Twitter has agreed – once again – to Elon Musk’s proposal to buy the company for $54.20 a share. In a statement, Twitter confirmed it had received Musk’s letter that “the intention of the Company is to close the transaction at $54.20 per share.” The agreement follows months of legal drama after Musk tried to back out of his original agreement this spring to buy the company for $44 billion.

The two sides were set to go to trial later this month. But Musk abruptly reversed course on Tuesday, telling Twitter he would proceed with the original terms of the deal. In the letter filed with the SEC, Musk's lawyers say they will go ahead with the agreement struck in April if Delaware Chancery Court will "adjourn the trial and all other proceedings related" to the ongoing lawsuit.

It’s not yet clear when the acquisition could actually close. Twitter’s shareholders have already voted to approve the deal, but both sides now need to wait for Delaware’s Chancery Court’s response. The next question: What will Musk do with Twitter?

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• Apple's second-generation AirPods fall to a new low of $79

• The EU will require USB-C charging for all mobile devices by the end of 2024

• The Matter smart home standard is finally available

• Google's Nest WiFi Pro arrives with faster speeds and new high-gloss design

• Xiaomi's new 2-in-1 robot vacuum can wash and dry its own mops

• US to impose more trade restrictions on Chinese AI and supercomputer companies

'Overwatch 2' server attack prevented fans from playing the game on launch day

We were stuck in a queue behind tens of thousands of other people.

Overwatch 2's early access launch has been marred by a massive DDoS attack preventing players from getting into the game. Many gamers, including me, were stuck on the connection screen, put in a queue behind tens of thousands of other players also trying to get in. When the countdown finished, I was booted from the server. I was apparently not the only one. Blizzard president Mike Ybarra tweeted that the game was "experiencing a mass DDoS attack" on its servers, causing drop and connection issues.

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Xiaomi's 12T Pro packs a 200-megapixel camera

But without Leica branding.

Engadget

Xiaomi's 12T Pro uses Samsung's ISOCELL HP1 sensor to capture epic 200-megapixel stills. The HP1 includes 2x in-sensor zoom, 4-in-1 pixel binning to mimic larger pixel sites for better sensitivity and 16-in-1 super pixel binning to simulate even bigger pixel sites for dark environments. If you shoot 200-megapixel images, you can let the AI-powered Xiaomi ProCut tool analyze those shots and suggest ideal compositions. Oddly, there's no Leica branding here. Engadget reached out to Xiaomi on this matter, and a rep replied: "While Leica is a partner in our strategic imagery upgrade, it won't necessarily contribute to every device."

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'The Onion' filed a real brief with the Supreme Court supporting man jailed for making fun of cops

A man was arrested for a Facebook page that parodied his local police department.

Satire and comedy news site The Onion filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in support of Anthony Novak, who was arrested and jailed for four days after briefly running a Facebook page parodying the police department of Parma, Ohio, back in 2016. Parma's police department claimed back then that people were confusing his posts with real information from law enforcement. Novak filed a civil suit against the city of Parma and the officers that arrested him , arguing his constitutional rights were violated. After federal appeals, he eventually took the battle to the Supreme Court.

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CDPR is working on a 'Cyberpunk 2077' sequel

And several new Witcher games.

CDPR

The game developer has shared a long-term roadmap that elaborates on its plans for its big gaming franchises. A project codenamed Orion is effectively a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 to "further develop the potential" of the sci-fi franchise. We’ve already heard of a new Unreal Engine 5-based The Witcher game in the works, but it’s just the start of a new trilogy. We might not have to wait long to see the story reach its conclusion, either. CDPR hopes to release all three games within a six-year span, with the first (codenamed Polaris) serving as a technology foundation for the remaining two.

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One person’s quest for the perfect productivity mouse

Is it time for an upgrade?

James Trew’s mission for a mouse had several requirements. Top of the list: ergonomics. The Magic Mouse is… fine, but a little low profile for his palming style. Given that some rough repetitive strain injury (RSI) was exclusively in his mousing arm, that was crucial. As was a reasonable degree of configurability. So, of course, he tested 11 mice.

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Google’s big Pixel hardware event kicks off Thursday October 6th, and we’ll finally get to hear all the details of the Pixel 7 series and that long-teased (and leaked) Pixel Watch.

Google first showed off a glimpse of its next Pixel phone back in May 2022. It keeps the camera bar style of last year’s Pixel 6, but with an aluminum frame flourish. ​​The base Pixel 7 model will have two rear cameras, and the Pro will have three. Pixel phones' camera skills are usually their standout feature, so we’re intrigued to hear more. Rumors suggest the Pixel 7 family will start at the same $599 and $899 prices as last year’s phones – which could be even more compelling at a time of rising prices.

