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• Google is trying to keep political campaign emails out of Gmail spam folders
• Both of Valve's classic Portal games arrive on the Switch today
• 'Persona 5 Royal' and 'Nier: Automata' are coming to Switch this October
• How to buy a vlogging camera
• Airbnb is banning party houses permanently
• Insta360 and Leica partner on a 6K 360 camera with 1-inch sensors
• Cadillac’s Lyriq SUV is the exact EV it needed to build
• Anker charging accessories are up to 35 percent off right now
• HTC's first new phone this year is the metaverse-focused Desire 22 Pro
• The NuraTrue Pro brings 'CD-quality' to its personalized Bluetooth headphones
• The Morning After: Valve warns you, again, against modifying your Steam Deck
• NASA takes a step towards putting humans back on the Moon with CAPSTONE launch
• Facebook and Instagram are blocking posts about mailing abortion pills
• Brain-machine interface helped a man with paralysis feed himself using robotic arms
• House Democrats are working on legislation to protect people's period tracker data

Google is trying to keep political campaign emails out of Gmail spam folders Posted: 28 Jun 2022 08:15 AM PDT Google is working on a way to ensure emails from US political campaigns reach users' Gmail inboxes instead of automatically getting dumped into the spam folder. The company has asked the Federal Election Commission for approval on a plan to make emails from "authorized candidate committees, political party committees and leadership political action committees registered with the FEC" exempt from spam detection, as long they abide by Gmail's rules on phishing, malware and illegal content. "We want Gmail to provide a great experience for all of our users, including minimizing unwanted email, but we do not filter emails based on political affiliation," Google spokesperson José Castañeda told Axios, which first reported on the move. Castañeda added that the pilot program "may help improve inboxing rates for political bulk senders and provide more transparency into email deliverability, while still letting users protect their inboxes by unsubscribing or labeling emails as spam." If the project goes ahead, users will see a prominent notification the first time they receive an email from a campaign. They'll be asked if they want to keep receiving such emails. They'll be able to opt out of campaign notices later too. That should help cut down on unwanted campaign emails, especially for users who didn't sign up to receive them in the first place, while making sure they still hit inboxes. Google has noted that a key reason why Gmail puts many campaign emails in the spam folder is because other users often mark the missives as spam. A North Carolina State University study from earlier this year found that Gmail was more likely than Yahoo (Engadget's parent company) and Microsoft Outlook to algorithmically filter emails from Republican campaigns as spam during the 2020 campaign. Republican leaders this month introduced a bill that seeks to make it illegal for email service providers to automatically put campaign messages in the spam folder. It would also require operators to issue a quarterly transparency report detailing how many times campaign messages were flagged as spam, with breakdowns for emails from both the Republican and Democratic parties. In addition, providers would have to disclose the tools they use to determine which campaign emails to mark as spam.

Both of Valve's classic Portal games arrive on the Switch today Posted: 28 Jun 2022 07:10 AM PDT A few months ago, Valve announced that both of its excellent Portal games were coming to the Nintendo Switch, but we didn't know when. Today's Nintendo Direct presentation cleared that up. Portal Companion Collection will arrive on the Switch later today for $19.99. The collection includes both the original Portal from 2007 as well as the more expansive, story-driven Portal 2 from 2011. Whether you missed these games the first time out or just want to replay a pair of classics, this collection sounds like a good way to return to one of the most intriguing worlds Valve ever created. While the original Portal was strictly a single-player experience, Portal 2 has a split-screen co-op experience; you can also pay this mode with a friend online as well. And while these games originated on the PC, Valve also released Portal 2 for the PlayStation 3 — and if I recall, the game's controls mapped to a controller very well. Given that the Portal series is more puzzle-based than traditional first-person games, you shouldn't have any problems navigating the world with a pair of Joy-Con controllers.

'Persona 5 Royal' and 'Nier: Automata' are coming to Switch this October Posted: 28 Jun 2022 06:56 AM PDT Today's Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase featured a bunch of third-party games that are coming to Switch, including a bunch of big hitters. For one thing, three Persona games are coming to the hybrid console. Persona 5 Royal is the only one with a confirmed release date (October 21st) for now, but more details about Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable are coming soon. It recently emerged that Atlus' games are also coming to Xbox Game Pass, as well as Steam, PlayStation 4 and (in P5 Royal's case) PS5. Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden were ports of PlayStation 2 titles Persona 3 and Persona 4. They were released on PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita, respectively. Nintendo confirmed Nier: Automata is bound for Switch too. Nier: Automata The End of YoRHa Edition will arrive on the console on October 6th. It includes all previously released DLC expansions, as well as some exclusive costumes. Leaks had suggested Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope will debut on Switch on October 20th and that turned out to be the case. Even though the game stars Mario, Nintendo technically stuck to its claim that the showcase would only feature third-party titles, since Ubisoft's Paris and Milan studios co-developed it. Meanwhile, a cloud version of A Plague Tale: Requiem will be available for Switch on October 18th, the same date that the game will hit other platforms. Focus Home Interactive brought the first game in the series, A Plague Tale: Innocence,to Switch last year, also as a streaming-only version. You can find out more about all these announcements, as well as other third-party games that are coming to Switch, by checking out the Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase below:

How to buy a vlogging camera Posted: 28 Jun 2022 06:45 AM PDT With the explosion of TikTok and the growth of video on YouTube, Twitch, Instagram and other platforms, interest in vlogging has increased exponentially since we last updated our guide. If you're one of those creators and a smartphone is no longer good enough, it may be time to upgrade to a purpose-built vlogging camera. Some models are specifically designed for vlogging, like Sony's ZV-E10 mirrorless camera that launched last year, or Panasonic's compact G100. Others, like the new Panasonic GH6, Sony A7S III and Canon EOS R6 are hybrid cameras that offer vlogging as part of a larger toolset. All of them have certain things in common, like flip-around screens, face- and/or eye-detect autofocus and stabilization. Prices, features and quality can vary widely among models, though. To that end, we've updated our guide with all the latest models designed for every vlogger from novice to professional, in all price ranges. Engadget has tested all of these to give you the best possible recommendations, and we'll even discuss a few rumored upcoming models. One caveat to this year's guide is that a parts shortage has limited production of many cameras, causing shortages and higher prices. Sony, for one, halted production of the aforementioned ZV-E10 for a time, and models from Fujifilm and others are also hard to find. The good news is that the shortage appears to be easing, so hopefully we'll see normal supply levels in the near future.  What do you need in a vlogging camera? Vlogging cameras are designed for filmmakers who often work alone and either use a tripod, gimbal, vehicle mount or just their hands to hold a camera. It has to be good not just for filming yourself, but other "B-roll" footage that helps tell your story. The number one requirement is a flip-around screen so you can see yourself while filming. Those can rotate up, down or to the side, but flipping out to the side is preferable so a tripod or microphone won't block it. Steve Dent/Engadget Continuous autofocus (AF) for video with face and eye detection is also a must. It becomes your camera "assistant," keeping things in focus while you concentrate on your content. Most cameras can do that nowadays, but some still do it better than others. If you move around or walk a lot, you should look for a camera with built-in optical stabilization. Electronic stabilization is another option as long as you're aware of the limitations. You'll also need a camera with a fast sensor that limits rolling shutter, which can create a distracting jello "wobble" with quick camera movements. 4K recording is another key feature. All cameras nowadays can shoot 4K up to at least 24 fps, but if possible, it's better to have 4K at 60 or even 120 fps. If you shoot sports or other things involving fast movement, look for a model with at least 1080p at 120 fps for slow-motion recording. Video quality is another important consideration, especially for skin tones. Good light sensitivity helps for night shooting, concerts, etcetera, and a log profile helps improve dynamic range in very bright or dark shooting conditions. If you want the best possible image quality and can afford it, get a camera that can record 4K with 10-bits (billions) of colors. That will give you more options when you go to edit. Don't neglect audio either — if the quality is bad, your audience will disengage. Look for a camera with a microphone port so you can plug in a shotgun or lapel mic for interviews, or at least one with a good-quality built-in microphone. It's also nice to have a headphone port to monitor sound so you can avoid nasty surprises after you've finished shooting. You'll also want good battery life and, if possible, dual memory card slots for a backup. Finally, don't forget about your camera's size and weight. If you're constantly carrying one while shooting, especially at the end of a gimbal or gorillapod, it might actually be the most important factor. That's why tiny GoPro cameras are so popular for sports, despite offering lower image quality and fewer pro features. The best action and portable cameras If you're just starting out in vlogging or need a small, rugged camera, an action cam might be your best bet. In general, they're easy to use as you don't have to worry about things like exposure or focus. Recent models also offer good electronic stabilization and sharp, colorful video at up to 4K and 60 fps. The downsides are a lack of control; image quality that's not on par with larger cameras; and no zooming or option to change lenses. DJI Pocket II DJI Last time around we recommended the original Osmo Pocket, but the Pocket II (no more "Osmo") has some big improvements. As before, it's mounted on a three-axis gimbal and has impressive face tracking that keeps your subject locked in focus. However, the new model has a larger, much higher resolution 64-megapixel sensor, a faster lens with a wider field of view and improved microphones. As before, you can get accessories like an extension rod, a waterproof case and more. What really makes the Pocket II great for vlogging are the follow modes combined with face tracking. If you're working solo, you can simply set it up and it'll rotate and tilt to follow you around. That also applies for walk-and-talk vlogging, so you don't have to worry about focus or even pointing the camera at yourself. For $346, it's not only good for beginners, but is a handy tool for any vlogger. Buy DJI Pocket II at Amazon - $349 GoPro Hero 10 Black Engadget The Hero 10 Black is what we called a "big, invisible upgrade" over the Hero 9, itself a much improved camera over the Hero 8 Black we recommended last time. That's largely due to the new processor that unlocks features like higher-resolution 5.3K 60p and 4K 120fps video, much improved Hypersmooth 4.0 stabilization, an improved front-screen and more. All of that makes it ideal to mount on a drone, vehicle, helmet, bicycle and more, at a very manageable $350 price with a 1-year GoPro subscription. Buy Hero 10 Black bundle at GoPro - $350 DJI Action 2 DJI DJI took a much different approach compared to GoPro with its latest Action 2 camera – no with more Osmo branding. Rather than being a standalone camera, it's a modular system with a magnetic mount that lets you add a touchscreen module with a secondary OLED display and three additional microphones, or a battery module for longer life and an extra microSD slot. As with the Pocket 2, it offers tons of accessories like a 3-in-1 extension rod and more. It's a versatile option if you do more than just action shooting, and is priced well starting at $399. Buy DJI Action 2 at Amazon - $399 The best compact vlogging cameras Compact cameras are a step-up option from smartphones or action cameras, with larger sensors and much better image quality. At the same time, they're not quite as versatile as mirrorless or DSLR cameras (and not necessarily cheaper) and they lack advanced options like 10-bit video. For folks who want the best possible quality without needing to think too much about their camera, however, it's the best option.  