Thursday 21 March 2019

The Morning After: Apple's new AirPods look very familiar

Engadget Email Newsletter

It's Thursday, March 21, 2019.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Apple’s slow reveal of refreshed hardware continued yesterday with the new AirPods many people have been waiting for. There’s also a flood of news coming in from the Game Developers Conference, and our first real trailer for season three of Stranger Things is here.

(View in browser.)

They still look exactly the same.

Apple's new AirPods offer longer battery life and wireless-charging case

Apple's hardware trojan horse continues to gallop a week ahead of its show-time event next Monday. We've seen two new iPads and an iMac update, and now its increasingly ubiquitous AirPods are up. The new headphones have a new Apple-designed H1 chip, developed for headphones and aimed at faster connect times, better battery life and, yes, hands-free "Hey Siri," too.

They’re available with a new wireless Qi-compatible charging case for $199, or with a standard case for $159. If you have a first-generation set of AirPods and just want to add the new case, then you can get it for $79. Of course, if you’re just looking for something new that goes with an iPhone or Apple Watch, its line of cases and bands just got a pastel-colored refresh.

With recharging that gets done in just 15 to 20 minutes.

BMW’s future EVs could outlast the competition by 200 miles

While it seems like BMW hasn't done much EV-wise since the i8 and i3, the reality is the company is building the internal infrastructure to make sure it can keep up with demand. Right now, the automaker is working towards keeping its promise to customers as the Ultimate Driving Machine, with an electrified twist. Part of that promise includes electric motors that use winding copper to induce a current instead of magnets, giving a potential range of up to 420 miles.

A first.

Amazon releases a sub-$100 Kindle you can read in the dark

Simply called the all-new Kindle, the $90 device also has an updated e-ink screen with better contrast and a glare-free capacitive touchscreen display, like its more expensive cousins. Amazon has also freshened up its design, giving it more-rounded corners and making it available in two color options: black and white.

For all your spring-cleaning needs.

Dyson's latest handheld vacuum works smarter, not harder

In the spirit of the coming season, Dyson has three new products that are ready to help refresh your living areas. Dyson’s $600 Lightcycle lamp receives real-time data that tracks the position of the sun and adjusts the light level accordingly.

Meanwhile its V11 handheld vacuum is 20 percent stronger than its predecessor and monitors the amount of torque coming from the floor to adjust motor speed in response. If you opt for the $700 Torque Drive model, you can watch the amount of charge fluctuate in real time. Finally, the $350 Pure Cool Me is a HEPA filtering fan built for personal use in shared spaces like an office.

Season three premieres July 4th.

First 'Stranger Things 3' trailer reunites the gang

The clip crams plenty of action into its almost three minutes, with more nods to Spielberg (possessed toys for the Poltergeist fans), the dawn of '80s consumerism (malls and ice-cream parlors) and enough spandex to please Olivia Newton-John.

With a simpler single-cable system.

The new Oculus Rift S arrives this spring for $399

Oculus Rift S will cost $399, an increase of $50 from the Rift. It's set to offer improved resolution and the same integrated audio system as the Quest (which is also debuting in the spring) and Go headsets.

But wait, there's more...

1. Tim Sweeney interview: Epic Games has 250 million 'Fortnite' players and a lot of plans

2. Google's Stadia is the moonshot game streaming needs

3. Windows 7 message alerts users to the end of security updates

4. NVIDIA AI turns crude doodles into photorealistic landscapes

5. Grado Labs GW100 review: A blessing and a curse

6. Weight Watchers is trying to avoid becoming the next Kodak

7. Konami is bringing 'Castlevania' and 'Contra' to modern consoles for its 50th anniversary

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't subscribe.

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Wednesday 20 March 2019

Tech News Flash

Tech News Flash: Wednesday -- March 20, 2019

TechNewsWorld -- All Tech - All The Time
https://www.TechNewsWorld.com
Part of the ECT News Network

Headline Scan
Google Stadia: Future of Gaming or Pie in the Cloud?
Apple Boosts Performance in New iPad Air and Mini
MOREbot Introduces Kids to Robotics Using 3D Printed Parts
How to Rein In Powerful Companies Without Ruining the US Tech Industry

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Today's Story Highlights

Google Stadia: Future of Gaming or Pie in the Cloud?

