After introducing mini-games and allowing access to younger teens, Meta is trying to make its VR-based Horizon Worlds more social. In its latest update, the company released a new feature called world chat that lets users send messages to anyone else in the same world session. At the same time, it's promising strict security controls for the new feature.
A voice chat feature is already available, but this works much like a regular text messaging app. A screen shot (below) shows a classic group texting interface, with multiple users participating. Messages directed at specific people appear in their own view as a floating bubble, and when clicked, open up a new chat.
People can connect with or follow others participating in a chat by clicking the individual's name to view their profile and inviting them to connect, Meta said. You'll be able to @mention others in world chat, provided they're in the same world. It offers ease-of-use tools like quick replies so you can connect without the need to type long messages.
Meta
Along with world chat, Facebook introduced tools to "help create a positive community experience," it said. To start with, it automatically scans and deletes messages that go against its code of conduct. It allows users to blur chats so that messages from people they don't know will be blurred, and their own chats will appear blurred to others. Users can report, block or mute anyone, and minimize or hide the chat window.
The blur setting is automatically enabled for teens aged 13-17. Meta is also expanding parental supervision tools to allow users to ensure that their kids "have an age-appropriate chat experience by changing or locking the blurred chat settings," it wrote.
Earlier this year, US senators urged Meta not to open Horizon Worlds up to younger teens, citing the company's record of failure to protect them. That concern appeared to be justified following recent report of widespread CSAM on Instagram. Meta did it anyway, though, promising to put in place age-appropriate tools and protections. "We have to build experiences which are tailored to the unique vulnerabilities of teens," the company said at the time. Meta recently unveiled the Meta Quest 3 mixed reality headset, just a week before Apple launch its own much-anticipated model, the Vision Pro.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-horizon-worlds-is-getting-a-text-based-world-chat-feature-133026231.html?src=rss
Smart plugs are among the simpler smart home devices, giving you voice and app control over appliances like lamps, fans, humidifiers and basic coffee makers. You can create schedules and routines, too, either through a plug’s proprietary app or through your preferred smart home platform. But much like other IoT devices, which system plays nice with which plug depends on compatibility, and each brand’s app offers different features. We tested out ten popular options to see which are worth buying.
What to consider when buying a smart plug
Before you buy one, it helps to know what a smart plug can and can’t do. They work best with things that have an on/off switch, making them great for lamps and other lights. If you want a plug-in fan to move some air around before you get home, a smart plug can help. You can load a basic coffee maker with grounds and water the night before and wake up to a fresh pot in the morning. And instead of an air purifier running all day, you could set it to just run when you’re away. But any device that needs to be programmed further, or requires a stand-by mode, isn’t ideal.
Setup and use
Adding a smart plug to your home is relatively simple. You’ll use the manufacturer’s app to initially connect, after which you can add the plug to a compatible smart home ecosystem. Both the brand’s app and your smart home app will let you name the plug, set schedules and program “routines” which control multiple smart devices at once. But as you can guess, a manufacturer’s app only lets you control products from that brand. If you want to operate a plug from TP-Link’s Kasa, a bulb from GE’s Cync and a camera from Wyze, you’ll need to use a smart home platform, which means you’ll need to consider compatibility.
Compatibility
Smart home devices connect through wireless protocols, often using more than one to communicate with your phone, smart speaker, internet connection and in some cases, one another. The majority of smart plugs use WiFi, but some newer plugs use a low-power network standard called Thread. It’s more secure than WiFi, tends to be more reliable and its mesh capabilities provide stronger coverage as more Thread devices are added. These devices require a Thread border router, such as an Apple HomePod or TV, a fourth-generation Amazon Echo or Google Nest Hub.
Matter is a new wireless standard intended to solve compatibility issues between different brands and manufacturers, while also improving security and reliability. Only a few such smart plugs are available right now, and they currently work via WiFi, Bluetooth and Thread networks. These devices require a controller that stays at home, like a smart speaker, if you want to manage things when you’re out and about. If the device also uses Thread, you might need a smart speaker that acts as a border router, like the ones listed above. If all that sounds complicated, it is. Matter promises simplicity, but hasn’t delivered just yet.
As for Bluetooth, most plugs, including all Matter plugs, use the short-range protocol to get the device set up for the first time. Some can continue to run on Bluetooth in the absence of another option, but the connection isn’t as reliable and you won’t be able to control the plug when you’re away from home, or perhaps even just on the other side of the apartment.
