Apple will more widely adopt USB-C across its product portfolio over the next few years, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says he expects the company to transition all of its wireless earbuds, incl…
Star Trek: Picard’s latest trailer suggests the series will end with a bang
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‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II’ will use Blizzard’s controversial SMS Protect system
When the next Call of Duty arrives on October 28th, fans will need to connect a phone number to their Battle.net account to play the game. “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, newly created Overwatch 2 accounts, and newly created Call of Duty: Modern Warf…
Hideo Kojima is making a game with Elle Fanning
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‘Persona 3 Portable’ and ‘Persona 4 Golden’ arrive on Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation and Switch this January
Atlus surprised gaming fans this past summer when it shared that it would release its beloved Persona series on Xbox Game Pass. It then followed that announcement with the news that Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Royal would make th…
The best midrange smartphones for 2022
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Razer and Verizon tease a 5G gaming handheld that can play games locally
Razer, Qualcomm and Verizon are working together on a 5G gaming handheld. The carrier teased the Razer Edge 5G at Mobile World Congress Las Vegas. Details on the device are sparse, but what we do know is that it will feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon G3x Gen 1. Announced in December, the chipset features an Adreno GPU capable of running Android games at 144 frames per second, with support for 10-bit HDR built-in. Additionally, it offers both 5G and WiFi 6E connectivity courtesy of the company’s FastConnect 6900 system.
BREAKING: @Verizon, @Razer and @Qualcomm are teaming up on the world’s first 5G mobile gaming handheld—Razer Edge 5G! It will allow you to play your favorite games regardless of whether you are gaming in the cloud, on an app or streaming from your console. https://t.co/TYPw5xFyeFpic.twitter.com/F9Vg3CfABl
— George Koroneos 🗿🍹 (@GLKCreative) September 28, 2022
At the end of last year, Qualcomm and Razer released a Developer Kit that was designed as a showcase of the G3x’s capabilities. The device featured a 120Hz, 6.65-inch OLED display, four-way speakers and built-in controls. If we had to take a guess, the Razer Edge 5G will hew closely to that prototype. In the teaser it shared today, Razer showed off enough of the Edge 5G to reveal it will feature a design that’s a tad more refined than the last Razer device to bear Edge branding.
According to Verizon, the Android handheld can play games locally, in addition to streaming them from the cloud and consoles. That puts the Razer Edge 5G in an interesting spot between Logitech’s G Cloud Gaming Handheld and Valve’s Steam Deck. The former is a dedicated cloud gaming device and costs $350, a hefty price for its limited capabilities. The Steam Deck is more expensive but can run games like Elden Ring, Stray and Hades natively. And if you already own those titles on Steam, you don’t have to pay for them again. What the Steam Deck doesn’t have is 5G connectivity, and that’s something that could make the Razer Edge 5G an interesting option when it’s released. Razer, Qualcomm and Verizon promised to share more information about their collaboration on October 15th at RazerCon.
Here’s everything Amazon announced at its fall hardware event
Amazon held its annual fall hardware event on Tuesday. As in years past, the company had a lot to share in a short amount of time. We saw it announce new Echo, Kindle and Ring devices. It also had a few surprises up its sleeve from Eero and some of its other subsidiaries. Here’s everything the company unveiled today.
Kindle Scribe
It only took the better part of 15 years, but Amazon is finally about to begin selling a Kindle with a stylus. Available later this year and starting at $339, the Kindle Scribe features a 10.2-inch, 300ppi front-lit display and magnetic pen. The nifty thing about Scribe is that you don’t need to sync or charge the stylus, and you can use it to jot down notes, annotate books and journal. You can preorder Kindle Scribe starting today.
Echo Studio and Echo Dot updates
Amazon
It wouldn’t much of an Amazon hardware event if the company didn’t update its Echo line. This year it obliged by introducing a redesigned Echo Studio that features a new spatial audio processor that Amazon claims allows the speaker to deliver better stereo sound with “greater, width, clarity and presence.” According to the company, the new speaker also delivers better midrange clarity and deeper bass. Additionally, it now comes in a white colorway. The Echo Studio will cost $200 when it ships next month.
Amazon also redesigned the Echo Dot to fit a larger driver into the diminutive speaker. The company claims the new model offers twice the bass of its predecessor and clearer vocals. Its equally adorable sibling, the Echo Dot with Clock, now features a more capable display that can show information like the current artist and song title. Both models also feature more responsible touch controls. The Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock are available to preorder today for $50 and $60 respectively. Amazon is also releasing two new Kids versions that go on sale next month for $60.
Ring Spotlight Cam and Blink Floodlight Camera
After announcing a security drone in 2020 and apatrolling robot in 2021, Amazon’s home security-related announcements were a bit more subdued this time around. The company introduced two new cameras from Ring, the Spotlight Cam Pro and Spotlight Cam Plus. Both devices include Ring’s advanced Bird’s Eye View motion detection technology, a feature that was previously only available on the company’s flagship cameras. Amazon will offer the Spotlight Cam Pro and Spotlight Cam Plus in battery, plug-in, solar and wired variants, with the most affordable version of the Pro starting at $230. The Plus, meanwhile, will set you back at least $200.
