you decide which one is right for you.

Now that we've officially seen the iPhone 16 lineup – and the bells and whistles included – we know that all versions will run iOS 18 and will have access to Apple Intelligence when those features begin to become available in October. But there are some extra perks you get if you spend the extra couple hundred bucks for an iPhone 16 Pro – for instance, better camera features and a slightly larger display.

We'll tell you the differences between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro below. For more, here's how the iPhone 16 Pro compares to the competition. And if you decide you’re ready to take the plunge, note that pre-orders for the iPhone 16 series start September 13. The iPhone 16 starts at $799 and the iPhone 16 Pro at $999, with prices increasing $100 for each size and storage capacity from the 128GB baseline.

When it comes to screen size, the iPhone 16 Pro's display is only slightly larger than the iPhone 16. The 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch ProMotion technology and Always-On display (just like last year's iPhone 15 Pro), while the iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch display. What all that means is that the Pro model offers a faster refresh rate up to 120Hz, delivering smoother video than the standard iPhone 16, which tops out at TKHz.

Otherwise, the screen technology between the two models is very evenly matched. Both sport a Super Retina XDR display with the same HDR, brightness, P3 color gamut and True Tone specs.

As for the actual phone sizes, there's really not that much of a difference between the two. The iPhone 16 is 5.81 inches tall, 2.82 inches wide and weighs six ounces, while the 16 Pro is 5.89 inches tall, 2.81 inches wide and weighs just over seven ounces.

The resolution is also slightly different – the iPhone 16 has 2,556 x 1,179 pixels, while the 16 Pro has 2,622 x 1,206 pixels.

Both phones have the latest-generation Ceramic Shield screen, which should make for good protection against drops and scratches. They also both offer the Dynamic Island (first introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro), which replaces the notch found on older iPhones.

As with previous models, two cameras sit on the back of the iPhone 16: the 48-megapixel Fusion main camera and the 12-megapixel ultra wide camera. That combo allows you to “zoom out” for wide angle shots (0.5x) and zoom in up to 2x.

The iPhone 16 Pro has a more sophisticated triple camera array: a 48-megapixel Fusion main camera and a new 48-megapixel ultra wide lens, along with a 12-megapixel Telephoto camera. That third lens 16 Pro lets you zoom in up to 5x, and out up to 0.5x. The Pro phone has “second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization,” while the baseline iPhone 16 presumably only has the first-gen version of that feature. The Pro can also shoot in the Apple ProRAW file format, and offers night mode portrait shots not available in the baseline model.

On the video side, both iPhone 16 lines can shoot 4K Dolby Vision video, but the Pro model offers capture up to 120 frames per second. That enables better slow-motion video. The Pro further lives up to its name by offering the Academy Color Encoding System, log video recording and ProRes video recording on the rear and front cameras. (If you have to ask what these are, you don’t need them.)

Otherwise, the camera capabilities between the two models are pretty much the same. That includes two new-for-2024 features: Photographic Styles and the Camera Control button. Photographic Styles is akin to old-school Instagram filters, but with a major twist: you can undo or change the styles after shooting a given photo. Meanwhile, the new Camera Control button also comes equipped on both the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models on the bottom right side of the phones. It offers one-click access to photo and video shooting, and includes touch-sensitive manipulation to change modes, frame shots and so forth.

New camera button on the iPhone 16 models. (Apple)
New camera button on the iPhone 16 models. (Apple)
Apple

Lastly, the iPhone 16 Pro includes a “studio-quality” four-mic array which offers better audio capture during video sessions and enables the new multi-track recording option in the Memos app. (No, that feature is not available in the baseline iPhone 16 models.)

The iPhone 16 comes with a new-for-2024 A18 chip, which includes a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU, as well as a 16-core Neural Engine. The iPhone 16 Pro has an equally new A18 Pro chip with a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU, along with a 16-core Neural Engine.

Both A18 chips offer the performance and power consumption advantages versus the equivalent models that appeared in the 2023 iPhone 15 models. Per Macrumors, all iPhone 16 models sport 8GB of RAM – the same as the iPhone 15 Pro models had last year. The combo of processing power and on-board memory ensure that all of the iPhone 16 models will run the upcoming Apple Intelligence features.

