Amazon has announced good deals on more devices ahead of Prime Day. This time around, some smart displays are getting deep discounts. The Echo Show 5, for instance, has dropped to just $35 for Prime members. That's $10 less than the previous all-time low and $50 below the list price.
The second-gen Echo Show 5 emerged last summer. We gave the smart display, which has a 5.5-inch screen, a score of 85 in our review.
It's a solid choice for a bedside table device, particularly given that there's a tap-to-snooze function. The decent audio quality doesn't hurt either. On the flip side, we found the interface less intuitive than it perhaps ought to be. The webcam, meanwhile, is only 2MP, though that's still an improvement over the one Amazon used in the first-gen Echo Show 5.
Amazon has slashed the price of the Echo Show 8 as well. It's down from $110 to $55. However, it's worth noting the deal is for the first-gen version of the device, which was released in 2019. An updated model followed in 2021.
The eight-inch smart display has a camera shutter (as does the Echo Show 5) and stereo sound. It's Alexa-powered and supports video calls, but it only has a 1MP webcam — the second-gen Echo Show 8 has a 13MP webcam. Still, $55 is not a bad price if you're looking to pick up an inexpensive smart display with a larger, higher-resolution screen than Echo Show 5.
Prime Day is still a week away, but Amazon is getting the jump on one of its biggest events of the year by putting a bunch of its own products on sale a little early. One of those is the fourth-gen Echo Dot. The company has slashed the price of the Alexa-powered smart speaker by 60 percent for Prime members. It's down to $20, which is $30 off the regular price. That's the best price we've seen to date.
We gave the Echo Dot a score of 88 in our review, lauding it for the decent audio quality, a 3.5mm audio out jack and the option to tap it to snooze the alarm. We also liked the spherical design. It's worth bearing in mind that it's been almost two years since Amazon released the fourth-gen Echo Dot. Dropping the price to just $20 is an indicator that the company is clearing out stock ahead of a possible new model this fall.
In addition, there's a decent deal on the regular fourth-gen Echo. That's down from $100 to $60. The larger version of the Alexa smart speaker also has a 3.5mm audio out jack. We gave it a score of 89 in our review, largely because of the great sound quality.
If you were already considering buying an Echo, note that you can pair two of the smart speakers together for stereo audio. Paying an extra $20 on top of the regular price will net you two of the speakers at the minute. Again, though, the fourth-gen Echo was announced in September 2020, so it's due for a refresh.
Publisher Dragami Games has announced a remake of Lollipop Chainsaw, which will arrive next year. The 2012 original was a cult hit. It's a hack-and-slash title from the minds of producer Yoshimi Yasuda, creative director Goichi "Suda51" Suda (of No More Heroes fame) and Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, who was a writer on the game.
Lollipop Chainsaw focuses on Juliet Starling, a cheerleader who battles zombies in a California high school. Surprisingly enough, Juliet wields a chainsaw that she can use in various ways (including ranged attacks). She can also collect lollipops to restore her health. Juliet is accompanied on her quest by the disembodied head of her boyfriend. A serious game this is not.
Dragami Games is led by Yasuda. who will also produce the remake. The development team includes some other folks who previously worked on Lollipop Chainsaw. As IGN notes, some aspects will be different in the remake. Yasuda said the new version will take advantage of current-gen console hardware to deliver "a more realistic approach to the graphics." It will have new music as well, due to licensing issues.
Dragami acquired the intellectual property of Lollipop Chainsaw and other titles from original publisher Kadokawa Games (Dragami recently split off from the latter). "Unfortunately, various factors resulted in things making it so that fans can no longer easily play Lollipop Chainsaw, and it has been some time since players have not been able to access the game on current consoles," Yasuda wrote in a statement on Twitter. "We, the original development staff on Lollipop Chainsaw, think of the game as very precious to us, and did not want to leave it in limbo, where players who want to play it cannot."
