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- The Morning After: Play Halo Infinite's free multiplayer mode, now
- Japanese toaster-maker Balmuda launches its first smartphone
- Google Maps grocery pickup feature expands to 2,000 US stores
- Impossible Meatballs are heading to Walmart
- Amazon launches a dedicated Prime Video app for Mac
- Roku's new $15 LE streaming stick will be a Walmart exclusive for Black Friday
- 'Rocket League Sideswipe' for mobile has launched into pre-season
- Alexa can now 'Play Something' on Netflix if you ask it to
- Twitter begins rollout of 'disappearing tweets' fix
- Satellite space debris forces ISS astronauts to seek shelter aboard docked capsules
- Snapchat is adding TikTok-like AR music lenses
- Peloton sues rivals over alleged patent infringement related to on-demand classes
- Twitter buys Threader to help develop Twitter Blue features
- Microsoft adds 76 more games to the Xbox backward compatibility program
- Halo Infinite's free multiplayer mode is available now
| The Morning After: Play Halo Infinite's free multiplayer mode, now Posted: 16 Nov 2021 04:15 AM PST Yes, you can play Halo Infinite now, but only multiplayer. That's only part of the Xbox news, however. To celebrate the Xbox's 20th anniversary — beyond the Gucci console — Microsoft announced its final additions to the Xbox backward compatibility program, a heady 76 games. Highlights include the entire Max Payne series and F.E.A.R franchise, as well as Skate 2. Many will look much better, too: The Xbox Series X and Xbox One X will render those titles at four times their native resolution, while 11 of the titles will support FPS Boost, which increases the framerate of a game up to 60 frames per second. Microsoft says this is the final update. Games that haven't quite made it were limited by "licensing, legal and technical constraints," said Xbox Compatibility Program Lead Peggy Lo. — Mat Smith Roku's new $15 LE streaming stick is a Black Friday exclusive for WalmartIts other sticks are discounted, too.That's hardly any money for a streaming stick. The new Roku LE is an IR-controlled 1080p HDMI-connected streaming player with an included HDMI cable. And I repeat: It's only $15. Halo Infinite's free multiplayer is available to play nowThe campaign is still scheduled to land on December 8th.As rumored, Microsoft confirmed it's releasing the free Halo Infinite multiplayer mode before the full game. The standalone mode is now available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Players can access it through Xbox Cloud Gaming later today. The Halo Infinite campaign release date is still set for December 8th, and your multiplayer progress will carry over. A few features will be missing at launch, however. Both campaign co-op and Forge modes will arrive later after launch. Apple offers $30 million to settle off-the-clock bag search controversyThe fight has dragged on since 2013.Last year, California's supreme court ruled that Apple broke the law by failing to pay employees while they waited for mandatory bag and iPhone searches. Now, Apple has offered to pay $30 million to settle the suit, and lawyers for the employees have urged them to accept it. Employees launched the suit way back in 2013, saying they weren't paid while being searched for stolen merchandise or trade secrets. The workers felt they were still under Apple's "control" during that five- to 20-minute process and should, therefore, be compensated. Apple, in turn, argued that the employees could choose not to bring their bags or iPhones, thus avoiding a search in the first place. A look back at the strengths of the OG Xbox on its 20th birthdayNot the controller, though.Microsoft 20 years ago today, the original Xbox arrived. Back then it was pretty risky. Microsoft, the company that brought us gaming hits like Solitaire and Minesweeper, was the first American firm to release a gaming system in eight years. We take a look back at what Microsoft did right. Oh, and that huge controller. Adobe discounts Creative Cloud plans by 40 percent for Black FridayFirst-time subscribers can get the All Apps plan for $30 per month.Between today and December 3rd, Adobe's Creative Cloud All Apps plan is 40 percent off for first-time customers. The bundle includes Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro and Acrobat. With the discount, it costs $30 per month, down from $53. If you're a student, you can get almost 70 percent off the plan, making it $16 per month. Samsung update brings some Galaxy Watch 4 features to older smartwatchesBoth older Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch Active models will benefit.Along with the release of its One UI 4.0 update for its Galaxy phones, Samsung has revealed new Galaxy Watch software that brings features from its latest Watch 4 model to four older smartwatches. With the Galaxy Watch 4, Samsung introduced Fall Detection with more levels of sensitivity and the ability to enable detection even if you're standing still. It will also send an SOS alert to approved contacts. That