Engadget

08.11.2024 15:50 If you want your home cleaned by a robot that leaves you as little work as possible, Wellbots has a deal for you. The iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max Robot + AutoWash Dock has an unwieldy name but a robust feature set. The do-it-all cleaning machine vacuums, mops, self-empties dirt, refills its mopping solution and washes and dries its mopping pad. You can take $425 off the robovac with coupon code ENGBF425. Unveiled this summer, the Roomba Combo 10 Max Robot + AutoWash Dock is iRobot’s most advanced robot vacuum to date. Although its $1,399 MSRP prices it out of most homes, this deal makes it more reasonable for folks who don’t mind splurging for a cutting-edge cleaner that lets you spend your time doing something fun. Its dock can hold dirt and debris for up to 60 days, and its mopping pad and self-cleaning tank store water for up to seven. It seamlessly transitions from vacuuming to mopping, automatically retreating its mopping system and turbo-charging its suction on carpets. On hard floors, it can vacuum and mop simultaneously. In addition to its other sensors, the Roomba has a camera to locate dirt — and it can spot the dirtiest areas up to eight times more frequently than other models. The robot can map your home , but iRobot says it does so seven times faster while automatically labeling room types. Its software uses past cleaning data to predict each room’s cleanliness, adjusting its suction accordingly. Use Engadget’s exclusive code ENGBF425 to lower that price to a more manageable $974. iRobot You can also save at Wellbots on the Roomba J9+. The vacuum-only model has a three-stage cleaning system, multi-surface rubber brushes and high-end suction power. Usually $899, our code ENGBF325 brings it down to $574. For a more affordable vacuum / mop system, the Roomba Combo j7+ gives you a rock-solid wet-dry cleaner without all the cutting-edge bells and whistles in the highest-end model. This model has a 96.4 percent debris removal rating, obstacle avoidance and a four-stage cleaning system. Included are an edge-sweeping brush, dual multi-surface rubber brushes and power-lifting suction. It can empty its contents without intervention for up to 60 days. Usually retailing for a daunting $999, this model is on sale for $675 with coupon code ENGBF325. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/early-black-friday-deals-include-up-to-425-off-roomba-robot-vacuums-140100100.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 15:50 Just after launching the PlayStation 5 Pro, Sony revealed that it has sold 65.5 million PlayStation 5s as of the end of Q2 2024. While sales of the console dropped 1.1 million units from the same period last year , this was more than offset by game sales of 77.7 million units, up 14.9 percent from Q2 2023. Sony's monthly active PlayStation Network users remained at 116 million despite a big price bump late last year. The net result? Revenue climbed by 9 percent and operating profit rose by a stellar 73 percent to 445.1 billion yen . Given those profits and the fact that the company has a new, more expensive console ready for Christmas, Sony was bullish on the rest of its year, boosting its revenue forecast slightly. A big part of Sony's game sales story is the success of the action RPG Black Myth: Wukong, which reportedly sold 20 million units in Q2 . Another high performer was the first party Astro Bot title, showing the power of hit games to sway sales. Sony still has two quarters left in its fiscal year, which ends March 31. Upcoming first party titles expected prior to that include Assassin's Creed Shadow and Monster Hunter Wilds, both set for February 2025. However, Sony's fiscal 2025 starting in April could be a blockbuster with highly anticipated games like Ghost of Yotei, Death Stranding 2, DOOM: The Dark Ages and Grand Theft Auto VI arriving later next year. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-has-sold-65-million-ps5s-140019860.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 15:50 A lawsuit from a researcher who tried to develop a browser extension for Facebook called “Unfollow Everything 2.0" has been dismissed for now, The New York Times reported. Ethan Zuckerman from the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University attempted to use the Section 230 tech shield law in a novel way to force Meta to allow him to develop the tool that would wipe a Facebook user's feed clean. For background, Zuckerman was inspired by a 2021 project called "Unfollow Everything" that would have allowed people to use Facebook without the News Feed, or curate it to only show posts from specific people. However, Facebook sued the UK man who created that extension and permanently disabled his account. To avoid a similar fate, Zuckerman turned to Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act. While that's mostly designed as a shield to protect tech platforms from illegal user activity, there's a separate clause protecting developers of third-party tools "that allow people to... block content they consider objectionable." He asked the court to recognize that clause and allow him to create the Unfollow Everything 2.0 browser extension without repercussions from Meta. However, the court granted Meta's filing to dismiss the lawsuit, adding that the researcher could file it at a later date. "We’re disappointed the court believes Professor Zuckerman needs to code the tool before the court resolves the case," Zuckerman's lawyer said. "We continue to believe that Section 230 protects user-empowering tools, and look forward to the court considering that argument at a later time." A Meta spokesperson said the lawsuit was "baseless." Meta has shut down researchers before, disabling the Facebook accounts of an NYU team trying to study political ad targeting in 2021. Conversely, in 2022 Meta helped itself to 48 million science papers to train an AI system called Galactica, which was shut down after just two days for spewing misinformation. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/researchers-unfollow-everything-lawsuit-against-meta-gets-dismissed-133051131.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 15:50 OpenAI is facing multiple lawsuits over its use of several publications' and books' content to train its large language models without explicit permission or proper compensation. A judge has just dismissed one of them. New York federal judge Colleen McMahon has dismissed the lawsuit filed by Raw Story and AlterNet, which accused the company of using their materials for AI training without consent. As VentureBeat notes, though, their complaint didn't argue that OpenAI infringed on their copyright like other publications' lawsuits do. Instead, it focused on the DMCA provision that protects "copyright management information." The publications argued that OpenAI removed the author names, titles and other metadata identifying their copyright from the articles it used to train its LLMs. McMahon explained that the plaintiffs failed to show that they suffered "a cognizable injury" from those actions and that the harm they had cited was "not the type of harm that has been elevated" to warrant a lawsuit. The judge also said that "the likelihood that ChatGPT would output plagiarized content from one of articles seems remote." She added that the plaintiffs are truly seeking redress for the use of their articles "to develop ChatGPT without compensation" and not for the removal of their copyright management information. Raw Story and AlterNet don't intend to back down, based on what their lawyer told Reuters. Matt Topic, their attorney, said they're "certain can address the concerns the court identified through an amended complaint."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-wins-first-round-against-raw-story-and-alternet-copyright-case-130027681.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 15:50 Apple’s even tinier Mac mini is here — with M4 power. It’s also more affordable than ever and better value. It won’t shock you to hear the M4 Pro is very fast, but the Mac mini comes with 16 gigs of RAM as standard too. Engadget The base Mac mini has an M4 chip sports a 10-core CPU , a 10-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine. For $1,399, you can bump up to the dramatically more powerful M4 Pro chip , featuring a 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU. Its Geekbench 6 and Cinebench scores still beat most of the computers we’ve tested this year, and its GPU is fast enough for solid 1080p 60 fps gameplay. And it’s that small! — Mat Smith The biggest tech stories you missed Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch review PlayStation 5 Pro review Nikon’s Z50 II targets creators with a dedicated film simulation button Here are all the enhancements for Baldur’s Gate on PS5 Pro Get this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! Google’s Vids AI video maker is rolling out to more users It’s available on most Workspace tiers. Google Vids runs on Google’s AI model, Gemini, to create workplace and marketing videos from Google Drive files and descriptions. You can either start a video from scratch or use a pre-made template to get a first draft going. There’s even a Help me create option. Google Vids doesn’t make videos from the ground up, like the mostly creepy creations of Runway’s Gen-2 or OpenAI’s Sora. Google uses different media and compiles them based on your suggestions and the content of the source documents. Continue reading. Amazon’s next video game TV project? Mass Effect Paragon or renegade? Variety reports that Amazon MGM Studios is developing a TV series based on the sci-fi universe of Mass Effect. Daniel Casey will be the series writer and executive producer. He has action credits on the screenplay for F9: The Fast Saga and made contributions to sci-fi films Kin and 10 Cloverfield Lane. The Mass Effect series includes a critically acclaimed trilogy of titles and a critically panned sequel, Andromeda. There’s also another game in the works, which I assume would dovetail into this show somehow. Corporate synergy, baby. Continue reading. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-124103618.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 15:50 In this episode, Devindra and producer Ben Ellman recover from the election by discussing our final thoughts on the PlayStation 5 Pro, as well as Apple’s M4 Mac mini and new MacBook Pros. The M4 chip is a solid upgrade, but the M4 Pro is shockingly fast . Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News! Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Podcasts Topics PlayStation 5 Review: Your