Because Matter is relatively new, it may be easier to consider the manufacturer’s system you’d use the most. There are four major “branded” smart home platforms: Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home, Apple’s HomeKit and Samsung’s SmartThings. The first two work with the widest range of brands and are compatible with both iOS and Android devices. HomeKit not only limits app access to Apple devices, but it’s also compatible with fewer plugs. You can also turn to open-source software like Home Assistant or go with the larger functionality of IFTTT if you want to, say, tweet to turn your lights on. For the purposes of our testing, we stuck with the four big players. Nearly every plug we looked at clearly stated which platforms it works with, both on the packaging and retail product pages.
Of course, there’s no rule that says you have to stick with one home assistant. You might have an Echo Dot in the basement, a HomePod in the living room and a Google Nest Mini in the kitchen, each controlling their compatible devices. You only need to pair up the right smart home platform with the right device (and then just remember which speaker controls what).
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Sharing
Once a plug is set up with your platform and voice assistant of choice, anyone can control the plug just by talking. If someone else wants to control things with their phone, things get more complicated. Google makes it easiest, allowing you to invite another person just by tapping the + button within the Home app. Whomever you invite will have full access to your connected devices – including cameras – so this is only for people you trust the most.
HomeKit makes it similarly easy to grant app access to someone else, but as with most things Apple, it only works for other iOS users. Amazon only allows you to share access to your Echo, not your connected home devices.
Many smart plug manufacturers allow you to share control through their app by inviting another person via email. But this only grants access to devices of that brand. Hopefully as Matter expands, multi-admin features will become more widespread.
How we tested
Before we decided which smart plugs to test, we considered brands Engadget staffers have had the best experiences with, both in review capacity and personally. We also checked out other online reviews. We then looked at factors like price, compatibility and relative popularity. I got ahold of ten smart plugs from eight manufacturers and set up each one using its proprietary app, then added it to all compatible smart home platforms. Plugging in a cadre of lamps, I tested the plugs using an iPhone 11, Galaxy S10e, Echo Dot, HomePod mini and Nest Mini. I accessed the plugs via the apps and through voice commands and controlled them in my home and away from it. I programmed schedules and routines and moved the plugs to different outlets, including ones in the basement to gauge range.
Here’s every smart plug tested before settling on our top picks:
All of the plugs eventually did what they said they would, but each had a quirk or two that gave me pause – except TP-Link’s Kasa EP25. From installation to implementation, it was fuss-free and reliable. It’s also one of the cheaper plugs on our list at just $13 each (but you’ll usually find it in a four-pack). It works well with both iOS and Android and on all four smart home platforms. The Kasa app has a clean, intuitive design and includes the features you’d expect like timers, schedules, a vacation mode and smart actions (aka scenes). TP-Link makes a wide range of other smart devices, so you could expand your smart home without having to leave the Kasa app.
The EP25 is an updated version of the HS103 that adds HomeKit compatibility, so I was able to control it with both an iPhone and an Android phone. If you also live in a blended OS home, I recommend onboarding with the iPhone first. After tapping the + button in the Kasa iOS app, a HomeKit pop-up will prompt you to add the plug using the QR code from the box. (The code’s also printed on the plug, but that’s harder to access.)
Once set up in HomeKit, it was easy to add the plug to the other smart home apps. Google Home and SmartThings just need your TP-Link log-in details and Alexa uses the Kasa “skill.” Once you’ve added one plug, any future TP-Link devices you incorporate should automatically show up in each app. If you’re only using an Android device, the Kasa app will walk you through using a temporary Wi-Fi network to get the plug online.
After setup, I named the plug and assigned it a room (making sure it was the same in each app to avoid confusing myself). Then I programmed various routines and schedules and asked all three voice assistants to turn the light on and off – everything worked without a hitch. In the weeks of testing, the EP25 never had a connection hiccup, even after I relocated it to the basement, which is the farthest point from my router.
My single complaint is that sharing with another user isn’t supported within the Kasa app. You can share your log-in details with the other person, as the app does support access from multiple devices on one account. But Google Home feels like the best way to share smart home device control, whether that’s between iOS and Android devices or when everyone uses the same OS.
Best for homes with Alexa: Amazon Smart Plug
If you have many Echo devices and use Alexa to answer your questions, control your music and manage your timers, Amazon’s smart plug makes the most sense. Your Echos and Alexa app already have your details, so you won’t have to create an account, enter your WiFi password or switch to a different app, which makes setup mindlessly simple. In addition to naming your plug, you’ll also want to designate it as a light under Type in the settings menu. That way, when you say, “Alexa, turn all the lights off,” it will act accordingly.