update is now available on the Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 2. It also adds 10 new watch faces and more accurate health tracking, too. OnePlus made a Pac-Man edition of its Nord 2 smartphoneIt's still a Nord 2.OnePlus OnePlus has dabbled in special-edition phones for years, but this time, it's moving from iconic cars to iconic video games. The company has unveiled the OnePlus Nord 2 x Pac-Man edition with custom covers, themed wallpapers and even a Lego-like smartphone holder. It goes on sale tomorrow for £499/€529/₹37,999 in the UK, Europe and India respectively, and as with the regular Nord 2, isn't available in the US. The biggest news stories you might have missedEngadget Deals: Bose's new QuietComfort 45 headphones are $50 off right now Peloton sues rivals over alleged patent infringement related to on-demand classes Phil Spencer strongly hints 'Elder Scrolls VI' will be an Xbox and PC exclusive Microsoft blocks workaround that lets Windows 11 users avoid its Edge browser |
| Japanese toaster-maker Balmuda launches its first smartphone Posted: 16 Nov 2021 03:25 AM PST Balmuda, the Japanese company behind the staggeringly expensive steam-powered toaster, has announced its first ever smartphone. It's a small device with a 4.9-inch display, and as 9to5Google notes, its looks are highly reminiscent of the HTC One X that was released almost a decade ago. While Balmuda is known for designing unusual upmarket appliances in its home country, this announcement isn't entirely surprising: It revealed back in May that it was making a foray into the smartphone market before the year ends. The company teamed up with Kyocera to manufacture the Android device, which has 5G connectivity and supports wireless charging. Its 4.9-inch screen has a 1080p resolution, and it comes with a 48-megapixel rear camera, an 8-megapixel front-facing camera, as well as a fingerprint sensor. The Balmuda Phone is powered by a Snapdragon 765 processor, and it has 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage and a 2,500 mAH battery capacity. At the moment, the company only has plans to release the phone in Japan. Those curious enough to give the device a shot can get it with a plan with Softbank, though they could also purchase an unlocked version if that's the better option. Pre-orders in the country will begin on November 17th at 10AM Japan time, and shipping will start on November 26th. Balmuda didn't say whether the device will eventually be available elsewhere, but the company did release the iconic "The Toaster" in the US last year for those who don't mind paying $329 to get perfectly toasted bread every time. |
| Google Maps grocery pickup feature expands to 2,000 US stores Posted: 16 Nov 2021 03:00 AM PST Google is bringing a bunch of updates to Maps this holiday season today, making the app more useful for getting around while you're gift- or grocery shopping. Most of the new features were either already announced or available in limited regions, like grocery shopping integration in select Fred Meyers stores in Oregon. Now, after that pilot test, Pickup with Google Maps is available in over 2,000 stores in the US from the Kroger Family organization, including Kroger, Fry's, Ralphs and Marianos. This means that when you shop at a participating outlet via its website, you'll be able to track your order status in Maps, share your ETA with the store and let them know when you've arrived. According to Google, people who use pickup with Maps "typically wait less than five minutes for their groceries." The company is also adding Area Busyness to Maps, which is similar to the existing graph you'll see in Google Search results for restaurants, businesses and popular attractions. It's also reminiscent of the feature that launched earlier this year, which let Maps users see how crowded specific trains or buses are in real time. With Area Busyness, you can check out how many people are in a specific neighborhood, as well as the individual "restaurants, shops and recreational places (like a museum) within it," Google said. It'll be available globally on Android and iOS. Google In the US, Google wants to help budget-conscious diners hone in on restaurant search results by offering price ranges based on contributions from other Maps users. You'll see how much a meal at each establishment typically costs, like $10 to $20 for example, and the number of people that estimate is based on. You can also tap into the details to see how many people submitted a price range, just like you'd see the number of reviewers who rated a product one, two, three, four or five stars on most shopping sites. You can add your own feedback about how much you paid at each place, and Google is also making it easier to add info like whether there's outdoor seating, curbside pickup and delivery options in your reviews. Finally, the company is bringing the Directory tab to Android and iOS for all airports, malls and transit stations around the world. In the past, this was selectively available under the more information section of specific malls or businesses. Now, "when we have this data available," Google said, you'll be able to get detailed information about the types of stores in a building, like parking lots, airline lounges, toy stores or clothing outlets, and see a list of shops in each category. It'll also show opening hours, store ratings and the floor they're on. |
