Jun 09
Many cities including Beijing are requiring a negative test result within the last three days to enter a public place or take the bus or subway.
Jun 09
Amazon already uses augmented reality to help you try hair colors and makeup, and now it’s extending that technology to your feet. The company has launched a Virtual Try-On for Shoes feature in its mobile app that helps you visualize footwear. Tap a button on the product page, point your phone camera toward your feet and you’ll see how the shoes would look in a more realistic setting. You can switch colors for a given style without having to leave the AR mode, and share images with friends to see if they like your choices.
The feature is initially available only for iOS users (Android is coming “soon”) in the US and Canada. The early selection is limited to runners and other casual shoes from several major brands, including Adidas, Asics, Lacoste, New Balance, Puma, Reebok, Saucony and Superga. Nike is conspicuously absent. And no, you can’t yet use this for dress shoes — this won’t help you find a perfect set of heels.
The new Virtual Try-On won’t tell you whether or not shoes are comfortable, which might put you off. What’s the point of finding a sweet style if it pinches your toes? With that said, the tool could still be useful for online shopping expeditions. If you know your shoe preferences, you might just find your ideal pair without visiting a host of local stores or putting all your trust in product photos.
Jun 09
While all eyes are on the flashy new XPS 13 Plus, Dell hasn’t forgotten about its mainstay premium ultraportable or its convertible cousin. This year, the XPS 13 been redesigned to be slimmer and more power efficient. The XPS 13 2-in-1, meanwhile, has been transformed from a foldable laptop into a detachable Surface competitor. Both are being positioned to make room for their new family member—if you want power, you’ll want the XPS 13 Plus with its beefy 28-watt CPU. But if portability matters more to you, then the XPS 13 and XPS 13 2-in-1 may be more appealing.
Here’s how you can tell Dell is thinking of the XPS 13 differently: It’s now running 9-watt 12th-gen Intel processors, whereas last year’s model was powered by 15-watt 11th-gen chips. According to Dell, you can get the new CPU to run at 12-watts in performance mode, which gives you the same performance as the previous processors. While we haven’t tested the XPS 13, that claim makes sense given the massive performance gains we’ve seen from Intel’s new hybrid processor design, which rely on a combination of high-power and high-efficiency cores.
Dell also managed to craft a motherboard that’s 1.8x smaller than last year’s model. (Notably, it’s also the most compact motherboard the company has ever created.) The new setup is so efficient, it only needs a single fan to cool the entire system, down from the two fans in last year’s model. Dell tells us that fan could be noisier than before when it’s running at full blast, but for typical usage it’ll be quieter. On top of generating less heat, having more internal space gave Dell room to throw in larger speaker enclosures, as well as a bigger battery (now rated at 12 hours of juice).
Dell
While the XPS 13 looks similar to last year’s model, there are some notable changes. Now its keyboard is surrounded with the same tinted metal as the outside of the case—no more carbon fiber or woven glass. And, unfortunately, it also loses the headphone jack just like the XPS 13 Plus. There’s a USB-C to 3.5mm jack adapter in the box, but that will also take up one of the machine’s two USB-C ports. As with most ultraportables, if you want to get real work done, you’ll probably need to invest in a mini-hub.
As a fan of Dell’s previous XPS 13 2-in-1 notebooks, I’m also intrigued to see how the company tries to tackle a premium detachable, especially after the failure of the XPS 12. The new 2-in-1 sports a 13-inch screen, is powered by 12th-gen Intel chips and, notably, it’s also Dell’s first PC with built-in 5G. At 1.6 pounds (for the Wi-Fi model) or 1.8 pounds (for the 5G), the 2-in-1 tablet also weighs less than the 1.96-pound Surface Pro 8.
Dell
Unfortunately, Dell also appears to be taking the wrong lessons from Microsoft, as its XPS Folio keyboard accessory will be sold separately. That case looks compelling, at least, with three angles of screen adjustability and a borderless keyboard with 1 millimeter of travel. It also won’t lead to a heavy convertible PC, since it weighs 1.2 pounds on its own. Additionally, there’s a new XPS Stylus to go alongside the tablet, but of course it’s also sold separately.
