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Salt and Sacrifice will make its way to PlayStation 4, PS5 and PC via the Epic Games Store on May 10th, developer Ska Studios announced today. Like its predecessor, 2016’s Salt and Sanctuary, Salt andSacrifice is an action role-playing title inspired by FromSoftware classics like Dark Souls and Demon’s Souls.

At the start of the game, your character is drafted into an organization known as the Inquisition and tasked with hunting down mages that have been corrupted by their magic into towering monsters. With each one you’re able to overcome, you’ll have the ability to craft new weapons and armor. Salt and Sacrifice puts a greater emphasis on multiplayer than its predecessor with the inclusion of sub-factions you can join within the Inquisition that focus on co-operative play and player-versus-player combat. That said, James Silva, the game’s creator, made a point of noting in a recent PlayStation Blog that you’re free to ignore that aspect of the game.

Between Elden Ring and Salt and Sacrifice, 2022 is shaping up to be another exciting year for fans of challenging action RPGs.

If you’ve watched a classic, landmark sci-fi movie and you were blown away by the quality and realism of its effects, then there’s a good chance Douglas Trumbull’s name is in the credits. The VFX pioneer, who passed away on February 8th, 2022, has worked on key films in the sci-fi canon. Even a short version of his resume would have to include 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Blade Runner and Silent Running. To have worked on one of those in your lifetime would have been a big deal, but to have contributed to all of them speaks to just how much work Trumbull did to push the artform forward.

Trumbull was the son of an artist and engineer, Donald Trumbull, who worked on VFX for The Wizard of Oz. Douglas, a talented painter and artist in his own right, got a job at Graphic Films, and worked on a short film about space travel for the 1964 World’s Fair. The clip piqued the interest of Stanley Kubrick, then starting work on the film that would eventually become 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kubrick began working with Graphic Films, and by extension Trumbull, but when he relocated production to London, stopped speaking to his would-be partners. Trumbull, however, was so excited by the idea of the film that he reached out to Kubrick personally. He was then hired and brought over to London to work on the title.

Trumbull’s job on 2001 was as one of several visual effects heads on the project, the others being Con Petersen, Wally Veevers and Tom Howard. (Kubrick himself was also credited, and it would be his name and his name alone on the Academy Award for best Special Visual Effects the film won in 1969.) His first task was to design the “computer” graphics shown on the displays that littered Kubrick’s future world. But his job quickly grew, and Trumbull would eventually be responsible for the use of slit-scan photography that created the film’s climactic Star Gate sequence. You can watch Trumbull explain this in some depth during this long talk about his life and career from the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival.

Having made a name for himself, he launched his own VFX company and produced the effects for Robert Wise’s The Andromeda Strain. That would garner him enough credit at Universal Pictures to earn him the right to direct an experimental, super low-budget film of his own. (The studio was, at the time, experimenting to see if low-budget films would garner a following through word of mouth, aping the success of Easy Rider a few years previously.) This project would become Silent Running, an often-overlooked classic of the genre.

In many ways, Silent Running is a humane rebuttal to 2001, with Trumbull’s warmth acting as a reaction to Kubrick’s emotionlessness. The film depicts a dystopian future in which the last of Earth’s plant life is carried on the back of enormous geodesic arks into space. But when the crews of these arks are told to detach and detonate the domes, one botanist will risk everything to save the plants he so cares for. Despite the low budget, the visuals are top notch, and the central performance from Bruce Dern is one for the ages. Of course, the film’s third-act twist – if it can be called that – does rely on the stupidest plot moment in any film ever. But it’s the one flaw in an otherwise great movie that, due to its status as a financial flop, means it’s often ignored as b-movie fodder.

