Engadget review recap: Panasonic S1R II, NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti and more

New devices are still hitting our desks at Engadget at a rapid pace. Over the last two weeks, we’ve offered up in-depth analysis of cameras, earbuds, GPUs and a portable display. Plus, there are follow-ups on two of this spring’s biggest TV shows and a little something for the gamers. Read on to catch up on everything you might’ve missed in the last fortnight. 

If you’re looking for a camera that excels at both photos and video that’s more affordable than what Sony, Nikon and Canon offer, contributing reporter Steve Dent recommends the S1R II. “The S1R II is Panasonic’s best hybrid mirrorless camera to date, offering a great balance of photography and video powers,” he said. “It’s also the cheapest new camera in the high-resolution hybrid full-frame category, undercutting rivals like Canon’s R5 II and the Nikon Z8.”

Devindra is back with another GPU review, and this time he put the NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti through its paces. Price hikes are the biggest concern here amidst the current retail market (even before potential tariffs kick in). “On paper, NVIDIA has done a lot right with the 16GB GeForce RTX 5060 Ti,” he explained. “It’ll be more than enough for demanding games in 1080p and 1440p, even if you let loose a bit with ray tracing. But it’s also relying on DLSS 4 upscaling for much of that performance, which may make some wary about the 5060 Ti’s actual power.”

Espresso Displays is an Engadget favorite as far as portable monitors are concerned, but senior reviews reporter Sam Rutherford argues the company needed to bridge the gap between its more affordable options and its priciest. The Espresso 15 Pro isn’t cheap, but it does offer almost everything you’d want. “It features well above average brightness, a sleek but sturdy design and super simple setup,” he said. “It also comes with a few special features like Glide and added touch support for Macs that help you get more out of the devices you already own. And thanks to a wealth of accessories, it can adapt to almost any use case.”

The idea of wireless earbuds with 25 hours of battery life seems impossible, but Audio-Technica made it happen. The company’s ATH-CKS50TW2 lasts twice as long as more premium competition with active noise cancellation (ANC) on, but it blows them away with that mode disabled. A-T’s trademark warm, inviting sound profile is on display here too. “More specifically, the stock audio isn’t overly tuned, so bass remains pleasantly thumpy when needed and dialed down when it’s not,” I wrote.

Nathan has been keeping up with season two of The Last of Us on an episode-by-episode basis and Devindra penned a full review of the new season of Andor. UK bureau chief Mat Smith spent some time playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, noting that the game “does a great job setting up its world in a way that allows everyone to get on board.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-panasonic-s1r-ii-nvidia-rtx-5060-ti-and-more-130005749.html?src=rss

Engadget review recap: Panasonic S1R II, NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti and more

New devices are still hitting our desks at Engadget at a rapid pace. Over the last two weeks, we’ve offered up in-depth analysis of cameras, earbuds, GPUs and a portable display. Plus, there are follow-ups on two of this spring’s biggest TV shows and a little something for the gamers. Read on to catch up on everything you might’ve missed in the last fortnight. 

If you’re looking for a camera that excels at both photos and video that’s more affordable than what Sony, Nikon and Canon offer, contributing reporter Steve Dent recommends the S1R II. “The S1R II is Panasonic’s best hybrid mirrorless camera to date, offering a great balance of photography and video powers,” he said. “It’s also the cheapest new camera in the high-resolution hybrid full-frame category, undercutting rivals like Canon’s R5 II and the Nikon Z8.”

Devindra is back with another GPU review, and this time he put the NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti through its paces. Price hikes are the biggest concern here amidst the current retail market (even before potential tariffs kick in). “On paper, NVIDIA has done a lot right with the 16GB GeForce RTX 5060 Ti,” he explained. “It’ll be more than enough for demanding games in 1080p and 1440p, even if you let loose a bit with ray tracing. But it’s also relying on DLSS 4 upscaling for much of that performance, which may make some wary about the 5060 Ti’s actual power.”

Espresso Displays is an Engadget favorite as far as portable monitors are concerned, but senior reviews reporter Sam Rutherford argues the company needed to bridge the gap between its more affordable options and its priciest. The Espresso 15 Pro isn’t cheap, but it does offer almost everything you’d want. “It features well above average brightness, a sleek but sturdy design and super simple setup,” he said. “It also comes with a few special features like Glide and added touch support for Macs that help you get more out of the devices you already own. And thanks to a wealth of accessories, it can adapt to almost any use case.”

