After years of waiting and nearly a year of teasing, EVE Online can play 'properly' on a Mac. CCP Games has released its first truly native EVE client for both Intel- and Apple Silicon-based Macs — no more using a compatibility layer to play the spaceship-focused MMO. That should improve performance and reduce memory demands, as you might expect, but it also enables Mac-native keyboard and mouse commands you've had to forego until now.
The game remains free-to-play, although CCP clearly hopes you'll be sufficiently engrossed to spend real money. Mac users will share the same game universe as their Windows counterparts.
This isn't about to up-end the market for gaming computers. There are only so many people who both prefer Macs and are determined to play EVE Online. This could significantly expand the number of Macs that can play EVE in the first place, though, and might make the game an easy pick if you're looking for Mac-friendly online titles beyond obvious choices like World of Warcraft.
Google says it will phase out its use of Material Design interface elements within its iOS apps in favor of Apple’s own UIKit. Jeff Verkoeyen, the company's iOS design chief, announced the change in a Twitter thread spotted by The Verge.
This year my team shifted the open source Material components libraries for iOS into maintenance mode. Why?
Introduced in 2014, Material Design is Google’s in-house design language. The company has used it to unify the look and feel of its apps and services across various platforms. According to Verkoeyen, Google shifted its open source iOS Material component libraries into maintenance mode earlier this year after it conducted a “deep evaluation” of what it means to build a “hallmark” Google experience on iOS. What it found was that many of the custom elements it started building nearly a decade ago to fill gaps in UIKit’s design language are no longer necessary.
“With the introduction of SwiftUI and significant UIKit improvements in iOS 14+, it’s never been easier to build a great branded experience with a tiny amount of code,” Verkoeyen said.
With the shift to UIKit, Verkoeyen expects his team will spend less time building custom code, which should hopefully lead to faster and more frequent releases. Additionally, the use of UIKit should allow the company to more tightly integrate its software into iOS. However, those benefits may pale in comparison to the fact the company’s apps may end up looking more at home on Apple devices.
Google Cloud has added tools to help users gain a better understanding of their environmental impact as part of the company's broader efforts to combat climate change. The Carbon Footprint feature shows the gross carbon emissions linked to the electricity consumption of someone's Cloud Platform use. It displays emissions over time and can break down the data by project, product and region.
Companies will be able to roll this information into their own emissions data for internal audits and making carbon disclosures (they can export the data to Salesforce Sustainability Cloud, for instance). Google stressed that the figures relate to a user's gross carbon emissions, since the company has been carbon neutral for over a decade. It plans to run entirely on carbon-free energy by 2030.
Google Cloud will also flag applications that are not in use, as well as their carbon emissions. Google suggests that deleting apps identified by the Unattended Project Recommender will help companies mitigate security risks, lower costs and reduce their carbon footprint.
Google #EarthEngine is now available in preview to commercial customers via Google Cloud Platform. We're building on our long track record on environmental impact to enable companies and governments that want to make progress on climate action. https://t.co/j2EXcalf4h
In addition, Google is bringing Earth Engine to the Cloud Platform for select users. Using satellite imagery, data sets and other tools, companies can harness Earth Engine to "track, monitor and predict changes in the Earth’s surface" caused by extreme weather events or human activity. That, Google says, will enable businesses to reduce and mitigate risks, "become more resilient to climate change threats" and save money. Companies can apply for access to Earth Engine through Google Cloud.
Last week, Google unveiled a string of features that highlight the environmental impact of consumer choices. Shopping results can promote greener options, while Google Flights started showing carbon emission estimates for almost all trips. The Nest Renew program, meanwhile, can switch your thermostat on or off depending on the availability of clean energy. In addition, Google is hoping to use AI to improve the efficiency of traffic lights and reduce pollution from idle cars.
Google has countersued Epic Games over in-app purchases on Fortnite, saying it "willfully breached" its Play Store developer agreement, ZDNet has reported. Epic originally sued Google in August, shortly after it filed a complaint against, and was countersued by, Apple. "Epic has alternatively been unjustly enriched at Google's expense," the company said in its complaint.
