Nintendo's approach to online gaming has sometimes been awkward (having to use your phone just to chat, for example), but it just took an important step forward. The Vergereports Nintendo has updated the Switch Online apps for Android and iOS with Splatoon 3 home screen widgets. You can quickly review your recent game stats, gaze at your screenshot album and check the stage schedule to see when a favorite game mode will come into the rotation.

You can only slightly customize the widgets, and some occupy more screen real estate than others. You'll need to clear some room if you want the stage schedule, while the photo album is relatively small. iPhone owners can also forget about iOS 16 lock screen widgets.

You'll need a Switch Online subscription to use these features, although that isn't surprising when they're tied to the Splatoon 3 multiplayer experience. When combined with the game's matchmaking improvements over Splatoon 2, though, they indicate that Nintendo is getting the hang of internet gaming.

After years of hype, Nissan is finally close to releasing its first electric crossover. Autoblognotes the brand has confirmed the Ariya EV will reach US dealerships in late fall starting at $43,190 for the front-wheel drive Engage trim with a 63kWh battery. Only FWD configurations will ship at first, with some all-wheel drive editions waiting until early 2023. Customers who reserved the Venture+ model will still pay the quoted $45,950 price instead of the $47,190 for new buyers.

That starter Engage variant delivers an estimated 216 miles of range and 214HP. That's modest, but you'll also get a solid technology suite with driver and safety aids (such as hands-on ProPilot Assist), a heads-up display and a 12.3-inch infotainment system with Alexa, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto. It's clearly meant to lower the Ariya's perceived price and upsell you to higher-end models, but it might do the trick if you're mainly interested in an around-town people carrier.

You'll have to pay considerably more to get Nissan's previously touted performance figures. The Venture+ jumps to an 87kWh battery, 238HP and the peak 304 miles of range. All other front-wheel trims offer up to 289 miles of range. The $50,190 Evolve+ FWD offers perks like a power moonroof and an "around view" monitor, while the $53,690 Empower+ FWD includes hands-free ProPilot Assist 2.0 and automated parking.

All-wheel drive, as usual, boosts power and prices while decreasing range. The $47,190 Engage e-4orce tops out at just 205 miles of range, but delivers 335HP. The $51,190 Engage+ e-4orce extends that range to 270 miles while delivering 389HP and the extras of its FWD counterpart. The Evolve+ e-4orce costs $54,190, while those who insist on the best can buy the $60,190 Platinum+ with 265 miles of range, a hands-free liftgate and Nappa leather seating along with other models' luxuries.

The Ariya may not be the most value-laden EV. There's no mention of the destination fee, and the Japanese manufacturing rules out the updated $7,500 federal tax credit (state credits might still be valid). All the same, the machine may be worth considering if Ford's Mustang Mach-E, the VW ID.4 and other electric crossovers don't quite offer the blend of design or technology you're looking for.

Intel's long-promised desktop GPUs are finally close to reaching gamers worldwide. As part of its flurry of announcements, Intel has confirmed the Arc A770 GPU will be available in a range of models on October 12th starting at $329. As the price suggests, this is aimed squarely at the GeForce RTX 3060, Radeon RX 6650 XT and other mid-tier video cards — Intel claims both "1440p gaming performance" and up to 65 percent stronger "peak" ray tracing performance than rivals, although it didn't name specific hardware.

Like competitors, Intel is counting as much on AI as it is raw computing power. The Arc A770 supports Xe Super Sampling (XeSS) that, like NVIDIA's DLSS or AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution, uses AI upscaling to boost frame rates at higher resolutions. It supports Intel's dedicated and integrated GPUs, and should be available in over 20 games by the end of 2022.

Tom's Hardwarenotes the Intel's first mainstream desktop GPU, the Arc A380, was exclusive to China. This is the first chance many outside of that country will have to buy a discrete Intel graphics card.

Intel is delivering the A770 later than expected, having promised the GPU for this summer. Even so, the timing might be apt. NVIDIA is currently focusing its attention on the high-end with the RTX 40 series, while AMD hasn't done much more than speed-bump the RX 6000 line. The A770 may stand out as a viable option for budget-conscious gamers, particularly when GPUs like the RTX 3060 still have higher official prices.

Samsung may not have left its battery troubles completely in the past. YouTuber Mrwhosetheboss (aka Arun Rupesh Maini) and others have noticed that batteries in Samsung phones are swelling up at a disproportionately high rate. While this most often affects older devices where ballooning batteries are more likely, some of them are only a couple of years old — the 2020-era Galaxy Z Fold 2, for instance. It's usually obvious (the phone back pops loose), but it can be subtle enough that you may not realize your battery is in a dangerous state.