I was impressed with the speed of the onboarding process and how seamlessly the plug blended into the Alexa ecosystem, giving it another IRL appendage to flex. I still get a small thrill when I say, “Alexa, goodnight,” and all goes dark. However, you won’t be able to use the plug with any other smart home app, which is why it’s best for those who’ve already gone all-in on an Amazon home.
The only other drawback, and it’s not a small one, is the Alexa app’s lack of sharing capabilities. You can create households that let other people in your home access your Echo speakers through their phone, but they can’t see your smart home devices. If you’re the only one who needs app access and everyone else in your home is happy to interact via voice commands only, this plug couldn’t be simpler. At $25, it’s not the cheapest smart plug, but like all things Amazon, it goes on sale fairly often.
Best Matter Plug: TP-Link Kasa KP125M
Only a handful of Matter-enabled smart plugs are currently available and the Kasa KP125M is the best of what we tried. It works with all four platforms, installs easily and reliably maintains connections. Most Matter devices need to be initialized with a QR code, but this plug also supports Bluetooth onboarding, which saves a step. I set it up through the Kasa app first and because I already had another Kasa plug installed, the process was simplified, automatically prompting me to add the plug with a couple of taps. Adding the device to Alexa, Google Home and Samsung’s SmartThings worked the same way, with each app letting me know I had new devices available to add.
To add the plug to HomeKit, I had to scan the included barcode. The process didn’t work at first and I ended up having to long-press the button on the side to make it enter pairing mode. Unlike some Matter plugs, KP125M doesn’t require a Thread border router. And because it’s also a WiFi plug, you don’t need a Matter controller, such as a smart speaker for access when you’re away from home. That said, many of the negative reviews on Amazon have to do with the plug’s poor HomeKit compatibility. In addition to the setup hitch I mentioned, the connection with the HomeKit app and Siri was extremely spotty until I added Apple’s HomePod mini to the mix as a dedicated hub. After that, the reliability improved.
It’s important to note that our best overall pick is $7 cheaper and also works with all four platforms. The higher price tag is likely due to the Matter logo on the side. The protocol is still very new, and honestly, I’d call the KP125M plug more of a hybrid WiFi-Bluetooth-Matter plug, which could be why it played nice with every platform. The other Matter plug, the Eve Energy Matter plug, requires you to have a HomePod for HomeKit access, a Nest Hub for Google Home connection and a SmartThings hub to make it work with Samsung’s system. The promise of Matter is faster and simpler connectivity – requiring three hubs to work with various platforms seems to miss that point.
Honorable mentions
GE Cync Indoor
My main concern with the Cync plug is the way the scheduling works within the proprietary app. Instead of programming when an outlet should turn on, you tell it when it should turn off. Despite my best efforts, I could not figure out how to program the Cync-connected lamp to come on at sunset, as I did with every other plug. Other than that, the app is very elegant, set up is easy and reliability is spot on. It only works with Alexa and Google Home, not HomeKit or SmartThings, but at $15, it’s a couple bucks cheaper than the Wyze plug that has the same compatibility.
Emporia Smart Outlet
At just $12 each (sold in a four-pack), Emporia Smart Outlets are a good choice for those who want to keep an exacting eye on their home’s energy use. Emporia also makes whole-home batteries and energy monitors, and their focus is more technical than slick. The plug/* wouldn't connect until the third try, but after that, it worked well with both Alexa and Google Home apps. HomeKit and SmartThings aren't supported, but for managing a home’s peak demand usage, there’s no better option.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-smart-plug-131542429.html?src=rss
After months of teases, Nothing is finally ready to show its second smartphone to the world. The company will hold a Nothing Phone 2 launch event on July 11th at 11AM Eastern, with a livestream available through the official website. The preview image doesn't show much, although we'd note that the signature Glyph lights aren't quite the same as on the Phone 1.
The Phone 2 may be more important than its predecessor for one main reason: it's the first Nothing handset coming to the US. Until now, you've had to either participate in a limited beta program or take a chance on an import. If you've made that leap, you've dealt with gaps in network coverage (such as missing 5G) and no real technical support. An official US release should improve wireless support and reach a wider audience, especially if carriers sell the phone themselves.
