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Acer has introduced the Predator Helios Neo 16 AI and 18 AI gaming laptops, among the first to feature NVIDIA’s RTX 50-series mobile GPUs. These high-performance laptops offer configurations with up to Intel’s 14th Gen Core Ultra 9 275HX processors and RTX 5070 Ti GPUs, with base models starting at the RTX 5070.

The 16-inch version includes an optional 2560 x 1600 OLED panel with a 240Hz refresh rate, while the 18-inch model offers a Mini LED display with the same resolution and a 250Hz refresh rate. More budget-friendly configurations feature 1920 x 1200 IPS panels. Both laptops support up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM and 2TB of PCIe Gen 4 SSD storage.

Connectivity options include Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, multiple USB-A and USB-C ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a microSD slot. They are equipped with a 90Wh battery and Wi-Fi 6E support. The design features an RGB-lit logo on the lid and a four-zone backlit keyboard. Cooling solutions include liquid metal thermal paste and AeroBlade fans.

Specs

Price And Availability

The Predator Helios Neo 16 AI launches in April 2025 in the U.S., starting at $1,899.99, with global availability in May. The 18-inch model follows in May in the U.S. for $2,199.99, with a June international release. Acer has not revealed pricing for higher-end configurations.

Both models come with a free three-month Xbox Game Pass subscription. Weighing up to 7.28 lbs, particularly the 18-inch variant, these devices are positioned as desktop replacements rather than portable gaming laptops.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 & 18 AI: New Gaming Laptops With RTX 50 GPUs

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T-Mobile’s Starlink satellite texting feature is now available in beta for anyone with a compatible iPhone or Android device to try out, the company announced in a Super Bowl ad. The new feature provides mobile 4G or 5G coverage in areas not covered by regular cell phone towers, and you can sign up for it even if you’re on another carrier like Verizon or AT&T. 

The service will be available for free until July to approved beta testers, though limited spots are available. After that, customers of T-Mobile’s high-end offerings like the $180 Go5G Next plan will receive the feature at no cost. Other T-Mobile customers can add the service for $15 per month, or $10 per month if they sign up before the end of February. Users of other carriers will be charged $20 per month starting in July (T-Mobile didn’t explain exactly how that would work). 

In August last year, T-Mobile and Elon Musk’s SpaceX announced a collaboration that would allow the carrier’s subscribers to connect to Starlink’s second-gen satellites for coverage even from the most remote locations. The service works with standard mobile phones, but only recent, compatible models including the Apple iPhone 14 series and later, all Google Pixel 9 models, the Samsung Galaxy S21 and later, Galaxy Flip3 and Fold3 or later and others. 

If you have such a device, are enrolled in the T-Mobile Starlink beta and find yourself in an area of the US without regular cell phone coverage, you should be able to connect to a satellite and send someone a simple text message. Starlink support for voice calls and data is coming later, T-Mobile said. 

T-Mobile and Starlink sent and received the first text messages using satellites back in January 2024. In the months that followed, the FCC had given them permission to enable satellite texting in certain locations so that people could stay connected in hurricane-hit areas. Now, anyone can try it, but it would be best to apply soon given the limited spots. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/t-mobile-is-offering-its-starlink-satellite-texting-feature-for-free-until-july-130044054.html?src=rss

Civilization VII is getting a VR port soon, but it’ll be exclusive to Meta’s most recent headsets. Meta, 2K and Firaxis Games announced this weekend that the franchise’s latest entry will be available on Meta Quest 3 and 3S in Spring 2025. Players will have the option to “freely switch” between virtual and mixed reality as they wish. Per the release:

In virtual reality, players are transported to an ornate museum as they look out onto a vista personalized to their leader; in mixed reality, the Command Table adapts to its placement in a player’s physical space. Detailed dioramas can be viewed in The Archives, a room in your museum dedicated to your gameplay achievements displayed in both virtual and mixed reality.

There’s no exact release date or price just yet, but you can wishlist it on the Meta Horizon Store. Civilization VII became available for Advanced Access buyers on PC and consoles a few days ago, and reviews have so far been pretty rough. It opens up for everyone else on February 11.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/civilization-7-is-coming-to-meta-quest-3-and-3s-this-spring-221250061.html?src=rss

Civilization VII is getting a VR port soon, but it’ll be exclusive to Meta’s most recent headsets. Meta, 2K and Firaxis Games announced this weekend that the franchise’s latest entry will be available on Meta Quest 3 and 3S in Spring 2025. Players will have the option to “freely switch” between virtual and mixed reality as they wish. Per the release:

In virtual reality, players are transported to an ornate museum as they look out onto a vista personalized to their leader; in mixed reality, the Command Table adapts to its placement in a player’s physical space. Detailed dioramas can be viewed in The Archives, a room in your museum dedicated to your gameplay achievements displayed in both virtual and mixed reality.

There’s no exact release date or price just yet, but you can wishlist it on the Meta Horizon Store. Civilization VII became available for Advanced Access buyers on PC and consoles a few days ago, and reviews have so far been pretty rough. It opens up for everyone else on February 11.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/civilization-7-is-coming-to-meta-quest-3-and-3s-this-spring-221250061.html?src=rss

Civilization VII is getting a VR port soon, but it’ll be exclusive to Meta’s most recent headsets. Meta, 2K and Firaxis Games announced this weekend that the franchise’s latest entry will be available on Meta Quest 3 and 3S in Spring 2025. Players will have the option to “freely switch” between virtual and mixed reality as they wish. Per the release:

In virtual reality, players are transported to an ornate museum as they look out onto a vista personalized to their leader; in mixed reality, the Command Table adapts to its placement in a player’s physical space. Detailed dioramas can be viewed in The Archives, a room in your museum dedicated to your gameplay achievements displayed in both virtual and mixed reality.

There’s no exact release date or price just yet, but you can wishlist it on the Meta Horizon Store. Civilization VII became available for Advanced Access buyers on PC and consoles a few days ago, and reviews have so far been pretty rough. It opens up for everyone else on February 11.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/civilization-7-is-coming-to-meta-quest-3-and-3s-this-spring-221250061.html?src=rss