Then, there’s the Pixel Watch – Google’s first official smartwatch, ever. It’ll be a hardware showcase for Wear OS 3 with tight Fitbit integration. Expect a prominent crown on the side, a circular watch face and several band options, a la Apple Watch. Can Google match the specs of the current smartwatch king? We’ll be reporting on all the official details later this week. Stay tuned.

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• Apple no longer activates its proprietary SIM cards for iPads with cellular data

• Apple Music now has over 100 million songs

• Google's Pixel 6a is cheaper than ever right now

• Hackers release 500GB of data stolen in LA school district ransomware attack

• Maserati's first electric GranTurismo is just as sporty as its gas counterpart

• Samsung's 512GB Galaxy Z Fold 4 is $420 off at Amazon

YouTube is asking users to subscribe to Premium to watch 4K videos

You might have to pay now to see a clip in its highest quality.

YouTube is asking some viewers to upgrade to Premium to watch videos in 4K resolution. It's not clear which countries, devices or videos are affected, but reports are appearing across both Reddit and Twitter. YouTube claimed a combined 50 million Premium and Music subscribers last September. That may sound like a lot, but compared to paid media services like Spotify Premium (188 million users as of the second quarter) and Netflix (220.7 million), it’s a little underwhelming.

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Wisk Aero's latest flying taxi has four seats and can fly itself

It calls the four-passenger craft a 'candidate for FAA certification.'

Wisk

Wisk Aero has unveiled its 6th-generation semi-autonomous air taxi, calling it the "first-ever candidate for type certification by the FAA of an autonomous eVTOL." The design looks like a substantially updated version of the Cora air taxi we saw fly and hover in New Zealand back in 2018. However, getting that coveted FAA certification is a struggle even for established airplane manufacturers, like Boeing – let alone a new company with a brand-new aircraft type.

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There’s a PS5 jailbreak, but only for old firmware

The exploit has some major restrictions.

Engadget

Almost two years after the PlayStation 5 went on sale, it seems modders have found a way to jailbreak the console, albeit with some significant limitations. A WebKit vulnerability will only work on PS5 systems that run firmware version 4.03 or earlier. If you have updated your PS5 since last October, you will probably not be able to try the exploit. It doesn't seem likely this jailbreak will be in widespread use anytime soon, due to its limitations and the risk of bricking the console at a time when it still isn't all that easy to buy one. You can install PT, sure, but you can’t play it.

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FCC will start kicking voice providers out of its robocall database

Calls will be blocked if those providers don't boost their anti-spam efforts.

Telecom companies slow to adopt anti-robocall measures could soon face stiff punishment in the US. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) now plans to remove seven voice service providers from its Robocall Mitigation Database for failing to comply with required anti-spam efforts, such as implementing STIR/SHAKEN call authentication to prevent spoofing.

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A data-sharing agreement between the US and UK is now in effect

Privacy advocates have raised concerns.

A data-sharing pact between the US and the UK has gone into effect, five years after it was suggested. The two sides claim the Data Access Agreement, which was authorized by the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act in the US, will help law enforcement to combat serious crimes in both countries. Privacy advocates have blasted the initiative for several years. In 2018, just after the bill was introduced, the Electronic Frontier Foundation said it "creates a dangerous precedent for other countries who may want to access information stored outside their own borders, including data stored in the United States."

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Based on a successful feature on TikTok's sister app in China, Douyin, the social network is reportedly planning to launch a live shopping TikTok Shop in the US later this year. According to the Financial Times, Douyin hosts nine million live shopping broadcasts a month and sold over 10 billion products in a single year, from May 2021 to May 2022. That’s triple what it sold the previous year. The technology will supposedly be provided by the US company TalkShopLive and support livestreams hosted by influencers and brands. The agreements are still under discussion, however.

The report comes just a day after Facebook announced it was abandoning its own Live Shopping feature. Facebook is now suggesting merchants showcase products via Reels. TikTok has had mixed success with the method already. Last year, it launched in the UK – the only country with availability outside Asia. TikTok Shop hasn't fared especially well so far, and TikTok postponed plans to expand elsewhere in Europe.

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• How Sony unintentionally defined the skate video

• Chrome's controversial new extension platform is coming in 2023

• Coinbase users were unable to withdraw funds to US bank accounts for six hours

• Twitter gives its DMs on the Android app a more modern look

• Disney's networks are back on Dish after reaching a 'handshake agreement'

It’s another Pixel Watch leak

This time: band designs, watch faces and Fitbit integration.

It seems an Amazon listing for the Pixel Watch went live early in Germany. The smartwatch is due to go on sale just after Google's October 6th event. There will be several colors in at least four band designs, including silicon, braided and leather. The Amazon listing, which has been removed, suggested users will receive six months free Fitbit Premium access, including deeper fitness metrics and other exercise goodies.

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USB branding could become a little easier to understand

Getting rid of certain names may not make a huge difference.