Nothing founder Carl Pei has described the Phone 2 as a more premium device than last year's model, which shipped with a Snapdragon 778G+ chip and other mostly mid-range specs. The company has already confirmed it will use the slightly old (but noticeably faster) Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. That will also deliver improved camera performance, such as RAW HDR photos and 4K video at 60 frames per second. It's not certain if there are upgrades to the cameras themselves or other key components.
Software may also play an important role. Inverseclaims Nothing OS will be more "distinct" on the Phone 2, with a more polished experience developed in-house rather than outsourced. The phone maker reportedly has a much larger software team that now includes multiple veterans from OnePlus, Pei's former outfit.
Whether or not Nothing makes a significant dent in the US market is another matter. Apple and Samsung dominate the American phone landscape, with even well-known names like Google and Motorola trailing well behind. OnePlus hasn't made significant inroads despite the backing of Chinese tech giant Oppo. The Phone 2 won't necessarily need to be a huge hit to succeed, but Nothing is facing rivals with many more resources at their disposal.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nothing-will-reveal-the-phone-2-on-july-11th-120031997.html?src=rss
Skullcandy is known for its budget wireless earphones like the $20 Smokin' Buds, but it's going a bit more upmarket with a new line of products. Called Rail, it offers both ANC and non-ANC versions that cost less than $100 but have features typically found on more costly wireless earbuds.
The first model is the Rail ANC with adjustable 4-mic active noise cancellation, along with a "Stay-Aware" mode when out and about. It also has a "Smart Mic" option that reduces background noise so others can hear you better. You get up to 10 hours of battery life or seven with ANC on, along with an extra 25/20 hours (ANC off/on) when using the charging case. It's sweat, water and dust resistant, though the company didn't supply a specific IPX rating.
The Rail ANC is loaded with other intelligent features, some more useful-looking than others. Those include the ability to issue simple, hands-free voice commands (via its own device assistant) to turn on and adjust Stay-Aware mode, activate the device assistant, launch Spotify Tap and more. It's supposed to get smarter over time via new features released over-the-air on the Skull-iQ app. With Bluetooth 5.2, it comes with multipoint pairing, letting you pair to two devices at once, regardless of platform or manufacturer.
You can tune audio to your own hearing ability "by taking a real-time audio test to create a personal sound profile," the company said. On top of that, it comes with custom EQ modes and you can also customize the buttons via the Skull-iQ app. One nice feature is support for Tile's Finding tech, so if you misplace an earbud, you can "ring" it using the Tile app.
The Rail, meanwhile, has no ANC but a bit more battery life, with eight hours in the earbuds and 34 hours in the charging case. As for charging speeds, 10 minutes of charge equals two hours of playtime. Otherwise, the feature set is the same, and they look identical as well. With both models, the company is promising a "universally ergonomic fit," thanks to the use of VR and other "cutting-edge" design tools. The company didn't say much about sound quality in the PR, though.
The Rail (in True Black and Bone) and Rail ANC (in True Black) are now available exclusively on Skullcandy's website for $80 and $100 respectively.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/skullcandys-100-anc-earbuds-promise-a-comfortable-fit-and-custom-eq-120023032.html?src=rss
Amazon's Echo Studio usually sells for $200 and rarely goes on sale, but you can get the supersize Alexa hub right now in Charcoal or Glacier for $160. While that's not an all-time low for the device, it's still only $5 off its price from last year's Black Friday sales. We called the Echo Studio the "best sounding speaker Amazon has built" in our review when it was released in 2019. The company has released more speakers and smart displays since then, but the Echo Studio remains a solid option for immersive, high-resolution music streaming.
We gave the Echo Studio a score of 88 in our review and praised it for having excellent audio quality best demonstrated by high-definition and Ultra HD tracks. While HD songs can show how much more detail you're getting with the device compared to normal tracks, the speaker can upmix regular stereo audio content with Dolby Atmos, giving it more "space, clarity and depth." Because it has excellent audio quality, the Echo Studio also works great as a home theater speaker, though only with Fire TV devices. In addition to Dolby Atmos, the speaker also supports Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus.
Like other Echo devices, the Echo Studio supports Alexa voice commands. You can ask Alexa, through the speaker, to play, pause or skip music, answer calls, play audiobooks and set alarms and timers, among many other things. One thing to note is that the Echo Studio requires more space than, say, the Echo Dot, at eight inches in height and seven inches in diameter. Amazon also recommends putting it in a place where it has six inches of clearance from walls. If space isn't an issue, the Echo Studio is an affordable option for what it can do, especially now that it's $40 off.
