As promised, Jeep has detailed its first Grand Cherokee plug-in hybrid. The company has confirmed the Grand Cherokee 4xe will arrive in North American dealers in early 2022, and will sport more capabilities than you might have expected. The estimated 25 miles of all-electric driving (440 miles total) won't necessarily cover your entire commute, but Jeep is promising a rough-and-ready PHEV that can climb hills without touching the 2.0L turbo gas engine. You can also drive in a full hybrid mode for peak performance and an "eSave" mode to preserve the 17kWh battery for later.

You can also expect new technology inside, such as 10-inch front and rear passenger displays with built-in Fire TV — your kids can stream Prime Video in the backseat. The driver, meanwhile, gets a 10-inch display with a much faster Uconnect 5 platform that supports over-the-air updates.

The 4xe and its regular counterparts are improved off-roaders with semi-active damping for air suspension as well as a front-axle disconnect when the SUV senses it doesn't need all-wheel drive. You'll also get semi-autonomous help through an optional Active Driving Assist system that takes over so long as your hands are on the wheel and your eyes are on the road. Jeep is promising a 6,000lbs maximum towing capacity.

Jeep hasn't divulged pricing for the Grand Cherokee 4xe, although it will be available in increasingly loaded Limited, Trailhawk, Overland, Summit and Summit Reserve editions. It's already safe to say this is an important vehicle for the brand, though. Parent company Stellantis is racing to catch up with rivals in electrifying its vehicles, with plans for a fully electric version of every SUV by 2025. The plug-in hybrid is a critical first step in that direction.

Apple is adding another classic game to Arcade's repertoire, albeit a relatively recent one. Drool's "rhythm hell" title Thumper: Pocket Edition will be available through the all-you-can-play subscription service starting October 1st for iPhone, iPad and Mac gamers. The mechanics will be familiar if you've played the title on one of its many other platforms, but that doesn't make it any less intense — you're barrelling through a rhythm course at high speed, with precious little room for error.

The addition represents a familiar strategy for Apple. It's counting on recognizable and sometimes exclusive Arcade games to reel in subscribers and boost its increasingly important services business. Not that you'll necessarily mind. Thumper normally costs $5 by itself, so this might tip the balance if you were already considering Arcade or an Apple One bundle.

After roughly five years of work, the Lucid Air is finally close to reaching customers' garages. Lucid Motors said it has started production of the luxury EV and expects to deliver the first Dream Edition models in late October. There will only be 520 Dream units (conveniently a match for the car's 520-mile estimated range). However, Lucid won't be hurting for early customers. Even if only some of the 13,000 reservation holders commit to a purchase, that's a significant volume for an upscale car from a relatively new brand.

Those numbers might climb. The fledgling automaker plans a rapid expansion that will add about 65 acres (2.85 million square feet) to its Casa Grande, Arizona factory. It may need the extra output, too. Lucid plans to mass-produce its first SUV, the Gravity, in 2023, and electric SUVs have lately been in high demand.

The Air starts at $77,400. In addition to its potentially Tesla-beating range, it promises rare perks like Dolby Atmos audio, very quick charging (20 minutes for 300 miles) and a 34-inch cockpit display.

There's no guarantee Lucid will succeed when competing against Tesla, Rivian and rapidly electrifying incumbent car brands. While its strategy is familiar to Tesla fans (its first truly large-scale EV was also a luxury sedan), Lucid is entering a much more established market with competitors that have ample resources and name recognition. With that said, just making it to production is notable feat. EV startups like Faraday Future and Lordstown Motors are still struggling to reach that point, giving Lucid a considerable lead over some of its key rivals.

Amazon tends to avoid livestreaming its big hardware events, but it's happy to share video after the fact — and this year's presentation is one you might want to see. The company has posted its complete fall 2021 hardware event stream online to illustrate everything it introduced in vivid detail, including a few decidedly left-field products. You can watch the whole affair below.

Believe it or not, an Alexa home robot is just the start of what Amazon revealed during its hour-long stream. The company also launched a kid-centric video call device, an extra-large Echo Show, a Ring security system with a router built-in, other smart home gadgets and a bevy of services. The biggest surprise may simply be the lack of ordinary Echo speakers. Amazon was clearly more interested in expanding its lineup than revamping its existing offerings.

Follow all of the news from Amazon’s fall hardware event right here!

Microsoft wasn't just indulging in wishful thinking when it said it wanted more third-party app stores in Windows 11's portal. The Vergenotes that new Microsoft Store policies now allow third-party storefront apps. And no, Amazon's Appstore isn't the only partner hopping aboard — the Epic Games Store is also coming to the Microsoft Store in the "next few months." As promised, Microsoft won't demand a share of revenue from these shops.

The company's loosened policies on rival browsers (which now allow browsers with non-Microsoft engines) are also paying dividends. Opera and Yandex Browser are coming to the Microsoft Store to provide an alternative to Edge. These additions won't help much if your first impulse is to download Chrome or Firefox, but they suggest Microsoft is open to at least some competition in its own store.

There's no mention of Steam, GOG or other well-known app and game stores. It's also unsurprising that Epic is an early adopter. It's a vocal opponent of Apple's App Store policies and determined to offer the Epic Games Store wherever possible. Microsoft is unsurprisingly taking advantage of this. It can pitch Windows 11's store as a more open alternative to Apple's Mac App Store, even if Mac users don't have any real trouble accessing the EGS and other storefronts.

