Netflix's new in-house game teams may be particularly ambitious. The company has posted a job listing for a director in Los Angeles who would lead work on a "brand-new AAA PC game" — this is not just another mobile title. While many details remain unknown, the new hire will ideally have experience with first- and third-person shooters, constantly evolving "live service" games (think Destiny 2) and quickly prototyping in Unreal Engine. The perfect candidate would also be comfortable with both cooperative and competitive multiplayer, and create a game world "worthy" of a Netflix show.
The streaming service emphasizes that the game director won't be held back by the "design constraints" of monetization. As with Netflix's existing games, in-app purchases, ads and other rude surprises shouldn't exist in this project. A listing for a lead engineer also alludes to a "3rd person action RPG."
Expectations are already high. Netflix games VP Mike Verdu revealed last month that former Overwatch director Chacko Sonny is leading the LA studio after leaving Blizzard in 2021, and the new director may be similarly notable when they're expected to have "at least" 10 years of design experience. Netflix has also set up shop in Helsinki and has bought multiple developers, including Oxenfree creator Night School Studio.
There's a strong incentive to foster game development at Netflix. Less than one percent of the firm's subscribers are taking advantage of the mobile games that come with membership. Blockbuster games for other platforms could not only reach new audiences, but help Netflix build its reputation in the industry.
If you're looking for a new pair of AirPods to gift to a loved one this year, you're certainly not alone. These popular wireless earbuds have been high on many wish lists since they first debuted in 2016. We're now on the third-generation of Apple's standard earbuds, and the second full revamp of the higher-end AirPods Pro. And those who want all of the conveniences of AirPods in a classic, over-ear design can still turn to Apple's AirPods Max. Regardless of which model you're looking to gift (or buy for yourself), there are discounts to be had for Black Friday. Here are the best deals on AirPods we found for Black Friday 2022.
AirPods Pro (2nd gen)
The latest AirPods Pro are on sale for $200 for Black Friday. While that's not a huge discount, it's significant for a pair of Apple earbuds that just came out a couple of months ago. These buds earned a score of 88 from us for their improved sound quality, excellent Transparency Mode and solid active noise cancellation. We also appreciate the addition of the U1 chip inside the buds' wireless charging case, which enables Precision Finding using the Find My app.
AirPods (3rd gen)
Apple's third-generation AirPods have dropped to $140, which is $30 off their usual price. The company totally revamped the design of the standard AirPods with this iteration, and they earned a score of 88 from us for their comfortable fit, noticeably better audio quality and longer battery life. Just keep in mind that these buds don't have ANC — you'll have to spring for the AirPods Pro to get that feature.
AirPods (2nd gen)
The second-generation AirPods are on sale for $79 for Black Friday, although we have seen them go in and out of stock since they dropped that low. They're a bit outdated at this point, but if you're looking for a basic pair of wireless earbuds that work well within the Apple ecosystem, they'll be a good option. This model earned a score of 84 from us when it came out in 2019 for its improved wireless performance and solid battery life.
AirPods Max
The over-ear AirPods Max have dropped to $449, or $100 off their usual price. The most premium of Apple's audio gadgets, the AirPods Max have excellent, balanced sound, solid ANC, reliable touch controls and a good battery life. There are better headphones out there when it comes to overall sound quality and ANC, but these are the ones to get if you want them to work seamlessly with all of your other Apple devices.
It’s the year 2022 and going to the office for work is no longer the norm for a lot of people. You probably know at least one person in your life who’s remote either part-time or full-time. Working from home has its perks – not having a commute being chief among them – but it’s not without challenges. Household disturbances are big ones, as well as poor lighting or simply the lack of professional-level equipment that they might have access to only in-office. That’s why we recommend giving them a gift or two that will help with those shortcomings. From noise-canceling headphones to an ergonomic footrest, here’s a list of things that’s sure to make their WFH life a lot easier.
Mooas Multi-Cube Timer
Mooas
One of the most difficult obstacles with working from home is all the distractions. You’re constantly sidetracked by temptations like TV, the internet or just easy access to the kitchen. A potential solution to that is to use one of these multi-cube timers from Mooas as a productivity tool. Each side corresponds to different lengths of time; to start the timer, you’ll flip the cube so your desired time faces upwards. Flipping the LCD display upwards again will pause it, while turning the display downwards will stop the timer.
