Polestar's first electric SUV will get its official unveiling on October 12th a range target of 372 miles and an optional Performance Pack, the Swedish company announced. The Polestar 3 will launch with premium features like an air suspension, active dampers and torque vectoring, putting it up against other SUV EVs like the Mercedes-Benz EQS, Rivian R1S and Tesla Model X. Like those models, it'll be manufactured in the US at Volvo's factory in Charleston, South Carolina.
The company, co-owned by Volvo and Chinese parent Geely, revealed a fair bit of information about the Polestar 3. That includes a new glimpse from the back showing similar (but upside down) taillights to the Polestar 2. Polestar previously showed off the design from the side in June (below).
Polestar
The Polestar 3 will come with a rear-biased dual-motor powertrain similar to the one on the Polestar 2, with electric torque vectoring via a dual clutch system on the rear motor. The ride will be controlled by an adaptive dual-chamber air suspension and active dampers as standard, letting drivers switch between comfort and firm suspension dynamics. The dampers will adjust to suit road conditions "once every two milliseconds," Polestar said.
The optional Performance Pack will deliver 510 horsepower and 671 pound-feet of torque (compared to 670 horsepower for the Model X). It also includes Polestar Engineered chassis tuning for the active dampers and air suspension, along with interior details like gold seat belts.
Previously, the company has said that it's shooting for a 372-mile range on the European WLTP cycle (so considerably less in EPA terms). It'll also include a semi-autonomous driving system for highway driving, enabled by by NVIDIA tech and a lidar sensor — Volvo is likely to use similar tech on its next-gen EX90 SUV set to launch on November 9th. Rumors have pegged the Polestar 3's price at somewhere between $75,000 and $111,000 at launch.
Four years after releasing the X-H1, Fujifilm has finally followed it up with not just one but two models. One of those is the highest-resolution APS-C camera to date, the 40-megapixel X-H2. The other is what we’re looking at today, the high-speed X-H2S designed for sports, wildlife shooting and more.
The biggest feature of the X-H2S is a new stacked, backside-illuminated 26.2-megapixel sensor. Its high speed allows burst shooting at up to 40 fps, faster autofocus and reduced rolling shutter. It also promises improved image quality, and comes with in-body stabilization, a high-resolution viewfinder, dual card slots and more.
These improvements and features don’t come cheap, though. At $2,500, the X-H2S is now one of the most expensive APS-C cameras out there, with the same price as comparable full-frame models like Canon’s EOS R6 and the Sony A7 IV. Is it worth paying that for a smaller sensor?
Body and handling
The X-H2S isn’t your typical Fujifilm camera. At 660 grams larger and heavier than the X-T4, though it is a touch lighter than the X-H1. It has a much bigger grip as well that imparts a feeling of stability, ideal if you’re attaching big lenses for sports or wildlife shooting.
As mentioned, the layout is more like rival mirrorless cameras from Canon and Sony than other Fuji models. Instead of dials that display shutter speed, exposure compensation and ISO like the X-T4, it has conventional front and rear dials. The only one on top is a mode selector, and at the back you have a joystick and D-Pad control. It’s got no less than 12 buttons, most of which can be reprogrammed for different functions. As with the X-H1, it has a top LCD that shows primary settings.
Since it’s designed for sports and wildlife shooting, which requires changing settings on the fly while keeping an eye on the subject, the layout makes sense. However, I know many Fujifilm fans prefer the traditional dials – though at least you can see settings on the top LCD display if shooting from the hip. The only control I didn’t care for was the record button, as it’s tiny and awkwardly positioned. The X-H2S uses the same logical menu system as the X-T4, so settings are relatively easy to find.
Also good for action photographers is the electronic viewfinder (EVF) that provides blackout-free burst shooting and higher resolution (5.76 million dots) than either the Sony A7 IV or Canon EOS R6 (3.68 million dots each). It also packs a high-resolution, fully-articulating touch display that lets you control focus, quick menu and other functions.
For I/O, you get a high-speed USB-C port with power delivery, plus WiFi and Bluetooth for camera controls or transfers. Unfortunately, Fujifilm’s camera app for live view shooting or image imports is relatively primitive (the low 1.7 Play Store rating is a clue), failing to show things like exposure and audio levels for video, or allow burst photo shooting.