The idea of wireless earbuds with 25 hours of battery life seems impossible, but Audio-Technica made it happen. The company’s ATH-CKS50TW2 lasts twice as long as more premium competition with active noise cancellation (ANC) on, but it blows them away with that mode disabled. A-T’s trademark warm, inviting sound profile is on display here too. “More specifically, the stock audio isn’t overly tuned, so bass remains pleasantly thumpy when needed and dialed down when it’s not,” I wrote.

Nathan has been keeping up with season two of The Last of Us on an episode-by-episode basis and Devindra penned a full review of the new season of Andor. UK bureau chief Mat Smith spent some time playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, noting that the game “does a great job setting up its world in a way that allows everyone to get on board.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-panasonic-s1r-ii-nvidia-rtx-5060-ti-and-more-130005749.html?src=rss

Snapdragon X Plus Could Bring Faster, More Powerful Chromebooks

Developers are preparing ChromeOS updates to support Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X Plus chips, potentially leading to more powerful Chromebooks, according to Chrome Unboxed. A recent commit in the Chromium Gerrit code review reveals that the SoCID for the Qualcomm X1P42100—also known as Snapdragon X Plus—has been added to the repository, signaling active development of Chromebooks using this processor.

Although the Snapdragon X Plus is not Qualcomm’s flagship “Elite” processor, it offers notable performance, delivering 45 trillion operations per second (TOPS) of AI capability through its neural processing unit (NPU). This advancement suggests that upcoming Chromebooks could see significant improvements in AI-driven tasks and overall efficiency.

Historically, Qualcomm’s Arm-based Chromebooks have struggled with performance. The 2021 Acer Chromebook Spin 513, powered by the Snapdragon 7c, was praised for its battery life but criticized for slow performance. While the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 offered slight improvements, it was not enough to close the performance gap.

Additionally, Qualcomm did not release the 7c Gen 3 for Chromebooks, which left manufacturers relying primarily on MediaTek and Intel processors. Intel chips, while powerful, have often been associated with less-than-ideal battery performance in Chromebooks.

The integration of Snapdragon X Plus chips could address these long-standing limitations, providing a balance of power efficiency and processing strength. This move could position Arm-powered Chromebooks as stronger competitors in a market where battery life and speed are increasingly important to users.

Snapdragon X Plus Could Bring Faster, More Powerful Chromebooks

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

DoorDash calls Uber's lawsuit accusing it of anti-competitive practices a 'scare tactic'

DoorDash is asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Uber in February, calling it meritless and a “cynical and calculated scare tactic.” Uber sued the biggest food delivery provider in the US earlier this year, accusing it of putting pressure on restaurants to exclusively use its services. At the time, Uber said that it heard from “restaurants across the country” that DoorDash was charging higher commission rates from restaurants that also sell their food on Uber Eats. It also accused DoorDash of threatening to demote restaurants in its listings if they’re also available on the Uber Eats app. But in its motion for dismissal, DoorDash said Uber’s lawsuit isn’t about protecting competition but avoiding it.

The food delivery provider asserted that Uber “has been unable to offer merchants, consumers, and couriers the high-quality services” that it provides, so Uber “resorted to asserting baseless legal claims” instead of competing on its own merits. It wrote in its motion that Uber’s complaint is “rooted in the misguided notion” that it has to change its business practices, which it argued are pro-competitive, to give way to Uber’s business. The company explained, however, that the law is “concerned with the protection of competition, not competitors.”

Meanwhile, Uber told TechCrunch that DoorDash was “having a hard time understanding” its complaint. “When restaurants are forced to choose between unfair terms or retaliation, that’s not competition — it’s coercion,” its spokesperson said. The Superior Court of San Francisco County, California is scheduled to hear Uber’s lawsuit on July 11. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/doordash-calls-ubers-lawsuit-accusing-it-of-anti-competitive-practices-a-scare-tactic-130040299.html?src=rss

Snapdragon X Plus Could Bring Faster, More Powerful Chromebooks

Developers are preparing ChromeOS updates to support Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X Plus chips, potentially leading to more powerful Chromebooks, according to Chrome Unboxed. A recent commit in the Chromium Gerrit code review reveals that the SoCID for the Qualcomm X1P42100—also known as Snapdragon X Plus—has been added to the repository, signaling active development of Chromebooks using this processor.