There are a number of ways to use them, but I like using the Pomodoro Technique with these. I’ll enable the 30 minute timer which then encourages me to focus just on my work for the allotted time period. Once time is up, I give myself a five minute rest, and then I start it over again. You can also use them as a reminder to stand up and stretch every so often. These timers come in a variety of colors, each with different time pre-sets, so be sure to pick the one with the time lengths you think your loved one will want. — Nicole Lee, Commerce Writer
Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 MagSafe charging station
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
Apple devotees will appreciate Belkin’s BoostCharge Pro, which will charge an iPhone, an Apple Watch and a pair of AirPods simultaneously. Not only will this save your loved one quite a bit of desk space, it also reduces cord clutter as it only requires a single power cable. Additionally, though the charging pad has 15W MagSafe for the iPhone 12 and up, it’s actually compatible with any phone with wireless charging; it just won’t be quite as fast. That means it’ll work with iPhones 8 and up as well as compatible Android devices. — N.L.
If someone you love spends all of their time on a laptop for work, getting them a wireless mouse can improve the ergonomics of their setup immensely. Not only are they generally more comfortable to use than trackpads, but they can also help improve posture and prevent hand cramping – especially if you get a vertical mouse. Logitech’s Lift is one of its latest vertical mice and it’s ideal for small- to medium-sized hands (those with large hands should check out the MX Vertical instead). The 57-degree angle in its design places their hand in the natural handshake position, which will put less pressure on their wrist than a standard mouse would. It also has a comfortable, soft-touch finish with four customizable buttons that are easy to reach. They’ll be able to connect it to their laptop via a USB receiver or Bluetooth and, regardless of which method they choose, the Lift will last two years before needing replacement AA batteries. — Valentina Palladino, Senior Commerce Editor
If your loved ones already have a camera they like, then getting them a lighting rig is a great next step for improving how they look on videos, live streams and more. While a typical desk lamp might cast a shadow or make them look washed out, a proper lighting kit will illuminate their face and show off their best side.
We like Lume Cube’s Video Conferencing Lighting Kit because it’s small and lightweight enough to fit on tablets, laptops or desktop monitors. The built-in frosted lens and additional white diffuser softens the light so it’s easier on the eyes while also adding a glow to your appearance. The brightness and color is adjustable to fit whichever lighting environment you happen to be in. The Kit has a built-in extended battery so you can use it on the go, but you can also just plug it directly into your computer’s USB port to run indefinitely.
If they also need their video-lighting rig to be a desk lamp, we would recommend Lume Cube’s Edge Desk light instead. It also has adjustable brightness and color temperatures, which will help make them look great in front of the camera, but it can also swivel around to be used as a regular desk lamp when they’re not on a call. It attaches securely to most desks via a clamp which won’t take up much real estate at all. Bonus: It has built-in USB-C and USB-A charging ports which can be used as additional power sources. — N.L.
By now we all know the benefits of a standing desk, but that doesn’t change the fact that most of them are super expensive. Instead of spending a ton on one, you can work with what you already have – and that might be the better option if you or someone you love already invested in a nice regular desk. A standing desk converter like this one from Flexispot lets you turn your existing desk into one that you can either stand or sit at. This model also comes with a dedicated keyboard tray, so you can separate your workspace a bit and keep things as ergonomic as possible. But the best part is that it costs a fraction of what an actual standing desk would. — V.P.
Remote workers might not have to see their co-workers anymore, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have meetings. Any WFH employee will tell you that their days are often inundated with Zoom calls and Google Meet video conferences. That’s why an external webcam is essential, at least if you care about looking good. Our favorite is the Logitech C920S Pro HD webcam, which offers 1080p video quality, autofocus capabilities and white balance adjustment. One big benefit over regular built-in webcams is that they’ll be able to position it however they like, which makes it that much easier to put unsightly household messes out of view. It has a large 78-degree field of view plus a lens cover that will protect your loved ones’ privacy when not in use. — N.L.
