Monday, February 14, 2022

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Motorola and Verizon made a '5G Neckband' for lighter VR headsets

Posted: 14 Feb 2022 09:00 AM PST

Everyone wants a piece of the metaverse. Since Facebook rebranded and christened itself Meta, interest in VR and AR has surged again. We've already seen companies like Google, Samsung, LG and Alcatel try and fail to make VR headsets for the mainstream, and currently devices from Oculus (oops, Meta), Valve, HTC and Sony are left standing thanks to the appeal of immersive gaming. 

But Motorola and Verizon believe they have the answer to the biggest problem slowing down mainstream VR headset uptake: they're often weighed down by a slew of components. The companies are announcing a "5G Neckband" today that they believe can allow headset makers to leave things like connectivity, processing and battery to the collar and focus on making their heads up displays lightweight and comfortable. 

In the pictures and diagrams the companies provided to Engadget, the neckband is paired with a ThinkReality A3 headset (from Motorola's parent company Lenovo), but it is meant to work with other glasses as well. The idea is that the collar and pendant can provide the brains of the operation for heads up displays moving forward. But it's also intended to help make those experiences much more portable, thanks to a bevy of 5G antenna embedded all over. "We're making 5G wearable," vice president of technology at Verizon Brian Mecum told Engadget.

I haven't seen the 5G Neckband in person, but based on the photos, it looks like a cross between a chunky necklace and a lanyard. There's what looks like a rope-sized cable encircling your neck, which the companies say attaches magnetically, and a card-sized module that dangles from its middle. The current iteration is black with a red barrel on the right to connect to headsets, which is compatible with Qualcomm's Snapdragon VR platform and Microsoft's Remote Network Driver Interface (RNDIS). It also offers USB-C and DP1.4 connections.

The companies said the front pendant measures 2.1 x 3.8 inches (54 x 97mm), weighs 3.5 ounces (100 grams), and contains a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 5,000mAh battery, touchpad, SIM card slot and charging light indicator. It also houses a slew of sensors like a gyroscope, accelerometer, barometer and GPS, in addition to antennae for 5G, which are also embedded along the rest of the neckband. At the back sits a trapezoid-shaped module weighing 2.6 ounces (75 grams) that also contains antenna and stereo loudspeakers. Connecting the two are coaxes and signal lines, according to company reps.

"We wanted to make it so it's pretty indistinguishable to the user," said Jeff Snow, Motorola's general manager of product innovation. "They've got a smartphone always on them that's always connected to these glasses." 

Motorola and Verizon aren't ready to share details around pricing and availability yet, but did tease that they were in talks with major partners including "already in place retail channels that are doing things in AR and VR," Mecum said. He also mentioned that they're working with "some sports leagues" and "something pretty big with education." 

"We took a smartphone and exploded it around your neck," Mecum said. He's very excited about the new product, "We don't introduce new form factors or new compute platforms very often in the industry," he said. "If we can make it easier for kids to learn and we can make it easier for people in sports leagues to learn," he said, "without the complexity and friction of big heavy things around their head, it'll change."

The idea of lightening the load on your neck and moving it to your shoulders while you're spending hours in VR does seem sound. Other companies have also experimented with making belts or fanny packs to house heavier compute components. But the 5G neckband is very clearly still in its early stages, with Motorola saying that we should "stay tuned for more information." We'll need to at least check out a sample in person to judge the weight, latency, performance, heat generated and overall comfort of this device before we can determine if it's feasible. For now, the neckband is at least an indicator that some companies in the industry are aware of some of the obstacles around VR and AR headsets and are working on solutions. And if it doesn't get sleeker and better-looking in its next few iterations, then we may all be doomed to look goofy when we don the gear we need to enter the metaverse.