08.11.2024 10:11 Oftentimes, the best gaming headset doesn’t need to be a “gaming headset” at all. Although these devices can be viewed as niche within the headphone market, they’re ultimately still headphones. And though we’ve found more and more gaming headsets that impress in terms of audio quality, those tend to cost more than a comparable set of wired headphones . If you need to chat with friends, it’s always possible to buy an external microphone and get superior sound there as well. That said, we know many people just want the convenience of a headset with a mic built right in. So after testing dozens of pairs over the past 18 months, we’ve rounded up a few quality gaming headsets and headphones for gaming, which aren’t quite the same thing. Whichever way you go, all of our recommendations should make your play time more enjoyable, no matter your budget or preferred gaming platform. What to look for in good gaming headphones The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Evaluating headphones is a particularly subjective exercise, so calling one pair the absolute “best” is something of a fool’s errand. At a certain point, whether you're an audiophile or not, everything becomes a matter of taste. For most, a headphone with a wide soundscape and strong imaging performance — i.e., the ability to position sounds correctly, so you can more precisely tell where footsteps and other game effects are coming from — will provide the most immersive gaming experience, the kind that makes you feel like your head is within a given scene. For that, you want a high-quality pair of open-back headphones. That is to say, an over-ear pair whose ear cups do not completely seal off the ear from air and outside noise. These are inherently terrible at isolating you from external sound and preventing others from hearing what you’re playing, so if you often play games in a noisy environment, their benefits will be blunted. But in a quiet room, the best open-back pairs sound significantly wider and more precise than more common closed-back models. More up for debate is how a good gaming headphone should sound. If you want something that’ll help you in competitive multiplayer games, you may prefer a headphone with a flatter sound signature, which'll keep a game’s mix from being overly boosted in one direction and is less likely to mask the smaller details of what’s happening around you. A slightly brighter sound, one that pushes the upper frequencies a tad, may also work. Open-back headphones almost never have huge sub-bass, so you rarely have to worry about low-end sounds muddying up the rest of the signature. In this light, the fact that an overwhelming amount of gaming headsets are closed-back and bass-heavy seems counterintuitive. Lots of people love bass, though. And if you don't really care about competitive play, some extra low-end can add a touch of excitement to action scenes or rousing soundtracks. You still don’t want a pair that boosts the low-end too hard — as many gaming headsets do — but the point is that what makes a pair “immersive” to one person may sound dull to another. Other gaming headsets we tested The Corsair Virtuoso Pro. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Note: This is a selection of noteworthy gaming headsets and headphones we’ve put through their paces, not a comprehensive list of everything we’ve ever tried. Corsair Virtuoso Pro The $200 Corsair Virtuoso Pro is another one of the few dedicated gaming headsets with an open-back design. It has a relatively dark sound with mostly underemphasized treble and elevated upper-bass, though the highs are clearer here than they are on the Astro A40, and it still delivers a wider soundstage than most gaming headsets. We preferred this signature over Astro’s pair with some games, though in others it felt less balanced. The Virtuoso Pro’s mic is decidedly less muffled than the A40’s but still sounds fairly thin, so it’s merely decent compared to the wider headset market. Its headband adjustment mechanism feels cheap, too, and you can’t detach the mic without swapping cables out entirely. Its round, breathable ear cups and manageable weight do make it easy to wear, though, and it comes with a sturdy travel case for protection. Ultimately, it’s a decent buy, but it’s hard to justify over the more featured and easier-sounding Atlas Air. HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless can last well over 300 hours at moderate volumes, which is remarkable and by far the best of any wireless model we’ve tested. It’s light and not too snug on the head, and its powerful bass lends a real sense of excitement to in-game action. But it blunts more detail than the Atlas Air, Maxwell and A50 X, and its mic isn’t as good. Several users have also reported latency issues when using the headset with HyperX’s Ngenuity software, and there’s no Xbox, Bluetooth or wired audio support. Still, if battery life is paramount, you may be able to look past all of that. Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed If the Audeze Maxwell is out of stock, the Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed is another quality wireless headset worth considering. It sounds better than the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless, with satisfying but more controlled bass and more accurate mids, and it’s lighter on the head than the Maxwell. Logitech rates its battery life at 50 hours, but we found it to last much longer at moderate volumes. However, similar to the Astro A50 X, a dip in the treble makes it sound darker and more veiled than the Maxwell, and it doesn’t have any HDMI-switching tricks to fall back on. Its mic also sounds less natural than those of the Maxwell, A50 X and Cloud Alpha Wireless. Plus, while it can connect over a USB dongle, Bluetooth or a 3.5mm cable, it can’t pair to two devices at once like Audeze’s and Astro’s pairs. Our biggest issue is the price: Value-wise, it’s in something of a no man’s land at its MSRP of $250. It’s a fine choice if it dips below $200, though. The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Razer BlackShark V2 Pro The wireless Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is tremendously comfortable and