The group that oversees USB wants to make it easier for you to understand what various cables and ports actually do. The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) wants cable makers to use “USB 10Gbps” instead of “SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps” and “USB 20Gbps” instead of “USB4 20Gbps." USB-C cables certified by the USB-IF will need to list both data transfer speeds and charging wattage. Knowing which cable you need is already complicated enough. Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 connectors and ports look exactly the same as USB-C ones, for instance. The updated guidelines don't clarify whether a cable supports DisplayPort or certain fast-charging standards, either.

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Tesla built almost 366,000 EVs in Q3

The figure was still below analyst expectations.

After pandemic-related disruptions in Q2, Tesla ramped up its manufacturing capacity again last quarter, leading the company to make a record number of deliveries between July 1st and September 30th. The company built 365,923 electric vehicles during that period. That marks a year-over-year production increase of nearly 54 percent.

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Magic Leap's smaller, lighter second-gen AR glasses are now available

They’re expensive.

Magic Leap

Magic Leap has started selling Magic Leap 2 in 19 countries, including the US, UK and EU nations. The glasses are still for developers and pros, with a design 50 percent smaller and 20 percent lighter than the original. This should ensure they're more comfortable to wear over long periods. Magic Leap also promises better visibility for AR in bright light (think a well-lit office) thanks to dynamic dimming, which makes virtual content appear more solid. The Magic Leap 2 Base model costs $3,299, and developers who want extra tools will have to pay $4,099 for the Developer Pro edition.

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NASA and SpaceX will study the possibility of boosting Hubble's orbit

It could add years to the aging telescope's life.

NASA and SpaceX have signed an agreement to study the possibility of using a Dragon spacecraft to lift the Hubble telescope to a higher orbit. The Hubble telescope's orbit decays over time due to atmospheric drag, and boosting it to a more stable one could add years to its life.

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Despite denials until mid-2022, Stadia is winding down. The technically impressive game streaming service, which delivered current-gen games through smartphones, PCs, tablets and even Chromecast, is the latest victim of Google’s long list of service casualties. Google said the service "hasn't gained the traction with users that we expected." That’s entirely true. Google closed its internal game development studios early last year, and the company sadly failed to turn things around, even as rumors swirled that Stadia wasn’t long for this world. It’s a shame, as the service worked incredibly well, especially at the nascent beginnings of cloud gaming.

The good news is if you invested in the standalone games, Google "will be refunding all Stadia hardware purchases made through the Google Store, and all game and add-on content purchases made through the Stadia store." This was outlined by Stadia vice president and general manager Phil Harrison in a blog here.

If you subscribed to Stadia Pro and built up a catalog of games, there are no reimbursements. You’ll be able to play your games until January, but it’ll serve as a reminder that streaming services, if they go, can leave you with nothing. Except maybe a Chromecast.

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• Amazon boosts wages for hourly workers across the US

• Square makes Tap to Pay on iPhone available to all US sellers

• Peloton fitness gear will soon be available at Dick's Sporting Goods

• The UK needs a better plan to heat its homes than hydrogen

• Meta reportedly suspends all hiring, warns staff of possible layoffs

• Adobe vows to continue offering Figma's free plan if its buyout is approved

• MSI Stealth 15M review: Coasting on its good looks

• 'Mythic Quest' season 3 debuts November 11th on Apple TV+

James Webb and Hubble captures pictures of NASA’s spacecraft−asteroid collision

The first time both telescopes observed the same celestial target at the same time.

NASA made history this week when it slammed its DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft into an asteroid nearly seven million miles away. Now, we can see the test from afar, thanks to the James Webb and Hubble space telescopes. JWST and Hubble picked up different wavelengths of light (infrared and visible, respectively), and NASA says that observing data from multiple wavelengths will help scientists figure out if big chunks of material left Dimorphos' surface or if it was mostly fine dust. This is an important aspect of the test: The ultimate aim is to develop a system that can divert incoming asteroids away from Earth. Like 1998’s Armageddon, just with less Bruce Willis and Aerosmith.

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Sonos Sub Mini review

The practical sub we’ve been waiting for.

Engadget

Finally, after only 10 years, Sonos has launched the Sub Mini, and at $429, it’s relatively affordable. It’s perfectly sized for apartments and small rooms, and it’s a simple upgrade to your Sonos Beam or Ray. Finally, you have a viable, moveable way of beefing up your sound, which isn’t obscenely expensive. Check out our full review.

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Meta's new Make-a-Video AI can generate quick movie clips from text prompts

Even more complicated AI-generated art.

Meta unveiled its Make-a-Scene text-to-image generating AI in July, which, like Dall-E and Midjourney, can create fantastical depictions based on written prompts. On Thursday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed Make-a-Scene's more animated contemporary, Make-a-Video. Functionally, Video works the same as Scene – combining natural language processing and generative neural networks to convert non-visual prompts into images – it's just pulling content into a different format.