Those who sit at their desks all day will appreciate a more ergonomic setup for less back and neck pain. One way to achieve that is with the Ergofoam Ergonomic Adjustable Footrest, which helps provide fim support for your feet and ensure your sitting position is upright. The footrest is made out of memory foam and is covered in a plush velvet, making it super comfortable as well. This particular model is adjustable to two different heights, which is great for those who need a slightly taller footrest. Additionally, the footrest can be flipped upside down and used as a rocker to keep your feet moving, improving your circulation. — N.L.
It can be hard to control the environment you’re working in when you work from home. You may have kids yelling around you, pets barking, meowing or otherwise making noise and maybe even your partner taking a Zoom call in the room next door. A pair of noise-canceling headphones will become your best friend when you need to block out the world and get things done, and there’s none better than Sony’s WH-1000XM5 right now. They have a refined design and an even more comfortable fit when compared to the (still excellent) XM4 that came before them, and Sony managed to improve upon their already stellar sound quality and ANC.
Thanks to double the number of processors and microphones and a separate V1 chip, the WH-1000XM5 is even better at blocking out human voices and other higher frequencies than its predecessors. And what might be even better is their 30-hour battery life; you’ll be able to use them for hours each day for multiple days before they need a recharge. — V.P.
If you know someone who has a tendency to let their cup of coffee or tea get cold, consider giving them the Ember Mug 2. It’s a self-heating smart mug that keeps beverages at just the right temperature – either for up to 1.5 hours or all day long if the mug is kept on its charging coaster. They can dial in their desired temperatures anywhere from 120 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. The companion app also lets them save preset temps for their favorite drinks. — N.L.
While a desk lamp is useful for working in lowlight, it can sometimes obstruct the monitor or worse, shine glare into it. A monitor light like BenQ’s ScreenBar is a fantastic alternative, as it reduces that glare while illuminating your desk at the same time. It has a built-in ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the ScreenBar’s brightness according to its surroundings. You can also change the temperature of the light from warmer to cooler hues. Since the ScreenBar attaches to the monitor, it won’t take up valuable space on your desk too. — N.L.
It’s easy to get carried away building your perfect work-from-home desk setup, only to realize that it’s not as efficient as it could be. Wires cluttering your space, extra connectors and peripherals you don’t use, all of those things can make your desk a place you dread sitting down at each morning. But Anker’s 577 Thunderbolt docking station, and others like it, can remedy that by giving you one multi-purpose, powerful brick into which you can plug all of your necessities.
This model has 13 ports, so there’s a good chance you’ll be covered at every turn, plus it supports 85W laptop charging, so you’ll always have plenty of power fueling your machine as you use it. In addition to supporting 1-Gbps USB-C data transfer, Gigabit Ethernet and 4K HDMI, it also lets you connect to two 5K external displays at once, just in case you’re going for that space-commander look. — V.P.
Every Pokémon generation brings a new region to discover. But with the open-world design of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, instead of simply getting an updated map with a linear path from start to finish, it feels like there's a vast countryside to explore. Then you add a deeper story with three branching paths, along with a bunch of quality-of-life improvements and tweaks to the traditional Pokémon format, and you have a game that's a blast to get lost in — even with the title's unfortunate performance issues.
Welcome to Paldea
As always, the goal in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is to become the very best. However, the twist for this generation is that you're also a student at a nearby academy (Naranja in scarlet, Uva in Violet), which is where you'll meet the other important characters in your story, or in this case stories. Nemona is a big-sister type who serves as both your rival and your guide as you try to become a Pokémon League champion. She's a helluva lot more likable than Hop from Sword and Shield,and she helps teach you some of the basics of battling, which is helpful because you don't actually spend a lot of time in classes.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Then there's Team Star, which is sort of this generation's Team Rocket equivalent, except that this time the gang is more like an afterschool club with a bad reputation and way too much funding. Finally there's Arven, the son of the new professors (Professor Turo or Professor Sada depending on your version of the game), who is on a hunt to find the fabled Herba Mystica — magical plants that are unique to Paldea.
