Tag Archives: region|US

Apple’s ‘F1’ movie looks really good

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I’ve sneered at Apple’s F1 movie since it was announced, assuming it’ll be a cynical exercise in brand building. Given the close involvement of the sport’s governing body, its stars and teams, it has the vibes of a two-hour commercial. But the teaser trailer for the film has made me worried, because it actually looks like it could be quite good. Oh no.

F1 was co-produced by (F1 great) Lewis Hamilton himself, who pledged to make it the most realistic racing movie ever made. It centers on Brad Pitt’s Sonny Hayes, who is recruited from retirement to be a mentor to Damson Idris’ hot new prospect, Joshua Pierce. The last sequence in the teaser, all roaring engines and heavy breathing as the car warps around the track, is enough to make me think this has to be seen in IMAX.

There’s still time for it all to go wrong, and you can’t make a plucky underdog sports movie in this of all environments. After all, even the smallest team is a multi-multi-million dollar outfit with millionaire drivers behind the wheel of each car. And it’s not as if you can make a wacky design tweak to improve your car above the others given the yearslong homologation process.

But I have to hope that any movie that features (former Haas F1 team principal and living meme) Guenther Steiner in a reaction shot can’t be all bad.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-f1-movie-looks-really-good-120035709.html?src=rss

The Morning After: NASA’s year-long Mars simulation volunteers return to the real world

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NASA’s Mission 1 crew — all volunteers — have left their 1700-square-foot habitat at the Johnson Space Center. Since last June 25, they’ve conducted a fair few simulated Mars walks, grown vegetables and performed other tasks designed to support life and work in that environment. They also faced (a simulation of) the stressors actual space travelers to Mars could experience, like 22-minute communication delays with Earth.

After 378 days in a mock Mars habitat, the four volunteers for NASA’s yearlong simulation of a stay on the red planet are coming home. The crew — Kelly Haston, Anca Selariu, Ross Brockwell and Nathan Jones – left the 3D-printed habitat in Houston on Saturday evening.

Do you feel like you’d like to live in fake space? There are plans for two more one-year missions. One has already closed applications, but the third is scheduled for 2026.

— Mat Smith

Still Wakes the Deep is a modern horror classic

Apple Watch Series 10 is expected to have a larger display

The best early Prime Day deals ahead of Amazon’s July sale

Kia EV9 review: Everything I want in a three-row family EV

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Nike

Nike is discontinuing its self-lacing Adapt BB sneakers. First announced in 2019, the sneakers used a Back to the Future II style power-lacing system called FitAdapt, adjustable both manually and with an app. Now, the company will stop making Adapt shoes and is retiring the Nike Adapt App. When the app goes, the shoes will retain the last light color selected. Features still available without it include power on, check battery status, adjust your fit, save your fit, unlace shoes and, wait for it, power off.

Continue reading.

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YouTube has released an upgraded erase song tool to remove music from video segments without deleting other audio, such as conversations. When creators get a copyright claim for music, YouTube allows them to trim out the affected segment or replace the song with an approved one in its audio library. YouTube admits the tool might not always work. If a song is particularly hard to remove, it’s presumably due to audio quality or the presence of other sounds.

Continue reading.

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NASCAR

NASCAR unveiled its first prototype electric racer this weekend at the Chicago Street Race. It developed the $1.5 million electric crossover in partnership with ABB, Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota to call attention to sustainability efforts of… NASCAR. Apparently, it’s making an effort.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-nasas-year-long-mars-simulation-volunteers-return-to-the-real-world-111544445.html?src=rss

Nothing’s budget-friendly brand CMF announced three new products, including a $200 smartphone

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CMF, a budget-friendly sub-brand Nothing announced last August, has officially unveiled a trio of new products. There’s a smartphone, a watch and earbuds, all of which seem to be modest in both price and features.