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Teenage Engineering's PO-80 Record Factory both cuts and plays vinyl

Why not both?

Teenage Engineering

The Swedish brand, best known for electronic music toys and tools, has released the decidedly more analogue PO-80 Record Factory. As the name implies, it can cut vinyl records as well as play them back. The orange and white design is cute, as is the simplicity. You just need to plug an audio device into the 3.5mm jack and start recording. You're limited to monophonic sound, and you won't be cutting more than a single with a B-side. The Record Factory is available for $149.

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Musk's texts with Jack Dorsey and Parag Agrawal detail tumultuous Twitter negotiations

Dorsey asked Musk to join Twitter's board long before he tried to buy the company.

A tranche of Elon Musk’s private messages has been made public as part of his ongoing lawsuit with Twitter. The messages, revealed in a court filing Thursday, shed new light on Musk’s behind-the-scenes negotiations with Twitter’s leadership, discussions with former CEO Jack Dorsey, and how Musk talks with CEO Parag Agrawal quickly soured. The messages include the moment Musk tells Agrawal he wants to acquire Twitter and take it private, rather than join the board, as well as Agrawal confronting Musk about an April 9th tweet questioning if "Twitter is dying."

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Amazon’s barrage of new hardware included something many of you might have been waiting for: a Kindle e-reader with stylus support. Yes, the Kindle Scribe comes with a magnetic stylus and a 10.2-inch, 300ppi display. You won’t need to charge or sync the Scribe's stylus, and you can use it for jotting notes, journaling and annotating any books you're reading. Starting next year, you’ll also be able to send Microsoft Word documents to Kindle Scribe. Kindle Scribe will start at $340 and arrives November 30th.

Amazon

Yesterday, Amazon also revealed an expanded Fire TV Omni line. It’s added two premium 65- and 75-inch QLED models, along with a redesigned Fire TV Cube. There’s a new sleep tracking gadget, more Echo speaker updates and refreshed Ring cameras, too. There was… a lot.

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• YouTube Shorts copies TikTok again with voiceover narration

• Meta cracks down on ad-free Instagram client a day after it launched

• Logitech refreshes its range of Mac-specific MX keyboards and mice

• Amazon's first QLED Fire TVs offer better picture quality and an ambient mode

• Amazon is turning the Echo Show 15 into a Fire TV

• Amazon announces Echo Studio and Echo Dot speakers with improved audio

• Amazon's Halo Rise is a $140 bedside sleep tracker that works by sensing you breathe

• Ring brings radar detection to its Spotlight Cam Pro

• Shark's self-emptying robot vacuum is half off for today only

• Amazon built Eero WiFi extenders into its latest Echo Dot speakers

Sony's PlayStation loyalty program debuts in the US on October 5th

It follows the recent launch in Asia.

Sony says its loyalty program will debut in the Americas on October 5th, while Australians and Europeans will have access on October 13th. The program is free, but you’ll get some benefits if you're a PlayStation Plus member. You’ll be able to earn rewards by completing activities and campaigns ranging from the very basic (playing any game once a month) to the challenging (being one of the first to score a game's platinum trophy in your region). Those loyalty points can be put toward your PlayStation Network wallet, digital collectibles and, hopefully, real-world products.

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The Polestar 3 electric SUV will debut on October 12th

With a dual-motor drivetrain and air suspension.

Polestar's first electric SUV will get its official unveiling on October 12th. The company teased several premium features you can expect to see, including air suspension, active dampers and torque vectoring, putting it up against other SUV EVs, like the Mercedes-Benz EQS and Tesla’s Model X. The company said it's shooting for a 372-mile range on the European WLTP cycle (considerably less in EPA terms). It'll also include a semi-autonomous driving system for highway driving.

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DALL-E's AI art generator is now (sort of) available to everyone

No more waiting list for ‘kitten sleeping in a shoebox’.

OpenAI

OpenAI's well-known image generator is now available to everyone. If you want to create art, you just have to sign up and describe the pieces you'd like to produce. You’ll get a finite number of credits that will get topped up monthly. It's still not clear if AI-generated art is fair use or stolen. Getty Images recently banned the material out of concern it might violate copyright.

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Oura's third-generation smart ring adds a more comfortable design

And costs a little more.

After many years of trying, Oura has finally managed to sand out the flat edge from its smart ring. The company is updating the third generation of its ring, originally released at the end of 2021, with a perfectly round body. The Oura (Gen3) Horizon keeps the same suite of advanced sensors as the existing model. The new Horizon is available to order right now for $349, while the existing ring is still $299.

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Apple pulls Russia's biggest social media network from the App Store

It was due to UK sanctions against Ukraine's sham referendums.

Russia has removed all iOS apps from VK, the second largest tech company in Russia. That included its social media app, which is the fifth most popular in Russia, and others like Mail.ru and VK Music. The move was made in response to UK sanctions against the Russian government. Apple confirmed it removed the apps and shut down VK's developer accounts. "These apps are being distributed by developers majority-owned or majority-controlled by one or more parties sanctioned by the UK government," a spokesperson told The Verge.

