If you were thinking of moving across from consoles to PCs as we all transition to calling the PS5 and Xbox Series X current-gen, not next-gen, Razer would like your business. Its modular Tomahawk PC — revealed back in January — has arrived, based on Intel's NUC design references.
The Tomahawk seems to be for both gamers and people who want to get started on building their own computers. (I think that's me… )
It's now on sale at physical stores in the US and on Razer's official website, but prices start at a wallet-scarring $2,400. It's a lot for a desktop PC, regardless of the modular kudos. For that money, you get Intel's NUC 9 Extreme Compute Element card, which contains a Core i9 processor, 16GB of DDR4 memory and a 512GB SSD. There's a 2TB HDD to back up the SSD for all your game storage needs, too.
Several config options include NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3080 graphics, but because it's modular, you can go for something more or less potent — and, yes, the price will creep up accordingly.
For better and for worse, this isn't a blank canvas, like building your own PC from scratch — something I'm still petrified of doing despite having made several in my teens. Simplicity comes at a cost beyond just price. Like any modular PC, it's limited by how much you can add and by the currently powerful NUC 9 Extreme, which forms the center of this PC. It sounds good in 2020, but how will it fare by 2022?
Available for streaming the same time they hit theaters.
The entire slate of Warner Bros. 2021 movies — that's 17 if you're counting — in the US will launch on HBO Max the same day they premiere in theaters. For no additional cost over the subscription fee, each flick will be available for one month, immediately, while many theaters are still closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"We're living in unprecedented times which call for creative solutions, including this new initiative," WarnerMedia Chair and CEO Ann Sarnoff said in a statement. This is the same strategy the studio is employing with the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984, scheduled for December 25th. Warner Bros. films scheduled for next year include: Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, Dune and Matrix 4. Continue reading.
Big Sur looks different, but still works just as you'd expect.
So what is it like to use Apple's latest OS? If you're using a Mac then it's really only a question of when you'll update your system to the latest version, but if you haven't already made the leap then Nathan Ingraham can fill in the blanks. Take a moment to read through everything that's changed, even as it adds up to something that "still feels unmistakably like a Mac — just with a fresh coat of paint." Continue reading.
ZTE has announced that the Axon 20 5G will launch in 11 countries and regions on December 21st, including the UK, European Union, Japan and South Korea, though the company didn't announce a price.
The centerpiece is an 6.92-inch FHD+ OLED screen (with a 90Hz refresh rate) that uses a combination of materials, display syncing and a "special matrix" to hide a 32-megapixel selfie camera — no cutout or pop-up camera needed.
That's really the only notable feature here, with a mix of otherwise midrange specs. ZTE is still not particularly friendly with the US over alleged national security issues, so don't expect to see the phone on sale. But future devices? Who knows. Continue reading.
Some customers should get the new console before Christmas.
Engadget
Instead of Sony's new console, many Amazon UK customers opened their order to find random items, like pet food and foot massagers, with their console nowhere to be seen. The company is investigating the apparent theft of multiple (sold-out) PS5s, but some customers are hearing that they're due to get a replacement console soon.
PushSquare managing director Anthony Dickens shared an email from Amazon telling him that the retailer was able to "secure" a replacement console for the one he didn't get. The company says it's "reaching out to every customer who's had a problem and made us aware so we can offer them a replacement." Continue reading.
Fortnite's new season is keeping the battle royale title close to its Disney ally. Following all the Marvel nods, we're back to Star Wars. This time around, it'll include the latest main characters, Din Djarin — the Mandalorian himself — and the probably-more-popular Baby Yoda.
The map has been refreshed yet again, and there's a new twist to the game, too, with people earning bounties in-game towards recruiting characters — presumably an attempt to keep players engaged. Epic recently announced its Crew subscription, which also launched yesterday, aimed at its die-hard fans.
The last season ended in a climactic battle between Iron Man, Thor and Galactus; an incredibly big budget set-piece for a free-to-play game. Let's see how Baby Yoda saves the multiverse.
But if Star Wars leaves you cold, there's always the character with pancakes for a head.
The Chang'e-5 gently set down Tuesday in the Oceanus Procellarum.
Earlier this week, China's Chang'e-5 robotic lunar lander successfully set down on the moon's surface, marking humans' first soil-sample collection mission in four decades. And yesterday, the Chang'e-5 was able to transmit a full-color recording of its descent. The lander has already begun taking samples on the surface, and on Thursday, the Chang'e-5 will attempt to rendezvous with an orbiting spacecraft before handing off the materials for transport back to Earth. Continue reading.
The company appears to be focusing on safer bets as it seeks profitability.
Uber is in advanced talks with Joby Aviation to sell its flying taxi division, Axios reports. An Uber spokesperson declined to comment to Engadget on the possible deal for Uber Elevate. However, the sale could be confirmed within the next few weeks. Joby Aviation previously agreed to partner with Uber on air taxi services. It ran a helicopter service in New York City, but Uber put that on hold amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue reading.
It's the first rocket-powered Unity test from its new Spaceport America New Mexico base.
Virgin Galactic is planning its first rocket-powered test flight of the VSS Unity spacecraft as early as next week. It could launch December 11th and would be the first rocket-powered Unity flight since it took a passenger to the edge of space in February 2019.
So far at its New Mexico spaceport, Virgin Galactic has only conducted Unity glide tests, not rocket-powered ones. It had planned to start rocket tests last month, but these were pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The flight team has a number of objectives in mind, "including testing elements of the customer cabin as well as assessing the upgraded horizontal stabilizers and flight controls during boost." Continue reading.