As of October 2022, Microsoft will stop offering free Xbox 360 titles through Games with Gold. The company announced the change in an email sent out to Xbox Live Gold subscribers in the US, Canada and other parts of the world. “We have reached the limit of our ability to bring Xbox 360 games to the catalog,” the company states in the message. “However, Games with Gold will continue to include exciting Xbox One titles and exclusive savings each month.”
The email adds that Xbox users can redownload any 360 titles they claimed through Games with Gold regardless of whether they continue to subscribe to Xbox Live Gold. Microsoft did not immediately respond to Engadget’s comment request.
Introduced in 2013, Microsoft added Games with Gold to Xbox Live Gold in response to the success of Sony’s PS Plus service, which was the first to offer free monthly games to customers. Microsoft later extended the perk to include the Xbox One. In recent years, the allure of the bonus has waned with the introduction of Xbox Game Pass. After Microsoft recently dropped the Xbox Live Gold requirement to play free-to-play games online, it felt like the company was preparing to reconfigure the service, and this announcement adds to that. See the full email from Microsoft below.
Amazon has been busy dropping prices on its own products ahead of Prime Day and several other manufacturers are getting in on the action too. One of them is audio brand Jabra. Its Elite 7 Pro noise-canceling earbuds have dropped to $140 on Amazon. That's 30 percent off the regular price of $200. It's also the lowest price we've seen to date for the titanium black model.
Jabra announced the true wireless earbuds last August. They were pegged as a successor to the Elite 85t (which were previously the brand's smallest earbuds), with a smaller, retooled design. The company says the earbuds use bone conduction in concert with microphones and algorithms to improve voice performance. The idea is that Jabra's algorithms detect when the microphones pick up certain kinds of background audio and activate the bone conduction function when necessary.
The Elite 7 Pro's active noise cancellation (ANC) levels are adjustable. Jabra says you'll get up to nine hours of use on a single charge if ANC is switched on and up to nine hours without that feature. The case (which can be charged wirelessly) can provide another three charges.
In addition, you can configure the on-device controls via Jabra's Sound+ app. Earlier this year, Jabra rolled out support for multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to connect the earbuds to two devices at the same time — a handy feature for those who often take calls during their workday when they're usually listening to their computer's audio.
If you're in the market for a new streaming device, chances are you want to improve your home entertainment experience. Maybe you've been relying on your phone or tablet for binge-watch sessions, or perhaps your TV's built-in operating system just isn't cutting it anymore. Streaming dongles and set-top boxes are ubiquitous at this point, but sussing out the differences between them can be challenging. Plus, they're not the only gadgets that can deliver your latest Netflix obsession to your TV screen. Let us break down all of the streaming device options you have today and give you our picks for the best you can buy.
Who needs a streaming device?
It’s worth pointing out that if you only use a couple of streaming services (say, Netflix and Hulu), you might not need a standalone streaming device. Most modern televisions ship with a basic selection of apps that usually include the most popular streaming services. Some TVs and soundbars run on built-in Roku or Fire TV operating systems, which offer a robust selection of apps without the need for a separate device.
But if your TV is on the older side, adding a streaming stick is obviously much cheaper than shelling out for a new television. Also, a dedicated streaming device typically has access to a lot more streaming services and apps, while content is often presented more intuitively. Some devices also offer better search features, including voice control. Cord cutters in particular will benefit from this sort of streaming hardware, as live TV services like Sling and Hulu Live aren’t always available in basic TV interfaces.
How to pick a streaming device
The most important things to keep in mind when choosing a streaming device are platform, price and what you already have in your home. Currently, the most popular streaming platforms are Roku, Amazon’s Fire TV, Apple TV and Google TV (which is an overlay on top of Android TV). All of them offer a similar selection of streaming services, with the primary differences being the user interface. Roku, for example, has a basic grid layout, while Fire TV and Google TV emphasize personalized recommendations.