Trumbull’s interest in pushing the boundaries of filmmaking technology meant that he devoted much of the ‘70s to developing new technologies. That included Showscan, which ran 70mm film at 60 fps, which Trumbull said offered a new level of immersion and engagement. Sadly, the cost and complexity of such a technology proved a key stumbling block to it being picked up by mainstream cinemas. Years before Peter Jackson and Ang Lee experimented with high frame rates, Douglas Trumbull was making it work in the analog world

Magicam, meanwhile, was Trumbull’s project to create virtual sets decades before we could use computer-generated keying, simply by blue-screening actors in front of a live miniature, shot at the same time with motorized cameras. The technique would have offered the ability to shoot huge, effects-heavy spectacles on a tiny budget and in a very small studio. The technology was expected to be the lynchpin of Harlan Ellison’s infamous TV series The Starlost and its failure then contributed to its demise. But Magicam would, not long after, be used in a variety of Trumbull productions including Carl Sagan’s Cosmos.

His energies elsewhere, Trumbull was unable to accept offers to produce the effects for Star Wars, but returned to the industry for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It would be on this film that he would be nominated for his first Academy Award, and helped pioneer work to shoot effects sequences on 70mm film. This was a way of preserving detail when the footage was then integrated into sequences shot on 35mm, which is why the alien spaceship has so much heft and weight.

As work was progressing on Close Encounters, Paramount offered to bankroll his studio and asked him to produce the effects for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Trumbull initially turned down the offer, causing much consternation from Paramount Pictures. But after the film’s first effects house, Robert Abel, was deemed to have produced substandard work, Trumbull was more-or-less begged to come on and finish the film ahead of its planned release date.

In the following clip, from 2016, reveals the painstaking process behind creating the Enterprise drydock sequence from The Motion Picture. He said that, in many ways, the sequence – which is adored by fans and detested by casual viewers – was inspired by work done for 2001. One thing that sticks out is that he says that he wanted fans to “buy into the beauty of space” and “buy into the beauty of the Enterprise,” to fall in “love” with the revised craft. And, it works.

Before his passing, Trumbull was consulting with the team overseeing the 4K remaster of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Producer David C. Fein, who is leading the project, said that “Doug created the future,” and that he “inspired going beyond limitations,” adding that Trumbull’s “influence will be with us forever.” Similarly, Mike Matessino added that Trumbull’s work was “truly timeless,” which “continues to inspire awe and to spark the imagination,” both now and in the future.

Daren R. Dochterman, who spent a lot of time working with Trumbull, said that he was scared to meet him the first time they met. “The fact that he turned out not only to be a sweet, understanding man and a very kind teacher not only surprised me but filled me with such happiness,” he added. “Over the years since then I’ve gotten to know him a little better and he had gotten to know some of my work, and he was the most encouraging voice in my life.”

Trumbull’s work on Close Encounters would massively inform the visual effects work for Blade Runner. That film would earn him his third Academy Award nomination, a well-deserved effort for simply giving Ridley Scott’s world the weight and heft that it required. Here, like in so many other of his films, Trumbull’s effects offer a level of realism that means it’s easy to suspend your disbelief when you see the fantastic presented to you.

In fact, that’s the second time I’ve used the phrase “heft and weight” in this piece, isn’t it – because that is something Trumbull was always able to get right. His worlds, no matter how fantastic, always felt grounded, and that’s why his work holds up so well compared to other films both of the era, and even those that followed it. Trumbull knew how to make the fantastical feel real, a commodity that is worth more than its weight in Hollywood.

Unfortunately, Trumbull would leave production on Blade Runner before it was completed to helm his second film, Brainstorm. That was designed as a showcase for Showscan, embracing higher frame rates and using those big 70mm cameras. Unfortunately, studio pressure, the tragic death of one of the film’s stars and cold feet from exhibitors killed Trumbull’s dream. The film didn’t get a wide release and ultimately flopped, leaving Trumbull to move back east to work on his technology passions away from Hollywood. He would also, briefly, be at IMAX in the early ‘90s.

In later years, Trumbull consulted on visual effects for Terence Malick’s The Tree of Life, and worked on his Magi cinematic process. Magi, unlike other HFR projects, runs at 120 frames per second, and the reports, like this RogerEbert.com story from 2014, suggest it lacked the TV-esque effects that so dogged the Hobbit movies. By 2017, Trumbull was hoping to build a pod that could be used to tour Magi-produced films and bring the gospel of higher frame rates to the world.

