Amazon is hosting a Black Friday sale that covers many of its ereaders. This includes the Kindle Colorsoft, which has been discounted to $170. This thing usually costs $250, so this is one heck of a deal and a record low price.
The model came out earlier this year and we gave it a glowing review, calling it "the missing link in Amazon's ereader lineup." It's the first Kindle ereader in color, which makes this thing one of the best ways to read comic books and graphic novels. The pinch-to-zoom feature lets you get closer to details, to make each panel really pop.
This is also a high-end ereader, color or not. We found the load times to be exceptionally fast and the same goes for turning pages. There's an auto-adjusting front light, which comes in handy. There are also no lock screen ads by default and a single charge lasts eight full weeks of regular use.
The major downside here is the price. It's tough to truly recommend any ereader at $250, or the original launch price of $280. It's a lot easier to recommend at $170.
Amazon is also selling similar products at a discount, some of which made our list of the best ereaders. The base Kindle is down to $80, which is another record low. The Paperwhite is on sale for $125, yet another record low price. And keeping with the theme, the current-gen Kindle Scribe is on sale for as low as $280, the cheapest we've seen it.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazons-kindle-colorsoft-is-32-percent-off-in-this-black-friday-deal-110037414.html?src=rss
The Amazon Smart Plug is on sale for just $13 as part of a Black Friday promotion. This is a discount of $12 and represents a record low price. If you've been waiting to stock up on some smart plugs, now might be the time.
To that end, this product made our list of the best smart plugs. It's the perfect accessory for those who rely on Alexa to control aspects of the smart home. These plugs are really easy to set up via the Alexa app. You don't have to pop in a Wi-Fi password or anything. It's basically plug-and-play.
Once connected, you'll be able to use any device with Alexa to control whatever it's plugged into. For instance, you can group multiple plugs together as lights and then just say "Alexa, turn all the lights off" and it'll do just that. They are compatible with just about any household device with a physical on/off switch, including lamps and coffee makers.
While these are the perfect smart plugs for Alexa households, they are only for Alexa households. The plugs don't integrate with any other digital assistant. They are still the best choice for those tied into the ecosystem. Other smart plugs on sale for Black Friday include the Kasa Mini smart plugs; you can get a four-pack for $24.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-amazon-smart-plug-is-48-percent-off-for-black-friday-093033189.html?src=rss
Disney+ has Star Wars and Paramount+ has Star Trek, so it's about time Amazon gets its own sci-fi franchise with "star" in the title. Prime Video has just greenlit a TV revival of the iconic Stargate franchise, according to a report by Deadline. This will be the fourth major TV show in the series, following the first movie.
We don't know anything about the plot and where it fits into the decades-long mythology but we do know that the showrunner is Martin Gero. He's a veteran of the IP, having cut his teeth in the industry while working on Stargate: Atlantis back in the early 2000s. He also created the show Blindspot and was showrunner on the recent reboot of Quantum Leap, which was actually kind of nifty (RIP.)
Franchise creators Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich are on board as executive producers, as are Brad Wright and Joe Mallozzi. That last duo were behind most of the Stargate TV projects, including the most recent live action show Stargate Universe.
This makes a lot of sense for Prime Video. Amazon did recently buy MGM, after all, and the Stargate IP came along with that purchase. It's not the first time the platform will have dabbled with science fiction. Prime Video most famously saved The Expanse after it was originally cancelled by SyFy. There are three more books in that series that have yet to be adapted. Just saying.
For the uninitiated, the Stargate franchise involves the titular Stargates. These are transportation devices created by ancient aliens that act as galaxy-spanning wormholes. It all started with a movie from 1994.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/stargate-is-coming-back-to-tv-thanks-to-prime-video-200049713.html?src=rss
Google is rolling out an update to Maps that brings some new tools to the table, including the ability to check on EV charger availability. The app already showed the location of EV chargers, but not if they were available or not. In other words, it was entirely possible to roll up to a charging station only to find a line of EVs waiting for juice.
Google
The updated tool will soon show "how many chargers will likely be available upon your arrival." This uses a combination of AI wizardry and real-time charger availability to predict how many chargers are likely to be open and ready for use at a particular point in time. Google says this will help users "avoid lines and save time." The charger tracker drops next week, but only via Android Auto and cars with Google built-in.
The Explore tab has gotten a revamp, making it easier to find curated lists from local influencers and companies like OpenTable. All you have to do is swipe up to see "trending and popular restaurants, activities and sights near you." The updated Explore tab rolls out this month globally on both Android and iOS.
The company is also stuffing more Gemini into Maps because it's 2025 and that's the way things are done now. The AI chatbot will be able to whip up "know before you go" tips before visiting restaurants, hotels, concert venues and other locations of interest. Google says Gemini will be like "having a knowledgeable guide show you the way." We'll have to see how that works out in real life. This AI-powered tips feature is already available for many users in the US on Android and iOS.
