John Lewis, a high-end department store chain in the UK, briefly listed a new Kindle that’s not available from anybody else. It’s the upcoming 12th-generation Kindle ereader that Amazon has yet to announce, though its information has leaked quite a few times before Lewis prematurely posted a listing for it. While that listing is no longer live, Good Ereader and The Verge were able to take screenshots and take note of the device’s specs. Amazon called the 12th-gen basic Kindle the “lightest and most compact” one it has ever designed, with a 6-inch 300 ppi display and 16GB of storage, in the retailer’s description.
Its front light is 25 percent brighter at max setting than previous versions, and it has a higher contrast ratio, but you still won’t be able to turn the light cooler or warmer like you could on more expensive Kindles. The device will enable faster page turns than previous Kindles, though, and has a new dark mode feature that inverts the e-ink display’s colors, according to The Verge. If you prefer listening to your books, you can fire up Audible on the new Kindle and connect your headphones or speakers to it via Bluetooth, as well.
In addition to the basic 12th-gen Kindle, John Lewis also posted the listing for its Kids Edition version. It’s the same device, except it ships with a colorful case and comes with a free six-month subscription to Amazon Kids+. Previous Kids Edition Kindles came with a year-long free membership to the subscription service, but for this one, you’d have to pay $6 a month for continued access to curated books, videos and games for children after half a year. As for the 12th-gen Kindle itself, the John Lewis listing said it will set you back £95 ($124) or around £10 more than the previous version. Meanwhile, the Kids Edition will cost you a bit more, as the retailer listed it for £115 ($150).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-next-entry-level-kindle-leaked-on-a-uk-store-035240220.html?src=rss
The Federal Communications Commission announced that it will open a renewed investigation into broadband data caps and how they impact both consumer experience and company competition. The FCC is soliciting stories from consumers about their experiences with capped broadband service. The agency also opened a formal Notice of Inquiry to collect public comment that will further inform its actions around broadband data caps.
“Restricting consumers’ data can cut off small businesses from their customers, slap fees on low-income families and prevent people with disabilities from using the tools they rely on to communicate,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said. “As the nation’s leading agency on communications, it’s our duty to dig deeper into these practices and make sure that consumers are put first.”
This topic has been a hot one of late, and the FCC launched another notice of inquiry about the practice of capping Internet access last year. In April 2024, the agency successfully required that ISPs offer clear information labels on their service plans, detailing additional fees, discounts, and upload and download speeds. Data caps could also come under additional fire as the FCC attempts to restore net neutrality rules, which classify broadband as an essential service. Returning net neutrality has not been a simple journey, however, as the agency faces legal challenges from broadband providers.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/fcc-launches-a-formal-inquiry-into-why-broadband-data-caps-are-terrible-182129773.html?src=rss
NBA League Pass is getting some cool new features for the 2024-25 season. This includes multiview, which is an oft-requested tool. Multiview allows basketball fans to watch up to four games at once on the same screen.
The feature works on TVs, smartphones and tablets, and will likely be a mainstay of bookies everywhere. It’s actually available right now to subscribers, for those keeping track of preseason developments. The season officially starts on October 22, so that’ll be when multiview really starts to prove its worth.
NBA
There’s a new smart rewind tool that’ll automatically pick out key highlights and plays to check out. Subscribers will also be able to download full games for offline viewing, which could be a boon for flights and the like. Just stay away from spoilers.
NBA League Pass is an app that exists in the year 2024. That means it’s getting stuffed with a whole lot of AI. There’s something called NBA Insights, which features an algorithm trained on “deep basketball understanding.” The algo will use its knowledge to “identify key narratives, player performances and notable milestones, providing fans with a continuous feed of text-based updates that go beyond the box score.” Here’s hoping it keeps hallucinations to a minimum.
The league is also using generative AI to localize content, offering translations and automated recaps in French, Portuguese and Spanish. Finally, there’s something called the “Dunk Score.” As the name suggests, this is an AI-calculated grade for dunks. The calculations happen in real time based on a “player’s jumping distance, style and force at the rim and defensive efforts from the opposing team.”
