The next Mortal Kombat game might not be what you expect. NetherRealm and WB Games have unveiledMortal Kombat 1, a "reborn" take on the series that promises new fighting mechanics and game modes. While most details are under wraps, you'll see many well-known characters as well as "Kameo Fighters" to help you mid-battle. And yes, the gore remains intact — as the teaser trailer below indicates, you can expect plenty of fatalities.

Mortal Kombat 1 arrives September 19th for PC (via Epic and Steam), PS5, Switch and Xbox Series X/S. Pre-order customers get access to a beta in August. A $110 digital Premium Edition will offer early access to the game (September 14th), a Johnny Cage skin made to resemble actor Jean-Claude Van Damme and early access to playable characters and Kameo Fighters when they arrive post-launch. If you're truly devoted, a $250 physical Kollector's Edition will include a 16.5-inch Liu Kang sculpture as well as a matching in-game skin, art prints and a special case.

The reboot is in line with the ending of Mortal Kombat 11 and its Aftermath add-on. However, it's also clearly positioned as an opportunity to rethink the gameplay and story. It's just a question of how much has changed. Not that this reinvention comes as much of a shock given what rivals are doing — Capcom is also shaking up its formula with the World Tour mode in Street Fighter 6.

You no longer have to spend more than $500 to get a video card using NVIDIA's current Ada Lovelace architecture. The company is launching the GeForce RTX 4060 series, which will start at $299. The flagship RTX 4060 Ti will start at $399 with 8GB of RAM when it arrives on May 24th — a full $200 less than the base 4070. It's pitched as a direct successor to the similarly-priced RTX 3060 Ti and 2060 Super, and aimed at gamers who are more interested in high frame rates at 1080p than a high resolution.

The RTX 4060 Ti is a noticeable step down from the 4070 with 4,352 CUDA cores (versus 5,888) and a 128-bit memory interface (versus 192-bit). It's a mixed bag versus its predecessor. While the 3060 Ti has more cores and a much wider 256-bit interface, Ada, DLSS 3 upscaling and a clock speed boost (2.3GHz base compared to the old card's 1.4GHz) theoretically help the 4060 Ti deliver more actual computing power, particularly for ray tracing and tensor-based tasks. It uses less power, too, with an "average gaming power" of 140W instead of the 3060 Ti's 197W.

NVIDIA claims a roughly 15 percent average performance increase at 1080p over the 3060 Ti in games that don't use DLSS 3's frame generation, and 70 percent for those that do. You'll unsurprisingly get high 1080p frame rates in competitive titles like Counter-Strike 2 (330FPS) and Overwatch 2 (260FPS).

We're waiting on full specs for the starter RTX 4060 as we write this, but NVIDIA boasts a 20 percent average performance increase over the 3060 without DLSS 3 frame generation, and 70 percent when it kicks in. 

You may want to wait a couple of months depending on your needs and budget. The standard $299 RTX 4060 won't arrive until July, while a $499 16GB RTX 4060 Ti will also land then for those who run into memory limits for some games and creative apps. 

If you ask NVIDIA, the RTX 4060 line is the best option for most people. All but one of the most popular GPUs on Steam are NVIDIA xx60-series boards, and 77 percent of players are using 1080p or less. The 128-bit bus may make this less practical for 1440p or 4K gaming, though. There's also the question of competition. AMD is rumored to be introducing Radeon RX 7600, 7700 and 7800 desktop GPUs in June. They may be more enticing if AMD can deliver more value for your money.

Virgin Galactic's lengthy road to space tourism is nearing an end. The firm now expects its final VSS Unity test flight to launch as soon as May 25th at 10AM Eastern, with specialist training starting on May 22nd. The mission will check the technical functionality and the "astronaut experience" one more time before commercial service begins.

The company hasn't narrowed down the official start to paid service. It has delayed the rollout multiple times, most recently due to challenges upgrading the VMS Eve "mothership" that carries Unity to 50,000 feet. Virgin launched its first fully crewed spaceflight in July 2021, with founder Richard Branson aboard.

A successful test may be crucial for Virgin. The company is still bleeding money, and lost just over $500 million in 2022. When tickets cost $450,000 each and require a $150,000 deposit, commercial service could help Virgin stem those losses and fund its long-term ambitions, which include a next-gen spaceship (the VSS Imagine) due to enter service in 2025.