Sony ZV-1 Steve Dent/Engadget Sony's ZV-1 came out in 2020 and it's still the best compact vlogging camera available. Based on the RX 100 V, it has a decently large 1-inch 20.1-megapixel sensor and fixed 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8mm equivalent lens. Based on the RX100 V, it has a 1-inch 20.1-megapixel sensor and fixed 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8mm (equivalent) lens. It also offers a lightweight body, built-in high-quality microphone (plus a microphone port), flip-out display, best-in-class autofocus and excellent image quality. It also has vlogging specific features like "product showcase" and background blur. While the $799 ZV-1 can't shoot 10-bit video, it comes with Sony's S-Log picture profiles that give you increased dynamic range for shooting in challenging lighting conditions. The flaws include a lens that's not quite wide enough when you're using electronic stabilization, mediocre battery life and the lack of a true touch display and headphone port. That aside, if you're looking to step up from a smartphone, it does the job nearly perfectly. Buy Sony ZV-1 at Amazon - $799 Canon G7 X Mark III Engadget Canon's G7 X Mark III should also be front of mind for vloggers looking for a compact option. It also packs a 20-megapixel 1-inch sensor, but has a 24-100 mm f/1.8-2.8 35mm equivalent zoom — quite a bit longer than the ZV-1 at the telephoto range. It can shoot 4K at up to 30 fps, while offering optical image stabilization, a microphone input (though no headphone jack) and even the ability to livestream directly to YouTube. The downsides are contrast-detect only autofocus and a screen that tilts up but not to the side. For $749, it's still a great option, though. Buy Canon G7 X Mark III at Amazon - $749 The best mirrorless/DSLR vlogging cameras This is the class that has changed the most over the past couple of years, particularly in the more affordable price categories. Interchangeable lens cameras give you the most options for vlogging, offering larger sensors than compact cameras with better low-light sensitivity and shallower depth of field to isolate you or your subject. They also offer better control of your image with manual controls, log recording, 10-bit video and more. The drawbacks are extra weight compared to action or compact cameras, extra complexity and higher prices. Fujifilm X-S10 Jonas Dyhr Rask/Fujifilm Fujifilm's X-S10 has displaced the X-T4 as the best vlogging camera out there, thanks particularly to the more affordable price. It ticks all the boxes for vloggers, offering in-body stabilization, 10-bit 4K external video with F-Log recording (at up to 30fps) along with 1080p at a stellar 240 fps, a screen that flips out to the side and easy-to-use controls. It also comes with a headphone jack and USB-C port that doubles as a headphone jack. The main downside is the limited touchscreen controls, but you get a lot of camera for just $1,000. Buy Fujifilm X-S10 at Adorama - $999 Sony ZV-E10 Sony The best Sony APS-C camera for vlogging is now the ZV-E10. While using many of the same aging parts as the A6100, including the 24.2-megapixel sensor, it has a number of useful features for self-shooters. High on the list is Sony's excellent autofocus, which includes the same background defocus and Product Showcase features found on the ZV-1 compact. It also offers electronic SteadyShot, a fully articulating display and more. The biggest drawback is rolling shutter that can get bad if you whip the camera around too much. If you can find one, it's priced at $700 for the body or $800 in a bundle with Sony's 16-50mm F/3.5-5.6 power zoom lens. Buy Sony ZV-E10 at B&H - $698 Panasonic GH6 and GH5 Steve Dent/Engadget Panasonic's GH5 was an incredibly popular vlogging camera for a very long time and was actually replaced by two cameras, the $2,200 GH6 and more budget-oriented $1,700 GH5-II. The GH6 is a large upgrade in nearly every way, offering 5.7K at 60 fps and 4K at up to 120 fps, along with ProRes formats that are easy to edit. It also comes with the best in-body stabilization on any camera and great handling. The downside is sub-par contrast-detect autofocus and battery life that's not amazing. It's also worth a look at the GH5 Mark II, which is not only $500 cheaper but particularly well suited for live-streamers. It's not a huge upgrade over the GH5, but does more than most rival cameras for the price, offering 4K 10-bit 60p video, a fully articulating display and excellent in-body stabilization. As with the GH6, the main drawback is the contrast-detect autofocus system. Buy Panasonic GH6 at Amazon - $2,200Buy Panasonic GH5 at Amazon - $1,700 Panasonic G100 Panasonic Panasonic's G100 is purpose built for vlogging like the ZV-1, but also allows you to change lenses. It has a fully-articulating flip-out screen, 5-axis hybrid (optical/electronic) stabilization, 4K V-Log-L video at up to 30 fps (though sadly cropped at 1.47X for 4K video), 1080p at up to 60 fps, and contrast detect AF with face/eye detection. The coolest feature is the Nokia OZO system that can isolate audio to a specific person via face-detection tracking — something that can theoretically improve audio quality. Best of all, you can grab it right now with a 12-32mm lens for $750. Buy Panasonic GH100 at Amazon - $750 Canon EOS M50 Mark II Canon Another good buy if you're on a budget is Canon's EOS M50 Mark II, particularly if you're okay with 1080p video only. While not a huge upgrade over the original M50, Canon has made it more compelling for vloggers with a fully-articulating display, continuous eye-tracking in video and live streaming to YouTube. It does support 4K, but with a heavy 1.5 times crop and contrast-detect autofocus only. Still, it's a good option for folks on a budget, selling for $699 with a 15-45mm lens. Buy Canon EOS M50 Mark II at B&H - $699 Canon EOS R6 Steve Dent / Engadget If you've got the budget for it, Canon's EOS R6 offers nearly every feature you need in a vlogging camera. You can shoot 10-bit 4K video at up to 60 fps, and the Dual Pixel autofocus with eye and face tracking is incredibly reliable. It also offers 5-axis optical stabilization, a flip-out display and a relatively compact size. As you may have heard, overheating can be an issue, but firmware updates have improved that issue and it only applies to the more demanding video settings. Buy Canon EOS R6 at Amazon - $2,500 Fujifilm X-T4 Steve Dent/Engadget The Fuijfilm X-T4 is a great all-around mirrorless camera for vlogging. It has everything you need, including a fully-articulating display, continuous eye- and face autofocus, 10-bit 4K log recording at up to 60 fps, 5-axis in-body stabilization, microphone and headphone jacks (the latter via USB-C) and lower noise in low light. Image quality, especially in the skin tones, is lifelike and the sensor has minimal rolling shutter. It also offers good battery life and comes with dual UHS-II card slots. Finally, it's fairly light considering all the features, and Fujifilm has a good selection of small lenses ideal for vlogging. What I don't like is an autofocus system not quite as fast or accurate as Sony's and the fairly steep $1,700 asking price for the body only. Buy Fujifilm X-T4 at Amazon - $1,700 Nikon Z fc Nikon If you want to look great while vlogging, check out Nikon's stylish Z fc. It's largely identical to the Z50, with features like a 20.9-megapixel APS-C sensor, 4K at 30 fps and a reliable phase-detect autofocus system with face detection. However, the Z fc brings a vari-angle touchscreen to the party and has a beautiful vintage body covered with convenient manual controls. It doesn't have built-in optical stabilization, but you can get that via a lens. The best feature, though, is the price – you can get one for $1,100 with a 16-50mm lens. Buy Nikon Z fc at B&H - $1,100 Upcoming cameras If you're not quite ready to buy, there are some interesting options on the horizon. Canon just announced the EOS R7, a mirrorless EOS R version of its popular EOS 7D DSLR. It has an APS-C sensor and all-new RF-S lenses, meaning that it might replace Canon's current M-series cameras. Specs include a 32.5-megapixel APS-C sensor, 4K 60 fps video, an articulating display and more. All of that will make it a top vlogging option, if our upcoming review confirms the hype. On top of that, Canon also announced a cheaper EOS R10 model with a 24.2-megapixel sensor that could also be an ideal vlogging camera. Both cameras are coming out towards the end of 2022. In addition, Fujifilm just launched the X-H2S, its new $2,500 flagship mirrorless camera. With a 26.2-megapixel stacked and backside-illuminated sensor, it offers a raft of impressive features. Some of the highlights include 40 fps blackout-free burst shooting, faster autofocus, 6.2K 30fps video, a flip-out display and 7-stop in-body stabilization. If you've got the budget, this could be a solid vlogging choice when it arrives on July 7th.