The prices for streaming devices typically start at around $30, and can go all the way up to $200 (like the 64GB Apple TV 4K, for example). Sticks or dongles are generally more affordable, while set-top boxes tend to be pricier. The main reason to opt for a box over a dongle is if you need Ethernet connectivity. Some models also have additional features like Ethernet ports and faster wireless connections. (Roku’s set-top boxes, for example, have Dolby Vision, while its sticks don’t.) Another benefit of a set-top box is that they’re faster than older TV processors and are easier to upgrade over time.
There are some feature differences, too. Fire TV uses Alexa for voice commands, for example, while Google TV uses Google Assistant. In fact, when it comes to devices from Amazon, Google and Apple, it’s generally best to pick one that belongs in a previously chosen ecosystem. So if you’re already a committed iTunes user, an Apple TV would make more sense than the Fire TV. This isn’t a hard-and-fast rule, of course: If you depend more on streaming services than buying or renting shows, the ecosystem question isn’t quite as relevant. We’ll get more into the details of each system later in this guide.
Below are some recommendations for the best streaming sticks and other budget-friendly options. We also included suggestions for set-top boxes and devices geared toward gamers.
Engadget picks
The best streaming stick: Roku Streaming Stick 4K
Will Lipman for Engadget
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K, plus earlier iterations like the Streaming Stick+, has long been an Engadget favorite, and for good reason: It packs a lot of features into a small and affordable package. It has a straightforward user interface along with the widest selection of streaming options. All you need to do to set it up is plug it into your TV’s HDMI input and attach the power cable to your TV’s USB port. After that, you can finish the rest of the installation process via the TV interface and Roku remote.
As mentioned, Roku has a large selection of content. According to the company, you can choose to stream from more than 500,000 movies and TV episodes. Another useful feature is Roku’s universal search, which can find shows across a variety of platforms without prioritizing one over another. In contrast, Amazon’s streaming platform prioritizes search results from its own Prime video service.
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K also supports AirPlay 2, so it’s great for those who want to stream from Macs or iOS devices. Additionally, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K supports 4K, HDR streaming and Dolby Vision.
We especially like Roku’s private-listening feature that lets you listen to shows using headphones, which is useful if you don’t want to disturb other members of your household. You can do this via the Roku app, which is available on both iOS and Android. The app also works as an alternative to the physical remote control. This is especially handy for entering login and password information, which is a lot easier to do with a smartphone keyboard than having to hunt and peck using the remote.
In addition to the remote, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K also responds to voice commands, which you can use to search for your favorite shows, adjust the volume or enable closed captioning.
If you want an upgraded remote, consider upgrading to the Roku Streaming Stick 4K+. It has all the features of the Streaming Stick 4K, except it comes with the rechargeable Roku Voice Remote Pro as well. You can find your lost remote by saying “Hey Roku, where’s my remote?” and it has a built-in 3.5mm headphone jack so you can use the private listening feature without the app. It is almost $20 more than the Streaming Stick 4K, however, so unless you really need that fancy remote, we recommend the Streaming Stick 4K instead.
For years, Google’s Chromecast was a dongle without a remote. It was simply used to stream shows from your phone or laptop to the TV. The new Chromecast with Google TV, however, is completely different. Not only does it now have a dedicated remote control, but it ushers in a brand new menu interface plus Google Assistant smarts. While the Roku might be our overall pick, the Chromecast is best for those who like a more personalized interface and robust voice controls.
The highlight of the new Chromecast is Google TV, which is actually a revamped version of Android TV. The home screen is personalized based on your watching habits. There’s a rotating carousel of trending shows, curated top picks as well as category headers like “Continue watching” and “Trending on Google.” We especially appreciate the “Continue Watching” row as it offers a quick shortcut to catch up on programming you were — you guessed it — already watching.