There's also external pressure. Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin is already carrying civilians into space, and SpaceX is slowly moving closer to its dreams of lunar tourist trips. While these flights will also be out of reach for many people, Virgin still doesn't want to be seen lagging behind rivals competing for wealthy passengers.

Designers aren't just using Unreal Engine to preview buildings — they're using it to complete buildings that were never fully realized. Neoscape and Safdie Architects have released Hillside Sample Project, a virtual rendition of Moshe Safdie's original vision for Montreal's brutalist Habitat 67 housing complex. The modular, floating pyramid structures are clearly the highlight, but there's also exceptional detail elsewhere — you can see complete interiors, lush plant life along the walkways and the distinctive Montreal landscape.

A young Safdie designed Habitat 67 for Montreal's 1967 World's Fair, also known as Expo 67. It was meant to combine the advantages of suburbia (such as gardens and multi-level housing) with the affordability and density of apartments. The affordability didn't pan out, and Safdie ended up producing a smaller-scale version for the fair. Habitat 67 ultimately launched Safdie's career, though, and it's still one of the better-known landmarks in the city.

You have a few options for exploring the complex. You can watch a video if you just want a quick overview, but you can also navigate a 3D space using either Google Chrome or a downloadable app. The interactive models let you either roam freely or have Safdie guide you through the project with narration at key points.

This probably won't sell you on a new home when the currently available Habitat 67 units sell for about $1 million CAD and beyond. However, it does illustrate the potential for real-time 3D renditions of architectural work. They can help pitch building concepts where canned artistic renders and physical mock-ups might not be sufficiently convincing.

This is a good time to buy a mesh router if you want to boost your WiFi network's coverage at a low price. Amazon is running a sale with steep discounts on previous-generation Eero routers. Most notably, an Eero Pro is available for $80, or half its usual price — a bargain if you're looking for a tri-band system. You can also buy a three-pack of standard dual-band routers for $130, or 24 percent off.

Eero routers helped popularize mesh networking, and they're still a good choice if you're interested in no-fuss coverage across a wide area. They're simple to set up, and their compact design helps you tuck them into inconspicuous places around the house. You can control them using Amazon Alexa, and they play nicely with Apple's HomeKit. We'd add that newer Amazon Echo devices have built-in Eero WiFi extenders — you can buy a smart speaker and improve your wireless quality at the same time.

These are WiFi 5 (802.11ac) models, so you'll want to spend extra if you need the faster connectivity of WiFi 6 or 6e. And while every Eero node includes dual gigabit Ethernet jacks, you may want to look elsewhere if you need more of those ports in any one area. The price is right for what you're getting, though, and you might not need to spend more if your internet service is unlikely to overwhelm a WiFi 5 network any time soon.

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Apple wants to go beyond streaming live music to helping you find it in real life. The company has added concert discovery features to both Apple Maps and Apple Music. In Maps, you'll find over 40 curated "Guides" that spotlight hot concert venues in 14 major cities around the world, such as a techno club in Brooklyn and symphony halls in Vienna. This could help you decide where to go when you're new in town, or highlight an unfamiliar scene. You can also browse upcoming shows at those venues through a Shazam discovery module that taps info from Bandsintown.

Apple Music, meanwhile, also includes the Shazam module to let you browse a musician's upcoming shows. If a favorite artist is playing soon, this could help you land tickets. There's also a Set Lists section where you can listen to tracks played at certain tours (such as Sam Smith's and Kane Brown's) while learning about the productions.

Both experiences are available today. The additions aren't completely surprising. Apple has long emphasized human curation in Music, such as many of its custom playlists and DJ mixes. The integrations expand on that strategy to cover in-person gigs. Maps has also had curated Guides for food, shopping and travel. A coordinated push for Maps and Music is relatively unique, though — the company is clearly betting that it can raise interest in both services by using concerts as a hook.

When we first reviewed Apple’s HomePod mini in 2020, we had some reservations. While it was a much better value than the original HomePod, it still had some of the same limitations of its bigger sibling. Siri wasn’t as bright as Alexa or Google Assistant, the HomeKit ecosystem was limited and there were no real alternatives to Apple Music for on-demand tunes. You bought a mini for Apple’s tight integration, and not much else.