Airbnb is banning party houses permanently Posted: 28 Jun 2022 06:13 AM PDT Airbnb is permanently banning all parties and events at host properties around the world, it announced. That follows a temporary 2020 ban it had instituted on house parties to comply with COVID-related social distancing restrictions. "Over time, the party ban became much more than a public health measure," Airbnb said in a blog post. "It developed into a bedrock community policy to support our Hosts and their neighbors." Airbnb had already banned "chronic party houses" in 2019 following a California Halloween shooting that resulted in five deaths. It later barred all "open-invite" house parties, but still allowed invitation-only parties in single family dwellings. However, those too are now prohibited, under penalty of account suspension or full removal from the platform. On a more positive note, Airbnb lifted a 16-person occupancy cap also instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic. That's because certain properties "from castles in Europe to vineyards in the US to large beachfront villas in the Caribbean" can easily accommodate more than 16 people, it said, adding that "properties like these thrive on hosting multi-generational family trips and larger groups." The company runs a tip line that allows neighbors or others to report parties. Airbnb noted that it saw a 44 percent drop in the rate of party reports after the ban was implemented in 2020 and it suspended the accounts of around 6,600 guests for breaking the policy last year.

Insta360 and Leica partner on a 6K 360 camera with 1-inch sensors Posted: 28 Jun 2022 06:00 AM PDT There aren't many options when it comes to consumer 360 cameras these days, so when Insta360 launched its more powerful One RS modular camera back in March, I was a little disappointed with its 5.7K "360 Lens" option — it's basically on par with the Sphere, One X2, One R and the One X. Don't get me wrong, they all do well for their form factors (not to mention the computational improvements), but after three years or so, it's about time for a major upgrade. As it turns out, Insta360 was saving its "one more thing" for today: a "1-inch 360 Edition" One RS co-branded with Leica.  As the name implies, this new kit comes with a chunkier 360 lens module powered by two 1-inch CMOS sensors, and these are capable of capturing at higher resolutions — up to 6K for 360 videos, or up to 21 megapixels for 360 photos. This should guarantee a boost in image quality, especially in low light. This also happens to be the world's first 360 camera to be "co-engineered with Leica," following the two companies' earlier collaboration on the One R's 1-inch Wide Angle Mod. Richard Lai/Engadget Unlike the regular One RS kit (with either the new "4K Boost Lens" or the regular "360 Lens"), this "1-inch 360 Edition" uses a vertical assembly to accommodate the bigger lens module. From top to bottom: lens, core (with a touchscreen), then a vertical battery.  The One RS core benefits from an upgraded processor to support onboard "FlowState Stabilization" (which is faster than the app) as well as "Active HDR" video capture for action sports. As for battery life, this whole kit is rated for up to 62 minutes of 6K@30fps video recording.  The core and battery are inserted into a housing, which then clips to the lens to secure the entire device (thus enabling IPX3 water resistance, which is good enough for rain and snow). You'll still have access to the 1/4-inch standard screw mount at the bottom of the battery. To disassemble this kit (especially when you need to access the microSD slot), you'll have to first open the USB port flap on the housing, then press the two clips under the lens to detach. It's obviously best to keep the soft protection case (included) on the lens while doing so. Richard Lai/Engadget The Insta360 One RS "1-inch 360 Edition" is now available for $800, which is quite a jump from the $550 "Twin Edition" (which comes with a "4K Boost Lens" and a "360 Lens" instead). A company rep explained that this new kit is targeting the prosumer market, such as users who want to create virtual tours for museums or real estate properties. That said, if you already own a One RS, you can buy the same "1-inch 360 Edition" kit sans core for $650, thus saving you $150. This also applies to those who have the older One R, as this lens is backward compatible.

