It seems like Microsoft just can’t stop confirming Xbox partnerships this week. On Tuesday, Xbox Cloud Gaming support for Meta Quest 2 and some new Chromebooks was announced. Now, Microsoft has linked up with Apple to finally offer an Apple Music app on Xbox consoles.
As spotted by Eurogamer, you can snag the app on an Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S console by searching for it on consoles, or download it remotely from the Microsoft Store. As with other music apps on Xbox, such as Spotify and Pandora, you can listen to Apple Music in the background while you’re gaming. In the Apple Music app, you can watch music videos, follow time-synced lyrics while you listen and create playlists. You’ll be able to access curated gaming-focused playlists too.
Although Apple Music has been available on PlayStation 5 for the last year, Xbox users have had to wait until almost two years into the Xbox Series X/S lifecycle for the app. Apple TV, on the other hand, has been available on Xbox consoles since the Series X/S debuted in 2020.
The timing of Apple Music’s arrival on Xbox is definitely interesting. It comes just ahead of Microsoft’s big Surface event. Perhaps there will be a little more Xbox news to come out of that showcase.
It’s Microsoft’s turn to host a big fall hardware event and we’ll be following it every step of the way. You can keep up with the news as it happens by joining Engadget deputy editors Nathan Ingraham and Cherlynn Low on our livestream, which you can watch below. The event starts at 10AM ET.
On top of that, Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar and Senior Writer Sam Rutherford will offer real-time insight and analysis on our liveblog. Of course, we’ll have full, in-depth coverage of the event on Engadget as well.
Unless something completely unexpected happens, Microsoft will have a bunch of Surface devices to show off. We’re expecting the company to reveal the Surface Pro 9. Rumors suggest you’ll be able to choose between a 12th-gen Intel Core CPU or a custom version of the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 to power it. We’re anticipating the Surface Laptop 5 and Surface Studio 3 as well. Perhaps we’ll get a peek at the previously teased Project Volterra mini PC and some accessories as well. In any case, you’ll get your first look at what’s on offer right here:
Google has announced a string of updates for Workspace, including one that may be especially useful for those tasked with recording meeting minutes. Users can already save Google Meet calls as video files and they’ll soon get an automatic transcription of their meetings too. You’ll be able to receive a transcript in a Google Doc. This feature will be available in English starting this week. Support for French, German, Spanish and Portuguese is coming next year. This follows an expansion of live translated captions for those languages.
Later this month, Google will roll out a Meet feature that will automatically center meeting participants in the frame of their video tile before they join a call. You’ll be able to reframe yourself manually at any time.
Google
Looking further ahead, Google revealed two other useful Meet features that will arrive in early 2023. One called “meeting room check-in” will let everyone see a list of all participants, which seems like an overdue update. It will also show the names of multiple people who are joining a call from the same physical conference room.
Meanwhile, the second-screen Companion Mode feature is moving beyond the web, Nest Hub Max and Meet-dedicated hardware to mobile. You’ll be able to virtually raise your hand, chat and ask questions from your phone while you’re on a call on your computer or tablet.
Elsewhere, Google will support inline threaded conversations in Google Chat starting later this month. It will try to take on the likes of Slack on another front by offering custom emoji later this year.
If you have Apple devices on your shopping list for this holiday season, you may be able to save on some of them if you pick them up during Amazon’s October Prime Day. The online retailer has knocked down the prices of many Apple gadgets, including Air…
Stripping back the hyperbole, what does this mean in practice? After all, the whole point of cloud gaming is that you don’t need superpowered hardware to enjoy high-quality games — many existing Chromebooks can run cloud gaming services just fine. That said, the new laptops announced today are quite a bit different than your average Chromebook.
At a high level, Google says that it focused on a handful of hardware features to differentiate these laptops, including large displays with high refresh rates, keyboards with anti-ghosting tech (and RBG keyboards in some cases), WiFi 6/6E cards and generally high specs.
Three new laptops from ASUS, Acer and Lenovo
Acer
ASUS, Acer and Lenovo all announced new computers today as part of this push. First, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE features a 16-inch IPS screen with a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, along with an RBG anti-ghosting keyboard and 12th-gen Intel processors (up to a Core i7). It’s also equipped with a gigabit ethernet port, two USB-C ports, a USB-A port and HDMI. Finally, it has DTS audio via two upward-facing speakers and two more downward-facing speakers on the underside of the laptop. Acer will offer a number of configurations, but the first will be at Best Buy this month for $650 — it’ll include a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage via its NVMe SSD.