Sure, the journey to collect eight gym badges and defeat the Elite 4 is as straightforward as ever (well, as much as it can be in an open-world game). But learning the motivation behind Arven's search for Titan Pokémon nearly brought a tear to my eye. And by introducing special super-sized Pokémon, the game has the freedom to add a new type of combat beyond your battles with trainers and wild monsters.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Meanwhile, for the Starfall Street storyline, Scarlet and Violet use this twist to introduce yet another twist on Pokémon battling. Instead of battling a handful of underlings one-by-one, you use your top three Pokémon to take down waves of enemy monsters off-screen sort of like a Pokémon-theme auto-battler, which plays out more like an endurance test than the game's traditional turn-based combat. And at the end, you battle the boss of each crew before learning about what made them join Team in the first place which eventually leads to a surprisingly wholesome redemption arc.
The big impact of this is that by having three storylines instead of one, Scarlet and Violet is able to tell a bigger tale from multiple perspectives unlike so many previous entries. And I think this approach really pays off because the paths that don't have anything to do with becoming the number one trainer deliver some of the most heartwarming moments the series has ever produced.
So much room for activities
After nine generations, I finally caught my first shiny during a normal playthrough. Note: The Salamence line is only available in Violet. Scarlet gets the Tyranitar line instead.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Aside from the multiple storylines, the move to an open-world game design is a big change for the franchise. We got a taste of this with the Wild Area in Sword and Shield (and Legends: Arceus as well), but for generation nine, Scarlet and Violet have really leaned into this fresh approach.
Right away, the world feels big — I nearly got lost just 10 minutes into the game before I even made it to the academy. From there, things get even better, because you quickly get the ability to use your box-art legendary as a vehicle, allowing you to cruise to one point or another in style. Meanwhile, the landscape is littered with Pokémon in a way that feels downright bucolic. I stumbled on Magikarp splashing happily away in lakes and rivers, while in other areas I found a circle of Teddiursa gathered around an Ursaring, as if daddy was telling his kids a story while camping. The downside, though, is that because the world is so big and opposing trainers are often spread quite thin, sometimes it feels a bit lonely, as if there's more space than the developers know what to do with.
Don't talk to me or my sons ever again.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Outside of the big towns, there aren't a lot of other settlements, and aside from the academy and the main Pokémon gyms, you can't even really go inside buildings. On top of that, because enemy trainers don't engage you on sight anymore, sometimes it feels like you're on a hunt for people instead of Pokémon. Don't get me wrong, there are also a ton of items and hidden treasures littered across the map (on top of a full post-game zone and four bonus legendaries), but sometimes I felt like I just wanted more of everything. More enemy trainers, more towns and more events that aren't tried to the three main stories.
I also need to point out that using the main map makes me feel crazy. While you can't pin locations for revisiting later like in BotW, it's easy to set destination markers to highlight your next gym or story event. The issue is that when you hit Y to open the primary world map, every time North is orientated in a seemingly random direction, which makes figuring out where you are and where you want to go more annoying than it should be.
Some tera types looks cooler than others...
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Other major changes include Terastallizing, which allows a Pokémon to power up and potentially change its default type, which can act as a surprise during battles when your opponent is expecting something else. It's a neat twist on the Gigantamax and Max Evolution mechanics we've seen in previous games, though the effect can look a bit silly for certain Pokémon, particularly flying types which are represented by three giant crystalline balloons that pop out of their heads.
But to me, some of my favorite tweaks are the smaller quality-of-life changes added in Scarlet and Violet. The new auto-heal feature lets you restore HP to wounded monsters simply by highlighting them and pressing the - button. TMs are now also craftable, so you can more easily teach your monsters the moves you really want. And instead of move tutors, you can relearn forgotten attacks right from a Pokémon's summary instead of having to find a specific person/location in the game.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Of course, the move to an open-world design isn't without its flaws, with the main one being that there isn't any level scaling for enemies. So while technically you can go anywhere you want and tackle gyms in any order, that isn't really true in practice. This means you need to follow a somewhat pre-determined progression because if you try to jump straight from the starter zones into areas with a bunch of high-level monsters, you're going to get clobbered. Same goes for tackling trainers that have fully evolved squads, while you're still rocking a level 15 Fidough. There are also a couple areas that are walled up until you complete specific story events, and while it's possible to climb or jump over some barricades, it's generally not a good idea. Thankfully, if you ever lose your way or forget what to do next, you can always ask Nurse Joy (or one of her countless sisters) at a Pokémon center, who will suggest the best place for you to go next.
