ArduinoMania

Adobe plans to debut a pared down, web-only version of its popular photo-editing tool Photoshop, The Vergereported today. The company is currently testing this new freemium version with users in Canada, but will eventually make it available to a wider audience. For now, anyone in Canada who creates an Adobe account can access the free, browser-only version of Photoshop. Engadget has reached out to Adobe to find out when it plans to make the tool available to users worldwide, and will update when we hear back.

Photoshop has long been the industry standard for image editing, but its monthly license fee likely dissuades most from using it. Meanwhile, free or freemium photo-editing software like Pixlr, Canva and Photopea have embraced casual users and also grown more sophisticated in their offerings. As The Verge notes, Adobe is making its basic photo editing tools available for free in order to reach users that don’t belong to its usual audience. Adobe’s hope is that some freemium Photoshop users will become paying subscribers, especially since the company plans to offer more advanced features on the web-only version that can only be unlocked with a subscription.

If this sounds somewhat familiar, it's because Adobe launched its web-only version of Photoshop and Illustrator for subscribers last fall; though their functionality was limited to basic editing and sharing comments among collaborators on projects. This new, free web version of Photoshop significantly expands the available tools, and allows users to start new projects, as well as access more advanced color correction and editing tools.

Netflix isn't just milking Squid Game's success with a second season. Varietynotes the streamer is creating a reality competition show, Squid Game: The Challenge, based on the Korean series. The 10-episode production will pit 456 people against each other in games both "inspired" by the show as well as new events. No one is dying here, thankfully, but there's still a good reason for entrants to persevere to the end — the winner receives a whopping $4.56 million prize.

The company is casting for English-speaking participants worldwide ahead of filming in the UK. While Netflix didn't say when Squid Game: The Challenge would premiere, the US casting page notes that candidates may have to commit to as many as four weeks in early 2023. The Circle production house Studio Lambert and ITV's The Garden are heading up the project.

A reality TV spinoff isn't exactly shocking. Squid Game remains Netflix's most popular show of all time, and earned Golden Globe and SAG awards. The company is also eager to turn its fortunes around — it posted its first subscriber loss in a decade last quarter in the wake of fiercer rivalries, limited growth potential and account sharing. The competition could help Netflix reel in subscribers beyond those eager to watch season two.

Ford has announced a recall for 48,924 Mustang Mach-E EVs and asked dealers to pause deliveries of the vehicle. The company said there's a possibility of the high-voltage battery connectors overheating, which could prevent the vehicle from starting or cause it to lose propulsion power while on the road.

According to Automotive News, Ford claims it should be able to fix the issue with an over-the-air software update, which will be rolled out next month. Alternatively, owners can take their Mach-E to a Ford or Lincoln dealer and have the update installed there. Affected vehicles were built between May 27th, 2020, and May 24th, 2022 at Ford's factory in Cuautitlán, Mexico.

There's no open National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation into the problem, Ford says, which means this is a voluntary recall. Still, it's not a great look for the company.

The hit Viking survival sim Valheim is heading to Xbox and PC Game Pass, complete with full crossplay support with the Steam version of the game. Valheim will hit PC Game Pass first, landing in fall of 2022. It'll come to Xbox Series X and S, and hit Xbox Game Pass same-day in early 2023.

Valheim was a breakout hit of 2021, selling nearly 6 million copies in its first five weeks on Steam Early Access and outstripping established titles like Dota 2 in terms of active players. It ended up as one of the top-earning games on Steam in 2021 overall. The original development team at Iron Gate was just five people, but they've since hired on some more folks.

“We’re doing our best,” Iron Gate co-founder Henrik Tornqvist told Engadget in March 2021. “It has become pretty hectic around here since launch.”

Valheim offers an expansive, collaborative universe of hunting, crafting, sailing, building and defeating mythical Norse beasts, and its launch on Xbox Game Pass marks its debut outside of the Steam ecosystem. With so many players already on Steam, crossplay support is key.

Ubisoft will reveal what’s next for its long-running Assassin’s Creed franchise later this year. The publisher announced today it will host a special event in September to discuss the future of the series. While we didn’t get many hints from the company during its recent AC 15th Anniversary Celebration livestream, we have a good idea of what to expect. We know from reporting by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier that Ubisoft is working on two new Assassin’s Creed projects.