SpaceX plans its first commercial spacewalk for this year

Posted: 14 Feb 2022 08:52 AM PST

SpaceX won't just have launched first all-civilian spaceflight — it should soon be home to a full-fledged private space program. According to The Washington Post, Shift4 founder and Inspiration4 leader Jared Isaacman has unveiled a Polaris Program initiative that will include "up to" three crewed SpaceX flights. The first, Polaris Dawn, is planned for the fourth quarter of 2022 and should include the first commercial spacewalk. The effort will ideally end with the first human-occupied Starship flight. Sorry, Moon tourists.

The Polaris Dawn team will also aim for the highest-ever Earth orbit, conduct health research and test laser-based Starlink communication. Isaacman will return as mission commander, while Inspiration4 mission director and Air Force veteran Scott Poteet will serve as pilot. Two of SpaceX's lead operations engineers will also be aboard, including Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis. Menon's role is symbolic of the shift toward private spaceflight — her husband Anil was chosen to become a NASA astronaut, but she'll likely reach space before her spouse does.

The program hinges on SpaceX and partners solving a number of problems. SpaceX is developing spacesuits necessary for the spacewalk, and Isaacman's group hasn't yet decided how many crew members will step outside. Starship also carries some uncertainty. While there's been ample testing and plenty of progress, development of the next-gen rocket system hasn't always gone according to plan. Expect the Polaris Program to have a relatively loose schedule, and possibly a few setbacks.

Even so, this represents a further normalization of private spaceflight. While the Polaris Program continues a recent 'tradition' of civilian flights led by billionaires (Isaacman is no exception), it also promises to commercialize aspects that were still reserved for government astronauts, such as spacewalks and testing new spacecraft (NASA astronauts helmed SpaceX's Demo-2). Don't be shocked if private crews fulfill other roles in the near future.

Zwift is holding a cycling esports event in a virtual NYC

Posted: 14 Feb 2022 07:33 AM PST

Zwift is bringing together some of its more dedicated cyclists for another competitive riding event. On February 26th, the workout platform will host the second UCI Cycling Esports World Championships ever, which takes place on a course set in a virtual version of Central Park in New York City.

Riders will complete two laps of the 22.5 km (~14 mile) Knickerbocker route plus some additional track to make up the complete 54.9 km (34 mile) circuit. The New York course features some glass roadways that are suspended above the park to add more elevation and a sci-fi twist to the ride. Pay close attention and you'll see flying cars zipping around too.

The competitors will all use the Wahoo Kickr V5 Smart Trainers. Zwift says these intelligently respond to climb gradients as well as simulated draft from other riders.

Since this is a virtual event, Zwift is able to shake things up a bit from traditional road races. Riders will have seven chances to pick up Mario Kart-style PowerUps during the race (a regular feature on Zwift courses). They can deploy these at strategic times to temporarily increase the draft effect, boost aerodynamic efficiency or reduce the bike's weight.

Around 180 riders will compete across the men's and women's races. The winners will each receive a physical and digital championship jersey they can wear for sanctioned esports races and activities and while their avatar is active on Zwift. The event will be broadcast on Eurosport in Europe and on GCN+ and Zwift's YouTube channel around the world.

Zwift notes that all users had the chance to secure a spot in the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships through continental qualifier races. It says that while it's early days for cycling esports, some specialist riders have already emerged. As the metaverse continues to take shape, perhaps we'll start seeing more physical esports events in other disciplines.

Polestar's Super Bowl ad takes jabs at Tesla and VW

Posted: 14 Feb 2022 07:05 AM PST

Polestar is counting on a time-honored tactic to get noticed in an increasingly crowded electric car market: a brazen Super Bowl ad. Volvo's sibling brand aired a 30-second spot for the Polestar 2 during Super Bowl 2022 that took some not-so-subtle potshots at competitors and industry hypocrisy at large. The commercial was dominated by "nos" that included "no dieselgate" (hi VW), "no conquering Mars" (ahem, Elon) and "no greenwashing." The company wants you to see rivals as either distracted from their mission or using eco-friendly products as cover — a possible dig at oil companies that flaunt green credentials, among many other potential targets.

