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• Apple hires Tesla's director of Autopilot software
• Alfa Romeo will debut an all-electric Giulia sedan in 2024
• US Department of Energy wants to dramatically reduce the cost of carbon capture technology
• MIT researchers create AI system that could make robots better at handling objects
• BMW pulls touchscreen features from some models amid chip shortage
• How beetles, purrs and inventive sound design brought 'Dune' to life
• AirPods Pro with MagSafe drop to $190, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals
• Stadia lets you join a friend's game without an invite
• All the gear you need to game-stream like a pro
• Google’s rumored foldable Pixel might have older cameras than the Pixel 6
• The best gifts for the coffee nerd in your life
• GoPro's Hero 10 sees its first Amazon discount ahead of Black Friday
• The Roomba 694 robot vacuum drops to a record low of $180
• Engadget Podcast: Is Meta’s metaverse crazy, or genius?
• Konami is refunding DLC purchases after disastrous 'eFootball' launch
• The Morning After: The electric motorcycle with speed upgrades via in-app payments

Apple hires Tesla's director of Autopilot software Posted: 06 Nov 2021 03:48 AM PDT Apple has been incredibly secretive about its efforts to develop a self-driving car, but according to Bloomberg, its latest move is hiring a key personnel from its toughest competition. The tech giant has reportedly hired Christopher "CJ" Moore, who's been the director for Tesla's Autopilot Software since 2019 and who's been with the company since 2014. While Moore has yet to update his LinkedIn page, Bloomberg says he will also work on software at Apple and will report to Stuart Bowers. Like Moore, Bowers worked as Tesla's head of Autopilot unit until he left in 2019.  Back in May, Moore was one of the employees who told the California DMV that Elon Musk exaggerated the automaker's full self-driving timeline. In a DMV conference call, he said Musk's statements that Level 5 automated driving is coming soon didn't "match engineering reality." Musk has been saying that Tesla's technology will soon be able to operate with zero human intervention. At the moment, it's still only capable of Level 2 self-driving, which still requires drivers to keep their hands on the wheel. Moore was called as a witness in a lawsuit over the death of a man in a 2019 Autopilot crash in Florida. The documents for that lawsuit revealed in early October that Moore had already left Tesla. Moore and Bowers are just two of the former Tesla employees Apple had hired for its car division. Other hires include Michael Schwekutsch, who used to be Tesla's VP of Engineering and who worked on drive trains, and Steve MacManus, who was also a Tesla VP of Engineering.

Alfa Romeo will debut an all-electric Giulia sedan in 2024 Posted: 05 Nov 2021 03:47 PM PDT Italian automaker Alfa Romeo is developing an all-electric version of its four-door Giulia sedan. In an interview with Auto Express, Jean-Philippe Imparato, the company's CEO, said Alfa Romeo would debut the EV sometime in 2024. Additionally, he revealed the car will be built on the STLA Large platform from its parent company Stellantis. The conglomerate announced the architecture this past summer. At the time, it said it would allow its cars to go from zero to 60 in as little as two seconds, and allow for a potential range of up to 500 miles. Dodge, one of the other automakers under the Stellantis umbrella, will use the platform in the all-electric muscle car it plans to debut in 2024. Alfa Romeo could also offer a Quadrifoglio variant of the Giulia, but Imparato said that will depend on whether it can get the kind of performance that's associated with the moniker. The Guilia is one part of a more extensive foray into EVs Alfa Romeo has planned for the second half of the decade. "The first full EV will come in 2024 and we'll see a big launch in 2025, 2026, and we'll see Alfa Romeo as a full BEV in 2027. This is validated and funded," Imparato told Auto Express. If it can go fully electric by 2027, Alfa Romeo would be the first Stellantis brand to do so.

US Department of Energy wants to dramatically reduce the cost of carbon capture technology Posted: 05 Nov 2021 01:47 PM PDT The US Department of Energy wants to accelerate the development of carbon capture technology. On Friday, the agency announced a program called Carbon Negative Shot. Part of its Energy Earthshots initiative, the goal here is to foster the development of carbon capture technology that can sequester CO2 at a cost of less than $100 per ton, and can be deployed at the gigaton scale. To put that in perspective, that much carbon is equivalent to the annual emissions of approximately 250 million cars. "By slashing the costs and accelerating the deployment of carbon dioxide removal — a crucial clean energy technology — we can take massive amounts of carbon pollution directly from the air and combat the climate crisis," said Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. "With our Carbon Negative Shot, we can help remove the greenhouse gases already warming our planet and affecting our health — positioning America as a net-zero leader and creating good-paying jobs for a transitioning clean energy workforce." If it wasn't clear already, the Energy Department has set an ambitious target. In September, Orca, the largest direct carbon capture facility ever, opened in Iceland. The plant will capture 4,000 tons of CO2 per year at a cost of about $600 per ton for bulk purchases. Chimeworks, the company that operates Orca, aims to reduce the cost to $300 or less per ton by 2030. That's a long way away from the Energy Department's goal of less than $100 per ton, but sustained and substantial support and investment from the government is exactly what could make that happen.