The first is a live service experience codenamed Infinity that will encompass multiple time periods and settings and allow fans to play together. After confirming it was working on the game in July 2021, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said this past October that Infinity wouldn’t be a free-to-play game. The company is also working on a new standalone title codenamed Rift. According to Schreier, Rift began life as an Assassin’s Creed Valhalla expansion, but was later repurposed by Ubisoft into a standalone game to bolster its near-term release schedule. The new game will reportedly steer the series back to its stealth roots and star Valhalla’s Basim Ibn Ishaq.

Of the two projects, we’re more likely to see Ubisoft share information about Rift given its more limited scope and the fact Schreier said the company plans to release it before Infinity. Of course, Ubisoft could also surprise us, and we'll have to wait until September to find out what the company has in store for fans.

After the debut of Friday Night Baseball, Apple is pushing further into live sports streaming. Starting in 2023, Apple TV will be the only place to watch every Major League Soccer game for the next decade. Soccer fans around the world will be able to stream all of the league's matches through the Apple TV app. Notably, there won't be any restrictions or regional blackouts.

The 10-year deal also covers Leagues Cup games (though viewers in Mexico will have to watch those and Campeones Cup matches elsewhere), along with select MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT games. ESPN, Fox Sports and Univision currently hold the rights to MLS games, though their deals will expire after the current season.

Fans will need to subscribe to a new MLS streaming service, which will only be available through the Apple TV app, to watch every game. Access will be included as part of MLS full-season ticket packages. Apple also says TV+ subscribers will have access to a "broad selection" of MLS and Leagues Cup matches at no extra cost. Some games will be available for free.

Along with live games, the MLS streaming service will feature replays, highlights, analysis and a weekly whip-around show that will include goals and other key moments. There will be original programming as well. All MLS and Leagues Cup matches will have English and Spanish announcers, and games with Canadian teams will have French announcers too.

Fans will be able to follow news about MLS and their favorite teams in Apple News, and highlights will be featured there too. Along with the Apple TV app, which is available on a variety of platforms and devices, you'll be able watch games on the streaming service's website. More details, including pricing, will be revealed in the coming months.

“For the first time in the history of sports, fans will be able to access everything from a major professional sports league in one place,” Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, said in a statement. “It’s a dream come true for MLS fans, soccer fans, and anyone who loves sports. No fragmentation, no frustration — just the flexibility to sign up for one convenient service that gives you everything MLS, anywhere and anytime you want to watch.”

The company will reportedly pay MLS at least $250 million per year under the pact. After the minimum guarantee is met through subscriptions, MLS will receive extra revenue. Some games may air on linear TV networks as well, according to Sports Business Journal, though those matches will still be available on the Apple/MLS service.

Apple's push into sports may not end with baseball and soccer. The company has also long been rumored as a potential partner for the NFL. 

Internet Explorer is bowing out just short of its 27th birthday. As revealed last May, Microsoft will no longer support the Internet Explorer 11 desktop app for Windows 10's usual Semi Annual Channel as of June 15th. You'll still receive IE11 support if you're using Windows Server 2022 or an earlier OS release with a long-term service extension, but this marks the effective end of software updates for most people. Windows 11 doesn't include an IE desktop app.

The Edge browser's IE Mode will still receive support through 2029 or later, so you won't be stuck if you just need compatibility with the older web engine. Microsoft won't be subtle in pushing you toward its newer browser, however. The company will "progressively" redirect users from IE to Edge in the next few months, and will permanently disable the old software through a Windows update.

The deadline marks the end to a bittersweet chapter in Microsoft's history. Internet Explorer launched alongside Windows 95, and offered a first taste of the web to many people who hadn't already used early browsers like Netscape Navigator. It played a key role in popularizing the internet, and for some became synonymous with going online — it had 95 percent of usage share by 2003, and wasn't eclipsed by Edge until 2019.

However, Internet Explorer was also closely linked to some of Microsoft's worst practices. While bundling IE with Windows helped web newcomers, it also stifled competition. The US' 2001 antitrust case against Microsoft revolved around accusations that the company abused IE restrictions to maintain Windows' market dominance. The browser also developed reputations for poor security (particularly through ActiveX controls) and non-standard rendering that frequently forced website creators to optimize for IE. Microsoft eventually addressed some of IE's most glaring flaws, but the slow pace of that turnaround helped browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox rise to prominence — there's a reason why the current Edge browser is based on Chromium rather than in-house tech.