So Samsung might give the Galaxy Note series a break in 2021, according to a Reuters report, but the stylus (Samsung calls it an S-Pen, of course), compatible with Galaxy S devices, may well live on. The decision apparently comes due to a drop in demand for high-end phones during the coronavirus pandemic — not to say that Samsung isn't moving ahead with its foldables, which are even more expensive than the Note series. The company hasn't yet confirmed these plans.
Samsung's second flagship series — a giant device with an almost-retro style input pen that slotted into the phone — was ridiculed when it first appeared. It made the word 'phablet' mainstream — but I won't hold that against it because it proved there was a lot of interest in big-screened smartphones with decent battery life. Samsung's Galaxy S devices grew in size over the years to the point where the Galaxy S20+ and Note 20, with their 6.7-inch and 6.9-inch displays respectively, aren't all that different. The bigger screens even influenced Apple, and we soon saw the company launch iPhone 'plus' models to compete at that size.
Relive what were (hopefully) some of the best parts of a terrible year.
As is typically the case in early December, the streaming service is debuting the 2020 installment of Wrapped, the company's year-in-review that chronicles a year of music and podcast activity. In true Spotify fashion, there are some key changes to the tool this year, with the biggest being that the personalized version of Wrapped is now mobile only, available inside the company's apps on Android and iOS. Continue reading.
'Earwig and the Witch' embodies the spirit of Ghibli movies.
You no longer have to wonder how Studio Ghibli will enter the world of fully computer-generated animation. The first trailer for Earwig and the Witch, which makes its premiere on Japanese broadcaster NHK on December 30th, has now appeared. Unsurprisingly, the clip is in Japanese, but it gives you a sense of how Ghibli will tackle digital art. The movie is set to premiere in North American theaters in early 2021 (provided they're open, of course) so expect to see a dubbed (or at least subtitled) trailer soon. Continue reading.
A first-party charger for both your iPhone and Apple Watch.
Apple's MagSafe Duo charger is finally available from the company's store for $129. The company announced the charger, which can charge two devices at once, during its October event. Like the iPhone 12 series also announced then, while the device comes with a USB-C to Lightning cable, it doesn't ship with a USB-C power adapter. Apple recommends using a 20W power adapter for wireless charging up to 11W or a 27W adapter for wireless charging up to 14W — you'll probably want the latter. Continue reading.
Superman 64 is a 1999 Nintendo 64 title that has the unfortunate reputation for being one of the worst games ever made. Now, the lost PlayStation version of that very same, very dreadful game has been posted online. On DeviantArt, a user going by the name Richard Mandel says they won a copy of the game in an eBay auction in 2013. They say this is "not a leak. This is a release." To make it work, you'll need to run an emulator, but be warned: You may wind up actually playing Superman 64.
It's not been long since the US Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, but more legal battles are on the horizon for Big Tech. A Wall Street Journal report yesterday suggested that both federal and state antitrust authorities will be filing new lawsuits against not only Google but Facebook, too. If it happens, this would be the first time the government has sued Facebook on antitrust grounds.
For Google, the case against it is its dominance in search and search advertising to box out potential competitors. For Facebook, it'd likely delve into whether the company abuses its position to stifle competition or puts user data at risk — not to mention the consequences of the company's acquisitions, including Instagram and WhatsApp.
Tech companies are going to have a busy 2021. In the UK, the government plans to create a new agency to regulate these large tech companies. Starting in April 2021, the Digital Markets Unit (DMU) will enforce a code that will set new limits on tech's biggest platforms.
With a new administration taking over at the White House, Pai is on his way out.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has announced he's leaving the commission on January 20th, 2021, the same day President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in. It's not a major surprise — such appointees often resign as a new administration takes over. Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler left his position when the Trump administration took over back in 2017.
Of course, Pai will always be remembered for his infamous decision to strip net neutrality protections put in place under the Obama presidency. It's not clear yet who will take over at the FCC, but it's entirely possible a new chairperson under the Biden administration will work to bring back net neutrality protections. Continue reading.
It's getting pretty difficult to make a laptop that stands out. There are countless thin and light notebooks with comfortable keyboards, beautiful screens and enough power for most professional workflows. Companies have to figure out unique features to help devices rise above what's already out there. For HP, its latest attempt is something called Presence Aware on the EliteBook 1040, which lets the machine know when you're in front of it so it can dim the screen when you leave and wake up when you return. There's also a new AI noise reduction tool to make your voice sound clearer on calls. It's unusual for Engadget to test a commercial laptop like the EliteBook 1040, but it's unique enough to warrant it. Read on for the full review.
The company behind Ys and Ys II, two very old JRPG titles, is porting the games to a new platform. I say 'new', but they're being ported to the Sharp X68000, a Japan-only PC first released in 1987. They'll come on 3.5-inch floppy disks and have had some improvements in the intervening… decades. Japanese outlet ITMedia notes you'll see smoother in-game scrolling and won't need to swap in blank floppies to save your progress. The ports will be available in Japan on March 9th, 2021, in a bundle for ¥8,800 ($84) — all for a game almost as old as me. Continue reading.
The industry as a whole is bouncing back from the pandemic.
Gartner estimates that Xiaomi overtook Apple in phone sales during the third quarter of 2020, climbing from 32.9 million handsets a year earlier (8.5 percent of the market) to 44.4 million (12.1 percent) this summer. Apple gained share, too, but its 40.6 million iPhone sales were a slight dip from 2019. Samsung remains at the top, with a 22 percent market share, while Huawei saw sales shrink, predictably, but still held on to second place. Continue reading.
