The Morning After: Meta’s next-gen $1,500 VR headset revealed

Meta’s next-gen VR headset is here. With the Quest Pro, Meta is trying to combine the best things about both PC and standalone headsets to create a powerful, comfortable self-contained unit. With a per-eye resolution of 1,800 x 1,920, the Quest Pro has a higher pixel density than the Valve Index (1,440 x 1,600 per eye) and Meta’s own Quest 2. Meta has almost completely eliminated the usual visual artifacts of standalone VR displays. Engadget’s Sam Rutherford has tested it out, and he’s impressed. You can pre-order the Quest Pro now.

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Engadget

The price might give you pause, though. At $1,500, it’s five times the price of a Quest 2. If you currently own a Quest 2, Meta has announced you’ll be able to play Xbox Cloud Gaming on your VR headset, displayed on a huge virtual screen. You won’t need to use the Quest controllers – your Xbox controller will work just fine.

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

The best October Prime Day deals we could find

Everything from headphones to smart home devices.

Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale is on. This Prime Day “part two” is the second members-only sale of the year, and Prime subscribers will find thousands of items at record-low prices. Sure, there’s the usual barrage of Amazon hardware, but some of our top-rated tech is also heavily discounted. For example, Sony’s incredible noise-canceling headphones, the WH-1000XM5, are currently $348, the cheapest we’ve seen them so far. Click through for our curated highlights.

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NVIDIA RTX 4090 review

You probably don’t need all this power, but you will covet it.

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Engadget

The RTX 4090 is a beast of a GPU, delivering the fastest performance we’ve ever seen in a consumer graphics card. In fact, it’s kind of hard to push it to its limits in 2022. But you’ll pay dearly for the privilege of owning one. If you’re looking for a good deal, it may be worth waiting to see the rest of NVIDIA’s 40-series lineup.

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NASA’s DART spacecraft successfully altered the orbit of an asteroid

‘NASA has proven we are serious as a defender of the planet.’

NASA announced its experimental Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) successfully altered the orbit of Dimorphos, a distant asteroid. The agency said DART’s impact shortened the asteroid’s orbit by 32 minutes. Before the September 26th collision, NASA estimated DART needed to change the orbital period of Dimorphos by 73 seconds or more to call the test a success. The spacecraft beat that benchmark by more than 25 times.

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GM is using its Ultium battery tech for a lot more than EVs

GM Energy will encompass home and office battery systems.

GM announced yesterday it’s expanding its battery portfolio into energy management services — think big stationary batteries to store rooftop-generated solar power on a home or business. The new venture will comprise three smaller ones: Ultium Home, Ultium Commercial and Ultium Charge 360. GM will work with companies like SunPower to develop and market an integrated home energy storage system that incorporates EVs with solar panels and battery banks to enable easy Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) power transfers.

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Blizzard is giving away freebies to ‘Overwatch 2’ players to apologize for its rocky launch

It’s holding Double Match XP weekends, as well.

Overwatch 2‘s launch was riddled with bugs, DDoS attacks and other issues. While the company has made progress to make the game playable — a lot of players couldn’t even log in at first — its work is far from done. It will hold several Double Match XP weekends to give players the chance to rack up points and rank up to unlock skins and other gear. It will also give players who log in from October 25th until season one ends a Reaper Legendary skin and a Health Pack Weapon Charm. Both items will automatically be added to people’s collections when they log in.

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The Morning After: Can Meta deliver on its metaverse ambitions?

When Mark Zuckerberg announced the company he founded would change its name from Facebook to Meta, he added it would be “metaverse-first, not Facebook-first.” He’s shown off dystopian VR offices, looked at space in VR with Neil deGrasse Tyson and talked up the metaverse on Joe Rogan’s podcast. (During that appearance, Zuckerberg said he’s started MMA, doing some critical damage to the sport on the way.)

This year’s Connect kicks off at 10 AM PT today, with a keynote from Zuckerberg, and Engadget’s Karissa Bell has outlined a lot of the questions we still need answering. Will the metaverse ever look cool? How will it handle harassment and misinformation? And can Zuckerberg explain what the metaverse even is, one more time, for those of us at the back of the class?

