NBA 2K23's $150 Championship Edition includes a year of NBA League Pass

NBA 2K23 will arrive on September 9th, and it comes with a solid perk for those who plump for the premium $150 Championship Edition. Among other things, the package includes a year of access to NBA League Pass. If you're an avid NBA viewer who plays each year's NBA 2K game, it's actually a solid deal, given that League Pass costs $15 per month.

The Championship Edition will have limited availability and it comes with some in-game extras, including XP boosts, all the bonuses from the other versions and an exclusive Michael Jordan-themed go-kart. Speaking of Jordan, he features on the cover of another higher-end version of the game (he is the sport's most famous number 23, after all). The $100 Michael Jordan Edition comes with 100,000 Virtual Currency, as well as perks that are available in the $80 Digital Deluxe Edition.

2K Sports

All of those editions offer access to the game on both current and previous generations of PlayStation and Xbox consoles. There's also a Standard Edition of NBA 2K23, which costs $60 for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC, and $70 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Devin Booker is the cover star on the standard and digital deluxe versions.

Fans in the US and Canada can purchase a WNBA Edition of NBA 2K23 as well. The Gamestop exclusive version will feature Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird on the cover. And that's not all. A special version of the Standard Edition will be available this fall and it will seemingly highlight the connection between basketball culture and music. More details will be revealed later. In all, there will be six (6) editions of NBA 2K23.

2K Sports

As for what's new in the game itself, the Jordan Challenges from NBA 2K11 are returning. The 10 missions tasked players with replicating some of the most significant moments of Jordan's career, including scoring 69 points in a game. 2K Sports is rebuilding the original challenges from scratch and adding five more, including moments from Jordan's Team USA career. 2K Sports will announce more information about NBA 2K23, including the Jordan Challenges, in August.

The Hydrow Wave is a smaller and cheaper smart rowing machine

When it debuted back in 2019, Hydrow’s creators said that they were looking to build the Peloton of smart rowing machines. Now, four years later, the company is unveiling its second-generation ergometer, Hydrow Wave, with a lower price and a smaller footprint. What hasn't changed, however, is the computer controlled resistance that's designed to make your rowing feel as close to being in the water as possible. 

The first and most obvious difference is the size, since Wave is about 30 percent smaller than its predecessor. In order to shrink the hardware, the Hydrow’s 22-inch screen has been slimmed down to a 16-inch HD fixed position display. Hydrow has also responded to feedback that the first model was too big to store in a small apartment by enabling this model to be wall-mounted. Granted, you’ll need to invest in a Vertical Anchor kit, but the company says the unit will occupy a 27-inch by 30-inch space when stored. 

The other benefit of all this size-reduction, is that the unit can now be shipped via UPS rather than with a dedicated delivery service. That might be one of the factors that's helped shave some weight from the price, which is significantly cheaper than the first-generation Hydrow. Whereas the first model was an eye-watering $2,495, its replacement is an easier-to-swallow $1,495. 

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ cements its first season with a strong finale

The following article contains really significant spoilers for ‘A Quality of Mercy.’

We’re living in the age of the prequel, with studios exploiting every scrap of existing material where there’s an audience already in place to enjoy it. But the low-hanging fruit and easy cash a prequel promises severely limits the storytelling opportunities for those properties. Obi-Wan Kenobi can’t die (or do anything of consequence) during his own prestige miniseries since his fate was preordained in 1977. Ewan McGregor has to age into Sir Alec Guinness and die at Darth Vader’s hand, and that’s that. Sure, there are some things creative teams can play fast and loose with, but the big things – the ones that permeate the culture at large – are set in stone.

Ever since Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was announced, it was blighted by this same hard stop, one dictated back in November 1966. Movies aside, until 2018, Christopher Pike was little more than a pub trivia answer to the question “Who was the first captain of the Enterprise?” (It’ll provoke an argument between the folks who just about remember Jeffrey Hunter was there before William Shatner, while the folks who know Robert April was first sit smugly on the sidelines.) But Pike’s fate wasn’t necessarily immutable until the second season of Discovery reaffirmed that he was going to get his radiation dose. But that didn’t matter until the fans, production team and executives found that they liked Anson Mount, and could easily watch a whole series of pre-Kirk adventures with him on the Enterprise.