As a reminder, Epic sued Google for removing Fortnite from its Play Store after a "Mega Drop" update gave players a way to bypass Play and get discounted items. Google later forced OnePlus to break off a deal that would have seen the Fortnite launcher pre-installed on its OnePlus 8 smartphone, bypassing the Play Store and eliminating Google's commission on in-app purchases.
Google stated that unlike with Apple's App Store, Android developers aren't forced to use Google Play. "They choose to use it when given a choice among Android app stores and distribution channels," according to the complaint. "Google supports that choice through Android itself, Google Play's policies and Google's agreements with developers and device manufacturers."
Unlike competitors like Apple, Google does not require Android users or developers to use Google Play in order to download, install, or distribute apps on Android.
That argument is complicated by documents unsealed in Epic's original lawsuit against Google, however. They showed that Google paid other game developers and phone makers like LG and Motorola to exclusively use the Play Store rather than offering other store options. That's one reason cited by the 38 US states and territories that filed an antitrust suit against Google, in the same California federal court where Epic filed its own claim.
In 2018, Google reportedly offered Epic up to $208 million to bring Fortnite to the Play Store — effectively cutting its usual 30 percent take by around five percent. According to the same court documents, Google was so concerned by a potential loss of Play Store revenue that it even considered acquiring Epic.
Epic received a mixed ruling in its lawsuit battle with Apple. On the one hand, judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ordered Apple to eliminate App Store rules that prevent developers from adding in-app links to payment sites. On the other, she ruled that Apple was not anticompetitive based on California law and ordered Epic to pay Apple $3.6 million. Both parties have appealed that ruling, and Apple has said it won't letFortnite back on the store until all appeals are resolved.
Google TV is about to make it easier for everyone in your household to maintain their own watchlists. If you already use the platform, you may know that more than one person can sign in with their Google Account. However, at the moment, Google TV will only generate recommendations for the primary account holder. That’s about to change.
Google is introducing support for personalized profiles, allowing everyone with a Google account in your household to maintain their own watchlists and Assistant settings. That also means they’ll be able to get their own content recommendations. Support for personalized accounts will start rolling out next month to Chromecast with Google TV in addition to supported sets from TCL and Sony.
With the introduction of accounts, Google is also enhancing the platform’s ambient mode. In addition to shortcuts for things like podcasts, music and photos, you’ll see glanceable cards that will include personalized information related to the weather, news and more. This feature will first be available only in the US. Lastly, if you’re a Philo TV subscriber, you’ll now see content from the service show up in Google TV’s Live and For you tabs. Separately from today's announcements, Google told Engadget the mobile remote app for Google TV will be available soon through the Google Home app on Android and iOS.
If you're looking for a storage bump on your camera, PC, smartphone or Switch console, Amazon is featuring SanDisk and WD storage as it's Deal of the Day. You can boost your phone, tablet or Switch storage with a SanDisk Ultra 256GB MicroSD card for just $27, saving 18 percent in the process. And if you're looking for a high-capacity SD card for your camera, Amazon is selling the SanDisk Extreme Pro 256GB SDXC UHS-I card (up to 170MB/s read speeds) for just $48, over half off the regular price.
SanDisk's MicroSDXC memory cards offer the maximum performance you can get with a UHS-I memory card at 120MB/s on supported devices. That'll let you add games to a Switch or offload photos, video and other large files on a smartphone. Amazon is selling them in a wide variety of sizes, but the best price per gigabyte is on the 256GB model, available for a very palatable $27.
On the other hand, do you own a camera that uses UHS-I cards, like the A6600 or any other Sony APS-C mirrorless model? If so, then you should strongly consider picking up a SanDisk 256GB Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-I card for just $48 (52 percent off). It'll not only give you enough storage to keep shooting for a long while, it delivers the fastest write speeds possible (90MB/s) in that format. If you have SanDisk's compatible reader, you can then write the files to your PC at 170MB/s — faster than the UHS-I standard normally allows.