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A few years ago, Samsung had major battery issues when several faulty Galaxy Note 7 phones had exploding batteries. The devices were recalled, and the company spent a lot of time over the following years outlining all the rigorous battery tests it did to ensure it didn’t happen again.

Now, YouTuber Mrwhosetheboss, as well as others, have noticed batteries in Samsung phones are swelling up at a disproportionately high rate. This usually affects older devices, but some are only a couple of years old – the 2020-era Galaxy Z Fold 2, for instance.

Samsung hasn’t formally responded yet, but battery swelling isn't a new problem, nor one unique to Galaxy phones. As lithium batteries age, their increasingly flawed chemical reactions can produce gas that inflates battery cells. Many companies suggest you keep device batteries at a roughly 50 percent charge if you won't use it for extended periods.

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• ​​Alienware's revamped QD-OLED gaming monitor is slimmer and cheaper

• Intel's Unison app will let PCs text, call and share files from iPhones and Android devices

• Intel and Samsung show off fun but impractical 'slidable' PC

• Nreal brings its $379 Air augmented reality glasses to the US

• Apple's 512GB MacBook Air M2 falls to a new all-time low

• Elon Musk and Twitter are now fighting about Signal messages

Department of Transportation approves EV charging plans for all 50 states

$1.5 billion is available to fund charging stations along highways.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law earmarked $5 billion in funding over five years to help states install chargers along highways, and that process just took an important step forward. The Department of Transportation has approved EV charging plans for all 50 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico. The proposals cover 75,000 miles of highways.

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The latest iPadOS 16 beta brings Stage Manager to older iPad Pro models

An M1 chip is no longer required, with a caveat.

The biggest change with iPadOS 16 may be Stage Manager, a totally new multitasking system that adds overlapping, resizable windows to the iPad. The latest iPadOS 16 developer beta can run Stage Manager on several older devices: It'll work on the 11-inch iPad Pro (first generation and later) and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (third generation and later). However, there is one notable missing feature for the older iPad Pro models – Stage Manager will only work on the iPad's built-in display. You won't be able to extend your display to an external monitor.

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Intel's 13th-gen CPUs offer up to 24 cores and 5.8GHz speeds

The Core i9-13900K sounds like a beast.

Intel's 13th-gen Core chips, AKA Raptor Lake, have landed. The company's new top-end chip, the Core i9-13900K, sports 24 cores (eight performance cores and 16 efficiency cores) and can reach up to a 5.8GHz Max Turbo frequency. Last year's i9-12900K offered 16 cores and a maximum speed of 5.2 GHz. Intel claims the new 13900K is 41 percent better for multi-threaded work, like video encoding. If you skipped last year's chips or are running even older Intel hardware, the 13th-gen CPUs look like the update you've been waiting for.

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Volvo has developed the world's first interior radar system for cars

It’s a new safety feature.

Set to debut on its upcoming flagship EX90 electric SUV, Volvo's new radar system monitors both the cabin and trunk, to prevent a car from being locked while anyone is inside. The idea is to guard against situations where pets or children may be inadvertently trapped inside a car on a hot day, with the car surfacing reminders if it recognizes there are occupants inside when being locked. Volvo says the multiple radars in the trunk, in the car's overhead console and in roof-mounted reading lamps can detect "sub-millimeter" movements.

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Apple Watch SE review (2022)

The best smartwatch $250 can buy.

Engadget

Apple, of all companies, delivering the most competitively priced smartwatch you can buy in 2022? Apple’s starter smartwatch offers a comprehensive suite of health and fitness tracking tools, emergency features and snappy performance. As long as you’re not extremely clumsy or impatient, you won’t miss features like the hardier screen, dust resistance or the always-on display found on the more expensive models.

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Chipotle is moving its tortilla robot to a real restaurant

The chain is also piloting AI that tells kitchen staff what to cook.

Chipotle's tortilla-making robot is moving to a real restaurant. In October, the machine will start cooking tortilla chips in Fountain Valley, California. 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.

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Fujifilm X-H2S camera review

The most powerful APS-C camera yet.

Engadget

With the X-H2S, Fujifilm has a new flagship camera. It features a new 26.2-megapixel stacked sensor that delivers shooting speeds up to 40 fps in electronic shutter mode. At the same time, it has the most advanced video features of any APS-C camera, with up to 6.2K video. It also offers in-body stabilization, a high-resolution EVF, CFexpress support and more. The main drawback: The autofocus still isn’t quite as fast as rival cameras.

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Netflix is forming its own in-house game studio and plans to not just rely on third-party developers to bolster its game catalog. The studio, based in Helsinki, Finland, plans to create "world-class" original games without ads or in-app purchases.