The ad came during a Super Bowl full of tech marketing, including a two-pronged strategy from GM that included a Sopranos-themed commercial for the Chevy Silverado EV as well as the return of Austin Powers' Dr. Evil to pitch GM's electrification strategy. Other tech promos came from Meta (pitching the Quest 2 and Horizon Worlds), Uber, Intuit and a host of cryptocurrency exchanges.

Whether or not the ad leads to a surge in demand is far from certain. Polestar may have the weight of Volvo (and joint parent Geely) behind it, but it's still a tiny newcomer compared to Tesla, VW and other incumbents. It's also not quite clear the Polestar 2 offers "no compromises" when it's not the fastest, longest-ranged or most capacious EV. Still, the Super Bowl ad might be effective if it at least gets customers to consider Polestar if they're planning to ditch gas-powered transportation.

Samsung's 1TB T7 portable SSD is back down to a record low of $110

Posted: 14 Feb 2022 06:55 AM PST

A number of Samsung storage gadgets are on sale right now, making it a good time to pick up an extra portable drive to keep in your bag, a microSD card for your tablet or console or even an SSD for your new PS5. Notably, Samsung's T7 portable SSD in 1TB is back down to its Black Friday price of $110, which is 35 percent less than usual. Also discounted are the Samsung 980 Pro SSD in 2TB, which is $150 off and down to $280, and the 128GB Pro Plus microSD card, which is nearly half off and down to $21.

Buy Samsung T7 SSD (1TB) at Amazon - $110Buy Samsung 980 Pro SSD (2TB) at Amazon - $280Buy Samsung Pro Plus microSD card (128GB) at Amazon - $21

The T7 is one of our favorite portable drives thanks to its fast speeds and pocket-friendly design. It supports reads speeds up to 1,050 MB/s and write speeds up to 1,000 MB/s, and it has ePCM technology and Dynamic Thermal Guard to control heat levels. It doesn't have a built-in fingerprint reader like the T7 Touch does, but otherwise its shock-resistant aluminum unibody is the same. It also works with a number of different devices thanks to the USB-C to C and USB-C to A cables that come with it, and its companion PC, Mac and Android apps.

If you're looking for a PlayStation 5-compatible SSD to store your game collection, Samsung's 2TB 980 Pro is a solid option. You can pick up the drive by itself for $280, which is an all-time-low price, or you can spring for the SSD with a heatsink (which you'll need to use it with the PS5) for $20 extra. It earned a spot on our list of preferred PS5 drives thanks to its reliability and and fast read and write speeds.

Those with Nintendo Switches should consider the 128GB Samsung Pro Plus microSD card, which is 48 percent off and down to only $21. If you plan on keeping your games library with you at all times, you'll need a microSD card to expand the paltry amount of onboard storage that the Switch comes with. This Samsung card comes with a USB adapter and supports sequential read speeds up to 160 MB/s and sequential write speeds up to 120 MB/s.

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

UK authorities seize NFTSs over $1.9 million in suspected tax fraud

Posted: 14 Feb 2022 06:10 AM PST

The non-fungible token market is full of shady dealings, and British authorities hope to clean them up. BBC Newsreports HM Revenue and Customs has seized three NFTs as part of investigation into potential tax fraud. The suspects allegedly used 250 fake companies, false identities, prepaid phones, VPNs and other techniques to hide themselves as they sought to defraud the UK tax office of £1.4 million (nearly $1.9 million).

HMRC obtained a court order to take the unvalued NFTs as well as crypto assets worth roughly £5,000 ($6,760). This is the first time UK law enforcement has seized NFTs, the authority said.

The investigation is still ongoing. However, economic crime deputy director Nick Sharp believed the seizures would "serve as a warning" to other would-be crypto fraud perpetrators.

