Now is a good time to purchase a 2022 Apple M1-equipped iPad Air, as they’ve dropped back down to all-time low prices. The 64GB WiFi model is now on sale for just $500, or $99 (17 percent) off, while the 256GB model is available for $650, also $99 off the regular $749 price. Note that the savings are applied via voucher that activates when you check out.
The M1 chip gives the 2022 iPad Air a substantial performance boost over the previous model, so it’s a solid choice for content creation, gaming and other demanding apps. Throughput is also boosted thanks to the 10Gbps USB-C ports that have double the bandwidth of the last model. At the same time, battery life remains unchanged at an excellent 10 hours. All of those things make the 2022 iPad Air future-proof and helped it garner a top-notch 90 score in our Engadget review.
It has more than speed going for it. You get a 10.9-inch liquid Retina LCD display with Apple’s True Tone feature for optimizing the screen’s color temperature based on ambient light, to start with. It also comes with an improved 12-megapixel ultra wide front camera and supports the same accessories as the last model (keyboard cases, Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil). The main downside is a lack of Face ID.
The 64GB iPad Air hits that $500 price (in all colors but blue) thanks to a 7 percent discount and $59 checkout voucher (applied when you click through to checkout). Meanwhile, the 256GB model is marked down to $650 thanks to different combinations of checkout vouchers and discounts.
Elliot Resnick was chief editor of The Jewish Press when he allegedly joined the crowd of Donald Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol, per an FBI agent’s affidavit.
When it comes to headphone design, Master & Dynamic has carved out a niche. The company’s signature look of metal and leather, immediately set it apart from the competition when the wired MH40 debuted in 2014. M&D followed up with a wireless version in 2019, giving its non-ANC (active noise canceling) over-ear headphones a modern update. Now the company is back with a second-generation wireless model, touting improvements to audio, battery and more. The third iteration of the MH40 is undoubtedly an improvement on the last, but are the company’s design chops enough to overcome the lack of features compared to similarly priced alternatives?
Design
One element that has always set Master & Dynamic apart from the competition is its design. From those first MH40 headphones, the company has relied on aluminum construction instead of plastic for several products. What’s more, it blends the metal with other premium materials like canvas and leather. For the second-generation MH40 Wireless, the company has stayed true to its roots, right down to the vintage, aviator-inspired look.
Alongside the aluminum body, a coated canvas-wrapped headband is color matched to removable lambskin leather ear pads. With all of those high-end materials, the MH40 weighs 280 grams – 30 grams more than Sony’s WH-1000XM5. Still, the extra heft isn’t a burden, these feel lightweight, comfy, and the cushiony ear pads keep you from feeling the outer rim of the ear cups.
Like the previous version, the on-board controls reside on the right ear cup. A three-button array is positioned near the headband hinge, giving you controls for calls, music, voice assistant and volume (including a mute button). The dual-function power/pairing button sits on the outer edge alongside the USB-C port and a multi-color pairing/battery life indicator. I’ll always advocate for physical controls over a touch panel, mostly because they’re more reliable. That’s certainly the case here, as I was easily able to execute multiple presses on the center button for skipping tracks.
Software and features
Billy Steele/Engadget
The M&D Connect app is the companion software for the MH40. Here, battery level is the most prominently displayed item, along with a note if your headphones are up to date firmware-wise. A tap on the gear icon reveals options for sound, controls and “about device.” Inside the sound menu, Master & Dynamic gives you four EQ presets: bass boost, bass cut, podcast (mids and vocals) and audiophile (mids and highs). By default, there’s no equalizer setting selected and the app will remember which one you picked so you don’t have to select it each time you activate the so-called E-Preset EQ. You can also enable Sidetone on the sound menu, allowing you to hear some of your own voice during calls. This comes in handy as it keeps you from feeling the need to speak loudly to hear yourself through the passive noise isolation.
