Mercedes-Benz is the first to roll out Apple Music’s Spatial Audio in cars

After announcing it nearly a year ago, Mercedes-Benz is finally rolling out Apple Music’s Spatial Audio in select electric and luxury vehicles. The Dolby Atmos-powered surround sound audio already works on multiple Apple devices including the HomePod speaker, Apple TV and AirPods headphones, but it’s the first implementation in vehicles.

“Mercedes-Benz drivers who are already subscribed to Apple Music gain immediate access to an ever-growing selection of songs and albums available in Spatial Audio,” the companies said in a press release. And if you’re not an Apple Music subscriber, select Dolby Atmos content will be available from Universal Music as well. 

The feature will be available in the select EQS and EQE sedans and SUVs (including the new EQE SUV), along with Mayback and S-Class vehicles. To use it, you’ll need to own a vehicle with the MBUX interface and optional 31-speaker Burmester 3D or 4D sound systems, an option that starts at $4,550 on top of the price of the vehicle (the 2023 EQE 350 sedan is expected to start at $70,000 or so). The technology will come to other models “soon,” according to Mercedes.

Apple Music’s Dolby Atmos implementation creates a 3D soundstage by spreading sounds across different channels, though the level of the effect depends on a song’s mix. In the Mercedes implementation, the spatial audio effect will come from six of the 31 speakers located above the driver. Other speakers include four near-ear speakers in the front seats, eight sound transducers (two per seat) and two amplifiers that pump out 1,750 watts of power. 

The Morning After: SpaceX will keep paying for Ukraine’s access to Starlink

SpaceX recently sent a letter to the Department of Defense last month, asking the Pentagon to take over paying for Ukraine’s use of its Starlink satellite internet. According to CNN, SpaceX told the department that continued access would cost the company over $120 million for the rest of 2022 and almost $400 million over the next 12 months. “We are not in a position to further donate terminals to Ukraine or fund the existing terminals for an indefinite period of time,” the company wrote.

Now, company chief, Elon Musk, seems to have backtracked, writing on Twitter that SpaceX will “keep funding” the service in Ukraine.

The Pentagon confirmed after the letter became public that it’s been discussing payments with SpaceX, but it’s also looking into alternatives. Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary, said: “There are other entities that we can certainly partner with when it comes to providing Ukraine with what they need on the battlefield.”

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

The biggest stories you might have missed

‘Dead Space’ hands-on: The return of gruesome sci-fi horror

It won’t be in time for Halloween, sadly.

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EA

The original Dead Space came out 14 years ago, immersing us in ravaged corridors in the middle of space. Dead Space was a terrifying space horror. And this is what the remake has to compete with. Engadget’s Jessica Conditt thinks the new Dead Space nails it – mostly. The game hits PC, PS5 and Xbox Series consoles on January 27th, 2023.

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Google Fiber will offer 5Gbps and 8Gbps internet plans in early 2023

Your cable provider’s best plan suddenly seems mediocre.

Google Fiber’s sudden revival will include a dramatic boost to internet speeds. Google has revealed it will offer 5Gbps and 8Gbps plans in early 2023 at monthly rates of $125 and $150. Both tiers will include symmetric upload and download rates, a WiFi 6 router and up to two mesh network extenders. It’s a big jump from the previous-best 2Gbps service Google introduced in 2020 and could make a big difference if you’re a gamer or thrive on cloud computing.

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Razer’s cloud gaming handheld will cost $400

It’s expected to launch in January.

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Razer

The Razer Edge is a handheld console for cloud gaming. (Yes, it’s a trend now.) The Edge has a 6.8-inch AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 144Hz and a Full HD+ resolution of 2,400 x 1,080. Razer claims the display has 87 percent more pixels than competitors’ devices. The Steam Deck’s screen, for instance, has a 1,280 x 800 resolution. The Edge comprises an Android 12 tablet inside the new Razer Kishi V2 Pro controller. Initially only available in the US, it will come with dedicated launchers for Epic Games, Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now pre-installed. You’ll also be able to access remote play services, such as Steam Link, Moonlight and Parsec.

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Acer’s cloud gaming Chromebook is a solid laptop

Even if you don’t game.