The lack of regulations and other protections around NFTs has led to significant problems with fraud and scams, including self-sales to boost prices (aka wash trading) and fake or plagiarized tokens. Cent recently halted most transactions due to "rampant" sales of bogus tokens, while marketplace giant OpenSea has been scrambling to develop safeguards after 80 percent of NFTs minted through a free tool were discovered to be fakes, copies or spam. Don't be surprised if there are more seizures like this one, at least until NFT marketplace owners have more ways to discourage fraud and other harmful activities.

Samsung's cellular Galaxy Watch 4 models drop to new record-low prices

Posted: 14 Feb 2022 05:47 AM PST

Whether you pre-ordered one of Samsung's new Galaxy smartphones or have another Android handset, the company's Galaxy Watches are the wearables we'd recommend pairing with it. The Galaxy Watch 4 came out last year and earned a score of 85 from us, and we consider it to be the best Wear OS smartwatch available right now. You can pick one of the LTE models for less right now at Amazon as they are up to 27 percent off. The 40mm LTE Galaxy Watch 4 is $80 off and down to $220 while the 44mm LTE version is also $80 off and down to $250.

Buy Galaxy Watch 4 LTE (40mm) at Amazon - $220Buy Galaxy Watch 4 LTE (44mm) at Amazon - $250

The Galaxy Watch 4 was the first to run Wear OS with One UI, which were the products of a closer collaboration between Google and Samsung. Tizen lovers need not fear — the interface doesn't look too different from that on previous Samsung smartwatches. Arguably the biggest perk of Wear OS is that the Galaxy Watch 4 can download apps directly from the Play Store. Samsung also added gesture controls to the Watch 4, which let you do things like flick your wrist to answer or dismiss calls.

In addition to smart features like receiving smartphone alerts, answering calls and messages and using apps on your wrist, the Galaxy Watch 4 has almost all of the fitness features most people will look for in a smartwatch. This includes a built-in heart rate monitor and GPS, plus support for sleep tracking (along with snore detection), blood oxygen measurements and more. It also has a new 3-in-1 biometric sensor that enables body mass scans using bioelectrical impedance analysis.

Samsung packed a lot of value into the Galaxy Watch 4, and the LTE models on sale take it one step further by letting you take and make calls, send texts and stream music without your phone present. If you like the idea of leaving your phone at home and still having some access to your digital life, an LTE smartwatch like this is a good option.

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

Uber CEO says you'll eventually be able to pay with cryptocurrency

Posted: 14 Feb 2022 04:40 AM PST

Uber users will eventually be able to pay for rides using cryptocurrency, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told Bloomberg. However, the company is essentially taking the same tack as Tesla by waiting for changes that will lower transaction fees and make it more environmentally friendly. 

"Is Uber going to accept crypto in the future? Absolutely, at some point," Khosrowshahi said. "As the exchange mechanism becomes less expensive, becomes more environmentally friendly, I think you will see us lean into crypto a little bit more." 

If Uber does jump onto the crypto train, it would be joining a number of firms that already accept Bitcoin, most notably Microsoft, AT&T and Wikipedia. Other major companies have been more reluctant, however, as cryptocurrencies along with related products like NFTs have been under fire for using massive amounts of energy generated in part by burning fossil fuels. 

Tesla was the highest-profile company to accept Bitcoin as payment for its EVs, but it suspended the practice, saying it would only use it again "as mining transitions to more sustainable energy." However, the company recently started accepting Dogecoin payments for some of its merch like the Cyberquad for Kids, with CEO Elon Musk tweeting that it's "better suited for transactions." 

The Morning After: Our verdict on ‘Horizon Forbidden West’

Posted: 14 Feb 2022 04:15 AM PST

Finally, the two newest consoles are hitting their exclusive-game groove. Microsoft finally has its Halo, and while Forbidden West is available on PlayStation 4, it was made to sing on the more powerful PS5. Senior Editor Jessica Conditt has spent some time with the game, ahead of its launch later this week — read her full review right here — and, well, she likes it. (What's not to like about an underwater Vegas?)