I wouldn’t have been surprised if the creative team looked for a way to prolong the series beyond its narrative end point. The show has already dangled a few ways that Pike could survive the incident, and made it clear that there are still seven years left to go. Seven years being the old-fashioned point where a TV show could make it in syndication, and the duration that all three Silver Age Trek series reached. Strange New Worlds could just as easily slow its timeline down and spend five, seven, ten or seventeen seasons filling the next six years of Pike’s life or find a way to remove such an arbitrary deadline.

And yet, the show’s season finale “A Quality of Mercy” decides to take advantage of the limits imposed upon it, making it clear to both Pike, and us, that there are no get outs. We begin at a base on the edge of the Romulan neutral zone, where the son of Commander Hansen will, when he grows up, be one of the cadets who dies in the radiation leak. Pike decides that it’s only logical to dissuade the kid from joining Starfleet and, therefore, save his life, but as he’s writing a letter to the boy to warn him of his fate, an older Pike appears in his quarters. And we know he’s older, because he’s wearing one of Robert Fletcher’s gorgeous 2278-era Starfleet uniforms, albeit restyled to suit the nu-Trek era.

Sadly, Admiral Pike isn’t here to congratulate his younger self on a job well done, but warn him of the consequences of futzing with time. Thanks to a Klingon Time Crystal from Boreth, Pike gets All Good Things-ed into his own future, six months after the radiation leak. If your fan antennae started tingling at the date, it’s because Pike is running the Enterprise in 2266, during the first season of classic Star Trek. In fact, it’s worse than that, because he’s been thrust straight into the episode of “Balance of Terror”, except he has to win the way his way instead of Kirk’s. As Pike says, the only way to discover why this future is terrible, is to live it.

(“Balance of Terror” is widely regarded to be one of the top three best episodes from the classic series. It’s the one where the Enterprise plays a tense game of cat-and-mouse with a new Romulan warbird equipped with a cloaking device and a powerful weapon capable of shredding starships in one shot.)

Now, if there’s one thing this episode does better than, well, most of nu-Trek, it’s the fact that all of the characters make smart choices. Pike, thrown into the future, instantly confides in Spock and when he’s met with resistance, immediately recommends a mind-meld. Caught up to speed, Spock becomes Pike’s co-confidant in the altered future, helping him to work out what exactly he needs to do here.

Pike’s survival has caused plenty of things to change in the timeline: James Kirk is the captain of the USS Farragut, which has survived in this version of the future. And, mercifully, the ship is in the vicinity, meaning that Kirk and Pike get to work together to solve the problem of the rogue Romulan Warbird with its devastating new weapon. Meanwhile, the beats from “Balance of Terror” get replayed – with Ortegas replacing Lt. Stiles as the on-bridge racist with angry eyes pointed at Spock.

Understandably, given the conflicts between Pike’s folksy diplomacy and Kirk’s more action-y approach, nobody wins. The Romulans get a signal out to the fleet, who realize that the Federation is weak enough to wage total war upon. In many ways, this episode serves up its own indictment of Pike, showing that his don’t-shoot-first approach has a limit. (And it also puts some clearer water between Pike and Kirk, since one was the replacement for the other back in the ‘60s.) Naturally, the episode ends with Pike opting to return to his own time and understand that he can’t simply back out of his preordained fate.

This is the second episode of Strange New Worlds co-written by the polarizing Akiva Goldsman, and many of his hallmarks are on full show here. There’s the misplaced reverence for franchise iconography, Great Man Of History mythologizing (this time with Spock) and a face off between two copy-and-paste CGI space fleets. Even so, given the risk of what this episode could have been, especially threading a new narrative through one of the sacred texts of the original series, this worked pretty well. (Given Goldsman’s previous Trek work, I’m giving all of the credit to showrunner and co-writer Henry Alonso Myers here.)

I can’t really give much comment on Paul Wesley’s performance as Kirk here, since he’s handed the most poisoned of chalices. William Shatner, even at his worst, never played Kirk as big as the stereotype has become, and Chris Pine’s performance dialed down Kirk’s bookish, warrior-poet side. Go too far on either side and it’ll become an impression, especially since he’s only got around 10 minutes of screentime in the whole episode. That’s why he essentially plays Kirk as someone who is both stalwart but also endlessly looking for a third option, emphasizing his inventiveness.

The episode ends with a twist – somehow, Number One’s past has been revealed (like when she just told everyone who would listen in "Ghosts of Illyria"), and she’s arrested by Starfleet. Pike nearly breaks a security guard’s hand preventing the arrest but is talked down by Una on the pad before he declares that things aren’t over. I’ll be very curious to see how this particular storyline gets resolved, especially considering my perpetual wondering about Rebecca Romijn’s absence from the show. The fact that Paul Wesley was tipped to recur in season two might suggest Kirk’s coming on board as her replacement, but that feels a bit too excessive in its fan service. 