For the uninitiated, NBA League Pass provides access to hundreds of out-of-market games throughout the season. The premium ad-free version costs $25 per month, or $160 per season. The standard ad-filled subscription costs $17 per month or $110 per season. NBA TV, which is a more limited service to watch out-of-market games, is still available via cable providers.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/nba-league-pass-gets-multiview-just-in-time-for-the-season-to-start-191016755.html?src=rss
Riot Games is cutting jobs from its League of Legends team. Marc Merrill, the studio’s co-founder, co-chairman and chief product officer, announced the cuts today on X. “This isn’t about reducing headcount to save money—it’s about making sure we have the right expertise so that League continues to be great for another 15 years and beyond,” Merrill said. A rep from Riot Games told Engadget that 32 jobs will be eliminated across the company in this move.
The spin seems to be that the developer is trying to reprioritize behind the scenes, especially with Merrill’s insistence that “we’re not slowing down work on the game you love” and that the team “will eventually be even larger than it is today as we develop the next phase of League.” He didn’t add any more details about what that new focus would be or which departments will bear the brunt of the cuts.
It’s a bold move for Riot to make now, especially since League of Legends is right in the middle of its much-viewed World Championships. We received confirmation that the esports team would not be impacted by the cuts. The company also downsized at the start of 2024, eliminating 11 percent of its global workforce. That move mostly impacted employees “outside of core development,” so the League of Legends team likely didn’t see any changes at that time. The company also separately announced in January that it would shutter the Riot Forge publishing project.
All these changes point toward a bigger picture of changing and narrowing focus for Riot. The company has tried a lot of new ideas since the explosive success of League of Legends; a first person team shooter, a mobile auto chess battler, a fighting game and an animated TV show, to name a few. But it seems like Riot’s time for experimentation may be ending.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/riot-makes-more-cuts-this-time-to-crown-jewel-league-of-legends-192548888.html?src=rss
Threads is sometimes criticized for not prioritizing real-time content in its recommendations. Now, Meta is adding status indicators that can show when a particular user is online in an apparent effort to address that need.
The optional feature, called “activity status,” will display a green bubble alongside someone’s profile photo when they’re online. The indicator is meant to help users find “others to engage with in real-time,” according to an update from Instagram boss Adam Mosseri. “We hope that knowing when your people are online makes it easier to have conversations.”
It’s an interesting choice for a platform that still doesn’t have direct messaging capabilities. Such indicators are more common in chat apps like Discord (Instagram, which does have robust DM capabilities, also has a similar feature). But Meta has said repeatedly it doesn’t want to bring in-app messaging to Threads, with the app’s head of product recently tellingBusiness Insider there are no plans to add DMs to the app.
The feature also doesn’t exactly address many users’ desire for a feed that’s more oriented to real-time information and conversations. Instead, Meta is offering the status indicators as a way to seek out users who are currently active on the service as a way of encouraging conversations that are more likely to get timely replies. But without a clear way of finding people who have that green bubble alongside their profile photo, it’s unclear how easy this will actually be.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-can-now-show-when-people-are-online-and-using-the-app-194041928.html?src=rss
Like Professor X and Magneto, Intel and AMD know when to team up and take on a shared adversary. The two companies have formed a new x86 advisory group to stem the platform’s bleeding from Arm’s rapidly growing adoption. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, whose company is also part of the initiative, said the board will “help drive software consistency and standard interfaces.”
Intel and AMD aim to find new ways to expand the x86 ecosystem with greater cross-platform compatibility. Arm, licensed for Apple silicon, Qualcomm chips and some Big Tech data centers, currently has a simpler and more flexible design. Compared to x86, Arm makes it easier for licensing companies to adapt the architecture to their needs.
The new x86 group wants a more unified set of instructions and architectural interfaces. Intel and AMD believe greater predictability and consistency across their products will foster developer innovation and help the platform survive and thrive.
In addition to the pair of chipmaking rivals, the group’s founding members include Microsoft, Google, Meta, HP Inc, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Lenovo, Broadcom, Dell, Oracle and Red Hat. Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney and Linux creator Linus Torvalds are also members.