While Sidetone is a nice feature, you can only activate it in the app, which means before a call (or more likely, during the first few seconds of one) you’ll have to swipe over to the sound menu to turn it on. I realize the MH40 doesn’t have ANC so there’s not a dedicated button that selects a noise-canceling mode. But perhaps there could be an option to reassign the long press on the center button, from summoning a voice assistant, to triggering Sidetone.
On the controls menu, the app gives you the option of renaming the device from M&D MH40W and changing the automatic shut-off timer from the default 30 minutes (one hour, three hours and never are the other options). From this screen you can also trigger a factory reset.
Sound quality
Billy Steele/Engadget
After testing several Master & Dynamics’ products over the years, it’s clear the company has a knack for warm, natural sound that’s devoid of any heavy-handed tuning. Across genres, there’s no over-reliance on bombastic bass or painfully brilliant highs. That continues on the second-gen MH40 Wireless where there’s ample low-end tone when a track demands it, like Mike Shinoda’s remix of Deftones’ “Passenger.” But the bass is a complement to everything else, and the default EQ works well across the sonic spectrum.
Master & Dynamic swapped out the drivers on the previous version for 40mm titanium units that it says produce “clearer highs and richer lows.” Indeed, the treble is punchy throughout a range of musical styles, and the bass can be as thick and thumping as a song requires. Other headphones may offer low boom, but it blends better with the mids and highs on the MH40, making the even the deepest bass on RTJ4 more pleasant to listen to.
There’s great attention to detail in the sound profile of the MH40 too, and again, it’s apparent across different types of music. However, this is most evident with genres like bluegrass and jazz – multi-instrumental arrangements with interwoven sections emphasizing different players at different times. It’s not quite on the level of what Bowers & Wilkins manages with its latest headphones, which are some of the best-sounding I’ve reviewed. But Master & Dynamic does a solid job with the subtle nuances of sound, from pick noise on a mandolin to the percussive thumps of an upright bass.
When it comes to calls, the new MH40 offers a better overall experience than its predecessor, but there’s still room for improvement. The new microphone setup does a solid job with constant background noise. It doesn’t pick up things like white noise machines and clothes dryers. The headphones aren’t great with louder distractions and it picks those up in greater detail if you’ve got Sidetone active.
Battery life
Billy Steele/Engadget
Master & Dynamic promises up to 30 hours of battery life on the new MH40. That’s up from 18 hours on the first wireless version of the headphones, but it’s not any longer than most ANC models. Audio-Technica’s best non-ANC model lasts up to 50 hours, for example. There’s also a quick-charge feature that will give you up to six hours of use in 15 minutes. During my testing, I managed to hit the stated time before having to plug them in, but I didn’t go beyond. That’s doing a mix of music, podcasts and calls (with Sidetone) at around 75 percent volume and leaving the headphones off overnight a few times.
The competition
In terms of non-ANC headphones, one of my favorite options is Audio-Technica’s ATH-M50xBT2. Like the MH40, this is a second-generation model with notable improvements over the M50xBT. Multi-point Bluetooth pairing, built-in Alexa and a low latency mode were added on top of the company’s blend of warm audio tone with a really comfy set of cans. Plus, they’re currently on sale for $179 – $20 less than the original price and less than half of what you’ll pay for the new MH40.
If you’re looking for noise canceling headphones, Master & Dynamic sells the MW75 with a more modern design than the company’s other over- and on-ear products. Adaptive ANC is powered by a set of four microphones and there are three noise-canceling modes to choose from. The MW75 is also equipped with wear detection to help you extend that 28-hour listening time (with ANC on). However, these headphones are a whopping $599, only surpassed by Bowers & Wilkins’ Px8 for the most expensive headphones I’ve tested recently.
For the best wireless headphones currently available, you’ll want to consider Sony’s WH-1000XM5. Simply put, no other company comes close to what Sony offers on its flagship set in terms of mixing features, sound quality and ANC performance. While they’re pricey at $398, you get more for that investment. Plus, we’ve seen the M5 on sale for as low as $279.