Fundamentally, however, Strange New Worlds wraps up its first season with something that’s better than it had any right to be. As I wrote back at the beginning, the first five episodes all have something good going on, but often trip over their own shoelaces. Ever since “Spock Amok”, however, the show has started to find its feet, with less awkward dialogue, a more relaxed groove and the courage to go for high camp and comedy just as regularly as it does high drama. Every episode in the back half of the first season has been better than its immediate predecessor, even if there’s some very obvious kinks that still need to be worked out. Whisper it, friends, but, Strange New Worlds might actually be good?

Roku's Streambar drops to $90 ahead of Prime Day

Now's a good time to pick up a new Roku device while a bunch of them are on sale before Prime Day even begins. Roku has cut prices of most of its streaming devices and soundbars, including the compact Streambar, which is 31 percent off and down to $90 right now. Other noteworthy discounts include the 2022 Roku Ultra for $80, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K for $30 and the Roku Express 4K+ for $25.

Shop Roku deals at AmazonBuy Streambar at Amazon - $90

The Streambar impressed us enough to earn a score of 86 in our review. It's a multipurpose device that's best for those that want an updating streaming gadget that also has solid audio chops. As a soundbar, it pumps out much better audio than your aging TV does, and it even works as a Bluetooth speaker, too. And unlike most soundbars, it won't take up too much space in your setup as it's only about the size of a carton of eggs.

In addition to being a solid soundbar, the Streambar also has Roku's 4K HDR streaming technology inside. That means it can be your primary gateway to services like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and others. We also like that it comes with a voice remote that you can use to ask the device to find your favorite shows and movies.

If you primarily care about getting the best streaming experience possible, the Roku Ultra is the better device to get. It supports 4K HDR10+ content and Dolby Atmos, plus it has the best WiFi speeds out of any Roku device. It also has an Ethernet port on it, so you can hardwire it into your setup if you wish. You also get an HDMI cable with it, along with a voice remote and a pair of headphones for private listening. Both the Streaming Stick 4K and the Express 4K+ are better for those on a budget, and the main differences between them are that the Streaming Stick 4K supports Dolby Vision and long-range WiFi — two features you won't get on the Express 4K+.

Get the latest Amazon Prime Day offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

Reddit's collectible, blockchain-based avatars definitely aren't NFTs

Reddit is dipping its toe into the digital collectible craze. The site is launching a new take on NFTs with collectible avatars, one of its first forays into blockchain-based tech.

The avatars are designed by artists (many of whom are, naturally, also Redditors) and will be for sale in a new storefront. Initially, only a small group of Reddit users will be able to purchase the avatars by joining the r/collectibleavatars subreddit, but the company says it intends to open the store to all users “in the coming weeks.”

Though the company isn’t using the word “NFT” to describe these “blockchain-backed” images, it certainly sounds similar to other NFT projects. For example, Redditors can access their avatars via Vault — Reddit's blockchain-based wallet — and owning an avatar gives purchasers a license "to use the art – on and off Reddit.” Notably, collectible avatars can only be paid for with regular old fiat currencies; the storefront won’t support cryptocurrency transactions. 

Unlike many NFT marketplaces, Redditors won't have to worry about wildly fluctuating prices, at least for now. Avatars will be sold by the company for fixes prices between $9.99 and $99.99, though Reddit seems open to the existence a secondary market for avatars should the demand exist. The company notes that artists behind the avatars "are also entitled to receive royalties from secondary sales of their Collectible Avatars on open marketplaces."

Reddit

Reddit isn’t the first platform to experiment with bringing digital collectibles to its users. Meta has begun to test NFT support on Facebook and Instagram, and Twitter introduced NFT profile photos earlier this year. YouTube executives have also expressed interest in the technology. Even Reddit itself briefly experimented with an NFTs-as-profile-photos feature earlier this year.

But so far most of these integrations have been focused on allowing users to show off their collections, rather than unlocking special benefits to NFT owners. While Reddit says that its avatars come with “unique benefits on the Reddit platform” the perks sound pretty limited, at least for now. Using a collectible avatar as your main avatar on the site will give your profile image a “glow-like effect” in comments, as well as the ability to “mix-and-match the avatar gear with other Reddit avatar gear and accessories.”