It's going to be a busy few weeks for gamers. Destiny 2's latest expansion, the Witch Queen, lands, alongside the hugely anticipated Elden Ring, which is coming to both Xbox and PlayStation. Meanwhile, I'm going low-fi and playing through Earthbound — a game from 1994 — on my Switch.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Watch the first trailer for 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'

The 60-second teaser dropped at Super Bowl LVI.

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Amazon

Amazon's epic is almost here. The series is set in the Second Age of Middle Earth, thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings. It will be drawing material from J.R.R.Tolkien's The Silmarillion, which details key events like Sauron's story and the forging of the rings of power. To whet your appetite, check out the minute-long teaser from this weekend's Super Bowl.

Continue reading.

VR-related insurance claims increased by 31 percent in 2021 in the UK

Insurance companies are seeing a lot of claims for cracked TVs.

UK insurer Aviva said last year it saw a 31 percent increase in home contents claims involving VR headsets and a 68 percent overall increase since 2016. In 2021, the average claim for VR-related accidental damages was about £650 or $880, and most incidents involved cracked TVs screens. It's reflecting a boom in VR: On Christmas Day 2021, the Oculus app hit the top of Apple's App Store charts for the first time. Please remember where you are, folks.

Continue reading.

Facebook removed anti-vaccine trucker protest groups run by foreign actors

Many of the pages were scams from Vietnam and Romania.

Facebook has recently removed several "trucker convoy" groups and pages run by scammers in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Romania and other countries. The company said many of those groups had recently changed their names to adopt ones that use terms like "trucker," "freedom" and "convoy" in hopes of taking advantage of the sudden interest in the rallies occurring in Canada. Many of those same pages included links to websites that sold pro-Trump and anti-vaccine merchandise. At the same time, most of the accounts that took part in those groups were tied to real people.

Continue reading.

Lamborghini wants to continue manufacturing gas-powered cars into the 2030s

Of course it does.

Lamborghini hopes to continue producing cars with internal combustion engines (ICE) into the next decade, CEO Stephan Winkelmann told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag this week. "After hybridization, we will wait to see whether it will be possible to offer vehicles with an internal combustion engine beyond 2030," he said in the interview. Even if Lamborghini continues producing ICE cars into the 2030s, it may not be able to sell those vehicles in many places. In the US and other parts of the world, governments have moved to ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars by mid-decade.

Continue reading.

Volta is installing 1,000 EV fast-charging stations at Walgreens locations

Posted: 14 Feb 2022 03:55 AM PST

More electric vehicle drivers will soon be able to charge their car's battery when they stop by the drugstore. EV charging network Volta is bringing another 1,000 DC fast-charging stalls to 500 Walgreens locations.

This marks a significant expansion of their partnership. The pair started working together in 2019 and there are currently Volta stations at 49 Walgreens stores. The companies say the latest agreement builds on Volta's plans to expand access to its DC fast-charging network and aligns with Walgreens' support of efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

"Walgreens is an ideal match for faster forms of Volta charging given the average time a Walgreens shopper typically spends in-store," Volta founder and CEO Scott Mercer said in a statement. "The next phase of our work with Walgreens will provide people with a quick, convenient, and meaningful charge that is tailored to their shopping experience while bringing us another step closer to a clean energy future."

Drugstores and grocery stores are good spots for EV charging stations, since drivers can top up their battery while grabbing some essentials. On top of that, the easier it is for folks to access fast-charging stations, the more likely they might be to switch to an EV. This week, the Biden administration announced a $5 billion plan to improve EV charging infrastructure across the US.

