It's Google's turn to hold a major hardware event, albeit a little earlier than usual this year. The Made by Google 2024 showcase will take place at 1PM ET today, August 13. You can stream it live on the Made by Google YouTube channel or simply watch above. We already have a good idea of what the company will reveal. We'll also have full, in-depth coverage of everything announced at the Google Pixel 9 launch event right here on Engadget.
Google has already confirmed that it will show off the latest lineup of Pixel smartphones. We're expecting to see four models, including the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 XL, which will have a prominent camera bar on the rear. Google is also rebranding its latest foldable. Rather than being dubbed the Pixel Fold 2, the device is called the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The Gemini AI assistant will be baked deeply into all of these phones as Google aims to boost your productivity and make photo editing much easier.
Elsewhere, rumors suggest that Google will announce the Pixel Watch 3, which is expected to be available in two sizes. It's likely that we'll see the Pixel Buds 2 as well.
Given that Google revealed a new TV streaming box and Nest Learning Thermostat a week before the event, it seems that the company wants to keep the focus on Pixel devices. That said, there's always the chance of a genuine surprise or two. For what it's worth, an "after party" event will start at 2:30PM ET.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-watch-google-launch-the-pixel-9-line-at-made-by-google-event-tomorrow-161207616.html?src=rss
The Indie Horror Showcase event is returning on October 24. This is a “celebration of upcoming nightmarish games” made by developers throughout the world and will be hosted by DreadXP, an indie publisher responsible for well-received games like The Mortuary Assistant and Sucker for Love.
The upcoming streaming event promises “loads of cool new indie horror” from both DreadXP and plenty of third-party developers. As a matter of fact, submissions are open to anyone, just in case you’ve been tooling around with something particularly frightening.
There were some noteworthy games discussed during last year’s event. These included the now-iconic Slay the Princess and the supernatural phone operator sim Home Safety Hotline. Other standouts from last year included Pneumata and Janet DeMornay is a Slumlord (and a witch). DreadXP says that last year’s showcase featured more than 60 trailers and announcements. This year’s event should fall somewhere in that range.
The publisher hasn’t given any indication as to which titles to be on the lookout for this year, but submissions are still open until September 16. It has promised announcements and trailers from “developers of all sizes in the indie horror scene.” DreadXP has yet to announce a premiere time for the stream.
One game that’ll likely get an update is Paranormal Activity: Found Footage. This title leverages the “found footage” format from many horror movies and brings it to gaming. DreadXP is behind the spooky adaptation and it’s scheduled for release in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-indie-horror-showcase-gaming-event-returns-on-october-24-162507028.html?src=rss
This Anker 3-in-1 MagSafe charging station is on sale for $88, which is a discount of 20 percent. That’s actually a record low price for the popular charging apparatus. It’s also been built primarily to suit Apple devices.
The big hook here is the “3-in-1” from the name. The Anker MagSafe can simultaneously charge an iPhone, Apple Watch and a pair of AirPods. That’s just about everything a modern Apple fan could need, aside from a gigantic harness to accommodate the Vision Pro.
This particular charger made our list of the best Apple Watch accessories, and with good reason. It’s a MagSafe device, so it offers Qi2 wireless charging. This means that devices juice up by just laying on the charging station. It also means that it circumvents the recent switch to USB-C with iPhones. As long as you have an iPhone 12 or above, you’re good to go.
It works with every Apple Watch model, though you need a wireless charging case for AirPods. The AirPods Pro earbuds ship with one but standard AirPods do not. Other than that caveat, this is a solid device. We enjoyed the high-speed 15W charging and the nifty folding design, which makes it easy to pack.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/this-anker-3-in-1-magsafe-charging-station-is-cheaper-than-ever-right-now-151757235.html?src=rss
High-quality active noise cancellation headphones are always going to cost a pretty penny. But, a new sale has dropped Sony's WH-1000XM4 headphones to a record-low price. A 43 percent discount brings the M4s down to $198, from $348.