In a world where every Apple laptop is thin and light, do we still need to market some of them based on that alone? In many ways, a 15-inch MacBook Air makes you wish Apple would bring back the suffix-free MacBook name for its mainstream machines. But, silly branding aside, is the biggest, newest Air worth your cash? Your friend and mine, Nathan Ingraham has spent the last week running the rule over the new hardware to see what’s good.
On paper, the 15-inch Air (nope, still sounds weird) is just a bigger version of its 13-inch sibling. You’ll get the same design language, port selection and chip options carried over, but that’s no bad thing. After all, the M2 MacBook Air marked a quantum leap in Apple’s hardware design, building a gorgeous and speedy machine into such a slender body. The only real downside is the Air’s focus on affordability means you’ll get a 60Hz display rather than the 120Hz on the new Pros.
– Dan Cooper
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If Reddit CEO Steve Huffman’s AMA was meant to defuse tensions between the company’s leadership and its users, it wasn’t very successful. More than 6,000 subreddits have now gone dark in protest of the service’s API changes that have boxed out several third-party apps. This includes several of its biggest communities, all of which going dark at once being enough to temporarily topple the site.
Reading Devindra Hardawar’s review of the M2 Mac Studio left me wondering why the Mac Pro still exists. Sure, expandable RAM and having free PCI-E slots are still valuable for some use cases, but for everything else? This tiny machine has the raw grunt, if you spec it up enough, to make even the most powerful pro computers weep into their cereal. Read on to learn how jaw-droppingly swift this thing is, and if it’s worth your cash.
Waiting on an open-world Star Wars game? You won’t have to wait much longer, thankfully. Star Wars Outlaws has broken cover entirely. At its Ubisoft Forward event on Monday, the game publisher shared 10 minutes of gameplay footage that touched on exploration, stealth and good ole-fashioned gunplay. You’ll be able to traverse the game's world on a speeder bike and even take to the skies and space with a starship, with seemingly no loading between game elements. (I think I’ve heard of that before…) Star Wars Outlaws will be available next year on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Engadget’s Jessica Conditt watched a 30-minute hands-off preview of Alan Wake II at Summer Game Fest, and she liked what she saw. The original Alan Wake came out in 2010, so the timeline in the sequel has also progressed by that same period. In it, writer Alan Wake has been missing for 13 years, while FBI agent Saga Anderson is hunting the ghost of FBI agent Robert Nightingale, who was killed off at the end of the first title. The big innovation in Alan Wake II is the ability to swap between Saga and Alan, playing as both characters throughout the game. Chapter one begins with Saga in the driver’s seat, and after that, players can choose to play as her or Alan at the beginning of each new section. Intrigued? Read on for more first impressions.
Before Nintendo and its iconic mascot plumber, Atari used to run things in the console space. The late 1970s and early 1980s saw a slew of high-profile releases for the Atari 2600 console, from Pitfall to Pac-Man, but the once-popular gaming system was relegated to the dustbin of history, until now, as Atari just announced a brand-new physical cartridge for the console. Mr. Run and Jump is a 2D platformer that’s taken plenty of design cues from recent indie games like Celeste.
Atari says this is the first 2600/VCS cartridge launch for a new title since 1990, despite an active DIY homebrew scene that has created plenty of its own retro carts in recent decades. The Mr. Run and Jump cartridge ships in a sealed box and comes with an actual instruction manual, a rarity these days. The cartridges are manufactured using all new parts and materials, with modern design cues like beveled edges to prevent pin damage and gold-plated connectors. Preorders for the physical release start on July 31st with a price of $60.
The game was actually developed for the ancient platform to showcase the “enduring capabilities of the 2600 hardware, even four decades after its initial release.” Despite the old-school pedigree, a snazzier version of the title is also being developed for modern consoles like Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam and Epic. This version includes more than 30 hours of gameplay, with a new time trials feature and a “glowing explosion of color, action and personality.” In other words, there’s no way it would run on the original 1977 hardware.
The Atari 2600 cartridge, however, does feature six worlds, 80 levels, five enemy types and a unique scoring system that decreases points when you collide with baddies, though does not include a download code for the modern version. Not bad for a console that once had to dump 14 truckloads of unsold cartridges into a landfill. Mr. Run and Jump will work with actual retro 2600 consoles, but also with newer VCS remakes.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mr-run-and-jump-will-be-the-first-official-cartridge-for-the-atari-2600-since-1990-110010790.html?src=rss
The distance EVs can go on a single charge has steadily increased over the years, with top options from the likes of Mercedes, BMW and Tesla all touting an estimated range of over 350 miles. Now, Toyota, a long-time hybrid maker (who can forget when having a Prius was the marker of being environmentally conscious?) is among the car manufacturers pushing toward even longer-lasting charges for EVs. In an announcement of new technology, Toyota very boldly claims "will change the future of cars," the Japanese company shared its plan for future cars to reach a range of 1,000 km (~621 miles).