Amazon sale offers up to 40 percent off Anker chargers and accessories

Posted: 14 Feb 2022 02:35 AM PST

If you've been looking for wireless chargers, cables or high-speed chargers with surge protection, now is a good time to stock up. You can pick up various Anker products at Amazon with discounts up to 39 percent, including its magnetic 623 MagGo 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Station bundle, USB-C to Lightning cables and a USB-C surge protector strip with three 30-watt USB ports. 

Buy Anker charging products at Amazon

Anker's 632 MagGo 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Station delivers 20 watts of charging power for iPhone 13/13 Pro and iPhone 12/12 Pro models, while also letting you charge up your AirPods Pro wireless earbuds. Your phone attaches to the charging base magnetically, and it can even flip up 60 degrees so you can easily see the screen. Included is a 20-watt USB-C charger and USB-C to USB-C charging cable, all for $56 or 30 percent off, in powder blue only. 

If you're tired of losing iPhone charging cables and just want to get a bunch of them, Anker's USB-C to Lightning cable is available in a five-pack for $40, or 39 percent off the regular $66 price. For that, you get three 3-foot cables and two 6-footers, each compatible with USB-C chargers up to 87 watts. They also allow you to connect your iPhone to a Mac for seamless sync and charging. 

Finally, take a look at Anker's USB-C surge protector power strip on sale for $30, or 36 percent off. It comes with six AC outlets and three USB charging ports, including a dedicated USB-C Power Delivery (PD) port with up to 30 watts of power. It offers 1,280 joules of overload protection, ensuring that random power surges won't bork your gear. You'll also find other Anker deals here for PD and wireless chargers, battery banks and more, while the sale lasts. 

Dell's 34-inch QD-OLED monitor will cost $1,299 when it arrives this spring

Posted: 14 Feb 2022 01:40 AM PST

Dell's Alienware monitor that uses Samsung's quantum dot OLED (QD-OLED) tech will arrive this spring for a surprisingly reasonable $1,299, the company announced via a tweet. Dell first unveiled the curved, 34-inch gaming display at CES promising the ultra-high contrast of OLED displays with improved brightness, color range and uniformity. 

That price might not seem cheap, but other OLED monitors can cost far more. LG's 32-inch UltraFine OLED model costs $3,999, and even its 27-inch UltraFine model is $2,999. 

The Alienware model has specs more designed for gamers than content creators, though, with 3,440 x 1,440 of resolution, a 175 Hz refresh rate, 99.3 percent DCI-P3 color gamut, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 250 nits of brightness with 1,000 nits peak. It also offers HDR, conforming to the minimum DisplayHDR True Black 400 standard for OLED displays. 

Samsung's QD-OLED technology uses blue organic light-emitting diodes passed through quantum dots to generate red and green. That compares to standard OLED, which uses blue and yellow OLED compounds. Blue has the strongest light energy, so QD-OLED in theory offers more brightness and efficiency. Other advantages include a longer lifespan, more extreme viewing angles and less potential burn-in. 

How it performs is yet to be seen, however, as the technology is brand new. We'll learn more once the Alienware monitor comes to market this spring, and you can expect to see 55- and 65-inch QD-OLED Bravia TVs from Sony in the near future, as well. 

'Horizon Forbidden West' is the total package

Posted: 14 Feb 2022 12:01 AM PST

When Guerrilla Games revealed that Horizon Forbidden West would have underwater gameplay, I was not excited. I was in the minority with this feeling, but I have a ridiculous, lifelong fear of large things in deep bodies of water, and games in these settings genuinely freak me out. I'm still recovering from the shark scene in Batman Arkham Asylum.

However, Forbidden West has won me over, thalassophobia and all. The underwater environments are terrifying and filled with gigantic robot monsters, but they're also beautiful and rich, inviting Aloy to explore new layers of her world. From the submerged ruins of Las Vegas to a volcanic hot spring buried under a mountain, swimming is shockingly one of my favorite activities in Forbidden West. That, and overriding Tallnecks.

