BlueCruise, Ford's intelligent adaptive cruise control system, already offers drivers a number of assistive features such as lane centering, street sign recognition and hands-free highway driving along more than 130,000 miles of US roadways. On Thursday, Ford announced that it will begin releasing the program's version 1.2 update later this Fall beginning with the 2023 Mach-E and will include new assists like hands-free lane changing, in-lane repositioning, and predictive speed assist. The same additions are also coming to Lincoln owners with the release of ActiveGlide 1.2 (Lincoln's reskinned version of BlueCruise).
Ford
Hands-free lane changing is what it sounds like, just tap the turn signal and the vehicle will slide over one when it's safe to do so. It'll also preemptively suggest changes if it sees you coming up on a slower vehicle. Predictive speed assist is built to spot sharp turns ahead and safely guide the vehicle through them, while in-lane repositioning will cause the vehicle to hug either line so as to provide some additional padding between your bumper and the semi in the next lane.
The new features will first appear with the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E Select and 2023 Lincoln Navigator Standard. Owners will also need to have the Ford Co-Pilot360 system installed and subscribe to a $600 three-year service plan, which keeps the hands-free driving maps up to date. They'll also have to have either the FordPass or Lincoln Way companion app installed on their phone. 2023 Mach-E and Navigator owners will receive the first three months of service free as an introductory demo.
Marvel's Midnight Suns has a new release date, and it's sooner than you may have expected. It was revealed during the Disney and Marvel Games Showcase that the tactical RPG from Firaxis will hit PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on December 2nd. The Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions will arrive at a later date.
The game was initially slated for October, but publisher 2K announced last month that it was pushing back the release date until sometime later in its fiscal year, which ends in March. Thankfully, you won't have to wait that long to play it. In the meantime, the first Marvel's Midnight Suns prequel short will hit Marvel's YouTube channel on October 31st.
It seems that nine long months after a remastered bundle of Naughty Dog's Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: Lost Legacy debuted on PlayStation 5, PC gamers will be able to find out what all the fuss is about. According to a listing on the Epic Games Store spotted by Twitter gaming deals maestro Wario64, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection will hit that storefront on October 19th. It appears Epic published the information ahead of schedule, as the game's page currently displays a 404 error. The leak backs up a previous hint from SteamDB that October 19th was the release date.
Legacy of Thieves Collection is supposed to be coming to Steam before the end of the year as well, but it appears that if you pre-order through Epic, you'll gain access to a Sully's Seaplane glider in Fortnite at no extra cost. Nathan Drake and Chloe Frazer skins arrived in that game earlier this year to promote the Uncharted movie.
The apparent timing of the Legacy of Thieves Collection PC release is interesting, since Sony said Spider-Man: Miles Morales is coming to that platform sometime this fall. One would think they'd try to space things out a bit. In any case, perhaps Sony will soon host a PlayStation showcase that clears everything up.
UNCHARTED: Legacy of Thieves Collection will release on PC on Oct 19th according to EGS. Preorders on EGS will get a Fortnite glider in the shape of Sully's seaplane https://t.co/O1JRMM1MhE
Steam Deck owners have a new option for repairs if their device breaks. Valve has opened its own Steam Deck repair centers, which should streamline the process for fixes.
The new service should come as welcome news to Steam Deck owners who will now have a simpler way of addressing hardware issues, without hunting for a third-party service. Notably, Valve says that it also supports people who prefer to go the DIY route, and points to iFixit’s guides on the subject.
Those who prefer to hand off the fix will be able to use the new service via the company’s support channels. “If you encounter an issue and need to send your Steam Deck for repair or replacement, devices will now go to one of our repair centers,” the company explains. “Once there, our team will diagnose the device, repair if needed, then ship the fixed unit back to you.”
The repair centers will cover both in-warranty fixes, which will be free of charge, as well as repairs for damage that happens outside of the device’s warranty. The company will charge for out-of-warranty fixes, though it’s not clear how much these repairs may cost.