Cadillac’s Lyriq SUV is the exact EV it needed to build Posted: 28 Jun 2022 06:00 AM PDT Luxury automakers can't phone in an EV. Especially now as the electric vehicle market matures, it's no longer a case that a car is a "good EV" but instead a "good car that happens to be an EV." Cadillac seems to have gotten the message as it drops the Lyriq into an increasingly crowded luxury electric SUV field and may have delivered one of its best vehicles ever. The 2023 Lyriq is the first electric vehicle from the automaker based on GM's Ultium battery platform. Upon that, Cadillac built a luxury EV that has the fit and finish you'd expect from the automaker combined with a polished ride and almost eerily quiet interior. Toss in over 300 miles of a range and a starting price of around $60,000 and Cadillac is ready to take on the current crop of EVs. Watch the video below for the full story.

Anker charging accessories are up to 35 percent off right now Posted: 28 Jun 2022 05:44 AM PDT Amazon's latest sale on Anker accessories presents a good opportunity to pick up a spare charging brick, wireless stand or portable battery for less. A smattering of devices are included in this sale, and some of the deals are one-day-only discounts while others are Prime-exclusive deals. The most urgent of the bunch are deals on the 40W Anker Nano Pro and the 30W Nano II chargers — the former is 32 percent off and down to $27 and the latter is 18 percent off and down to $28 for today only. The best news is that you don't have to be a Prime member to snatch up either of those deals. Shop Anker deals at AmazonBuy 40W Nano Pro at Amazon - $27Buy 30W Nano II at Amazon - $28 The 40W Nano Pro includes two USB-C ports so you can charge two devices simultaneously. It's capable of powering up a MacBook Air at full speed, making it a good choice for those that want a compact charger that can handle both smartphones and other small mobile devices as well as their laptop. The 30W Nano II only has one USB-C port, but it can also charge a MacBook Air at full speed. Plus, it uses GaN technology for more efficient charging and better heat management. Another one-day deal knocks 23 percent off the Anker 544 wireless charging stand, bringing it down to $90. This 3-in-1 stand can charge up your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch at the same time, and it comes with its own wall adapter, too. We also like that the Apple Watch pad is built in, so you don't have to weave the charging pad that came with your Watch into the stand for it to work. As for Prime-exclusive deals, there are a couple worth checking out. Anker's PowerWave Sense 2-in-1 wireless charging stand is 30 percent off and down to $30, while a bundle with a 20W USB-C charger and a USB-C to Lightning cable is also 30 percent off and on sale for $28. The stand is similar to Anker's 533 stand that made it on our list of favorite multi-device wireless chargers in that it can power up your iPhone and your Apple Watch at once. Being a 2-in-1 device, the PowerWave accessory doesn't have a spot for your AirPods and you'll have to use your own Apple Watch charging pad with it to get the full experience. But we like that it comes with a power cable for the stand itself, plus a quick-charge wall adapter. Buy Anker 544 charging stand at Amazon - $90Buy PowerWave Sense stand (Prime exclusive) at Amazon - $30Buy 20W USB-C charging bundle (Prime exclusive) at Amazon - $28 Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