On February 8th, Amy Trumbull posted to Facebook that her father passed away after a two year battle with cancer, a brain tumor and a stroke. “He was an absolute genius and a wizard and his contributions to the film and special effects industry will live on for decades and beyond.” The outpouring of love from both people inside and outside Hollywood was instantaneous.

Daren R. Dochterman said it best, that Douglas Trumbull was “constantly a force trying to pull the movie business into the future with brand new ways of telling stories.” And while “the [Hollywood] machine chewed him up and spit him out … Doug’s tenacity at trying to create new technologies and new methods for creating images and experiences was something that he tried to provide all his life.”

Wednesday’s Nintendo Direct was packed full of eye-catching games that are coming to Nintendo Switch. If a new version of Wii Sports or the option to play Portal or No Man’s Sky on the go intrigues you, but you haven’t snagged the console yet, now might be a good time to pick one up. Prime members can get $20 off a Nintendo Switch at Woot. That lowers the price to $280.

This is a return of a deal that we saw in late January. You’ll be able to save on a version of the console with a better battery that Nintendo released in 2019 — you won’t be able to get a discount on a Switch Lite or the OLED model this time around.

The Switch is a great console that we gave a score of 88 to in our most recent review (Nintendo has rolled out Bluetooth headphones support since then). It’s an excellent way to play games on both your TV and pretty much anywhere else. The library of titles in the eShop is stellar, ranging from blockbustergames and killerindies to Nintendo and Sega classics that are included in Switch Online plans. Of course, the Switch is the only official way to play Nintendo’s latestfirst-party console games too.

You’ll need to sign in to Woot with your Prime account to see the deal, which is limited to one unit per person. It’s worth noting that Woot’s return policy is different from parent company Amazon's. The offer runs until February 28th. 

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Dynamic colors and a wave of new Google-centric design changes are on their way to most Android phones. First unveiled at I/O last year, Google’s Material You appeared to be Android’s most dramatic redesign in years and offered users a wave of new customization and accessibility features. Users could tweak their phone’s color palette, adjust the placement of widgets and make other adjustments for aesthetic and accessibility purposes. But Google’s Material You was only available for Pixel phones and a few Samsung devices.

Soon though Material You will be available for a much wider swath of new Android 12 phones, including those by Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, realme, Xiaomi and Tecno. The exact dates haven't been announced just yet and will depend on the manufacturer, but the release windows are likely to occur within the next few months. The new Galaxy S22 and S22 Ultra, both unveiled by Samsung this week, will include Material You.

While cosmetic enhancements are nice, Material You also makes it far easier for Android phones to be integrated into Google’s ecosystem. Color palette selections and other visual changes to the phone's themselves appear across Google’s apps, including Gmail, Meet and Drive. Much of Google’s product library has already gotten a Material You makeover.

In Engadget’s review of Material You and Android 12, we noted that the redesign was easy on the eyes and helped declutter Android’s interface. It also includes a host of quality-of-life changes, including a Privacy Dashboard. That feature breaks down which apps have been granted specific permissions, as well as what kind of data they're able to access.

Just watch Dune once with TV speakers or a basic soundbar, and you'll understand the appeal of a real surround sound system. You may already have stunning visuals thanks to that new OLED set, but if the enormous sandworms of Arrakis don't rattle your living room with butt-shaking goodness, then you're missing out on an essential element of that film. Thankfully, it's never been easier to bring the surround sound experience home without investing thousands of dollars in Hi-Fi components.

Pro tip: Think ahead as much as you can

It’s easy to snap up the cheapest surround sound system you can find, or overspend beyond what you actually need. So before you buy anything, I suggest sitting down and thinking about what you need now, and project ahead a few years to see if things may change. If you’re stuck in a small city apartment, it’s probably not worth investing in enormous speakers that you can never play loud. But if you’re moving within a year or two, maybe you can start with a smaller system and build up.