MIT researchers create AI system that could make robots better at handling objects Posted: 05 Nov 2021 11:24 AM PDT When most of us pick up an object, we don't have to think about how to orient it in our hand. It's something that comes naturally to us as we learn to navigate the world. That's something that allows young children to be more deft with their hands than even the most advanced robots available today. But that could quickly change. A team of scientists from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory has developed a system that could one day give robots that same kind of dexterity. Using a model-free reinforcement AI algorithm, they created a simulated, anthropomorphic hand that could manipulate more than 2,000 objects. What's more, the system didn't need to know what it was about to pick up to find a way to move it around in its hand. The system isn't ready for real-world use just yet. To start, the team needs to transfer it to an actual robot. That might not be as much of a roadblock as you might think. At the start of the year, we saw researchers from Zhejiang University and the University of Edinburgh successfully transfer an AI reinforcement approach to their robot dog Jueying. The system allowed the robot to learn how to walk and recover from falls on its own. As things stand, the system isn't perfect either. It can reorient many smaller objects, including things like tennis balls and apples, with a nearly 100 percent success rate, but tools like screwdrivers and scissors present a challenge. When it comes to those types of objects, its success rate falls closer to 30 percent. Still, the potential of the system is huge. It could one day make robots better at manipulating tools and make them much more efficient at tasks like packing boxes.

BMW pulls touchscreen features from some models amid chip shortage Posted: 05 Nov 2021 10:25 AM PDT The global chip shortage has affected all manner of industries over the last several months. Automakers are among those who've felt the impact, with many slowing down production. One such company is BMW, which is taking other measures to cut down on silicon use and maintain current production levels amid the crisis. It confirmed to Autoblog that it's temporarily removing touchscreen functions from several models. For now, BMW 3 Series, X5, X6, X7 and Z4 models will ship without touchscreen controls. BMW 4 Series Coupe, Convertible and Gran Coupe (but not the i4 EV) will also lose touchscreen features for the time being. Owners of those affected models will need to use the center console's iDrive controller to navigate the infotainment system. If you receive a model without touch control when it should have had it, you'll receive a $500 credit due to "Deletion of Touchscreen." Meanwhile, according to a post on the Bimmerfest forum, these models will not have the BMW Backup Assistant if owners opted for the Parking Assistant Package. That feature can automatically reverse the car along the path along which it drove into a spot. Engadget has contacted BMW for more details, including whether it will compensate drivers who would have been expecting to access that feature.

How beetles, purrs and inventive sound design brought 'Dune' to life Posted: 05 Nov 2021 10:00 AM PDT Dune is a film filled with gorgeous vistas from alien planets; skyscraper-sized spaceships; and some of the most beautiful actors working today. It's a joy to watch, especially on the big screen. But there's also an undersung element that ties everything together: sound design. It practically breathes life to the film — so much so that it makes Dune's wing-flapping ornithopter ships seem surprisingly real. The key to that magic, according to sound designers Theo Green and Mark Mangini, was a focus on capturing and using organic sounds, rather than fantastical digital creations. Working together with Dune's director, Denis Villeneuve, the pair aimed to make "a real-sounding science-fiction film with things we've clearly never seen and heard before," Mangini said in an interview with Engadget."[It was] almost as if you put out a microphone and captured sounds as if those things actually existed. Everything we did ... is an outgrowth of that overarching philosophy to design a soundtrack for two hours and forty minutes that felt organic, as if we were [making] a documentary film." That philosophy was essential to crafting the Bene Gesserit voice, a seemingly supernatural ability that allows members of Dune's religious order to control others. Think of it like the Jedi mind trick (Star Wars owes an absolute ton to Dune, don't forget). But instead of a hypnotic wave of the hand, the sound of Dune's voice is like a simultaneous kick to the gut and punch to the face. If you were somehow dozing off while the film's hero, Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), tests his budding Bene Gesserit powers, you'd be easily jolted awake. To make that otherworldly voice a reality, Green credits three elements. There's the voice actor Jean Gilpin, who he says is "brilliant" at crafting witchy and ancestral voices. The sound designers also recorded Dune's actors saying their lines several different ways, which they played back through a subwoofer and recorded the final output. That's an age-old technique known as "worldizing," or the act of recording audio that's being played back through speakers in a physical space. Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures The final component of the voice is the simplest: whenever a character starts to use that technique, the other sounds in the world fade away. In that early scene with Paul Atreides, we go from hearing the sounds of birds in the morning and a far-off thunderstorm to silence. That's an innately eerie effect that draws us into the interior world of the Bene Gesserit's powers: As Frank Herbert described it, they're calling on their ancestors and using advanced psychological techniques to manipulate others. Green and Mangini went similarly old-school when designing the sound of Dune's ornithopter ships. They're the equivalent of helicopters in the film's universe, but they sound more like gigantic insects. To achieve that, Mangini says they combined the sounds of a large purring cat, a tent-strap flapping in high-velocity wind, and the fluttering wings of a large beetle. They weren't working from pre-existing sound libraries, either. Green had to bring a beetle into a quiet room and somehow get a decent recording. Warner Bros. All of that was just for the sounds of the ornithopters' wings. To craft their propulsion system, the duo took recordings of beehives and modulated them to sound like RPMs revving up in a car's engine. The shifting of the ship's wings also came from an unlikely source: Mangini's Chevy Volt. Once their work on Dune was over, the sound designers counted 3,200 new sounds that they developed for the film. Only three or four of them started out as electronic or synthetic sounds, Mangini says. That hearkens back to the way Villeneuve has approached visual effects in Dune and his earlier genre films: Go real whenever possible. For the sound designers, that push for authenticity also led to some inventive techniques. The gaping maw of Dune's enormous sandworms, for example, started out as the sound of Mangini half-swallowing a microphone. Warner Bros. Green likens the use of organic sounds as a way to avoid the "uncanny valley" that plagues some visual effects. Our eyes know when certain things look fake, and that takes us out of the reality of the film. "I think [the uncanny valley] is in sound," he said. "It's those tiny complexities and tiny nuances that you only get from an organically sourced thing that sells something as being real."