HTC's first new phone this year is the metaverse-focused Desire 22 Pro Posted: 28 Jun 2022 05:25 AM PDT HTC has introduced a new phone with metaverse-focused features, like it promised earlier this month. The HTC Desire 22 Pro supports HTC's Viverse ecosystem and will allow users to visit communities even without VR devices using their browsers. It's also compatible with the company's $499 Vive Flow VR headset and can be paired with the device if users want to explore experiences, watch movies and TV or even just access their apps in virtual reality. As Engadget Chinese notes, though, aside from its metaverse-focused offerings, the phone is firmly mid-range. The HTC Desire 22 Pro has a 6.6-inch display with a 1,080 x 2,412 pixel resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate. It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chip, a mid-range SoC, has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The device has a 4,520 mAh battery and offers reverse wireless charging. Plus, it has a three-camera system at the back, with a 65-megapixel main, 13-megapixel ultrawide and 5-megapixel depth-sensing cameras. For selfies, the phone has a 32-megapixel front-facing camera.  A company executive said at Mobile World Congress this year that the manufacturer is gearing up to launch a new high-end device. It's not clear if the executive was talking about this particular phone, but prices for the Desire 22 Pro begin at NT$11990 or around US$404, which means it has the potential to reach a wider audience than more expensive flagship devices. The Desire 22 Pro is now available for pre-order and will start shipping on July 1st in the company's home country of Taiwan. In the UK, buyers can pre-order a unit for £399 and expect shipping to begin on August 1st. Those who also want to get a Vive Flow headset can order a discounted bundle for NT$23,490 (US$791) in Taiwan or £763 in the UK.   Desire 22 pro is the phone to carry you into the future. Learn more: https://t.co/QOev17nRSQ#htcpic.twitter.com/Hrwrp5iNmw — HTC (@htc) June 28, 2022

The NuraTrue Pro brings 'CD-quality' to its personalized Bluetooth headphones Posted: 28 Jun 2022 05:00 AM PDT Since its debut in 2016, Nura has built its whole brand around optimizing audio for your hearing. But that only helps so much, obviously you want the music source to be as high a quality as possible, too. Today, the company is announcing the NuraTrue Pro, a wireless TWS set that supports AptX Lossless – the highest quality Bluetooth codec to date. AptX Lossless is new enough that barely anything supports it right now. But given it's part of Qualcomm's Snapdragon Sound platform, it won't be long before most Android flagships adopt it. Apple users, on the other hand, might be waiting forever, given that there's no support for any form of AptX or any other higher resolution audio over Bluetooth beyond the company's implementation of AAC. Nonetheless, the NuraTrue Pro is currently in a fairly exclusive club with support for the new codec, which is capable of 16-bit/44.1Khz "CD quality" audio. Something the company hopes, in combination with its proprietary "customized" audio, will make these TWS a reference point for audio quality. This means it also supports all the other flavors of AptX (HD, Adaptive and so on), plus, of course, Apple-friendly codecs too. James Trew / Engadget Beyond the higher-fidelity support, there are, of course, some other new features to separate these from the original NuraTrue that the company announced last summer. For starters, there's support for spatial audio powered by Dirac, improved ANC, an upcoming "ProEQ" tool for fine-tuning audio and a claimed extra two hours of battery life – now eight hours on a single charge, up from the original's six. The case still offers another 24 hours of charging before you'll need to reach for that USB-C cable. Most importantly, the Pro model has a slightly modified design with a new smooth metallic material around the edge and for the logo – just so people don't mistakenly think you're still on last year's model. Most everything else matches what we'd expect from a Nura headphone. That's to say, the automatic hearing test for personalized audio is here. Performing this with the app takes about a minute and only needs to be done once. You can even export that profile to other devices if you need it, and it's stored locally on the headphones so the benefit carries with you over to, say, your desktop PC. The same goes for "immersion mode." In the NuraPhone over-ears this was a tactile "bass" feature through haptics, but in all the other models it's more of a bass-boost mode. It works just fine, but can be a little overbearing at higher volumes (especially for music that's bass-heavy in the first place). On the pre-release model Nura sent for testing, immersion mode feels a little too aggressive or needs some fine-tuning as almost anything above zero seems to distort. That's about the only audio gripe, though. Comparing these side by side with the original NuraTrue, the difference on a standard YouTube Music stream isn't stark, but if you add in spatial mode you can definitely feel a little more "air" in the mix, as if the sound stage is a little wider, and at no expense of volume as can sometimes be the case. James Trew / Engadget Sadly, my iPhone can't serve up anything in delicious AptX Lossless, but the three-year-old OnePlus 7 Pro I have lying around can manage the next one down (AptX Adaptive). I must say I am generally impressed with the performance of the NuraTrue Pro. I was worried that the combination of spatial and personalization on top of new codec support might risk highlighting unwanted frequencies, especially when adding EQ on top. Instead, it seems to come together well, producing a sturdy, spacious but not overly "modified" sound. I mean, it is modified, that's sorta Nura's whole vibe, but it doesn't sound so, and that's the important thing. If you're wondering why customized headphones would need an additional "ProEQ" feature, that's largely down to giving users the choice. Theoretically, Nura's hearing test should provide all the EQ you need, but of course, maybe you just prefer things a little more pronounced in the mid-range, the tool will be there for those that want it. All in all, the NuraTrue Pro should be a welcome addition to an already well-rounded line-up from Nura. Despite the company's established product releases, the NuraTrue Pro will be launching on Kickstarter for delivery later this year. While that might be a sticking point for some, it does mean that you can bag a set for a super early bird price of $199. Regular retail price will be some way north of that at $329 (£299/359€).