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

The best October Prime Day deals on Amazon devices we could find

If you still don’t own an Echo speaker or a Kindle yet…

Amazon Prime Day is, unsurprisingly, the best time to pick up a gadget made by Amazon. We saw record-low prices during July’s Prime Day and a lot of those prices have returned this fall. Discounts cover not only the usual Kindle tablets and Fire TV gadgets but also Eero routers and Blink security cameras.

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The best accessories for your new iPhone

Including the MagSafe accessories worth your money.

So you’ve upgraded to an iPhone 14, now what? Now you need to upgrade your phone charger from that dinky charging brick you got with your iPhone 6. Seriously, it may well change your smartphone life. We’ve got several other recommendations for charging cables, cases and more.

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The best gaming laptops you can buy

Updated for 2022.

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Engadget

Gaming laptops have become some of the most intriguing PCs around. They’ve gotten thinner and lighter, naturally — but they’ve also become vastly more powerful and efficient, making them suitable for both work and play. They’ve adopted some bold innovations, like rotating hinges and near desktop-like customizability. Gaming laptops are where PC makers can get adventurous. If you’re a professional in the market for a beefy new computer, and you like to play a few rounds of Apex Legends on occasion, it may make more sense to go for a gaming notebook instead of a MacBook Pro-like workstation. We pick out the best options from the likes of ASUS ROG, Razer, Dell and more. It doesn’t have to cost several thousand dollars either. Our budget pick is $800.

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Dutch court rules that being forced to keep a webcam on while working is illegal

A US company was fined $50,000.

A court in the Netherlands has ruled that a US company violated a Dutch worker’s human rights by forcing him to keep his webcam on during work hours. Hired by a telemarketing firm Chetu, the employee was terminated for refusing to be monitored “for nine hours per day” by a program that streamed his webcam and shared his screens.

“Tracking via camera for eight hours per day is disproportionate and not permitted in the Netherlands,” the court verdict states, adding it also violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The court found Chetu dismissed the employee unfairly and must pay a $50,000 fine, along with the worker’s back wages, court costs and unused vacation days.

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Samsung’s Tizen OS is coming to other brands’ TVs

Rival LG just announced similar partnerships.

Last week, LG announced it would allow third-party TV manufacturers to use its webOS platform, and now its main rival is following suit. Samsung has revealed it will license its Tizen OS TV platform for use in non-Samsung TV models for the first time, partnering with Akai, RCA and a bunch of other brands you… probably haven’t heard of. Those manufacturers will get access to features like Samsung TV Plus (a free streaming platform), personalized recommendations and even Samsung’s Bixby.

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The Morning After: What to expect from Microsoft’s Surface event

Did you think the big tech events were over for the year? This week, it’s Microsoft’s turn, and we’re expecting lots of Surface news. That might include a long-overdue Surface Studio refresh and even a mini desktop. First up is the Surface Pro 9. It’ll reportedly use 12th-generation Core i5 and i7 U-series processors (considerably faster than the Pro 8’s 11th-gen parts). Don’t expect much to change on the outside, though. It’s likely the Surface Pro 9 will largely resemble its predecessor, with a 13-inch 120Hz display and two Thunderbolt 4 ports.

Some wild cards exist, like the previously teased Project Volterra, a compact desktop for developers building ARM-native Windows apps with AI features. It might look like a Mac mini, but it seems to be pitched at developers. We’ve outlined everything else we’re expecting to see right here. The event kicks off on Wednesday October 12th at 10 AM ET.

– Mat Smith 

The biggest stories you might have missed

All Apple AirPods and Mac accessories could feature USB-C by 2024

Things are suddenly moving fast.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple should transition all of its wireless earbuds to the USB-C charging standard by 2024. The company may even refresh accessories like the Magic Mouse with USB-C as early as next year. The reported shift would put most of Apple’s products in compliance with the European Union’s upcoming USB-C mandate. The European Parliament recently voted to make the port the common charging standard across the EU. Once enacted, any new phones, tablets and headphones released in the bloc will need USB-C charging by the end of 2024. This will extend to laptops in 2026.