Battery swelling isn't a new problem, or unique to Samsung. As lithium batteries age, their increasingly flawed chemical reactions can produce gas that inflates battery cells and increases the risk of a fire. This author has had two non-Samsung phones meet their ends this way. It's more likely to happen if you leave a battery without charging or discharging for a long time, and many companies (such as Apple) recommend that you keep batteries at a roughly 50 percent charge if you won't use a device for extended periods.

The concern is that swelling appears to affect Samsung phones of the past few years more than other brands, and that the power packs are rated to last five years without hazards like this. Tech video creators are uniquely well-suited to track issues like this — Maini and people like him often store dozens or hundreds of phones in identical conditions, although they don't necessarily keep the handsets at appropriate charge levels.

It's not clear just how broad the problem is, or how systemic it might be. We've asked Samsung for comment and will let you know if we hear back. However, it's safe to say the company would rather not deal with more battery woes. The Galaxy Note 7's fire-prone battery led Samsung to conduct a massive recall that (temporarily) tarnished the firm's reputation. With that said, the crisis also prompted a focus on battery safety and served as a warning sign to the phone industry. If nothing else, the swelling reports could educate users and manufacturers.

The Google Play Store is notorious for making it difficult to find apps optimized for non-phone devices —you've often had to guess and hope for the best. Now, however, it just involves a couple of taps. Google says it recently added Play Store home pages to its Android app with recommendations for Android Automotive, Android TV and Wear OS apps. Visit "other devices" and you can find a health tracker for your Galaxy Watch 5, or a video service for your Chromecast.

New search filters also limit results to those that support non-phone hardware. If you find something you like, you can remotely install it from your handset. Google also noted that it previously revised the Play Store website to improve navigation and features like remote installs.

Google

The move follows efforts to accommodate tablet users, and could be helpful if you can't (or just don't want to) search for apps on the device where you'll use them. That's particularly helpful for Wear OS users who might have to browse apps on a tiny screen. You might find more apps for your devices and (as Google no doubt hopes) increase your chances of sticking to the Android ecosystem.

It's also difficult to ignore the timing. Google is formally debuting the Pixel Watch at its New York City event on October 6th, and just revamped the 1080p Chromecast. The improved app discovery could help sell these products to customers wondering if their favorite app is available. Not that you'll likely mind if you prefer third-party gear — this might boost Android as a whole.

Alienware's existing QD-OLED monitor is a spectacular display, but its size and $1,300 price can make it difficult to justify even if you're a well-heeled enthusiast. Dell is tackling both of those problems with a revamped Alienware 34 Curved QD-OLED Gaming Monitor, the AW3423DWF. The new version is thinner, making it easier to mount on a wall, but also carries a lower $1,100 sticker. It's not exactly cheap, then, but you can at least roll some of the savings into an RTX 4080 or other PC components.

The technical capabilities are largely similar, although that isn't really a bad thing. This latest Alienware monitor still outputs atn ultra-wide 3,440 x 1,440 with QD-OLED's signature color quality, high contrast and quick pixel response times (0.1ms gray-to-gray). The AW3423DWF packs a native 165Hz refresh rate with FreeSync Premium Pro and VESA AdaptiveSync Display support, but also offers 120Hz variable refresh rate compatibility to work nicely with your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S. There's a new on-screen settings joystick to quickly access mode presets, including a new Creator mode for gamers who also need to edit photos and videos.

The Alienware 34 QD-OLED Gaming Monitor ships sometime this fall. If anything, its main competition may come from its panel manufacturer. Samsung will release the Odyssey OLED G8 with a subtler design and slightly improved 175Hz refresh rate before the end of 2022. While its pricing isn't yet available, you may have a difficult choice if you're shopping for a stretched gaming display in the near future.

Netflix has shared the trailer for its fictional Spotify series, and it appears to be just what you'd expect — for better and for worse. The preview clip portrays Spotify founder Daniel Ek (played by Vikings' Edvin Endre) as a revolutionary who not only wants to create a legal alternative to piracy, but hopes to reshape the entire music industry. Not surprisingly, the show pits Ek and crew against a range of enemies that include skeptical labels and wary politicians.

The six-episode miniseries premieres October 13th. Veteran Netflix movie director Per-Olav Sørensen helmed the project, while Christian Spurrier (Hunted) was the writer.

