Slack is rolling out a few new features for profiles, including ways to help folks avoid the embarrassment and unpleasantness of mispronouncing a colleague's name. Starting today, users can add an audio clip of them stating their name. You can include the phonetic pronunciation on your profile too.
Slack
Profiles have been redesigned to make them more streamlined with three key sections. One is for contact details, and another is focused on letting colleagues know which people you work with most often. There's also an expanded "about me" section, where you can include details such as your start date, what your job entails and your personal interests.
Another feature that the Salesforce-owned service is rolling out is Hover Cards. When you hover your cursor over a colleague's name, a card containing a condensed version of their profile will appear. You bring up their full profile by clicking on it. The cards will also help you start a Huddle, call or direct message thread with that person more quickly.
These features should all help colleagues get to know each other better. They could improve communication on Slack too.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the next mainline entries in GameFreak’s long-running RPG series, will come to Nintendo Switch on November 18th, The Pokémon Company announced today. In addition to including new creatures to catch, the two games will feature four-player multiplayer, allowing you and your friends to experience the game’s new region together. That’s notable because developer Game Freak has promised Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will represent its first true open-world experience after the studio began dabbling with the format with the release ofPokémon Legends: Arceusat the start of the year.
In another first for the series, the two games will feature different professors. And wouldn’t you know it, they’re both attractive and causing a stir among the Pokémon community. Typical. On top of Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly, the three new starters Game Freak revealed in February, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will add Smoliv, Pawmi and the pleasantly plump Lechonk to the franchise’s expanding roster. As for the new legendaries, they’re known as Koraidon and Miraidon, and they’ll grace the covers of the games. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are available to pre-order from the Nintendo eShop starting today.
If you watch YouTube on your TV, there's a good chance you're tracking down that video on your phone to leave a comment or drop a like. Now, though, you won't have to go to such great lengths. The company is rolling out a feature that lets you use your Android phone or iPhone as a second screen for YouTube's TV app. Tap "connect" in the mobile app and the video will be synced between the two devices — you can comment, donate, shop or otherwise interact with a video playing on the larger display.
You'll need to sign into the same YouTube account on both devices. The second screen feature isn't tied to specific TV platforms, though, so you shouldn't have to worry about using the 'wrong' set or media box.
The upgrade is a recognition that you often want to do more with a video than just watch it, and that you probably have your phone in hand while you're sitting on the couch. About 88 percent of people use a phone or tablet while they're watching TV, according to Nielsen data. YouTube is relatively late in that regard, but this is still a useful upgrade.
TweetDeck will soon no longer be available as a standalone Mac app. Twitter will shut down that version of its client for power users on July 1st. "We're saying goodbye to TweetDeck for the Mac app to focus on making TweetDeck even better and testing our new Preview," a tweet from the TweetDeck team reads. "July 1 is the last day it'll be available."
We're saying goodbye to TweetDeck for the Mac app to focus on making TweetDeck even better and testing our new Preview. July 1 is the last day it'll be available.
You can still use TweetDeck on web and more invites to try the Preview will be rolling out over the next few months!
Killing off the standalone app means Mac users may soon need to have the client open in a separate browser or juggle another tab if they want to keep using TweetDeck. As 9to5Mac notes, however, there are other options. You can turn web apps into native Mac apps using services such as Unite for macOS or Coherence X. Alternatively, you can switch to another app like Tweeten, which is based on TweetDeck.
There have been rumblings that Twitter plans to make TweetDeck a paid feature as part of Twitter Blue to prompt more people to sign up. Twitter's prospective new owner Elon Musk has ambitious revenue goals for the subscription service, so moving TweetDeck behind a paywall doesn't seem out of the question.
Twitter started testing a revamped version of TweetDeck last year. The new-look TweetDeck uses the same design language as Twitter's web app.
Focusrite already makes some of the most popular audio interfaces on the market. If you’re a budding musician or bedroom producer, you’ve probably considered one of their Scarlett interfaces when building out your studio. They’re also great options for podcasters. But music producers and podcasters have different needs and priorities, so Focusrite is specifically targeting the latter with its new Vocaster One and Vocaster Two. These new interfaces have a handful of features aimed at making the lives of podcast hosts and streamers much easier.
The two interfaces are largely the same, it’s just that the Vocaster Two has two of everything, while the One has… you guessed it, one. There’s two mic inputs and two headphone outs on the Vocaster Two, and just one on the other. The ins and outs are also handily labeled as “host” and “guest” rather than simply “one” and “two.” That means you can probably set the host channel the way you want it and never worry about it again.