Different rooms may also require different types of equipment. It makes sense to go wire-free in a family room that’s always filled with kids and their toys. But if you’re lucky enough to have a basement or some sort of dedicated home theater space, feel free to go big. Just leave yourself room to upgrade: Consider an Atmos receiver, even if you’re not buying Atmos speakers yet.

Get a soundbar system

Kyle Maack/Engadget

Soundbars have come a long way over the last decade. It used to be that you'd sacrifice a significant amount of quality to have a tidy little box sitting underneath your TV. But today's entries are much better at mimicking two separate front channels and a center speaker. Some models also support newer immersive audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X by bouncing sound off of your ceilings with upward firing speakers. (That may seem a bit silly, but this technique does a decent job of simulating overhead sounds.)

As a bonus, soundbar systems only need one cable to connect to your TV. They also typically rely on wireless subwoofers and rear speakers, which don't require stringing any long cables around your living room like a traditional surround setup. Naturally, you'll still need to power those up, though, so be sure to have outlets nearby.

As you'd expect, the most expensive options sound the best, like Sonos's Arc ($899) and Vizio's Elevate 5.1 system ($799), but you don't have to spend that much to get a decent surround experience. Vizio's 5.1.2 M-series system ($500 normally, currently $350 at Best Buy) has everything you'd want: A powerful soundbar equipped with two Dolby Atmos/DTS:X height channels, a wireless subwoofer and two wireless rear channels. Vizio's V-series 5.1 system is even cheaper at $200, but the smaller speakers and subwoofer will sound significantly worse and you'll lose Atmos support.

Another simple option is Roku's family of speakers. The Streambar Pro ($150) is a capable soundbar that also doubles as a Roku streaming box, making it ideal for older TVs with no apps (or not-so-smart recent sets). It's a good option if you want to build your surround system over time: You can always add Roku's Wireless Speakers ($150) as rear channels, as well as the company's wireless subwoofer ($180) when you need more low-end oomph. The complete system will run you $480, but remember that it doesn't have any Atmos support like Vizio's M-series.

Want something more? Start with an amplifier

Denon

The beauty of soundbars is that they handle all the audio processing you'd need. But if you want to get really serious, you'll need a receiver that can decode your audio signals and direct them to speakers. Notably, sound isn't their only task these days; modern receivers are usually equipped with multiple analog video and HDMI ports to handle all of your devices. So instead of plugging your PlayStation 5 and streaming boxes into your TV, they'd go directly into your receiver. Any decent option will also offer Bluetooth, Spotify Connect and support for other popular streaming services, so they're still plenty useful without turning on your TV.

A receiver like the Denon AVR-S540BT ($349) is a decent start, with support for the latest non-immersive audio formats (Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master) and 4K HDR video at 60Hz. You'll have to step up to something like the Sony STR-DH790 ($450) to get Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, unfortunately.

Since you probably won't be upgrading your receiver too often, I'd say it's worth paying for those formats now. They go a long way toward making your surround sound experience sound more natural. Instead of having audio coming from individual channels — say, just the center speaker for dialogue — Atmos and DTS:X treat individual sounds as objects that can move across all of your speakers. And once you have upward-firing speakers (or even better, units installed directly into your ceiling), those formats can make you feel like you're right inside a movie.

If you want to future-proof yourself even more, look out for receivers that support HDMI 2.1, which allows for 4K video at 120Hz and 8K/60Hz. The Denon AVR-S760 ($620) is one of the most capable options available now, though take note that this model (as well as other Denon, Yamaha and Marantz AVRs) currently has issues with the Xbox Series X. (A free box should fix that, though.) Alternatively, you could always connect your HDMI 2.1 console directly to your TV (assuming it supports that), and route that devices audio back to your receiver using eARC.

