Sep 23
Linda Evangelista Says She Was ‘Brutally Disfigured’ By Fat-Freezing Procedure
Posted in: Today's ChiliThe 1990s supermodel said she is now a recluse in the “lowest depths of self-loathing.”
Sep 23
The White House said the British PM hadn’t warned aides that he was going to start a conversation at the Oval Office.
Sep 23
German tuning house Brabus is making a bold statement with its newest 900 Rocket Edition. Brabus claims its latest masterpiece is the fastest SUV in the world. It starts with a Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S 4MATIC+ Coupe, after which Brabus installs “special” turbochargers, a louder exhaust, and a set of funky rims. Brabus has created many 900 Rockets in the … Continue reading
Sep 23
Death Stranding: Director’s Cut impresses on PS5, but it still isn’t for everyone
Posted in: Today's ChiliDeath Stranding was one of the strangest games of 2019. It was also one of those games that could not please everyone, not that it ever really wanted to anyway. It certainly elicited a range of reactions from players; “divisive” almost feels like the right descriptor, but it doesn’t really fit because I can’t remember any toxicity in the discourse … Continue reading
Sep 23
You can get an Apple’s latest MacBook Air powered by the tech giant’s M1 chip for $850 on Amazon again if you missed previous deals the sold the laptop at that price. That’s an all-time low for the device, which has an original retail price of $999 — that’s also $100 less than its average price on the website since the beginning of September. Take note that the $850 deal is for all colors of the version with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. If you need more space than that, you can get the variant with 512GB of SSD storage for $1,100, which is also an all-time low for the laptop that usually sells for $1,249.
Buy Apple MacBook Air M1 256GB at Amazon – $850Buy Apple MacBook Air M1 512GB at Amazon – $1,100
We gave the MacBook Air with M1 chip a score of 94 in our review, praising it most of all for its impressive speed and iOS-like smoothness. The laptop was shockingly responsive, and launching apps built for the chip felt as fast as opening apps on an iPad Pro. If you use Safari, websites would even load up instantly, and scrolling would feel smooth and effortless. The M1 chip gives the laptop decent gaming performance capability, as well, and it blew away Intel’s integrated graphics during our tests.
Since the 2020 MacBook Air relies on heatsink and passive cooling, you won’t have to deal with fan noise at all. Another thing we praised is its battery life, seeing as it lasted 16 hours and 20 minutes during our benchmark tests — and that’s with us playing HD videos on the laptop. It also comes with a responsive trackpad and Apple’s scissor-switch keyboard.
Most of the MacBook Air M1 laptops are marked “in stock soon” on Amazon. The silver 512GB model is in stock and could arrive at your place as soon as tomorrow, but you may have to wait until October and November for the other versions.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
Sep 23
Microsoft has announced a small flotilla of new devices during its fall event, and there’s plenty of highlights to pick through. Most interesting, of course, is likely Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio, a notebook with a screen that pulls forward just like its desktop namesake. This replacement for the Surface Book 3 also turns into a tablet-esque PC, although its stacked design may divide users.
As we surmised a few days back, the Surface Pro 8 did get a fairly magnificent redesign with a new skinny-bezel, 13-inch 120Hz display, Thunderbolt 4 and new, faster internals. It’s been built with Windows 11 in mind and goes on sale when the new operating system arrives on October 5th. Thankfully, Microsoft allowed our chum Cherlynn Low behind the velvet rope to spend a little time with the Laptop Studio and Pro 8, so read this for all the juicy details.
Much as with the band U2, we also need to discuss the “other two” members of the lineup, the Surface Pro X and the Surface Go 3. For the former, the only real news is the new, cheaper WiFi-only model, which retails for $899, and the bundling of Windows 11. Similarly, the Surface Go 3 (arguably the Larry Mullen Jr. of Surface tablets) gets faster chip options but is, in most other regards, the same affordable but deeply underpowered device we already know and, uh, love.
Cherlynn Low
On the mobile front, Microsoft announced the Surface Duo 2, its second-generation dual-screen Android smartphone. The most notable upgrade for this year is a triple camera system and a notification bar on the hinge, so you can see what’s going on without opening your phone. And yes, Cherlynn has already spent some time up close with the Surface Duo 2, and you can read all her impressions right here.