Sony released the WH-1000XM4 headphones in 2020, further improving on a model that was already our top pick. Our review gave the M4 a 94, thanks to a more premium finish — tactile matte coating versus slick plastic — and a better overall fit. The device also offers powerful ANC, a punchy bass and automatic pausing if you start talking. These headphones provide comfort without compromising on sound or ANC quality.
Our choice for the best wireless headphones on the market are also on sale for $328, down from $400 — an 18 percent discount. Sony released the WH-1000XM5 model two years after its predecessor came out and took its place as our top pick. Improvements compared to the M4 include increased comfort and better noise cancellation, thanks to the addition of a V1 chip and eight ANC mics — double that of the M4. I will say that I own the M5, and on a recent transatlantic flight, I was one of the only people unbothered by the wailing baby.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sonys-wh-1000xm4-headphones-drop-to-a-new-low-of-198-145024912.html?src=rss
The Pixel Fold was Google’s first phone with a flexible display when it launched last year. And at its upcoming Made By Google event, we’re about to get a successor in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. So there’s no better time to check in on how Google’s original bendy handset has survived being my daily driver for an entire year.
The Pixel Fold doesn’t look like any other foldable on the market. It has a curvy polished aluminum frame with squatty dimensions that results in something shaped more like a passport than a traditional handset or Samsung’s long and skinny batons. When you open it up, you’ll find relatively chunky bezels and a big main display that sits in landscape orientation instead of portrait like practically all of its rivals. Around back, there’s an absolutely massive camera bar. But as I found out after talking to the phone’s designers, the opportunity to shape Google’s first foldable gave the team a blank slate to try new approaches. And I think the phone is much better off for it.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
That’s because even though its widescreen setup sometimes causes issues with apps and websites that expect portrait mode, it made sitting down with a movie much faster and more enjoyable. Meanwhile, its thick frame left enough room for Google to build a selfie camera into the phone’s bezel rather than taking up room on its main display. And even though its rear camera module is definitely bulky, it allowed Google to equip the Fold with sensors that are basically as good as those on a standard flagship Pixel (including a 5x optical zoom). That’s something Samsung still hasn’t managed to do for the Z Fold line, which continues to take a backseat in photo quality compared to an equivalent Galaxy S Ultra.
Granted, Samsung’s version still boasts a few features the Pixel Fold doesn’t get such as native stylus support and Dex mode, which offers a superior layout for multitasking. Plus, thanks to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, it delivers slightly faster overall performance. However, I think Google largely makes up for that with better software including apps like the Pixel Recorder, Call Screener and Live Translate.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
All in all, despite being Google’s first foray into the category, the Pixel Fold is a very compelling device with a unique design, class-leading cameras and great displays — that’s pretty much everything you want in a big fancy flexible phone. That said, one thing I couldn’t properly evaluate in my original review was the phone’s long-term durability. To close the loop, here’s how it’s faring one year later.
Before we get in too deep, I should note that I’m pretty tough on devices. The Pixel Fold I’ve been using has been naked since the day I got it, simply because I don’t like cases. After all, companies like Google spend millions coming up with exquisite designs, so it seems like a shame to throw a cheap smock over everything. I also live with a toddler who doesn’t care about nice things, so he doesn’t think twice about batting the phone around when it's in his way. But even so, the Pixel Fold has held up surprisingly well.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
On its frame, there are a ton of scuffs and scratches all over along with some dents from being dropped. There are also a few scapes on its matte Gorilla Glass Victus back, but all of this is purely cosmetic. If you’re the type of person who gets jazzed up about wear and patinas on vintage furniture, you might even say the Pixel Fold is aging rather gracefully considering how much abuse it’s absorbed. Most importantly though, none of this damage has impacted the phone’s functionality.