Fast-forward to 2023 and it’s a different story. Apple has significantly expanded the HomePod mini’s functionality. It now has active temperature and humidity sensors, smoke and CO2 alarm detection, access to third-party music services (however modest) and support for the Matter smart home standard. With the recent 16.4 software update, the speaker can also make use of a revamped Home architecture that’s said to be faster and more reliable. The odds are that Apple has addressed at least one of your pet peeves in the past few years.

The market hasn’t stood still, however. Amazon has improved both Echo speakers and Alexa in the years since, and Google’s Nest Audio has received upgrades like a guest mode. Then there’s competition from Apple itself — now that the company has introduced a second-gen HomePod, the smaller model may not be as compelling as before. With that in mind, we’re revisiting the HomePod mini to see if it’s still a viable option.

Smart home upgrades

Photo by Jon Fingas/Engadget

Ask HomePod users about their top gripe and they’ll probably point to basic reliability. It’s easy to find complaints of unresponsiveness, broken commands and generally buggy behavior that can make it difficult to consistently control a smart home. The 16.4 software and its overhauled Home architecture appear to have addressed these glitches in my month-long stint with the HomePod mini. Siri is quicker and more reliable, as expected, and there haven’t been any glitches interacting with other smart home gear (including an Apple TV 4K). While some users say they still have issues, it seems like Apple has ironed out some kinks.

The most practical upgrades are the unlocked temperature and humidity sensors, though — I’m getting far more use out of them than I thought I would. My HomePod mini test unit sits in my infant son’s nursery, and the readings let me check conditions in the room without reaching for the baby monitor. It’s about as accurate as that monitor, too. You can use the sensors to automatically toggle smart home devices (such as closing blinds when it gets too hot), although I didn’t have equipment that would benefit from the feature. Before you ask: Amazon’s Echo already has a temperature sensor, but it’s good to see this functionality spread to other platforms.

Other improvements are more subtle, but still welcome. The 16.3 update added the option of setting up recurring automations using Siri. I can turn on my Hue lights every day at dusk, if I’m so inclined. And while there’s no Pandora access in Canada, it’s good to know I can use Deezer as well as radio services like iHeartRadio, Radio.com and TuneIn. Just don’t expect Amazon Music — that was promised in 2020, but hasn’t materialized. Smoke alarm detection works as promised, although I’d rather have a connected alarm (such as Google’s Nest Protect) if I was truly worried about fires breaking out while I’m away.

Matter support also makes a difference. I’ve largely relied on Amazon Echo speakers in my home precisely because the range of HomeKit-compatible devices is still small. Matter opens the door to devices that were previously off-limits, including Google’s Nest lineup. While the list of Matter-ready hardware is currently modest, it’s growing quickly enough that I can comfortably recommend a HomePod mini to someone who wants compatibility with major-brand security cameras and thermostats.

Does the sound quality hold up?

Photo by Jon Fingas/Engadget

The HomePod mini design hasn’t changed since launch apart from a wider choice of colors, like my test unit’s orange. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. As we explained in 2020, the mini punches above its diminutive weight. While it’s only somewhat larger than the third-generation Echo Dot in my nursery and the Google Home Mini in my office, it blows them away — the sound is comparable to the larger, more powerful second-gen standard Echo in my living room. There’s a surprising (though not awe-inspiring) amount of bass, detailed highs and distinct instrumentation.

The mini isn’t the loudest smart speaker in its class, and I typically set the volume to 50 percent or more if I want to listen from another room. However, it also maintains the fullness of its sound across volume levels, even at the 15 percent I use for lullabies in the nursery. While I would rather have the regular HomePod and other louder alternatives for a house party, I’d be happy to use the mini as an office or bedroom speaker.

With that said, the HomePod mini fares better with some music genres than others. A jazz tune like Ahmad Jamal’s live take on “Poinciana” sounds surprisingly immersive, while a treble-rich classical work like Ravel’s “Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2” sparkles. Mid-range rock like Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” also plays well. However, the speaker sometimes strains to handle the mids of dance tunes like Above & Beyond’s “Gratitude,” and sounds a bit hollow with rap like Run the Jewels’ “Close Your Eyes.” Updates like lossless audio support haven’t improved matters, either.