Video users get both microphone and headphone ports, along with a nice full-sized HDMI jack for external recorders. To handle the extra speed and video capabilities, it has a pair of card slots, both UHS-II and high-speed CFexpress. And finally, the battery (the same kind as the X-T4 but upgraded) allows up to 720 shots on a charge and well over two hours of 4K 30p video recording.
Performance
Steve Dent/Engadget
With up to 40 fps burst shooting speeds at full resolution, the X-H2S is faster than any other APS-C camera, but there are some caveats to that. It will only hit those top speeds in release, rather than focus priority mode (meaning it takes the shot even if it’s not in focus). That means a lot of your photos will be blurry, so it’s not a realistic mode for action shooting. Dialing down to 30 fps, however, I got a lot more shots in focus and the hit rate was nearly perfect at 20 fps
Shooting with the mechanical shutter, I saw 15 fps burst speeds, very respectable and a match for Canon’s EOS R7. On top of that, the mechanical shutter is very quiet (and sweet-sounding), particularly compared to the clattery shutter on the EOS R7. In that mode or the 20 fps silent mode, I was able to capture upwards of 300 shots at a time to a fast CFexpress card – over 10 seconds of shooting. That’s right up there with sports-centric cameras like Canon’s EOS R3.
The X-H2S is Fujifilm’s first camera with bird and animal tracking, and can also follow cars, motorcycles, bikes, airplanes and trains. It worked pretty well for a first iteration, though it would lose tracking depending on the shooting angle and other factors.
Steve Dent/Engadget
Face and eye tracking, though, is the best I’ve seen on any Fujifilm camera. It tracks smoothly and tenaciously, giving you more shots in focus. It also did a good job of getting a subject’s eye and not their eyelashes or nose in focus. Overall, the autofocus on the X-H2S is much improved from before, but not quite up to Sony and Canon’s standards.
It does beat all its rivals when it comes to shooting discreetly, though. The stacked sensor’s rapid speed means it has minimal rolling shutter in silent mode, so you can confidently use it for shooting birds, wildlife, sports and other fast-moving subjects.
Promising seven stops with supported lenses, the in-body stabilization also performed well for photos, letting me get sharp shots at relatively low shutter speeds. However, it doesn’t work as well for video, as I’ll detail shortly.
Image quality
With a similar 26.2-megapixel sensor to the X-T4 (with the addition of the stacked technology), the X-H2S is among the best APS-C cameras for color rendition. Everything looks natural, whether you’re shooting landscapes, animals or people. JPEGs look good straight out of the camera, with a slightly better balance between noise and sharpening than before thanks to the tweaked color science.
Like the X-T4, it uses a dual-gain sensor, with the sweet spots at ISO 800 and 3200. High ISO performance is nearly on par with the X-T4, with noise reasonably well controlled and detailed preserved up to about ISO 6400. It does offer usable shots beyond that, but exposure needs to be correct or you’ll have excessive noise when boosting blacks.
The 14-bit RAW files offer plenty of room for adjustment, with some exceptions. Because of the dual-gain sensor, it’s better to shoot at higher ISOs than try to shoot at the base ISO 800 and then boost the blacks, as noise levels are higher. Still, you can boost blacks in high-contrast shots by several stops without any issues. It doesn’t perform quite as well as the X-T4 in this regard, likely due to the stacked technology which can raise the noise floor.
As ever, you get a range of useful JPEG film simulations like Velvia, black & white Acros and desaturated Eterna. These are well-designed and produce professional-looking results, and the original image data is preserved in the RAW file.
Video
The X-H2S is a great example of how stacked sensors improve a camera’s video capabilities. The X-H2S is now the most advanced APS-C camera for that, letting you shoot up to 6.2K 30p 3:2 video, supersampled 4K at up to 60 fps, ultra-slow-mo 120 fps 4K and 240 fps HD. Most of those modes are available in several different codecs as well. The list includes H.264 and H.265 (All-I and Long-gop), along with robust ProRes formats, including HQ, 422 and LT. And nearly all modes allow for 10-bit capture for smoother gradients and more.
It also supports Fujifilm’s F-Log and new F-Log2 formats, both in standard and Eterna cinema modes to max out dynamic range. And you can output RAW video to both Blackmagic and Atomos recorders in BRAW and ProRes RAW formats, respectively. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to test those functions, as Fujifilm has yet to enable them.