Wrap-up
What features are you willing to give up for headphones with standout looks and good sound? That’s really what you have to consider with the MH40. There’s no denying this second-gen model is an upgrade from the first wireless version. All of the things the company says it improved hold true, from the sound quality to the battery life and microphone performance. Had the company done so without boosting the price, I could make a strong argument for the new MH40. But at $399, there are flagship noise-canceling headphones from other companies that simply offer too much when compared to M&D’s latest. Unless, of course, the main thing that matters to you is a deft hand with product design.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/master-and-dynamic-mh40-wireless-2nd-gen-review-133022239.html?src=rss
If you own a Mac, there’s a good chance you spent quite a bit of money to buy it. If for no other reason than that, you should take care of your computer. Not only will it serve you better over its life, but you could end up getting more for it on the used market if you ever decide to sell your Mac.
In this how-to, we’ll share some tips on how to take care of your Mac. It’s impossible to cover the topic of computer maintenance from every angle, so think of this guide as more of an introduction to some organizational features and apps you may not have known about.
How to clean your Mac’s screen and body
While there are a lot of products you can buy that are specially made to help you with cleaning your computer, I’ve found the simplest approach works best — and it’s the one Apple recommends. To start, all you’ll need is some water in a spray bottle and a clean microfiber cloth. You can use either regular or distilled water. The advantage of the latter is that it’s far less likely to leave any residue on your Mac, particularly on the display. You can buy distilled water at a grocery store or make it yourself with some simple cookware. Either way, it’s more affordable than dedicated cleaning solutions and more versatile. If you don’t already own any microfiber cloths, Amazon sells affordable 24-packs you can get for about $14.
Two other products I’ve found that can make the job easier are Whoosh screen cleaner and a Giottos Rocket Blower. I can’t say enough good things about the latter. It will save you from buying expensive and wasteful cans of compressed air.
As for the process of cleaning your Mac, the most important tip to remember is to start with a clean cloth (that’s part of the reason we recommend buying them in bulk). You’ll save yourself time and frustration this way. Begin by turning off your computer and unplugging it. If you went out and bought a Rocket Blower, use it now to remove any dust. If not, take a dry microfiber cloth and go over your computer. Take special care around the keys, particularly if you own a Mac with a butterfly keyboard.
Next, dampen one side of your cleaning cloth with either water or Whoosh. Never spray any liquid directly on your computer. You’ll have more control this way and you’ll avoid getting any moisture into your Mac’s internals. I always clean the display first since the last thing I want to do is create more work for myself by transferring dirt from some other part of my computer to the screen. The last step is to buff and polish your computer with the dry side of the cloth. Be gentle here as you don’t want to scratch the screen or any other part of That’s it. Your Mac should be looking clean again.
How to organize your hard drive
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
One of the hardest parts of cleaning your Mac’s hard drive is knowing where to start. After all, most of us have apps on our computers we don’t even remember installing in the first place. Thankfully, macOS comes with a tool to help you with that exact issue.
Navigate to the “Storage” section of the “About This Mac” menu and click the “Manage…” option. Here you’ll find a tool that sorts your files into broad categories and offers recommendations on how to free up space on your hard drive. You can use those in combination with the handy “Show in finder” button at the bottom of the interface to quickly navigate your hard drive. No need to search for files manually.
The section dedicated to applications is particularly helpful since you can see the last time you used a program, as well as if it’s no longer supported by the operating system or if it’s outdated thanks to a more recent release.
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
You don’t need me to tell you to uninstall programs you don’t use, but what you might not know is that there’s a better way to erase them than simply dragging them to the trash can. A free program called AppCleaner will help you track down any files and folders that would get left behind if you were just to delete an application.
After deleting any apps you don’t need, move to the documents section. The name is somewhat misleading here since you’ll find more than just text files and excel spreadsheets. Documents, in this case, turns out to be the tool’s catch-all term for a variety of files, including ones that take up a large amount of space and DMGs you may have forgotten to dismount. The other sections on the sidebar are self-explanatory. The only other thing I’ll mention is if you’ve been using an iPhone for a while, there’s a good chance you’ll have old iOS backups stored on your computer. You can safely delete those too.