AirPods Pro with MagSafe drop to $190, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals Posted: 05 Nov 2021 08:30 AM PDT The first week of November brought a deluge of early Black Friday sales, many of which included some of our favorite gadgets at all-time-low prices. Amazon and Best Buy discounted everything from Sony headphones to smartwatches to OLED TVs. Google devices, including the Nest Audio and the Nest Hub smart display, have dropped to record-low prices as well, while Apple's AirPods Pro with the new MagSafe case are $60 off. Here are the best early Black Friday tech deals you can still get today. AirPods Pro (with MagSafe) Billy Steele / Engadget The updated AirPods Pro with the MagSafe charging case are down to $190 right now, or $60 off their normal price. These remain Apple's best sounding wireless earbuds and we gave them a score of 87 for their better fit, IPX4 water resistance and hands-free Siri controls. Buy AirPods Pro at Amazon - $190 12.9-inch iPad Pro Apple The latest 12.9-inch iPad Pro with 512GB of storage is $150 off, bringing it down to $1,249. That's the best price we've seen on this particular model, which would make a good laptop alternative when paired with the right accessories. We gave the iPad Pro a score of 87 for its powerful performance, lovely display and handy Center Stage camera. Buy 12.9-inch iPad Pro (512GB) at Amazon - $1,249Buy 12.9-inch iPad Pro (512GB) at B&H - $1,249 Mac Mini M1 Engadget Apple's 512GB Mac Mini M1 is on sale for $750 thanks to an automatically applied coupon. This is the desktop to get if you want a relatively compact device, plus one with the power of Apple's M1 chipset. Buy Mac Mini M1 (512GB) at Amazon - $750 Sony WH-1000XM4 Billy Steele / Engadget Our favorite pair of Sony headphones, the WH-1000XM4, are down to a record low of $248 right now. We gave these cans a score of 94 for their powerful ANC, immersive sound quality and multi-device connectivity. Buy Sony WH-1000XM4 at Amazon - $248 Sony WF-1000XM4 Billy Steele/Engadget Sony's excellent WF-1000XM4 earbuds are down to $248 during this sale. We gave them a score of 86 for their great sound quality, powerful ANC and improved battery life. Buy Sony WF-1000XM4 at Amazon - $248 iRobot Roomba j7+ iRobot iRobot's latest robot vacuum, the Roomba j7+, is on sale for $699, or $150 off its normal price. The robo-vac without the clean base is also on sale for $499. In addition to the company's standard vacuuming technology, these models have AI-driven computer vision technology that lets them detect obstacles — including pet poop — and move around them as they clean. Buy Roomba j7 at Amazon - $499Buy Roomba j7+ at Amazon - $699 iRobot Roomba 694 Valentina Palladino / Engadget iRobot's Roomba 694 is on sale for $180, or $94 off its normal price. This model made it into our budget robot vacuum guide thanks to its good cleaning power, decent battery life and easy-to-use companion app. Buy Roomba 694 at Amazon - $180 August WiFi smart lock (4th-gen) Engadget The August WiFi smart lock is on sale for $180, which is a record-low price. This fits over many types of deadbolts and allows you to remotely lock and unlock your door using the companion app. We gave it a score of 80 for its easy installation process, elegant design and support for multiple voice assistants. Buy August WiFi smart lock at Amazon - $180 Sony WH-CH710N headphones Billy Steele / Engadget Sony's already affordable WH-CH710N wireless headphones are down to an all-time low of $78 right now. That's the same price they were during Amazon Prime Day in June, making it a great time to snatch these capable cans up. We like them for their comfortable fit, punchy bass, good ANC and up to 35 hours of battery life. Buy Sony WH-CH710N at Amazon - $78 Samsung T7 Touch SSD (1TB) Samsung Samsung's T7 Touch portable SSD in 1TB is down to $150, which is $40 off and a record low. It's almost exactly the same as the standard T7 drive, but it has a built-in fingerprint reader for an extra layer of security. Buy T7 Touch (1TB) at Amazon - $150 Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Lenovo's Flex 5 Chromebook has dropped to $300, which is $130 off its normal price. We praised this machine as a capable Chrome OS laptop for its Core i3 processor, 1080p touchscreen, comfortable keyboard and good array of ports. It's a great buy even at its normal price, so it's a steal when on sale like this. Buy Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook at Amazon - $300 GoPro Hero 10 Black James Trew / Engadget Amazon knocked $50 off the GoPro Hero 10 Black action cam, bringing it down to $450. It earned a score of 92 from us for its improved image quality, speedy user interface and additional slo-mo and frame rate options. Buy GoPro Hero 10 Black at Amazon - $450 Sony OLED TVs Sony A couple of Sony OLED sets were discounted this week. The 55-inch Sony Bravia XR A80J OLED 4K TV is down to $1,398, or $300 off its normal price, while the 48-inch Sony Bravia A9S OLED TV dropped to $1,198. The former includes the company's Cognitive Processor XR, HDMI 2.1 support, 4K upscaling, XR Motion Clarity and more, while the latter supports HDR and Dolby Vision, Acoustic Surface Audio, X-Motion Clarity technology and AirPlay 2. Buy 55-inch Bravia XR A80J OLED 4K at Amazon - $1,398Buy 48-inch Sony Bravia A9S OLED TV at Amazon - $1,198 Amazon Kindle Engadget The standard Kindle is down to the best price we've seen it, only $50. We gave this e-reader a score of 91 for its front-lit display, improved contrast screen and sleeker design. Buy Kindle at Amazon - $50 Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Amazon Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K is half off right now, bringing it down to $25. This compact streaming device supports 4K content, Dolby Vision, HDR and Dolby Atmos sound. It's one of the easiest, and cheapest, ways to turn an old TV into a smarter one. Buy Fire TV Stick 4K at Amazon - $25 Amazon Fire tablets Valentina Palladino / Engadget Amazon slashed prices of its Fire HD 8 tablets this week, so you can grab one for as low as $45. The kids versions are on sale as well — $70 for the Fire HD 8 Kids and Fire HD 8 Kids Pro. Buy Fire HD 8 at Amazon - $45Buy Fire HD 8 Plus at Amazon - $55Buy Fire HD 8 Kids at Amazon - $70Buy Fire HD 8 Kids Pro at Amazon - $70 New early Black Friday tech deals Shure SM7B microphone Shure's high-end SM7B microphone is 28 percent off, bringing it down to $359. This is a record-low price that we haven't seen very often, and this mic is a good pick for those who want to take their podcasting or streaming audio quality to the next level. Buy Shure SM7B mic at Amazon - $359 OnePlus 9 smartphones Both the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro smartphones are down to record-low prices, coming in at $599 and $799, respectively. We gave the 9 Pro a score of 88 for its fantastic display, impressive performance and much improved main camera. Buy OnePlus 9 at Amazon - $599Buy OnePlus 9 Pro at Amazon - $799 Moft early Black Friday sale Moft's early Black Friday sale knocks up to $35 off depending on how much you spend. Use the code BF10 to get $10 off $50 or more, the code BF20 to get $20 off $100 or more and the code BF35 to get $35 off orders of $150 or more. The company makes a bunch of slick mobile accessories, including a magnetic stand and wallet for the latest iPhones. Shop Moft's early Black Friday sale NordVPN NordVPN has a promotion going on right now that gets you two years of the service for $89. That's 68 percent off its normal price. We like NordVPN for its speed, its no-logs policy, the thousands of servers it has to choose from and that one account supports up to six connected devices. Buy NordVPN (2 years) - $89 Galaxy Buds+ Samsung's Galaxy Buds+ are down to only $59 at Walmart, which is nearly $100 off their normal price. We gave them a score of 83 for their improved audio, better call quality, longer battery life and improved wireless range. Buy Galaxy Buds+ at Walmart - $59 Oculus Quest 2 Until November 12, Amazon Prime members can get up to $20 off Oculus Quest 2 headsets at Woot. We gave this VR kit a score of 89 for its high-res screens, powerful hardware and excellent abilities as a standalone VR device. Buy Oculus Quest 2 at Woot starting at $289 Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