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Chromecast with Google TV HD review

Super simple 1080p streaming.

For the Chromecast with Google TV (HD), it’s clear Google didn’t try to do too much. As Engadget’s Sam Rutherford put it, that’s totally OK, because the original blueprint works fine. It’s just tailored for 1080p screens this time. You get the same great UI, a nifty compact remote for all the basics and more than good enough performance — for just $30. So if you’ve got an aging set or secondary display that could benefit from a modern streaming TV OS, this is probably the solution.

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Watch the latest ‘Star Trek: Picard’ trailer

It suggests the series will end with a bang.

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Paramount

Paramount has shared a new trailer for the final season of Star Trek: Picard at New York Comic Con. After the previous teasers mostly played up the nostalgia of the principal cast of The Next Generation returning to the franchise, the new trailer finally offers a glimpse at season three’s story. New threats, getting the old band back together and some surprise additions.

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The Engadget Podcast: The Pixel 7 and Google’s new family of devices

Google is getting better at this whole gadget thing.

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Engadget

This week, we dived into everything we learned at Google’s Pixel 7 event. Sure, it’s nice to have new phones, but it’s even nicer to see Google developing a cohesive design for all of its new devices. The Pixel Watch actually looks cool! And while we were ready to knock the (way too late) Pixel Tablet, its speaker base seems genuinely useful.

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Epic Games and Match Group want to bring more antitrust allegations against Google

They claim the company paid developers to prevent Play Store competition.

Epic Games and Match Group are attempting to expand their lawsuits against Google. In a motion filed last Friday with a federal court in the Northern District of California, the two companies accused Google of paying off developers who had the means and ability to create competing Android app stores.

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Rivian recalls 13,000 EVs due to a potential steering control problem

That’s almost all the vehicles Rivian has ever delivered.

Rivian is recalling 13,000 EVs – almost all its delivered electric trucks and SUVs – due to an issue that could render drivers unable to steer and control their vehicles. The company issued the recall after seven reports that a fastener connecting the steering knuckle to the vehicle’s upper control arm “may not have been sufficiently torqued.” The automaker is hoping it can check all affected vehicles within 30 days. Rivian told customers they can bring their vehicles to service centers to have the fasteners tightened in minutes. 

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The Morning After: Testing Google’s new Pixel 7 phones and its first smartwatch

Google started teasing its Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro phones, the Pixel Watch and even the Pixel Tablet months ago. Finally, we’ve got all the specs (and prices). The Engadget team even got to briefly test everything but the tablet – which is coming out next year.

The Pixel 7 Pro is probably the more exciting of the two phones, thanks to its three-lens camera system on the back. This year that includes an upgraded telephoto camera with the same Quad Bayer PD technology as the main 50-megapixel sensor. It has a 5x optical zoom, and the high-resolution sensors mean you can pull a 10x zoom cropped picture at 12.5-megapixels.

The Pixel Watch – rumored for years – is finally launching next week. It will last up to 24 hours with its always-on display, and it can be fast-charged to 50 percent in only 30 minutes. Can Google make WearOS a compelling smartwatch option? Stay tuned.

It was a long morning of announcements from Google. We’ve pulled together the biggest stories below.

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed


Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro hands-on

Slicker design, same great pricing.

It’s the second generation of Google Pixel phones powered by its in-house Tensor chips. Next-gen chips come with a next-gen design, with new aluminum camera bars across both the Pixel 7 ($599) and Pixel 7 Pro ($899). The finishes of the two phones vary slightly, with the Pixel 7 getting a brushed aluminum look while the Pixel 7 Pro has a shiny, polished chassis. Engadget’s Sam Rutherford prefers the matte finish. The Pixel 7 has a 6.3-inch 90Hz OLED screen, making it a tiny bit smaller than the outgoing Pixel 6. You’ll have to wait a little longer for our full verdict on the new camera array, but we already noticed a smoother zoom experience and more detailed shots.