The new XPS 13 is available today starting at $999. You’ll have to wait until this summer to nab the latest XPS 13 2-in-1, and we’re still not sure how much it (or its accessories) will cost.
Jun 09
Parents of young kids just need a break. Even before the pandemic, it was tough to run out to the movies, since that involves setting up a baby sitter and praying nothing goes wrong in the middle of your night out. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to help new dads (and moms) build out their home entertainment options. And it’s even easier if you’re aiming to find gifts for someone who hasn’t already nerded out on A/V gear.
Sonos Beam
Sonos
There are plenty of soundbars out there, but few are as versatile as the Sonos Beam. It’s a sleek box that’ll instantly upgrade any TV with expansive and detailed sound. But, it’s also a smart speaker with support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. That makes it a viable alternative to devices like the Echo. Being able to shout “Play some Sesame Street songs!” comes in really handy for new parents. Trust me.
Roku Streaming Stick+
Roku
These days, it’s almost impossible to buy a dumb TV without any internet connectivity or streaming apps. But for folks who have older sets, especially those relegated to bedrooms, a streaming stick like Roku’s could change their lives. It offers the company’s full suite of apps, excellent 4K and HDR performance, and it’s surprisingly inexpensive. And once we can start traveling again, the Roku Streaming Stick+ is great to bring on vacation, so you’re never too far from your binge-watch queue. We still love the original model, but if you spring for the newer Streaming Stick 4K+, you’ll get longer-range WiFi and an updated voice remote.
Buy Roku Streaming Stick+ at Amazon – $50
Apple TV 4K (2021)
Apple
The Apple TV 4K finally gets the update it needed this year — and best of all, it has a larger Siri remote with a more responsive, touch-enabled clickpad. It’s a solid gift for anyone already embedded in the iOS ecosystem. This latest model also features Apple’s A12 Bionic chip, which offers faster video decoding and support for Dolby Vision HDR at higher frame rates. And if you know someone who already has the previous Apple TV 4K, you can always gift them the new Siri remote separately for $59.
Buy Apple TV 4K at Amazon – $179
55-inch LG C1 OLED TV
LG
If your dad (or anyone else) is in desperate need of a living room TV upgrade, then you can’t go wrong with LG’s award-winning OLED TV from last year. It has incredible picture quality and a long list of features that will keep it current even when you plug in a new-gen game console.
The best part? For as long as the CX is still available, you’ll be able to find some good deals, with prices almost as low as they’ve ever been since these TVs debuted. This one normally costs $1,500, but you can often find it for as low as $1,100. Don’t wait.
Buy 55-inch LC CX OLED at Amazon – $1,500
Sony WH-1000XM4
Sony
If your dad just needs to spend time with an audio book or some music, then a pair of noise-cancelling headphones are a good match and this Sony model provides some of the best technology around. The XM4 can connect to multiple devices at the same time, so it will work with dad’s phone and computer without constantly needing to re-pair and cause more hassle.
One of the few knocks we could find on the XM4s during our review was their high price, which has dropped noticeably since their release. They have a good fit, and can automatically pause when the wearer starts talking — he’ll appreciate that. And if you want to spring for a splurge gifts this year, you could get him the new WH-1000XM5, which add a new design and improved noise cancellation to all of the existing features found on the XM4.
Buy WH-1000XM4 at Amazon – $348Buy WH-1000XM5 at Amazon – $398
PlayStation 5 Media Remote
Sony
If your entertainment runs through a game console, and dad just wants to kick back to watch a game or some Blu-ray discs, then he’ll appreciate navigating things with a remote instead of a gamepad.
The PS5 Media Remote matches your console aesthetically, and includes shortcut buttons for several popular apps. Plus, its batteries will last longer than the one in a DualSense so it will always be ready to go. Your biggest problem could be probably finding one in stock, although if you managed to snag the console then we think you’ll be able to figure this out too. For Xbox owners, the PDP Media remote works for systems from the One through the new Series X/S. Instead of shortcut keys it includes a fairly standard universal remote setup so that there’s not a lot of re-learning involved.