Microsoft also unveiled a bunch of other accessories, but the one that’s probably worth focusing on is the Adaptive Kit. It’s a set of add-ons that can help people with accessibility needs get around their Surface devices more easily. That includes raised port indicators, cable wraps and labels to help your fingers land on regularly used keys. Given Microsoft’s increasing focus on ensuring its devices are useful for everyone, products like this are always welcome.
If you’re interested in watching our edited highlights of the event, you can check out our supercut here, and if you’re already reaching for your wallet, here’s all the pre-order information you could possibly need or want.
— Dan Cooper
iPad mini review (2021): The best small tablet gets a facelift
Another Apple device loses its headphone jack.
Valentina Palladino
The new iPad Mini is, more or less, a shrunken iPad Air, with USB-C, a TouchID-capable power button and an 8.3-inch display. What it packs in performance, style and support for the Apple Pencil 2, it lacks in ditching the 3.5mm headphone jack. Valentina Palladino has reviewed the new baby slate, finding that, despite all the changes, much of its basic utility has stayed the same. Sadly, that higher price might be a sticking point for all those folks who wanted an entry-level iPad that doesn’t cause your bank account to break into tears.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is already better than the ‘Avengers’ game
The new title has an emotional core that actually works.
Square Enix
Everyone deserves a second chance to make a first impression, and it looks as if the second Marvel game has atoned for the sins of its predecessor. Jess Conditt dived into the world of Square Enix’s Guardians of the Galaxy and has come away pretty pleased. The characters may look and sound different to their cinematic counterparts, but they feel much more fleshed-out, and there’s a better emphasis on relationship building over button mashing. Conditt says the game has an emotional core that bodes well for the finished title, saying it already feels “way better” than Marvel’s Avengers.
Shareholders claim Facebook overpaid an FTC settlement to protect Zuckerberg
That’s generally considered something of a no-no.
Facebook shareholders believe the company overpaid its $5 billion FTC settlement in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, to personally protect Mark Zuckerberg. Reports say the FTC was originally going to levy a fine closer to $106 million (yes, million). The smaller fee, however, was conditional on Zuckerberg himself being named as a defendant in the case. Those shareholders are alleging in a lawsuit that Facebook offered $5 billion on the condition that Zuckerberg avoided any personal liability.
Apple won’t let ‘Fortnite’ back on the App Store until all court appeals are exhausted
Its lawyer says Tim Sweeney’s own public comments show the developer can’t be trusted.
Epic Games
It’s always a delight to see wall-to-wall shade buried in a pile of legalese, and this missive, purportedly from Apple’s lawyers, is a doozy. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has published a letter he received saying Apple won’t restore Fortnite to the iOS and Mac App Stores just yet. The letter, put simply, says Apple cannot presently trust Epic to behave itself, especially after public comments made by Sweeney. Consequently, Fortnite will remain off the platforms until the lawsuit Epic brought against Apple reaches its conclusion. But the letter is well worth a read in its entirety, given all of the sass lurking between those lines.
The biggest news stories you might have missed
Netflix is acquiring the rights to Roald Dahl’s books
Twitch reveals new process for dealing with unauthorized music use
Sep 23
If you’ve been thinking of getting a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 — the model formerly given the Active moniker, not the Classic one — you may want to check out Amazon’s Deal of the Day. Over the next 20 hours or so, the website is selling the wearable bundled with a fast charging wireless charger for up to 26 percent less than its original price. The bundles are even cheaper than the watches alone, and yes, the deal includes both 40mm and 44mm smartwatches in various colors, as well as both Bluetooth-only and LTE models.
Buy Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 at Amazon – $230 to $310
The 40mm Bluetooth-only version bundled with a wireless charger will set you back $230, or $80 less its usual price. Meanwhile, its 44mm counterpart is now on sale for $260 instead of its usual retail price of $340. If you want the the capability to call, text and stream on the smartwatch without your phone, you’ll need to get the LTE version. The 40mm LTE bundle is currently priced at $280, down $80 its typical retail price, while the 44mm LTE bundle is also listed at $80 less for $310 instead of $390.
In our Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 review, we said the devices are still the best smartwatches around. They’re the first models to run the new “Wear OS powered by Samsung,” which allows you to download apps from the Play Store directly to your wrist. While the Classic has a spinning bezel and the non-Classic models don’t, both versions feature upgraded biometric sensors, a body composition scanner and improved sleep tracking. The watches also come with gesture controls that let you answer or dismiss calls by flicking your wrist or lifting your arm.