Blink, Amazon’s other home security company, is also releasing new products. Today it announced the $100 Wired Floodlight Camera. It offers a 2,600-lumen LED light, 1080p live view and two-way audio, as well as motion detection. If you own one of the company’s Mini security cameras, you can now buy a pan-and-tilt mount for it that expands the camera’s coverage. The $30 accessory is available to preorder today.
Eero
Amazon
Amazon’s Eero didn’t have as many announcements as we’re used to seeing from it, but if you already own one of the company’s mesh WiFi devices, you’ll appreciate what it did have to share. To start, Amazon’s new Echo Dot speakers will now double as Eero WiFi extenders. Add one to your existing network, and you can add as much as 1,000 square feet of additional coverage to your home. The Eero team is also preparing an Internet Backup feature that will automatically switch your router to an alternate connection during internet outages. That functionality will be available in the “coming months” to Eero Plus customers and from supporting internet providers.
Eero did have new hardware to share, though it’s a device that’s more aimed at businesses. The Eero PoE 6 draws power from an Ethernet connection, making it easier to mount on a wall or ceiling. It offers speeds of up to 1.5Gbps and a maximum of 2,000 square feet of coverage. It will be available this October for $300.
Halo Rise
Amazon
Unspursingly, Amazon is continuing its expansion into the health and wellness market, with a “no-contact” sleep tracker called the Halo Rise. According to the company, the device uses a “low-energy sensor” to detect the movement and respiratory patterns of the person sleeping closest to it. Each morning, you’ll see a summary of your data, with a few tips on how to get more restful sleep. It also doubles as an Alexa-compatible smart speaker and a sunrise clock, meaning you can configure Rise to gradually wake you up in the winter months when the sun might not be up before you need to get out of bed. Halo Rise will cost $140 when it goes on sale later this year.
Amazon Fire TV Cube and Fire TV Omni QLED Series
Amazon
Amazon began the Fire TV portion of its fall event with a refresh of the Fire TV Cube. The new model features a more mature design that should help the Fire TV Cube look less out of place in your living room. Amazon has also equipped it with a more powerful 2GHz octa-core processor, and an HDMI connection for TV passthrough. Taking advantage of the latter feature, you can switch to specific channels with voice commands. Alongside the Fire TV Cube, Amazon introduced the $35 Alexa Voice Remote Pro. It comes with a finder feature that can trigger a noise if you ever lose the remote.
Amazon is also expanding its Fire TV Omni line to add two premium QLED models. Available in 65- and 75-inch models that will cost $800 and $1,100 respectively, they’re the first TVs from the company to include support for Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10 Plus Adaptive. Additionally, they feature full array local dimming, with the latter model making use of 96 zones. They also come with an Ambient Experience mode that will display art or Alexa widgets when you enter the room. The series will go on sale next month.
Oh, and if you own an Echo Show 15, Amazon says you can expect a free update in the near future that will let you use the smart display as a Fire TV device. Handy that.
Everything Else
Amazon
Amazon had a few other announcements mostly centered around the car. First, there’s a new Echo Auto that’s slimmer than its predecessor and features a more secure adhesive grip. BMW also joined Amazon on stage to announce that it’s working with the retailer to build the next version of its in-vehicle voice assistant using Alexa as a base. The automaker didn’t share too many details about the project, but promised it would “enable an even more natural dialogue between driver and vehicle.”
Follow all of the news from Amazon’s event right here!
Amazon’s first QLED Fire TVs offer better picture quality and an ambient mode
When Amazon introduced its Fire TV Omni line last year, it mostly offered affordable sets oriented toward budget-conscious consumers. At its fall hardware event today, the company announced two new models with QLED panels. Priced at $800 and $1,100 for 65- and 75-inch 4K models, the Omni QLED TVs feature “up to” 96 local dimming zones, support for Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10 Plus Adaptive. Those are features that should significantly improve the picture quality the new sets can offer over their predecessors.
New presence and ambient light sensors also allow the Omni QLED TVs to offer a feature Amazon is calling “Ambient Experience.” Taking a page from Samsung’s Frame TVs, the Omni QLED TVs can display artwork when you’re not watching a TV show or movie. At any time, you can ask Alexa to tell you more about the piece or the artist who created it. The Ambient Experience automatically turns on when you enter the room and off again when you leave.
If you want something more practical, the TVs can also display Alexa widgets with information on the news, weather and more. You can disable the built-in far-field microphones at any point if you don’t want Alexa listening, and it’s even possible to use the TV to play music without keeping the display on. Preorders for the Fire TV Omni QLED series open today, with orders shipping October 27th.
Follow all of the news from Amazon’s event right here!
‘Immersive View’ in Google Maps expands to 250 landmarks globally
If you recently traveled to a new city, there’s a good chance you used Maps to plan your trip. Google wants to make that process easier. Over the next few months, you can expect Google to expand the availability of its 3D “Immersive View” feature. As o…