The sound is nonetheless enjoyable, and holds up well next to my standard Echo. While the HomePod isn’t as loud, it provides more consistent detail. The problem, as you might guess, is that a roughly comparable sound isn’t a draw by itself. Apple has a size advantage, but that’s about it. And it’s safe to say that you’re better off spending extra for higher-end speakers like the regular HomePod or Sonos Era 100 if you care about fidelity or tricks like the HomePod’s support for spatial audio.

Some things are still broken

Photo by Jon Fingas/Engadget

As much as Apple has improved the HomePod mini over time, certain elements are just as frustrating as they were three years ago. For one, Spotify support is missing. That’s not under Apple’s control at this stage, and we wouldn’t expect Spotify to warm up when it’s still engaged in an antitrust battle over pricing and app integration. Nonetheless, it rules out the most popular streaming music service on the planet unless you’re willing to use AirPlay.

And no, Siri isn’t much brighter than before. Most of the updates since launch have revolved around Apple TV support (such as playing a movie), Find My friend locations and compatibility with the cheaper Apple Music Voice Plan. Siri does a solid job with straightforward tasks like playing music or checking the weather, but it has neither Alexa’s third-party skills nor Google Assistant’s talent for answering general knowledge questions.

For that matter, the HomePod mini isn’t necessarily the best speaker for a nursery or shared bedroom. You can adjust Siri’s volume or peg it to that of your voice, but there’s no Alexa-style whisper mode that responds in hushed tones. If you’re not careful, you’ll inadvertently startle someone by cuing up a playlist — trust me, I know. You can tap your iPhone on the HomePod to silently transfer music (still one of Apple’s best tricks), but that’s not much help if you’re rocking a child to sleep.

Support for other platforms remains non-existent. You still need an iPhone or iPad just to set up a HomePod mini, while the absences of Bluetooth audio and a line-in jack rule out even basic connectivity with non-Apple devices. While Matter support improves the range of smart home devices you can use, the mini remains a no-go if you use Android.

A better value, for the right person

Photo by Jon Fingas/Engadget

Even with all those hangups in mind, the HomePod mini is a better value now than it was in 2020. It’s more useful and reliable in a smart home, and you aren’t as locked into Apple’s ecosystem as you were before. You’ll be pleased with the sound quality for the money, especially if you want a smart speaker that doesn’t occupy much space on an end table.

Moreover, the HomePod mini may be appealing precisely because it’s not part of the Amazon and Google ecosystems. My Echo speakers irritate me by peppering Alexa responses and notifications with unwanted pitches — no, I don’t want to subscribe to Amazon Music or rate the power cords I bought last month. Google isn’t as egregious, but it frequently offers unwanted tips. While the HomePod’s functionality is more limited, I’m tempted to switch just to escape the annoyances of its rivals.

These days, the HomePod mini is also tempting if you’re particularly privacy-minded. I’m not too fussed about it myself, but it’s no secret that Apple’s rivals generally collect more data. Amazon and Google grab personal profiles and contact information Apple doesn’t, for instance. Both likewise use queries to help target ads, and Amazon defaults to collecting voice recordings for service improvements where it’s strictly opt-in for Apple and Google. HomePods still have to gather some data, such as IP addresses and device names, but I’d feel more comfortable with the mini than its alternatives if I wanted to keep info sharing to a minimum.

Having said this, the mini is still best-suited to Apple devotees. It makes the most sense if you subscribe to Apple Music, and the proposition gets better the more Apple hardware you have. HomePods just aren’t as alluring in mixed-platform households. You may also want to wait for more Matter-compatible devices if you’re going to use this speaker as the cornerstone of an elaborate smart home setup.

This is still a stronger purchase than the high-end HomePod for most people. You’re getting the same environment sensors and voice assistant features, and the sound is pleasing if you’re either a casual music listener or tend to listen to spoken-word content like podcasts and news radio. The more expensive model is strictly for buyers who want the best possible audio quality from an Apple speaker, or want to try spatial audio without spending $450 on the Sonos Era 300.

Versus Amazon and Google, it’s more complicated. We noted in our smart speaker buying guide that the fourth-generation Echo and Nest Audio are both louder and punchier than the HomePod mini, although they pay for that with larger enclosures and less consistent sound across frequencies. They aren’t tied to one mobile platform, however, and they have rich smart home ecosystems even without Matter playing a part. Throw in more flexible voice assistants, wider hardware variety (there’s no Apple equivalent to an Echo Dot or Nest Mini) and well-established ecosystems and they’re the safer choices.