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Now TikTok is copying Instagram with Photo Mode

Very retro.

We’re all used to seeing Instagram copy TikTok. Now, in a new twist, TikTok is copying Instagram with a new feature called Photo Mode. The update allows TikTok users to share multiple still photos in a post, along with captions of up to 2,200 characters.

The new photo posts, which can also feature music, will appear in users’ For You page alongside videos. Social networks are all converging. If you didn’t notice, in the last six weeks alone Instagram,TikTok and Snapchat have come up with their own take on French upstart BeReal (Instagram’s hasn’t formally launched yet). Twitter introduced a TikTok-style feed for full-screen videos. And YouTube Shorts, itself a TikTok clone, added TikTok-style voice-overs.

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Watch the first trailer for the new CG ‘Super Mario Bros.’ movie

Chris Pratt, Jack Black and Anya Taylor-Joy star in the CG blockbuster.

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Nintendo

Yes, we got our first peek at the incoming Mario movie. The clip shows Bowser (played by Jack Black) terrorizing a penguin kingdom in his quest for an invincibility star. Mario (Chris Pratt) soon makes an abrupt entrance to the Mushroom Kingdom, while his brother Luigi (Charlie Day) appears briefly, too. Super Mario Bros. is expected to premiere April 7th, 2023.

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Google Pixel Watch hands-on

Its first smartwatch.

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Engadget

Finally, it’s here. The Pixel Watch, priced at $349. And Engadget’s Cherlynn Low says it’s “one of the most beautiful smartwatches” she’s ever seen. (Though I’m not sure I agree.) The device is only available in one size, 41mm, but many straps knowingly tread the styles of its Apple rival. On that note, it’s about the same size as the small Apple Watch. The device feels like a polished pebble, thankfully covered in a custom 3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which gives some assurance it’ll survive a fall or scrape. Read on for our early impressions.

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Judge in Twitter v. Elon Musk postpones trial to October 28th

A new trial could be scheduled in November.

The Twitter v. Elon Musk trial is now on hold as the two sides hammer out a deal for Musk to complete his buyout of the social media company. On Thursday, Judge Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick, chancellor of Delaware’s Chancery Court, stayed the trial until October 28th, following a motion from Musk’s lawyers to call off the trial. However, if the two sides cannot close by the end of the month, a trial could be back on.

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Apple iPhone 14 Plus review

It’s an iPhone, but bigger.

If you want an iPhone with a big screen and better battery life without forking over a ton of money for a Pro Max model, the new iPhone 14 Plus is exactly what you’ve been waiting for. Like the standard model, the iPhone 14 Plus features two rear cameras and an A15 bionic chip, but with a larger 6.7-inch screen. It has the kind of prodigious battery life most handsets can only dream about.

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Google’s $899 Pixel 7 Pro has 5x optical zoom and a metal trim

The Pixel 7 Pro was first teased back in May 2022, but it’s finally time for every single detail. The 7 Pro takes the big design refresh of last year, and adds an aluminum frame and camera bar. Unfortunately, the eye-catching two-tone color options haven’t made it to 2022, which is a shame. We’re back to single-colored Pixel phones, sadly, even if there are three different colors to choose from.

The 6.7-inch screen (the same size and resolution as the Pixel 6 Pro) is coated with Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus, and the phone has IP68 protection against water and dust. The display itself is QHD+ LTPO OLED and can reach refresh rates up to 120Hz, which should ensure smooth browsing and swiping. It also tops out at 1,500 nits of brightness – notably brighter than the Pixel 6 Pro, if not quite as bright as the iPhone 14 Pro, which can peak at 2,000 nits outdoors.

The 7 Pro, gets some camera upgrades too. Two of the three camera sensors are all-but identical to the Pixel 6 Pro. Once again there’s a 50-megapixel wide camera, with f/1.85 aperture and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera with f/2.2. The latter comes with a 125.8-degree field-of-view, which is an upgrade from the 114-degree ultrawide camera on last year’s Pixel.