There are also algorithm-generated recommendations such as “Shows about aliens” or “Shows about murder.” What’s nice is that most of the suggested shows are from services you’re already subscribed to. If you’re a YouTube TV subscriber, you’ll appreciate the Live TV tab, which acts as a channel guide for the service. Google has said, however, that the tab should eventually work with other live TV services such as Sling or Hulu Live.
We also like that Google TV gives a lot of information about a specific show or movie, such as the Rotten Tomatoes rating and all of the different ways you can watch it. You can also add it to your watchlist right from the show page, regardless of what streaming service it’s on. Renting or buying the show can only be done from the Google Play Movies & TV store, however.
One of our favorite features of the new Chromecast is Google Assistant integration. You can make general queries, like asking for a five-day weather forecast. Best of all, contextual queries like “Find movies with Bill Murray” and “Show me true crime documentaries” all turn up highly relevant results. You can also control the TV entirely with voice commands, including powering it on and off and adjusting the volume.
The Chromecast with Google TV supports 4K HDR as well as Dolby Vision. However, it doesn’t support AirPlay 2 so it’s not quite as compatible with Macs and iOS devices. It also doesn’t currently carry Apple TV+ or iTunes videos. We should also note that unlike other streaming sticks, the latest Chromecast can’t be powered by a TV’s USB port; you’ll have to use the included 7.5-watt power adapter instead.
The best budget streaming device: Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite
Amazon
If price is of the utmost importance and you don’t need 4K, Amazon’s Fire TV Stick Lite is a decent alternative. At $30, it’s one of the cheapest streaming sticks on the market (it’s also frequently discounted, too). It supports FHD streaming with HDR and, just like its higher-end siblings, comes with an Alexa voice remote.
One of the reasons this is considered “Lite” is that this particular Fire TV Stick can’t control your TV; you still have to use your television remote to power it on and off or to adjust its volume. That’s not that big a deal, especially if it helps save you a few bucks. In comparison, the standard Fire TV Stick typically retails for $40, while the Fire TV Stick 4K costs $50.
Amazon’s Fire TV supports nearly all of the popular streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, YouTube, YouTube TV and Hulu, among others. The Live page features Twitch out of the box. While you can’t use Alexa to control the TV, the Fire TV Stick Lite does let you use Alexa to search for shows and ask general questions like the weather forecast or the latest scores for your favorite sports team.
Despite its low price, the Fire TV Stick Lite is a decent streaming dongle. It comes with the updated Fire TV interface that adds features such as user profiles, a new main menu navigation bar with show recommendations, plus a scrolling list of your favorite streaming apps.
The layout isn’t quite as intuitive as Google TV’s and is more complicated than Roku’s, but it’s still easy enough to figure out. That said, the interface tends to prioritize Amazon Prime Video content, and there are a lot more ads than on other streaming platforms. It’s not the best streaming device out there, but it’s a good, inexpensive choice if you want to update an older TV set while spending as little as possible.
For a little more money, you could also upgrade to either the Fire TV Stick 4K or the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Both feature 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, but the Max has WiFi 6 support and a faster processor.
The Roku Express has the same user interface as the Streaming Stick+, but it’s housed in a compact set-top box instead. It doesn’t support 4K or HDR and the remote control lacks a voice command button. But if all you want is a capable HD streaming device, the Express fits the bill. If you insist on having 4K, however, consider the Roku Express 4K+, which retails for $40. It’s very similar to the Express, except it carries support for 4K, HDR and AirPlay, and it comes with a voice remote as well. That could well make it worth the extra money.
The Roku Ultra has the same features of the Streaming Stick+ and then some. There’s a wide selection of content, a simple user interface and support for 4K HDR streaming, AirPlay2 and voice commands. On top of that, the Ultra adds Dolby Vision support along with HDR 10+, USB connections, a microSD slot for external media, and Ethernet connectivity.