| Impossible Meatballs are heading to Walmart Posted: 16 Nov 2021 03:00 AM PST Shortly after releasing Impossible Nuggets as well as Impossible Sausage in grocery stores, the California-based company is introducing yet another faux meat product. It's called Impossible Meatballs, and unlike the others, it's actually debuting in retail before restaurants. Impossible Meatballs will be available at Walmart stores this month and at additional retailers later this year. They're priced at around $6.48 per pack. Instead of being made out of one "animal," the Impossible Meatball was designed to be a mix of both "beef" and "pork." According to the company, each meatball is a custom mix of Impossible Burger and Impossible Sausage along with a "homestyle meatball" seasoning blend that includes dried onions and garlic. They come in a resealable freezer bag, and each contains around 14 or so meatballs. There's around 12 grams of protein per serving. Engadget I received a sample of the meatballs over the weekend. They come already cooked so all you need to do is reheat them via the oven, microwave, stovetop or air fryer. The oven method was listed as recommended so I baked them in a single layer on a baking tray in a 350-degree oven for 17 minutes. The end result is quite delicious — very savory and moist. I could still tell they weren't really made out of meat though; they lacked a certain texture that I missed. But when I doused them in marinara sauce, that didn't quite matter as much. In addition to selling Impossible Meatballs, Walmart will also introduce a dedicated plant-based section of its frozen aisle that will feature various Impossible Foods products. That includes Impossible Chicken Nuggets, Impossible Sausage in spicy and savory flavors, Impossible Burger and the aforementioned Impossible Meatballs. ErinKunkel According to the company, Impossible Meatballs is a retail-led product aimed at grocery shoppers. That's a slightly different strategy than the company's previous faux meat products, which debuted at restaurants first before being rolled out to grocery stores. However, Impossible Meatballs will still be available for restaurants later this month. |
| Amazon launches a dedicated Prime Video app for Mac Posted: 16 Nov 2021 01:15 AM PST Amazon has released a Prime Video app for Mac, and you can now get it for free from the App Store. You can use the app to download videos for offline viewing on your computer, which sounds especially useful for long business trips and vacations. The Verge reports that the app will let you choose the quality of the video you're streaming or downloading, and it supports native macOS features such as Picture-in-Picture and AirPlay. Within the app, you'll find a dedicated tab where you can rent and purchase content, as well. You'll just have sure you're running macOS Big Sur or later to be able to access the application. The company has also released a redesigned version of its Photos app for iOS and the web, which now let you search for people, places and years. It shows the faces of people that usually appear in your photos as clickable options, so you can see all the photos they've appeared in. If you want to narrow down the results, you can choose the year and the places where the pictures were taken, as well. The refreshed apps also come with a new interface, which you can get a glimpse of in this video: Amazon's Photos app gives you unlimited storage for full-resolution images and for up to 5GB of videos if you're a Prime member. If you don't have Prime, you'll still get 5GB of free storage for your media overall. |
| Roku's new $15 LE streaming stick will be a Walmart exclusive for Black Friday Posted: 16 Nov 2021 12:27 AM PST Roku has unveiled the new Roku LE streaming stick that will go on sale for $15 at Walmart exclusively — but only during Black Friday sales. Roku is discounting other devices (non-exclusively) as well, selling the Roku Streaming Stick 4K for $30 ($20 off), the Roku Premiere for $20 ($15 off) and the Roku Streaming Stick+ for $30 ($15 off). It's also offering the highly-rated Roku Streambar for $80, or $50 off the regular price. The Roku LE is an IR-controlled 1080p HDMI-connected streaming player with an included HDMI cable, according to Roku. It's obviously a cheap way to get into streaming Netflix, Prime Video, Roku's own Channel and other services. It will be available at Walmart online starting on November 24th, and in-store on November 26th "while supplies last," the company said. There's no word yet on the price once sales are over. The other deals, which are more interesting for serious streamers, will be available at various retailers between November 19th and December 4th (yes, Black Friday is more like Black Fortnight these days). If you're looking for cheap content, the company is also selling its Roku Channel with more than 20 premium channels for $0.99 for the first two months. |