Last week, Google and hardware partners ASUS, Acer and Lenovo announced a somewhat surprising initiative to build Chromebooks expressly for cloud gaming. (Yes, just after Google gave up on its own Stadia game service.) While many Chromebooks are a riff on the classic 13-inch laptop, the first round of these devices have large, high-resolution screens with fast refresh rates, anti-ghosting keyboards and powerful processors. Nathan Ingraham, Engadget’s Chromebook expert, is loving the premium screen and keyboard.

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Kanye West is buying controversial ‘free speech’ app Parler

Last week, Kanye West (aka Ye) was locked out of his Twitter and Instagram accounts following a weekend of antisemitic posts. Now, the saga has taken a sharp turn with news that the hip-hop mogul is acquiring the controversial “free speech” social media app Parler. The deal appears to be happening quickly, with the company behind Parler (Parlement technologies) saying that the parties expect to close the transaction in the fourth quarter of 2022. The price was not revealed.

“The proposed acquisition will assure Parler a future role in creating an uncancelable ecosystem where all voices are welcome,” said Parlement Technologies CEO George Farmer. “In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves,” Kanye added.

Shortly after his return to Twitter, West posted an antisemitic message, which was eventually pulled by the company. “The account in question has been locked due to a violation of Twitter’s policies,” a spokesperson said at the time. The rapper also shared a screenshot on Instagram with another antisemitic message, and was similarly restricted by that site. 

According to the Twitter post above, potential future Twitter owner Elon Musk expressed concerns to West about his tweet, saying “I think he took [them] to heart.” Apparently, he did so by purchasing a rival service. 

Meanwhile, Parler was only recently reinstated to the Google Play after being banned in January 2021 following the US Capitol insurrection. A Google spokesperson said at the time that the removal was due to the app’s lack of “moderation policies and enforcement that remove egregious content like posts that incite violence.” Apple removed the app for similar reasons, but restored it earlier in May.

As their comments suggest, Parler and West are lauding the acquisition as a boon for free speech. However, if Parler allows racist, sexist or antisemitic posts like the one that got Kanye removed from Twitter and Instagram, it could pulled again from the App Store and the Play Store.

Parler launched in 2018 but spiked in popularity after Donald Trump was banned from Twitter and Ted Cruz and others tweeted they were joining the app. Despite declaring itself to be the “free speech social network,” however, some Twitter users said they were banned after joining the app to troll conservatives. Parler also competes against Trump’s own Truth social media app. 

New iPad Pro M2 models are reportedly just days away

The next-generation iPad Pro with Apple’s latest M2 processor is set to arrive in “a matter of days,” according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. It will be the first new model since May of last year, and reportedly offer a 20 percent speed boost over the M1 version. Apple will also introduce an iPad dock with an integrated speaker in 2023 and launch new Macs later this year, Gurman wrote in his newsletter.

The new iPad Pro models will keep the same form factors as the current models, with 11-inch and 12.9-inch display versions. While the performance bump isn’t enormous, 20 percent is still significant, the M2 chips should bring more efficiency to the iPads Pro. Along with the new high-end models, Apple is about to launch an entry-level iPad soon, Gurman said. It’ll reportedly have a USB-C instead of a Lightning port (in line with upcoming European rules), along with 5G support — but will use an A14 Bionic rather than an M-series chip. 

Another intriguing piece of news it that Apple is working on an iPad docking accessory with a built-in speaker that’s could be announced next year. The idea is that users could attach an iPad to the device and get a full home hub/smart speaker experience. It appears to resemble the Pixel charging speaker dock that Google revealed was coming with the Pixel Tablet going on sale next year. 

Along with new iPads, Apple will be launching 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models later in the year. They’ll come with more powerful versions of the M2 chip, including the M2 Pro and M2 Max. A Mac Mini with an M2 processor is also coming in the near future. 

Finally, Apple is working on the next-generation Apple TV that will use an A14 chip and come with 4GB of RAM, offering a significant boost over the current A12 model. While Gurman is generally accurate about these sort of things, Apple also tends change its mind about products and launch dates — so take the rumors with some salt until they’re officially announced. 