Stadia lets you join a friend's game without an invite Posted: 05 Nov 2021 08:02 AM PDT Google is gradually bringing more and more useful features to Stadia, many of which probably should have been available from the outset. It's still ridiculous how long it took to add a search function to the store, for one thing. Shortly after the arrival of free trials for some more titles, Google is rolling out an option to join a friend's game without an invite. A support page spotted by 9to5Google notes that the option is available in select games, including Far Cry 6. You can switch it on by going to the privacy tab of the Stadia settings. In the Current Game section, there's an option called Join your current game, which you can enable to let others join a multiplayer game without an invitation. You can set this to friends, your friends and their friends, all players or no one. This is a welcome update that brings Stadia a little more in line with other gaming platforms. It could encourage groups of friends to pick up the same games since it'll be a little easier for them to play together.

All the gear you need to game-stream like a pro Posted: 05 Nov 2021 07:31 AM PDT Sure, it's easier than ever to start your own video game streaming channel, but that doesn't mean it's easy to be a streamer. There are dozens of factors to consider before pressing that big GO LIVE button on YouTube or Twitch, such as lighting, audio quality, video output and software organization — and that's just to get on-air. If you want to succeed as a streamer, it also takes practice, charisma, luck and, of course, the proper equipment. While we can't help with the patience, natural talent or social factors that determine who becomes a streaming star, we can recommend the tools to make a channel look as professional as possible from day one. If anyone on your gift list is serious about diving into the business of video game streaming, these are the gadgets they'll be ecstatic to unwrap (and show off on-camera). Blue Yeti Blue Microphones Classic. Iconic. Legendary. Whichever descriptor you pick, the Yeti by Blue remains one of the most reliable, ubiquitous pieces of technology in the live-streaming business. The Yeti is a USB microphone, meaning it's plug-and-play with most rigs, and it has a specific setting (cardioid pattern) that's great for live streaming. It's also more affordable than comparable mics while offering high-quality sound and simple set-up. Buy Blue Yeti at Amazon - $130 HyperX QuadCast S Will Lipman Photography for Engadget Some mics are built to blend in with their surroundings, and others are designed to stand out — like the QuadCast S by HyperX. The QuadCast S has a light-up core with customizable RGB effects, adding a pop of color to the screen at all times (yep, even when your queue time hits 10 minutes). It also has an internal pop filter and four polar patterns, including cardioid. Buy HyperX QuadCast S at Amazon - $160 EPOS Sennheiser Game One Will Lipman Photography for Engadget Uncomfortable headphones can destroy an otherwise enjoyable gaming session, and this is extra-true for streamers, who don't have the time or brainpower to deal with squashed ears. Sennheiser's Game One headset offers incredibly crisp audio in a cozy, breathable frame, complete with velour earpads that play well with glasses. An open-back design provides 3D sound and lets streamers hear their surroundings without sliding one ear to the side. The Game One is also in the same price range as mid-tier headsets from Razer, HyperX or SteelSeries, but its unique open-acoustic design provides high-quality, crystal clear — and comfy! — soundscapes. Buy EPOS Game One at Amazon - $130 Razer BlackShark V2 Razer If you're looking for style and performance in a budget-friendly headset, Razer has you covered. The BlackShark V2 is a relatively affordable gaming headset with everything a streamer needs, from memory foam ear cushions to a detachable mic. This one is a sound-isolating headset, making it good for public streaming spaces with a lot of background noise. Razer knows what it's doing when it comes to gaming accessories, and the Black Shark V2 is a tried-and-true device for any player, all in that classic black-and-green look. Buy BlackShark V2 at Amazon - $100 Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 Will Lipman Photography for Engadget Elgato's Stream Deck is the piece of equipment that most streamers don't realize they need, at least until they get one. This little baby is a customizable desktop controller with 15 LCD keys that can be set to launch and manage apps like Twitch, YouTube, OBS, Spotify and XSplit. It's especially handy for live situations, where streamers need to smoothly swap among programs and monitor multiple apps at the same time. Buy