“We are on the cusp of one of the most significant shifts in the x86 architecture and ecosystem in decades — with new levels of customization, compatibility and scalability needed to meet current and future customer needs,” Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger wrote in a press release. “We proudly stand together with AMD and the founding members of this advisory group, as we ignite the future of compute, and we deeply appreciate the support of so many industry leaders.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/intel-and-amd-team-up-to-stem-the-x86-bleeding-205731857.html?src=rss
Sony announced in January that it planned to create a movie adaptation of its 2015 PlayStation game Until Dawn and the project is moving quickly through production. Earlier this month, director David F. Sandberg posted on Instagram that the film had wrapped shooting, and today Sony production house Screen Gems announced that the movie’s release date will be April 25, 2025.
Until Dawn became a cult favorite among the horror game fans, with a branching narrative that offers dozens of different endings based on a player’s choices. If you haven’t had a chance to experience the original Supermassive Games title yet, the game recently received a timely spooky season remake from Ballistic Moon. One of the big questions around creating a film from the game source is which of the many possible outcomes will the team choose for the plot? And the other big question is whether Until Dawn will follow in the footsteps of successful game adaptations like The Super Mario Bros. Movie or be an absolute trainwreck like Borderlands?
So far, the signs seem promising. Director Sandberg has a solid track record in horror with Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation. The final script was written by Gary Dauberman, who worked with Sandberg on Annabelle: Creation as well as penning words for other Annabelle movies, It (2017), It Chapter Two and The Nun.
The game had some notable actors involved, including Hayden Panetierre and Rami Malek. For the movie, Screen Gems tapped a cast including Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Odessa A’zion and Maia Mitchell. Peter Stormare will also reprise his role of Dr. Hill in the film version.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/sonys-until-dawn-movie-gets-april-25-release-date-223735333.html?src=rss
The dog-esque robots created by the likes of Boston Dynamics and MAB Robotics are already horrifying thanks to a mix of the “Metalhead” episode of Black Mirror and humanity’s natural apprehension for an uncertain future. This one highlighted by TechCrunch really got under my skin in an unnatural way.
MAB’s Honey Badger Legged Robot can walk underwater and they took it on a test run for its YouTube channel. The steps it takes on the bottom of the pool create this weird ringing noise that’s just alarming as all hell. It’s like the engineering team hired John Carpenter to write a score for its robot.
It’s even scarier when the robot walks towards the camera like it’s hunting me down just before asphyxiation sets in and I drown. It sounds like they took a cue from the Skinamarink soundtrack. Someone make the horror in my head stop.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/this-underwater-dog-robot-comes-with-its-own-horror-soundtrack-215325892.html?src=rss
The Nuio Flow is a new ergonomic keyboard and accessory system for those who don’t mind trading serious cash for a sleek and thoughtful design. Co-founded by two brothers, one of whom is a former Apple designer, Nuio has an Apple-like value proposition: a split keyboard and an optional trackpad, desk pad, magnetic stands and wristpads for $400 for the keyboard alone to over $1,000 for all of components.
At the center of Nuio’s product lineup is the Flow split ergonomic keyboard, which (here’s the Apple influence again) “puts the human form at the center of every design.” Nuio CEO Tom Wilson says the product’s purpose is to reject legacy decisions that often dictate keyboard design. “There are literally no right angles in the human body,” Wilson wrote in a press release shared with Engadget. “Yet we spend most of our lives hunched over rigid, rectangular keyboards and peripherals — often enduring hours of wrist pain, tech fatigue and poor posture.”
Nuio
The company describes the keyboard’s split, radial design as optimal for hand positioning. (Of course, there are plenty of ergonomic and split keyboards you can already buy for much less.) It has curved keys with a scissor-switch mechanism (like many laptops, including Apple’s current models), so this model isn’t for those who like mechanical keyboards.
The keys and their symbols are backlit but without color customization. Each charge of the Flow keyboard is estimated at up to 28 days, but that drops to around 15 days with “some backlight use.” The keyboard includes a split USB-C cable that charges both halves simultaneously.
