It's easier than ever to avoid finding yourself in a pickle because your phone (or another important device) has run out of juice. There are a ton of great on-the-go charging options now, and Anker is behind some of the best power banks and portable chargers. There's a sale on Anker gear at Amazon at the minute, with the prices of some devices dropping by as much as 50 percent. For instance, Anker's 633 10K magnetic power bank is half off at $40.
This MagSafe-enabled charger has a 10,000mAh capacity, meaning it should be able to fully charge a Phone 16 Pro Max (which has a 4,685mAh battery) around twice over. The power bank has a built-in stand and you can position your phone horizontally on the MagSafe connector so you can watch videos or play games while it charges.
While the MagSafe option is convenient, you can hook up your iPhone to the 20W Power Delivery port via a USB-C cable. Anker says this will charge your phone three times faster than you can via MagSafe. This port means you can also charge non-MagSafe devices with the power bank.
If you're looking for a portable charger with a much larger capacity, the Anker Prime Power Bank could be an option. It's $50 off at $130.
The soda can-sized power bank has a 27,650mAh capacity and a trifecta of charging ports: two USB-C and one USB-A. As you might imagine, this allows you to charge three devices simultaneously. Anker says the power bank can deliver up to 250W of power. This is said to include the ability to deliver up to 50 percent charge to a 16-inch M2 MacBook Pro in 28 minutes.
There are also some Prime exclusive deals as part of the sale. If you're a member, you can secure a Prime Power Bank — fittingly enough — with a charging dock for $160 ($75 off). The base itself has dual USB-C charging ports and a USB-A one, and it can be used to top up the power bank's battery.
In addition, you can get $9 off a convenient 10,000mAh charger with a built-in USB-C cable, a separate USB-C port and a foldable AC plug. It's available in most colors outright for $36, but oddly, the discount on the black option is only for Prime members.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/anker-charging-gear-is-up-to-50-percent-off-right-now-150554508.html?src=rss
Bluesky has revealed how it plans to start making money without necessarily having to rely on ads. The platform will remain free to use for everyone, though it’s working on a premium subscription that will provide access to profile customization tools (remember when Myspace offered that for free?) and higher quality video uploads.
One thing that you won't get as a paid user, though, is any preferential treatment. Unlike certain other social platforms, Bluesky won’t boost the visibility of premium members’ posts. Nor will they get any kind of blue check, according to chief operating officer Rose Wang.
In addition, Bluesky is planning a tip jar of sorts for creators. “We’re proud of our vibrant community of creators, including artists, writers, developers and more, and we want to establish a voluntary monetization path for them as well,” it said in a blog post. “Part of our plan includes building payment services for people to support their favorite creators and projects.” Bluesky will reveal more details down the line, though it’s not clear whether the platform plans to take a cut of any such payments.
Bluesky revealed its initial monetization plans in an announcement of its Series A funding round. It has raised $15 million from investors. Even though the lead investor in this round is Web3 VC company Blockchain Capital, Bluesky "will not hyperfinancialize the social experience (through tokens, crypto trading, NFTs, etc)."
"Bluesky is powered by a 20-person core team, moderators, and support agents," Wang wrote on Bluesky. "Our biggest costs are team and infrastructure. Subscription revenue helps us improve the app, grow the developer ecosystem and gives us time to explore business models beyond traditional ads."
The platform now has more than 13 million users, with many of those defecting from X following that service’s temporary ban in Brazil. (Analysts at Appfigures estimate that 3.6 million Bluesky app downloads came from Brazil, around 36 percent of the total figure.) Others made the switch after X made certain changes to its platform, including a revamp of how the block function operates.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/blueskys-upcoming-premium-plan-wont-give-paid-users-special-treatment-193800247.html?src=rss
It's finally happening, Overwatch 2 fans: as Blizzard indicated back in July, it will test out a return to six-player teams. When the transition from the original game took place just over two years ago, Blizzard switched to a 5v5 format, dropping one tank from each side. But after countless requests from the community, the team is ready to trial new spins on the old format with different approaches to team compositions.
Two 6v6 tests will take place in the next season of Overwatch 2. The first of these will get under way a week into season 14. Based on when the current season is expected to end (December 10, given the battle pass countdown), that means the first 6v6 test should start around December 17.
Blizzard is looking to avoid some of the pain points that persisted with the 2-2-2 setup of two tanks, two supports and two damage (or DPS) heroes in the original Overwatch. The first test will offer something in between that rigid role queue format and letting players have whatever combination of heroes they want without duplicating the same character (the current open queue option).