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
By this point, your hard drive should be in pretty good shape. If you want to take some additional steps to clean it, there are dedicated apps that can help. I like one called CleanMyMac X. At $51 per year, it’s on the expensive side, but will save you the time and trouble of doing everything I mentioned above (and then some) on your own. It also doubles as a malware removal tool.
Tips and tricks for keeping a neat Desktop and Finder
Igor Bonifacic
Let’s start with the menu bar. It may not technically be part of the desktop, but a tidy one can go a long way toward making everything else look less cluttered. My recommendation here is to download a $16 app called Bartender. At first glance, it’s a simple program allowing you to hide unwanted menu bar items behind a three dots icon. However, the strength of Bartender is that you get a lot of customization options. For example, you can set a trigger that will automatically move the battery status icon out from hiding when your computer isn’t connected to a power outlet.
While we’re on the subject of the menu bar, take a second to open your Mac’s System Preferences menu and go to the “Users & Groups” section. Now click on the “Login Items” tab at the bottom of the interface and take a look at all the apps that launch when you boot up your system. You can speed up your system by paring this list down to only the programs you use frequently.
When it comes to the desktop itself, the best advice is less is more. Nothing will make your computer look like a cluttered mess more than a busy desktop. Folders and stacks can help, but, for most people, I suspect part of the problem is they use their desktop as a way to quickly and easily find files that are important to them.
If you’ve ever struggled to find a specific file or folder on your computer, try using your Mac’s tagging capabilities instead. Start by opening the Finder preferences menu(“command” + “,”) and click the “Tags” tab. You can use the default ones provided by macOS or make your own. Either way, drag the ones you think you’ll use most often to the favorites areas at the bottom of the preferences window. This will make it so that they’re easily accessible when you want to use them. To append a tag to a file or folder, click on it while holding the ctrl key and select the one you want from the dropdown menu. You can also tag a file while working on it within an app. Keep in mind you can apply multiple tags to a single file or folder. You can even apply them to applications.
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
What makes tags so useful in macOS is that they can appear in the sidebar of the Finder and are easily searchable either directly through the Finder or using Siri. As long as you have a system for organizing your files, even a simple one, you’ll find it easier to keep track of them. As one example, I like to apply an Engadget tag to any files related to my work. I’ll add an “Important” tag if it’s something that’s critical and I want to find quickly.
One tool that can help supercharge your Finder experience is Alfred. It’s effectively a more powerful version of Apple’s Spotlight feature. Among other things, you can use Alfred to find and launch apps quickly. There’s a bit of a learning curve, but once you get a hang of it, Alfred will change how you use your Mac for the better.
How to organize your windows and tabs
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
If you’ve used both macOS and Windows 10, you’ll know that Apple’s operating system doesn’t come with the best window management tools. You can click and hold on the full-screen icon to tile a window to either the left or right side of your screen, but that’s about it and the feature has always felt less precise than its Windows counterpart.
My suggestion is to download an app that replicates Windows 10’s snapping feature. You have several competing options that more or less offer the same functionality. My go-to is an $8 program called Magnet. If you want a free alternative, check out Rectangle. Another option is BetterSnapTool, which offers more functionality than Magnet but doesn’t have as clean of an interface. All three apps give you far more ways to configure your windows than what you get through the built-in tool in macOS. They also come with shortcut support, which means you can quickly set up your windows and get to work.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-clean-your-mac-macbook-cleaning-supplies-digital-organization-153007592.html?src=rss
Bandcamp has always been known as an artist-friendly alternative to streaming services like Spotify, where you can buy music directly from the musicians themselves. Now, workers at the Epic-owned online audio distributor want to ensure that they’re treated as well as its creators by forming a union called Bandcamp United. According to Rolling Stone and TechCrunch, a majority of workers are in favor of unionizing, and all 62 of its non-managerial and non-supervisory personnel in the US will make up its bargaining unit. Those 62 workers are composed of support staff, designers, engineers, writers and other roles within the platform.