Whether or not The Playlist is entertaining, there are concerns it may paint a largely one-sided view of Spotify's success. The trailer does acknowledge concerns about Spotify's pay-per-play business model, but characterizes them as minor headaches — in this take, artists are simply thankful their concerts don't end up on The Pirate Bay. There's no talk of low or unpaid royalties in the trailer. For that matter, it's wrong in casting legal music streaming as an entirely novel concept at the time. Rhapsody, anyone?

The tone isn't surprising, though. There's been a string of fictionalized movies and shows about technology companies as of late, ranging from Apple's WeWork drama through to Showtime's Uber production. That's not including earlier media like The Social Network or Steve Jobs. While these titles don't necessarily flatter their subjects, there is a tendency to portray companies as game-changers that are ultimately beneficial — the shows don't always confront serious issues, such as struggling artists or unhappy taxi drivers.

Chipotle's tortilla-making robot will soon help out in a restaurant you can visit. The chain has unveiled a slew of technology updates that include moving the Miso Robotics-made Chippy robot to a real restaurant. The machine will start cooking tortilla chips in a Fountain Valley, California location in October. Feedback from customers and workers will help the company decide on a national rollout.

Artificial intelligence will influence some human cooks, too. Chipotle is piloting a demand-based cooking system that uses AI to tell staff what and when to cook based on forecasts for how much they'll need. In theory, this lightens the load for employees while making sure there's enough freshly-cooked tacos and burritos when you show up for dinner. The pilot is underway at eight Orange County, California restaurants.

There's also an upgrade for tech you can use. An opt-in program in the Chipotle App lets you know when your order's ready, reminds you to scan your rewards code and can even warn if you show up at the wrong pick-up location. The experiment is in progress at 73 restaurants in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Chippy and kitchen AI projects may be well-timed. While there are concerns that AI and robotics may automate people out of jobs at restaurants like Chipotle and McDonald's, the deployments come as retail continues to struggle with staff shortages. This theoretically frees workers to concentrate on serving customers, rather than handling drudgery behind the scenes.

Skullcandy hasn't offered gaming headsets for the better part of a decade, but it's willing to give them another go — and it's eager to catch up in some respects. The brand has introduced revamped PLYR, SLYR and SLYR Pro headsets that promise budget-friendly game audio on console, mobile and PC with a few perks. The flagship PLYR (shown above) includes Bluetooth 5.2 wireless audio, while it and the wired SLYR Pro offer Tile tracking to help you find your headset (or the device it's connected to).

Both the PLYR and SLYR Pro (at middle) also use a hearing test to create a personalized sound profile, and offer background audio reduction whether you use the boom or integrated microphones. They can plug in through 3.5mm and USB, and an optional wireless transmitter for the PLYR promises low lag (down to 20ms) for PC- and PlayStation-based gamers. You can expect up to 24 hours of battery life in either model when you aren't connected through USB. The base SLYR is a no-frills wired design that drops the audio processing features and USB support.

Skullcandy

As with the old headsets, Skullcandy is counting on price as the main draw. The SLYR starts the line at $60, while the SLYR Pro and PLYR are relatively affordable at $100 and $130 respectively. The caveat, as you might guess, is that the gaming headset business hasn't been standing still. The Astro A10 offers a more flexible (and arguably more visually appealing) design for the same $60 as the SLYR, while brands like Razer and SteelSeries offer both price-competitive headsets and premium models with extras like spatial audio and RGB lighting. Your choice might come down to sale pricing and personal preferences.

The Apple Watch Ultra is built to survive outdoors adventures, but you'll want to forget about repairing it yourself if you take a tumble. iFixit has completed a video teardown indicating that the Ultra isn't significantly more repairable than its regular counterparts. While there are external screws on the back, you're going to wreck a waterproofing gasket if you pry the rear open. And don't even think of getting through the front — it's difficult to avoid breaking the screen, at least without special tools.

It's also tricky to access the battery and other components. The teardown also illustrates just how much larger the speaker array is on the Apple Watch Ultra compared to the Series 8. Even if you're unlikely to ever use the siren feature those speakers are meant for, it should help with call quality and other audio-driven apps.

This isn't the advancement in fix-it-yourself friendliness you saw in the base iPhone 14, then. You'll need to take this to a pro repair shop if you land badly during a hike. Even so, iFixit is optimistic the Watch Ultra represents a path toward more repairable Apple wristwear. While it's not clear if future smartwatches will make that leap, it won't be shocking given mounting political pressure on the tech industry to create more easily maintained devices.