Stream Deck MK.2 at Amazon - $150 Logitech C922 Pro Stream Will Lipman Photography for Engadget One thing every streamer needs is a quality camera. Logitech makes a range of reliable webcams, but for streamers today, a good starting place is the C922 Pro Stream. It hovers around $100, and it streams in 1080p at 30fps or 720p at 60fps, with built-in autofocus and lighting correction. The C922 is a workhorse that'll get the job done with little fuss. Buy Logitech C922 Pro Stream at Amazon - $100 Razer Kiyo Pro Razer There's only so much lighting you can squeeze into a single streaming space, and that's where Razer's Kiyo Pro comes in. It's a USB camera with an adaptive light sensor that makes the most of dim, backlit and string-lighted environments, and it's capable of capturing footage at 1080p and 60fps, or in HDR mode at 30fps. This is a high-quality streaming camera with a wide-angle lens and a sleek circular profile, and it comes with a privacy cover to ensure there are no on-air accidents. Buy Kiyo Pro at Amazon - $199 Razer Ripsaw HD Razer For truly professional-looking streams, a capture card is a must, and Razer's Ripsaw HD is one of the best. The Ripsaw HD is a plug-and-play device that records and streams gameplay at 1080p and 60fps, while allowing the game itself to hit 4K and 60fps. This is how the experts do it. Buy Ripsaw HD at Amazon - $160 Lightsmoon Line Lamp Lightsmoon Once the basic bits of tech are out of the way, it's time to add some style to your streamer's scene. Lighting is an easy way to set the mood and draw the eye of new viewers, and the Line Lamp by Lightsmoon is a classy, unobtrusive option for customizable, multicolor ambiance. The Line Lamp is designed to fit in the corner of a room, reflecting off the walls and making the whole room glow with minimal hardware. Buy Line Lamp at Lightsmoon - $280 Govee Glide Wall Light Govee For a mounted lighting option, the Govee Glide Wall Light is the way to go. It consists of six bars that snap together in various configurations, with a range of lighting effects, plus Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice capabilities built-in. Govee's Glide Wall Light is dimmable, customizable and it has six modes that automatically react to music. Buy Glide wall light at Amazon - $100 REAWUL large RGB mouse pad REAWUL Want a quick, easy and cheap way to make a streaming space pop? Get a big, light-up mouse pad. The large RGB mouse pad by REAWUL is an extended mat that measures 80cm by 30cm, easily covering the area of a full-size keyboard and mouse, with light-up edges. The pad has 14 RGB lighting modes with steady and animated options, and it's powered via USB. At less than $20, this is a steal as well as a showstopper. Buy RGB mouse pad at Amazon - $20

Google’s rumored foldable Pixel might have older cameras than the Pixel 6 Posted: 05 Nov 2021 07:19 AM PDT After working on prototypes for several years, Google reportedly plans to release a foldable Pixel in 2022. According to 9to5Google's deep dive into the current Google Camera APK, the phone is codenamed Pipit. While there aren't many concrete details about what the foldable looks like or how it functions, the APK offered some insights into the Pipit's camera setup. Seemingly, the main camera will have the 12.2MP sensor Google used in its devices between the Pixel 3 and Pixel 5. The new Pixel 6 lineup, meanwhile, uses a 50MP GN1 camera. The Pipit (or Pixel Fold, or whatever it will actually be called) is said to use the same 12MP IMX386 ultrawide sensor as the current Pixels, as well as two front-facing 8MP IMX355 sensors. There's likely to be one of those on each side of the body so folks can take selfies whether the device is folded or unfolded. It makes sense that the main camera might not be as powerful as the one in the Pixel 6 lineup. Those phones have a protruding bar on the rear to give the camera sensors enough room. Size is a bigger concern on a foldable than a slab-style smartphone, given it's twice as thick when its closed. So, camera sensors with a slimmer profile might be preferable for Google in this case. Samsung has also used lesser cameras in its foldables than in the flagship S Series devices. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, for instance, doesn't have as powerful cameras as the Galaxy S21 lineup. Elsewhere, the APK includes the term "isPixel2022Foldable." That's a decent indication that Google plans to release a foldable device next year, given how Google has used similar terminology to refer to previous Pixel models. For what it's worth, Google recently announced a version of Android designed for tablets and foldables. The company plans to release the first public version of Android 12L next year, "in time for the next wave of Android 12 tablets and foldables."