Like the Streaming Stick 4K+, the Ultra comes with Roku’s Voice Remote Pro. The remote also features a couple of programmable shortcut keys that you can map to specific commands, like “Launch YouTube” or “Play classical music.” Best of all, the Ultra features a remote finder in case you lose it in between your couch cushions. The Ultra is definitely the most capable Roku device on the market, but you’ll have to pay quite a bit more for it.
For those who want a slightly higher-end option and have a lot of Apple devices, the Apple TV 4K could be worth a splurge. It can stream in 4K HDR and Dolby Vision, plus it supports AirPlay 2 for streaming from Mac and iOS devices. The tvOS platform has an attractive and clean user interface that’s also easy to use. There’s also a “One Home Screen” feature that lets you sync apps and their layout across multiple Apple TVs, and you can use Siri to search for your favorite shows.
As you might expect, the Apple TV is also the only set-top box that works with the entire Apple ecosystem. This means that you can use the Apple TV to buy and rent movies from iTunes, access music and podcasts, play games from Apple Arcade and run apps like Fitness+, Apple’s line of workout classes.
iPhone owners in particular are likely to benefit from owning an Apple TV. You can hold your handset up to the box during setup to transfer all of your settings and enter passwords directly through the Remote app, which is itself easily accessible via iOS’s control center. Plus, if you spring for the new 2021 model, you’ll get the improved Siri remote and new features like high-frame rate playback.
For those who want an all-in-one device that lets you stream movies, run a PLEX media server and play games, consider NVIDIA’s Shield TV Pro. It currently runs Android TV, which is a little outdated at this point, but there’s a possibility that it could be upgraded to Google TV in the future.
Thanks to its capable TegraX1+ processor, the Shield TV Pro can stream in native 4K and it can also upscale 720p and 1080p video to 4K with the company’s AI neural network. It also supports Dolby Vision and HDR10, has 3GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and two USB-C ports. Additionally, there’s a gigabit Ethernet port, an HDMI socket and a microSD card slot. Since it runs on Android, you can use it to play most games from the Google Play Store.
The main reason you’d choose the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro over other machines is that it gives you access to NVIDIA’s GeForce Now cloud gaming service. As long as you have a relatively speedy internet connection, you can play top-tier PC games that are streamed online to your Shield TV Pro.
The best gaming console for streaming: Xbox Series X
Engadget
Even though both Sony’s PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X can stream video, it’s the Xbox that we think is the best gaming console for the job. It can play 4K Blu-Rays and supports all of the usual streaming video apps including Apple TV+ and Disney+. However, the PS5 can’t stream Disney+ in 4K or Dolby Atmos, which is disappointing if you ever want to watch The Mandalorian in all its cinematic glory.
Fortunately, that’s not the case with the Xbox Series X. On top of that, the Xbox Series X (and S) also support Dolby Vision for streaming video, which is especially great for people with newer TVs. Of course, the Xbox is also a pretty great gaming machine, and it offers access to Game Pass, Microsoft’s subscription service that has a large library of titles.
Today, after months of negotiations and procedural hurdles, the European Union has passed a pair of landmark bills designed to rein in Big Tech’s power. The Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act are intended to promote fairer competition, improve privacy protection, as well as banning both the use of some of the more egregious forms of targeted advertising and misleading practices.
The Digital Services Act, for instance, focuses on online platforms like Facebook, Amazon and Google. They will be tasked with being more proactive both with content moderation and also to prevent the sale of illegal or unsafe goods being sold on their platforms. Users will also be able to learn how and why an algorithm recommended them a certain piece of content, and to challenge any moderation decision that was made algorithmically. Finally, companies will no longer be able to use sensitive personal data for ad-targeting, sell ads to children, or use dark patterns — deceptive page design that can manipulate you into saying yes to something even when you'd much rather say no, such as joining a service or preventing you from leaving one you no longer wish to use.
These obligations operate on a sliding scale, and so the largest platforms will have the greatest obligations placed upon them. Platforms with 45 million or more monthly users will be subject to independent auditing to ensure they are preventing fake news and illegal content. Those platforms will also have to open up their algorithms and data to (approved) researchers to enable them to study the effects, and potential harm, the systems can cause.
