Apple’s annual iPhone event sure brought the fire on the handset side of things, but the company also announced two new AirPod models to join the ever-growing lineup. There's the standard AirPods 4 and a slightly more high-tech AirPods 4 with ANC.
The biggest news is perhaps the addition of USB-C to the charging cases. This finally brings the AirPods in line with the rest of the world and, most importantly, newer iPhone and iPad releases. The AirPods 4 earbuds should also fit better, thanks to some design refinements.
Both versions of the earbuds also include the H2 chip, allowing for an improvement in sound quality. There's even personalized spatial audio, voice isolation and gesture-based Siri controls. You can nod your head, for instance, to make certain adjustments. All told, these buds should get 30 hours of battery life.
Apple
AirPods 4 with ANC may look identical to the standard model, but there’s an advanced feature set. This includes active noise cancellation, which isn't always a given with earbuds, and wireless charging. Both models are available to preorder right now, with shipments going out on September 20. The fourth-gen AirPods cost $129 and the AirPods 4 with ANC costs $179.
The company also announced a refresh of the AirPods Max over-ear headphones, after four long years of waiting. The latest model boasts USB-C charging (yay) and comes in new colors, like black, blue, purple and orange. The company did not announce a refresh of the AirPods Pro earbuds, and its long overdue.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/airpods-4-have-a-new-design-and-an-anc-upgrade-option-173900817.html?src=rss
Apple is bringing sleep apnea detection to some Watch models as it tries to position its wearable as a one stop shop for all things health. At the iPhone 16 launch event, the company announced the new Watch Series 10, highlighting the new feature. If you wear your watch to bed, you’ll get an alert pushed to your phone in the morning if it detects disturbances in your breathing. You will also be urged to visit your clinician, and can show them Watch data. All of this information will be collated in the Health app on iPhone.
Rather than using oxygen saturation, which would be the logical approach, Apple says it’s using motion tracking. This is likely tied to Apple’s longstanding patent row with Masimo that has seen the company hurriedly offer workarounds for its blood oxygenation sensor. Your Apple Watch will look for “small movements at the wrist” that are indicative of “interruptions to normal respiratory patterns during sleep.” The company added its work has been validated by a sleep study of “unprecedented” size.
Apnea detection is also coming to both the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2, and Apple says it expects the FDA and other regulatory agencies to give their blessings in the coming days. It says the feature will be available in more than 150 countries and regions later this month. The feature had been rumored for a while but there were hints suggesting Apple had struggled to make its workaround as effective as required. Samsung, meanwhile, already has FDA approval for a similar feature on the Galaxy Watch.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-brings-sleep-apnea-detection-to-the-watch-series-10-172316987.html?src=rss
2024 might just be Google’s year – for its Pixel-branded hardware, at least. After impressing us with the Pixel 9 phones, the company is ready to release the Pixel Watch 3. Spoiler alert: It continues the trend of this year’s Pixel hardware feeling more mature and ready to take on the competition than ever. With the introduction of a new larger size and serious battery life improvements, the Pixel Watch 3 feels like a smartwatch worthy of the Fitbit and Google partnership. There are still some quirks the company has to iron out, but for now, the Pixel Watch 3 feels like the final evolution of a Pokémon that is ready to battle the big beasts from Samsung and Apple.
Editor's note: At the time this review was first published, Apple had just begun its "It's Glowtime" event, where it's expected to unveil new versions of its smartwatch. Our review of the Pixel Watch 3 was largely conducted in comparison to the latest available model — the Series 9, and was also scored as such. We updated this piece on September 10 to include more details on Wear OS, navigation and the Pixel Watch 3's companion apps. None of that experience affects our score for the device.
The Pixel Watch 3’s design: A new size
One of the biggest developments with the Pixel Watch 3 is the fact that Google has finally introduced a larger size. The previous 41mm size lives on, but it’s now joined by a 45mm one, which is nice for people who always felt the original was just a little too dainty. You’ll also be able to see more on the bigger screen, though the 41mm variant also has a bit more real estate since Google managed to shave the bezels down a tad (16 percent, to be exact).
My colleague Sam Rutherford tested the 45mm model for us, and his exact words were, “It’s SOOO much nicer to have the big one.” Sam adds that this is “the size I wanted all along,” and it’s nice to see my bigger-wristed peers get considered at last.