| 'Rocket League Sideswipe' for mobile has launched into pre-season Posted: 15 Nov 2021 11:35 PM PST The new mobile game Rocket League Sideswipe has launched into pre-season starting in Oceania with a wider rollout coming soon, developer Psyonix has announced. The car soccer game for iOS and Android was revealed earlier in March as a mobile, 2D version of Rocket League that lets you play solo or team up with a friend for two vs. two matches. Instead of the regular 3D Rocket League perspective, Sideswipe has a 2D side-on view, as the name suggests. It uses touch controls that are relatively easy to master, according to Psyonix, but will also offer advanced control mechanics for better players. As with the original, it will offer a ranking system for competitive modes with plenty of car customization options. As the game trailer above shows, it looks to capture the spirit of the original game and actually crosses over in one way. As the developer detailed, logging in with your Epic Games account for online matches will let you earn extra XP across both Rocket League and Sideswipe. "Every time you level up in Sideswipe, you'll earn a 'Bonus Win' in Rocket League. Then, once you win an Online Match in Rocket League, you'll get extra XP for that Bonus Win. Bonus Wins can also be earned for Sideswipe by playing Rocket League, so enjoy the extra XP in both games," Psyonix wrote. Psyonix no doubt launched Rocket League Sideswipe in Oceania (Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia) to shake out any bugs, but confirmed that the game will launch globally before the end of the year. So far, however, it has yet to provide any details for a further rollout. |
| Alexa can now 'Play Something' on Netflix if you ask it to Posted: 15 Nov 2021 10:19 PM PST Netflix launched Play Something earlier this year as a way to help viewers who may be suffering from decision fatigue and just want to watch anything that may suit their taste at the end of the day. Now, viewers can even ask Alexa to do it for them. Customers in the US and Canada with a Fire TV can simply say "Alexa, Play Something on Netflix," and the streaming service will put on a show or a movie that they might like, depending on what they've been watching on the platform. They can use their Fire TV remote to issue a voice command like usual. But if they have an Omni series Fire TV, which was just released back in September, they can issue the command completely hands-free. Charlotte Maines, Director of Fire TV, said in a statement:
The service's shuffle play feature first became available on TV devices back in April and appears as a Play Something button you can see across the app. When it finally came out on Android in October, a Netflix spokesperson told us that testing for iOS will begin in the coming months. |
| Twitter begins rollout of 'disappearing tweets' fix Posted: 15 Nov 2021 02:57 PM PST At the end of September, Twitter said it would address a longstanding complaint. If you use the service frequently, you may have noticed tweets sometimes disappear from view just as you're part way through reading one.
At the time, the company said it had several updates planned to address the problem, and the first of those is now available through the platform's web client. You can now choose when you want it to load new tweets into your timeline. To do so, click the tweet counter at the top of the interface. Note that Twitter is in the process of rolling out the update so you may not see the associated interface element right away. "We know it's a frustrating experience, so we're working on changing it," the company said of the problem when it first promised to fix it. It noted at the time it would roll out a variety of updates over two months. |
| Satellite space debris forces ISS astronauts to seek shelter aboard docked capsules Posted: 15 Nov 2021 01:57 PM PST On Monday, astronauts on the International Space Station had to seek safety aboard their transport craft when the station passed uncomfortably close to a field of orbital debris. According to the Associated Press, US Space Command started tracking the space junk in the early hours of the morning. The situation saw the station pass the debris field every 90 minutes, forcing those on board to close and reopen several compartments multiple times throughout the day. The four American, one German and two Russian astronauts aboard the ISS will need to stay on alert for the next several days. "Thanks for a crazy but well-coordinated day, we really appreciated all the situational awareness you gave us," US astronaut Mark Vande Hei told NASA mission control before he and the other crew members aboard went to bed at 12PM EST. "It was certainly a great way to bond as a crew, starting off our very first workday in space." Four of the astronauts arrived at the station late last week.