You probably won't miss IE much as a result. It's still hard to ignore the program's impact, though, and its flaws ultimately led to more browser choices as well as a shift toward true web standards. IE's legacy may persist for years to come.

The price of entry for a real-deal analog Moog synth isn’t particularly low. Other than the limited-run Werkstatt-01, the most affordable is the Minitaur, which will set you back $600. Now, that’s not unreasonably expensive but for those looking to dip their toes into the synth waters, it might be a big ask. Especially when a Volca Keys can give you three-note paraphonic analog sounds for just $170. That’s where Mavis comes in, it’s a pseudo-DIY monophonic semi-modular synth that delivers classic Moog sounds for just $350.

I say “pseudo-DIY” because all of the core components are already put together for you. There’s no soldering involved here. You’re simply putting the circuit board in a case and attaching it with some screws and nuts. It’s not particularly difficult, but the tiny nuts can be frustrating to get on the patch bay, and there are 24 of them to fight with. Not great if you’re as shaky as I am.

Hardware

Terrence O'Brien / Engadget

Once assembled, though, you have a legit Moog with all the basic features you’d expect, plus a few extras. There’s a single oscillator that can morph between saw and square wave, an LFO, an envelope generator and, of course, Moog’s iconic 4-pole low pass filter. There’s also a sample and hold circuit, a utilities section with mults, a mixer and an attenuator. Lastly, in a first for a Moog synth, there’s a wave folder, something you’d be more likely to find on West Coast-style synths, like those from Buchla. All of these parts can be mixed and matched, or combined with external gear, using the 24-point patch bay.

Mavis even has a built-in one-octave keyboard so you can start tapping out basslines immediately. But I highly recommend you get an external keyboard or sequencer with CV controls, like one of Arturia’s KeyStep or BeatStep series. The keys on Mavis are tiny and rubbery and require a good amount of force to play. And the lack of a sequencer or arpeggiator means you’d have to play it live. It gets the job done for noodling around and auditioning patches, but I wouldn’t want to use it for an actual performance.

It’s also slightly odd that Moog went with an ⅛-inch audio out jack, instead of a ¼-inch one. Yes, it’s designed in part with Eurorack in mind, and it’s not a big deal to slap an adapter on the cable, but it still seems somewhat out of place considering that every other member of the Moog semi-modular family has ¼-inch outs.

One last thing worth mentioning is that, while you can stick Mavis in a Eurorack case, it has a case of its own and even a plastic dust cover to make sure your precious Moog stays pristine. Honestly, it’s the sort of accessory that should come with most synths and not a $50 (or more) add on.

Sound

Terrence O'Brien / Engadget

The core oscillator sounds great. Its Moog DNA is glaringly obvious in the buzzing saw wave and booming square. This is a synth built with bass in its bones. Even if you never touched the patchbay. If you just stuck with sounds the Mavis made out of the box, you’d probably be happy. It’s not the most versatile or unique synth, but it does what it does very well and it’s just oozing character.

Mavis is a little rough around the edges in a good way. You can get everything from 8-bit video game beeps, to towering bass stabs and even koto-esque plucks. The only thing it can’t really handle is drums. You can get a decent kick out of it, and maybe some pitched tom sounds. But that’s about it. Without a noise source snares, hats and claps are out of the question. It’s also tough to get convincing pad sounds with just a single oscillator, but with some effects it’ll do in a pinch.

That single oscillator is solid, though. And there are a host of tools at your disposal on the front panel to fatten up the sound further. For one, the LFO can reach audio rates, so you can patch it up and treat it as a second playable oscillator. You can even control both independently (to a degree) to get counter melodies and dueling arpeggios. Plus you can feed one or both of those sources into the wave folder to add even more harmonic content.

What makes this special is that normally, East Coast or subtractive synthesis (as exemplified by Moog) are about starting with a harmonically rich sound source and then shaving away the bits you don’t want. Here you’re able to add more harmonic content and get tones that you simply can’t on almost any other Moog device. It’s inching into West Coast territory.

Terrence O'Brien / Engadget

If I have one complaint about the oscillator, and by extension the LFO as a sound source, it’s that they can be difficult to tune. The natural analog drift here definitely lends to the charm, but I did find myself having to retune both every so often. And the tiny knobs don’t make finding the sweet spots easy. In fact, simply letting go of the LFO rate knob was often enough to knock it out of tune and I’d have to back and dial it in again. And I found tuning didn’t stay consistent across multiple octaves.