Although the Snapdragon X Plus is not Qualcomm’s flagship “Elite” processor, it offers notable performance, delivering 45 trillion operations per second (TOPS) of AI capability through its neural processing unit (NPU). This advancement suggests that upcoming Chromebooks could see significant improvements in AI-driven tasks and overall efficiency.

Historically, Qualcomm’s Arm-based Chromebooks have struggled with performance. The 2021 Acer Chromebook Spin 513, powered by the Snapdragon 7c, was praised for its battery life but criticized for slow performance. While the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 offered slight improvements, it was not enough to close the performance gap.

Additionally, Qualcomm did not release the 7c Gen 3 for Chromebooks, which left manufacturers relying primarily on MediaTek and Intel processors. Intel chips, while powerful, have often been associated with less-than-ideal battery performance in Chromebooks.

The integration of Snapdragon X Plus chips could address these long-standing limitations, providing a balance of power efficiency and processing strength. This move could position Arm-powered Chromebooks as stronger competitors in a market where battery life and speed are increasingly important to users.

Snapdragon X Plus Could Bring Faster, More Powerful Chromebooks

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

MasterClass deal: Save 40 percent on an annual subscription

MasterClass is a good platform to learn a new skill and transfer that doom-scrolling energy into something more productive — and probably more fun, too. Now, you can sign up for MasterClass at a discount: plans are 40 percent off at the moment as part of a “spring forward” sale. Tiers start at $6 per month, which comes out to $72 in total when billed annually.

We reckon the mid-tier Plus plan likely offers the best value here. That includes the ability to watch MasterClass videos on two devices simultaneously. Perhaps more importantly, this tier includes offline viewing, which might come in handy if no in-flight entertainment options grab your interest the next time you’re traveling. The Plus plan is available for the equivalent of $9 per month when billed annually ($108 total), down from $15 per month.

There are more than 200 classes available on MasterClass, including lessons from some of the top names in each relevant industry. You might learn about how to have a winning mentality from Lewis Hamilton, creative writing from Margaret Atwood, shooting and scoring from Steph Curry, comedy from Steve Martin or home cooking from Alice Waters. The categories of classes include film and TV, health and wellness, science and technology, music, and business.

Each class has around 20 video lessons that typically last around 10 minutes long each. You’ll get access to a workbook as well to help you absorb the information and understand how to act on it through various exercises. But even if you’re not necessarily interested in acquiring new skills, you might simply use MasterClass as you would with any other streaming service, which is one reason why it’s among our favorite subscriptions to gift someone.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/masterclass-deal-save-40-percent-on-an-annual-subscription-154524213.html?src=rss

MasterClass deal: Save 40 percent on an annual subscription

MasterClass is a good platform to learn a new skill and transfer that doom-scrolling energy into something more productive — and probably more fun, too. Now, you can sign up for MasterClass at a discount: plans are 40 percent off at the moment as part of a “spring forward” sale. Tiers start at $6 per month, which comes out to $72 in total when billed annually.

We reckon the mid-tier Plus plan likely offers the best value here. That includes the ability to watch MasterClass videos on two devices simultaneously. Perhaps more importantly, this tier includes offline viewing, which might come in handy if no in-flight entertainment options grab your interest the next time you’re traveling. The Plus plan is available for the equivalent of $9 per month when billed annually ($108 total), down from $15 per month.

There are more than 200 classes available on MasterClass, including lessons from some of the top names in each relevant industry. You might learn about how to have a winning mentality from Lewis Hamilton, creative writing from Margaret Atwood, shooting and scoring from Steph Curry, comedy from Steve Martin or home cooking from Alice Waters. The categories of classes include film and TV, health and wellness, science and technology, music, and business.

Each class has around 20 video lessons that typically last around 10 minutes long each. You’ll get access to a workbook as well to help you absorb the information and understand how to act on it through various exercises. But even if you’re not necessarily interested in acquiring new skills, you might simply use MasterClass as you would with any other streaming service, which is one reason why it’s among our favorite subscriptions to gift someone.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/masterclass-deal-save-40-percent-on-an-annual-subscription-154524213.html?src=rss

MasterClass deal: Save 40 percent on an annual subscription

MasterClass is a good platform to learn a new skill and transfer that doom-scrolling energy into something more productive — and probably more fun, too. Now, you can sign up for MasterClass at a discount: plans are 40 percent off at the moment as part of a “spring forward” sale. Tiers start at $6 per month, which comes out to $72 in total when billed annually.