Netflix’s move into gaming has involved buying multiple developers, including the creators of Oxenfree, Night School Studio. In the last 12 months or so, the company has offered some well-regarded titles, including Into the Breach and Poinpy. But it hasn't built a developer from scratch. Until now.

However, when it comes to original games, Netflix says we won't see the first fruits of this internal studio for "years." Meanwhile, UsTwo’s Desta, launching later today exclusively on Netflix, is the latest addition from the makers of Monument Valley. 

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• NASA will roll Artemis 1 back to shelter it from Hurricane Ian

• Lego unveils a 6,187-piece Mandalorian 'Razor Crest' set

• Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 falls to a new low of $250

• Interpol issues red notice for Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon

• The newest Roomba both vacuums and mops your floors

• E3 will return to LA on June 13th, 2023

NASA successfully hurled its DART spacecraft into an asteroid

The impactor vehicle was traveling at roughly 14,000 MPH when it struck.

NASA

After nearly a year in transit, NASA's experimental Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which sought to answer the question: "Could you potentially shove an asteroid off its planet-killing trajectory by hitting it with a specially designed satellite?" The answer seems to be … maybe. It successfully collided with the Dimorphos asteroid. Results and data from the collision are still coming in, but NASA ground control confirms that the DART impact vehicle has intercepted the target asteroid. The vending machine-sized vehicle traveled at roughly 14,000 MPH when it crossed Dimorphos' path nearly 68 million miles from Earth.

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Watch the first trailer for HBO’s 'The Last of Us' adaptation

98 seconds of post-apocalyptic gloom.

HBO

HBO revealed the first trailer for its highly anticipated adaptation of the hit Naughty Dog game. The clip features the leaning building from an early level and a bombastic opening outbreak sequence, as well as the unmistakable sound of a Clicker. Nightmare fuel for 2022.

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Big Audacity update makes it a much better audio production tool

It adds non-destructive editing, real-time effects and more.

Audacity is best known as a free audio app for quick edits and recording audio, but the latest update makes it more viable as a full-on production tool for your podcast ambitions. The most welcome addition is non-destructive audio capabilities that allow you to adjust effects without the changes being permanently baked into the audio file. It also supports real-time playback of effects and crossfades as you adjust them, allowing for more accurate edits. And it’s still free.

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Apple Watch Ultra teardown confirms it's rugged, but not easily repaired

You'll still have to leave repairs to the pros.

The Apple Watch Ultra is built to survive adventures outdoors, but if you push it beyond its limits, you’re going to struggle to repair it yourself. iFixit reports that the Ultra isn't significantly more repairable than its regular counterparts. While there are external screws on the back, you might wreck a waterproofing gasket if you pry the rear open. And don't even think of getting through the front – you might break the screen.

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Aphex Twin's free 'sample mashing' app feeds on your music library

Samplebrain has been on Richard James' mind for 20 years.

Aphex Twin is finally ready to offer his mutation-driven music software to the world. Samplebrain is a free "sample mashing" app that turns audio files from your computer into sample blocks you can use for projects. You can recreate a sample using tracks in your music library or craft a "303 riff" from unexpected sounds. However, you may need some technical know-how to use the app.

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Meta tests easier account switching between Facebook and Instagram

It’ll give you a view of all your notifications.

On Monday, Meta began rolling out a new interface on Android, iOS and on the web for switching between accounts on Facebook and Instagram. Provided you’ve added your credentials for both to the same Accounts Center, you can use the feature to switch between the two apps. Meta will also notify you every time you use an existing account to create a new one or you add an account to the Accounts Center.

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According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, next year’s iPhone could introduce a change to Apple’s naming convention. It could call its largest and most expensive device in 2023 the iPhone 15 Ultra instead of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Gurman expects the iPhone 15 to feature USB-C, among other “bigger changes” – which he didn’t elaborate on at this point.

Engadget

Interestingly, Gurman thinks Apple might not hold another event this fall. He says the company will announce new Mac mini, MacBook Pro and iPad Pro models before the end of the year, but that they’ll likely be iterative and land without the Apple event fanfare.

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• VW's latest concept is a self-driving travel pod that can replace short flights

• Hitting the Books: How Southeast Asia's largest bank uses AI to fight financial fraud

• 'Breaking Bad' creator's next series will stream on Apple TV+

• Mercedes says the electric G-Class will arrive in 2024

• Apple Pay Later may not arrive until next year due to 'technical and engineering' setbacks

In ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader was voiced by an AI so James Earl Jones could retire

Respeecher recreated the actor's voice as it was in 1977.

Disney

James Earl Jones has said goodbye to Darth Vader. At 91, the actor recently told Disney he was “looking into winding down this particular character.” That forced the company to ask itself how do you even replace Jones? The answer Disney eventually settled on, with the actor’s consent, involved an AI program. Respeecher can use archival recordings and a “proprietary AI algorithm” to create new dialogue featuring the voices of “performers from long ago.”

