Discord has started testing a feature called Watch Together that allows users to create playlists of YouTube videos they can then watch directly on the chat platform. First spotted by The Verge, the feature is only available to friends and family servers at the moment. However, the company reportedly plans to roll it out to the broader Discord community by the end of October. Users can add a video to the server queue either by searching directly through the included interface or pasting a link from YouTube.
Discord didn't have much to say about the test when we reached out to the company. "As a company founded in innovation, we're always experimenting and building things we believe our users will enjoy," a Discord spokesperson told Engadget. "We don't have anything more to share right now, but stay tuned."
However, the integration comes just weeks after YouTube sent cease and desist letters to Groovy Bot and Rythm, two of the most popular tools for playing music from YouTube, Spotify and other streaming services directly over Discord. The move forced both apps to shut down. As The Verge points out, the company tested a feature similar to Watch Together toward the start of the year, but ended up shelving it temporarily before bringing it back this week. The company appears to have reprioritized development on the feature following the shutdown of Groovy Bot and Rythm.
Robinhood plans to start a cryptocurrency wallet next month, the company announced on Wednesday. The tool will allow you to send and receive digital currencies, as well as trade them and move them off the app. If you want to take part in the test, you’ll need to join a waitlist. Robinhood plans to trial the feature with a small number of users first before expanding availability to more people gradually.
The company told The Verge it expects everyone will have access to their own wallet sometime in 2022. In the meantime, you can see progress on the wallet by following Robinhood’s Twitter account and blog. The company promised to share whatever feedback early users provide on the product with the community. Initially, the wallet will support Bitcoin, Ethereum and even Dogecoin.
The wallet will use a custodial system, which means Robinhood will manage the keys you need to unlock it. That said, you’ll have the option to move your cryptocurrencies to other platforms should you so choose. Other security features include support for multifactor authentication, in addition to both email and phone verification. While waiting for Robinhood to roll out the wallet feature to everyone, you can start using the recurring crypto investment tool it announced at the start of the month.
With the release of Windows 11 less than two weeks away, Microsoft held its latest Surface hardware event. The presentation saw the company introduce new versions of mainstay devices like the Surface Pro and Surface Go, in addition to a handful of surprises. Here’s everything Microsoft showed off on Wednesday.
Surface Duo 2
Microsoft
Microsoft announced a massive upgrade for its Surface Duo dual-screen Android device. Most notably, there’s an entirely new triple camera system on the back of the Surface Duo 2 that includes a telephoto lens and two wide-angle lenses. Another nifty new feature is an ambient screen on the device’s hinge to display your notifications and other information. With those upgrades, you can see Microsoft has started thinking of the $1,499.99 Surface Duo 2 as a more of a smartphone than a mere tablet. You can pre-order the Surface Duo 2 today before it becomes officially available on October 21st.
Surface Pro 8
Microsoft
After several years of what felt like incremental updates, Microsoft’s Surface Pro line got a significant upgrade on Wednesday. To name just a few of the features found in the Surface Pro 8, it includes a 13-inch PixelSense display with a 120Hz refresh rate, support for Thunderbolt 4 (finally!) and faster internals courtesy of Intel’s latest 11th-generation processors. Oh, and Microsoft has also shaved down the Surface Pro’s notoriously chunky display bezels. The Surface Pro 8 will start at $1,100 and is available to pre-order today. It goes on sale on October 5th. That’s the same day Windows 11 starts rolling out.
Alongside the Surface Pro 8, Microsoft announced the Slim Pen 2. The $130 stylus includes a haptic motor Microsoft claims makes it feel like you’re putting pen to paper rather than glass. Another new accessory, the Surface Adaptive Kit, bundles together a collection of add-ons that make it easier to find specific keys, locate ports and open your laptop or its kickstand. Lastly, the company made a mouse made from recycled ocean plastic.
Surface Pro X
Microsoft
Microsoft didn’t update its ARM-based 2-in-1, but what it did do is introduce a new WiFi-only model that will save you $100 off the Surface Pro X’s previous $999 starting price. With the move to Windows 11, support for 64-bit software emulation is coming to the device. You can pre-order the new model today before it arrives in stores on October 5th.
Surface Go 3
Microsoft
Microsoft’s smallest tablet got an appropriately minor update today. The company’s new Surface Go 3 2-in-1s feature faster processors from Intel. The base model comes with a Pentium Gold 6500Y CPU, up from the 4425Y in Go 2, while the more expensive variants feature 10th-generation Core i3 CPUs. Microsoft claims the latter chip is 60 percent faster than the Core m3 it previously offered with the Go 2. The entire Surface Go 3 family is available to pre-order today, with the base model starting at $400. Like all the other Surface computers Microsoft announced today, it goes on sale on October 5th.