Other notable discounts include SanDisk's 2TB Extreme Pro Portable SSD at $300, or 41 percent off, and the 4TB WD Red Pro NAS internal HDD discounted 47 percent to $105. Since they're part of Amazon's Deal of the Day, all products are on sale for today only.
It has been a busy couple of weeks at Engadget and we have many reviews to recap. Nathan Ingraham reviewed the newest base iPad as well as the Microsoft Surface Go 3, the latter of which he says lacks the processing power to be more than a secondary machine. Devindra Hardawar reviewed Windows 11, which he called both refined and frustrating, and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, which he enjoyed but found it to be underpowered for the price. Also, Dana Wollman checked out the Surface Pro 8 two-in-one, which solved some problems but created others with its new, higher price tag.
Dana Wollman was pleased to see that the Surface Pro 8 addressed some of our complaints about the previous version. It has a redesigned, larger display with skinnier bezels, improved resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, along with 11th-gen Core i5 and i7 processors and a slightly higher-res rear camera. But the detachable keyboard is still sold separately for $180, and the two-in-one starts off more expensive at $1,100. It’s also 15 percent heavier at 1.96 pounds without the keyboard. Dana says that’s lighter than her MacBook Pro, but that doesn’t make it an ideal mobile device.
The built-in kickstand seems to indicate the machine is best used when docked, not held. Dana said the kickstand is premium, albeit a bit awkward to pull out due to the narrow divots. She was underwhelmed by the images from the 10-megapixel rear camera, though it can record in 4K, and she was more impressed by the webcam that proved to be capable even in mixed lighting. The 120Hz refresh rate is a major improvement and she says you won’t want to revert back to 60Hz even if it helps save a bit of battery life. She also appreciated the Slim Pen 2, which has a haptic motor that made it fun to use. However, she admits that the higher price point makes the Surface Pro 8 even more of a niche item.
Nathan Ingraham likes many of the features of the Surface Go 3: it’s well-built, has a lovely and responsive touchscreen, a strong kickstand and is extremely light and portable. However, like the Surface Pro 8, it doesn’t come with a keyboard and you’ll definitely need one as Windows 11 still doesn’t offer up a stellar tablet experience. The bigger issue for him was the underpowered specs and average battery life. The model he reviewed came with a 10th-generation Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
That makes for a mostly capable machine for basic tasks, but Nathan experienced occasional music stutters and had to reload tabs during his workday. He noticed lag while working in Adobe Lightroom, and had issues during video calls while jumping into other programs. During his normal work routine, the battery lasted five hours, which detracts from the device’s portability. However, he liked the 10.5-inch, 1,920 x 1,280 touchscreen and the 3:2 aspect ratio as well as the infinitely adjustable kickstand. While Nathan says he can see the Surface Go 3 working as a secondary machine for travel, it’s hard to recommend as a daily driver because of its performance and battery life issues.
One of the first Windows 11 PCs, the Surface Laptop Studio has a 14.4-inch screen with a speedy 120Hz refresh rate and weighs around four pounds. Devindra Hardawar says while it’s clearly not trying to be an ultraportable, it is ultra-adjustable thanks to the display that tilts it into various angles. The display itself entranced him with its flexible hinge, fantastic Dolby Vision support and refresh rate, though it is surrounded by chunkier bezels. He said the speakers are surprisingly powerful thanks to the two subwoofers on the sides and the tweeters blasting through the keyboard.
While Devindra found the Laptop Studio to be a solid performer for everyday computing tasks — and fast enough to play Overwatch at 90 and 100fps — it has only a quad-core chip, and that makes it hard to recommend when so many similar machines feature more powerful six- or eight-core CPUs. He was also annoyed by the anemic port situation: two USB-C ports, which support ThunderBolt 4, and a proprietary Surface Connect slot, but there’s no longer an SD card slot, which would have been an opportunity to outdo the competition. At least Microsoft included the excellent keyboard from the Book 3 and the new Surface Slim Pen 2. While Devindra genuinely liked using the Surface Laptop Studio, he said he still wanted more power overall.