For now, there are few other details about how the repair centers will work. The company hasn’t provided a list of the types of repairs it will be able to handle, or what the expected turnaround time will be. However, in a comment on the post, a Valve representative confirmed the repair centers will be able to handle battery replacements, which could be a common request for the handheld device.
Disney and Marvel are holding what's shaping up to be a newsworthy gaming event today at the D23 Expo. The first Disney and Marvel Games Showcase (to give its official name) starts at 4PM ET and you'll be able to watch it below.
On top of those, rumors suggest the showcase will include a peek at an Iron Man game from EA. Maybe we'll finally learn a bit more about the Indiana Jones game Bethesda announced early last year or even get a look at Spider-Man 2 gameplay. In any case, we won't have to wait long to find out.
Electro-Harmonix is looking to bridge the gap between analog and digital music creation with its Big Muff Pi Hardware Plugin, which is a mashup of an effect pedal and audio interface. The $329 unit is said to work like a standard digital audio workstation (DAW) plugin, though you can route your guitar tracks through the genuine actual analog circuitry of the Big Muff Pi harmonic distortion-sustainer. It's the real deal, rather than a software-emulated version of the classic pedal.
The device uses the circuit design of the 1973 Violet Ram’s Head Big Muff, albeit with some tweaks to deliver true stereo audio. Electro-Harmonix says the unit, which is available now, has Tone Wicker and Tone Bypass, along with 10 footswitch-accessible presets.
The company claims the device, which can be used as a standalone pedal too, should integrate with DAWs including Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Cubase, GarageBand and Logic Pro X without a hitch. The unit can operate as a 2-in/2-out USB audio recording interface, so you can record tracks without having the Big Muff effect active.
The Big Muff is one of the most important effects pedals in music history. Artists including Smashing Pumpkins, Dinosaur Jr., Pink Floyd, Carlos Santana, Mudhoney and Sonic Youth have used it to hone their sounds. Being able to harness those genuine Big Muff tones in a digital environment could help more musicians create more bombastic-sounding songs.
United Airlines is moving deeper into the flying taxi business. Not only has the airline plowed $15 million into Eve Air Mobility, it ordered 200 flying taxis and has an option for another 200. United expects to start receiving Eve's four-seater electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle (eVTOL) as soon as 2026.
The company says its investment was spurred by both its confidence in the urban air mobility market and Eve's working relationship with Embraer. According to United, Embrarer is "a trusted aircraft manufacturer with a proven track record of building and certifying aircraft over the company's 53-year history." Embrarer previously worked with Uber on a flying taxi project that the latter eventually ditched.
Eve's flying taxi has conventional fixed wings, rotors and pushers with a design that United says favors safety, efficiency, reliability and certifiability. It's said to have a range of 60 miles and United added that the vehicle can "reduce noise levels by 90 percent compared to current conventional aircraft."
This isn't the first time United has reached an agreement with an eVTOL company. Last month, it put down a $10 million deposit with a different California-based one for 100 flying taxis. As such, the company has lined up as many as 500 flying taxis to add to its fleet.
United has set up a corporate venture fund with the aim of bolstering its ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2050 without relying on traditional carbon offsets. Through the United Airlines Ventures fund, it has also invested in hydrogen fuel cell engines and sustainable fuel.
"Today, United is making history again, by becoming the first major airline to publicly invest in two eVTOL companies," United Airlines Ventures president Michael Leskinen said in a statement. "Together, we believe our suite of clean energy technologies will revolutionize air travel as we know it and serve as the catalyst for the aviation industry to move toward a sustainable future."
The Chevy Bolt has had an interesting history. It beat the Model 3 to market but never came close to the sales numbers of Tesla’s offering. Then a refreshed, larger Bolt EUV arrived that had a serious issue with its LG Chem batteries that caused fires, leading to a massive recall. Long story short, it’s been a ride.
Well, the batteries have been replaced and the larger Bolt EUV is finally making its way into driveways. We took the Bolt EUV for a week-long spin and came away impressed with what Chevy is doing. The Bolt is built on an older EV architecture, meaning it can’t charge as quickly as newer electric vehicles on the road, but it comes in at a price point that makes the vehicle a compelling proposition for those that are looking for an EV that doesn’t break the bank. Watch the video below for the full story.