Each team of six will have between one and three heroes from each role. So you could opt to run with three tanks, two supports and one DPS in a set up that's similar to the infamous GOATS meta. But since this is a spin on the open queue format, teams will also be able to switch up their composition mid-match.
Blizzard Entertainment
"There are a few different combinations here that you will be able to try, but this opens up many different team compositions that we haven’t seen before in Overwatch 2," game director Aaron Keller wrote in a blog post. "Besides experimenting with a format that could be seen as a middle ground to Role Queue and Open Queue, this will also give us a look at how Overwatch 2 heroes, abilities and updates work in a 6v6 environment before we expand to other types of tests."
The second test will take place at some point later in season 14 (which is also slated to introduce a new Scottish hero). This will be a step back in time of sorts to 2-2-2. However, it will "incorporate some new principles we introduced with Overwatch 2," such as hero reworks and fewer crowd control abilities.
Blizzard will make significant balance changes just for these two tests. For instance, tanks will have reduced power and survivability. Many passive abilities, such as self-healing over time for all heroes, may be tuned down or ditched.
"These format tests are all about understanding if we can make the core game even stronger," Keller wrote. "Every day, millions of players jump into the core 5v5 format and the last thing we want is to negatively impact that experience. The exciting thing about these tests is the potential to introduce something that could appeal to another group of players, ones that might have felt uncertain about the move to 5v5 when Overwatch 2 launched. Part of this series of tests is to not only judge our player’s appetite for larger team sizes, but for us to explore different ways that we might implement a change without running into the same problems we had previously."
Before the big 6v6 tests, Blizzard will try out a couple of composition-based experiments in season 13. The first will allow players to run with any spin on 2-2-1 that they like, but tanks will have reduced health, just like in open queue modes. You won't be locked to a given role here, either — for instance, you can switch from support to damage as long as your team doesn't have two DPS heroes already. The second 5v5 test — dubbed "Kingmaker" — will be a spin on that, but the player who is flying solo in their given role will receive some kind of bonus.
Blizzard Entertainment
"We’re exploring more freedom in 5v5 while enabling more types of compositions to succeed," Keller noted. These two tests are set to "provide an excellent benchmark and framework for us going into the 6v6 tests," and Blizzard is hoping that players will provide feedback on them.
The future of 6v6 really depends on how much enthusiasm there is. "In the world where a surge of players join this mode and continuously play it, then we have the signal we need to do more with it," Keller wrote. The game's director notes that as recently as a few months ago, it was hard for him to foresee a situation in which 5v5 and 6v6 coexisted for the long term, but if the latter is a hit among fans, "we know our players can want more than one experience, and it would be something we'd need to consider."
So, there you have it. If you're yearning for a return of 6v6, you'll probably want to spend quite a bit of time playing these tests. These experiments seem like a smart way to go about things and could mark a return to the days when it was easier to swap between roles, giving players much more flexibility to pull off great plays.
Any permanent return of 6v6 is likely to be a while away, though. Overwatch 2 has been tuned entirely for 5v5 in terms of hero abilities, reworks and balance changes. The maps have been designed with 5v5 in mind as well, with the team updating many maps from the original Overwatch to add more cover. As such, it may take some time to tweak things to make 6v6 happen, but its return is no longer a pipe dream for players.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/overwatch-2s-long-awaited-6v6-tests-start-in-december-180100100.html?src=rss
Apple is planning a "week of announcements" starting next Monday, October 28, that's all but guaranteed to include the reveal of new Macs. The company's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Greg Joswiak said to "Mac (😉) your calendars!" in a post on X, letting the cat out of the bag.
"We have an exciting week of announcements ahead, starting on Monday morning," Joswiak wrote. "Stay tuned…"
Mac (😉) your calendars! We have an exciting week of announcements ahead, starting on Monday morning. Stay tuned… pic.twitter.com/YnoCYkZq6c
It was widely expected that Apple would reveal desktop Macs and MacBooks that run on M4 chipsets next week, a year after the company unveiled its first M3-powered laptops. The M4 debuted in an iPad Pro earlier this year, but Apple has yet to refresh its Macs with the chipset. It had long been rumored that Apple would release M4-powered iMacs, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros and a redesigned Mac mini by early 2025, and now it appears to be doing so ahead of the peak holiday shopping season.