The Digital Markets Act, meanwhile, is more focused on preventing dominant platform holders, like Google, Microsoft and Apple, from abusing their scale. This includes offering better interoperability with smaller, rival services, ensuring files can be sent between systems. There is also a large carve-out for app storefronts, with developers now entitled to contact their customers about deals without going via the platform holder in question. And platform holders will no longer be able to give their systems favorable treatment, such as when Google promoted its own shopping service over that of rivals.
The EU has given both bills plenty of teeth, and can dole out a maximum penalty of 10 percent of its total worldwide turnover from the previous year, should regulators find non-compliance. This figure will, however, jump to 20 percent of worldwide turnover if officials find “repeated non-compliance.” That’s a hefty figure big enough that not even Apple would be able to stomach losing on a regular basis. Although, as with GDPR regulation, the EU still has questions to answer about how much effort, time and money it’s prepared to put behind a body to monitor big tech.
Now that they have been passed, the Digital Services Act will come into force by 1st January 2024 (unless some procedural stuff delays it) while the Digital Markets Act will come into force at some point soon after, and major platforms — dubbed “Gatekeepers” will have a further six months to get their houses in order before the new rules apply to them.
Following the ROG Phone 5 and 5s, ASUS decided to skip Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in favor of the more efficient 8+ Gen 1, which brings us to the new ROG Phone 6 series today — almost a year after the 5s. In a nutshell, this beastly gaming phone is all about its faster 165Hz 6.78-inch display, 720Hz touch sampling rate, up to 18GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, bigger 6,000mAh battery, enlarged internal cooling system and IPX4 splash resistance, in addition to its handy ultrasonic triggers and proven audio performance by Dirac. The most notable change, however, lies within the revamped clip-on cooler, which has now integrated a thermoelectric chip and yet doesn't require external power.
This new AeroActive Cooler 6 is noticeably bulkier than before, partly because of its larger, more ergonomic physical buttons — and there are now four of them instead of just two. It also has a bigger kickstand that flips out from the bottom (though not necessary), and there's a spring-loaded clamp at the top to secure (and activate) the cooler. The new Peltier cooling chip inside — positioned right over the phone's processor when mounted — is sandwiched between the fan and a large piece of copper plate, and there's also a humidity sensor nearby to help avoid condensation.
Richard Lai/Engadget
You can toggle between four cooling modes in the updated Armoury Crate app's console: "Smart" is basically automatic, "Cool" is fan only, "Frosty" is fan plus Peltier chip, and "Frozen" is pushing the Peltier chip to the max, but this is only available when there's external power plugged into the cooler. ASUS claims that in "Frozen" mode, the AeroActive Cooler 6 can lower the ROG Phone 6's surface temperature by up to a staggering 25 degrees Celsius. The cool air blowing out of the two sides serves as a nice bonus for gamers with sweaty palms (like me).
The company also provided some figures from more realistic scenarios. After a 60-minute session in the notoriously resource-intensive Genshin Impact (at 60Hz), "Frosty" mode lowered the phone's surface temperature from 44.8 degrees Celsius to 37.2, and "Frozen" mode took it down further by one degree. Under the same test environment, the ROG Phone 6 was apparently able to maintain an average frame rate of 59.7 fps while staying cool at 37.2 degrees Celsius in "Frosty" mode, whereas the iPhone 13 Pro Max apparently reached a lower 56.8 fps but higher 46.3 degrees Celsius, and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra allegedly only managed 47.3 fps while reaching 47.9 degrees Celsius. This goes to show how cooling is key to maintaining a stable frame rate over a long period.
Richard Lai/Engadget
Sadly, the AeroActive Cooler 6 — along with its own bumper case — is an optional accessory for the ROG Phone 6 series, so you'll likely have to pay extra for this handy piece of kit. But there's some good news for existing fans: ASUS plans to release a variant of this attachment for the ROG Phone 5 and 5s as well, and it'll make use of the old pogo pins instead of the USB-C side port. Release date to be announced later.