Finally, reviewers can now change their display names when providing feedback to local businesses. Google says this can be used to review nearby shops with names like "Eager Elf" or "Julia Loves Sweets." Despite the user name change, it'll still be your Google account making the remark, so keep things polite.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-maps-will-use-ai-to-predict-if-ev-chargers-will-be-available-on-arrival-191808879.html?src=rss
Hypixel Studios just dropped a massive new gameplay video for the upcoming adventure Hytale, which features over 15 minutes of footage. This comes just a day after the company brought the game back to life by buying the rights back from Riot. In other words, this new footage is quite the flex.
It's worth noting that this isn't a AAA-style trailer. It's barely edited live footage from the game that was "recorded in a single morning and put together" by Hypixel co-founder Simon Collins-Laflamme. The developer says there are no "bells and whistles" included with this footage, as it features "just the game as it is." The description goes on to call the video "raw and broken, but still beautiful."
Hypixel says that this footage uses the original legacy engine which dates back to 2018. It's also running on a four-year-old build. Collins-Laflamme wrote that it was important to "release raw footage today so we can break the curse once and for all."
As for that curse, Hytalewas recently canceled by Riot Games after nearly a decade of development. Just a few months later, the company managed to purchase the rights and get the game back on track. It also rehired around 30 staffers. The developer says "there's a long road ahead, but early access is coming soon." We don't have a date on that early access build, but we sure do like the word "soon."
For the uninitiated, Hytale is a fun-looking adventure game that looks like an open world take on Minecraft. Today's footage highlights some of the game's action and RPG mechanics, with a harrowing look at nighttime gameplay.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/hypixel-studios-shows-off-new-hytale-footage-the-day-after-it-brought-the-game-back-to-life-173159607.html?src=rss
Porsche just revealed the long-awaited Cayenne Electric luxury SUV, which is being called the "most powerful production Porsche of all time." The specs back this up, as the new Cayenne seems like an absolute beast.
It boasts up to 1,139hp of power, translating to 850kW. The vehicle can hit 162MPH and go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 2.4 seconds. The recently-released rear-wheel drive electric Taycan sedan takes 4.5 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour. Of course, these specs vary depending on several configuration options.
The EV Cayenne does include the company's "push to pass" button, which provides a ten second power boost. This adds approximately 173hp to let you squeeze past a slowpoke on the highway.
Porsche is also claiming that the Cayenne Electric is a towing powerhouse. The company says it can tow up to 3.5 tons, which works out to over 7,700 pounds, when properly equipped. That's an absolutely insane metric, as 3.5 tons is heavier than a modern pickup truck with all possible bells and whistles.
This is an EV so we gotta get into charging. Porsche says it features up to 400kW of charging power under ideal conditions, which should let it go from 10 to 80 percent in under 20 minutes. It's also the first electric Porsche to support inductive charging. The vehicle will come equipped with a Tesla Supercharger/NACS fast-charging port on the driver side and a CCS/AC port on the passenger side.
Porsche
It's also the first EV SUV to get the company's Active Ride technology. This is the hydraulic suspension system found on the Taycan and Panamera.
As for the interior, you can't miss the unique bending screen. This is called the Flow Display, and it's a vertically-installed screen in the center that curves toward the bottom. It's the largest display ever in a Porsche and will run on the company's brand-new OS. We don't have actual measurements for this display, but we do know that it's bookended by a separate 14.25-inch OLED instrument cluster. There's also an optional passenger display.
Porsche
The OS includes a new AI-powered voice assistant. Porsche says this system can understand complex instructions and take actions accordingly. We'll have to see how that works out in the real world. Porsche says the assistant can adjust climate controls, seat heating and ambient lighting, while also taking stuff like traffic and local points of interest into account.
Now onto the bad news. This is a Porsche so the new Cayenne will absolutely demolish any and all bank accounts. The standard version starts at $111,000, while the Cayenne Turbo Electric starts at $165,350. Preorders are open right now, with customer deliveries expected in the summer.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/porsche-has-electrified-the-cayenne-and-its-a-beast-163443958.html?src=rss
Amazon is selling the Echo Spot smart speaker for just $50 as part of a Black Friday promotion. The sale applies to multiple colorways and represents a discount of $30. This isn't a record low price, but it's extremely close.
For the uninitiated, the Echo Spot is a diminutive little speaker/alarm clock hybrid unit. It's a cute little doodad and looks great on a nightstand. The screen is customizable, so it doesn't have to display a clock. It can show song titles, smart home control dashboards, the weather and a lot more. Of course, there are numerous clock faces to choose from.
The Spot not only integrates with Amazon's smart assistant Alexa, but it provides access to the newfangled Alexa+. This is a smarter and more conversational version of the iconic smart assistant. Like most modern AI products, it's still working out some bugs. The underlying tech, however, is promising.
The speaker is decent enough for the size, though you won't be using it to fuel any house parties. It's a great tool for bedroom-based listening. This version doesn't have a camera, which is actually great news for the privacy conscious.