Razer Edge 手提遊戲機 Wi-Fi 版率先公開，定價 400 美元起

早前 Razer 預告過會推出具 5G 連線的手提遊戲機 Edge，進軍雲端遊戲市場。不過在剛剛的 RazerCon 大會上，雖然正式發表了詳細規格，只有 Wi-Fi 版本的定價先出來，5G 版本要等到明年 1 月才知道。

Razer’s cloud gaming handheld starts at $400 for the WiFi-only model

Razer, you may recall, recently teased a 5G handheld device that’s focused on cloud gaming. The company took the opportunity at RazerCon to formally announce the system, which it calls the Razer Edge — yep, Razer finally went there with its branding.

The Edge has a 6.8-inch AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 144Hz and a Full HD+ resolution of 2,400 x 1,080. Razer claims the display has 87 percent more pixels than competitors’ devices. The Steam Deck’s screen, for instance, has a 1,280 x 800 resolution. The Edge’s Gorilla Glass touchscreen also has a 288Hz sampling rate, which should make it pretty darn responsive.

Razer worked with Qualcomm and Verizon on this device. It runs on the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 Gaming Platform, which was developed exclusively for the Edge. The device has a 3Ghz octa-core Kryo CPU and an Adreno GPU, along with active cooling and six air vents. Razer says early benchmarking shows that the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 delivers two to three times the speeds of typical mobile platforms, such as the Snapdragon 720G.

A person wearing headphones and sitting on a couch while holding a Razer Edge handheld gaming device.
Razer

The device has a 5,000mAh capacity battery, as well as 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB of storage. On the audio front, there are two-way speakers with Verizon Adaptive Sound and a pair of digital microphones. There’s a webcam too — you’ll have the option to livestream your gameplay.

The Edge is comprised of an Android 12 tablet housed inside the new Razer Kishi V2 Pro controller. The latter has the same analog triggers as the Kishi V2, along with microswitches, programmable buttons and what Razer claims is an “ultra-precise” D-pad. What makes the Kishi V2 Pro different is that it has HyperSense haptic feedback and, blissfully, a 3.5mm headphone jack. Together, the tablet and controller weigh 400.8 grams, which is a bit less than a pound.

As for the games, the Edge, which will only be available in the US at the outset, will come with launchers for Epic Games, Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now preinstalled. You’ll also be able to access remote play services such as Steam Link, Moonlight and Parsec.

Razer Edge
Razer

Since this is a cloud gaming-focused device, connectivity is key. Razer says the Edge has WiFi 6E that performs on an “uncongested” 6GHz channel and has multi-gig bandwidth support for fast download and upload speeds. When you’re on the go, you’ll be able to connect to cloud gaming services through 5G as long as you have the right model.

The 5G version of the Razer Edge is a Verizon exclusive. Pricing and exact availability will be confirmed later, but it should be out in January, around the same time as the WiFi model. That version will run you $400 and it’ll be available from Razer’s website and RazerStore locations. You can reserve one for a refundable deposit of $5. Razer hasn’t revealed pricing or availability for the standalone Kishi V2 Pro controller.

That’s not an insignificant price for the WiFi model, and it’s likely that the 5G version will cost more, but the specs seem solid for the money. It seems like an option worth considering for on-the-go cloud gaming if you’d rather not slot your phone into a controller and you don’t want to lug a Steam Deck around.

The Razer Edge isn’t the only handheld device focused on cloud gaming. Logitech’s $350 G Cloud Gaming Handheld, which doesn’t have WiFi 6 or 6E support, will be available next week. Other notable manufacturers are turning their attention to cloud gaming as well. Google this week announced three Chromebooks from Acer, ASUS and Lenovo that are designed for streaming games.

Razer Edge
Razer

The Edge was far from Razer’s only product announcement at RazerCon. Along with the Kraken Kitty V2 Pro wired headset (featuring swappable bunny, bear and cat ears with Chroma RGB lighting) and some other gear, the company showed off its Hammerhead HyperSpeed earbuds. 

The earbuds feature Chroma RGB, active noise cancellation, Bluetooth 5.2 and 2.4GHz connectivity (via a USB-C dongle you can plug into your console or other device) to minimize latency. Razer claims you’ll get up to 30 hours of total battery life, factoring in top ups from the charging case. Hammerhead HyperSpeed is available in PlayStation- and Xbox-braded variants. The earbuds cost $150 and they will be available in November.

Hammerhead HyperSpeed earbuds and a Razor Edge gaming handheld device
Razer