Apparently, Bandcamp’s personnel have been quietly working on their organizing efforts since last summer. They ultimately decided to join Tech Workers Union Local 1010 of the Office and Professional Employees International Union, which is the same group that helped full-time Kickstarter employees organize back in 2020. Based on the mission statement written on Bandcamp United’s website, the group aims to fix pay disparities and promote “equitable conditions and economic stability.” They want to make sure workers have access to paid time off and that their salaries “will grow to meet economic necessity.”
Rolling Stone says they’re also looking to address management’s lack of transparency after Epic’s takeover last year. Workers were reportedly asked to sign new employment contracts when the Fortnite developer acquired the platform, and they were given a limited amount of time to review its terms with no room for negotiations.
Ethan Diamond, Bandcamp’s CEO, told the publications that management is “aware that some… employees are seeking to organize a union and [is] reviewing the petition to understand their concerns.” Bandcamp United has already filed for a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to administer a union election and will hold one to make things official once it gets approved.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/bandcamp-workers-forming-a-union-075803951.html?src=rss
Qualcomm has introduced its latest upper mid-range mobile SoC, the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2, which succeeds the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC that arrived last year.
The UK has become the latest major jurisdiction to ban TikTok from government devices. The measure is in place with immediate effect following a security review ordered by ministers. The move is part of broader restrictions on third-party apps on government devices.
“The security of sensitive government information must come first, so today we are banning this app on government devices,” Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden, the government’s second highest-ranking minister, said in a statement. “The use of other data-extracting apps will be kept under review.”
Dowden noted in Parliament that this is a precautionary measure. “We know there is already limited use of TikTok across government, but it is also good cyber hygiene,” he said.
The ban is intended to protect sensitive data on government devices as well to prevent things like location data harvesting. The measure doesn’t apply to personal devices belonging to government employees, ministers or the public. In addition, the UK government will only allow its staff to use a third-party app on an official device if it’s on an approved list.
There will be exceptions to the TikTok ban in cases where the app is needed for work purposes, such as for law enforcement or those working on projects related to online harms. These exceptions will be granted on a case-by-case basis and security measures will need to be in place.
The government noted that people should be aware of each app’s data policies. It said TikTok requires users to give permission for the app to access certain information stored on a phone or tablet, such as geolocation data and contacts. Officials say they are worried about how this data may be used.
Leaders in many countries and other territories have expressed concern that China may gain access to their residents’ or officials’ data through TikTok. ByteDance, which owns TikTok, is headquartered in Beijing. Many legislatures have banned TikTok from government-owned devices in recent months, including the US, dozens of states, Canada and the European Commission.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/uk-bans-tiktok-from-government-devices-with-immediate-effect-142516712.html?src=rss
The Resident Evil 4 remake starts out strong. Updated aiming mechanics and a fresh infusion of processing power make this the most exciting version of RE4 Capcom has ever delivered, and Leon Kennedy looks better than ever, even with his new chin implant. The remake performs well for the first few hours, as Leon shoots and stabs his way through the misty Spanish village where las plagas has transformed the locals into murderous tentacle monsters. These early scenes, set among crooked wooden buildings and the shores of a twisting cave system, establish the game’s blood-soaked tone and provide a satisfying balance of asset management, puzzle solving and modern third-person shooting.
As the game grows in complexity, it becomes clumsy. Capcom’s approach to modernizing RE4 is to add more enemies, cramped environments and fewer ammo drops – all of which could result in a high-tension action experience, if its controls were consistent. As it stands, the RE4 remake is plagued by sluggish animations and frustrating combat sequences. Leon constantly feels underpowered, unable to evade basic attacks or reliably land a shot.
Resident Evil 4 set the standard for action-horror games when it came out in 2005, and the remake shines when it embraces the innovations of the original: over-the-shoulder precision shooting and an atmosphere blending combat and terror. However, the remake loses focus quickly, and it feels like much of Capcom’s effort was poured into upgrading enemies and environments, leaving Leon in the GameCube-era dust.