That said, there is a small crack in the phone’s exterior display. But I want to be clear, that one is 100 percent my fault. While trying to potty train my toddler, I would often sit on a low stool near him in a bathroom with hard tile flooring. And often, because of how I was seated, the phone would slip out of my pocket. This happened countless times and I should have simply put the phone on a nearby changing table. But I didn’t, and about a month ago, it fell and hit the corner of its display, causing a small cobweb of fractures. Still, even with that blemish, the screen’s functionality is unaffected.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Naturally, I tried to get the exterior display repaired. Unfortunately, a representative at my local uBreakiFix (which is a Google-authorized repair center) told me that they didn’t have the required parts or the proper jig for a panel replacement. I was then told to contact one of the company’s main locations in Kearny, NJ, which did have the necessary materials and gave me a rough estimate (over the phone) of about four hours and $220 for the repair. Then, just to be sure, I took the Pixel Fold into Google’s flagship retail store in NYC for a second opinion, which resulted in a slightly cheaper ballpark quote of $180. Both prices are in the same range as what it would cost to replace a display on a traditional candybar-style handset, which is nice considering the added complexity of the Pixel Fold’s design. As for its main display, probably due in large part to the fact that it's protected by the rest of the phone when closed, it's remained pristine.
I’ve also dropped this thing in the sand, which scared the crap out of me since its IPX8 rating technically only specifies its level of water resistance (up to 5 feet for 30 minutes). Things got even more concerning when I tried to open it and was greeted by the distinctive sound of particles grinding somewhere inside. But after wiping it off and blowing in the hinge like it was an old NES cartridge, everything went back to normal. Perhaps the most impressive thing is that even after a year, there’s not a single hint of bubbling from the Fold’s factory-installed screen protector, which is something I’ve experienced on every one of Samsung’s Z Fold phones I’ve owned. And based on the searches I’ve done online, aside from a small handful of odd cases, I haven’t seen many complaints from other Pixel Fold users either.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
In a lot of ways, the Pixel Fold’s impressive durability is yet another sign that Google has been carefully watching the evolution of rivals like the Z Fold and studying it to see what aspects can be improved. Despite being the company’s first go at a phone with a flexible screen, the Pixel Fold definitely doesn’t suffer from a lot of the issues you typically get on first-gen devices. The one thing I might do differently in the future is to perhaps use a sleeve instead of a case to make the device a bit less slippery when it’s in my pocket.
My one gripe with the Pixel Fold’s design is that it never fully opens all the way. Granted, this is an incredibly minor complaint, but it looks awkward when the phone stops at 179 degrees, just short of being totally flat. During my initial review, I thought the phone’s hinge might relax over time, but it’s just as stiff as ever, which in all other situations is a good thing.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Regardless, for a type of device that many think needs to be treated with kid gloves, the Pixel Fold has proven that it’s a lot tougher than I thought. And while it seems Google has some significant design changes in store for the next model, I’m quite satisfied with what I’ve experienced thus far.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/google-pixel-fold-durability-report-one-year-later-more-durable-than-i-expected-133037946.html?src=rss
I’m a huge Taskmaster fan. The UK TV show pits five comedians (or funny-adjacent celebrities) against ridiculous tasks that are then arbitrarily scored by the titular taskmaster.
Given that the tasks involve lateral thinking and physical movement, on paper, the TV show was ripe for a VR spin-off. Think Job Simulator with added jeopardy, in-jokes and British whimsy. Unfortunately, Taskmaster VR doesn’t deliver on the fun and charm of the show. Two points.
After being teased (and available to wishlist) earlier this year, the game launched last week across Steam, Meta Quest 2 and 3, and Pro. I played the game briefly on Quest 2, the lowest-powered option, before shifting to the sharper screens of Quest 3.
You’ll want to play it on a headset like the Quest 3 or better. The basic Quest 2 makes the whole thing very grainy. But that’s not the biggest issue. The problem is it’s not a great VR game. Collision detection is rough, and while it’s not the first VR title guilty of this, the fine motor control demanded of the game’s tasks makes things a pain.
For example, the first game involves you trying to make a sandwich, matching Alex’s arcane sandwich request, plating it up, and putting it on the plinth, ready for judgment. However, you have to do all of that with a pair of spatulas. Opening a fridge with a spatula in real life is challenging enough; in a virtual world, it sometimes felt more like luck than dexterity whether I got that slice of bacon into my sandwich.