Let’s start with the smartphone. Nothing made a splash with its original smartphone, the Nothing Phone 1, and the appropriately-named CMF Phone 1 hopes to follow suit. It wouldn’t be a Nothing-adjacent product without some quirky design elements, and the CMF Phone 1 certainly has its share.

Smartphone backs
CMF by Nothing

The back cover is interchangeable, so users can swap out to different colors and designs on the fly. The company says this design element makes it easy to access the internal components of the phone for repairs and maintenance tasks. There’s also something called an accessory point on this back cover. When unscrewed, this input point can attach to accessories like fold-out stands, card holders and lanyards.

As for specs, there’s a newly-designed 8-core MediaTek Dimensity 7300 5G processor, a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and a ‘flagship-grade” 50MP main camera sensor developed by Sony. There’s also a 5,000mAh battery and 8GB of RAM. These are mid-grade specs, but still decent. Perhaps the biggest feature here is the price. The CMF Phone 1 costs just $200 and is available right now. The various back covers and accessories will be available later in the month.

Two smartwatches.
CMF by Nothing

The CMF Watch Pro 2 is a follow-up to last year’s timepiece. The design here is completely different, with a rounded shape rather than the squarish look of last year’s model. There’s an auto-brightness adjustment algorithm, improved sleep tracking and customizable widgets. The watch ships with a 1.32-inch always-on AMOLED display, built-in GPS, an accelerometer, an ambient light sensor and a trio of health-tracking sensors. The company promises 11 days of use per charge, though that metric shrinks to nine days with “heavy use.”

Just like the CMF Phone 1, there are some unique customization options here. There are multiple bands to choose from, of course, but users can also swap out the bezel to “switch fluidly between styles to suit any occasion.” These additional bezels are just begging to get lost underneath a couch cushion somewhere, but we appreciate the thought. One thing hasn’t changed with this refresh. It’s still just $69. The Watch Pro 2 will be available on July 11.

Some earbuds.
CMF by Nothing

Finally, there’s a follow-up to CMF’s original earbuds. The Buds Pro 2 offers active noise cancellation and algorithmic spatial audio. The charging case features a control dial that can be customized to adjust nearly every aspect of playback. The battery life seems decent enough, though gets a major hit when using ANC.

These earbuds did get a slight price increase. Last year’s version was $49 and these are $59. The Buds Pro 2 will also be available on July 11.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nothings-budget-friendly-brand-cmf-announced-three-new-products-including-a-200-smartphone-100417261.html?src=rss

Angel Pop brings cutesy chaos to Playdate in a highly addictive bullet hell

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This is it, the first game to nearly make me throw my Playdate against a wall. Angel Pop, a bullet hell shoot ‘em up that landed on the Playdate Catalog last month, is utter chaos. Playing as an adorable little girl, you must fend off a nonstop barrage of enemy fire over the course of 50-or-so levels, trying to clear each stage of all enemies within a limited span of time as projectiles bombard you from every direction. It moves at breakneck speed, and at some points, there may be as many as 1,000 objects on the screen. Basically, it’s everything a person could want in a bullet hell, and I’m completely addicted.

Angel Pop really tests the limits of the Playdate, with so much happening on screen at all times, but it plays with impressive smoothness. The game is set in what developer NNNN describes as “a surreal dreamworld,” and the art juxtaposes the cartoonish player character and enemies with moody backdrops like dark cityscapes, to beautiful effect. It really nails the arcade feel of things.

It uses a combination of ever-changing difficulty and points bonuses that give you additional lives to keep things challenging without being entirely unrewarding. You might start out a round in Normal, but play a little too well and you could soon find yourself in a much harder mode. Or, there’s the option to only play in Nightmare mode, which locks the game at the hardest difficulty setting (Death). You can use either the crank or the D-pad to control the direction of your bullets, which are unlimited, and you’ve got a finite supply of bombs that you can drop for close-range attacks when you’re in a tough spot.