Mavis comes with a tool for fine tuning (the small hole next to the pitch knob). Do not lose it. You will definitely need it. You’ll also need it for tweaking the keyboard scale to try and make sure one octave does indeed equal one octave. Out of the box it wasn’t far off, but if you’re an impatient person, dialing this in may make you want to pull out your hair. Especially since the two things interact with each other and by changing the keyboard scale you can knock the synth out of tune.

The filter is basically what you expect from a Moog. It’s warm, resonant and delivers everything from subdued bass to squelchy leads. The Moog filter has a tendency to cut out a lot of the lower frequencies as you turn up the resonance. And, It might be all in my head, but it seems especially dramatic on Mavis. Just a touch of resonance is enough to completely cut out the bottom end.

Patchbay

It’s getting easier to find affordablesemi-modular and modular synths. But they’re still not particularly common. What’s surprising here, though, is just how much versatility is packed into this 24-point bay. There’s a host of utility functions here that really explode the Mavis’ power. The attenuator, mixer and mult in particular offer more flexibility than you’d find on even some of Moog’s more expensive semi-modular synths. These allow you to blend signals, split them to control multiple parameters and dial in just how much of an impact you want that control voltage to have. These are the sorts of tasks left to dedicated “utility” modules in a Eurorack set up.

Because of the extensive patchbay options, the Mavis actually feels like it can play with the big boys in Moog’s lineup. It’s a natural and affordable way to expand on the capabilities of something like the Mother 32, Subharmonicon or DFAM. It’s also an excellent entry point for anyone who wants to learn about synthesis, and in particular modular synthesis. Other affordable modular options aren’t nearly as musical as Mavis.

Wrap-up

It seems as if Moog took what it learned from the Werkstatt-01 and applied it to a more polished and serious feeling instrument. The basic format and concept are the same. But Mavis feels less like an educational toy, and more like something that could actually find a permanent home in someone’s studio setup. It has a rough and warm charm about it, plus it’s packed with surprisingly useful features you might not expect in an entry level synth.

At $350 the Mavis isn’t just a good option for your first Moog – it’s a great choice for your first synth, period. But experienced synth users shouldn’t overlook it either.

Coinbase is still struggling with a worsening cryptocurrency market. The exchange has announced that it's laying off 18 percent of its workforce, or about 1,100 jobs, to help weather difficult economic conditions. There's a "crypto winter," according to company chief Brian Armstrong, and the move is purportedly necessary to keep costs down during this dark period.

Armstrong also saw this as a response to excessive optimism about crypto's future. Coinbase felt it had to grow rapidly in 2021 to compete across numerous sectors and take advantage of crypto's value surge, but it's now apparent the company "over-hired" while the market was strong. The exchange started 2021 with 1,250 employees, and will still have roughly 5,000 people employed by the end of the current quarter.

The layoffs have been abrupt. Coinbase cut affected employees' system access at the same time as the announcement to prevent "rash decision[s]" by outgoing staff. The firm is promising at least 14 weeks of severance pay, four months of US health insurance and help finding new work, but the decision comes after multiple attempts to avoid cutting jobs. Coinbase first paused hiring, and later rescinded accepted job offers as economic conditions soured.

Coinbase isn't alone in dealing with the effects of crypto's collapse. Binance is facing a lawsuit over the failed TerraUSD stablecoin, while major lender Celsius has frozen withdrawals to help stabilize assets and honor obligations. The plunge in Bitcoin prices following Celsius' move led Binance to halt its own withdrawals for several hours. Crypto is very fragile at the moment, and it doesn't take much for the technology's largest supporters to suffer.

You won't have to wait too long to buy a Mac with an M2 chip inside. Apple has announced that it will start taking orders for the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 on June 17th, with customers getting their orders on June 24th. The system starts at $1,299 ($1,199 for education) with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD.

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro offers a simple performance boost over the M1 model, for better or for worse. You'll still get the familiar design, the Touch Bar and two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports. It's still a capable machine with 20 hours of battery life, but this isn't a major overhaul.

In a sense, its greatest rival will come from Apple: the still-to-be-released MacBook Air M2. You won't get a cooling fan or the longest possible runtime, but you will get a larger screen, a MagSafe power connection, more free ports and a slimmer, lighter chassis. The 13-inch Pro is best for those who need sustained computing power for long periods, but can't rationalize the cost of the 14-inch system.