The ROG Phone 6 series comes in two flavors: the regular ROG Phone 6 and the higher-end ROG Phone 6 Pro, with the main difference being the latter has the small "ROG Vision" PMOLED display on the back for showing off customizable animation graphics, as opposed to just having an RGB-illuminated ROG logo. Internally, the Pro packs up to 18GB of LPDDR5 RAM instead of just 16GB. The trade-off — if you want to call it that — on the Pro is that it only comes in "Storm White," while the regular model also offers a "Phantom Black" version. Save for the different camera module layout, "ROG Vision" positioning and printed graphics, the two ROG Phone 6 variants bear a strong resemblance to their immediate predecessors — to the point where they can share the same glass screen protector and ROG Clip controller.
Richard Lai/Engadget
The modular Kunai 3 Gamepad — now available in white as well as black — has once again been granted a life extension by way of a bumper designed for the ROG Phone 6. If you already have this controller since the ROG Phone 3 or 5, you'll only need to get the new bumper in order to attach these Joy-Con-like sticks. Or you can just slot them into the same old gamepad grip and use the entire assembly wirelessly via Bluetooth.
The ROG Phone 6 packs an improved (apparently) main camera featuring a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 sensor, along with a 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 5-megapixel macro camera. On the other side, there's a 12-megapixel selfie camera with a Sony IMX663 sensor — as seen on the compact Zenfone 8. The main rear camera is capable of shooting videos at up to 8K@24fps, though I'd imagine most people would default to 4K@60fps to get the best of both worlds.
Richard Lai/Engadget
On the software side, the ROG Phone 6 runs on Android 12 with ROG UI (you can switch to the less flashy Zen UI), with ASUS promising at least two major OS updates and at least two years of security updates. There's the usual Armoury Crate app which is mainly for accessing your game library, as well as the console for customizing your system lighting, the rear "ROG Vision" screen (6 Pro only, of course), the AirTriggers and more. When in a game, you can toggle the redesigned "Game Genie" dashboard by swiping in from any of the two top corners of the screen while in either orientation. Here, you can quickly toggle the screen frame rate, key mapping, screen recording, performance modes, do not disturb, crosshair and more.
The new AirTriggers 6 now lets you map up to 14 specific touch points, and you get a total of nine input methods with these two ultrasonic buttons, including the new "press and lift" — basically toggling one set of actions for pressing down on the trigger, and then toggling another set of actions when lifting from the trigger. That said, casual gamers like myself will likely just use the classic tap (to fire) and maybe slide (to reload). If needed, you can also map motion gestures with touch points in Armoury Crate.
Richard Lai/Engadget
The ROG Phone 6 series includes a bumper case and a 65W USB-PD charger (which takes just 42 minutes for a full charge). As far as availability goes, ASUS has only shared that the ROG Phone 6 series will start from €999 (around $1,000) for the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage configuration in Europe, whereas the ROG Phone 6 Pro will only have one version in Europe: 18GB RAM with 512GB storage for €1,299 (around $1,300). Prices and models will obviously vary across different countries, so stay tuned for further updates.
The UK’s National Health Service has announced that it will test delivering vital chemotherapy drugs via drone to the Isle of Wight. The body has partnered with Apian, a drone technology startup founded by former NHS doctors and former Google employees. Test flights are due to begin shortly, and it’s hoped that the system will reduce journey times for the drugs, cut costs and enable cancer patients to receive treatment far more locally.
The Isle of Wight is an island two miles off the south coast of England with a population just under 150,000. Due to the short shelf-life of most chemotherapy drugs, medicines are either rushed onto the island or patients take the ferry to the mainland. This journey can take up to four hours, while a drone flight can run from Queen Alexandra Hospital to St. Mary’s Hospital in half an hour. Not long after and an additional pilot scheme will take place in Northumbria to see if it’s possible to deliver vital medical supplies at ultra-short notice.