Neither NASA nor the US government has said what created the debris field that put the ISS in danger. However, later in the day, the US State Department condemned a Russian missile test that destroyed one of the country's own satellites and created more than 1,500 trackable pieces of orbital debris. "The test will significantly increase the risk to astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station, as well as to other human spaceflight activities," State Department spokesperson Ned Price said. "Russia's dangerous and irresponsible behavior jeopardizes the long term sustainability of outer space and clearly demonstrates that Russia's claims of opposing the weaponization of space are disingenuous and hypocritical." The State Department said the US would work with its allies to respond to Russia's act. Per Reuters, the country has yet to comment on the incident. Along with their partners, NASA and Russia's Roscosmos space agency frequently move the International Space Station to avoid incoming space junk. They did that last week when the station was threatened by fragments of a Chinese satellite that was destroyed in a 2007 missile test. Update (November 15, 2021 at 7:45pm ET): NASA has released the following statement from Administrator Bill Nelson in response to Monday's ASAT trial. "Earlier today, due to the debris generated by the destructive Russian Anti-Satellite (ASAT) test, ISS astronauts and cosmonauts undertook emergency procedures for safety," Nelson said. "Like Secretary Blinken, I'm outraged by this irresponsible and destabilizing action. With its long and storied history in human spaceflight, it is unthinkable that Russia would endanger not only the American and international partner astronauts on the ISS, but also their own cosmonauts. Their actions are reckless and dangerous, threatening as well the Chinese space station and the taikonauts on board." "All nations have a responsibility to prevent the purposeful creation of space debris from ASATs and to foster a safe, sustainable space environment," he continued. "NASA will continue monitoring the debris in the coming days and beyond to ensure the safety of our crew in orbit." |
| Snapchat is adding TikTok-like AR music lenses Posted: 15 Nov 2021 12:50 PM PST Snap has signed a music licensing deal with Sony Music Entertainment. The partnership means Snapchat users will have access to songs from Sony artists. With today's announcement, the company has licensing deals with all the major music labels. And Snap plans to take advantage of the milestone by launching new AR music filters. Sometime "soon," the company says it will release a set that will feature pre-selected songs embedded in the filter. Additionally, they'll be ones that allow you to make it look like you're singing along to a song and yet another set that adds you and a friend to an animated music video. In short, Snapchat is becoming more like TikTok and Instagram. You'll know you're about to add one of the new filters if there's a musical note next to it. You don't have to look far to find out why Snap is doing this. Since launching the Sounds feature last year, the company notes its users have created more than 1.2 billion videos, leading to nearly 77 billion views. In other words, music has been great for Snapchat's engagement metrics. |
| Peloton sues rivals over alleged patent infringement related to on-demand classes Posted: 15 Nov 2021 12:20 PM PST Peloton has filed fresh lawsuits against two of its rivals, iFit and Echelon. It alleges that the companies are violating up to four patents it holds related to on-demand classes, one of which it only obtained last week, as Bloomberg Law notes. Peloton is seeking a court order to block sales of the devices until the patents expire, in addition to compensation. In both suits, Peloton accuses competitors of attempting to "free ride" off its technology. The iFit complaint concerns NordicTrack, ProForm and FreeMotion products that use the company's leaderboard and/or its ActivePulse or SmartAdjust features. "Prior to the actions giving rise to this suit, iFit Functionality never delivered live classes — i.e., classes taught by instructors and streamed to users' devices in substantially real time — or offered its members the ability to participate in competitive classes via a leaderboard. Instead, iFit Functionality only allowed subscribers to follow along with pre-recorded exercise classes on their machines, without any sort of community engagement," Peloton wrote in the filing. It accuses iFit of "profiting immensely from this infringement." In October, iFit paused its plan to go public due to adverse market conditions. As for Echelon, Peloton is targeting the Smart