New hardware isn't the only thing Apple has lined up for next week. On Monday, the company will release iPhone, iPad and Mac software updates that will give the masses their first taste of Apple Intelligence features. Meanwhile, Apple just released its latest iPad Mini.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/apple-teases-new-macs-in-a-week-of-announcements-that-starts-monday-165121897.html?src=rss
Attaching Bluetooth trackers to important items can help you keep tabs on your important stuff. If you have a Samsung Galaxy device, you may wish to consider the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2, not least because you can pick up a four-pack at a discount. The bundle has dropped to $64 at Amazon. That’s $36 off the list price.
The trackers are oblong-shaped and have a metal ring at one end. This is said to provide improved durability over the first-gen SmartTag while making it easy to attach the tracker to things like a set of keys. Apple AirTag owners, on the other hand, may need to buy a case to attach that tracker to their precious belongings. There is a silicone case you can buy for the SmartTag2 for extra protection, though the tracker is already IP67-rated for dust and water resistance.
Samsung says the SmartTag2 can run for up to 500 days in Normal Mode or 700 days in Power Saving Mode on its CR2032 watch battery. A Compass View that shows the direction and distance of a tag from your phone can help you track down a misplaced item that's nearby. The Lost Mode allows anyone to tap an NFC-enabled phone against the tracker to scan it and see your contact details, as long as you choose to share that info. You can include a personalized message if you wish too.
One major downside of the SmartTag2 is that it only works with Samsung phones and tablets running at least Android 8.0. Other trackers can connect to broader networks of Apple and Android devices, perhaps making missing items they're attached to easier to pinpoint.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-a-four-pack-of-samsung-galaxy-smarttag2-trackers-for-just-64-164101334.html?src=rss
A children's hospital in Scotland now has a gamer-in-residence in what's said to be a first in the UK and Ireland. Steven Mair, the first person to take on the full-time role, will play games with kids at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.
As with other gaming-related charitable efforts at children's hospitals, the aim is to help patients relax and minimize feelings of boredom and isolation, while offering them a sense of escapism. Studies have indicated that playing games can help reduce the procedural pain and anxiety of pediatric patients, as well as their caregivers' anxiety.
Mair is also organizing gaming events at the facility, fundraising for new gaming equipment and managing gaming volunteers for the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. The charity established the gamer-in-residence position with the help of partners Devolver Digital and Neonhive after raising over £100,000 ($129,000) last year through efforts such as a Scottish Games Sale on Steam for a campaign called Games for the Weans ("weans" is a Scottish word for "kids"). Meanwhile, a $12,000 donation from Child's Play earlier this year will help fund the replacement of older Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 systems with hospital-adapted consoles.
“Children in Jace’s ward can have long stays and intense treatment plans. This can include physical pain and a lot of new emotions. Often, parents can feel helpless at times. For my son Jace in particular, he is an experienced gamer. His blood disorder prevented him from going outside or starting school," Catherine Reid, the mother of seven-year-old Jace, said in a statement that I could barely get all the way through without welling up.
“When the gamer-in-residence came round to play Mario on the Nintendo, he immediately lit up and smiled. It was an instant energy boost for him mentally and physically. In reality, I think often what kids want is some quality time and gaming with new friends.”
This is a fantastic idea. Hospital stays can be tough for anyone, but especially so for kids and their families. You can help support the gamer-in-residence program and other charitable efforts that help young hospital patients through gaming by donating to the likes of the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity and Child's Play.
Meanwhile, Extra Life's Game Day, an event during which gamers and communities raise funds for children's hospitals, takes place on November 2. You can sign up to take part or make a donation over at the Extra Life website.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-scottish-childrens-hospital-now-has-a-gamer-in-residence-to-play-games-with-kids-182303354.html?src=rss
One of the biggest games on the not-too-distant horizon is Monster Hunter Wilds. While the next edition of Capcom's blockbuster series has a February 28 release date, you'll be able to get a taste of it in an open beta test that's taking place next week.
PlayStation Plus subscribers will be the first to check out this beta starting at 11PM ET on Monday, October 28. That test will run for 48 hours. Capcom will then open up the servers to all PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC players on Halloween, also at 11PM. The open beta will end at 9:59PM on Sunday. November 3.
You can create both your character and your cat-like Palico companion in the beta. Along with being able to transfer your character creation data over to the full game, you'll get a virtual pendant and a few other goodies for taking part in the beta. The beta's story trial includes two hunts, one with basic tutorials and the other offering the chance to explore the environment on a Seikret animal mount. You can take on both quests in online multiplayer (Monster Hunter Wilds supports cross-play) or get some assistance from computer-controlled support hunters.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/you-can-try-monster-hunter-wilds-next-week-months-before-its-february-28-release-date-154421037.html?src=rss
After a lengthy break due in part to last year's Hollywood strikes, the hit Apple TV+ sci-fi/thriller series Severance is returning for its second season on January 17. The streaming service has released a teaser trailer that doesn't give much away, but has just enough in the way of intrigue and confusion to keep fans on their toes.