Angel Pop makes a great case for shmups on Playdate, and I’m now inspired to go check out all the others after mostly playing slow-paced games. It’s a lot of fun and a lot of frustration — I’ve only made it about halfway through so far, and there’s been a lot of screaming involved.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/angel-pop-brings-cutesy-chaos-to-playdate-in-a-highly-addictive-bullet-hell-213433545.html?src=rss

Check out NASCAR’s first electric race car prototype

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NASCAR unveiled its first prototype electric racer this weekend at the Chicago Street Race. The $1.5 million electric crossover (per AP) was developed in partnership with ABB, Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota to call attention to sustainability efforts under the NASCAR Impact program and show what EVs are capable of. It doesn’t mean NASCAR is moving away from gasoline-powered race cars just yet, but rather that it’s trying to “gauge fan interest in electric racing,” people involved with the initiative told AP.

NASCAR’s head of sustainability Riley Nelson told AP that the series and its partners “want to represent electric vehicles, and more broadly electrification, in racing as cool, fun and accessible.” The prototype, which has been driven by NASCAR driver David Ragan, has three STARD UHP 6-Phase motors, with one in the front and two in the back. This is all powered by a 78-kWh liquid-cooled battery. According to NASCAR, “its tunable powertrain can generate 1,000 kW at peak power.” It’s built on a modified Next Gen chassis.

NASCAR's electric crossover shown from the back
NASCAR

NASCAR’s sustainability plans include adding EV charging stations and switching to 100 percent renewable energy at its race tracks by 2028. By 2035, it aims to achieve net-zero operating emissions.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/check-out-nascars-first-electric-race-car-prototype-192712138.html?src=rss

ESA’s new heavy-lift rocket, Ariane 6, is poised to launch for the first time on Tuesday

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Ariane 6, the European Space Agency’s next-gen heavy-lift rocket, is expected to take its inaugural flight on July 9, ending a yearlong gap in Europe’s ability to access space on its own. The launch vehicle, made by ArianeGroup, replaces Ariane 5, which was retired last July following its 117th mission. The launch window opens at 2PM ET on Tuesday (8PM CEST).

Ariane 5 was in operation from 1996 to 2023 and was ESA’s main launch system. Ariane 6 was supposed to take over right away after its predecessor’s retirement, but years of delays in its development meant it ultimately wasn’t ready in time. As a result, ESA has had to rely on other launch providers, like SpaceX, to get science missions off the ground over the last year. If all goes smoothly with Ariane 6, Europe will be back in the game. “Ariane 6 marks a new era of autonomous, versatile European space travel,” ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said in June, adding that it “will re-establish Europe’s independent access to space.”

Ariane 6 will launch from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. It’ll be streamed on ESA Web TV, with coverage expected to start 30 minutes before liftoff.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/esas-new-heavy-lift-rocket-ariane-6-is-poised-to-launch-for-the-first-time-on-tuesday-172813576.html?src=rss

Apple Watch Series 10 expected to boast larger displays, while a plastic SE may be in the works

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Bigger screens are coming to the Apple Watch, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. In the Power On newsletter this week, Gurman writes that the Series 10 models will sport larger displays than we’ve seen in past versions of the regular Apple Watch, with one of the options likely to be close in size to the Apple Watch Ultra. The Apple Watch Series 10 is expected to be thinner, too, as Gurman previously reported.

Apple has also been working on more advanced health features for its smartwatches, but it seems some of these may not be ready in time for the next release. That includes tools to measure high blood pressure and detect sleep apnea. According to Gurman, “Apple has run into some serious snags” in developing the technology for these features. Sleep apnea monitoring, for one, would rely on blood oxygen saturation measurements, which Apple currently can’t offer thanks to a patent dispute.