While both the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro have USB-C ports, the 16 Pro supports USB 3 to allow for up to 20 times faster transfers. (For reference, the iPhone 16 supports USB 2.) That extra speed is useful for creators who are transferring video, audio and photos from the iPhone Pro.

The charging speeds for these are the same, with a 50-percent charge in just 30 minutes when using a 20W adapter with the USB-C cord.

As per usual, the iPhone 16 models come in bright new colors, while the iPhone 16 Pro has more neutral colors. The iPhone 16 is made from aluminum with a glass back, and you can choose from new colors like ultramarine (periwinkle), teal, pink (but darker than last year's pink), or the standard white and black choices.

As for the iPhone 16 Pro, it's made from titanium with a textured matte glass back, and your color options are desert (gold), natural (silver), white or black.

Both phones come equipped with the Action button – only the iPhone 15 Pro currently has this – which lets you assign a litany of functions, including the ringer, flashlight or voice memo. (Remember, the camera now has its own dedicated button.)

iPhone 16 colors.
Apple
Apple

If you're looking for a phone with a battery that can last all day, the iPhone 16 should be a great option if it lives up to Apple’s advertised specs. The iPhone 16 offers up to 22 hours video playback, up to 18 hours of streaming and up to 80 hours of audio playback.

The 16 Pro offers up to 27 hours of video playback, up to 22 hours of streaming and up to 85 hours of audio playback.

The iPhone 16 Plus is just a bigger version of the iPhone 16 with a longer battery life, and the same goes for the 16 Pro Max. They have all the same features as their smaller counterparts but here's how the battery life and sizes differ.

Battery: Offers up to 27 hours of video playback, up to 24 hours of streaming and up to 100 hours of audio playback. Actually better than the 16 Pro battery span.

Size: Has a 6.7-inch display, and is 6.33 inches tall, 3.06 inches wide and weighs just over seven ounces.

Battery: Offers up to 33 hours of video playback, up to 29 hours of streaming and up to 105 hours of audio playback.

Size: Has a 6.9-inch display, and is 6.42 inches tall, 3.06 inches wide and weighs nearly eight ounces.

Our full reviews of the new iPhones are still in the future. But our own Cherlynn Low spent some time with the new iPhones in the demo area at Apple Park on launch day. Check out her first impressions of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro.

None

iPhone 16

iPhone 16 Plus

iPhone 16 Pro

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Price

Starting at $799

Starting at $899

Starting at $999

Starting at $1,199

Dimensions

5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches

6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 inches

5.89 x 2.81 x 0.32 inches

6.422 x 3.06 x 0.32 inches

Weight

6 ounces

7.03 ounces

7.03 ounces

7.99 ounces

Screen size

6.1 inches

6.7 inches

6.3 inches

6.9 inches

Storage options

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

128GB, 256GB, 512GB

128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Colors and finish

Aluminum with glass back in colors ultramarine, teal, pink, black

Aluminum with glass back in colors ultramarine, teal, pink, black

Titanium with textured matte glass back in colors desert, natural, white, black

Titanium with textured matte glass back in colors desert, natural, white, black

Battery

Up to 22 hours video playback

Up to 27 hours video playback

Up to 27 hours video playback

Up to 33 hours video playback

Resolution

2,556 x 1,179 (460 ppi)

2,796 x 1,290 (460 ppi)

2,622 x 1,206 (460 ppi)

2,868 x 1,320 (460 ppi)

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/iphone-16-vs-iphone-16-pro-specs-and-features-compared-side-by-side-182312186.html?src=rss

I don’t get why Apple’s multitrack Voice Memos require an iPhone 16 Pro

Apple’s recent iPhone event brought some nifty ideas, from the camera button to a reinvention of Google Lens and beyond. The company also announced that it's bringing simple multitrack recording to Voice Memos. This was particularly exciting for me since, well, I use Voice Memos a lot. I have nearly 500 of these little recordings that were made during the lifetime of my iPhone 14 Pro and thousands more in the cloud. You never know when you’ll need a random tune you hummed while waiting for the subway in 2013. 

So this feature felt tailor-made for me. I write songs. I play guitar. I do everything that lady in the commercial does, including opening the fridge late at night for no real reason.