The 6.2K 3:2 might seem an odd video mode, but it does allow for more creative cropping at the top and bottom of an image. Meanwhile, the more standard 30 fps and 60 fps 4K video is extremely sharp thanks to the downsampling. The ultra-slow-mo 120 fps 4K video is cropped so it’s not quite as sharp, but it’s much less fuzzy than I expected. And even the 1080p 240p is very usable for many projects. Keep in mind that you can’t record audio in either of those modes, however.
Steve Dent/Engadget
Dynamic range is exceptional, exceeding 13 stops when shooting F-Log2. Combined with the 10-bit capture and robust ProRes codecs, you’ll have plenty of room for creative color correction or to fix over- orunder-exposed shots. As with photos, color reproduction favors accuracy, with skin tones that aren’t quite as warm as Canon’s but still pleasant.
Rolling shutter is minimal in standard and F-Log video modes thanks to the extremely fast readout speeds. They’re a bit slower in F-Log2 mode due to the fact that it does a 14-bit readout in this mode (the other modes are 12-bit), but even then, rolling shutter is still less annoying than on rival APS-C cameras like the Canon EOS R7 or Sony A6600.
If you’re concerned about overheating, it’s really only an issue with 4K 120p video, as it’ll tend to stop after 30-60 minutes of shooting, depending on the temperature. That’s really an edge case though, and if it’s an issue for you, Fujifilm has an optional external fan you can plug in under the display.
While improved from the X-T4, video autofocus isn’t as good as those Canon and Sony models, however. It lost focus more often and could occasionally hunt. There’s no ability to touch and track random subjects, and it could be erratic with birds, animals and other preset subjects.The good news, though, is that human face and eye tracking was quite reliable.
Another downside is the in-body stabilization: If you’re just hand-holding the camera and not moving much, you do get very steady shots. But anytime you try to pan and tilt, let alone walk, it has a tendency to jolt suddenly from one position to another. So for that reason, it’s not the best vlogging camera, unless Fujifilm can mitigate the issue a bit with a future update.
Wrap-up
Steve Dent/Engadget
Despite this issue and autofocus still not quite up to par with rivals, the X-H2S is easily the most powerful APS-C camera available right now. As the only model with a stacked sensor, it easily beats all Canon, Nikon and Sony models in terms of performance and video capabilities.At $2,500, though, it’s also the most expensive mainstream APS-C camera – even more than the higher-resolution, $2,000 X-H2.
Is it worth that price? Despite all the power, that’s a tough question. For that kind of money, people might prefer a full-frame camera like the Canon EOS R6 or the Sony A7 IV. At the same time, many Fujifilm fans may be turned off by the less, well, Fujifilm-like control setup.
It’s a more versatile camera than previous Fuji models, though, and is more suited to certain things than full-frame cameras. The crop-sensor gives it better range for wildlife shooting than full-frame models and it uses smaller lenses, too. It beats both the A7 IV and EOS R6 in terms of video capability, and again, the smaller sensor makes focus less critical. Finally, I still like it as a street photography camera – despite the lack of mechanical dials, you can still see F-stop, shutter speed, ISO, etc. on the top LCD display. So if you’re a hybrid shooter that does a variety of photo and video work, the X-H2S could be the perfect camera.
Apple's MacBook air is the thin and light notebook to own if you're looking for the best mix of small size and performance, but the more desirable 512GB version is fairly expensive at $1,499. Fortunately, you can now grab that model Amazon for just $1,349 for a significant savings of $150 (10 percent) — the lowest price we've seen to date. And if you don't need that much space, the 256GB model is also on sale
With a 96 score on our Engadget review, the MacBook Air M2 is one of the best laptops we've ever test. For the first time since launch, Apple changed the design from a wedge to a uniformly thin form, making it not only thinner overall but more balanced. In fact, at 11.3 millimeters and 2.7 pounds, it weighs less than an iPad Pro with its smart keyboard.
The 2,560 x 1,664 Liquid Retina screen is also slightly larger at 13.6 inches, thanks to the bezels and the webcam tucked into the screen notch up top. You also get improved speakers, a Magsafe power adapter and a pair of USB-C ports with support for charging, external monitors and data transfers up to 40Gbps. The M2 processor significantly boosts performance over the Air M1, offering performance nearly comparable to the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2. It starts rapidly, loads apps quickly and offers snappy performance across the board.
The 512GB version is more desirable not only because of the extra space, but the faster SSD performance than the base model — and the $1,349 price tag is the lowest we've seen yet. If that's still not in your budget, the 256GB model is on sale at $1,099 for a savings of $100 (8 percent) — also an all-time low price.