In another game, I was to launch an egg as far as I could but land it in a frying pan. I struggled to keep a frying pan in the same place while constructing a poorly-considered ramp of pipes, boxes and wheelie bins. The in-game physics are so simplistic that most object surfaces behave the same. And my pan slid to the floor. Again and again and again. You can crouch in Taskmaster VR – when you drop the pan again – but the physics engine conveys a degree of momentum when you press the button to stand upright again, adding a ‘bounce’ to anything in your hand.
Many of the games are multi-stage and expansive, which I appreciated. Circling back to the sandwich task, some ingredients need to be cooked – and you’ll have to turn on the stove burners to do so. Once you’ve made your sandwich, Greg, the Taskmaster will scrutinize the result. One slice of bread? He’ll go on a tirade about open-face sandwiches. Wrong plate? Your score will be dinged again. Something inedible? He’ll notice.
There are also easter egg references to the show everywhere, from the tutorial onwards. Look out of windows; even the bushes and garden are filled with items and references only a Taskmaster fan would get. Do Americans think all Brits (I’m a Brit) are this whimsical? I hope so.
In another game, you’ll have to rush around the entire Taskmaster estate (a tiny home and garden) searching for dog food, but only after you’ve escaped the garage. The tasks are considered, but I wish there were more. The TV show is famous for comedians’ unusual lateral thinking and solutions that the task makers didn’t plan for. I haven’t seen those possibilities – at least not yet.
Why not mix up the codes for the safe featured in a watermelon smashing task? This would be especially useful if you’re playing with other Taskmaster fans who want to try the tasks themselves. A little bit of random number generation would work wonders. Having said that, there’s a Taskmaster VR Creative mode, where you’ll be able to craft your own levels and tasks, which could add longevity if it finds an audience.
The banter between Taskmaster and his assistant is tonally accurate, benefitting from using the voices of Greg Davies and (Little) Alex Horne, but their in-game models don’t convey the weird, awkward charm of the duo. Maybe I’m just a superfan, and my expectations were too high, but there’s something about the sound quality (with lines recorded in a booth) that pulls you out of the illusion of being on a version of the TV show.
I’m unsure if I’ll ever replay the entire game again. Fortunately, once unlocked, you can choose to play each task standalone, which is the perfect way for me to share the game with visiting friends.
If the team behind Taskmaster VR can offer some new tasks through DLC (how about replicating a task from the next TV series?), this might be more of a draw. Their time starts now.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/taskmaster-vr-doesnt-quite-deliver-on-the-promise-of-the-tv-show-130005486.html?src=rss
Under a cloud of studio closures and layoffs, there's a sliver of sunshine in the gaming business. After being closed by Microsoft in May, Hi-Fi Rush studio Tango Gameworks has been acquired by PUBG: Battlegrounds developer Krafton.
"Krafton intends to collaborate with Xbox and ZeniMax to ensure a smooth transition and maintain continuity at Tango Gameworks, allowing the talented team to continue developing the Hi-Fi Rush IP and explore future projects," Krafton wrote in a press release spotted by Polygon.
Following its $7.5 billion purchase of ZeniMax in 2021, Microsoft shut down three of its studios, Arkane Austin, Tokyo-based Tango Gameworks and Alpha Dog Studios. Tango was behind several notable titles, including The Evil Within, Ghostwire Tokyo and the rhythm-based brawler Hi-Fi Rush. The latter debuted in 2023 as an exclusive on Xbox Series X and PC, and recently came to PS5 in March this year.
Krafton said the acquisition will not affect current Tango games including The Evil Within, The Evil Within 2, Ghostwire: Tokyo and Hi-Fi Rush.
Tango Gameworks was founded in 2010 by Resident Evil 4 game director Shinji Mikami and initially made its name with horror titles like The Evil Within. Hi-Fi Rush was a significant departure and became a critical hit with a 10 out of 10 Steam score thanks to the fluid, engaging gameplay and unique graphical style.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pubg-battlegrounds-publisher-acquires-hi-fi-rush-studio-after-microsoft-shut-it-down-120005467.html?src=rss
Eli Roth’s Borderlands movie adaptation sounds like a recipe for a solid sci-fi romp: Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett as the wise-cracking gunslinger Lilith; Jack Black as the quippy Claptrap; and even Jamie Lee Curtis.
