Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve been hearing for some time that Apple is working on a version of the Apple Watch SE with a plastic shell to offer a cheaper and more kid-friendly option, but it seems bringing that vision to life is a bit more complicated than expected. After Apple’s September event last year came and went with no new Apple Watch SE announced, Mark Gurman reported that the team had run into some “cost and quality” challenges with the plastic design, but that it was still happening. Now, in this week’s Power On newsletter, Gurman says the plastic Apple Watch SE is “in serious jeopardy.”

According to Gurman, “The design team doesn’t like the look, and the operations team is finding it difficult to make the casing materially cheaper than the current aluminum chassis.” It’s been over two years since Apple released the second generation Apple Watch SE, and that model now feels “bland,” as Engadget’s Amy Skorheim wrote after revisiting the device recently. A refresh is due, but it’s now looking like the plastic design may not be in the cards just yet.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apples-rumored-plastic-apple-watch-se-has-reportedly-hit-a-serious-snag-180820143.html?src=rss

Apple is working on adding cameras to future Apple Watch models in order to make them function more like AI wearables, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in the Power On newsletter. Gurman reports that the company “is considering adding cameras to both its standard Series watches and Ultra models,” with plans for a 2027 launch. The move would allow the Apple Watch to support AI features like Visual Intelligence, which can provide on-the-spot information about whatever the user points the camera at.

Gurman previously reported that Apple is developing AirPods with a built-in camera for the same purpose, and he notes this week that these are expected to launch around the same time as the camera-equipped Apple Watches. Camera placement would likely vary among the different watch models. According to Gurman, the Series watches could get a camera in the display, while the camera in the Ultra would be on the side of the device.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-watches-with-built-in-cameras-to-support-ai-features-are-reportedly-in-the-works-154531629.html?src=rss

These are the recently released titles that belong on your reading list. This week, we picked up Stephen Graham Jones’ The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, Sarah Wynn-Williams’ Careless People and the latest issue of the Image Comics series, Bug Wars.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/what-to-read-this-weekend-stephen-graham-jones-the-buffalo-hunter-hunter-sarah-wynn-williams-careless-people-195716192.html?src=rss

Assassin’s Creed Shadows may be shaping up to be the hit Ubisoft needed. On social media, the Assassin’s Creed team announced that the game, which was released on Thursday, has so far drawn in two million players. Assassin’s Creed Shadows was originally slated to come out last fall, but was delayed twice as developers worked to further polish the game and try to ensure everything would be running smoothly on day one. 

So far, (mostly) so good, it seems. Engadget’s Kris Holt noted in his review this week that the game is for the most part running well on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and PC.

According to Ubisoft, the launch of Shadows “has now surpassed the launches of AC Origins and Odyssey.” In the tweet, the team added, “Thank you for joining the journey in Feudal Japan!” Assassin’s Creed Shadows is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Ubisoft+, Amazon Luna, Mac and PC, and is expected to come to iPad down the line. According to Holt’s review, there’s something in it for longtime players of the series and newcomers alike.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/assassins-creed-shadows-has-reached-2-million-players-ubisoft-says-213050072.html?src=rss

Assassin’s Creed Shadows may be shaping up to be the hit Ubisoft needed. On social media, the Assassin’s Creed team announced that the game, which was released on Thursday, has so far drawn in two million players. Assassin’s Creed Shadows was originally slated to come out last fall, but was delayed twice as developers worked to further polish the game and try to ensure everything would be running smoothly on day one. 

So far, (mostly) so good, it seems. Engadget’s Kris Holt noted in his review this week that the game is for the most part running well on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and PC.

According to Ubisoft, the launch of Shadows “has now surpassed the launches of AC Origins and Odyssey.” In the tweet, the team added, “Thank you for joining the journey in Feudal Japan!” Assassin’s Creed Shadows is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Ubisoft+, Amazon Luna, Mac and PC, and is expected to come to iPad down the line. According to Holt’s review, there’s something in it for longtime players of the series and newcomers alike.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/assassins-creed-shadows-has-reached-2-million-players-ubisoft-says-213050072.html?src=rss