The telephoto camera, however, has been substantially upgraded. The 48MP sensor features up to 5X optical zoom and a Samsung-ish 30X Super Res Zoom (up from 20X zoom last year) that combines multiple exposures to improve image quality.

A black Pixel 7 Pro phone, alongside other Pixel hardware including the Pixel Watch and Pixel Buds Pro.
Google

Both Pixel 7 phones feature Google’s second-generation Tensor chip, the G2. The company claims the new chip will allow for more advanced voice recognition and machine learning features. This should translate to a faster, more efficient Pixel, especially for processor-intensive tasks related to photos and image processing.

That includes boosting photos captured at the new 30x Super Res Zoom, up to two times faster Night Sight low-light photography processing and even sharper photos with Face Unblur. The new Pixel 7s will also be able to capture video with a new artificial bokeh effect, in a mode Google is calling Cinematic Blur. It says thanks to its new Tensor chip, it can achieve a realistic blur with low latency and low power draw. The Pixel 7 Pro also includes a Macro Focus feature, which can shoot from as close as three centimeters away.

Security-wise, Google has included a Titan M2 security chip, alongside fingerprint and face unlock features. Matching its predecessor, the Pixel 7 Pro has a 5,000mAh battery and can fast-charge up to 50 percent full in around half an hour – but you will need to buy the compatible 30W charger separately. The Pixel 7 Pro starts at $899, and will come in Obsidian, Snow and Hazel color options. It’s available to preorder now and will launch on October 13th.

Follow all of the news from Google’s Pixel 7 event right here!

Google’s latest Pixel devices feature more recycled materials than ever

As Google details all the camera, processor and security updates coming to its new Pixel 7 phones and its very first smartwatch, it also noted that more recycled materials have been used in its latest hardware. With the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro the frames are now made of 100-percent-recycled aluminum, while the Pixel Watch housing uses 80-percent-recycled steel. (Google clarified on Twitter that recycled aluminum apparently makes up to 11 percent of the product, based on weight.)

It goes a little further, too, with Pixel Watch fabric bands made from 100-percent-recycled yarn. According to Google’s visualization, the company has folded in some recycled plastics.

Follow all of the news from Google’s Pixel 7 event right here!

The Morning After: Our verdict on the Apple Watch Ultra

Apple’s most expensive Watch yet (if we ignore the Hermes and ceramic distractions of yesteryear) has landed. The Apple Watch Ultra is surprisingly comfortable for its size, and costs less than expected. Not only does it offer many impressive specialized features for outdoor adventurers but it also lasts longer than other Apple Watches. People who don’t dive, hike, bike or run outside regularly might not need to spend the extra cash on the Ultra — the Series 8 is more than capable. 

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Engadget

Reviews Editor Cherlynn Low was frustrated by the new button layout but came away thinking that the Apple Watch Ultra may be the ultimate smartwatch. Check out the full review.

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Intel Arc A750 and A770 GPU review

These may be the affordable midrange GPUs you’ve been waiting for.

The notion of Intel getting into the world of discrete graphics cards once seemed ludicrous. This is the company that killed its last major GPU project in 2009 and spent the 2010s focusing on weak integrated graphics. However, the Arc A750 offers plenty of power for under $300. It can best NVIDIA’s RTX 3060 Ti in some benchmarks and games, making it one of the best deals in the GPU market today. Meanwhile, the Arc 770 excels at 1440p performance and has a decent amount of ray tracing support for a $329 card. We have reservations about long-term support from Intel, however.

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The best wireless headphones for 2022

And not all of them will break the bank.

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Engadget

When it comes to wireless headphones, the best combine stellar audio with powerful active noise cancellation (ANC) and other handy tools. For this guide, we’ve focused primarily on the over-ear style and offer a range of prices, so you can decide how much you’re comfortable spending.

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Someone made a NES operating system

It has a pointer!