Fans of a more conventional-looking timepiece will appreciate that the Pixel Watch’s face is circular like it’s always been. Compared to the Pixel Watch 2, this year’s smartwatch doesn’t look noticeably different. It has shiny edges and, in the right light, the crown on the right side sparkles.
Some of my more stylish reviewer friends paired their Pixel Watch 3 with a stainless steel mesh band, making it look right at home as part of their designer-decked outfit. I used the basic silicon sport band that came with my review sample, which I loved because I got the lovely pink color this year that goes with some new pants and bags I recently acquired. I remain an ardent fan of Google’s soft elastic loop straps that make putting the watch on super easy. They’re available in more colors and patterns this year, which is always nice. Sam goes as far as to call this “the best-looking mainstream smartwatch,” and, depending on our definition of “mainstream,” I’d have to agree.
I still wish the company was able to reduce the size of the knob just a bit, or at least make it jut out less. It still pushes into the back of my hand whenever I do a pushup or a plank, unless I turn the watch to the inside of my wrist first. Though you’d also get this issue with the Apple Watch Ultra and the Galaxy Watch Ultra, it’s not as prominent on the regular Apple Watch and I have a bit more space before accidentally triggering my Series 9.
I also found the Pixel Watch 3 a little too thick. The Apple Watch Series 9 is 10.7mm (0.42 inches) tall, while Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7 is even thinner at 9.7mm. Google’s smartwatch is the chunkiest at 12.3mm, and at these sizes, every millimeter feels like a lot.
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
The Pixel Watch 3’s display: Bigger, brighter, dimmer and slower
Every fraction of an inch also feels outsized when we’re talking about displays that are just 41mm and 45mm (the screens themselves are actually 32.2mm and 36.2mm respectively). In comparison, the Pixel Watch 2’s panel was just 30.5mm. While I didn’t feel like I gained a ton comparing my 41mm Pixel Watch 3 to its predecessor, I certainly saw a lot more on the 45mm model’s screen. Some of that is obvious — a larger display has more room for content or bigger fonts. But the improvements in readability cannot be understated, especially for anyone that needed something more legible.
Google didn’t simply enlarge the Pixel Watch’s panels — it upgraded them. These watches feature the company’s Actua displays that debuted on the Pixel 8 phones last year, which means they can get as bright as 2,000 nits or as low as 1 nit.
That latter made a huge difference when I was in a theater watching Alien: Romulus. While I had to turn on Theater mode on my Apple Watch Series 9 to prevent its screen from scorching my retina during the show, the Pixel Watch 3 automatically dropped to the lowest brightness and remained readable without bothering me or fellow cinemagoers.
The Pixel Watch 3’s screen is also capable of a variable refresh rate of between 1Hz and 60Hz, so it can deliver smooth animations when, say, you’re watching the live feed from your Nest camera. But when you’re not doing anything, the system can drop down to a battery-friendlier 1Hz. This isn’t something I really noticed in my daily use, but I’ll tease right now that it probably has a significant impact on battery life.
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
The Pixel Watch 3 as a health and fitness tracker
I was probably the most impressed by the Pixel Watch 3 as a health and fitness tracker. It does a lot of things that competing products like the Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch do, like automatically detect certain workouts, prompt you to move if you’ve been idle for too long and keep tabs on your pulse and calorie burn as you’re exercising. But importantly, it does some of those things a lot better than its rivals.
As someone who likes to track every single walk I take, no matter how short the distance, I found the Pixel Watch 3 a dream. It consistently caught on that I had been out for a stroll, usually prompting me to log a workout once I hit the ten-minute mark. This also worked well on the many Citi bike rides I reluctantly took in New York City, and the Pixel Watch 3’s GPS tracking matched the Lyft app’s log every time. Only twice in about a dozen walks and bike rides did the Apple Watch Series 9 I was also wearing record these activities, probably because it has a higher threshold of about 20 minutes of activity to hit before it would register something.
Of course, the Galaxy Ring was the best at this, logging every little walk I took even if it was a mere quarter-mile journey that took just five to seven minutes. But that’s a completely different gadget that served a different purpose, so I won’t mention it much more in this piece.