Box it up

Klipsch

So now that you've got a receiver in mind, how about some speakers? The easiest way to solve that is with a boxed system, like Klipsch's Reference Black Home Theater ($360). It has the typical 5.1 setup: two fronts, a center, two rears and a convenient wireless subwoofer. The Reference Black system has been well reviewed by the team at CNET, and the current price is practically a steal compared to its original $1,000 MSRP. The ever-budget-friendly brand Monoprice also has an immersive system going for $250, which includes two satellites with upward-firing speakers. (And if you lucked into a receiver with more than two Atmos channels, there's also a $300 set with two more upward-firing speakers.)

If you're aiming for something closer to a premium Hi-Fi setup, Fluance's Elite 5.0 system ($500) is worth a look. It includes two front towers, a larger center channel and wall-mountable rear speakers. They're also available in a variety of colors, which is more than you see from some high-end offerings. I haven't tested these myself, but the reviews I've seen have been practically rapturous, and Fluance is a company known for producing high quality speakers. You'll have to add your own subwoofer down the line, but those towers should shake your living room plenty. And if you wanted to add Atmos later, you can just throw on some Atmos additions like the ELAC Debut 2.0 speakers ($260).

What about starting with a 2.1 or 3.1 setup?

ELAC

You don’t necessarily have to buy your entire surround sound system at once. In fact, that’s a great way to extend your budget, since you’ll have more money down the line to add better hardware. Once you’ve picked up an AV receiver, a decent pair of bookshelves like the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 ($340) will be an incredible upgrade over a simple soundbar or TV speakers. My only suggestion is to try to stay within the same speaker family to keep your sound consistent.

For example, you could add any of ELAC’s Debut 2.0 subwoofers for a bit of low-end action, or snag the C6.2 center channel ($280) to round out your front speaker setup. And eventually, you could add more bookshelves, or perhaps move them to the rear and pick up the Debut F6.2 towers ($400 each) for an even beefier sound stage. All of those components will add up to an incredible sounding system, though you’d never consider it a “budget” solution.

Tesla is once again recalling hundreds of thousands of cars over a technical issue. According to Reuters, he EV producer has recalled 578,607 Model 3, S, X and Y vehicles over concerns the Boombox feature can overpower Pedestrian Warning System sounds. The ability to play external audio while the car is in motion violates a federal safety rule requiring a clearly audible sound when EVs and hybrids are moving at speeds below 18.6MPH.

As with some of its recalls, the company will address the issue with a free over-the-air update. The patch will disable Boombox while cars aren't parked, Tesla said. The company didn't provide a timeframe for the update, but noted it would affect 2017 and newer Model 3 sedans as well as 2020 and newer Model S, X and Y vehicles.

Tesla wasn't available for comment. The company disbanded its communications team years ago.

This latest notice represents Tesla's fourth announced recall in two weeks. On top of a seat belt chime fault, the brand recently issued recalls over Full Self Driving flaws and slow heating systems. Tesla is fixing all of these problems through software, but they come after recalls in the past year for physical defects like fragile rearview camera systems and loose trim. There have been 15 recalls since the start of 2021. The issues have typically been minor, but they've still fuelled broader quality concerns.

This latest recall also reflects more aggressive scrutiny from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency began investigating Autopilot functions after a string of collisions with emergency vehicles, and Tesla responded to an investigation of its Passenger Play feature by disabling video games while in motion. The NHTSA is clearly determined to keep Tesla in check, particularly for software-driven features that relatively new in the automotive world.

Apple gave the iPad mini some much needed love last year when it came out with the 6th generation of the small tablet. But naturally, all of the improvements came with a $100 price increase from the previous version. Now, you can save a bit on the 2021 iPad mini as Amazon has a few models for up to $50 off. The 256GB WiFi version in space gray has that discount, bringing it down to $599, while the 64GB WiFi model in starlight is $25 off and down to $474.

Because of its "mini" name, Apple's smallest tablet could easily be confused for its least powerful model. But that hasn't been the case for some time, and the 2021 iPad mini truly puts that notion to bed. It runs on an A15 Bionic chip and sports a 2,266 x 1,488 resolution, 326ppi Liquid Retina screen. It had been a long time since Apple redesigned the mini, but the company rectified that by making the latest model look like a tiny iPad Air with its flat edges, USB-C charging port, TouchID-toting power button and (sadly) lack of a headphone jack. It feels fresh and has solid performance to boot — it handled everything we threw at it in our testing, including daily tasks like sending emails, watching videos, light gaming, FaceTime calls and note-taking with the second-generation Apple Pencil.