If you work in a noisy environment or travel a lot, high-quality noise cancelling headphones can be a godsend. One of the best of those is the Bose QuietComfort 45 wireless ANC headphones, and they're now on sale at close to an all-time low on Amazon. You can pick them up in either black or white for $249, for a savings of $80 off the regular price.
The QuietComfort 45 earned a strong Engadget review score thanks in part to the excellent sound quality. It offers crisp highs, robust mids and deep bass when a song demands it. The tuning is more neutral than other models, so bass is not booming but exactly as it was intended to be. At the same time, the active noise cancellation is highly effective in a wide range of environments like a train, office or coffee shop. It can even handle things like TVs, voices and similar distractions that other headphones struggle with.
It also comes with handy onboard controls for playing/pausing music, adjusting volume and switching between ANC and ambient sound mode. They charge via USB-C and have an impressive 22.5-hour battery life, so you can wear them all day long without missing a beat.
The only downsides are a less-than-sleek design and the lack of automated pausing seen on rival headphones like the Sony's WH-1000XM4. Also, their multi-device connectivity can be a bit finicky because they don't automatically reconnect to a second device after you take a call. But otherwise, the QC45 are excellent ANC headphones, and this is one of the lowest prices we've seen to date.
Audacity is best known as a free app to do quick audio edits and record audio, but the latest update makes it more viable as a full on production tool, parent Muse Group has announced. Version 3.2 now supports non-destructive editing, real-time effects and enhanced VST3 support, along with user interface improvements and faster audio sharing via a new service, audio.com.
The most welcome addition is non-destructive audio capabilities that allow creators 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 while listening to audio. That compares to previous versions, which required that you render the effect before you could hear it.
The company has completely rewritten the code base for VST plugins to improve stability and reliability, while adding improved support for VST3. It also addressed concerns about what we've called its "ugly and a bit archaic" user interface. And it now offers a "clearer and more consistent set of visuals" in the top bar for editing, with a new "Audio Setup" option that makes it easier to change input, mic and output settings.
Finally, the new audio.com site lets you easily share audio files by sending a link rather than the entire file. You can share files either publicly or privately, or use your account for cloud storage. (Muse Group recently updated its privacy policy, promising it wouldn't sell any of the "very limited" data it collects from users.) The new version of the app is now available as a free download.
Following a request by South Korean prosecutors, Interpol has placed Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon on a "red notice" list, TechCrunch has reported. That will create a request for law enforcement agencies around the world to arrest Kwon following his blockchain company's collapse that took $40 billion from investors with it.
After Korean authorities issued an arrest warrant for Kwon last week, he tweeted that he was "not on the run" or "anything similar." However, prosecutors said that they believed Kwon left Korea to "evade investigation" as he told them through his lawyers that he didn't intend to appear before questioning. "He is clearly on the run as his family members and the company's key finance people also left for the same country [Singapore] at the same time," they said.
Kwon and other Terraform Labs' employees are under investigation for financial fraud and tax evasion following the collapse of its stablecoins, TerraUSD and Luna. The investors, many of whom lost their life savings following the collapse, filed complaints accusing him of running a Ponzi scheme. The crash of the Luna token also played a roll in the collapse of the crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital.
If you have your eye on Samsung's new Galaxy Watch 5 but were waiting for a deal, one has already arrived. Amazon's Woot portal is selling the 40mm model in several colors (Grey, Pink Gold and Silver) for $250, a savings of $30 or 11 percent off the regular price.
The Galaxy Watch 5 scored a solid 85 in our Engadget review, and we once again called it "the best non-Apple smartwatch." Samsung was focused more on perfecting it over the Watch 4, adding extra battery life (a runtime of up to 80 hours), greater durability with Sapphire Crystal glass and an inactive temperature sensor.
Otherwise, it carries the same design and features as before, which is a good thing. Powered by a responsive 5-nanometer Exynos processor and running Wear OS, it uses Samsung's bezel-based navigation with a touch-sensitive ring framing the screen. That gives you access to numerous apps, along with sleep-tracking and coaching plus health and activity tracking. You can get your body composition reading using the body-impedance analysis tool, take ECG scans, reply to messages, control music playback and more.