With the Pixel Watch 3, Google introduced a few new features around running and cardio activities. You can now create custom running workouts, with specific segments for sprinting and resting. I found this very easy to use, and had no trouble setting up a short session with a 5-minute warmup, one-minute sprint, one-minute rest, a repeat of the run and rest segments, followed by a 5-minute cooldown. (I know, that’s the best running workout ever, very productive and demure.)
Screenshots
For the sprint segments, I had the choice of setting targets for pace, heart rate, distance or duration. When I eventually got into those windows when I was on the treadmill, it was clear I had overestimated my ability to hit an 8-minute mile speed, even for just a minute. I had pushed the treadmill to the 8 mph speed setting and was still getting alerts from the Pixel Watch 3 to hurry it up. I could barely guess what number I needed to be at to meet the mark that the watch helpfully displayed on a spectrum on the left of the screen.
This is certainly not a tool for running newbies, who would be better served with some of the coaching tools in Fitbit Premium (or an app like Couch To 5K). But for runners with cadence and speed goals or those who only want to go fast enough to be in a fat-burning heart rate zone, this would be a useful tool. I liked letting the watch tell me when to run for my life and when I could catch my breath, but otherwise as a casual runner I was less impressed and more intrigued by its potential. Digging into the data was fun and insightful, and I have a general sense of what I could do better if I wanted to improve.
When I was back to my regularly scheduled training program, I used both the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Pixel Watch 3 in my F45 HIIT, cardio and weight-training classes. During every session, both watches were never more than a beat or two from each other when it came to stats like my heart rate, cardio zone and calories burned. At the end of each workout, both devices delivered recaps on my performance, and I have a slight preference for how Apple lays out the information. I appreciate that Google congratulates and encourages me for having completed a workout, but its little celebratory graphic at the top just takes up space. I also like that the words on Apple’s interface are slightly easier to read.
Screenshots
The Pixel Watch 3 also delivers a new stat called “Cardio load,” which can be used in tandem with your daily readiness score to help you train at a level that’s suitable for your energy expenditure. If you’ve already done a lot that week, you might get a high Cardio Load number, which could mean a lower target the next day, depending on how well you’ve recovered. The latter figure is determined primarily by your sleep, and you’ll only start seeing your readiness scores after having worn the Pixel Watch 3 to sleep on at least seven nights.
I am a fussy sleeper and wearing anything on my wrist keeps me awake, and I wasn’t able to test the Pixel Watch 3’s sleep-tracking or readiness scores. But Sam has been wearing his 45mm model to bed and in his experience the Pixel Watch 3 remains as accurate a sleep tracker as its predecessors.
Daily readiness is a feature that used to be limited to Fitbit Premium subscribers, and it’s now available for free to all Pixel Watch owners, which is nice. Like the cardio load number, this score is not something I can easily evaluate. Not only is it a somewhat nebulous idea (how should I go about counting my cardio load during a HIIT session, for example), its utility is also dubious.
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
I’m not saying this is a bad feature, particularly since I haven’t spent much time with it. I have used other sleep trackers in the past that would assign sleep scores and similar readiness results. The most I’ve ever done with that data is try to get a day off when I was told I had an awful night’s sleep. And that didn’t even work in my favor since none of my managers ever cared about that type of info.
I like the idea of balancing activity and recovery, and applaud Google for making a more concerted effort to encourage that with the Pixel Watch 3. This is one of those features that’s up to the user to make the most of, and is highly subjective, depending on each person’s thirst for data and validation.
Another metric that’s notoriously difficult to verify and do anything with is stress-tracking. On multiple occasions during my testing, the Pixel Watch 3 buzzed and told me it detected “potential signs of stress or excitement,” along with the time it noted that reaction. These alerts typically came in ten minutes after the fact, by which point whatever was exciting or stressing me out was usually over. One time, I remembered to look at the clock after I was agitated by a bad driver in an extremely congested lane going into the Holland Tunnel. Ten minutes later, I was greeted by the Pixel Watch 3, saying it noticed my frustration, exactly when I checked the time earlier.