Buy PS5 Media Remote at Amazon – $29
Philips Hue White + Color Starter Kit
Philips
Whether the house is already leaning into automation or not, this starter kit of Philips Hue White and Color lights should be a good fit. It comes with three bulbs that can glow in millions of colors, as well as a button for easy manual control and a Hue bridge. The latter will be important if dad eventually wants to add to its lighting system as it supports up to 50 connected lights. He’ll be able to control his lights from anywhere using the companion mobile app, set schedules and routines and use Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri commands to change the lighting in the house as he sees fit. That means it’ll be easier than ever for dad to get the right ambiance for his next movie night.
Buy Philips Hue starter kit at Amazon – $180
BenQ HT2050AA projector
BenQ
For the biggest and best screen possible, you’ll always want a projector. The BenQ HT2050A is as good of an option as you’ll find, and your dad can brag about how much of a deal it was at just $750. What this 1080p projector lacks in resolution and dynamic range it more than makes up for in value, and is a perfect choice to get someone started on live the projector lifestyle. Just find a blank wall and pop this on a table for an incredible movie or game night with a few vaccinated friends. A proper projection screen, blackout shades and seating upgrades are follow-up gifts that everyone will get to use.
Buy BenQ HT2050AA at B&H Photo – $749
Panasonic UB420 4K Blu-ray player
Panasonic
Blu-rays and DVDs aren’t dead yet. For the true cinephile in your life, consider a 4K Blu-ray player like Panasonic’s UB420. It’ll playback UHD discs at full resolution, and it includes support for HDR and HDR10+. While many 4K Bluray owners rely on their gaming consoles, having a dedicated player is a major upgrade in terms of speed and usability. (Plus, it’s just a pain to control movies with a gamepad.) As a bonus, you’ll also be able to play back your older discs at an upscaled resolution. Sure, it costs a bit more than typical Blu-ray players, but it’s a worthwhile gift for anyone who cares about the quality of their films. If you’re on a tight budget, consider a Blu-ray player like the Sony S6700. It can upscale HD and DVD video to 4K, and it also has its own suite of streaming apps. Best of all, it’s pretty compact, so it won’t take up much room on your TV stand.
Buy Panasonic UB420 at Amazon – $218Buy Sony S6700 at Amazon – $98
Movies
Engadget
The Matrix 4K Blu-ray trilogy
No, we won’t ever stop loving The Matrix. And the series looks better than ever with its 4K Blu-ray remaster, which fixes some egregious errors from the original Blu-ray release. Whatever you think of the sequels, The Matrix fundamentally reshaped action and science-fiction in Hollywood — mostly for the better. Thanks to a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack, the films also sound more immersive than ever. And really, what better gift is there for new dads than a series that wrestles with the nature of humanity? Bringing a new life into the world certainly gets you thinking, especially when the eventual outcome for civilization sometimes seems grim.
Buy The Matrix Blu-ray set at Amazon – $71
Mission: Impossible 4K Blu-ray set
While this box set is several years old, it’s a worthy addition for any new dad’s collection. Somehow, Tom Cruise willed the classic spy series back to life and has managed to keep it fresh and energetic over the past few decades. (I’ll defend Mission: Impossible 2 as a staggering work of action opera any day, just come at me.) Consider them the ultimate dad movies: Stories about people who are great at their jobs, and almost always right in the face of insurmountable odds.
Buy Mission: Impossible Blu-ray set at Amazon – $84
Planet Earth II / Blue Planet II
Planet Earth II was the best example of 4K HDR we’d ever seen when it was released in 2017. Several years later, it still looks better than most 4K films. This combo set makes a great gift, since it also includes the sumptuous Blue Planet II, which focuses more on marine life. Dads will appreciate the incredible footage and soothing narration. Both series will also make you feel connected to the circle of life, which you can’t help but be a part of when holding a child in your arms.
Buy Planet Earth II / Blue Planet II combo set at Amazon – $70
Jun 09
There were no immediate details about any injuries or fatalities, the military said Wednesday.
Jun 09
The Black Shark 5 gaming phones promise diehard mobile gamers a better experience, and now they’re finally heading to international markets.
Jun 09
Microsoft has announced a handful of significant changes for employee contracts and agreements that would scrap some of the most controversial workplace policies in tech. To start with, the tech giant will no longer add non-compete clauses in its contracts for employees in the US and will not enforce it for most of its current staff. Only employees in senior leadership roles, such as partners and executives, will have to sign and comply with non-compete agreements. That means most employees in the US will be free to look for jobs with other companies considered as Microsoft competitors, such as Google.