Performance woes
When you need to call attention to a game's performance it's usually for one of two reasons: it's either a graphical tour de force or it runs as smooth as the skin of a Qwilfish. And sadly for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, it's the latter. The game just kind of chugs. Even doing simple stuff like panning the camera around can result in choppy framerates, with slowdown getting worse in more congested areas like cities and towns. NPCs in the background can also look like slideshows, as they slowly stutter step across the screen. And when you look at things up close, textures often look flat while shadows are big and blotchy, not to mention all the jaggies you see from diagonal lines (a little anti-aliasing would go a long way). Don't get me wrong, it's not an ugly game, but I feel like that biggest game franchise in the world can do better.
The performance issues in certain areas of the game sometimes make graphics in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet look a bit rough.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
It's almost like Gamefreak's engine for Pokémon puts a massive strain on the Switch's hardware, which is pretty mind-boggling from a game that looks similar to Breath of the Wild, except that it's not nearly as pretty, it's lot less dense and it's way way smaller in size. I even suffered three crashes over my 35 hours of game time along with countless other minor bugs and visual glitches (I got stuck inside terrain twice, once of which required me to restart the game).
Thankfully, Scarlet and Violet's autosave system is pretty reliable, so even when the game crashed, I never lost more than a couple minutes of progress. Regardless, while no software is bug-free, the latest Pokémon runs a lot worse than your typical video game, and as a whole, the game succeeds in spite of its performance, which is kind of depressing.
Which version should you get?
Without giving too much away, aside from a handful of Pokémon that are only available in one version or the other, the main differences between Scarlet and Violet come down to their respective legendaries and how that plays into the final endgame area. So if you prefer more historical-looking monsters like Koraidon (korai means ancient in Japanese), pick Scarlet. And if you like sleeker, more sci-fi looking Pokémon like Miraidon (mirai means future in Japanese) go for Violet.
Wrap-up
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
For a series that I started playing in middle school, all the changes in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet result in a game that feels fresh but still familiar. The world is bigger than ever, and now you have the freedom to explore it how you like (mostly). The addition of extra storylines also allows the game to tell a deeper and more engaging narrative than any Pokémon game in recent history. Unfortunately the game's performance issues put a damper on the overall experience. So while I'd love to see updates to the core turn-based combat in the future, Scarlet and Violet feel more alive than any game Pokémon that came before — especially since the franchise's move to the Switch.
Solo Stove's Black Friday deals are in full swing, and they've cut up to 40 percent off all of the company's fire pits. You'll find the biggest discount on the Yukon, the largest of Solo Stove's machines, which comes in at $400. That's $350 off its usual price and the cheapest we've seen the second-generation fire pit. Meanwhile, the Bonfire 2.0 is down to $225, the Ranger is on sale for $180 and the tabletop-friendly Mesa is only $80 right now. The latter actually has its own promotion as well: buy one Mesa fire pit and get the second one half off.
We've recommended Solo Stove machines numerous times in the past, and while they are on the expensive side, we've found them to be some of the best fire pits out there that don't smoke you out. The 2.0 models, which came out this summer, fixed one of our biggest issues with the fire pits: how difficult they could be to clean. Instead of having to hold the fire pit upside down to get all of the ash and debris out, now with the new versions, you can simply empty the removable base plate and ash pan that come with each of them.
Otherwise, the new fire pits have a similar design to the previous models, featuring the company's 360° Signature Airflow Technology that channels smoke away from you, pulling hot air through vent holes and back into the fire. If you want all of the accessories you'd need to truly make a Solo Stove your own, check out all of the bundles that the company has discounted as well. We're partial to the backyard bundles, which include the fire pit of your choice, a stand, shield, shelter, lid and carrying case.
And if you want to truly go all-in on your backyard setup, Solo Stove has also discounted its Pi Pizza Oven for Black Friday. This new machine is down to $400 right now, which is $225 off its regular price. Made of stainless steel, the Pi has a "Demi-Dome" construction, giving you a good amount of space inside the machine to rotate pizzas. We also like that you can use wood or gas (with an optional burner sold separately) as your fuel source. Overall, it's a worthy alternative to Ooni's pizza ovens that produces great results.
Elon Musk is refusing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel bills accumulated by Twitter employees before he took over the company, The New York Times has reported. The company is on a drastic cost-cutting campaign and Musk has reportedly issued orders to slow or even halt payments to vendors and contract services. The move has sparked complaints from Twitter insiders and vendors who are owed millions of dollars in back payments.