Devindra Hardawar doesn’t think that Microsoft is trying to fix much with Windows 11. Although the new operating system is more of a coat of paint over Windows 10, he doesn’t feel that’s a problem. Devindra says the more he uses the OS, the easier it is to see how far the small design tweaks have taken the software. The taskbar now has centered icons, the Start menu has a redesigned look with pinned apps, windows have rounded corners and the icons, Explorer and Settings apps look sharp making for a more refined feel overall.
The system requirements are a bit more rigid: compatible Intel, AMD or Qualcomm processor, 4GB RAM, at least 64GB storage and you’ll have to enable Secure Boot and Trust Platform Module 2.0 which make it harder for spyware and malware to attack. This means there are some additional complications if you’ve got older hardware or if you’ve built your own PC. Windows 11 will also be the only way to use Microsoft’s DirectStorage technology, which Devindra says should dramatically speed up load times when it’s available. He says that the combination of a refreshed look, additional security and faster performance is a step forward — just not a momentous one.
The 2021 refreshed iPad isn’t for early adopters like Nathan Ingraham. The updated tablet now includes a 12-megapixel front camera with Center Stage support, double the base amount of storage, the new A13 Bionic chip and iPad OS 15. However, the hardware is largely unchanged from the previous two versions. It has basically the same size and weight and still includes a 10.2-inch, 2,160 x 1,620 touchscreen, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a Lightning port for charging.
That means that this is an iPad meant for those who want a tablet that’s fast, lightweight, easy to carry around and (relatively) cheap. For most standard iPad users — those who use a tablet primarily for things like playing games or browsing the web — the new chipset will provide more than enough power. Nathan didn’t notice any slowdowns while multitasking with several open apps, though he did notice that some apps needed to refresh more frequently during those periods. Also, while the screen was serviceable for watching videos and playing games, it can’t compare to the screens on the other iPads in the lineup. But for $330, as Nathan says, who cares? If your iPad is more than a few years old, you'll find some significant improvements in this one.
Though the first thing you’ll notice about the new Fitbit Charge 5 is the 1.04-inch color AMOLED touchscreen. Valentina Palladino says that the changes made to the wearable — rounded edges and a 10-percent thinner body — made it more comfortable to wear as well. The fitness band also now has some more advanced features like ECG measurements and EDA monitoring for stress levels. The ECG measuring is coming soon and Valentina said that the EDA monitoring wasn’t intuitive and left her frustrated. She had better luck with the built-in GPS, which immediately picked up her location and accurately mapped her running route.
Valentina also liked the alarm and timer apps, which she found helpful throughout the day. However, she was disappointed that Fitbit removed some of the music-focused features, which meant she had to pull out her phone to skip a track or control playback. She was also a bit irked to see that some of the Charge 5’s more advanced metrics, like select sleep and exercise data, were part of Fitbit’s subscription service that costs $10 per month. But she did applaud the battery life and the inclusion of Fitbit Pay with NFC. She says if what you’re looking for is a low-profile wearable with a focus on fitness and a multi-day battery life, then the Charge 5 will fit the bill.
Devindra Hardawar says there was plenty to like about the first-gen Sonos Beam. When it comes to the Beam Gen 2, he says the addition of Dolby Atmos means the device can deliver a wider, more immersive soundscape. With largely the same hardware — a center tweeter, four mid-woofers and three passive radiators — this soundbar relies on more processing power to simulate the Dolby Atmos experience. Devindra says it worked surprisingly well during his testing, but wasn’t a replacement for having actual speakers dedicated to blasting height channels.