The lightly curved underside keeps the sensors in contact with your wrist, and it's rated IP68, 5ATM and MIL-STD-810H for durability (water, dust and pressure resistance). The main downside is that battery life is considerably lower with the always-on display compared to the Apple Watch 7. Still, it's the best Android smartwatch available and it's rare to see a discount on such a new device. Bear in mind that sales from Woot are time limited and have a different return policy from parent Amazon.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has formed a new office designed to help marginalized communities deal with the extra burdens of pollution and climate change, Reuters has reported. The Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights will be staffed by 200 EPA employees located in the agency's Washington head office and 10 regional bureaus.
"The establishment of a new office dedicated to advancing environmental justice and civil rights at EPA will ensure the lived experiences of underserved communities are central to our decision-making while supporting community-driven solutions," said US Vice President Kamala Harris.
One of the primary jobs of the new office will be to oversea the distribution of $3 billion in environmental justice grants created by the passage the of Inflation Reduction Act, as part of a $60 billion investment in environmental justice. It'll also check that other EPA programs hew to President Biden's Justice40 initiative designed to ensure that 40 percent of certain government investments flow to disadvantaged communities. Finally, it'll help communities access grants, enforce civil rights laws and resolve environmental conflicts.
The new office was launched at an event in Warren County, North Carolina, the site of 1982 protests over toxic waste dumping in the region. The resulting civil disobedience actions and arrests failed to stop the 22-acre dump, but gave birth to the modern environmental justice movement. The 40th anniversary of the protests was commemorated by participants last week.
Amazon's Echo Show smart displays with Alexa voice control are already a good value next to the competition, but a bunch of deals are making them even cheaper. The Show 5 is the best one, on sale right now for just $40, or 53 percent off the regular price. And if you want a larger screen, you can find great deals on the Show 8 and Show 15 — including a free Show 5 with the latter.
The Echo Show 5 scored a very solid 85 score in our Engadget review, as it's small size is ideal if don't have a ton of space on your desk, nightstand or countertop. It has a 5.5-inch, 960 x 480 resolution display that shows things like weather forecasts, calendar events, photos and more.
The 2MP camera can be used to video chat with friends and family, but it can also be used as a makeshift security camera of sorts. And if you prefer you're concerned about privacy, the Show 5 has a built-in camera shutter and mic mute button. It was already a good deal at $85, but at $40, it's a no-brainer. And if you're thinking of getting that model for a youngster, the Echo Show 5 Kids with parental controls is also on sale for $50, or 47 percent off the regular $95 price.
Engadget
If it's a larger screen you're after, the Echo Show 8 also scored high in our review, thanks to the elegant minimalist design, vibrant 1,280 x 800 resolution display and handy video calling functionality. The digital pan-and-zoom face-tracking feature follows you while you move around to keep you in frame, and works with every video calling app out there. It also offers stereo speakers, making it one of the best-sounding smart displays available. You can pick one up for $80, just above the lowest price we've seen.
With a big 15-inch screen, the Echo Show 15 is the big daddy of Amazon's smart display products. You can of course use it to control compatible smart home devices and link it to Echo speakers for richer audio. Family members can have their own profiles, using voice ID and face-recognition to access personalized content like reminders, appointments and music. The only downside is that it doesn't come with a stand as it's meant to be wall mounted. Still, you can grab one for $250 (an $85 discount), and Amazon is throwing in a free Echo 5 to boot.
Confirming rumors, Google has unveiled the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) device that offers features from the $50 4K model at a significantly cheaper $30 price. Unlike the original $35 Chromecast, it comes with a remote control that eliminates the need for a smartphone, though you can control it with a mobile device as well. The other key feature is right there in the name — lower 1080p resolution, albeit with HDR support.
The new device looks nigh-on identical to the 4K model, with an oval shape, short HDMI cable and a USB-C input. As before, it comes with all the popular streaming services including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Prime Video, YouTube and others. It supports Stadia games as well, and of course, you can cast compatible Android and iOS apps or mirror your Chrome browser tabs.
There's a Google Assistant button on the remote to control programming, ask questions or control smart home connected devices. Plus, it can be grouped with Nest speakers for multi-room playback around the home via music apps like Spotify, Pandora and YouTube Music.
Back in January, it was rumored that the device could decode high-quality, low-bandwidth AV1 files (the 4K model doesn't currently support that), but there's no word yet on that. It's bound to appeal to buyers on a budget, but many people were hoping for a faster 4K model with more storage instead. Chromecast with Google TV (HD) is now available for $30.