has a good mic, but its boomy sound is less refined and detailed than the Audeze Maxwell. As a closed-back headset, it also lacks the width of the Atlas Air. There’s no support for wired audio either. Logitech G535 Lightspeed The Logitech G535 is an impressively light and comfy wireless headset that’s often available for $100 or less. It has a relatively neutral sound signature: not flat, but not beholden to big, thumping bass. It can make details in the mids sound thin, and if anything it could use a little more sub-bass, but it’s an agreeable listen overall. However, its mic isn't especially full, and its 35-or-so-hour battery life is a significant drop from our top recommendations. It doesn’t work with Xbox’s wireless protocol or Bluetooth either, and it forces you to crank the volume to reach a listenable level. But if you don’t want to spend a ton on a wireless headset, it’s a fine value. SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X Xbox owners who want a more affordable wireless headset than the Audeze Maxwell could do worse than the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X. It’s another bass-forward pair, and its mic is comparable to that of the Cloud Alpha Wireless. It offers multiple connectivity options, including Bluetooth and a 3.5mm cable. While it's marketed for Xbox, it can also connect to PCs and PS5s. Its 30-ish-hour battery life is well short of the Maxwell and Cloud Alpha Wireless, however, and its uneven treble can cause things like in-game dialogue to sound masked in certain titles. HyperX Cloud Alpha The wired HyperX Cloud Alpha often goes for $80 or less, and at that price it’s a decent middle ground between the Cloud Stinger 2 and Astro A40 if you really want a closed-back gaming headset. It’s old, but its plush earpads and headband are comfy, and its detachable mic, while not superb, is still better than the one on the A40. Its treble is underemphasized, however, and again it sounds more “in your head” than Astro's pair. The Beyerdynamic MMX 200 and HyperX Cloud III Wireless . Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is comfortable and has a noticeably clearer mic than the Astro A40. It also comes with a useful DAC that makes it easy to adjust the headset’s EQ and game-to-chat mix on the fly. However, its closed-back design can’t provide the same enveloping sense of width, and its default sound can sound piercing in the treble. Like the Virtuoso Pro, it’s also a bit too pricey, typically hovering in the $200 to $220 range. SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is largely similar to its wired counterpart but adds a passable level of active noise cancellation. Being able to hot-swap battery packs and connect to multiple devices at once is also nice. It’s not as convenient for multi-console play as the Astro A50 X, though, and it usually costs more than the Audeze Maxwell, which sounds better, has a superior mic and lasts longer on a charge. Beyerdynamic MMX 200 The wireless Beyerdynamic MMX 200 locates in-game effects accurately, feels sturdy and has a great boom mic, but it sounds less articulate than the Audeze Maxwell, with heavily exaggerated bass and recessed lower-mids. There's no game-to-chat mix or custom EQ tools, which is tough for a $250 headset, and its 35-hour battery life is unremarkable. We also found its sweat-inducing ear cushions and headband to clamp down too tight for comfort. However, the built-in transparency mode is nice and the tight fit does a good job of isolating outside noise. HyperX Cloud III Wireless The HyperX Cloud III Wireless is comfy and can last up to 120 hours per charge but sounds less dynamic than the older Cloud Alpha Wireless, with weaker bass response. Like that pair, it also lacks a 3.5mm jack, Bluetooth audio support and Xbox compatibility. The Cloud Alpha Wireless still gets nearly three times the battery life, too, so it remains a better buy if you want a wireless headset for PC or PS5 in the $150 range. Sennheiser HD 490 Pro The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro are studio-focused open-back headphones that also work well for gaming. They come with two sets of ear pads, one that slightly elevates the bass and another that bumps the midrange, though they deliver impressive width and detail either way without pushing too hard in one direction. They’re a pleasure to wear over long stretches, both lighter than the DT 900 Pro X and less stiff than the HD 560S. That said, they cost $400 and their sound profile is more of a nice alternative to our top picks than something clearly more natural or resolving. Most people don’t need to pay the premium. Recent updates November 2024: We've updated this guide with a new recommendation for the best dedicated gaming headset, the Turtle Beach Atlas Air, and reorganized our picks accordingly. We've also added notes on other gaming-friendly headphones we've tested, including the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro and Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, and removed a couple of write-ups on headsets that are no longer available.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/best-gaming-headset-130006477.