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'The Witcher: Blood Origin' debuts December 25th on Netflix

Meanwhile, season three of ‘The Witcher’ arrives next summer.

The Witcher: Blood Origin, a prequel to Netflix's live-action adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski's fantasy novel series, will debut on December 25th. Set thousands of years before the story of the Witcher Geralt and Ciri, Blood Origin will center on the moment in the Witcher universe when humans, elves and monsters all come to inhabit the fantasy world of the series. Actress Michelle Yeoh stars as Scian, the elven protagonist. Originally slated to run six episodes, Blood Origin will instead be four episodes long.

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'Oxenfree II: Lost Signals' is delayed until 2023

Night School Studio needs more time to make the sequel ‘truly special.’

The sequel to 2016’s Oxenfree won’t arrive until next year, the developer announced on Saturday. “To make Oxenfree II truly special and add more localizations, we’re moving our release window to 2023,” the studio posted on Twitter. News of the delay came shortly after Netflix announced subscribers could download the original game for free. Yes, more than six years after its PC debut, Netflix is making Oxenfree available freely to those with a subscription to its streaming service.

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UK police arrest alleged ‘GTA VI’ hacker

The 17-year-old may also have been responsible for an Uber cybersecurity incident.

Police in the UK have arrested a 17-year-old suspected hacker, with reports connecting it to the Rockstar Games hack that led to a major Grand Theft Auto VI leak. The individual may have been involved with an intrusion on Uber as well. The arrest is the result of an investigation involving the City of London Police, the UK's National Cyber Crime Unit and the FBI. According to reports, he was arrested earlier this year for hacking Microsoft and NVIDIA.

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Amazon will hold a Prime Early Access Sale on October 11th and 12th

The holiday shopping season will begin earlier than ever this year.

Amazon plans to hold a second sales event this fall, exclusively for Prime members. The second Prime Day of the year, dubbed Prime Early Access Sale, will be on October 11th and 12th in the US, UK, Canada and 12 other countries, following the same two-day format as the original event. That said, we don’t know what sort of discounts this event will include. There will probably be a Kindle or two, though.

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Watch the trailer for NieR: Automata's spinoff anime

It arrives this January.

A1 Pictures.

Square Enix’s genre-twisting RPG, NieR Automata was a cult hit in 2017. Now, an anime adaptation is almost here. Titled NieR: Automata Version 1.1a, it will debut in January 2023. NieR creator Yoko Taro shared the release window, adding that the anime's story would differ from its source material.

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Google has unveiled another streaming dongle. The Chromecast with Google TV (HD) device manages to offer a lot of the features from the $50 4K model at a significantly cheaper $30 price. Unlike the older $35 Chromecast, it comes with a remote control that eliminates the need for a smartphone, though you can still control it with your phone. There is a drawback – that lower 1080p resolution – but there’s HDR support. It also comes with six months of Peacock Premium, free.

The lack of a remote controller was a frustration for many people looking for a plug-and-stream stick, and at this price, it’s a pretty tempting streaming solution if you haven’t already picked up a Chromecast, Roku or something else.

– Mat Smith

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Apple’s 2nd-gen AirPods Pro review

Big improvements, all on the inside.

Engadget

Yes, they still have stems. Yes, there’s still active noise cancellation. Yes, they might be worth upgrading from the original AirPods Pro. Apple has included of the conveniences from the 2019 model, alongside additions like Adaptive Transparency, Personalized Spatial Audio and a new touch gesture in tow. There’s room to further refine the familiar formula, so read on for the full review.

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This $799 turntable can connect to any Sonos speaker

If you love vinyl and streaming music, the Stream Carbon might be for you.

Victrola

A lot of connected smart speakers don’t work with turntables, which can make things complicated during the continued resurgence of vinyl. Victrola, which has made record players for more than 100 years, is mostly known for entry-level turntables with built-in speakers, but it’s now revealed the Stream Carbon, a $799 turntable that can directly connect to a Sonos system, which means you’ll be able to stream your records all over your home. Victrola says this is just the first of more planned devices in the Stream lineup.

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The FDA may have unintentionally made 'NyQuil Chicken' go viral on TikTok

TikTok says interest spiked only after the FDA's warning.

You’ve probably heard something about “NyQuil Chicken,” a supposedly viral TikTok “challenge” of cooking chicken in a marinade of cold medicine. Not only disgusting, as the FDA recently reminded the public, it’s just as toxic as it looks. The agency’s bizarrely timed warning may have backfired, making the meme more popular than ever. TikTokconfirmed that on September 14th, the day before the FDA notice, there were only five searches for “NyQuil chicken” in the app. But by September 21st, that number skyrocketed “by more than 1,400 times,” according to BuzzFeed News.