Speaking of FaceTime, the iPad mini comes with a Center Stage-capable camera, which means that Apple's technology will keep you in frame by automatically panning and zooming to follow you. Its battery life is formidable too — Apple estimates 10 hours on a single charge, but we found it was closer to 12 hours, depending on how (and how much) you're using the slab. If you know an e-reader-sized iPad will make a difference in your life, Amazon's latest sale is one worth considering.

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Indiegogo wants to do more to make crowdfunding safer and more trustworthy. Offering users assurances that campaign organizers will deliver on their promises is a key part of that. The platform is now rolling out a program designed to place a spotlight on those who've run well-organized campaigns and delivered perks to backers in the past.

As part of the Trust-Proven Program, Indiegogo is reviewing the histories of active campaign organizers to determine if they have a solid track record of fulfilling perks, positive feedback from backers and a proven ability to manage campaigns well. Those who meet the criteria will have a Trust-Proven Badge on their campaign page.

The badge doesn't automatically mean that campaign organizers will fulfill their perks and come through on their latest project. It does offer an at-a-glance indication that they know what they're doing when it comes to crowdfunding campaigns, and it's more likely that they'll deliver on their pledges. If organizers don't stick to Indiegogo's policies, though, they risk losing the badge.

The program builds on an initiative that ramped up last year to provide more transparency about what Indiegogo's doing behind the scenes to ensure it has a safe, trusted platform. Among its goals is to review every campaign before it goes live.

At the outset, Indiegogo was an open platform that would allow most kinds of legal campaigns. However, "that's not really what backers want." Will Haines, Indiegogo's vice president of product and consumer trust, told Engadget. "They want a platform where there's some baseline level of trust." This latest program aligns with what users are asking for.

The Trust-Proven Badge is now live on campaigns from Firewalla, SIRUI, VAVA and, the most recognizable name among the bunch, Canon. The badge is placed prominently on the page. Hovering over the question mark icon will inform users the badge denotes that the "campaigner has a history of fulfilling campaigns on the IGG platform or is an Enterprise-run campaign."

For now, the Trust-Proven Program is limited to organizers who have run several projects in the technology and innovation category. Indiegogo might expand it to other types of campaigns in the future, though Haines noted that building physical products is "a more challenging area" than, perhaps, making a low-budget film or a tabletop game, not least because of ongoing supply chain issues.

These types of projects "tend to be at a higher price point, which raises the risk for the backer, just because they're putting more money on the line," Haines said. "But on the other hand, backers have spoken in our community and we have a community of tech enthusiasts who love these kinds of products." As such, Indiegogo wants to provide "a baseline level of security without stifling the innovation on the platform."

Haines called the Trust-Proven Program a first step for Indiegogo as it seeks to bolster transparency and trust on the platform. Over the coming year, it's hoping to provide more information to backers about where entrepreneurs are in the process of turning their ideas into a reality. While there are some details Indiegogo can't or won't disclose to prevent people from gaming the system, "we're looking for avenues to be able to provide this kind of information to the backers so that they can be along for the ride each step of the way," Haines said.

There will always be an element of risk with crowdfunding campaigns. Indiegogo isn't looking to do away with that entirely. The Trust-Proven Program and similar efforts are about providing users with relevant info so they can make better informed decisions about whether to back a project.

"We want to be clear to backers what they're getting into when they contribute on the site; if someone has something that they created on the back of a napkin, and it's really just the concept," Haines said. "There is, I would argue, a place for that on the platform, but it had better be really clear that it's a napkin sketch."