The RE4 remake introduces new boss fights and head-bursting enemies, and it also allows Leon to parry powerful attacks. Sometimes. The parry ability is only available if Leon has a knife on standby, and when the prompt does pop up, it’s easily interrupted by environmental nudges, the actions of other enemies, and Leon’s own animations. Like most of Leon’s movements, the parry ability is simply too inconsistent to be satisfying, and it generally does nothing to heighten the tension of combat scenes.
The remake often places Leon at the center of a swarm of enemies, without the option to quickly dodge incoming attacks. He has to shoot or press his way through the horde – but he runs as if he’s knee-deep in sludge, and even a bullet to the head doesn’t always stop a rushing cultist. Meanwhile, enemy attacks always interrupt Leon. Sluggish movement is authentic to the experience of the original four Resident Evil games, and it’s something that the RE2 and RE3 remakes specifically address, offering updated controls and environments that feel at home on modern hardware. In comparison to those games, RE4 feels unfinished, or at least un-finessed.
Capcom
One boss fight that Capcom reimagined for the remake is against Méndez, the mutant priest with the extra long spine. In the original, Méndez slings a repetitive series of attacks from the rafters of a burning slaughterhouse. In the remake, Méndez drops back to hurl flaming logs and explosive oil drums at Leon, before rushing forward for close-quarters fighting and alternating these positions a few times. Even though the environment in the remake is larger, it’s cramped with flames that interrupt Leon’s actions any time he touches them. Méndez moves quickly and so do the objects he throws, while Leon has a sluggish run ability, no way to quickly dodge, and lethargic animations for reloading, retrieving items, touching fire and knifing enemies. Méndez seems like a fully remade character here; Leon, not so much. This results in a frustrating boss fight.
I died a few times while trying to defeat Méndez – and that’s when Capcom pranked me. I was playing on Standard, and during my Méndez death screens, the game started prompting me to turn on Assisted mode, the lowest difficulty setting. I generally don’t do this during reviews, but a dozen infuriating attempts later and I relented, pressing OK without reading the fine print. Assisted mode makes the game incredibly forgiving, and I easily defeated Méndez in the following run.
And then I was unable to change my difficulty settings at all. Keep this in mind: Assisted mode is permanent in RE4.
I played a few more minutes on the lowest difficulty setting, but it truly felt like a different game than the Standard version, devoid of tension or risk. Luckily, I was on PlayStation 5, which only syncs cloud saves when you exit a game. I turned off the console’s internet connection, closed the game and then downloaded the old save file from before I switched settings. Then I defeated Méndez the old-fashioned way, on Standard difficulty, and carried on with a newfound fear of accidentally switching to Assisted mode in my soul.
Permanent downward mode-switching is a standard feature in Resident Evil games, but I find it to be baffling. It’s especially confusing as RE4 actively encourages Standard players to try Assisted mode in loading screens and death menus. I asked Capcom why the team designed RE4 this way, and a spokesperson said, “The difficulty mode a player completes the game on has ramifications for in-game achievements and trophies.” This doesn’t fully answer the question for me: Plenty of action games have dynamic difficulty settings without disrupting achievements, and this response doesn’t address my perception that Capcom is prioritizing trophy integrity over accessibility.
Capcom
While we’re in the complaints department, I also want to encourage all PS5 players to turn off controller sounds in the audio settings. This goes for RE4 and literally every other game with this feature. Why is the volume on the DualSense so loud, all the time? Please, someone, make it stop.
This is what the RE4 remake has reduced me to: a pleading mess of unfulfilled nostalgia and frustration. It’s not a terrible game, but it isn’t seamless, either. It adds enemy variety and fresh environments, but Leon’s bullets routinely hit their targets without dealing damage, his movements are clumsy and his new parry ability is only semi-functional. The game clearly establishes combat strategies for each scene, but then its mechanics get in the way, punishing the player in the process. Overall, the word for the RE4 remake is inconsistent.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/resident-evil-4-review-a-half-step-backward-for-capcom-remakes-070100973.html?src=rss
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