He liked that the Beam Gen 2 was still surprisingly compact at 25.6 inches wide and weighing six pounds, and that it has the same Ethernet, HDMI and power ports on the rear. And he appreciated how easy the set up was via Sonos’s app. In testing, the new Beam excelled during action movies: while watching Baby Driver, Devindra said it was a richer experience and even the dialog sounded clearer, too. However, music playback wasn’t as dramatically different and Dolby Atmos support for Amazon Music will come later this year. Sonos also makes it easy to synchronize audio throughout your home and the Alexa integration works well. Devindra says it’s a solid sub-$500 soundbar to take your movie-watching up a notch.
With three oscillators, two envelopes, two LFOs, two filters, an analog overdrive and twelve digital effects, the Uno Synth Pro offers plenty of options for sound design. Terrence O’Brien tested the smaller $400 Desktop model, which features a set of touch keys and an all-plastic body (the synth also comes in a standard $650 Pro model with a 37-key Fatar keybed and a partially metal chassis). He said that the overall construction feels solid enough, the buttons are decent, the knobs offer good resistance and the screen, while small, provides all the information you need.
However, the gray, black and red color scheme made it difficult to quickly spot the controls, especially in darker environments. He also didn’t like the four top knobs that change all the parameters. But Terrence said his biggest issue was with the touch keys and strips — they felt unresponsive and would occasionally fail to detect touches, which was worse in three-voice paraphone mode. The pitch and mod strips behaved similarly. But his frustrations were largely forgotten once the synth started making noise: Terrence said the oscillators have body and grit and the saw wave just rips. Overall, he was impressed enough with the wealth of sound design tools and the quality of the oscillators and filters to call himself a convert.
After using both the second- and third-generation Smart Socks on my twins, I’d grown accustomed to being able to check in on their stats anytime from my phone. When they aged out of their socks, it was an uncomfortable transition — for me. Owlet says I’m not alone: 72 percent of the users they polled indicated they’d like to keep using the device to measure their children’s heart rate and pulse ox levels. In response the company updated its algorithm and made the Smart Sock Plus, which can accommodate children up to five years old or 55 pounds.
Aside from the larger sock and better algorithm, the Smart Sock Plus is much the same as the standard, third-gen device. In testing, the Plus seemed to fit better but I had to employ work-arounds to keep my kids from taking them off. I also noticed fewer alerts about a misaligned sock, which was a welcome update. At $359 the Smart Sock Plus is pretty pricey for new users, but the $69 expansion pack available for existing customers is likely to do well as it extends the life time of the sock considerably.
Kris Naudus is plain: the new Nintendo Switch OLED, while lovely, isn’t a must-have. Though the refreshed handheld system features a brighter, 7-inch OLED screen, a new stand ideal for tabletop mode, an Ethernet port and a new coating which feels good in hand, not much has changed under the hood. The CPU and GPU remain the same, ensuring the future game titles will be compatible with existing Switch and Switch Light devices, and the infamous Joy-Cons haven’t been redesigned (though hopefully the drift issues have been solved).
Kris was impressed by the new stand, which is a Surface-style panel that stretches the length of the entire unit and can be left in any angle you prefer. However, because the USB-C port is still on the bottom which means it can’t be charged while set in tabletop mode. She also liked the slimmer bezels and coating on the frame and said the new buttons look sleeker and feel better. It’s the same height and width as the original Switch, too, so it will fit with all existing accessories. And though the battery is the same, it appears to be more power-efficient thanks to the new OLED screen. Despite that, Kris says unless you’ve given up your original or really need the OLED screen, you’ll be fine sticking with your current system.
Daniel Cooper would tell you that he enjoyed his time with the pricey Carol smart exercise bike, a machine intended to be used in short workouts of eight minutes and 40 seconds. Using the methods employed by Reduced Exertion, High Intensity Interval Training (REHIIT), the bike features exercise videos that you can follow via the 10.1-inch color touchscreen if you subscribe to the company’s service. Because the screen is a Lenovo tablet, you can run third-party apps through it like Peloton’s so you could take classes from there, to. Daniel says the Carol app is clean and colorful: the UI flashes when you hit a high intensity phase and power output visualizations were particularly great.