Amazon's Blink has developed a reputation for low-cost security cameras, and that now extends to your front door. The brand has unveiled a Blink Video Doorbell that, at $50, could be a solid option if you're not interested in some of the frills available from Ring and rival brands. It 'only' captures 1080p video, but it supports Alexa integration (of course), your choice of wired or wireless connections and the option to store footage on a USB thumb drive (when attached to a Sync Module 2) if you don't want a subscription for cloud storage.

Two AA batteries will keep the doorbell running for up to two years, although that's with a wired connection. Blink didn't say how long the Video Doorbell would last on a wireless link, but it's safe to presume you'll be swapping cells more often. The hardware is available for pre-order today.

Blink/Amazon

Blink is simultaneously expanding its outdoor camera accessories. The Amazon badge has introduced a $40 Floodlight Camera mount (shown at middle) that pairs with the Blink Outdoor camera to bathe your yard with 700 lumens of LED light whenever there's motion. There's also a Solar Power Mount that gives the Outdoor camera a "nonstop" charge. Blink didn't mention separate pricing for the solar mount, but you can buy it as part of a $130 bundle with the Outdoor cam. A $140 bundle pairs the Outdoor with the Floodlight Camera attachment.

Follow all of the news from Amazon’s fall hardware event right here!

Amazon is pairing its new Halo View activity tracker with services to match. The company has introduced Halo Fitness and Halo Nutrition features that promise to keep you in shape. You'll need to subscribe to the $80 yearly Halo membership to make use of them, but Amazon is clearly betting the Halo bands' customers will treat the outlay as an investment.

Halo Fitness is a not-so-subtle alternative to Apple Fitness+ and similar services. The feature promises "hundreds" of professional workouts, including familiar cardio, strength and yoga sessions as well as basic mobility classes. Like Apple's service, you'll see stats from your wearables (both the Halo Band and Halo View) on-screen to keep your focus on the workout.

Developing...

Follow all of the news from Amazon’s fall hardware event right here!

You won't have to wait until November 19th to learn whether or not Battlefield 2042 is any good. DICE and EA have revealed the open beta for the massive-scale team shooter will take place between October 8th and October 9th. As is sometimes the case with blockbusters like this, pre-order customers and EA Play members can start playing early, on October 6th.

The beta is limited to the classic Conquest mode on a single map, Orbital (the one from the trailer, pictured above). You can choose from one of four Specialists (read: player classes). The game supports as many as 128 players on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, but you'll be limited to 'just' 64 players on PS4 or Xbox One.

A two-day public test isn't exactly extensive. It might give you a feel for the game, though, and could help you decide whether or not it's worth $60 (on PC and older consoles) or $70 (PS5 and Xbox Series X/S). If nothing else, this suggests the developers are confident enough in the game to give everyone a brief sample.

Volvo and Aurora are one step closer to putting autonomous semi trucks on North American roads. The two have revealed a prototype self-driving semi truck meant for "long-haul" trips in North America, not just quick hops as with past vehicles. The variant of Volvo's VNL looks familiar, but packs a wide array of sensors to detect the surrounding environment and navigate on its own using the virtual Aurora Driver.

The automaker was shy on technical details, but said the big rig expanded on existing VNL safety features like Volvo Dynamic Steering and automated transmission to create a "redundant" system. This truck might not run into much trouble on the highway, in other words. The companies previously said they hoped for Level 4 autonomy, or completely human-free driving in limited situations.

Volvo has already put autonomous trucks into service in countries like Norway and its Swedish homeland. However, they've generally been limited to short, narrowly defined routes. In theory, the new prototype could handle the longer distances and varied conditions necessary to shuttle payloads between North American cities.

Volvo didn't say when it expected the prototype to reach public roads, let alone when you might see a production truck. The company would also need regulations allowing commercial self-driving trucks, not just the testing you see in some states. This is an important step toward Volvo's driverless trucking goal, but far from the last step.

You haven't had much choice for compact keyboards these days — many of them are mechanical keyboards aimed at gamers and hobbyists, and Apple's Magic Keyboard doesn't make much sense for non-Apple users. Logitech might have a more viable alternative for some people, however. It just introduced an MX Keys Mini wireless keyboard that shrinks the original MX Keys design into a tiny, minimalist footprint.

The MX Keys Mini doesn't include a number pad or other perks from a full-size keyboard, but it does preserve the "Perfect Stroke" system that combines non-mechanical switches with dished keys that can improve your typing accuracy. There are even a few new functions you won't get in the larger keyboard, including a dictation key for Macs and Windows PCs, a microphone mute toggle and an emoji key.

The Mini supports Android, ChromeOS, Linux, iOS and iPadOS using either Bluetooth or a USB receiver, with pairing for up to three devices. USB-C fast charging will help if you need a few more hours of typing in a pinch.

The MX Keys Mini is available now for $100 in dark gray, pink and silver colors. That's not a huge drop from the $130 price of the full MX Keys, but it's on par with the no-frills Magic Keyboard. It's arguably a better buy if you prefer the ergonomics of Logitech's keyboard, don't like the feel of mechanicals or just want a keyboard you can easily shuffle between platforms.