Surface Laptop Studio
Microsoft
Microsoftsaved its most interesting announcement for last. Enter the Surface Laptop Studio, a portable computer that borrows design cues from the company's Surface Studio all-in-one. An included hinge lets you pull the display over the keyboard to make inking and drawing more immersive. Microsoft also claims the Surface Studio is its most powerful notebook yet. The laptop features Intel’s 11th-generation H35 processors and Intel Xe graphics. You can also configure it with NVIDIA’s RTX 3050 Ti GPU. The Surface Laptop Studio is available to pre-order today. It starts at $1,600 and will ship on October 5th.
Follow all of the news from Microsoft's fall Surface event right here.
Microsoft's first attempt at a dual-screen Android device wasn't exactly a success. Middling hardware and consistently buggy software held back what could have been a compelling experience. But with the Surface Duo 2, the company wants to change all that with a device that focuses on addressing the shortcomings of its predecessor.
Take one look at the Surface Duo 2, and you’ll notice it has a substantial camera bump. That might not seem like much of an upgrade, but it is because it means the Surface Duo 2 comes with a far more capable and versatile camera system than its predecessor. The original featured a single 11-megapixel above its right display. That meant you had to use that one camera for both selfies and regular shots. Add some imprecise software for switching between camera modes, and the Surface Duo was never great at capturing snapshots.
With the addition of three new cameras, the Surface Duo 2 should at the very least allow you to capture a greater variety of shots. The triple rear camera array consists of a 12-megapixel wide-angle, a 12-megapixel telephoto and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide. The primary and telephoto cameras feature f/1.7 and f/2.4 aperture lenses, phase detection autofocus and optical image stabilization.
Less noticeable but welcome all the same are the tweaks Microsoft has made to Duo’s signature dual PixelSense displays. The new model features slightly larger 5.8-inch AMOLED screens that combine into a single 8.3-inch display. They’re also brighter and feature a variable refresh rate of up to 90Hz for smoother scrolling.
Other notable features include a new sound system Microsoft says delivers stereo sound no matter how you hold or position the Surface Duo 2. On the side of the device, you’ll find a nifty ambient display that shows things like how much battery life you have. Oh, there’s also a new Obsidian black that is quite fetching, and you can attach a Surface Pen magnetically to the device.
Developing...
Follow all of the news from Microsoft's fall Surface event right here.
When Microsoft introduced the Surface Pro X in 2019, it promised the start of something new for the company’s 2-in-1 line. Unfortunately, buggy limited app compatibility due to the computer’s ARM-based architecture and Windows on ARM software meant the Pro X never quite delivered on its promise.
Microsoft isn’t updating the Surface Pro X’s hardware. As before you can configure the computer with either the company’s original SQ1 chip or its more recent SQ2 chip. However, Microsoft is introducing a new WiFi-only model that starts at $899. More important here is that the computer now comes with Windows 11 out of the box and includes support for native 64-bit emulation.
It’s also compatible with Microsoft’s new Slim Pen 2, which you can store and charge in the Pro X’s Type Cover. Picking up the Slim Pen 2 activates an interface in Windows 11 that allows you to customize your inking experience.
The WiFi-only model is available to pre-order today, with in-store availability to follow on October 5th.
Follow all of the news from Microsoft's fall Surface event right here.
Netflix may be getting into video games sooner than expected. Without much fanfare, the company has been quietly working on a free Oculus Quest game called Eden Unearthed. Spotted by UploadVR, the game is available through the App Lab, which means it hasn’t gone through the full Oculus review process. The listing says the game was both developed and published by Netflix, but provides few other hints about its origins.
What we can say is that it was almost certainly envisioned as a tie-in for the Eden anime series the company released back in May. What’s interesting here is that there are two separate versions of the app with different release dates listed. The v0.7 release came out on April 20th, while the v0.8 was released in August. That fact, along with the App Lab listing, would appear to suggest Netflix is still working on the game.
At the moment, it’s hard to say whether Eden Unearthed represents the kind of video game release we can expect from Netflix moving forward. In July, the company hired former Oculus and EA executive Mike Verdu to help it build out a gaming team. At the time, Bloomberg reported the company’s plan was to offer games alongside its traditional video offerings within the next year. We’ve reached out to Netflix for more information on the Eden Unearthed.