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
I was impressed by the accuracy of the observation, but otherwise didn’t quite know what to do with the information. The alerts were vaguely worded (probably deliberately so), and you have the option of logging your mood or starting a mindful activity in the moment. It’s not always easy to remember why I was annoyed or excited ten minutes ago, so I ended up either guessing or simply shrugging. Even if Google were to tally up the number of times I had these reactions, I have to wonder if having emotional reactions might just be a normal part of life. There is something useful to be observed here, I’m sure, but I’m not certain that this feature is fully baked just yet.
One more thing that Google brought with the Pixel Watch 3 is “loss of pulse detection” — a feature that is supposed to sense when the wearer has a heart beat. If you’re having a cardiac arrest or respiratory failure, the device can check if you’re responsive and ping emergency contacts if necessary. Thankfully, I didn’t have a cardiac anomaly during the two weeks I’ve had the Pixel Watch 3, and never had a chance to test this feature out. But I can also say that it hasn’t been triggered inaccurately or accidentally so far.
In use — Wear OS 5 still needs some work
If you’re already familiar with Wear OS, the latest version of the software won’t feel foreign. Swiping up, down or sideways will still bring up notifications, settings and tiles. Pressing the crown will pull up all apps, where you’ll find icons laid out in a grid not unlike that on watchOS.
There are a few new features on the Pixel Watch 3 that other Wear OS watches like the Galaxy Watch won’t have. For one, the Fitbit-powered morning briefing is supposed to appear every day with details on your readiness and cardio load scores and targets. But Sam and I both wish it was more obvious. Instead of just appearing when you first put the watch on every day, you’ll just see a small icon at the bottom of the home screen. It would even be preferable if the briefing showed up at the top of the notifications list each morning. This isn’t a major gripe though, seeing as neither Apple nor Samsung surface this data either.
Wear OS could also use some tweaking. Sam wishes basic functions like timers and stopwatches were easier to get to, though personally I don’t mind relying on asking the Assistant for those tasks. And though many of the available watch faces are nice, Sam wishes there were more options, as “nothing really stood out.”
I used both the Pixel Watch 3 and the Apple Watch Series 9 to navigate to a brewery in Red Hook, and the two devices fared similarly. I will say that Apple’s GPS seemed more responsive, pinging me earlier than Google’s to take upcoming turns. It even alerted me when I was basically at the entrance to the bar, whereas the Pixel Watch didn’t seem to realize I was at my destination even after I was seated inside the establishment.
Finally, an area you’ll be spending a lot of time as a Pixel Watch 3 wearer is the Fitbit app on your phone. And the Watch app as well. Neither of these have changed much, and they’re clean and easy to use. I feel like there’s a lot of blank space that makes the interface feel sparse, and could possibly be put to better use and improve readability. But, again, that’s not at all a complaint and, as it is, the app functions fine.
The Pixel Watch 3’s battery life: Huge improvement
The Pixel Watch 3’s biggest win is arguably its battery life. Google managed to prolong its runtime by quite a lot, ostensibly by doing a few things. First, the Actua displays’ ability to drop to 1Hz when a high refresh rate is unnecessary probably helped conserve some battery. Wear OS 5 might actually be more power-efficient as well and combined with the watch’s dual-chip architecture there were some gains made. Throw in the new auto bedtime mode that turns off notifications and the Always On Display when you’re asleep, and you’ve got a watch that finally lasts well into the morning after a full day and night.
According to Sam, the auto bedtime mode is effective, and “the screen has stayed off for me reliably every night.” To be clear, even in auto bedtime mode, the Pixel Watch 3 will still track your sleep, so you’re not sacrificing precious data in exchange for battery life. It’s also nice to not have to panic about putting the device on its charger the second you wake up.
Both Sam and I found our review units typically lasted at least a day and a half, with the 45mm version staying around a few hours longer in general. My 41mm model was neck and neck with my Apple Watch Series 9, with both wearables hitting about 15 percent at about 11pm after a day out. This number depends on how much you’ve actively used the Pixel Watch 3, of course. A day of numerous Citi bike rides tracked later and my unit was down to 30 percent the next morning, and though the Apple Watch had a bit more juice that same period, it barely logged any of the activity.
If you’re in a pinch, you should be able to squeeze a couple of hours more juice when you turn on Battery Saver mode. According to Google, you should be able to get 24 hours of use on a Pixel Watch 3, and the power-saving mode should extend that to 36 hours, by disabling the Always On Display and limiting background app activity.