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NES OS

Inkbox Software has released a graphical operating system, NESOS, for Nintendo’s first home console. The mid-’80s technology restricts the OS to two apps (a word processor and settings – as dull as many personal computers were back then) and eight 832-byte files. There is a pointer, movable icons and customizable interface colors. NESOS fits into just 48K, and the files sit inside the 2K of NVRAM.

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Amazon is killing its interactive Glow video device for kids

It’s no longer available for purchase.

It’s only been a year since Amazon launched Glow, its kid-focused video calling device that can also be used for interactive gaming. And the company has already discontinued it, most likely due to lackluster sales. As Bloomberg notes, Glow, while highly rated on Amazon, only has a bit over 500 reviews on the website. The device was launched during the peak of the recent pandemic. There’s likely less demand for a specialized video calling device for kids. And maybe they could just use a phone?

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Spotify’s latest acquisition is a company that detects harmful content in podcasts

It says Kinzen will help ‘identify emerging threats on the platform.’

Spotify has bought Kinzen, a company that uses machine learning to detect harmful content online. Spotify said that Kinzen will “help us more effectively deliver a safe, enjoyable experience on our platform around the world” and that the company’s tech is especially suited to podcasts and other audio formats. Looking for signs of harmful audio content is tricky, particularly since there may be nuances that certain systems and non-native speakers may not pick up on. As such, Spotify says Kinzen will help it to “better understand the abuse landscape and identify emerging threats on the platform.”

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The Morning After: Twitter says it will close deal with Elon Musk, again

Twitter has agreed – once again – to Elon Musk’s proposal to buy the company for $54.20 a share. In a statement, Twitter confirmed it had received Musk’s letter that “the intention of the Company is to close the transaction at $54.20 per share.” The agreement follows months of legal drama after Musk tried to back out of his original agreement this spring to buy the company for $44 billion.

The two sides were set to go to trial later this month. But Musk abruptly reversed course on Tuesday, telling Twitter he would proceed with the original terms of the deal. In the letter filed with the SEC, Musk’s lawyers say they will go ahead with the agreement struck in April if Delaware Chancery Court will “adjourn the trial and all other proceedings related” to the ongoing lawsuit.

It’s not yet clear when the acquisition could actually close. Twitter’s shareholders have already voted to approve the deal, but both sides now need to wait for Delaware’s Chancery Court’s response. The next question: What will Musk do with Twitter?

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

‘Overwatch 2’ server attack prevented fans from playing the game on launch day

We were stuck in a queue behind tens of thousands of other people.

Overwatch 2‘s early access launch has been marred by a massive DDoS attack preventing players from getting into the game. Many gamers, including me, were stuck on the connection screen, put in a queue behind tens of thousands of other players also trying to get in. When the countdown finished, I was booted from the server. I was apparently not the only one. Blizzard president Mike Ybarra tweeted that the game was “experiencing a mass DDoS attack” on its servers, causing drop and connection issues.

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Xiaomi’s 12T Pro packs a 200-megapixel camera

But without Leica branding.

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Engadget

Xiaomi’s 12T Pro uses Samsung’s ISOCELL HP1 sensor to capture epic 200-megapixel stills. The HP1 includes 2x in-sensor zoom, 4-in-1 pixel binning to mimic larger pixel sites for better sensitivity and 16-in-1 super pixel binning to simulate even bigger pixel sites for dark environments. If you shoot 200-megapixel images, you can let the AI-powered Xiaomi ProCut tool analyze those shots and suggest ideal compositions. Oddly, there’s no Leica branding here. Engadget reached out to Xiaomi on this matter, and a rep replied: “While Leica is a partner in our strategic imagery upgrade, it won’t necessarily contribute to every device.”

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‘The Onion’ filed a real brief with the Supreme Court supporting man jailed for making fun of cops

A man was arrested for a Facebook page that parodied his local police department.

Satire and comedy news site The Onion filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in support of Anthony Novak, who was arrested and jailed for four days after briefly running a Facebook page parodying the police department of Parma, Ohio, back in 2016. Parma’s police department claimed back then that people were confusing his posts with real information from law enforcement. Novak filed a civil suit against the city of Parma and the officers that arrested him , arguing his constitutional rights were violated. After federal appeals, he eventually took the battle to the Supreme Court.