Facebook has just released a Billie Eilish pack for Beat Saber. Priced at $13 for the entire collection, the pack features 10 songs, including fan-favorites like “Bury a Friend” and “Bad Guy.” It also comes with a new environment inspired by Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” music video. If you want to buy specific tracks, you can do so for $2 per song. The DLC is available on Oculus Quest, Rift, PSVR and SteamVR headsets.
If you own an Oculus headset, you can also look forward to watching the singer’s upcoming Governors Ball performance when it’s livestreamed through the platform’s Venues app on September 24th. Facebook acquired Beat Saber creator Beat Games in 2019. Since then, the company has used its robust music licensing deals to bring paid content from all sorts of artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Linkin Park and others.
With the 2022 EQS making its way to American dealerships this fall, Mercedes-Benz has finally shared US pricing for its first fully electric vehicle. Initially, the automaker plans to offer two different models of the luxury sedan called the EQS 450+ and EQS 580 4Matic.
Both will be available in three different trims: Premium, Exclusive and Pinnacle. The base model EQS 450+ costs $102,310, while its counterpart will set you back $119,110. The Exclusive models are priced at $105,710 and $122,510 respectively, while the Pinnacle variants cost $108,510 and $125,310. One thing to note is the above prices don’t include a $1,050 destination and delivery charge you have to pay separately.
To put that pricing in perspective, it means you can buy an EQS sedan for less than you would pay for an entry-level S-Class model from Mercedes. The S500 4Matic and S580, with destination charge included, start at $110,850 and $117,350.
Some of the highlights of the Premium trim include heated and ventilated front seats, leather upholstery and a 10-speaker sound system. Moving up to the more expensive trims, you can look forward to features like a head-up display, four-zone climate control, additional USB-C ports and more. No matter the trim, each EQS will also come with two years of complementary fast-charging at Electrify America stations and 24-months of free maintenance.
One of the main reasons to go for the 580 rather than the 450+ is that it will come with the 56-inch MBUX Hyperscreen the automaker unveiled at CES 2021. On the more affordable model, you get a single 12.8-inch OLED touchscreen. The 580 also comes with 21-inch wheels, while the 450+ features 20-inch ones.
As it moves towards returning to the Moon ideally sometime in 2024, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is creating two new mission directorates. With the move, the agency is separating its existing Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate into the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD) and Space Operations Mission Directorate. NASA said it's making the change in response to the increasing number of missions it's conducting in low-Earth orbit, in addition to the plans it has for exploring deep space in the future.
It also announced who's leading those units. Jim Free, a NASA veteran who has been with the space agency on and off since 1990, is the new associate administrator of ESDMD, while Kathy Lueders is taking on the equivalent position at the Space Operations Mission Directorate. Before becoming the first-ever woman to oversee human spaceflight at NASA, Lueders managed the Commercial Crew Program. As for what the two units will do, ESDMD will oversee the development of programs critical to Project Artemis and eventually manned spaceflight to Mars. Meanwhile, its counterpart will focus on launch operations, including those involving the International Space Station, with an eye towards Moon missions later.
According to NASA, the reorganization is ultimately about looking forward to the next 20 years. The new structure will allow one unit to focus on human spaceflight while the other builds future space systems. In that way, the agency says there will be a constant cycle of development and operations to help it move forward with its space exploration goals.
"This reorganization positions NASA and the United States for success as we venture farther out into the cosmos than ever before, all while supporting the continued commercialization of space and research on the International Space Station," Nelson said. "This also will allow the United States to maintain its leadership in space for decades to come."
General Motors has spent a lot of time recently talking up the capabilities of its upcoming Ultium battery technology but has said significantly less so about the motors those cells will power. That changed on Tuesday when the company detailed its new Ultium Drive motors. With today’s announcement, the series consists of three different models: a 180 kW front-drive model, a 255 kW rear- and front-drive variant and a 62 kW all-wheel drive assist motor. The first two models are permanent magnet motors GM designed in such a way so as to try and reduce its dependence on heavy rare metals.
The company didn’t speak to the specific torque and power density characters of each motor but claimed they should deliver “excellent” performance on those fronts. It also revealed the 2022 Hummer EV will feature three of the 255 kW models. GM claims they will enable the vehicle to produce a combined 11,500 ft/lb of torque and accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in approximately three seconds.
GM says its engineers designed the motors with scalability in mind. Each one can be made using similar tools and manufacturing techniques. It also found a way to integrate components like the power inverter directly into the motors, a feat the company said should reduce costs and simplify manufacturing.