At the same time, Reddit says collectible avatars are merely an “early step” toward bringing more blockchain-based technology into the platform. “In the future, we see blockchain as one way to bring more empowerment and independence to communities on Reddit,” the company says. “As part of our mission to better empower our communities, we are exploring tools to help them be even more self-sustaining and self-governed.”

Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 review: When two screens are better than one

Whenever I'm away from my desk and dual monitors, it feels like an out-of-body experience. I’m constantly yearning for just a little more screen space. But when you're traveling, what are you supposed to do? Sure, you can get a portable monitor, but that's kind of bulky and largely redundant when you're at home. Instead, consider the ROG Zephyrous Duo 16, because after a couple generations of refinement, it feels like Asus is starting to hit its stride with its funky dual-screened clamshells.

You get a big 16-inch main display with high refresh rates, top-notch gaming components and a 14-inch secondary screen for all your multitasking needs. And while I certainly wouldn't call it petite, the Zephyrus Duo 16 isn't that much bigger than a traditional 16-inch thin and light, despite packing desktop-level performance. Really, the main factor preventing it from being a great mobile gaming battle station is its price. That’s Because With a starting price of $2,500 (or closer to $4,000 for our loaded review unit), the Duo 16 definitely ain't cheap. 

Design

As part of ASUS' ROG family of gaming notebooks, the Duo 16 has aggressive styling, though most of the fireworks are only visible once you open the lid. ASUS’ dual-panel setup is a bold move at reducing anxiety caused by limited screen real estate. However, it does come with some drawbacks. Because the ScreenPad Plus dominates the upper half of the laptop's deck, ASUS had to shove the touchpad in the bottom right corner. And measuring barely more than two inches wide, things can definitely feel cramped. Then you factor in half-sized arrow keys, shortcuts and media controls, and there's a lot going in not a lot of space.

That said, Asus does its best to make the most of those areas, with the touchpad pulling double duty as a number pad. All you have to do is tap the shadowy icon in the top left for a second, and voila. 

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Still, there's no hiding the Duo 16's somewhat bulky chassis, which weighs over 5.5 pounds and measures 0.8-inches thick. These dimensions are right on the edge of being able to fit into a typical laptop sleeve, so anyone planning on buying a Duo 16 will want to make sure their bag of choice has plenty of room. 

On the bright side, Asus has plenty of room for a healthy amount of ports, including two USB-A, two USB-C, HDMI 2.1, a microSD card reader and even a full-size Ethernet jack. My only complaint is that because of the ScreenPad's complicated hinge, the location of the proprietary power plug on its left side can be a bit awkward. I really wish they had found room for that somewhere around back.

Display(s)

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

OK, let's move on to the Duo 16's displays, which provide a really compelling one-two punch. The main 16-inch display features a speedy three-millisecond response time. On higher-end models like our $4,000 review unit, you even get a mini LED panel that puts out an impressive 700 nits of brightness. And that's coming from a screen with a matte finish, which typically lowers light output a touch. Meanwhile, thanks to a color gamut that Asus claims covers 100 percent of the DCI-P3 spectrum, the Duo 16's primary display is just as good at pumping out vivid colors in games as it is replicating accurate ones in Photoshop. 

However, the laptop's real party trick is its 14-inch ScreenPad Plus, which supports touch and offers a 1950 x 550 resolution on the base model, or 3840 x 1100 pixels on upgraded configs. Our review unit's ScreenPad registered 300 nits on our lightmeter, which isn't nearly as bright as the main screen, but it’s good enough. 

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

To get the most use out of its secondary display, ASUS packed the ScreenPad Plus with a ton of nifty features including shortcuts to performance and lighting settings, customizable window layouts, and the ability to mirror your phone's screen, though that last one can be a little janky. Heck, there's even a secondary numpad tool, in case the one built into the touchpad isn't enough. And on the Duo 16, Asus upgraded the ScreenPad’s hinge so that it rests at a steeper angle when open, which improves both ergonomics and cooling. 

Now all that’s nice, but for me, the best use of the ScreenPad Plus is simply providing extra room for social media, streaming video services, or anything else you want to keep in sight, while keeping my most important apps up top. When I'm gaming, the main screen is where the action is at, while having Discord and YouTube open down below are great for chatting with friends and staying entertained during loading screens. And if I'm working, the ScreenPad is perfect for stuff like Slack that doesn’t require constant attention.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Also, because the ScreenPad Plus is configured in Windows as a generic display, that means you can use keyboard shortcuts to quickly move apps from your main display to the secondary screen or snap them to the side as needed. Is it as good as having a full second monitor? No, but it's enough to make things a lot more comfortable. 