The bike itself looks like any at-home exercise bike with a large, real-slung flywheel and a drive unit to house the system to electronically control the resistance. The short handles contain heart rate-monitoring electrodes and the height of the handlebars and seat height and distance are all adjustable. After spending time with it, Daniel admits he feels like his fitness and mood both improved, but the $2,400 price tag is especially hard to swallow.
Google hasn't completely given up on RSS. Earlier this year, it started testing a Follow button in Chrome on Android, which allows users to get updates from websites on the new tab page. As of today, the feature is available in the browser's stable build, so all Android users can try it.
Starting today, we're experimenting on Chrome stable with a Following feature. You can choose websites to follow, and their RSS updates will appear on Chrome's new tab page. We've been working on this for a while & I'm super excited to hear what people think 👇 pic.twitter.com/GUcdSQTv3E
If you're running Chrome 94 or a pre-stable version, you might already see the Follow button in the menu. Otherwise, as Chrome director of engineering Adrienne Porter Felt wrote on Twitter, you can switch on the feature manually. Go to chrome://flags, search for "web feed" and enable the setting. Although the Follow button is only available on Android for now, Felt suggested it's coming to iOS next year.
The feature won't quite have the same level of utility as dedicated RSS readers, of course. It might not make up for the terrible decision to kill Google Reader all those years ago either, but it could be a handy way to stay on top of updates from your favorite websites.
Unlike the latest iPads and iPhones, the Apple Watch Series 7 didn't immediately open up for pre-orders after it was announced in mid September. Apple only said the wearable would be coming "later this fall," and it seems that time is now. The Apple Watch Series 7 is available for pre-order today starting at 5am PT / 8am ET from Apple as well as Amazon and other retailers, and it will be widely available starting October 15. The wearable starts at $399 and comes in two sizes, 41mm and 45mm, as well as five colors: green, blue, midnight, starlight and Product Red.
The biggest changes come in the Apple Watch's screen this year, which is 20 percent larger with bezels surrounding it that are 40 percent smaller than those on the Series 6. The always-on Retina display is also 70 percent brighter, which should make it easier to see even when your wrist is turned downward. The Series 7 is also the first Apple Watch to have an IPX6 certification for resistance to dust, and it remains water-resistant as well. Battery life remains the same — roughly 18 hours — but the Series 7 will charge up to 33 percent faster than the Series 6 thanks to its new magnetic charger with USB-C connector.
As usual, Apple's bringing a lot of updates to multiple Watch models with watchOS 8. The software update will include a new mindfulness app, sleep respiratory rate tracking, fall detection updates and new workouts like Tai Chi. Series 7 users will be able to access a new QWERTY keyboard on the Watch as well, so you can more easily type (or swipe) a message.
We have yet to give the Series 7 the full review treatment, so be sure to check Engadget in the coming weeks for all of our thoughts on Apple's latest smartwatch.
Smartphones have made it easier than ever to tune your guitar. All you have to do these days is find a decent tuning app or ask Google Assistant to tune your instrument. Now Google has made the process even more painless by launching a chromatic tuner right within Search. The tech giant has told Android Police that it has just rolled out the new Search feature, which can be accessed on pretty much any device.
Unlike the Assistant function that needs, well, a device that can access the voice assistant, you can summon this tuner simply by doing a query in Search on mobile or desktop. Just type in "google tuner" to see it right on top of the results page. Of course, the device you're using must have a functional microphone to be able to hear your instrument, and you'll need to give the feature permission to access it.
This is what the tuner looks like on desktop:
Engadget
According to Android Police, its effectiveness depends on the microphone of your device. Some devices might need you to play loudly or really, really close to them, and smartphones might work better than computers for this particular purpose. After you get it to work, the tuner will let you know whether your instrument is in tune or if you need to adjust it with the help of a visual indicator. This built-in Google tuner joins other music-related features in the tech giant's search engine, including "Hum to Search," which can help you identify songs stuck in your head.