One of the best improvements to the Pixel Watch 3 is its charging speed. The 41mm Pixel Watch 3 has basically the same size battery as its predecessor, but as it charges 20 percent faster, it’ll get to 100 percent in 15 minutes less time than before. That’s even if you place it on last year’s charger, meaning the tweaks happened on the watch itself, not on the charging cradle.
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
Wrap-up
It only took three generations. But for the first time, the Pixel Watch feels ready to unseat Samsung’s Galaxy Watch as the best smartwatch for non-Apple users. Those on iPhones will probably find it easier to continue to stay in their ecosystems, but if you’re looking for an Android answer to the Apple Watch, the Pixel Watch 3 might be it. People who own Samsung devices will likely benefit from the integrations with Galaxy phones, of course. So part of the Pixel Watch’s success here has to do with whether people have already bought into Google’s brand
Which brings me to what this means for Google’s greater hardware plans. One of the main reasons it’s hard to leave Apple for Android has been the former’s seamless vertical integration. Features like AirDrop and AirPlay make inter-device interaction so easy that there’s no good substitute elsewhere. Then there’s the RCS vs iMessage, green-bubble-blue-bubble stigma that locks people into iPhones, keeping many from switching.
Getting the Pixel Watch 3 to a point that’s as good as an Apple Watch is a major step towards vertical product integration parity, and could give Google a better shot at gaining and retaining new users. A lot of this will have to do with awareness and marketing, sure, but at the very least, Google finally has a solid smartwatch with which to start.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/pixel-watch-3-review-google-finally-got-it-right-especially-with-the-battery-life-170005758.html?src=rss
Today, on the franchise's 10th anniversary, Bungie has released its roadmapDestiny 2. Buckle up, as we have quite some ground to cover.
Bungie will now release two expansions a year instead of only one. These expansions won’t be as large, but the team promises to make them interesting. They’ve already begun testing “non-linear campaigns, exploration experiences similar to the Dreaming City or Metroidvanias, and even more unusual formats like roguelikes or survival shooters.” Plus, they want to bring back the feeling of mystery older campaign storylines had.
Bungie
Since the expansion model has changed, so will the seasonal model. There will now be four major updates each year, one released every three months. Two of the major updates will coincide with the release of the biannual expansions. These updates contain various activities, weekly events, features and most importantly, rewards. Other changes include reworking the UI (the Director) and reward model, along with improving the Challenge Customization system.
Starting in Summer 2025, players can experience the first expansion of the year (right now it's been codenamed Apollo). Unlike older content, this expansion is a nonlinear adventure that lets you step into the boots of different characters at different times. The developers promise that the story will flow smoothly despite the nonlinearity. Other than the assumption that it will go live about six months after Apollo, there are no details yet on the second upcoming expansion (which they're calling Behemoth internally), so you’ll have to stay tuned for future updates.
These plans are ambitious, so let's hope Bungie can pull them off. Destiny 2's current expansion, The Final Shape, was delayed — a decision that was preceded a month earlier by layoffs at the studio.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/heres-bungies-roadmap-for-destiny-2-163138384.html?src=rss
We likely won't have to wait much longer to get all the official details on the PlayStation 5 Pro. Sony has announced a PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation that it will stream at 11AM ET on September 10 on the PlayStation YouTube channel.
All indications point toward this being the official unveiling of the PS5 Pro. Mark Cerny, the lead architect of the PS5, will host the stream, which will focus on the "PS5 and innovations in gaming technology." This comes just a few days after Sony teased a redesigned PS5 in an image that lines up with various PS5 Pro leaks. It was also expected that the company would unveil the PS5 Pro in mid-September ahead of the holiday shopping season.
Add all that up, plus a tagline that reads "The Journey Continues" in a teaser video, and it's pretty clear what's in store. For what it's worth, Cerny detailed the PS5's specs from behind a lectern in a 2020 livestream (Sony had to pivot from a planned Game Developers Conference talk after COVID-19 took hold).
The PS5 Pro rumor mill suggests that the mid-cycle refresh will deliver improved and consistent frame rates at 4K resolution as well as an 8K performance mode in supported games. Game rendering is said to be 45 percent faster than on the standard PS5, while the Pro's ray-tracing capabilities are reportedly two to three times faster.