We may also see a new version of the Apple Watch SE this year with a plastic shell instead of aluminum, according to Gurman, which could make the starting price drop a bit. Both the Apple Watch Series 10 models and the next-gen Apple Watch Ultra will get new chips for a performance boost.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-watch-series-10-expected-to-boast-larger-displays-while-a-plastic-se-may-be-in-the-works-154027422.html?src=rss

Lego is releasing a Jaws set in August that recreates the final showdown on Quint’s boat

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In case you missed it, we’re officially getting a Jaws Lego set this summer. The company unveiled the upcoming 1497-piece set this week alongside a 90-second mini-movie that reimagines the film in Lego brick form. The Jaws set includes the boat (the Orca), the shark, and minifigures of the protagonists Martin Brody, Matt Hooper and Sam Quint, plus a number of key items from their hunt, like a harpoon and a few bright yellow barrels. 

The Jaws Lego set, featuring the shark, the boat and minifigures of Brody, Hooper and Quint
Lego

It’ll be available to the general public on August 6 for $150, but anyone enrolled in the Lego Insiders loyalty program will be able to purchase it earlier, starting August 3. You’ll have the option to build the set on top of a base that’s intended to serve as the ocean for the scene, so you can mount the shark in just the right position to make it look as though it’s attacking the boat. Or, you can display the shark and the boat as separate pieces, with a stand for the former. One of the tiles in the water set will be printed with the line: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” 

The intense showdown between a haphazard group of shark hunters and a great white that devours humans has never looked so family friendly. Check out Lego's “Jaws in a Jiffy” to really get into the spirit of things. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lego-is-releasing-a-jaws-set-in-august-that-recreates-the-final-showdown-on-quints-boat-214504555.html?src=rss

Lego is releasing a Jaws set in August that recreates the final showdown on Quint’s boat

Posted on by

In case you missed it, we’re officially getting a Jaws Lego set this summer. The company unveiled the upcoming 1497-piece set this week alongside a 90-second mini-movie that reimagines the film in Lego brick form. The Jaws set includes the boat (the Orca), the shark, and minifigures of the protagonists Martin Brody, Matt Hooper and Sam Quint, plus a number of key items from their hunt, like a harpoon and a few bright yellow barrels. 

The Jaws Lego set, featuring the shark, the boat and minifigures of Brody, Hooper and Quint
Lego

It’ll be available to the general public on August 6 for $150, but anyone enrolled in the Lego Insiders loyalty program will be able to purchase it earlier, starting August 3. You’ll have the option to build the set on top of a base that’s intended to serve as the ocean for the scene, so you can mount the shark in just the right position to make it look as though it’s attacking the boat. Or, you can display the shark and the boat as separate pieces, with a stand for the former. One of the tiles in the water set will be printed with the line: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” 

The intense showdown between a haphazard group of shark hunters and a great white that devours humans has never looked so family friendly. Check out Lego's “Jaws in a Jiffy” to really get into the spirit of things. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lego-is-releasing-a-jaws-set-in-august-that-recreates-the-final-showdown-on-quints-boat-214504555.html?src=rss

Volunteers who lived in NASA’s Mars simulation for over a year will finally emerge today

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After 378 days inside a mock Mars habitat, the four volunteers for NASA’s yearlong simulation of a stay on the red planet are coming home. The crew — Kelly Haston, Anca Selariu, Ross Brockwell and Nathan Jones — is scheduled to exit the 3D-printed habitat in Houston this evening. You can watch the livestream of their return on NASA TV (below) starting at 5PM ET.

This marks the end of NASA’s first Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) mission. There are plans already for two more one-year missions, one of which NASA recently accepted applications for. 

The Mission 1 crew entered the 1700-square-foot habitat at the Johnson Space Center on June 25 of last year and has spent the months since conducting simulated Marswalks, growing vegetables and performing other tasks designed to support life and work in that environment, like habitat maintenance. No exact dates for the second CHAPEA mission have been set yet, but it’s expected to begin in spring 2025.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/volunteers-who-lived-in-nasas-mars-simulation-for-over-a-year-will-finally-emerge-today-192522497.html?src=rss