The James Webb Space Telescope just made its second breakthrough observation in as many weeks. Researchers have used the observatory's near-infrared camera to detect the first known instance of water vapor around a comet in the main asteroid belt, also known as a main belt comet. Scientists had thought comets could preserve water ice so relatively close to the Sun, but didn't have firm evidence until now. They generally expected comets to sit in the Kuiper Belt or Oort Cloud, both of which are far enough away from the Sun that ice could last.

The findings have created a new riddle, however. While carbon dioxide normally represents 10 percent of the potentially vaporized material in a comet, Webb's instruments didn't detect any in Read. The research group speculates that the CO2 either dissipated over billions of years, or that Read formed in a comparatively balmy part of the Solar System that didn't have CO2.

Read was one of the first bodies used to establish the main belt comet category. The Webb telescope is the first equipment powerful enough to study these comets in detail.

More observations will be needed to understand if Read's lack of CO2 is a fluke or shared by other main belt comets. Whether it is or not, team member Stefanie Milam suggests a sample collection mission might be helpful in learning more about comets like this. It would certainly be more practical than other missions — the Kuiper Belt starts roughly at the edge of Neptune's orbit, while the Oort Cloud is roughly two light-years away.

Elon Musk has failed in his latest attempt to challenge a ruling that requires a lawyer's approval for some Tesla-related tweets. A federal appeals court in Manhattan has rebuffed Musk's claim that the 2018 consent decree with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an unfair "prior restraint" on his speech. The CEO could have defended himself against the charges or negotiated a different deal if he'd wanted to tweet without a legal monitor, the court panel says.

Musk reached a settlement with the SEC in 2018 after the regulator claimed that he lied when he had "funding secured" for taking Tesla private. On top of requiring approval, the deal also had Musk step down as Tesla chairman. He and his company paid separate $20 million fines. The SEC wanted to find Musk in contempt when he claimed that Tesla would make 500,000 cars one year, but a judge pushed the parties involved to negotiate a 2019 arrangement that gave Musk more freedom in return for requiring legal team approval for finance-related tweets.

The tech leader has fought with the SEC in the years since, and more recently has been calling for courts to undo the settlement. Musk claims the Commission pressured him to strike a deal and overstepped its authority. The pact violated free speech rights, Musk's side claimed. A judge denied a request to cancel the deal last April, prompting the appeal.

It's not certain how Musk and Tesla will respond. Tesla disbanded its communications team years ago. If this latest decision stands, though, Musk won't have much choice but to either have his tweets screened or risk a regulatory crackdown.

Never mind free streaming services — one startup is giving the hardware away, too. Telly is now taking US reservations for free 55-inch 4K TVs that continuously display ads on part of a secondary screen. So long as you're willing to accept those ads (or tune them out) and share data, you won't have to pay a thing.

As Telly explains, the smaller display also shows news, sports scores and other useful data. You won't have to interrupt a show just to stay in the know. The set has its own camera, microphone array, sensors and voice assistant, enabling video calls and motion-captured fitness apps. There's a built-in five-driver sound bar as well. You're not stuck using the company's platform, as you'll still find three HDMI ports to plug in other media devices.

The reservations cover the first 500,000 TVs, which are expected to ship in the summer. Telly hasn't outlined full specs as we write this, but the set is estimated to be worth $1,000 at retail.

The strategy isn't surprising given Telly's leadership. Company chief Ilya Pozin co-founded Pluto TV, Paramount's free-to-watch service. He sees the free TV as making viewers an "equal part" of the ad system — you're benefiting as much as the corporations, Pozin claims. 

Whether or not customers follow suit isn't clear. The ad-supported model might not thrill privacy-minded viewers who'd rather not share info. There's also just one size and configuration, so you'll have to look elsewhere if you want a larger or higher-quality screen. This is for viewers who'd rather not pay for a cut-rate TV (which may still have home screen ads) just to outfit their living room.

Telly's launch is part of a broader rush to offer free TV experiences. Amazon, Roku, Tubi and others all have ad-supported streaming channels, while Google TV is integrating many of those providers into its platform. The difference, of course, is the business model. Companies like Amazon and Roku see ad-supported TV as a way to spur hardware sales, while Telly is depending solely on those ads to turn a profit.