The Morning After: Valve warns you, again, against modifying your Steam Deck Posted: 28 Jun 2022 04:15 AM PDT Valve loves to warn people about the risks of do-it-yourself Steam Deck maintenance, and this time it's reminding you that trying to upgrade the built-in storage could lead to problems. Following a PC Gamer article on modding the Steam Deck, Valve hardware designer Lawrence Yang warned against upgrading the device's NVMe SSD. While it's technically possible, the bigger M.2 2242 drives are hotter and more power-hungry than the 2230 models the handheld was meant to support. Yang added you could "significantly shorten" the longevity of the system. You've been told. — Mat Smith The biggest stories you might have missed 'Endless Dungeon' is a tense mix of tower defense and twin-stick hero shooter Samsung's 1TB 980 Pro SSD returns to an all-time low of $140 Google's Nest WiFi packs drop to record-low prices at Amazon Hummer EV's obstacle-avoiding Extract Mode adds six inches of ride height Valve ramps up production to 'more than double' Steam Deck shipments You could get your hands on the device sooner than expected. And if you don't yet have a Steam Deck — or you fried yours with an ill-advised upgrade — Valve says it has boosted production and will ship more than twice the number of units each week. Were you to reserve a Steam Deck now, you likely wouldn't receive it until at least October. However, since Valve is ramping up the volume of shipments, it may bring down that wait time. Continue reading. 'GoldenEra' is a loving, if muddled, tribute to 'GoldenEye 007' Covering the whole breadth of a video game's influence is harder than it looks. Nintendo The Nintendo 64's GoldenEye 007 — the rare Bond game that not only nailed the franchise tie-in but elevated the experience — is one of a handful of games that warrant a feature-length making-of documentary. Drew Roller's GoldenEra tries to encompass the entire creative route, from its genesis as a small project at Rare's rural farmland campus to the monster it became. GoldenEra has been able to get many of the original team on the record, supplemented by a number of journalists and talking heads from across the games industry. But multiple segments — those covering Perfect Dark, Free Radical Design and Timesplitters, GoldenEye fan films and the modding community — feel a little shallow. Continue reading. LG buys its way into the EV charging business It's acquiring a charger manufacturing company. LG is jumping into the EV charging business with the acquisition of a South Korean EV battery charger developer called AppleMango. This should help it create "fully featured" charging stations with a user-friendly interface and real-time control and management, it said. In particular, it'll leverage its "sturdy, dust- and water-proof" outdoor digital display tech. LG plans to install an EV charger production line at LG Digital Park in South Korea by the end of 2022. Continue reading. Apple's entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 may have slower SSD speeds than the M1 model That could affect performance for app loading and more. Apple's 13-inch 256GB MacBook Pro M2 may have worse SSD performance than the equivalent M1 model, according to testing by YouTube sites Max Tech and Created Tech. The $1,300 base model showed around 50 percent slower read speeds and 30 percent slower write speeds. It turns out the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 has a single 256GB NAND flash storage chip instead of two 128GB chips like the previous M1 model. That would mean the driver can only use two lanes in parallel, restricting performance. Continue reading. The Supreme Court won't hear the Apple-Qualcomm patent case Apple claimed Qualcomm might use two patents to sue again. Apple and Qualcomm may have ended most of their feuding in 2019, but the fight isn't over just yet. The Supreme Court has denied Apple's request for a hearing to possibly invalidate two Qualcomm patents that played key roles in 2017's attempts to ban Apple Watch, iPad and iPhone sales over alleged modem-technology infringements. The court didn't explain why it rejected the request, but a Justice Department amicus brief from May argued there was no evidence to indicate the patents were harming Apple's business. Continue reading. Nintendo Direct on June 28th is all about third-party Switch games No Zelda, maybe 'Silksong'? Engadget A Nintendo Direct Mini is scheduled for June 28th at 9AM ET. It probably won't feature news on Mario, Zelda, Pokémon or any of Nintendo's other franchises, though. Nintendo says it'll focus on third-party titles on their way to Switch, and it could be a fairly meaty affair. It clocks in at 25 minutes, and Nintendo's online showcases usually run at a fair clip. One of the more notable third-party games slated for a Switch debut, No Man's Sky, already has a release date of October 7th, so that may not get a heavy focus. There's always the chance of more details on Hollow Knight: Silksong, which is slated to arrive in the next year. Continue reading.

NASA takes a step towards putting humans back on the Moon with CAPSTONE launch Posted: 28 Jun 2022 03:12 AM PDT Rocket Lab has successfully launched NASA's 55-pound CAPSTONE cubesat that will eventually orbit the Moon if all goes to plan. It's a small but important step in NASA's Artemis mission that aims to send humans to the Moon for the first time since 1972.  The launch proceeded nominally according to NASA's broadcast, reaching low-Earth orbit at about 'T' plus 10 minutes. An Electron launch is much like any other, except that it's the first rocket to be electrically powered by batteries rather than a gas turbine. As such, there's a phase called "battery ejection" which happens near the end of the launch cycle.  Rocket Lab used an Electron rocket with a special addition called the Lunar Photon upper stage with enough power to send it into deep space. It's one of the smallest rockets to attempt to launch a payload to lunar orbit, the company said. It launched from Rocket Lab's site on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula, and is "the highest mass and the highest performance Electron has ever had to fly by quite some margin," the company told TechCrunch earlier.  CAPSTONE will orbit Earth for nine days to build up enough speed for a trans lunar injection (TLI) that will allow it to eventually orbit the Moon. The primary objective is to verify a type of highly elliptical lunar orbit called "near rectilinear halo" that's planned for the Gateway space station. Gateway will eventually be delivered to lunar orbit by SpaceX with a science lab and living quarters for astronauts, along with ports for future spacecraft.  Rocket Lab was supposed to launch CAPSTONE yesterday but delayed it until today "to perform final system checks," NASA tweeted. Regardless of the launch date, it's scheduled to arrive at the moon on November 13th. To see a replay of the livecast, check here.