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 01:10 We’re in a new age of AI now. Google has an AI video maker available on select Workspace editions. Google Vids runs on Google’s AI model Gemini to create workplace and marketing videos from Google Drive files and descriptions. You can either start a video from scratch or use a pre-made template to get a first draft going. There’s even a “Help me create” option in which Gemini can suggest scripts to get you started on your video. You aren’t just limited to what’s in the templates. Google Vids allows you to use your own photos and videos. It also has a virtual recording studio so you can add your own photos and videos, record videos of yourself or just make audio tracks of your voice to accompany your video. Google announced its new AI video making feature in April using the Gemini AI model. Google Vids doesn’t make videos from the ground up like Runway’s Gen-2 or OpenAI’s Sora that created one hell of a creepy Toys ‘R Us origin story movie. Google Vids creates a slideshow of sorts using different types of media and compiles them based on the content of the source documents or the suggestion you type into it. As Google Vids is part of Google Workspace, you can collaborate on a video project in real time with other team members. Google Vids is coming to Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Essentials, Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Essentials Plus members. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-vids-ai-video-maker-is-rolling-out-to-most-workspace-tiers-223647949.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 01:10 Voice assistants have a reputation for finicky activation, such as responding to their prompts that are spoken in an ad. Apple may have a fix for that in the works. 9to5Mac spotted this element in the tvOS 18.2 beta. A part of code called AdBlocker appears to use the Shazam API to match audio captured by a device's microphones against audio fingerprints downloaded from Apple. When there's a match, the usual Siri trigger command is disabled. In theory, this means Apple could have devices not react to the "Hey Siri" prompt when it's spoken as part of the company's keynote presentations or TV advertisements. The publication only found this feature in the current developer beta of tvOS, which it suggests means that HomePod smart speaker will be the first device to potentially ignore those "Hey Siri" commands. However, iOS 18.2 is also in developer beta and is bringing more Apple Intelligence features to Apple's smartphones, as well as possibly integrating ChatGPT subscriptions with Siri. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/siri-might-ignore-commands-spoken-in-apple-commercials-soon-220855324.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 01:10 The November update for Google Pixel devices running Android 15 is rolling out now. This batch doesn’t include exciting new features, like the AI-powered theft protection in the October update, but it has bug fixes and the latest security patches to tighten things up. The new software includes fixes for known intermittent issues with Bluetooth range, camera tilt when zooming between cameras and unexpected flashing or flickering of white dots or screen brightness. It also has fixes for adaptive brightness not activating, the keyboard dismiss button not working correctly and the performance and stability of some UI transitions and animations. Android 15 arrived last month for Pixel devices, following the Pixel 9 lineup’s debut in August. The annual software jump focuses on security and privacy, like AI-powered theft detection lock and extra authentication requirements for removing SIMs and deactivating Find My Device. Google says the November Pixel update is rolling out today and will continue in phases over the next week. You should see a notification when it’s ready for your device and carrier.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/googles-november-pixel-update-is-rolling-out-212243796.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 01:10 While Activision has been striving to shrink its notoriously huge Call of Duty games so they take up less storage space, you may still need more room on your console. That's true even if you have the new Xbox Series X with 2TB of built-in storage. Games can quickly fill an internal SSD and if you're an Xbox Series X/S gamer, Seagate's expansion card is perhaps the way to go. The 2TB variant is on sale at the minute. It has dropped to an all-time low of $200. That's $160 off the regular price. Look, proprietary storage stinks, but the choice for Series X/S owners looking for more space is largely between Seagate's Storage Expansion Card and WD's Black C50. It's possible to store Series X/S games on a regular external drive, but you'll need to move them to internal storage or an expansion card anyway to actually play them. If you don't want to deal with shifting large files around and waiting for transfers to complete, or you don't want to delete and download games more than is necessary, an expansion card is the way to go. Seagate's version is one of our picks for the best Xbox Series X/S accessories. The 2TB version should give you ample space — at least until you start filling it up with all of the huge Call of Duty games that have started hitting Game Pass. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/seagates-2tb-xbox-expansion-card-is-down-to-a-record-low-price-ahead-of-black-friday-210647959.