ASUS’ offering is a little different — the Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip has a 15.6-inch display that maxes out at 1080p, but it’s a touchscreen and it has an even higher 144Hz refresh rate. As the name suggests, the CX55 can flip around into “tablet” and “tent” modes, like many other ASUS Chromebooks. It doesn’t have RGB lighting on the keyboard, but it does have a rather distinctive orange trim, including around the crucial WASD keys; it also has 1.4mm of travel.
Specs-wise, the CX55 uses 11th-generation Intel processors; you can get it with an i3, i5 or i7. The i3 model is paired with Intel UHD graphics, while the i5 and i7 models use Intel’s Iris X graphics. It’ll have either 8GB or 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. Unsurprisingly, the CX55 also has two USB-C ports as well as USB-A and HDMI ports. The laptop will come out this month as well, and Google said in a briefing that pricing would start at $399 — we don’t know what specs that includes, but it’s probably safe to assume it’s the i3 model.
Lenovo
Lenovo’s IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook has a fair bit in common with Acer’s device. It has a 16-inch display with a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate as well as an RGB, anti-ghosting keyboard with 1.5mm of travel. Processors include 12th-generation Intel Core i3 or Core i5 options, plus 8GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage (the base configuration starts with 128GB). The port selection is a bit more limited — it only offers two USB-C ports, one USB-A port and a MicroSD slot. Like the other two laptops, the IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook will launch this month; it starts at $599.
Software, gaming services and peripheral partnerships
Google
Naturally, software and game access is perhaps just as important as the hardware here. As such, Google has partnerships with NVIDIA, Amazon and Microsoft to ensure its devices work with GeForce Now, Luna and Xbox Game Pass out of the box. The NVIDIA partnership is probably the most significant, as the company is bringing GeForce Now’s high-performance RTX 3080 tier to Chromebooks for the first time — this means games will play in up to 1600p resolution at 120 fps with ray tracing enabled (assuming the game supports these specs, of course). NVIDIA also made a progressive web app (PWA) so you can launch directly into GeForce Now from your Chromebook’s dock or launcher.
Microsoft also made a PWA for Game Pass, but everything works the same as running Game Pass on a PC — assuming you have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you can stream any Game Pass title to your Chromebook. Similarly, an Amazon Luna subscription gives you access to a rotating selection of over 100 games.
Google is also optimizing ChromeOS to make directly launching games easier. When you hit the “everything” search button on your Chromebook, you can just type in the name of the game you want to play and launch it directly, as if it were natively installed. For starters, this will only work with the GeForce Now catalog (as well as apps on Google Play), but Google says it wants to add this search feature for other services as well.
To make sure that anyone checking out these Chromebooks can start playing immediately, Lenovo, Acer and ASUS are all including a three-month subscription to GeForce Now RTX 3080 tier as well as three months of Amazon Luna+. The ASUS option also includes a free SteelSeries Rival 3 gaming mouse, as well.
Speaking of mice, Google also partnered with companies like SteelSeries, Corsair and HyperX (as well as Lenovo and Acer) to make sure their gaming-focused peripherals work with Chromebooks. This includes making sure these peripherals can have their settings fine-tuned in ChromeOS, in some cases via PWAs.
Do gaming Chromebooks have a shot?
It’s fair to wonder how much traction Google’s latest initiative will get. Chromebooks have found a lot of success in education and (to a lesser extent) enterprise settings, but the idea of a full-fledged push to get people gaming on a Chromebook is a pretty major shift. That said, I’m impressed by the pricing on these models — there aren’t a lot of Chromebooks with large, high-resolution screens with high refresh rates. Generally speaking, it sounds like you get a lot of bang for your buck with these models compared to some other premium ChromeOS devices. Naturally, these laptops are a big bigger and heavier than the standard 13-inch Chromebook, but that’s a tradeoff that might work for some people.
Google is also putting a big advertising and awareness push being this strategy, and it’s not tied to a single product like Stadia. Given that Google is being service-agnostic, these laptops should provide a very good cloud gaming experience for the foreseeable future, even if Google doesn’t stick with its cloud gaming push long term. And with other initiatives like Steam for ChromeOS moving forward (Google said it should enter beta soon), it’s fair to say the company seems focused on removing the longstanding notion that you can’t play games on a Chromebook.