Facebook and Instagram are blocking posts about mailing abortion pills Posted: 28 Jun 2022 02:11 AM PDT If you post about being able to mail abortion pills to those who need it on Facebook or Instagram, don't be surprised if you get a warning — or even get your account restricted. A tipster told Motherboard that they were notified a minute after posting "I will mail abortion pills to any one of you" that their status update had been removed. When they tried to post about it again later, they were banned for it. Motherboard was able to replicate the scenario, and Engadget has also confirmed it. We tried posting "abortion pills can be mailed" on Facebook and were quickly notified that we violated the website's Community Standards. In the next slide explaining our infraction, Facebook said doesn't allow users to buy, sell or exchange things such as tobacco, marijuana, recreational drugs and non-medical drugs. To test it out, we posted "I'm selling cigarettes," "cigarettes can be mailed," "anti-depressants can be mailed" and "painkiller pills can be mailed." None of them got flagged. General posts such as "abortion is healthcare" didn't get flagged either. As for our post that did get flagged, we were asked if we would like to accept Facebook's enforcement action or not. After choosing to accept it, our post got removed but we didn't get banned. According to Motherboard, their account got restricted for 24 hours after making several posts that got flagged. Facebook The Associate Press is reporting that Instagram is also removing posts about the mailing of abortion pills, though Engadget not been able to independently confirm this yet. A post made to a private Instagram account offering to buy and ship abortion pills to those in need remained up at the time of this writing. It's unclear when the company started removing posts about mailing out abortion pills and whether it only began after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court's decision made all types of abortion illegal in several states with trigger laws, but people in those states can still get abortion pills shipped to them from international groups like Aid Access. Facebook could be preventing that information from getting to some people who need it, though, especially since it flags posts with "mail" and "abortion pills" even for international users. We posted from outside the US and still got a warning. "Some items aren't regulated everywhere," the slide explaining our violation reads, "but because Facebook is borderless we have global standards that apply to everyone." The New York Times also recently reported that Facebook's parent company, Meta, told employees not to discuss the Supreme Court ruling within the workplace. Moderators would reportedly swoop in and quickly remove posts about abortion in the company's internal Workplace platform. Meta did, however, tell employees that it would reimburse them for travel expenses if they need to access out-of-state healthcare and reproductive services "to the extent permitted by law."

Brain-machine interface helped a man with paralysis feed himself using robotic arms Posted: 27 Jun 2022 09:00 PM PDT People with arm paralysis might easily feed themselves in the future. Johns Hopkins University-led researchers have developed a new technique that let a partially paralyzed man feed himself using robotic arms connected through a brain-machine interface. He only had to make small movements with his fists at certain prompts (such as "select cut location") to have the fork- and knife-equipped arms cut food and bring it to his mouth. He could have dessert within 90 seconds, according to the researchers. The new method centers on a shared control system that minimizes the amount of mental input required to complete a task. He could map his four-degree freedom of movement (two for each hand) to as many as 12 degrees of freedom for controlling the robot arms. The limbs' prompt-based intelligent responses also reduced the workload. The technology is still young. Scientists want to add touch-like sensory feedback instead of relying exclusively on visuals. They also hope to improve the accuracy and efficiency while reducing the need for visual confirmation. In the long term, though, the team sees robotic arms like these restoring complex movements and providing more independence to people with disabilities.

House Democrats are working on legislation to protect people's period tracker data Posted: 27 Jun 2022 08:33 PM PDT In a letter posted on her official website, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has revealed that House Democrats have been working on legislation to protect personal data collected by reproductive health trackers. It's one of the three avenues the lawmakers are exploring following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. "Many fear that this information could be used against women by a sinister prosecutor in a state that criminalizes abortion," she explained, though she didn't expound on how the lawmakers plan to protect people's personal data.  Users have been swapping their period trackers for others they believe can offer them more privacy ever since the Supreme Court decision dropped. It's not unusual for companies to sell user information or to cooperate with law enforcement, and people are concerned about the possibility of investigators using that data to identify them if they ever seek an abortion. As TechCrunch reported, a number of reproductive health apps enjoyed a surge of new signups over the weekend.  One of those apps is Flo, which announced that it plans to launch an anonymous mode shortly after the Supreme Court decision came out. The mode is supposed to remove one's personal information from their account so that they can't be identified, but Flo has yet to reveal when it will become available. It's worth noting that Flo's average daily installs has been on the decline, based on Apptopia numbers cited by TechCrunch, likely because it has a history of sharing private data with third parties. Back in 2019, The Wall Street Journal listed Flo as one of the apps that had been giving Facebook access to people's sensitive data. Two years later, Flo settled with the FTC over allegations that it was sharing information with the social network, Google and other third-party companies. As part of that settlement, Flo now has to explicitly ask for user consent before it can give external services access to their personal health information. Despite the House Speaker's announcement that House Democrats are working "to protect the health and freedom of American women," there's no guarantee that the legislation they're cooking up would be signed into law. It's always smart to take a closer look at how apps are protecting user data by reading their "nutritional label" on iOS or their "safety section" in the Play Store on Android. But for those who want to be truly safe, perhaps the best solution is to not use a period tracking app at all.

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