According to Toyota, it will achieve this goal through the "integration of next-generation batteries and sonic technology" and plans to launch a full EV lineup by 2026. It already offers the bZ4X all-electric SUV, which can go about 270 miles on one charge and starts at $42,000. Plus, it plans to release a "next-generation" EV for Lexus, its luxury brand, in the same timeframe.
The company first started "actively investing in future-oriented areas" in 2016 and, as of March, had since shifted about half of its R&D staff and expenses into its Advanced Development work. In May, Toyota launched BEV Factory, a space designed specifically for innovating battery EV technology. The company has adopted giga casting, the use of high-pressure aluminum die casting machines to create larger car parts, first used by Tesla — a move it says will lower manufacturing costs. The car's body will be manufactured with only three pieces.
Toyota's other venture comes in the form of the Hydrogen Factory, an organization it plans to open this July in hopes of streamlining decisions and offering more advanced, cheaper fuel cells through alliances and its own innovation. Hydrogen itself is not inexpensive or widely accessible, creating additional barriers to adaptation. It can cost about $0.30 per mile, though Toyota offers $15,000 or three years for leasers and six years for buyers — whichever comes first — in complimentary fuel as an incentivization. Its hydrogen car, the Toyota Mirai, currently has a range of up to 402 miles and takes about five minutes to fill up. Toyota also recently unveiled a GR H2 Racing Concept for future entry into Le Mans 24 Hours race's new hydrogen car category, where quick fill-up is vital.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/toyota-claims-its-future-evs-will-have-a-range-over-600-miles-104555944.html?src=rss
If you never thought that Formula 1 and pro golf could go together, Netflix begs to differ. The streaming service is said to be in talks to livestream its first ever sporting event, a celebrity golf tournament featuring F1 drivers and professional golfers, according to The Wall Street Journal. It would reportedly feature personalities from Full Swing andDrive to Survive, Netflix documentaries that follow F1 drivers and pro golfers. Talks are still preliminary, according to the WSJ.
A celebrity golf event would be a low-stakes way for Netflix to work out a format and solve any technical issues that could occur in future live sports events. It famously messed up a livestream of its Love is Blind reality show, with technical problems causing an hour-long outage, though its first live stream event, a Chris Rock comedy special, went smoothly.
The company may have also noticed the popularity of golf YouTube channels like Rick Shiels and Bob Does Sports. Those often feature top-echelon pros like Max Homa playing rounds and competing with average players, trash talking and swearing like the rest of us do while playing golf. A similar format, with F1 drivers and players competing but also having fun, could draw in casual viewers that would otherwise never watch golf — much like Full Swing did.
Netflix has supposedly been exploring live sports streaming for more than a year. It previously bid for live US streaming rights to Formula 1, but reportedly lost out to ESPN. It has also supposedly explored bidding on rights for tennis, cycling and other lower-profile sports.
Earlier this year, co-CEO Ted Sarandos said "we aren't anti-sports, we're pro-profit," implying that Netflix doesn't think the costs for sports rights make economic sense. At the same time, he said the company was leaving the possibility open. Meanwhile, rivals like Amazon Prime Video have streamed live sports for years from leagues including the NFL, Major League Baseball, ATP, Premiere League and more.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-may-soon-livestream-a-golf-tournament-featuring-f1-drivers-and-pro-golfers-091445042.html?src=rss
It's been a long wait for fans of the series, seeing as the first three Ace Attorney games were released for the PC, Steam, PS4, Xbox One and Switch way back in 2019. The Apollo Justice trilogy will be available for the same devices, so you will not be able to play them on a PS5 or an Xbox X|S. Still, you can now finally have all six games on one console.
According to Gematsu, the games packaged in the trilogy will be remastered full high-definition versions of the titles. They'll also come in seven languages, namely Japanese, English, French, German, Korean, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese. These language options will have their equivalent voice recordings, as well.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ace-attorney-games-with-apollo-justice-are-coming-to-newer-consoles-in-early-2024-070034630.html?src=rss