If you missed the chance to buy the Apple TV 4K when it was $70 off during Prime Day earlier this year, now is your chance to get it at that price again. For its first-ever Prime Early Access Sale, Amazon has discounted the Apple TV 4K to $109. That’s …
Apple’s second-gen AirPods Pro haven’t even been available for a month and you can still already find a deal on them. The price has dropped a bit as part of Amazon’s major Prime Day sale. You’ll be able to pick up a pair of the new AirPods Pro for $235, which is $14 off the regular price. Sure, that’s not the steepest discount ever, but it’s the lowest price we’ve seen for the earbuds to date.
We gave the latest AirPods Pro a score of 88 in our review, an improvement over the 87 we gave to the first-gen set. While the design is ostensibly the same, Apple made some upgrades to the internals (including the introduction of an H2 chip), as well as one on the outside. Its latest higher-end earbuds have swipe controls. However, we found them somewhat finicky and had to steady the stem with a thumb in order to control the volume by swiping. The second-gen AirPods Pro also offer so-so battery life (six hours with active noise cancellation enabled and seven hours with it off) and we had mixed results with the Personalized Spatial Audio feature, with a sound profile that was too treble-focused.
Overall, though, we felt that the second-gen AirPods Pro are a solid upgrade over the first-edition earbuds. Apple has improved the sound quality (including for SharePlay audio) and it offers the best transparency mode in any earbuds. The new AirPods Pro deliver solid ANC performance as well. On top of that, the ability to seamlessly switch from one Apple device to another is handy for those who are entrenched in the company’s ecosystem.
As for the charging case, that now has a speaker, which should make it easier for people to pinpoint its location if they’ve misplaced it (having a U1 chip to locate it with Find My helps too). The case is IPX4 rated, like the earbuds, and it has a lanyard loop — though you’ll need to buy a lanyard separately.
This might be your best chance to save money on a 2021 iPad Pro. Ahead of its Prime Early Access Sale, Amazon has discounted the 256GB 12.9-inch model by 25 percent to $899. The more affordable 11-inch iPad Pro is also on sale. However, it appears Amazon only has stock of the 512GB variant. After a 23 percent discount, the 11-inch model is $849, down from $1,099. The promotion applies to both Silver and Space Gray colorways across both 11-inch and 12.9-inch models.
The iPad Pro is one of the most powerful tablets you can buy at the moment. Engadget awarded the 2021 model a score of 87, praising the device for its speedy M1 processor and mini-LED screen that makes watching HDR content an absolute joy. At the time, it felt like iPadOS wasn’t a perfect match for the iPad Pro’s powerful hardware, but with iPadOS 16 on the way and new multitasking features like Stage Manager part of the release, the tablet is about to become more capable.
One thing to keep in mind is that Apple may refresh the iPad Pro later this month. Persistent rumors suggest the company plans to introduce a model that features an M2 processor, MagSafe charging and a handful of other upgrades. For that reason, you may want to wait if you want to buy the most powerful iPad possible. However, if you’re mainly interested in getting the most value for your money, then it’s hard to go wrong with the current M1 model.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Google is getting better at this whole gadget thing.
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.
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.
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.
Apple’s latest Watch Series 8 just came out last month, but you can already grab a deal on it. The 41mm model is selling at Amazon in Midnight, Red or Silver for $349, for a savings of $50 (13 percent), and the 44mm model is on sale at $379, or $50 off the regular price. That’ll get you all of Apple’s latest Watch features, including a skin temperature sensor, low power mode and more. Be aware, though, that stock appears to be limited so you may have to move quickly.
The Series 8 is more of an incremental update over the Series 7, but it does have some useful new features. The first is a new temperature sensor that Apple has tied to women’s health, giving female users an estimate on when they may be ovulating. It’s meant to be used overnight, sampling your wrist temperature every five seconds so you can see shifts from your baseline temperature.
The other key feature is Crash Detection. Much as current watches can detect a fall, the Series 8 can detect car crashes via a pair of new accelerometers. It works in concert with the other sensors already included in the Apple Watch to detect four different types of crashes, including rollovers, front impact, back impact and side impact.
While battery life is the same as before at 18 hours, there’s a new power mode that keeps it going for up to 36 hours on a full charge. It also uses a newer S8 system-in-package processor, that should allow for improved performance. With those updates, we found the Series 8 to be the “new best smartwatch,” letting Apple keep its, er, crown in that department. As mentioned, if you’re looking to get one, act quickly.