Samsung just released a much pricier Thom Browne Edition Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. But if you’d rather not pay $799 for a smartwatch, head over to Amazon for the limited-time sale.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
Sep 23
Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Launched With More Impressive Hardware Than Its Predecessor
Posted in: Today's ChiliIn 2019, Microsoft unveiled its Surface Duo smartphone. It was a phone with 2019 flagship hardware, which would have been fine for a phone launching in 2019. The only problem is that Microsoft only launched the phone in 2021, which made it kind of outdated. Thankfully, Microsoft isn’t repeating their mistakes for 2021.
The company has since announced their latest handset in the form of the Surface Duo 2. This handset comes with hardware you might expect from a 2021 phone, which includes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset with 5G support. It also comes with 8GB of RAM, an upgrade over its predecessor, and will also come with 128-512GB of storage.
The phone will also maintain its form factor which includes two 5.8-inch displays with a 1344×1892 resolution each. While not exactly a foldable phone like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, it is Microsoft’s interpretation of it. When combined, the display will measure 8.3-inches which is about the size of a small tablet.
As for the cameras, the Surface Duo 2 will be equipped with a 16MP ultrawide camera, a 12MP wide camera, and a 12MP telephoto camera. Microsoft has also maintained support for a stylus with the new Surface Slim Pen 2 that can be attached magnetically to the phone for charging and carrying.
That being said, the Surface Duo 2 is not cheap. The phone is priced at $1,500 and will be available for purchase on the 21st of October for those who might be keen on it.
Microsoft Surface Duo 2 Launched With More Impressive Hardware Than Its Predecessor
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Sep 23
These Winged Microchips Could Be Used To Track Disease And Monitor Air Pollution
Posted in: Today's ChiliHow do you track a virus or disease that might be airborne? That would be quite a tall order and you probably have to rely on people getting infected and then tracing their steps to see where it might have originated from, and where it could be going next based on who the infected person has interacted with.
However, a team of researchers led by John A. Rogers, a professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Neurological Surgery at Northwestern University, have created winged microchips that can take to the skies and be used to track all sorts of things in the wind, whether it be airborne diseases or even pollutants.
These microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and can be deployed as a swarm where they can collect all sorts of useful data that might not have otherwise been possible. They are also made using biodegradable materials so that once they’ve landed, they are simply reabsorbed back into the environment.
According to Rogers who shared the inspiration behind the creation of the microchip, “We decided that that might be an interesting direction to pursue and began to ask questions like: what are the fundamental physics concepts that are behind the way that plants do dispersal? Could we leverage, downscale, and apply them to emerging miniaturized classes of electronics?”
That being said, these winged microchips are far from ready from being deployed and the team plans to expand on their research by exploring different designs, so it might be a while before they take to the skies.
These Winged Microchips Could Be Used To Track Disease And Monitor Air Pollution
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Sep 23
Twitter Will Finally Address Tweets Disappearing Halfway While You Read Them
Posted in: Today's Chili
Twitter is a space for people to quickly share their thoughts and comments, so if you follow a lot of people on Twitter, there’s a good chance your feed is constantly being updated and refreshed. This is a good way to keep up to date with what’s happening on your social media, but therein lies a problem of Twitter’s own doing.
The company has announced that after a long period of users complaining, they will finally address the issue where tweets disappear halfway while you’re reading them. If you’re unfamiliar with this issue, basically when users are reading a tweet halfway, the tweet will suddenly disappear.
Let’s talk about Tweets disappearing from view mid-read when the timeline seems to auto-refresh. We know it’s a frustrating experience, so we’re working on changing it.
Over the next two months, we’ll be rolling out updates to the way we show you Tweets so they don’t disappear.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) September 22, 2021
This isn’t necessarily a bug but rather it seems to be an issue with the way Twitter has been designed. This is because while you’re reading halfway, your timeline might refresh, and as a result that tweet will disappear. Since Twitter is using an algorithmic way of displaying tweets and not a time-based one, it also means that you can’t just scroll back to the tweet because the refresh could mean a brand new timeline.
According to Twitter, the company acknowledges that this can be a frustrating experience for users and that over the next two months, they’ll be working on fixing the problem.
Twitter Will Finally Address Tweets Disappearing Halfway While You Read Them
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
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