The best gifts for the coffee nerd in your life Posted: 05 Nov 2021 06:00 AM PDT This holiday, why not encourage friends and family to expand their coffee-consuming horizons. We've compiled a list of the best gifts for coffee nerds you can buy this year, with options for brewing, drinking and more. And if that special someone isn't into java, we've got gifts that will work just fine for tea drinkers too. Aeropress Go Will Lipman Photography for Engadget The Aeropress is a fun way to make a single cup of coffee at home with an apparatus that doesn't take up much space in the cabinet. It's a versatile brewer that allows you to experiment with different times and strengths as you go. I like to use it to brew a double-strength cup directly over ice whenever I forget to make cold brew. For the coffee nerd on your list that has a regular setup already, the Aeropress makes a great gift. And the Aeropress Go is even more compact. It tucks neatly inside a cup that you can brew directly into and is perfect for camping and travel. — Billy Steele, Senior News Editor Buy Aeropress Go at Amazon - $32 Adagio Simplicitea starter set Adagio Coffee isn't everyone's caffeinated drink of choice, and Adagio's Simplicitea starter set is a thoughtful gift to give the tea lover in your life. It includes a 12-ounce Borosilicate glass teapot with a stainless steel lid and mesh rim, allowing them to brew loose leaf tea and pour all from one vessel. And you can choose the type of tea they like the best — black, green, herbal or a best-sellers mixture — to accompany the new pot. Serious tea aficionados probably already have their preferred brewing tools, but this set is a great option for anyone looking to step back from traditional tea bags and dip their toes into the wide world of loose leaf tea. — Valentina Palladino, Commerce Editor Buy Simplicitea starter set at Adagio - $24 Baratza Encore Baratza While there are more affordable coffee grinders out there, few of them have achieved the workhorse status of the Baratza Encore. The conical burr design offers consistently even grinds with 40 size settings for a variety of brewing methods. The hopper holds eight ounces of whole beans and it's clear so you can see exact supply levels at a glance. It's simple, easy to use and will help the coffee geek on your list produce some truly outstanding brews. — B.S. Buy Baratza Encore at Amazon - $170 Brumate Toddy Will Lipman Photography for Engadget I've been a big fan of Brumate's wares since I bought myself a Hopsulator Trio for a beach vacation a few years ago. I still use it all the time, during both warm and cool months. However, when the temperatures begin to dip, I tend to reach for hot beverages more often, so Brumate's Toddy insulated mug is a better option. The cup works well to keep drinks hot or cold and the trademark feature is the spill-proof lid. That thing has saved me from massive cleanup more times than I can count. The regular Toddy can hold 16 ounces while the Toddy XL doubles the capacity to 32 ounces. Plus, it's a gift someone on your list can use year-round. — B.S. Buy Toddy at Brumate - $30 Cosori Gooseneck Electric Kettle Will Lipman Photography for Engadget A good kettle is essential if you want to up your home-brewing game, and it can help make a bunch of other things too like tea, ramen and more. Cosori's Gooseneck Electric Kettle packs most crucial features into a relatively compact kettle that's also priced right at $70. Goosenecks can be intimidating but they give you much more control when pouring over a Chemex, and we think Cosori's, with its matte black finish, also looks pretty nice on most countertops. It has a stainless steel interior and five temperature presets so you can easily get the perfect temperature for things like green tea, black coffee and more. Plus, the "hold temp" option lets you set and forget the water for a bit; you can turn it on before you start your morning routine and come back to perfectly heated water, ready for whatever's picking you up that morning. — V.P. Buy Cosori electric kettle at Amazon - $70 Ember Mug 2 Will Lipman Photography for Engadget I'll be honest: when I first saw the original Ember travel mug, I thought it was a bit ridiculous. Most insulated tumblers are capable of keeping your brew warm long enough for you to drink it. However, my mindset changed pretty quickly when I got the Mug 2 for Father's Day. The rechargeable cup keeps your coffee or tea warmed to a desired temperature that you set in the Ember app. Battery life could be better, but it gets the job done. And when you need to, you can dock it on the charging base to replenish the power source. — B.S. Buy Ember Mug 2 at Amazon - $130 Fellow Carter Everywhere Mug Fellow For something a little less tech-heavy, the Carter Everywhere Mug from Fellow is one of my current favorites. It keeps coffee warm and cold brew cold even without the lid on. When closed, it can keep drinks warm for 12 hours and cold for 24 hours. There's a nice lip around the top that offers an enjoyable sipping experience. Sounds weird, I know, but I'm not being dramatic when I say this mug is a joy to drink out of. The interior is also coated in ceramic, so you don't get that metallic taste a lot of travel mugs impart. — B.S. Buy Fellow Cart mug at Amazon - $30 Hario Mizudashi Hario It may seem odd to give a cold brew pitcher as a holiday gift, but trust me, when that person makes their first batch, they'll be thanking you all over again — no matter what time of year it is. I've been using the Hario Mizudashi for several years now. In fact, I have two just to make sure I have enough cold brew on hand during the summer. The real key here is the removable basket. You can take that out after an overnight soak, rinse it under warm water and the rest of the pitcher is there to store your coffee until you need it. — B.S. Buy Hario Mizudashi at Amazon - $22 Technivorm Mochamaster KBGT Technivorm If you're shopping for a pour over fan who could use a few extra minutes in the morning to do something besides manual brewing, Technivorm's Moccamaster line is worth a look. They're pricey coffee makers, but they simulate the action of pour-over-style brewing without all of the… well, pouring. The outlet arm pulses water over the brew basket rather than a steady stream like most automatic coffee makers. The KBGT also has a thermal carafe and automatically pauses the brewing cycle when you need an early refill. — B.S. Buy Technivorm Mochamaste at Williams-Sonoma - $340 Coffee subscriptions yalcinsonat1 via Getty Images What do you get the coffee nerd who has everything? Well, we're always down to try new beans. Most coffee roasters offer a subscription of some type with varying frequency based on consumption habits. And even if they don't, you can still send a bag or two as a one-time gift. Some of my favorites include Hatchet in Boone, North Carolina, Dark Matter in Chicago and Vesta in Las Vegas, which has been a lifesaver during CES. Shop Hatchet Coffee RoastersShop Dark Matter CoffeeShop Vesta Coffee Roasters