A lady in front of a fridge.
Apple

Then reality hit. This isn’t a software update that will hit all iPhone models. It’s tied to the ultra-premium iPhone 16 Pro, which starts at a cool $1,000. I don’t really want to upgrade right now, so the dream of singing over an acoustic guitar track right on the Voice Memos app is dead on arrival.

Why is this particular feature walled behind the iPhone 16 Pro? It’s a simple multitrack recording function. From the ad, it looks like the app can’t even layer more than two tracks at a time. This can’t exactly be taxing that A18 Pro chip, especially when the phone can also handle 4K/120 FPS video recording in Dolby Vision. 

Pro Tools, a popular digital audio workstation, was first introduced in 1991. This was two years before Intel released the Pentium chip. Computers of that era had no trouble layering tracks. For a bit of reference, last year’s A17 Pro chip had around 19 billion transistors. An original Pentium chip had around three million. In other words, a modern smartphone chip is around 6,300 times more powerful than a 1993 Pentium-based PC.

So let us layer tracks on Voice Memos, Apple! It can't be that complicated. I’ve been using dedicated multitrack apps ever since the iPhone 3. Apple throws GarageBand in with every iPhone. Both GarageBand and third-party recording apps have a place, sure, but nothing beats the quickness and ease-of-use of Voice Memos. It’d sure be great to be able to make a quick-and-dirty acoustic demo of a song and send it out to someone without having to navigate a fairly complicated interface.

App in front of a refrigerator.
Apple

Yeah. I see the elephant in the room. There’s a part of the ad that I’ve been avoiding. The woman records the vocal layer over the guitar track without wearing headphones. She just sang into the phone while standing in front of that refrigerator. Now, that’s something old-school Pentiums could not do. There’s some microphone placement wizardry going on there, along with machine learning algorithms that reduce unwanted ambient noise. The iPhone 16 Pro has a brand-new microphone array, so I get that older models might not be able handle this particular part of the equation.

But who cares? That’s a really neat feature. It’s also completely unnecessary. If you’re reading this, you are likely already wearing earbuds/headphones or have some within reach. Record the first track without the headphones. Record the secondary layer while wearing headphones. That’s it. Problem solved. You can even do it in front of the refrigerator.

Also, both the base-level iPhone 16 and the Pro support Audio Mix, which lets people adjust various sound levels from various sources after capturing video. This is done without the new Studio Mics on the iPhone 16 Pro and seems to reduce ambient noise in a similar way. So it could be possible that there's a software solution here to handle even that elephant in the room. After all, the company credits "powerful machine learning algorithms" for this tech — if it can erase environmental wind noise, surely it can handle music playing in the background? 

So I am once again asking for Apple to let the rest of us play around with multitrack recording on Voice Memos. There’s no reason every older iPhone model couldn’t compute its way to a simple guitar/vocal two-track wav file. Pop the feature into a software update. I hear there’s one for iOS 18 coming really soon, and another for Apple Intelligence after that.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/i-dont-get-why-apples-multitrack-voice-memos-require-an-iphone-16-pro-175134621.html?src=rss

The FDA greenlights Apple’s Hearing Aid feature for AirPods Pro

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Apple’s over-the-counter Hearing Aid feature. Designed for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, it transforms the second-gen AirPods Pro into OTC hearing aids. This follows the FDA’s 2022 decision to allow adults with less-than-severe impairment to use corrective consumer hearing devices without a professional test, prescription or fitting.

The FDA says Apple’s software-based Hearing Test feature for AirPods Pro showed similar benefits to those who received a professional fitting of the wireless earbuds. “Results also showed comparable performance for tests measuring levels of amplification in the ear canal, as well as a measure of speech understanding in noise,” the FDA wrote in its announcement. The agency adds that it didn’t observe any “adverse events” from using the device as an OTC hearing aid.

Apple’s Hearing Aid feature, coming in iOS 18, starts with a hearing test on your paired iPhone or iPad. As the image above shows, the test begins by ensuring your earbuds have a good seal. After that, it activates active noise cancellation (ANC) and asks you to tap the screen when you hear tones in the left and right ears.

Once you finish, your results will live in the iOS Health app, where you can see how your results change (or not) over time. You can download your results and give them to an audiologist anytime. (If the test determines you have severe hearing loss, it will recommend you seek a professional assessment since the AirPods feature is only approved for those with mild to moderate impairment.)