Forbidden West takes place right after the events of Horizon Zero Dawn, and Aloy is once again on a quest to save the world. She has to restore GAIA, a planet-wide AI system that will rid the lands of a devastating disease, and also investigate waves of murderous machines that are appearing across the continent. She has a Focus, which allows her to scan enemies and environments for information, unlocking the secrets of past civilizations.

Horizon Forbidden West
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Aloy travels to the southwest and west coast of the former United States, crossing snowy mountaintops and sand dunes dotted with Joshua trees before arriving at the ruins of the Golden Gate Bridge. Here, it has to be said: Forbidden West is gorgeous. I played on PlayStation 5, and some of the landscapes in the game left me breathless. There's something special about sunsets in the southwest; they burn brilliant reds and purples in the thin desert air, and Forbidden West captures this essence beautifully. I should note that the game's Photo Mode tends to blow out nighttime scenes, so it's harder to save those moments as they appear during play.

As Aloy heads west, hostile tribes and violent machines regularly appear in her path, providing ample opportunities to level up, test new skills, collect special valuables and override some robots to make them rideable — yes, even the flying Sunwing that's heavily featured in the game's marketing. 

Horizon Forbidden West
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My personal favorite mount is the Bristleback: It's a big warthog-like machine with a plump booty and the ability to harvest metal shards as it waits for Aloy to finish a mission. Returning to piles of sparking Bristleback salvage is a necessary perk of saving the world, as far as I'm concerned.

Plenty of familiar faces join Aloy on her journey, including Varl and Erend, and she ends up collecting new companions like Pokemon at her west coast base. There are also new threats in this world, and without spoiling any story points, the game's narrative arc covers class warfare on an extreme scale, with egocentric trillionaire technology leaders at its core.

The new friendly characters have distinct personalities, backgrounds and skills, and they're incredibly charming. By the final missions, it feels like Aloy has her own little Scooby-Doo gang, Bristleback included.

Horizon Forbidden West
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However, Aloy is often on her own – and this is especially true when it comes to underwater levels. Aloy ends up crafting a breathing apparatus that allows her to dive infinitely, and with the whole oxygen problem out of the way, she's free to investigate a series of vast underwater landscapes, slinking among massive Snapmaws in the process. Her Focus behaves differently beneath the surface, pinging like submarine radar when it's left on. Underwater, it feels like Aloy is flying around an alien planet, and these moments are so quietly engaging I almost forget to be scared of the giant, murderous dinosaur robots that are also swimming around. 

Almost.

The most memorable underwater environment is Las Vegas. It's submerged but still soaked in neon coral, with crumbling escalators leading nowhere and buildings cracked through with algae and seaweed. The base of the replica Eiffel Tower grounds the entire scene in a twisted kind of reality, and it makes Aloy's fight to save the world feel more urgent. Once the water drains out of this space and Aloy has to fight off a contingent of amphibious robots, a new battlefield emerges with opportunities for parkour, sniping and sneaking on the ground. Water adds versatility to Forbidden West, not just terror.

Horizon Forbidden West

Underwater gameplay is only a portion of Forbidden West, and most of the action plays out on land. This game is truly open world, with side quests, battles and interactive moments scattered around an expansive map. Aloy ends up at various villages and fortresses, where she'll often find hunters, cooks, designers and weapons dealers to trade with, and a workbench to upgrade her equipment. Different outfits grant Aloy specific perks, while weapons and clothes can be infused with ability upgrades. Crafting and loadout customization are significant aspects of Forbidden West, and alongside the skill tree, these features put a generous amount of power in the player's hands, making each win taste even sweeter.

Two new tools stand out in Forbidden West for their fun factor alone: the Shieldwing and the Pullcaster. The Shieldwing is technically a glider, but in action it looks more like an illuminated umbrella, which is less hardcore but still perfectly effective. Whatever you call it, Aloy can use the Shieldwing to cover large gaps and leap from mountaintops, giving her more room to roam. The Pullcaster is a grappling hook that Aloy uses to open vents and snap to out-of-reach locations, and it's especially helpful in the middle of intense fights against multiple machines. Both of these tools are reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and they add a delicious layer of mobility and environmental puzzle-solving to Aloy's journey.