In addition to the Echo Spot, you'll even find Black Friday deals on some of the latest Echo devices that just came out last month. The Echo Dot Max is on sale for $90, the new Echo Studio has dropped to $190 and the latest Echo Show 8 has been discounted to $160.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-black-friday-deals-pick-up-the-echo-spot-smart-alarm-clock-for-only-50-130550824.html?src=rss
The developer is also rehiring 30 staffers that were laid off as part of the cancellation. We write so often about layoffs in the industry, so it's always a distinct treat to cover the opposite.
We did it. Hytale is saved. We have acquired Hytale from Riot Games.
Hypixel co-founder Simon Collins-Laflamme calls this a "new and exciting chapter" for the game, which has been in development for nearly ten years. He says he is "grateful to Riot Games for making this possible."
Riot Games, which is owned by the conglomerate Tencent, purchased Hypixel Studios back in 2020 for an undisclosed sum. However, Hytale was riding high at that point. The game had attracted over 2.5 million signees for an upcoming beta and was supposed to be officially released in 2021.
Years passed, and still no Hytale. This eventually led to Riot canning the project entirely. "After years of pushing forward, adapting, and exploring every possible path, it became clear we couldn’t bring Hytale to life in a way that truly delivered on its promise," an official post on the Hypixel website once read.
The studio hasn't disclosed how it got funding for this move, but Collins-Laflamme said that the founders are "personally committed to funding for the next 10 years." Here's to hoping the game is actually playable by that point. To that end, the company does plan on announcing an early access release date in the near future.
"Hytale has had a long and challenging journey. It's taken longer than anyone hoped, and it's changed a lot along the way," the company wrote. "This is not going to be easy. This is not going to be fast. This is not going to be perfect. But it's going to be ours. Built together: one feature at a time, one bug fix at a time, one mod at a time."
For the uninitiated, Hytale is a nifty-looking adventure game that can be described as an open world riff on Minecraft. It certainly looks like Minecraft, but it has a much bigger emphasis on action and RPG mechanics.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/hypixel-studios-buys-its-ip-from-riot-so-hytale-is-back-in-development-185040959.html?src=rss
We don't know how long this stream will run for, but previous Partner Preview events have lasted around 25 to 30 minutes. As indicated by the name, this stream will highlight third-party publishers. Xbox called out companies like THQ Nordic, Tencent and IO Interactive in the press release that announced the event.
We do know some games that'll be getting the spotlight this week. Xbox has stated that we'll be seeing "an exciting first look" at content coming to the James Bond game, 007 First Light. IO Interactive is behind that one and it comes out on March 27.
We got to watch this title in action at Gamescom and called it "Hitman meets action blockbuster." This is appropriate given that developer IO Interactive was behind many of the Hitman games.
We'll also be getting an "electrifying extended gameplay trailer" for Tides of Annihilation. This is an upcoming fantasy adventure game made by the Chinese studio Eclipse Glow Games. The platform also promises a "fresh look" at Reanimal, which is a horror adventure from the folks behind Little Nightmares.
Xbox has also promised some "brand-new reveals and Game Pass announcements." Those Game Pass announcements had better be beefy, considering that recent price hike. We'll find out on Thursday.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-is-hosting-a-partner-showcase-on-november-20-at-1pm-et-191537266.html?src=rss
Google's DeepMind just released WeatherNext 2, a new version of its AI weather prediction model. The company promises that it "delivers more efficient, more accurate and higher-resolution global weather predictions." To that end, it should be able to provide accurate forecasts up to two weeks out, including information on temperature, pressure and wind.
It should also be able to better predict tropical storm tracks, according to researchers. This means that predictions of a hurricane's path should be accurate up to three days out. The previous model only predicted things up to two days ahead of the storm.
The model also brings hourly forecasts into the mix. All told, Google says this new model is eight times faster than the previous iteration. This should help businesses like energy traders make more precise decisions, according to a report by Bloomberg.
"It gives you a more granular forecast," DeepMind AI researcher Akib Uddin said. "Many other industries are quite interested in these one-hour steps. It helps them make more precise decisions. Their goal is, how can they make their business more resilient to weather?"
Google
The improvements here stem from a new approach to weather models, as explained in this recently-published research paper. Older methods demanded the use of machine learning models that were built for image and video generation. This required repeated processing to ensure an accurate result. The new model only requires a single processing step, which also reduces reliance on costly AI computing systems.
These models aren't perfect, however, as even Google has acknowledged that WeatherNext 2 will likely struggle to predict outlier rain and snow events. This is due to gaps in the training data. "It’s one limitation of our forecast, but one that we are working on improving,” DeepMind research scientist Ferran Alet told Bloomberg.
AI weather prediction is becoming a crowded field. Companies like NVIDIA, Microsoft,AccuWeather and Huawei are all throwing their hats in the ring in one way or another.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/deepmind-releases-a-new-weather-forecasting-model-for-more-accurate-predictions-175451228.html?src=rss