Terrence O'Brien / Engadget
Both Vocasters have large knobs on the top that make controlling mic gain and headphone levels easy. But there’s also an array of buttons below that offer quick access to extremely useful features. There’s a pair of mute buttons, an auto gain feature for setting mic levels automatically, and an Enhance button that applies compression, EQ and highpass filter to instantly improve the quality of your voice. While the button on the interface itself simply turns Enhance on and off, in the Vocaster Hub app there are a few different presets to select from. Radio and Clean are my two favorites, but Bright and Warm might work better for some depending on the tenor of their voice.
Terrence O'Brien / Engadget
You’ll definitely want to install the Vocaster Hub app. While the interfaces will work right out of the box with no additional software, there are advanced features hidden in the app and it just makes some tasks that much easier. For one, it’s the only way to manually set the level of both mic inputs independently on the Vocaster Two. While you can use the auto gain on both from the device itself, there’s only one gain knob and it controls both inputs simultaneously.
The app is also where you can control the levels for the two loopback channels and the aux input. The loopback makes it easy to pipe in theme music while the aux input is handy for having guests dial in. It is worth noting, though, that to take full advantage of that you’ll need a TRRS to TRRS cable, a regular audio cable won’t cut it. But this ensures that not only can you hear your guest, but they can hear you as well.
The more expensive Vocaster Two not only has an aux input, but also Bluetooth connectivity for bringing in guests wirelessly, but I’d be hesitant to trust that myself. There’s already enough things that can go wrong when doing remote interviews that I wouldn’t want to add Bluetooth to the mix.
Terrence O'Brien / Engadget
Both interfaces have left and right audio outs for connecting studio monitors, but the camera out is probably more useful for the intended audience. It’s really just a standard 3.5mm TRS stereo out, but if you connect it to a camera you can avoid having to sync up audio after the fact on a vlog, and instantly step up your streaming game. There’s 48v phantom power if your preference is for condenser mics.
In my brief testing both interfaces worked as advertised. For someone just getting started in podcasting, or who wants to be as mobile as possible, these would make a ton of sense. The Enhance feature works wonders and it does so with no fuss. It’s similar to the Air feature on the Scarlett line, but tuned much more specifically for the human voice.
Terrence O'Brien / Engadget
The auto gain also worked fairly well, quickly allowing me to swap microphones without spending a ton of time dialing in gain manually. It might be a tad conservative for some, but it’s easier to make things louder in post if necessary than it is to clean up a clipping mic.
The plain aesthetics and plastic build are nothing to write home about, though. The only flourishes are the LED ring around the gain knob and the red accents around the edges. But frankly, one of the least important things about an audio interface is how it looks. I might not toss these haphazardly in a bag, though. Some thoughtful cushioning is definitely necessary if you’re taking these on the road.
If you’re truly just getting started out, Focusrite also sells the Vocaster One and Two as bundles with headphones and a mic. Both packages include the same headphones, and they’re solid if unremarkable. The Vocaster One Studio comes with a DM1 microphone for $300, that’s probably most comparable to a Shure SM58. It’s no frills, but it gets the job done. While the Vocaster Two Studio includes the decidedly higher-end DM14v dynamic mic for $500.
Of course, if you’re just looking for an interface you can order both the Vocaster One and Vocaster Two now for $200 and $300, respectively.
Diablo fans who have been eager to try the series' first new game in a decade won't need to wait any longer, as long as they're willing to play on mobile. Blizzard has opened up access to Diablo Immortal a day early on iOS and Android. Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson said Blizzard rolled out the mobile version one day before the official release date of June 2nd to give it time "to propagate through all the global stores."
PC players in most regions will still need to wait until tomorrow to dive in. Diablo Immortal will be in open beta on that platform for the time being. Those in some Asia-Pacific countries won't be able to try the PC version until June 22nd, however.
Engadget Weekend Editor Igor Bonifacic tried an early access build and felt that it's Blizzard's best game in years, but had serious reservations about its microtransactions and the monetization approach. In addition, there are randomization elements that could run afoul of loot box bans in Belgium and the Netherlands. As a result, Blizzard won't release the game in those countries.
Diablo Immortal is Blizzard's second mobile game after Hearthstone and its first attempt at bringing an existing series to iOS and Android. Activision Blizzard, spurred by the success of Call of Duty Mobile and its King division, is making a bigger push into mobile games. The company said in 2020 that it has mobile titles in the works for all of its "most important franchises."
Blizzard is planning to release another one later this year. Free-to-play strategy game Warcraft Arclight Rumble will be the first mobile title in the Warcraft series.
Buick is finally joining GM's EV transition, and it's ready to tease what you can expect. The badge has unveiled a Wildcat EV concept car that previews both the design language and technology for production models. The two-plus-two coupe sports a sharper, more aggressive look than Buicks from the past, and includes a few clever tricks you rarely see in other electric cars.