Horizon Forbidden West
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Any area that looks climbable generally is, allowing Aloy to scale mountainsides and abandoned buildings with relative ease. Pressing R3 on the DualSense highlights areas that Aloy can grab onto in yellow, and there are usually multiple ways to reach the same destination.

This led to at least one instance where I got stuck – while hunting for valuables, I scaled an old tower and crouched through a suspiciously small crack in its façade. Inside, I found a crate and cracked it open, and then I tried to leave, only to find escape impossible. I jumped around for a few minutes before restarting from my last save, which thankfully wasn't long before. Use those campfires, people.

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My biggest glitch occurred in the middle of a big battle against a mammoth-like Tremortusk and its captors. Mid-combat, I activated my Valor Surge, a special ability tied to my skill tree choices, and instead of turning on camouflage, I entered a weird kind of developer view, where Aloy was invisible and I was able to fly around the battlefield, untethered. I eventually fixed this by selecting a new weapon, which brought Aloy back into view.

Given the sheer size and density of Forbidden West, these issues feel incredibly small, and they haven't spoiled my positive perception of the game. I mean, I haven't even talked about the Tallnecks yet – just like in Zero Dawn, I'm lowkey obsessed with these lanky loafs, and I will always detour to climb all over them. And override them, of course. The view from the top of that satellite head is worth it, every time.

Horizon Forbidden West
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There are plenty of new cyber-beasts in Forbidden West, including Tremortusks, an invisible bat called a Dreadwing, and massive cobras called Slitherfangs, and they're all intimidating in their own special ways. Scanning enemies with the Focus reveals their weaknesses and strengths, including elemental damage possibilities and whether their weapons are detachable. My advice is to take fights slow and strategize, just like in Zero Dawn – use environmental traps whenever possible, take the time to investigate the machines before attacking, hide in the grass and Silent Strike when no one's looking. And when that all flies out the window, Pullcast your way to safety.

Forbidden West is a triumph in many ways. Its world feels alive and packed with secrets, and the story advances swiftly as Aloy makes her way to the Pacific coast. Combat is frenzied, with an arsenal of elemental weapons at Aloy's disposal and multiple ways to attack any situation. The environments range from flooded, neon-lit facilities to expansive deserts and thick jungles, complete with dynamic weather and time progression. The machines are as stunning as they are terrifying. And throughout it all, Aloy's voice actor, Ashly Burch, tells an emotional, complex story of survival, collaboration and evolution, demonstrating incredible versatility along the way.

This is a game worth diving into, no matter how afraid of the water you are.

Watch Amazon's first trailer for 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'

Posted: 13 Feb 2022 11:51 PM PST

Amazon used Super Bowl LVI to show off the first trailer for its ambitious The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series. The 60 second teaser gives us our first look at some of the main characters, potential action and visual effects. "Haven't you ever wondered... what else is out there?" a voice intones to kick it off. 

As we learned earlier, the series is set in the Second Age of Middle Earth, thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings. It will be drawing material from J.R.R.Tolkien's The Silmarilion, which details key events like Sauron's story and the forging of the rings of power.  

The new teaser briefly shows several principal characters including Elrond (Robert Aramayo), Arondir (Ismael Cruz Cordova) and Galadriel (Morfydd Clark). Other stars include Benjamin Walker, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Owain Arthur, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Joseph Mawle, Sara Zwangobani and Megan Richards.

Amazon spent $250 on the rights to the material and reportedly spent $465 million on the first season alone, according The Hollywood Reporter. It's hard to tell from the trailer whether all that money made it to the screen, but we'll find out for sure when it arrives on Amazon Prime Video on September 2nd, 2022. The series has already been renewed for a second season. 
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