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CDPR is working on a ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ sequel

And several new Witcher games.

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CDPR

The game developer has shared a long-term roadmap that elaborates on its plans for its big gaming franchises. A project codenamed Orion is effectively a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 to “further develop the potential” of the sci-fi franchise. We’ve already heard of a new Unreal Engine 5-based The Witcher game in the works, but it’s just the start of a new trilogy. We might not have to wait long to see the story reach its conclusion, either. CDPR hopes to release all three games within a six-year span, with the first (codenamed Polaris) serving as a technology foundation for the remaining two.

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One person’s quest for the perfect productivity mouse

Is it time for an upgrade?

James Trew’s mission for a mouse had several requirements. Top of the list: ergonomics. The Magic Mouse is… fine, but a little low profile for his palming style. Given that some rough repetitive strain injury (RSI) was exclusively in his mousing arm, that was crucial. As was a reasonable degree of configurability. So, of course, he tested 11 mice.

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The Morning After: What to expect from Google’s Pixel 7 event

Google’s big Pixel hardware event kicks off Thursday October 6th, and we’ll finally get to hear all the details of the Pixel 7 series and that long-teased (and leaked) Pixel Watch.

Google first showed off a glimpse of its next Pixel phone back in May 2022. It keeps the camera bar style of last year’s Pixel 6, but with an aluminum frame flourish. ​​The base Pixel 7 model will have two rear cameras, and the Pro will have three. Pixel phones’ camera skills are usually their standout feature, so we’re intrigued to hear more. Rumors suggest the Pixel 7 family will start at the same $599 and $899 prices as last year’s phones – which could be even more compelling at a time of rising prices.

Then, there’s the Pixel Watch – Google’s first official smartwatch, ever. It’ll be a hardware showcase for Wear OS 3 with tight Fitbit integration. Expect a prominent crown on the side, a circular watch face and several band options, a la Apple Watch. Can Google match the specs of the current smartwatch king? We’ll be reporting on all the official details later this week. Stay tuned.

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

YouTube is asking users to subscribe to Premium to watch 4K videos

You might have to pay now to see a clip in its highest quality.

YouTube is asking some viewers to upgrade to Premium to watch videos in 4K resolution. It’s not clear which countries, devices or videos are affected, but reports are appearing across both Reddit and Twitter. YouTube claimed a combined 50 million Premium and Music subscribers last September. That may sound like a lot, but compared to paid media services like Spotify Premium (188 million users as of the second quarter) and Netflix (220.7 million), it’s a little underwhelming.

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Wisk Aero’s latest flying taxi has four seats and can fly itself

It calls the four-passenger craft a ‘candidate for FAA certification.’

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Wisk

Wisk Aero has unveiled its 6th-generation semi-autonomous air taxi, calling it the “first-ever candidate for type certification by the FAA of an autonomous eVTOL.” The design looks like a substantially updated version of the Cora air taxi we saw fly and hover in New Zealand back in 2018. However, getting that coveted FAA certification is a struggle even for established airplane manufacturers, like Boeing – let alone a new company with a brand-new aircraft type.

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There’s a PS5 jailbreak, but only for old firmware

The exploit has some major restrictions.

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Engadget

Almost two years after the PlayStation 5 went on sale, it seems modders have found a way to jailbreak the console, albeit with some significant limitations. A WebKit vulnerability will only work on PS5 systems that run firmware version 4.03 or earlier. If you have updated your PS5 since last October, you will probably not be able to try the exploit. It doesn’t seem likely this jailbreak will be in widespread use anytime soon, due to its limitations and the risk of bricking the console at a time when it still isn’t all that easy to buy one. You can install PT, sure, but you can’t play it.

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FCC will start kicking voice providers out of its robocall database

Calls will be blocked if those providers don’t boost their anti-spam efforts.