It’s not the first time that drones have been used to deliver vital medicines faster than a conventional courier. Merck and drone company Volansi began testing the delivery of cold-chain medicines to patients in rural North Carolina. Similarly, drone technology has helped move blood supplies across Rwanda, deliver prescriptions to senior citizens in Florida and help with supply drops during COVID-19.
Similarly, the UK’s Royal Mail has tested using autonomous delivery drones to get packages to remote areas. That includes getting vital supplies to the islands of Scilly, Shetland, Orkney and the Hebrides. Much like the NHS trial, Royal Mail said that using drones would reduce carbon emissions and speed up delivery times, especially in far-flung regions where infrastructure costs are too excessive to even think about.
Just six months after its last flagship launch, Xiaomi has announced another one. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra packs a massive one-inch, 50.3-megapixel Sony IMX989 main sensor. And unlike the Sony Xperia Pro-I, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra apparently uses the entirety of its one-inch sensor. And the camera unit itself? Well, it looks gigantic.
Xiaomi
Inside, there’s a Leica Summicron 1:1.9-4.1 / 13-120 ASPH camera system that combines three rear cameras: a 50.3-megapixel main camera (23mm, f/1.9), along with the 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera (13mm, f/2.2) and the 48-megapixel periscopic camera (120mm, f/4.1). Both 48-megapixel cameras use a half-inch Sony IMX586 sensor. The circular camera island (continent?) has a special coating to mitigate lens glare and improve image consistency. Oh, and there's a 23K gold rim as well. Because excess.
The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is now available for pre-ordering in China, ahead of retail launch on July 6th. The 12S Ultra starts at 5,999 yuan (around $900).
Leica has spread its bets over the years in mobile imaging partnerships. It has previously collaborated with Sharp, Huawei and Panasonic — Chinese phone makers are quick to pal up with renowned photography brands. In late 2020, Vivo joined forces with Zeiss, while Oppo and OnePlus released handsets jointly developed with Hasselblad.
The result has, broadly, meant better smartphone cameras from these companies looking to go toe-to-toe with the iPhones and Galaxy Ss of this world.
A sample of the data included crime reports going back to 1995.
A hacker (or group of hackers) claims to have stolen data on a billion Chinese citizens from a Shanghai police database. The hacker is attempting to sell 23 terabytes of data for 10 bitcoin, worth just over $198,000 at the time of writing. The data includes names, addresses, birthplaces, national IDs and phone numbers. The Wall Street Journal reports the hacker provided a sample of the data, which included crime reports dating as far back as 1995.
Amazon UK is now delivering packages by cargo e-bike and on foot as it progresses toward its climate goals. The company has opened a micro mobility hub in Hackney, central London, and says the walkers and e-bike riders will make more than a million deliveries a year. It claims those trips will replace thousands of van deliveries. The e-bikes and on-foot couriers will deliver across more than a tenth of the city's ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ).
Part of cost-cutting measures following its split from AT&T.
HBO Max is halting original productions across much of Europe, according to Variety. The streaming service confirmed it’ll no longer produce originals in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Central Europe, the Netherlands and Turkey, leaving only Spain and France untouched. The step is part of a plan from parent Warner Bros. Discovery to cut some $3 billion in costs following its split from AT&T.
The CubeSat is critical to the first Artemis mission.
NASA's grand plan to take humans back to the Moon for the first time in over half a century has taken another step forward. The 55-pound CAPSTONE (Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment) CubeSat has broken free of Earth's orbit and is on its way to the Moon. Rocket Lab launched CAPSTONE on an Electron rocket last week. Following six days of orbit-raising burns to build up enough speed, the pathfinding satellite set out toward the Moon. It's a slow trip. It won't reach the Moon until November.