Put it on roofs, put it on cars, put it on baseball caps.
Scientists from the University of Oxford have created an ultra-thin layer of material that can be applied to the exterior of objects with sunlight access in place of bulky silicon-based solar panels. It’s made by stacking layers of light-absorbing perovskite just over a micron thick. The new material is also 150 times thinner than a traditional silicon wafer and can produce energy with 5 percent more efficiency. This technology, however, is still in the research stage, and the university doesn’t mention the long-term stability of the newly designed perovskite panels, which has always been limited compared to traditional photovoltaic technology.
Thanks to some design tweaks and major hardware upgrades, ASUS has turned the ROG Ally X into the flagship Windows gaming handheld it was meant to be. Dare we say it, this might be the best handheld gaming PC.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-the-borderlands-movie-proves-bad-videogame-adaptations-can-still-happen-111340460.html?src=rss
I was not expecting to cry while playing Summit, a $6 mountain climbing platformer for Playdate that’s impossible not to compare to Celeste. Scream in frustration? Yes. Storm away from the game only to come crawling back minutes later? Definitely. Get all up in my feels, though? Not so much. Yet an hour and 34 minutes — and 432 deaths — later, here we are. This is now the second Playdate game that's made me cry.
In Summit, you’re a cloaked climber trying to reach the top of a mountain under the guidance of an unseen narrator who refers to you as “little brother.” You have ice axes to help you scale the vertical surfaces, and other equipment will show up later to assist you in trickier situations. Completing the 70-ish levels requires absolute precision, and it is at times very, very frustrating. There are rows of sharp spikes sticking out everywhere, and some falling from higher perches. The icy ground in spots is slick enough to send you flying. Strong winds will make it seem as though it’s impossible to push forward.
But it’s not impossible, of course, and in some cases you can even use the environmental conditions to your advantage. When you do finally make it through a particularly tough level, it’s all the more gratifying. There’s more to Summit than well-timed jumps — it uses the d-pad, buttons and the crank, and will have you coordinating different actions to cross huge gaps and avoid obstacles. At one point, you even get to ride a crow.
Pixelated Opus
The music throughout is beautiful and has a reflective mood to it, which sets you up perfectly for when the game takes an unexpected emotional turn at the end. As you approach the summit, the backstory that’s been hinted at in bits and pieces finally reveals itself, and it’s a tear-jerker. I got misty-eyed, and not because I was so relieved to have finally made it to the top. (I’m not the only one, either, as I found while searching Reddit to see how other people fared.)
Summit will test your determination as you die over and over again trying to progress, but it’s never a slog. If you liked the extreme platforming and sentimental tone of Celeste, this is definitely one to check out.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/summit-is-an-incredible-precision-platformer-for-playdate-thatll-hit-you-right-in-the-feels-230018502.html?src=rss
AMD has begun releasing updates to patch some — but not all — chips affected by the recently discovered “Sinkclose” security flaw. The vulnerability spotted by researchers at IOActive was revealed in a report from Wired last week, and is said to affect most AMD processors going back to 2006. While AMD’s security team has been working to get some of these systems patched, Tom’s Hardware reports that the Ryzen 1000, 2000 and 3000 series along with the Threadripper 1000 and 2000 won’t get any such updates.
The company told Tom’s Hardware that these are among “older products that are outside our software support window.” Newer models and all of AMD’s embedded processors have reportedly already received or will be receiving the patch. The Sinkclose flaw is considered to be more of a risk for governments or other large entities than for the average user, and even then, taking advantage of it would require deep access to a particular system. But the researchers who found it warned that it could be disastrous if exploited, letting hackers run code in the chips’ normally protected System Management Mode.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/outdated-amd-chips-reportedly-wont-get-a-patch-for-the-sinkclose-security-flaw-200549740.html?src=rss