Telecom companies slow to adopt anti-robocall measures could soon face stiff punishment in the US. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) now plans to remove seven voice service providers from its Robocall Mitigation Database for failing to comply with required anti-spam efforts, such as implementing STIR/SHAKEN call authentication to prevent spoofing.

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A data-sharing agreement between the US and UK is now in effect

Privacy advocates have raised concerns.

A data-sharing pact between the US and the UK has gone into effect, five years after it was suggested. The two sides claim the Data Access Agreement, which was authorized by the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act in the US, will help law enforcement to combat serious crimes in both countries. Privacy advocates have blasted the initiative for several years. In 2018, just after the bill was introduced, the Electronic Frontier Foundation said it “creates a dangerous precedent for other countries who may want to access information stored outside their own borders, including data stored in the United States.”

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The Morning After: TikTok has live shopping stream ambitions for the US

Based on a successful feature on TikTok’s sister app in China, Douyin, the social network is reportedly planning to launch a live shopping TikTok Shop in the US later this year. According to the Financial Times, Douyin hosts nine million live shopping broadcasts a month and sold over 10 billion products in a single year, from May 2021 to May 2022. That’s triple what it sold the previous year. The technology will supposedly be provided by the US company TalkShopLive and support livestreams hosted by influencers and brands. The agreements are still under discussion, however.

The report comes just a day after Facebook announced it was abandoning its own Live Shopping feature. Facebook is now suggesting merchants showcase products via Reels. TikTok has had mixed success with the method already. Last year, it launched in the UK – the only country with availability outside Asia. TikTok Shop hasn’t fared especially well so far, and TikTok postponed plans to expand elsewhere in Europe.

– Mat Smith

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It’s another Pixel Watch leak

This time: band designs, watch faces and Fitbit integration.

It seems an Amazon listing for the Pixel Watch went live early in Germany. The smartwatch is due to go on sale just after Google’s October 6th event. There will be several colors in at least four band designs, including silicon, braided and leather. The Amazon listing, which has been removed, suggested users will receive six months free Fitbit Premium access, including deeper fitness metrics and other exercise goodies.

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USB branding could become a little easier to understand

Getting rid of certain names may not make a huge difference.

The group that oversees USB wants to make it easier for you to understand what various cables and ports actually do. The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) wants cable makers to use “USB 10Gbps” instead of “SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps” and “USB 20Gbps” instead of “USB4 20Gbps.” USB-C cables certified by the USB-IF will need to list both data transfer speeds and charging wattage. Knowing which cable you need is already complicated enough. Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 connectors and ports look exactly the same as USB-C ones, for instance. The updated guidelines don’t clarify whether a cable supports DisplayPort or certain fast-charging standards, either.

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Tesla built almost 366,000 EVs in Q3

The figure was still below analyst expectations.

After pandemic-related disruptions in Q2, Tesla ramped up its manufacturing capacity again last quarter, leading the company to make a record number of deliveries between July 1st and September 30th. The company built 365,923 electric vehicles during that period. That marks a year-over-year production increase of nearly 54 percent.

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Magic Leap’s smaller, lighter second-gen AR glasses are now available

They’re expensive.

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Magic Leap

Magic Leap has started selling Magic Leap 2 in 19 countries, including the US, UK and EU nations. The glasses are still for developers and pros, with a design 50 percent smaller and 20 percent lighter than the original. This should ensure they’re more comfortable to wear over long periods. Magic Leap also promises better visibility for AR in bright light (think a well-lit office) thanks to dynamic dimming, which makes virtual content appear more solid. The Magic Leap 2 Base model costs $3,299, and developers who want extra tools will have to pay $4,099 for the Developer Pro edition.

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NASA and SpaceX will study the possibility of boosting Hubble’s orbit

It could add years to the aging telescope’s life.

NASA and SpaceX have signed an agreement to study the possibility of using a Dragon spacecraft to lift the Hubble telescope to a higher orbit. The Hubble telescope’s orbit decays over time due to atmospheric drag, and boosting it to a more stable one could add years to its life.

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