Tune in tomorrow for a PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation hosted by Mark Cerny
Update, September 10 2024, 9:05AM ET: This story has been updated with a link to the PlayStation livestream.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-looks-set-to-announce-the-ps5-pro-today-in-a-strangely-short-livestream-152342331.html?src=rss
The black version of Apple’s latest Magic Mouse accessory is just $85 via Amazon, which is a discount of $15. This is nearly a record low price, as this colorway rarely goes on sale.
This is a wireless Bluetooth mouse specifically made for Apple products like Mac desktops and iPads. If you’ve ever owned an iMac or even a Mac tower, you know the drill. It’s a good mouse. It pairs quickly and gets the job done. No muss and no fuss.
There’s a multi-touch surface that allows for gestural controls like swiping and scrolling, which is pretty cool. The mouse also boasts an optimized foot design for better gliding across surfaces. This isn’t one of those older models powered by AA batteries. There’s an internal battery pack that lasts around a month before requiring a trip to the USB-C port for a charge. To that end, it ships with a fairly high-end woven USB-C cable.
That leads me to the one major caveat with Apple’s Magic Mouse. Though the mouse doesn’t have to charge often, this process is kind of annoying. The port is on the underside of the accessory, so you can’t use it while charging. It just turns into a useless, upside-down brick. Maybe whoever finalized the port placement was a nepotism hire.
As for requirements, you need a Bluetooth-enabled Mac with OS X 10.11 or later or an iPad with iPadOS 13.4 or later. For those who don’t care about colorways, the original white model is not on sale, but it is cheaper at just $68.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-black-magic-mouse-drops-to-85-in-a-rare-deal-151352919.html?src=rss
The next iPhone will be revealed later today at 1PM ET. Well, iPhones. We’re expecting four new devices: the base iPhone 16, a larger iPhone 16 Plus, the iPhone 16 Pro and another beastly iPhone 15 Pro Max. The Pro models might get slightly larger screens, with the regular Pro likely to move to 6.3 inches from 6.1 inches, while the Pro Max should hit 6.9 inches, an increase from 6.7 inches. The iPhone 16’s camera module could be getting a design refresh too.
While those are likely to be the stars, Apple doesn’t miss a chance to showcase even more of its hardware, especially if it ties to the iOS juggernaut. There are plenty of rumors of redesigned AirPods, as well as an updated Apple Watch.
Apple’s next standard smartwatch may have a bigger screen more in line with the Ultra. The company may also introduce a new band system with new connectors that are easier to swap out.
The event kicks off at 1PM ET. You can follow along on our liveblog, where we’ll also be highlighting our first impressions on all the new products.
It supports up to 8K at 60Hz for video and 4K at 120Hz for gaming.
A more future-proof Philips Hue Sync Box has arrived, with support for HDMI 2.1. The box plugs into your TV and creates a light show synced with your onscreen content. Now, it can match 4k at 120Hz, so it’s better suited to the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The box can sync with up to 10 color-capable Hue lights. As with the previous model, you can tweak the brightness and intensity to your liking in the Hue app.
YouTube has pulled five right-wing political channels believed to be connected to the Department of Justice’s Russia-linked US media indictments this week. The platform pulled the channel of Tenet Media, the company reportedly implicated in the indictment. The DOJ accused Russian operatives of paying the media organization to spread disinformation designed to influence the 2024 US elections. On Wednesday, the DOJ indicted two employees of RT (formerly Russia Today), a Kremlin-backed media outlet. They were accused of illegally funding a Tennessee-backed media organization, now all but officially confirmed as Tenet Media.
This is LG’s Stretchable tech. It appeared as part of clothing and bag concepts at 2025 Seoul Fashion Week. Korean designers added displays to the front of garments, sleeves and clutch bags. LG had to tweak the tech, of course. It built the substrate material from a silicon similar to that used in contact lenses. Screens on clothing, though? Groundbreaking.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-what-to-expect-from-apples-iphone-16-event-later-today-111546403.html?src=rss
If the compact Wonderboom is just too big for you, Ultimate Ears' latest speaker will supplant that model as the smallest entry in the company's current lineup. The Miniroll is, as the name suggests, a diminutive version of the company's flat, circular Roll design. This new Bluetooth option weighs less than a pound and can tuck into tight pockets. Or, as UE was keen to show off in the marketing materials, the speaker can attach to nearly anything thanks to a built-in, flexible strap.