Webcam and sound

The Duo 16 makes it easy to log in using facial recognition with its 720 webcam and Windows Hello support. Unfortunately, image quality is mediocre at best, and as I've said before, 1080p should be the baseline for all modern laptops — especially one this expensive. 

Thankfully, the Duo 16 boasts a powerful six-speaker setup with support for Dolby Atmos, so you get a performance mode in games that focuses on delivering accurate directional sound, along with a bunch of intelligent and preset EQs for movies and music. You even have the ability to create custom audio profiles, though, I wish the Duo 16 offered just a bit more low-end thump. 

Performance

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

While a base Duo 16 only comes with an NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU, our fully-loaded review unit features an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX chip and an RTX 3080 Ti graphics card, not to mention 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD. So it probably won't be a surprise when I tell you this thing is basically the fastest laptop we've tested this year. It notched top scores in Geekbench 5's compute test, 3DMark's TimeSpy Extreme and more. 

Naturally, the Duo 16's gaming performance is also rather strong, hitting 145 fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider on highest settings and 85 fps in Metro Exodus on high. And that was with both games running at 2560 x 1600. So really, the only limiting factor regarding performance is how much you're willing to shell out for high-end components. 

Laptop

PCMark 10

Geekbench 5 Compute

3DMark Timespy Extreme

ROG Zephyrus Duo 16

7,199

140,278

5,990

Razer Blade 15 (2022)

7,085

132,272

4,798

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE

6,779

125,001

4,887

Alienware x14

7,073

85,504

3,362

I also want to mention that while the Duo 16 normally keeps its thermals and fan noise in check, under full load, things can get a bit raucous. At full blast, you might hear a high-pitched whine coming from the vents that can get a little annoying. But you can always adjust that by going into ASUS' Armoury Crate app. There's even a custom fan curve setting if you want to dial things in manually. Alternatively, you could just put on some headphones and make the fan noise someone else's problem, not that I've ever done that. 

Battery Life

Laptop

Battery life

ROG Zephyrus Duo 16

3:45

Razer Blade 15 (2022)

5:42

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE

5:25

The obvious downside to having a laptop this big and powerful is weak battery life. With both the main display and the ScreenPad enabled, the Duo 16 lasted just three hours and 45 minutes on our local video rundown test. That's an hour and a half less than the Acer Predator Triton 500 SE and the Razer Blade 15, which themselves aren't exactly shining examples of longevity. So you better make sure you save room for the Duo 16's two-pound power brick in your bag too.

Wrap up

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Look, with a base price of $2,500 that quickly climbs above $3K when well equipped, it's going to be tough to fit the ROG Duo 16 in most people's budget. On top of that, it's big, heavy and short on battery life. But for the kind of people who constantly find themselves seeking more screen space — especially when out and about — Asus' innovative setup gives you more usable display area in less space than practically any other laptop maker. And while its keyboard and touchpad are cramped, combining big performance with a truly unique design feels like we're seeing an evolution of the desktop replacement notebook happen in front of our eyes. That means this thing will be a rather niche device, but if you're looking for something to cure your dual-screen FOMO, Asus's ROG Duo 16 does it better than anything else on the market. 

The Morning After: Apple's Lockdown Mode will fend off cyberattacks on high-profile users

Apple has announced Lockdown Mode, an "extreme" level of security designed for a "very small number of users who face grave, targeted threats." It’ll be available this fall. The company says it created Lockdown Mode to protect high-profile people who, because of their status or job, might be personally targeted by malware developed by the likes of NSO Group, which is behind Pegasus, or other state-backed groups. Switching on Lockdown Mode will severely restrict the functions of an iPhone, iPad or Mac to limit possible entry points for spyware.

Alongside this, Apple plans to expand its Security Bounty program. Researchers who find weaknesses in Lockdown Mode and help Apple make it more secure will be eligible for rewards of up to $2 million. Apple sued the NSO Group last year to "hold it accountable" for states that target and spy on its users.

It’s part of several security features Apple’s teeing up for its operating systems this year. iOS 16 will automatically install security fixes, while the company claims its passkeys offer increased safeguards against phishing attempts and data breaches. Even on the physical front, USB-C devices will have to ask for permission to send data in macOS Ventura.

Given all the cybersecurity issues we’ve reported on in the last few years, these are probably all good things.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Day 2022

When and where to find the best deals.