(Light spoilers for season one are ahead.)
Severance, you may recall, focuses on a group of people who undertook a brain procedure to entirely separate their work and non-work memories. Four workers at Lumon Industries (with their office selves known as "innies") eventually carry out an escape plan of sorts. They find a way to blur the lines between the two sets of memories, with three of them learning some world-shattering revelations about their "outie" lives in the first season finale.
Apple says that, in the second season, "Mark and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe." The teaser shows a panicked Mark S. (Adam Scott) back at Lumon Industries, running through the building's oppressive corridors. In similar fashion to the previous teaser, sound bites from the first season are included alongside some eyebrow-raising visuals, including a troubling watermelon version of Irving's (John Turturro) head.
Mark halts in his tracks when he reaches an office area and encounters three new co-workers instead of his regular cohorts. A moment later, supervisor Milchick (Tramell Tillman) arrives to welcome the formerly displaced worker back while carrying a bunch of balloons with Mark’s face on them. You might think of it as the planet's most terrifying return-to-work policy being enacted.
The teaser works well as a first proper look at the new season. While the first season’s excellent finale gave the innies and the audience some much-needed and truly shocking answers, the clip raises some major new questions. It’s likely that we’ll need to endure plenty of tension in the 10-episode second season before getting more clarity as to what’s going on at this bizarro workplace.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/severance-season-two-teaser-trailer-shows-the-worlds-worst-return-to-office-policy-in-action-142930296.html?src=rss
Be warned, online merchants who see no issue in publishing phony reviews from made-up customers: that practice is no longer allowed. A federal ban on fake online reviews has taken effect.
The Federal Trade Commission issued a final rule on the purchase and sale of online reviews back in August and it came into force 60 days after it was published in the Federal Register. The agency's commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the regulation.
The rule bans businesses from creating, buying or selling reviews and testimonials attributed to people who don't exist, including those that are AI generated. False celebrity endorsements aren't allowed and companies can't pay or otherwise incentivize genuine customers to leave positive or negative reviews.
Certain reviews and testimonials written by people who have close ties with a company without a disclaimer is a no-no. There are restrictions on soliciting reviews from close relatives of employees too.
The rule includes limitations on the suppression of negative reviews from customers. It also prohibits people from knowingly selling or buying fake followers and views to inflate the influence or importance of social media accounts for commercial purposes.
Fines for violating these measures could prove extremely costly. The maximum civil penalty for each infraction is currently $51,744.
“Fake reviews not only waste people’s time and money, but also pollute the marketplace and divert business away from honest competitors,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said when the rule was finalized. “By strengthening the FTC’s toolkit to fight deceptive advertising, the final rule will protect Americans from getting cheated, put businesses that unlawfully game the system on notice, and promote markets that are fair, honest and competitive.”
The rule is a positive move for consumers, with the idea that reviews should be more trustworthy in the future. In a separate victory for consumer rights, the FTC recently issued a final rule to make it as easy for people to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up for one.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/a-federal-ban-on-fake-online-reviews-is-now-in-effect-191746690.html?src=rss
The return of Metal Slug is almost upon us. It's been three years since spin-off Metal Slug Tactics was unveiled. After some delays, the game finally has a firm release date of November 5.
Rather than the classic run-and-gun gameplay of the original games, Metal Slug Tactics takes a more methodical approach to the action. As the name suggests, it's a tactical RPG. It does retain the pixel art look of the old games, though. Metal Slug Tactics is billed as both an homage to its predecessors and a new spin on the series, with some roguelite elements designed to boost replayability.
In their latest trailer, developer Leikir Studio and publisher Dotemu provide a fresh look at the game. It reveals three additional characters who appeared in earlier games from original publisher SNK in Clark Still, Ralf Jones and Leona Heidern.
The last new mainline game, Metal Slug 7, debuted in 2008. Since Metal Slug Tactics was announced, a couple of other spin-offs have arrived in the form of mobile titles Metal Slug: Commander and Metal Slug: Awakening, which later came to PC. However, this one is bound for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/metal-slug-tactics-finally-arrives-on-november-5-171012984.html?src=rss