Once again, Ultimate Ears retained the prominent volume buttons as a key design element. Power and play/pause buttons are on the left side, with that latter control also assisting with track skipping and activating PartyUp mode (with Auracast) for syncing with other Miniroll speakers. Along the bottom edge, there's a USB-C port for charging. Even though that component is fully exposed, the speaker is IP67 rated dust and waterproof, plus it's able to withstand drops of nearly four feet (1.2 meters).
Ultimate Ears
Don't let the smaller size fool you, the Miniroll still packs a punch. The speaker can manage up to 85.5dB of volume, which is impressive for a unit of this stature. That big sound is powered by one 45.6mm active driver and one 37.75mm x 65mm passive radiator.
Ultimate Ears promises up to 12 hours of battery life on a charge, plenty of juice for an all-day party on the go. There's a sustainability element here, too. The fabric made of 100 percent post-consumer recycled polyester and the speaker contains at least 40 percent post-consumer recycled plastic parts.
The Miniroll is available now for $80 (€80/£70) in black, blue, grey and pink color options. At this price, the speaker is the most affordable in the current UE range — in addition to being the smallest.
Update, September 9 2024, 5:35PM ET: This post was updated after UE clarified that the PartyUp feature on Miniroll only works with other Miniroll speakers. This is due to the fact that Miniroll is the only UE speaker that supports Auracast at this time.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/miniroll-is-the-smallest-ultimate-ears-speaker-but-it-packs-big-sound-070144756.html?src=rss
Indie developer Gardenfiend Games just released a gorgeous plant horror game that its team describes as “Hollow Knight meets Titan Souls.” Perennial Order, which dropped on September 6 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, is a 2D boss rush game that pulls inspiration from Dark Souls, Princess Mononoke, and the art style of Magic: The Gathering. Its protagonist is an undead knight with a pitcher plant for a head (or maybe it’s a helmet?) and a stinger grafted onto one arm, and the hostile world it’s set in is crawling with plant-infested monsters. Needless to say, I downloaded it immediately.
You can play Perennial Order solo or with a friend — it offers both local and online co-op, with cross-platform support. There are 15 bosses to face, and with one-hit-death combat, your every move is critical. Thankfully, you respawn close to where you died, because you’ll probably be doing a lot of that with some enemies.
I’ve spent a little bit of time with Perennial Order this weekend, and it is really captivating. The environment and music are beautiful, creating an atmosphere that’s wonderfully bleak as you explore between boss fights and piece together the lore through interactions with talkative NPCs. I love a good plant horror, and Perennial Order does not disappoint.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/perennial-order-is-a-stunning-2d-soulslike-filled-with-plant-monsters-thatll-kill-you-in-one-hit-203121605.html?src=rss
Many of Apple Intelligence’s most anticipated features will arrive in a trickle well after the release of iOS 18, and according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, it could be December before the iPhone will offer things like AI-generated images and custom emoji. Apple Intelligence is expected to make its debut with iOS 18.1, which Gurman has previously reported will likely come sometime in October. Genmoji and the upcoming image-generation tool, Image Playground, reportedly won’t be among its first features. Instead, Gurman predicts they’ll ship with iOS 18.2, which he says is slated for December.
Apple showed off Genmoji and Image Playground during its June event. With Genmoji, users will be able to create custom emoji from a prompt or make emoji of real people based on their photos. Image Playground, on the other hand, will let users generate images in three styles: Animation, Illustration and Sketch. It’ll be offered as a standalone app and as a built-in tool in other apps, including Messages.
All of these features will eventually be available for the iPhone 16 line, which will be unveiled on Monday Sept. 9 at Apple’s It’s Glowtime event, as well as other recent iPhone models. Apple Intelligence will also bring ChatGPT integration, message summarization, a smarter Siri and more.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/genmoji-and-image-generation-tools-for-iphone-reportedly-delayed-until-ios-182-152526073.html?src=rss