With Amazon Prime Day less than a week away, Engadget will be surfacing the best tech deals we can find — both on Amazon and elsewhere — but there are some important things to know ahead of Prime Day itself, which begins at 12 AM PT on Tuesday, July 12th.

And to stay in the loop with all the best Prime day deals, try our regular new deals newsletter — don’t worry The Morning After is going nowhere. You can subscribe now to get the latest deals on our favorite consumer tech delivered to your inbox.

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Apple's MacBook Air M2 pre-orders open July 8th

The redesigned Air should ship July 15th.

Engadget

Good news if you’re waiting for Apple's colorful laptops: The new M2-powered, slightly redesigned MacBook Air will be available for pre-order on July 8th at 5 AM PDT/8 AM EDT. You won’t have to wait long to get your laptop after pre-order because Apple will start shipping worldwide on July 15th.

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Watch the new cinematic trailer for 'God of War Ragnarök'

It hits PS5 and PS4 on November 9th.

Sony

Phew. The next God of War game won’t be delayed till 2023. Sony has confirmed God of War Ragnarök, the sequel to 2018's dramatic spin on the franchise, will launch on the PS5 and PS4 on November 9th. To celebrate, there’s a new trailer, with Kratos’ son stepping up to fight.

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Toyota runs out of federal EV tax credits, pushing prices higher

The automaker joins Tesla and GM in losing access to the subsidy after hitting a sales cap.

Toyota is the latest automaker to run out of US federal tax credits, and it will join Tesla and GM in losing access to the $7,500 subsidy. The company surpassed the qualifying sales threshold for EVs and hybrids in June, according to Bloomberg.

The government limited each carmaker to 200,000 EV tax credits, though Toyota and other companies have been lobbying to lift that cap. Toyota says losing the credit will mean its EVs are more expensive for consumers, which will slow the transition from combustion-engine cars to EVs.

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NASA regains communications with its wayward CAPSTONE satellite

The lunar spacecraft had gone dark for nearly a full day.

Following the lunar satellite's successful launch from Rocket Lab's site July 4th, ground control lost contact with the spacecraft shortly after it escaped Earth's gravity. Yesterday, after nearly a full day in the dark, NASA announced its engineers managed to reconnect to the petite 55-pound satellite.

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Samsung’s Galaxy Watch5 leaks in full ahead of expected August launch

A massive raft of renders, purporting to show off Samsung’s Galaxy Watch5 have made their way to the desk of 91Mobiles. The site reports that we’ll see two models, apparently confirming a higher-end Pro model that will top the range. That unit, codenamed Project X, will come in black or gray titanium and get a single case option, but users can opt for a version with, or without, LTE.

The vanilla Watch5, meanwhile, will supplant the Watch4 as the more fitness-focused device in the lineup. Much like it’s predecessor, you’ll apparently get a choice of two case sizes and the option of an LTE modem, as well as a far broader variety of colors to choose from. Both units are expected to run a skinned version of wearOS 3.5, although there’s no word on if there’s any device-specific features coming at this early stage.

The rumors are pointing to these being unveiled at Samsung’s now-customary summer Unpacked event, which is expected to take place in early August. Between then and now, we can hope for a few more details about these watches filtering out of Samsung’s corporate shield. And for anything else about the range of flagship devices expected to drop at the event, as well.

Molex Names Digi-Key Electronics 2021 Global e-Catalog Distributor of the Year

Molex Names Digi-Key Electronics 2021 Global e-Catalog Distributor of the Year

Digi-Key Electronics was honored by Molex as its 2021 Global e-Catalog Distributor of the Year at the 2022 EDS Leadership Summit held May 10-13 in Las Vegas. This is the fourth time that Digi-Key has won the award, with previous wins in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Lakshita Khanna Thu, 07/07/2022 - 14:26
Circuit Digest 07 Jul 09:56

Fujitsu Develops New Technology for Accurately Estimating Postures of Human Body from Point Cloud Data using Millimeter-wave Sensor

Fujitsu Develops New Technology for Accurately Estimating Postures of Human Body from Point Cloud Data using Millimeter-wave Sensor

Fujitsu has developed a new technology to accurately estimate the postures of the human body from coarse-grained point cloud data obtained with a conventional millimeter-wave sensor. The company plans to deploy this newly developed technology at hospitals and nursing care facilities to support nurses and caregivers in visually monitoring patients and reacting to emergency situations such as falls of patients.

Lakshita Khanna Thu, 07/07/2022 - 12:11
Circuit Digest 07 Jul 07:41