We reckon the mid-tier Plus plan likely offers the best value here. That includes the ability to watch MasterClass videos on two devices simultaneously. Perhaps more importantly, this tier includes offline viewing, which might come in handy if no in-flight entertainment options grab your interest the next time you’re traveling. The Plus plan is available for the equivalent of $9 per month when billed annually ($108 total), down from $15 per month.

There are more than 200 classes available on MasterClass, including lessons from some of the top names in each relevant industry. You might learn about how to have a winning mentality from Lewis Hamilton, creative writing from Margaret Atwood, shooting and scoring from Steph Curry, comedy from Steve Martin or home cooking from Alice Waters. The categories of classes include film and TV, health and wellness, science and technology, music, and business.

Each class has around 20 video lessons that typically last around 10 minutes long each. You’ll get access to a workbook as well to help you absorb the information and understand how to act on it through various exercises. But even if you’re not necessarily interested in acquiring new skills, you might simply use MasterClass as you would with any other streaming service, which is one reason why it’s among our favorite subscriptions to gift someone.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/masterclass-deal-save-40-percent-on-an-annual-subscription-154524213.html?src=rss

MasterClass deal: Save 40 percent on an annual subscription

MasterClass is a good platform to learn a new skill and transfer that doom-scrolling energy into something more productive — and probably more fun, too. Now, you can sign up for MasterClass at a discount: plans are 40 percent off at the moment as part of a “spring forward” sale. Tiers start at $6 per month, which comes out to $72 in total when billed annually.

We reckon the mid-tier Plus plan likely offers the best value here. That includes the ability to watch MasterClass videos on two devices simultaneously. Perhaps more importantly, this tier includes offline viewing, which might come in handy if no in-flight entertainment options grab your interest the next time you’re traveling. The Plus plan is available for the equivalent of $9 per month when billed annually ($108 total), down from $15 per month.

There are more than 200 classes available on MasterClass, including lessons from some of the top names in each relevant industry. You might learn about how to have a winning mentality from Lewis Hamilton, creative writing from Margaret Atwood, shooting and scoring from Steph Curry, comedy from Steve Martin or home cooking from Alice Waters. The categories of classes include film and TV, health and wellness, science and technology, music, and business.

Each class has around 20 video lessons that typically last around 10 minutes long each. You’ll get access to a workbook as well to help you absorb the information and understand how to act on it through various exercises. But even if you’re not necessarily interested in acquiring new skills, you might simply use MasterClass as you would with any other streaming service, which is one reason why it’s among our favorite subscriptions to gift someone.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/masterclass-deal-save-40-percent-on-an-annual-subscription-154524213.html?src=rss

How to watch LlamaCon 2025, Meta's first generative AI developer conference

After a couple years of having its open-source Llama AI model be just a part of its Connect conferences, Meta is breaking things out and hosting an entirely generative AI-focused developer conference called LlamaCon on April 29. The event is entirely virtual, and you’ll be able to watch along live on the Meta for Developers Facebook page.

LlamaCon kicks off at 1PM ET / 10AM PT with a keynote address from Meta’s Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, Vice President of AI Manohar Paluri and research scientist Angela Fan. The keynote is supposed to cover developments in the company’s open-source AI community, “the latest on the Llama collection of models and tools” and offer a glimpse at yet-to-be released AI features.

The keynote address will be followed by a conversation at 1:45PM ET / 10:45PM ET between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Databricks CEO Ali Ghodsi on “building AI-powered applications,” followed by a chat at 7PM ET / 4PM PT about “the latest trends in AI” between Zuckerberg and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. It doesn’t seem like either conversation will be used to break news, but Microsoft and Meta have collaborated before, so anything is possible.

Meta hasn’t traditionally waited for a conference to launch updates to Meta AI or the Llama model. The company introduced its new Llama 4 family of models, which excel at image understanding and document parsing, on a Saturday in early April. It’s not clear what new models or products the company could have saved for LlamaCon.

LlamaCon will stream live on April 29th through the Meta for Developers Facebook page and we’ll be live-blogging the event right here on Engadget so you can get all the details as they happen.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/how-to-watch-llamacon-2025-metas-first-generative-ai-developer-conference-215241289.html?src=rss