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Instagram is working on 'nudity protection' technology

It’s focused on unwanted DMs.

An early screengrab tweeted by researcher Alessandro Paluzzi indicates that Instagram is working on "Nudity protection" technology that "covers photos that may contain nudity in chat," giving users the option to view them or not. Instagram parent Meta confirmed to The Verge that it's in development. Meta said the aim is to help shield people from nude images or other unsolicited messages. As further protection, the company said it can't view the images itself nor share them with third parties.

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Facebook violated Palestinians' right to free expression, according to Meta

Many users' accounts were hit with "false strikes" last year due to Meta's policies.

Meta has released the findings of an outside report that examined how its content moderation policies affected Israelis and Palestinians amid an escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip last May. The report said that Facebook’s approach appears “to have had an adverse human rights impact on the rights of Palestinian users to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, political participation, and non-discrimination, and therefore on the ability of Palestinians to share information and insights about their experiences as they occurred.”

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At CES 2021, LG revealed it was working on a phone with a rollable display and that it was going to be available later that year. Unfortunately, the company shuttered its mobile business before that happened. Now, a hands-on video by Korean tech reviewer BullsLab shows just how close LG’s Rollable got to launching.

The Rollable went a different way with flexible screen tech. Instead of folding, the screen, well, rolled out of the device. The screen was able to stretch out until the phone becomes a small tablet. In the video, you'll see how responsive the device is and how quickly it expands after the YouTuber swipes at the screen with three fingers. The reviewer even shows how strong the motor is, inching books away from the phone as it unfurls. Alas, it was never meant to be. I’d definitely be concerned that anything motorized would also struggle with longevity – there’s a reason that motorized pop-outselfie cameras quickly disappeared from smartphones.

Oppo also showed off a rollable phone prototype back in 2021, but that project has also gone silent. Maybe CES 2023?

– Mat Smith

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Logitech’s cloud gaming handheld costs $350 and launches in October

Preorders for the device went live a little early in Canada.

Logitech

Logitech has revealed all the details of its handheld console. Logitech and Tencent (who built the device together) collaborated with Microsoft and NVIDIA to ensure there's native support for Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce Now. You can also use the Steam Link app to play games from your PC remotely, while the Xbox app supports remote play from consoles.

You'll be able to stream games in 1080p at up to 60 frames per second on the seven-inch, 450-nit touchscreen.The system will be available from Amazon in the US, where it costs $350 USD, or $300 if you preorder. That's fairly pricey for a dedicated cloud gaming handheld, though it also has access to the Google Play Store to play Android titles.

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Take a look at the best image of Neptune's rings in decades

The images from James Webb Space Telescope are already providing new insights.

Researchers have shared the James Webb Space Telescope’s first image of Neptune, offering the best view of the planet’s rings in over 30 years. The picture is not only clear, but offers the first-ever look at the dust-based rings in the near-infrared spectrum. At these wavelengths, the planet doesn't look blue — it absorbs so much infrared and visible red light that it takes on a dark, ghostly appearance. Neptune is a particularly important target for scientists. At roughly 2.8 billion miles from the Sun, it's far enough to deal with conditions that aren't present for nearer planets, such as very low temperatures and a very long (164-year) orbit.

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Google lets you request removal of search results that contain personal data

Results with your address, phone number or email will be reviewed 'more quickly.'

Google is releasing a tool that makes it easier to remove search results containing your address, phone number and other personally identifiable information. It first revealed the "results about you" feature at Google I/O 2022 in May, describing it as a way to "help you easily control whether your personally identifiable information can be found in Search results."

If you see a result with your phone number, home address or email, you can click on the three-dot menu at the top right. That opens the usual "About this result" panel, but it now contains a new "Remove result" option at the bottom of the screen. It’s rolling out to users in the US and Europe now.

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Microsoft will host its next Surface event on October 12th

Our first proper look at the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5?

Microsoft isn't going to be left off the fall hardware event calendar. The company will hold a Surface event on October 12th at 10AM ET. While it's not completely clear what Microsoft plans to show off beyond "devices," we may get our first official look at the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5. It’s going to be a chaotic couple of weeks: Amazon has a hardware showcase on September 28th, Google has set a Pixel event for October 6th and Meta is expected to show off its next-generation VR headset on October 11th.

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Study: Surgery patients wearing VR headsets needed less anesthetic

Virtual worlds could distract you from the pain.

MIT

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center researchers in Boston have published a study indicating that patients wearing VR headsets required less anesthetic during hand surgery. While the average conventional patient needed 750.6 milligrams per hour of the sedative propofol, people looking at relaxing VR content (such as meditation, nature scenes and videos) only required 125.3 milligrams. They also recovered quicker. The scientists claimed VR distracted the patients from the pain that would otherwise command their full attention. Researchers admitted that the headset wearers may have gone into the operating room expecting VR to help, potentially skewing the results. Further trials are planned.

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