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 01:10 Accessory maker 8BitDo has unveiled its second new product in two weeks. After showcasing a latch-on gaming controller for Android phones, the company now has a new version of its Retro Mechanical Keyboard that adds a numpad and new shortcuts. And yes, the $120 accessory still includes those begging-to-be-mashed Super Buttons. Like its predecessor, the 8BitDo Retro 108 Mechanical Keyboard is inspired by Nintendo’s NES and Famicom consoles. The two variants almost perfectly match the colors of these 1980s gaming machines: white, dark gray and black for the NES-inspired flavor and white and crimson for the Famicom one. Appropriately, the latter has Japanese markings under its English characters. The keyboard is 22 percent wider than the standard version to accommodate the integrated numpad and other extras. The extended area also includes Windows shortcuts, Calculator, Function Lock and Screen Lock buttons. Otherwise, the new keyboard retains the features of the 87-key original. That includes using it in wired or wireless modes , custom key mapping through 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2 , N-key rollover and hot-swappable keys. 8BitDo The new model includes the same pair of Super Buttons you’ll get with the smaller variant. These programmable macro keys look like giant-sized versions of the A and B buttons on the NES and Famicom. They connect to the keyboard directly via a 3.5mm jack, and you can string up to four sets together. You can also order Super Buttons for $30.24 apiece. Officially, 8BitDo says the keyboard is only supported for Windows and Android, likely because its customization software is only available for the former. But you can still use it with macOS; you’d just miss out on customizing its keys and macros and receiving software updates. The 8BitDo Retro 108 Mechanical Keyboard will be available in NES and Famicom variants on December 12. You can pre-order it now for $120 through Amazon. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/8bitdo-has-a-new-version-of-the-retro-mechanical-keyboard-with-a-built-in-numpad-201051915.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 01:10 TikTok is all about the tunes, and the social network has added integrations to directly post audio from streaming services. Share to TikTok is a new feature that will let listeners in Apple Music and Spotify share music to the video platform. The tool can post a track, album, playlist or other content to the TikTok Feed, either in FYP or Stories. Streaming audio material can also be shared via a TikTok DM. Even though TikTok has become a popular place to discover and share audio, the company recently announced that its TikTok Music platform would be shutting down later this month; the service never launched in the US. The business has also faced scrutiny for encouraging addictive behavior in its users, as well as posing a possible security threat. The US has considered banning the app, and Canada recently ordered TikTok to shut down its domestic operations. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/you-can-now-post-tracks-to-tiktok-from-spotify-and-apple-music-195521948.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 01:10 Today’s the day. Those with an extra $700 can go pick up a shiny new PS5 Pro. There are already over 50 enhanced games to coincide with the console’s launch, and one of them is the exquisitely delightful Baldur’s Gate 3. Developer Larian Studios just announced all of the various features available for those who are on the fence about Sony’s latest gadget. The Quality and Performance modes have both been tweaked to “achieve crisp console visuals without sacrificing smooth performance.” Quality mode can now run at native 4K at 30 fps while Performance mode upscales 1440p to 2160p at 60 fps, thanks to Sony’s proprietary PSSR upscaling technology. The company has also massively improved the split screen multiplayer experience, which might be worth the price of admission for some. Split screen mode will now allow players to choose from 30 fps or 60 fps, depending on if Quality or Performance mode is engaged. This update for the PS5 Pro even includes some minor tweaks for the regular PS5 version of the game. For instance, Larian has fixed an issue that prevents people from downloading or subscribing to mods when loading into another player’s multiplayer game with mods enabled. For the uninitiated, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a fantastic RPG that prioritizes player choice above all else. It’s as close a video game has ever come to duplicating the feeling of sitting at a table playing Dungeons and Dragons. Also, you can have sex with a bear.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/here-are-all-of-the-enhancements-for-baldurs-gate-on-ps5-pro-194530443.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 01:10  Japanese automaker Nissan is taking a big ax to its workforce. Reuters reports that the company plans to make some steep cuts to its operation, including 9,000 jobs and 20 percent of its global manufacturing capacity. The cuts won’t just affect workers on the assembly lines. The New York Times reports that Nissan Chief Executive Officer Makoto Uchida is taking a 50 percent pay cut from his monthly compensation. Japan’s third-largest automaker has to cut $2.6 billion in costs this fiscal year. Nissan revised its annual profit outlook by a whopping 70 percent as its struggles to sell cars in places like China and the US “where it lacks a credible line-up of hybrid cars.” Nissan’s global sales fell by 3.8 percent for the first half of the fiscal year, witha 14.3 percent drop in China and 3 percent drop in the US. Nissan says in a press release that it’s taking “urgent measures to turnaround its performance” beyond just making cuts to its labor force. The automaker says its planning to introduce new energy efficient vehicles to China and plug-in hybrids and e-POWER vehicles in the US. So far, the only EVs in Nissan’s garage include the Leaf and the Ariya fleet.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/nissan-is-laying-off-9000-workers-and-giving-its-ceo-a-pay-cut-193050069.html?src=rss