GoPro's Hero 10 sees its first Amazon discount ahead of Black Friday Posted: 05 Nov 2021 05:59 AM PDT The GoPro Hero 10 Black may look the same as the previous model, but it has a lot of changes under the hood like improved image quality, a faster UI and more slow-motion and frame rate options. The main drawback has been the $500 price, but if you just want the camera alone with no subscription attached, you can now pick one up from Amazon at $450, or $50 off the regular price.  Buy GoPro Hero 10 at Amazon - $450 The Hero 10 achieved a 92 Engadget score, thanks to 5.3K maximum resolution (up from 5K) at up to 60fps, 4K at 120 fps and 2.7K at 240fps. It also comes with the updated HyperSmooth 4.0 that stabilizes even rough jolts, along with new tone mapping and noise reduction that further boost image quality. All of that was made possible thanks to GoPro's new GP2 processor that offers double the speeds.  As before, it has a front screen for framing yourself when looking at the camera, but it's been boosted to a smoother 30 fps, up from 20 fps. Other features include a new horizon leveling option and faster navigation. The main downside is lower battery life compared to the GoPro 9. While Amazon has discounted the standalone Hero 10 price to $450, you can still pick one up cheaper directly from GoPro. If you're willing to sign up for a one-year subscription, you can get both the Hero 10 and the subscription for $400. As such, Amazon's deal is more for folks who really just want the camera with no strings (or forgotten subscriptions) attached.  Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

The Roomba 694 robot vacuum drops to a record low of $180 Posted: 05 Nov 2021 05:40 AM PDT iRobot's Roombas are arguable the most sought after robot vacuums, but they're also some of the most expensive ones out there. We recommended the $275 Roomba 694 in our budget robot vacuum guide because it did a good job cleaning hard and carpeted floors and has a straightforward mobile app experience that even newbies will learn quickly. Now, you can grab that robo-vac at the best price we've seen it — an early Black Friday sale at Amazon has knocked the Roomba 694 down to $180, or $94 less than usual. Buy Roomba 694 at Amazon - $180 This model just came out earlier this year and it replaces the older Roomba 675. The two vacuums are mostly the same, albeit for the refined design on the Roomba 694. It's a sleek, all-black robot with three buttons on its top in the center, which allow you to manually control it whenever that's easier than using the companion mobile app. It uses iRobot's three-stage cleaning system to suck up dirt on both hard floors and carpet, while navigating around furniture and other obstacles. It also goes a good job sensing problem areas — like pockets of dust or small piles of dirt — and focusing on those until they're gone. It even has a spot-clean feature that you can activate by pressing one of the on-device buttons. The Roomba 694 connects to WiFi and works with iRobot's mobile app, which lets you turn on the robot, set schedules and more. iRobot's app is clean and easy to use, so if you're thinking about gifting this to a less tech-savvy person, they shouldn't have a problem figuring out how to use their new robo-vac. The Roomba 694 also works with Alexa and the Google Assistant, so you can activate it without even opening the app — just ask your preferred voice assistant to get it to start cleaning. This model should run for about 90 minutes when cleaning hard floors before it automatically returns to its base for a recharge. The Roomba 694 was already a great choice for those on a budget who wanted an iRobot device to clean their homes, but now it's a steal at this early Black Friday price. Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

Engadget Podcast: Is Meta’s metaverse crazy, or genius? Posted: 05 Nov 2021 05:30 AM PDT This week, Devindra and Engadget's Jessica Conditt dive into Facebook's big metaverse moves. Is it more than a name change? Is Meta a smart bet on where the future of computing is going? Also, Devindra and producer Ben chat about the Google Wave-like additions to Microsoft Office, and Samsung's jeans for the Z Flip 3. Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News! Engadget · Is Meta's metaverse crazy, or genius? Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Podcasts Topics Facebook / Meta's big metaverse moment – 1:19 Microsoft announces Loop collaboration tool at Ignite – 33:29 In-browser video editing and audio recording for Office – 42:17 Ford electrified its classic F-100 as a concept car – 46:02 Samsung releases jeans with a pocket specifically for the Galaxy Z Flip 3 – 51:26 Working on – 56:28 Picks – 58:06 Video livestream Credits Hosts: Devindra Hardawar Guest: Jessica Conditt Producer: Ben Ellman Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos,Luke Brooks Graphics artists: Luke Brooks, Kyle Maack Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien

Konami is refunding DLC purchases after disastrous 'eFootball' launch Posted: 05 Nov 2021 05:05 AM PDT Last month, Konami dropped Pro Evolution Soccer in favor of the new free-to-play eFootball franchise with the promise of decent gameplay on the cheap. Unfortunately, the launch was nothing short of woeful, with bad player models, numerous glitches and an uproar over a $40 DLC that couldn't even be redeemed until a big version 1.0 update originally scheduled for this month. Now, Konami is saying that this update is being pushed way back to spring of 2022. As such, it's refunding players who pulled the trigger on that DLC and forcing them to reinstall the game. "If you have pre-ordered the Premium Player Pack and wish to continue to play eFootball 2022, you will need to re-download the core game after the pre-order has been cancelled. We apologize for the inconvenience," the company wrote. Konami To make the game more usable in the near term, Konami released an update (v0.9.1) "to fix numerous bugs sequentially on each platform starting today (November 5th)," it wrote. Left unsaid there is the severity of the glitches, which make for some pretty cringe reading. Choice ones include "the referee may be shown as being trapped on the surface of the pitch," "pitch grass is not shown three-dimensionally," and "players may get caught up in the goal net when performing a goal celebration close to the goal."  It's hard to be optimistic given the issues Konami has had with its football games, but the company did buy itself some more time. We now have to wait until spring 2022 to see if it can do anything to turn eFootball around.

The Morning After: The electric motorcycle with speed upgrades via in-app payments Posted: 05 Nov 2021 04:26 AM PDT Zero Motorcycles' new electric motorbike is taking a thoroughly 2020s approach to upgrades. Revealed yesterday, its 2022 SR will allow you to 'push' software-based upgrades to the ride. Zero The bike includes a Cypher Store, and if you plan to get the most out of the 2022 SR, you'll need to spend some time (and money) in it. At first, the Cypher Store will offer a mix of performance and comfort upgrades. It will later expand to sell purchases that enable features like a park mode, heated grips and faster charging. Naturally these capabilities will be possible on any bike, but the software will 'unlock' them for users. Zero says how much you'll pay for those extras will depend on the model you own. The 2022 SR, with a top speed of 104 miles per hour will start at $17,995 when it debuts at dealerships in the first quarter of 2022. But with a $1,795 in-app purchase, power output increases, allowing the 2022 SR to go as fast as 124MPH. — Mat Smith HBO Max and Discovery+ might merge into a single platform But first, they could be offered as a bundle. AT&T spun off its WarnerMedia division and merged it with Discovery in a $43 billion agreement. The deal, on track to close by mid-2022, could lead to its two streaming services becoming a combined service for subscribers. According to Gizmodo, president and CEO of Discovery Streaming and International, JB Perrette, has discussed the steps to get there. It might start with offering HBO Max and Discovery+ as a bundle, before entirely merging the pair. One less streaming app, right? But also one less option… Continue reading. Sponsored by UserTesting Deliver an experience that wins & test every stage of the player's journey. Get the guide. Samsung made a pair of jeans especially for its flip smartphone Other pockets are stitched shut. Samsung Samsung says the new silhouette helps "frame the legs." Continue reading and shaking your head. The best gifts for the aspiring influencer in your life These gadgets will help them make better content and stand out online. You don't have to understand the world of social media to buy gifts for the TikTokers, Instagrammers, YouTubers and live streamers in your life. We guide you through some possibly major upgrades for those that live in front of a green screen. Or a green screen, if they don't have one yet! Continue reading. Blue Origin loses lawsuit over NASA's SpaceX lunar-lander contract A judge didn't buy Blue Origin's safety concerns. Blue Origin has failed in its lawsuit against NASA over SpaceX's lunar-lander contract. CNBC reports the Federal Court of Claims has ruled against Blue Origin, dismissing the company's claims. Blue Origin's case revolved around accusations NASA ignored "key flight safety requirements" when handing the Human Landing System to SpaceX. In a tweet, Bezos said: "Not the decision we wanted, but we respect the court's judgment, and wish full success for NASA and SpaceX on the contract." NASA said it would resume work with SpaceX "as soon as possible" following the decision. Continue reading. Debt-laden soccer club FC Barcelona begins selling NFTs You can 'own' a historic moment from the club's century-long history. FC Barcelona, one of football's biggest clubs, is auctioning off NFTs "based on some of the club's historic moments." Details are scarce for now, but it appears the club will allow fans to bid on clips of highlights in a style similar to that of NBA Top Shot. Barcelona's decision to begin selling NFTs may have been prompted by the debt crisis the club is currently in, with debts reported around $1.56 billion this summer. The club's previous leadership is accused of reckless spending on high wages on a number of players that have subsequently underperformed. This summer, the club was forced to release Lionel Messi, one of the world's most successful players. Continue reading.   The biggest news stories you missed Crypto scammers stole $500K from wallets using targeted Google Ads Muoverti says its tilting stationary bike feels like real cycling T-Mobile offers subscribers a year of free Paramount+ The best tech stocking stuffers you can buy Arlo's latest LTE camera is cheaper and captures 1080p footage AT&T and Verizon will delay 5G expansion over aircraft safety issues Porsche 'digital twin' can predict when your car will need service Engadget Deals: The 12.9-inch iPad Pro with 512GB of storage is $150 off right now

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