“While our existing employee agreements have noncompete obligations, we do not endorse the use of such provisions as a retention tool. We have heard concerns that the noncompetition clauses in some U.S. employee agreements, even when rarely and reasonably enforced, feel at odds with our talent principles,” Microsoft explained in its announcement.
The company is also ending another controversial practice: Having workers sign agreements with non-disclosure clauses when resolving disputes and providing separation benefits. Historically, NDAs have prevented workers from talking about instances of sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation in the workplace. By preventing them from talking, it keeps them from connecting with other employees who may have the same experiences and from banding together to demand real change from the company.
As GeekWire notes, Microsoft may have no choice but to implement this change anyway. A new law that makes it illegal for companies to ban workers from talking about “acts of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour violations, and sexual assault” is set to take effect in the Washington state, where Microsoft is based, this week.
Microsoft is also increasing pay transparency by publicly disclosing salary ranges in all of its job postings across the US starting in January 2023. Finally, it will go through a civil rights audit that would examine its workplace policies and practices as conducted by a third party. It has committed to complete the audit by fiscal year 2023 and to publish a report of its results.
Jun 09
Nothing, the company led by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, will announce the phone (1), its first phone, on July 12th, 2022. Rumors about a Nothing-branded phone are as old as the company itself, and there were reports Pei was showing off a prototype back at Mobile World Congress. The company has already teased that the handset will use a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset and a custom version of Android that highlights the operating system’s “best features.”
Pei made his name with OnePlus, making affordable phones for Android diehards with high-end specs. But the economics of the mobile industry has moved on and so has OnePlus, merging with stablemate Oppo to become a mainstream brand. It’ll be interesting, therefore, to see what Pei has planned to set Nothing apart from the rest of the industry. And if he’s got the power to achieve this feat a second time after making such a big splash the first time around.
— Daniel Cooper
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Disney’s big holiday movie will skip French theaters in release window protest
‘Strange World’ will instead debut on Disney+.
Disney has announced it won’t be exhibiting its next big animated movie, Strange World, in French cinemas. This is in protest of the country’s fairly strict rules for how and when movies can be broadcast once they’re done in theaters. The complex rules, which were recently tweaked, essentially mean if Disney had put Strange World into cinemas, it wouldn’t be able to properly add it to Disney+ for the better part of two years. Instead, it’ll just bypass theaters (and the rules) to go straight to the streaming platform. That could be a problem for France’s movie theater industry, which relies on the big money Disney movies bring in for a hefty chunk of their revenue.
‘Stray’ preview: Because you’re a cat
Escape the city, reunite with your family, knock over as many things as you can.
BlueTwelve Studio
Do you like cats and wish you could roleplay as one while still working through a dystopian action puzzler? Well, Stray is a new PlayStation and PC title launching on July 19th. You play from a feline point of view, as a small orange tabby trying to escape a futuristic city. But rather than an efficient departure, you scratch at walls, knock stuff over and generally behave… as a cat. That you can interrupt two robots’ playing a board game and they just find you adorable speaks volumes.
HoloLens chief Alex Kipman is leaving Microsoft following allegations of misconduct
The HoloLens group will now be split into separate hardware and software teams.
Alex Kipman is leaving his role as head of Microsoft’s HoloLens project after allegations of misconduct published by Insider. Kipman reportedly engaged in inappropriate touching and comments toward female employees. Following his departure, Microsoft is splitting the HoloLens team in two, with the hardware group now reporting to Windows + Devices chief Panos Panay. Software developers on the project, meanwhile, will report to Experiences + Devices head Jeff Teper.
The best gifts for Dad under $50
As well as the best gifts for the photography dad in your life.
Engadget
Our enormous virtual shopping spree through the world of Father’s Day continues with two new guides for 2022. The first is a list of little trinkets you can get to celebrate whoever filled the role of father in your life, all of which are under $50. If, however, your parent is the sort of person who talks about what “gear” they’re “shooting on” to random strangers, then our photography gift guide should be your first destination.