Musk brought in allies from Tesla, his family office and The Boring Company with the directive to "cut, cut, cut," according to the article. As such, Twitter is asking staff to review, renegotiate or even not pay some outside vendors, according to NYT's sources. Some areas under review include computing costs, travel, software services, real estate and even in-office cafeteria food.
Twitter is reviewing partnerships with sports leagues like the NFL and NBA, along with media companies including Condé Nast and Fox. It's also trying to renegotiate deals with tech firms like Amazon and Oracle that provide computing services. In addition, corporate credit cards have been shut off, free lunches eliminated and expense report payments delayed. And the company has reportedly not delivered checks previously promised to charitable organizations.
Musk took on $13 billion in loans as part of his acquisition of the social network, with interest payments supposedly amounting to $1 billion each year. He has told employees that the "economic picture ahead is dire" and "bankruptcy is not out of the question." Twitter has slashed half of its 7,500-strong work force, seen mass resignations and reportedly terminated a majority of its contractors, many of whom worked on policing content.
Apple and Google’s domination across the mobile internet is under scrutiny again. Earlier this year, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it was consulting on a possible probe into Google and Apple's dominance in the mobile phone market. Now, the regulator has announced it received "widespread support" for its proposals and has launched a market investigation into the two tech giant's "duopoly" in cloud gaming and mobile browsers. The CMA noted that Apple and Google have a "stranglehold" over mobile device operating systems, app stores and browsers, with 97 percent of UK web browsing in 2021 on either Apple- or Google-owned browsers.
– Mat Smith
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Hyperkin is creating a licensed replica of the Xbox 360’s iconic gamepad. It’s called Xenon – a reference to the console’s pre-release codename and IBM-made PowerPC processor. The controller brings back the nearly two-decade-old design but with a detachable USB-C cable and headphone jack. It also comes with Menu, View and Share buttons, ensuring the controller is fully compatible with the Xbox Series X/S and PC. No word on the release date or pricing just yet.
Demand for current consoles has been through the roof for the better part of two years now. Sadly, that means there’s not much of an incentive for retailers to offer heavy discounts. However, if you’re thinking of getting the basic Nintendo Switch or Xbox Series S, you might be in luck. Nintendo's repeating the same deal as Black Friday in previous years: a base-model Switch with a copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a three-month subscription to its Switch Online service.
Meanwhile, Microsoft Xbox Series S is available for $250, $50 off its standard going rate. The Series S has fallen to $250 in the past, but this is still a good price if you want a secondary console or a more affordable route into the Xbox game library. Make sure to keep an eye on our deals account on Twitter for the biggest breaking deals this Black Friday.
It's the first time the agency has shut off access to other networks.
The FCC has finally cut off provider Global UC from other networks after it allegedly failed to meet requirements for protecting against scam robocalls. Now the company is no longer in the Robocall Mitigation Database, other carriers (including intermediaries) will have to stop accepting its traffic. In October, the FCC said it would cut off seven firms that didn't share their anti-robocall strategies despite warnings.
Nintendo Switch Sports is finally getting golf – one of the key sports missing from the spiritual successor of Wii Sports. From November 28th, you'll have access to 21 holes from the Wii Sports series. Along with casual modes you can enjoy with family and friends, you can check out a survival golf mode.
Samsung's Black Friday deals have arrived, and one of biggest discounts you can get is for the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. The wireless earbuds in Bora Purple are currently on sale for $125 at Amazon, 46 percent less than their original price of $230. They'd previously gone for as low as $190, but this is the lowest price we've seen for them on the website. We called the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro Samsung's best earbuds yet in our review, where we praised them for being more comfortable than their predecessor. They're 15 percent smaller than the company's first flagship earbuds and come with a vent on the inside, leading to a better fit and less pressure on your ears.
We were also impressed by the earbuds' capability to deliver full, nuanced bass and clear, detailed sounds. Their 360 audio is much more immersive than the first Pro's, as well, thanks to their virtual 5.1- and 7.1-channel arrangements. Samsung also claims that the newer Pro's active noise cancellation feature is 40 percent better than the first, and we did find that the model can do a better job at blocking most environmental noise. While only the Bora Purple version is on sale for almost half the model's original price, the white and black versions are also available for $200 or $30 less than retail.