Connect EX1, EX3, EX4s, EX5, EX5s, EX-7s, EX-Pro and GT+ bikes; Stride and Stride-5s treadmills; Row, Row-s and Row-7s rowers; and the Echelon Fit app. Peloton claims that, before it released the Tread, "it was not well-known for treadmills to offer a leaderboard" and that Echelon now has a "copycat leaderboard" with an "'Online Filter' that allows users to 'see who is taking an On Demand class at the same time.'" Peloton has had a thorny relationship with both companies over the last few years. It has sued iFit (previously known as Icon Health and Fitness) over patent infringement in the past and vice versa. Peloton also filed suit against Echelon in 2019 for, among other things, "imitating the Peloton Bike experience." Engadget has contacted iFit and Echelon for comment. |
| Twitter buys Threader to help develop Twitter Blue features Posted: 15 Nov 2021 11:46 AM PST Twitter has acquired Threader. It's one of a few apps that allow you to make threads easier to digest. By tagging Threader's profile and typing "compile," the bot will condense a series of tweets into an article-like form. "Today, we are bringing this experience to Twitter. We are both proud of what we've achieved together, especially as an independent team of two. We're excited to bring the Threader experience to millions of people on Twitter," the founders of Threader said.
As part of today's announcement, Threader will shut down on December 15th, but its feature set will live on as part of Twitter Blue. Specifically in the Reader feature, which Twitter notes Threader co-founder Marie Denis helped build. Denis is joining the company's Longform team, where Twitter says she'll continue to work on ways to make it easier for people to read threads. Twitter did not disclose other terms of the acquisition. The deal follows the recent expansion of Twitter Blue to the US and New Zealand. |
| Microsoft adds 76 more games to the Xbox backward compatibility program Posted: 15 Nov 2021 10:56 AM PST Microsoft is adding a total of 76 games to the Xbox backward compatibility program, the company announced today during the Xbox 20th anniversary event. Highlights include the entire Max Payne series and F.E.A.R franchise, in addition to Skate 2 and Star Wars: Jedi Knight II. Every title Microsoft is adding today will support Auto HDR on Xbox Series X and Series S consoles. You'll also see an increase in resolution when playing original Xbox games. The Xbox Series X and Xbox One X will render those titles at four times their native resolution, while the Xbox Series S will do so at three times and Xbox One S and Xbox One at double. Additionally, 11 titles will support FPS Boost. The feature increases the framerate of a game up to 60 frames per second. 26 titles that were already a part of the backward compatibility library will now support FPS Boost as well. Included in that list are Fallout: New Vegas, The Elder Scrolls IV, Dragon Age: Origins and Dead Space 2. Before today, the last time Microsoft added any new titles to the backward compatibility program was in 2019. At the time, that was supposed to be the end of the road for the initiative. Now, Microsoft says this is the final update. "While we continue to stay focused on preserving and enhancing the art form of games, we have reached the limit of our ability to bring new games to the catalog from the past due to licensing, legal and technical constraints," Xbox Compatibility Program Lead Peggy Lo said. Hopefully the final list of approximately 700 games includes some of your favorite titles. |
| Halo Infinite's free multiplayer mode is available now Posted: 15 Nov 2021 10:31 AM PST Rumors started swirling over the last few days that Microsoft will release the free Halo Infinite multiplayer mode before the full game. During its Xbox 20th anniversary event, the company confirmed that's the case. The standalone mode is now available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Players can access it through Xbox Cloud Gaming later today.
The beta is open to everyone, and Season 1 of Halo Infinite multiplayer, which will run until May, is underway three weeks early. Microsoft and developer 343 Industries have run a few multiplayer test events over the last few months, but now the mode is open to all. You'll have access to all the Season 1 maps, the battle pass and the core modes. The Halo Infinite campaign release date is still set for December 8th, and your multiplayer progress will carry over. A few features will be missing at launch, however. The campaign co-op and Forge modes will be released later, because 343 Industries wanted to focus on the quality of the single-player and multiplayer modes.
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