Twitter will reportedly give its full data stream to Elon Musk
You want data? We’ll give you data.
It’s another installment in the saga between Twitter and the person who really doesn’t want to buy it but signed a contract saying he would. Elon Musk said Twitter has failed to give him enough data to understand the platform’s bot and fake account problem. Twitter says it has, but in response to the new charge has reportedly decided to give Musk access to the “firehose,” the stream of raw data that includes details on more than 500 million tweets posted to the service every day. In many ways, it’s the most spitefully clever thing Twitter can do, burying Musk in so much data it can’t be accused of hiding anything. Although I don’t know if Twitter users will be thrilled to know how much of their information has been handed over to the meme-happy billionaire.
Jun 09
Xbox has been talking about bringing the Game Pass Ultimate library to smart TVs for at least a year, and it’s finally happening in 2022. The Xbox app will hit this year’s lineup of Samsung smart TVs and monitors on June 30th, allowing Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to play titles from the cloud with no additional hardware, aside from a Bluetooth-connected gamepad. Even a PlayStation controller will do the trick.
Some 2022 Samsung smart TV models already support game-streaming services including Google Stadia and NVIDIA’s GeForce Now. Samsung launched a new Gaming Hub for its TVs in January, putting these cloud services front-and-center, and the Xbox app is set to join them. Xbox is one of the biggest forces in cloud gaming, with more than 25 million Game Pass subscribers – though not all of these are at the Ultimate tier, which unlocks streaming capabilities.
The Game Pass Ultimate library has hundreds of games available to stream and Xbox has made it a point to release its big first-party titles on the service on day one. On Samsung devices, the Xbox app will support Bluetooth headsets and gamepads including the Xbox Wireless Controller, and PlayStation’s DualShock 4 and DualSense.
There’s no update for now on the dedicated streaming device that Xbox said it was working on last year alongside the smart TV app.
Xbox
Xbox has more big plans for Game Pass in the coming months. Later this year, the company plans to add the ability for Ultimate subscribers to stream select games that they purchase outside of the Game Pass library. It’s unclear exactly how this will break down – it likely applies to titles that leave the Game Pass catalog but remain in the Xbox ecosystem, but it could include games from third-party distributors.
In response to a request for clarification, an Xbox spokesperson said, “Later this year, it’s our intent to roll out the ability for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play select games from the cloud that you already own or purchase outside the Xbox Game Pass library. We’ll have more to share on the specific games that will be supported via Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) over the next year.”
Xbox is bringing cloud gaming to two new countries, Argentina and New Zealand, on June 9th. This includes access to the Xbox streaming library and Fortnite. Xbox partnered with Epic Games to bring Fortnite to Xbox Cloud Gaming in May, and it’s available to play there for free without a subscription. At the time, Xbox said it was interested in adding other free-to-play titles to its cloud network.
Over the coming year or so, Xbox plans to test out a system that allows for multiple profiles to play at the same time under a single Game Pass subscription. That’ll be tested in Colombia and Ireland, and Xbox executives are positioning it as a “potential addition” to Game Pass.
Xbox
Finally, game demos are on their way to Game Pass. Within the next year, Xbox will start rolling out curated, bite-sized bits of upcoming games in Game Pass, allowing subscribers to test these titles for free and provide feedback to developers. The program will focus on independent titles at first, and Xbox said developers will be compensated for participating, meaning all the work that goes into building a demo won’t go unfunded. The demo program is called Project Moorcroft. There’s no word on if a Minecraft Project Moorcroft demo will ever drop, but it’s fun to say that regardless.
Time-limited, free game demos are one of the perks of the new PlayStation Plus subscription service, which will be competing directly with Game Pass. The new PS Plus goes live on June 13th and its most expensive tier, Premium, includes access to about 700 games in the PS Now library, plus cloud play for some games from past PlayStation eras. Sony’s subscription plan doesn’t support native streaming on mobile devices, as Xbox’s does, and it won’t include any new, first-party games at launch.
Sony received negative press in April after reports surfaced that the studio was making it mandatory for developers of certain games to build and release two-hour demos for PlayStation Plus Premium, with no apparent plans to compensate them for the work. Xbox, of course, made sure to highlight its plans to pay developers for building demos.
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