Google has pulled the wraps off Stadia, a new cloud-based gaming
platform. Using the power of Google's global information infrastructure,
Stadia can stream the highest-quality games to any screen, Google CEO
Sundar Pichai said in announcing the platform, which is expected to come
online later this year. Stadia represents Google's vision for the future
of gaming.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85908.html

Apple Boosts Performance in New iPad Air and Mini

Apple has announced a new 10.5-inch iPad and a refresh of the iPad mini.
The iPad Air, which will sell for $499, offers 64 gigabytes of solid
state storage and WiFi support. It has Apple's latest mobile processor,
the A12 Bionic chip, and supports Apple Pencil and the company's smart
keyboard. The 7.9-inch iPad mini, which will sell at a base price of
$399 with WiFi support also has an A12 chip.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85904.html

MOREbot Introduces Kids to Robotics Using 3D Printed Parts

MORE Technologies last week launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise
$20,000 for development of its open source robot ecosystem. The company
will fund the project if it reaches its goal by April 21. It teaches
real tech skills to the next generation of innovators and problem
solvers using MOREbot -- a series of open source, customizable robotics
kits.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85905.html

How to Rein In Powerful Companies Without Ruining the US Tech Industry

Elizabeth Warren's desire to curtail Facebook, Amazon and other
companies that have misused their massive power -- or may do so in the
future -- is well founded. The U.S. appears to be trending toward civil
war, and I'd place social media in general on the wrong side of this
trend. However, we need a plan that will cure the problem without
killing the patient.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85900.html

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The Morning After: Google does gaming with Stadia

Engadget Email Newsletter

It's Wednesday, March 20, 2019.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

We finally have a name and a few details for Google’s new gaming service, and Samsung’s Galaxy Fold has made an unexpected appearance on YouTube. Plus, Netflix’s April release schedule is all laid out, and Nathan Ingraham has an opinion about the new iPad Air.

(View in browser.)

The cloud can turn watching into playing with the press of a button.

Google is launching a game-streaming service called Stadia

Google's plans for its streaming service to bring the industry's "Netflix for games" promises to life. Ideally, it will allow folks to play any game on any connected device. Stadia will be able to stream games in 4K, 60 fps and HDR color at launch, but eventually it'll support up to 8K.

Stadia will allow developers to sell their games in new ways, including directly via YouTube and Twitch live streams. For example, load up a trailer for Assassin's Creed: Odyssey on YouTube and, at the end, click the Play button and the game will load in as little as five seconds in your Chrome browser, ready to play.

Imagine joining your favorite streamer’s session just by clicking a single button, or letting a friend anywhere in the world jump on the sticks and take over the game you’re playing, seamlessly. A Style Transfer feature uses machine learning to apply art styles to the game world in real time, turning even a drab landscape into a colorful display. Meanwhile, its gamepad connects directly to the service via WiFi, with dedicated buttons for clip sharing and Google Assistant.

We’ll see if that’s enough to avoid more fines.

Google will ask European Android users what browser they want to use

The tech giant will start asking both current and new users in the region their preferred browser and search applications. While Android users can download almost any app they want, the company is likely doing this to show the EU its "continued commitment to operating in an open and principled way."

But the designs, displays and ports aren’t changing a bit.

Apple's 2019 iMac gets some fresh chips, including an eight-core CPU

On Monday, the company unveiled two updated iPads, and on Tuesday it revealed the iMac is getting a minor refresh. Going forward, the 21.5-inch model will be offered with an eighth-gen six-core Intel Core i5 CPU at the high end, plus 4GB AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 graphics. That top-tier sku will also include an eighth-gen six-core Core i7 processor as a configure-to-order option. On the 27-inch, for the first time, Intel’s Core i9 is an option, as well as an 8GB Radeon Pro Vega 48 GPU.

With less fanfare, Apple also lowered the cost of SSD upgrades for the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac mini, as well as the price for more RAM in its Mac Pro. Take a close look before you hit the buy button.

‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ leaves Netflix on April 7th.

What’s coming to Netflix in April: 'Our Planet' and the return of 'Sabrina'

Among the highlights for April are You vs. Wild, an interactive survival show starring Bear Grylls (April 10th) and the long-awaited nature docuseries Our Planet, which is narrated by David Attenborough and from the creator of Planet Earth (April 5th). From April 12th, you'll be able to watch To All The Boys I've Loved Before star Noah Centineo in The Perfect Date, in which he plays a high-school student who lets people hire him to stand in as their boyfriend.

On the non-original front, Netflix will add New Girl season 7, Fifth Element, Pineapple Express and The Golden Compass. You'll have until April 1st to watch the likes of American Pie, a string of James Bond movies (including Casino Royale), Happy Feet, Luther, Pokémon: XY and Heat.

Good news: It seems easy to operate one-handed while folded closed.

Leaked Galaxy Fold pops up in a video with a significant seam

In a YouTube video from Vietnam, someone appears to have obtained one of Samsung’s Galaxy Fold test units. What’s concerning about it, however, is a dark seam that appears on its unfolded screen. We’ll find out if production units reflect the same wear when they launch April 26th.

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