In case you're looking to buy earbuds even cheaper than $125, though, Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 are also on sale right now. You can get the Olive Green and Lavender variants for $90, which is an all-time low for the model that retails for $150. The Galaxy Buds 2 are also small and comfortable on the ears like Samsung's newer pro-tier earbuds, and they come with active noise cancellation, an adjustable ambient sound mode and wireless charging capability.
Honor’s second foldable, and the first destined for the west, has been unveiled today in China as the Honor Magic VS 5G. The VS is a follow-up to the Magic V, but you’ll spend a while playing spot the difference between the two handset’s spec sheets. This new model keeps the same measurements, display resolutions and connectivity options, but gets Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 paired with a bigger 5,000mAh battery.
Instead, the biggest difference is the focus on reliability, with Honor talking up its new gear-free hinge, reducing the complexity of the mechanism inside. The company says that the handset will withstand up to 400,000 folds despite the parts count falling from 92 (in the Magic V) to 4 in the VS. Sadly, there’s no word on water and ingress protection, meaning it may still lag behind the competition in terms of getting dirt trapped where it shouldn’t be.
The Magic V was no slouch, imaging-wise, but the VS is packing a 54-megapixel primary camera tied to Sony’s IMX800 sensor, same as found on the Honor 70. That’s paired with a 50-megapixel wide and macro lens, as well as an 8-megapixel 3x optical zoom lens. The company says that its computational photography know-how will ensure the handset offers “best in class” capabilities.
Imaging-wise, the handset has a 54-megapixel primary camera tied to Sony’s IMX800 sensor, the same one found on Honor’s 70 series. That’s paired with a 50-megapixel Wide and Macro lens, as well as an 8-megapixel 3x optical zoom lens. The company says that its computational photography know-how will ensure that the handset offers “best in class” capabilities.
At the same time, the company is launching the Honor 80 and 80 Pro, a pair of cameras designed for mobile vlogging. These handsets boast of an AI setup to judge scenes intelligently and tweak the lighting and color to suit the environment at the time. And you’ll be shooting with a 160-megapixel primary camera — although that headline figure will probably be binned down quite hard when processed. And we’ve already put Honor’s claims about using its products for videography to the test when we reviewed the Magic 4 Pro.
Pre-orders for the Magic VS will first open in China on November 23rd, in a choice of Orange, Cyan or Black colorways. It’ll be priced at 7,499 RMB (roughly $1,048), with its arrival in worldwide markets expected to happen through the first quarter of 2023, although pricing information isn’t yet available.
Foxconn's largest iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, China has been hit by worker protests including violent confrontations, Bloomberg has reported. Videos show hundreds of workers marching and confronting a manager, along with several instances of violence. Employees are reportedly upset over COVID restrictions and bonuses, while a video seen by Engadget Chinese suggests a food shortage might have triggered the protests.
One clip shows workers shouting "Defend our rights! Defend our rights!" while confronting police, while another shows a group of employees surrounding a manager in a conference room. In the latter, one person says "I'm really scared about this place, we all could be COVID positive," while another adds "you are sending us to death."
Other videos show white-suited individuals attacking someone with sticks, and workers surrounding and rocking an occupied police vehicle. In several clips, workers complained that they were never sure about receiving meals and about inadequate COVID protections. News agencies including Reuters have not yet verified the authenticity of some of the videos, though.
With continued COVID-19 outbreaks, Foxconn has implemented strict "closed loop" quarantine rules, forcing staff to work and live on-site, isolated from the outside world. "It's now evident that closed-loop production in Foxconn only helps in preventing COVID from spreading to the city, but does nothing (if not make it even worse) for the workers in the factory," a Hong Kong advocacy group told Reuters. Thousands of workers may have fled the factory campus, according to other employees, forcing Foxconn to offer bonuses and higher salaries to retain staff.
Last month, Foxconn drastically reduced iPhone production at the same plant over COVID concerns, forcing Apple to announce that iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments would be delayed. The company's Zhengzhou plant is the world's largest iPhone factory with 200,000 workers, responsible for 70 percent of production of the devices.