Engadget’s Billy Steele got an early preview of the feature after Apple’s big iPhone 16 event earlier this week. “It seems to be as quick and easy as Apple describes,” our audio expert wrote. Although the demo was a simulation, it covered each step of the process, adding up to only about five minutes.

Apple developed the feature using 150,000 real-world audiograms and millions of simulations. The company’s FDA application was reviewed under the agency’s De Novo premarket pathway, which provides a runway for novel devices that don’t carry serious risk.

Apple’s Hearing Aid and Hearing Test features will arrive no earlier than when iOS 18 launches to the public on September 16. The AirPods Pro (second-gen) is required to use the feature.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/the-fda-greenlights-apples-hearing-aid-feature-for-airpods-pro-164912484.html?src=rss

Roland just released an (almost) pocket-sized sampler with a built-in mic

Roland just released the Aira Compact P-6, a battery-powered sampler with a built-in microphone for capturing ideas quickly. There’s also a USB-C port and analog inputs for plugging in a higher-grade mic, a smartphone or an actual computer for even more sampling opportunities. Roland calls it a “roving recorder,” likely because it's nearly small enough to fit inside of a pocket.

The P-6 can hold up to 48 samples at once, split across eight banks of six pads. There are four available sampling rates to suit different tastes, though the internal memory is on the smallish side. The keyboard lets you chop up and trigger these samples on the fly, in addition to playing samples polyphonically.

Like many modern musical gadgets, the Aira Compact P-6 is something of a jack of all trades. Sampling is the main feature, of course, but this thing includes a granular synthesis engine and a 64 step sequencer. This sequencer is fairly feature-rich, with neat options like off-grid sequencing, sub-steps, micro-timing and a lot more. You can even manipulate samples in real time during the sequence, for improvisation purposes.

There are also plenty of effects to make each sample your own. These include a vinyl simulator, a looper, a phaser, a resonator and a lo-fi emulator, among others. The granular synthesis engine allows for even more “microscopic sound design" opportunities, with the ability to detune samples and adjust the grain shape.

A sampler and a computer.
Roland

If the idea of manipulating samples on a tiny device gives you the sweats, Roland offers a dedicated software suite called SampleTool. This brings even more features to the table, like downsampling, click removal and precise editing.

The battery should get around three hours of use per charge, so make sure to bring along a charger while out and about. The Aira Compact P-6 costs $220 and is available now. As the name suggests, this sampler is a sibling product to the rest of the Aira Compact line, which are all fairly diminutive gadgets. There’s a drum machine, some synths, a vocoder and more.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/roland-just-released-an-almost-pocket-sized-sampler-with-a-built-in-mic-152737594.html?src=rss

Google’s AI notebook can generate a podcast about your notes

Google's latest update for its AI-powered research tool NotebookLM can turn the materials you want to pore over into a podcast-like audio discussion. The new feature called Audio Overview takes information from documents you've uploaded and then generates a "deep dive" discussion between two AI hosts. In addition to summarizing your sources, Google says the hosts will be able to find links between different topics and even banter back and forth. Based on the example the company posted with its announcement, the AI hosts sounded human enough to listen to, though you could still determine that the voices were AI-generated from their inflections and odd pronunciations of certain words. 

Since the feature is still in its experimental stages, Google admits that it has its limitations. The hosts can only speak English at this time, and they sometimes say inaccurate information, which means you will have to double check your material and ensure you didn't just learn something that's not factual. You also can't interrupt the hosts while they're speaking yet, and it still takes several minutes for NotebookLM to generate an Audio Overview for notebooks with larger files. Biao Wang, Google Labs product manager, wrote in the feature's announcement post that his team is "excited to bring audio into NotebookLM" despite those limitations, since they "know some people learn and remember better by listening to conversations."

The company launched NotebookLM back in 2023 as some sort of a digital assistant that you can ask questions about the documents you upload. In June this year, Google announced that NotebookLM has officially started running on Gemini 1.5 Pro, giving it new features and tools, and has expanded to over 200 countries and territories.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-ai-notebook-can-generate-a-podcast-about-your-notes-140004869.html?src=rss

iFixit wants to fix the soldering iron

iFixit embodies the spirit of “screw it, I’ll just do it myself” that has always been a trait of some tech enthusiasts. As one of the Right to Repair movement's proponents, the company is now flexing its muscles with an electronics product of its very own. FixHub is a USB-C powered soldering iron designed to help fix whatever's on your workbench (and be easily fixable itself). The iron is joined by a 55Wh battery pack which acts as a stand and temperature control, ensuring you can fix things wherever you go.