Corsair has made inroads in the gaming accessories market, having purchased companies like Scuf and Elgato to increase its market share, and dabbled in new technology like opto-mechanical keys. Still, it’s Corsair’s mechanical keyboards that we at Engadget love the most – they’re often included in our gift guides and “best of” lists. This year, Corsair is going back to basics with the latest revision to its classic K70 RGB Pro, which packs in a solid enclosure and bright lighting alongside that signature typing experience.

I’m not exaggerating when I use the word love. The Rapidfire K70 that I tested way back in 2016 is still sitting on my desk, as it’s my go-to deck when I’m not testing new keyboards. That certainly makes a head-to-head comparison easy, and putting the two right next to each other brings out the otherwise-subtle design tweaks. The Corsair text logo is gone, replaced by the company’s “sailing ship” graphic, now LED backlit. The font on the keys has been changed, to a narrower sans-serif font that doesn’t scream “gamer” quite as loudly. Corsair keyboards have always been more office friendly than other gaming accessories, but now they’re just office friendly, period. Onlookers might not realize right away that what they’re looking at is a gaming keyboard at all.

Kris Naudus / Engadget

Of course, the most important changes are to the keys and media buttons. Nothing has been removed or replaced from the earlier model, but the media controls have been elevated about three quarters of an inch, making them easier to press. The volume scroll is also wider, with a slightly rougher texture. Both of these small changes should make it easier to find without having to look down at the keyboard.

For a direct comparison of the keys, I chose to receive the new K70 with MX Speed keys, which took me a while to get used to years ago but now are second nature for me. The typing experience is still crisp and excellent, though it seems to require just a tad more force to press. It’s nothing you’d notice on your own, but switching between the two I find the older model a little easier to type on. So easy, in fact, that sometimes I’d brush my arm against the deck and accidentally end up activating the keys. This new one won’t have that problem.

Kris Naudus / Engadget

I do have one nitpick about the new K70, though, and that’s what I’ve come to call the “Tibetan singing bowl” effect. It’s something that plagued last year’s K65 RGB Mini: a metallic ring that echoes after each key press. If you’re typing quickly it becomes a constant chime that overlaps and lingers for a second whenever you pause. If you’re wearing a headset or blasting music at your home or office it might not be as noticeable, but in a quiet room it’s incredibly annoying.

This type of metallic echo was also a problem with the original Razer Huntsman keyboard. That was the company’s debut offering with opto-mechanical keys, and I wasn’t sold on the concept at first because of that hollow ringing. But the revision from this past September added padding underneath to cut down on the echo, making for a much better typing experience . I can only hope that Corsair takes the hint and makes similar improvements to its own keyboards if it wants to stay on top. But the new K70 is still a solid, top-of-the-line deck, and you can grab one today starting at $160.

The AirPods Pro are down to the bet price we've seen them since the start of the year. Apple's best sounding earbuds are 30 percent off right now and down to $175, which is $5 cheaper than their previous sale price. We likely won't see Black Friday's $159 deal return for quite some time, so this discount is worth considering if you need a new pair of earbuds or want to give them to someone special for Valentine's Day.

The AirPods Pro earned a score of 87 from us when they first came out, and while they didn't receive the slew of updates that the base AirPods did a few months ago, they do now come with a MagSafe charging case. That means you'll be able to use them with magnetic charging pads that also work with the latest iPhones.

These remain the AirPods to get if you care just as much about sound quality as you do convenience. Along with a built-in amplifier, they support Adaptive EQ, which automatically tunes frequencies to each user's ear. Their active noise cancellation is also solid, and you can flip in and out of Transparency mode whenever you need to join a conversation. They also provide arguably the best fit of any AirPods thanks to their interchangeable ear tips (although the improvements that Apple made in the fit of the third-gen AirPods shouldn't be overlooked).

You're also getting Apple's H1 chip inside the AirPods Pro, which enables things like hands-free Siri and quick pairing and switching between iOS and Mac devices. The latter feature becomes particularly handy if you use many Apple devices regularly, allowing you to switch from taking a call on your iPhone to listening to music from your Mac with ease. As far as battery life goes, you can expect about five hours of use before the Pros need a recharge, and with its case, you should get up to 24 hours of total listening time.

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