The company estimates that the non-user-replaceable internal battery will last about two years, but it says you can send it to the company for a battery replacement after that. When we reached out to the company to clarify the service’s cost, a Nuio spokesperson said the battery replacement is free for the first two-year window. After that, “there will be a nominal replacement charge.”
Unlike many top-of-the-line keyboards, you can’t swap out the Flow keyboard’s physical keys. Nuio also doesn’t appear to offer key-changing on a software level; its FAQ says it offers “a limited amount of key customization” through your device’s operating system.
While most ergonomic keyboards have built-in stands, Nuio sells a $99 pair of magnetic ones separately. They let you “tent and tilt” the keyboard along multiple axes. The company says the stands hold their position firmly after each adjustment.
Nuio
Nuio also sells a $249 wireless multitouch Flow trackpad to complement the keyboard. The company says its edge-to-edge glass surface offers precision tracking and pressure-sensing. Unlike Apple’s current Magic Trackpad, it clicks mechanically, not with haptics and pressure-sensing. Nuio says its trackpad offers full gesture support but doesn’t support deep-presses like Apple’s. You can also buy a $59 magnetic stand for the trackpad with multi-axis tilt support.
The rest of the Nuio system includes a $99 pair of “supremely comfortable” wristpads. They can attach to a deskpad, available first in a travel-friendly small size for $129. The price of a large one, initially listed on the website at $179, is “still in the works,” according to a company spokesperson. The deskpads include magnets, too, allowing “precise and flexible positioning of all NUIO components.” The company says it strikes a balance between firmly holding all the system’s components in place while still being easy to adjust.
Nuio
If you order the keyboard, trackpad, stands for each and large desk pad, you’re forking over $1,084. (Cue spit take.) Like a luxury watch or car, the Nuio Flow system asks you to care enough about an elegant, modern design while typing (and perhaps have an Apple designer’s salary yourself) to invest in the elegant-looking accessory ecosystem.
The Nuio Flow Keyboard and its peripherals are now available to pre-order from the company’s website. The keyboard in space gray with a macOS legend, small deskpad keyboard stands, trackpad stand and wristpads are expected to ship in early December. Meanwhile, if you want the keyboard with Windows / dual OS legends or in other colors (silver, gold, rose gold, blue, green and brown), you’ll have to wait for early January. The large deskpad is “coming soon.”
Update, October 15, 2024, 5:50PM ET: We updated the story to reflect more current details about the keyboard’s estimated battery life and the large deskpad’s pricing, according to a company spokesperson.
Update, October 15, 2024, 5:00PM ET: This story has been updated to add a Nuio spokesperson’s info about the battery replacement service’s cost.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/the-nuio-flow-is-a-customizable-split-ergonomic-keyboard-with-magnetic-peripherals-192259319.html?src=rss
Apple doesn’t offer many discounts for its product lineup, so seeing one of its tablet accessories on sale for a third off the usual cost is exciting. The Apple Pencil Pro is available on Amazon for just $90, the lowest price we’ve seen for it. This is the most recent stylus model from Apple, with a design overhaul that was just announced in May, and it quickly rose to prominence as one of our favorite accessories for an iPad.
The Pencil Pro has some useful features for optimal control and navigation, such as squeeze and roll gestures. The stylus boasts pressure sensitivity; in other words, it will make darker marks if you press harder and lighter marks if you use a light touch. It delivers haptic feedback to your fingers and if you have a habit of misplacing accessories, the Pencil Pro also can be tracked down with Find My. And as with other Apple Pencils, the Pro will attach magnetically to your iPad’s chassis for charging when it’s not in use.
There are a few downsides to the Pro model, most notably that it’s still not universally supported across all iPads. We’ve got a rundown of all the different Apple Pencils’ features and compatibilities, but the tl;dr is that this high-end version works with the M4 iPad Pro, the M2 iPad Airs and the latest model of the iPad Mini. So this may not be the right buy for every iPad owner, but it’s a great tool for taking full advantage of everything those tablets can do.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-apple-pencil-pro-is-30-percent-off-taking-it-down-to-an-all-time-low-price-210311608.html?src=rss
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