Founder Kyle Wiens explained FixHub was born of frustration with soldering irons, and their limits. He was annoyed that he had to drag an extension cord out on the street to fix his car stereo. So the iFixit team set about looking for a way to improve what has traditionally been an unsophisticated tool. That includes making it smarter, more flexible and easily repairable.

The 100 watt iron can reach your desired soldering temperature in just five seconds. Nestled inside the iron’s body is an accelerometer which can detect if the iron is idle and in its holder. If it does, it will automatically set it to cool down — hopefully wringing extra life out of the tip of the iron. And if the iron falls out of your hand it’ll cut power to hopefully prevent any nasty accidents. There’s also an LED ring on the body that’ll tell you when the iron is cool enough to touch, warming up, or ready to go.

Image of iFixit's Fix Hub soldering iron and battery pack.
Photo by Daniel Cooper / Engadget

You can use the iron with any USB-C power source that can output 20W, but it’ll stay set at the factory default temperature of 660f/350c. For more control (and portability), you’ll need to grab the FixHub Power Station, the company’s new 55Wh battery pack. It’ll output up to 100W at once, with enough juice to run two irons simultaneously, or one iron while recharging another USB-C device. Up front, you’ll get a display and a turn dial to let you control the iron’s temperature should you need to tweak it.

This being iFixit, both products are modular and repairable, with the usual commitment to ensuring easy serviceability. The packaging even contains an iFixit screwdriver that will let you disassemble both products as and when required. The hope is that you’ll still be fixing your electronics with one of these in hand for decades to come.

iFixit will begin shipping its FixHub products on October 15 in the US, Canada, Australia and Europe. The Smart Soldering Iron will set you back $80, while the Soldering Station, which includes the soldering iron and the battery pack, costs $250. You can also pick up the Soldering Toolkit for $300, which will include the above, plus lots of accessories and materials.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ifixit-wants-to-fix-the-soldering-iron-130040690.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Everything we know so far about Nintendo’s next console

The Nintendo Switch is now over seven years old and due for a refresh, even if the storied console maker isn’t chasing technical specs, like its rival. Nintendo Switch 2 rumors (again, I’d wager real money it won’t be called that) have been bouncing around for years, even. Sometimes they teased DLSS, NVIDIA’s “deep learning supersampling” upscaling tech to add polish and higher resolution to existing Switch games. Other times, rumors just ended up being the OLED Switch — largely the same console as the original.

Will this be something like the Wii? Another left turn, console wise? Or something evolutionary, like the Wii U or GameBoy Color. It’s unlikely the company will ditch the hybrid form-factor as it effectively married home and portable consoles together — and is probably a huge reason for the Switch’s success.

We’re expecting it to be backwards compatible with the Switch’s game library, while Nintendo’s account system management should make it smoother to swap between console generations than in the past. Crucially, when will it launch? While it’s mostly speculation, Nintendo’s next console could arrive March 2025, but couch that with the necessary levels of skepticism.

We’ve pulled together all the reports, leaks and rumors right here.

— Mat Smith

Ultimate Ears Everboom review

Google searches now link to the Internet Archive

The Apple Watch Series 10 deserves more than 18-hour battery life

Adobe’s Firefly AI video generation tools will arrive in beta later this year. Like many things related to AI, the examples are equal parts mesmerizing and terrifying as the company slowly integrates tools built to automate much of the creative work done by folks who buy its software. The company, of course, reiterates that these tools are supplementary. Of course!

Continue reading.

TMA
Associated Press

With even Fox News and senior Republican figures admitting Vice President Kamala Harris won Tuesday night’s presidential debate, some supporters of former president Trump are chasing the same old conspiracy theories: an earpiece used during debates. A tale as old as 2012, the same accusations were cast at President Joe Biden in 2020, at Hillary Clinton in 2016 and at Barack Obama in 2012. However, internet sleuths’ finds boiled down to a Kickstarter startup called Nova and earring-styled earpieces that never quite made it beyond vaporware. We detangle the nonsense.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-the-700-ps5-pro-111538227.html?src=rss