Micro-LEDs and thin-beam projectors not only provide front lighting, but greet you as you enter the vehicle. You can see a state of charge indicator through the hatchback glass. The cabin unsurprisingly includes plenty of displays (including an ultra-wide main screen and a secondary panel), but there's also a "Zen Mode" that dims the lights, massages you through the seat and even sprays aromatherapy scents through the interior.
GM didn't provide performance specs for the Wildcat, and stressed the concept would "influence" production Buick EVs rather than serve as a prototype. The coupe design is a notable break from Buick's usual SUVs, though. While executives in a Q&A session wouldn't confirm a shift in body styles, they hinted the Ultium platform enabled a variety of EV designs.
GM
It's also clear that GM intends to use Buick as a vanguard for its electrification plans. The first production Buick EV (expected to be the Electra SUV) doesn't arrive until 2024, but the lineup will be fully electrified by 2030 — five years ahead of GM's deadline for ditching combustion engines. Buick won't be alone when Cadillac and Hummer are on similar paths, but it's evident you'll have plenty of choice in American luxury EVs over the next few years.
Don't worry if you were waiting for Logitech's MX Mechanical and MX Master 3S to go on sale before you took the plunge — the discounts are already here. Amazon is selling the compact MX Mechanical Mini keyboard for $133 (12 percent off), while the MX Master 3S mouse has dropped to $89 (11 percent off). You'll have to be content with clicky switches for the keyboard, but these still represent meaningful savings for brand new peripherals.
The MX Mechanical Mini is the keyboard for gamers whose PCs double as office machines. You'll get the crisp feel of the mechanical switches you often see in gaming keyboards, but the key pitch, ergonomics and noise are optimized for typing. You'll also find productivity-friendly keys (such as Page Up/Down and Delete) that often go missing on smaller gaming-oriented layouts.
The MX Master 3S, meanwhile, is a refinement of a familiar (and arguably successful) formula. The creator-oriented mouse has twice the sensor resolution at 8,000DPI, and the quieter main mouse buttons should help you concentrate on work. It's clearly meant as a companion to the MX Mechanical line, and might just be a good fit if you want high-end input devices without the ostentatious designs of gaming hardware.
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Instagram will start pushing Amber Alerts to users’ feeds to notify them about missing children in their area. The company says the feature will start rolling out tomorrow and it will be live in 25 countries over “the next couple of weeks.”
Even so, Instagram users shouldn’t expect to see them very often. The company notes that the alerts are meant to be “rare and specific to the search area.” Instagram will use factors like IP addresses and location data (if enabled) in order to determine which accounts to push the notices too.
When they do appear, the alerts will crop up in users feeds, not as in-app notifications. Unlike the mobile notifications that are often pushed via wireless carriers for Amber Alerts, Instagram's version will include a photo and description of the missing child, as well other relevant details, like where they were last seen. There will also be a phone number to report sightings or other tips to law enforcement.
While not the first time Meta has added Amber Alerts — Facebook started surfacing them to users in 2015 — the company notes Instagram could be particularly impactful as it’s a “visual-first” platform that is already widely used by teens.
After a leak yesterday spoiled the surprise, Microsoft has unveiled the Surface Laptop Go 2, a $600 starter laptop with premium looks. It looks very much like the original, has an near-identical 12.4-inch 1,536 x 1,024 touch display, anodized aluminum top and weight that's just a fraction more at 2.48 pounds. However, the new model is powered by an 11th-gen Intel Core i5 CPU with Iris Xe graphics, and runs Windows 11 instead of Windows 10.
The 11th-gen Intel CPU should give the Surface Laptop Go 2 a much-needed speed boost. And storage options are now 128GB or 256GB — a step up from the previous model, which offered just 64GB of sluggish eMMC storage on the base $550 model. However, other aspects of the new model haven't changed. It still offers from 4GB to 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM (or 16GB for commercial customers), a relatively low-resolution screen, and no backlight on the keyboard.
Microsoft
Battery life is up a touch from 13 to 13.5 hours under normal usage, good enough for a day's worth of computing. And you can charge it to 80 percent power in under an hour thanks to the 39-watt charger. Other features include WiFi 802.11ax, one USB-C port, one USB-A port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a Surface Connect power port.
The Surface Laptop Go 2 is still the cheapest Surface laptop, but we weren't completely sold on the original. Designed to take on Chromebooks, it offered more premium look for a bit more money. However, the mediocre performance made it a tough sell against rivals like the Dell XPS 13, which cost about the same in an 8GB configuration. Hopefully, the new model addresses those performance concerns — it's now available on pre-order at Microsoft.com or BestBuy.com starting at $600.