This week's tech news may have been dominated by the launch of the iPhone 14, but there are many good deals on existing gadgets that you can pick up right now, too. Apple's iPad mini is $100 off and down to its best price ever, while the AirPods Max remain on sale for $429. A few Samsung storage devices have dropped in price, and you can still pick up Solo Stove fire pits for up to 45 percent off. Plus, you can save a bunch on streaming services right now as Disney+, Hulu + Live TV and HBO Max are all running sales on their subscription plans. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
iPad mini
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
Apple's iPad mini is $100 off and down to $400 right now, which is the cheapest we've seen it. We gave the tablet a score of 89 for its powerful performance, refined design and USB-C charging.
Apple's entry-level iPad has dropped to a new all-time low of $280. We gave it a score of 86 for its solid performance, excellent battery life and improved Center Stage cameras.
The Apple TV 4K is back in stock at Amazon and on sale for $120. While not quite as cheap as it was on Prime Day in July ($109), this remains one of the best prices we've seen no our favorite high-end set-top box. We gave the device a score of 90 for its fast performance, Dolby Vision and Atmos support, HomeKit integration and much-improved Siri remote.
Apple's AirPods Max are $120 off and down to $429, which is the cheapest price we've seen them on Amazon. We gave the headphones a score of 84 for their excellent sound quality, comfortable fit and strong ANC.
Samsung's latest wireless earbuds, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, are on sale for the first time and down to $155. That's $75 off and a great deal on what we consider to be the company's best earbuds to date. We gave them a score of 86 for their solid sound quality, improved ANC and better fit.
Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 is $110 cheaper than usual, bringing it down to $590. The company came out with this all-in-one display earlier this year and it's designed for those that want one screen that can do a lot of things. It works as a standard monitor, but it also comes with streaming technology built in, so you can use it as a smart TV as well.
The 1TB model of the Samsung T7 Shield SSD is on sale for $110, which is close to a record-low price. This rugged drive has a tough exterior that can withstand drops from nearly 10 feet, plus an IP65 rating for dust- and water-resistance. It also has the same read/write speeds of the other T7 models and works with a bunch of devices including PC, Mac, Android and even some game consoles.
Solo Stove's fire pits and bundles remain discounted right now. The Ranger 2.0, Bonfire 2.0 and Yukon 2.0 are down to $200, $230 and $430, respectively, and you can save on most bundles, too, including the Bonfire Backyard Bundle 2.0 that gives you a spark shield, stand, shelter, carrying case and lid along with the aforementioned fire pit. The sale also includes the new Mesa tabletop fire pit, which has been discounted from $120 to $80.
In honor of Disney+ Day, the House of Mouse has discounted its streaming service to $2 for the first month for new and returning subscribers. That's 75 percent off the normal monthly rate, which is one of the best discounts we've seen even if it only applies to one month of membership. After that first month, your subscription will go back up to $8. You have until September 19th to get this deal.
Hulu's latest promotion knocks $20 off its Live TV subscription service for three months for new and returning customers. That means you'll pay $50 per month for the service instead of the usual $70 for the first three months that you're subscribed. You can take advantage of the offer through October 5th, and with it you get live TV access along with standard Hulu streaming as well as access to Disney+ and ESPN+ libraries.
HBO Max has discounted its annual plan, so you can save 30 percent if you sign up and pay for one year upfront. If you can deal with ads, the service will cost $70 for 12 months, down from the usual $100. to get an ad-free experience, you'll pay $105, which is $45 off the usual rate.
If you decide to pick up the new, high-end Apple Watch Ultra, it's probably a good idea to pay for AppleCare+ protection. Without AppleCare+, an Apple Watch Ultra repair will cost an eye-watering $499, as MacRumors points out. Not only is that nearly two-thirds of the price of the $799 Ultra, it's the cost of an Apple Watch Series 8 with cellular connectivity.
Apple will charge that $499 fee to fix physical damage to the device. During the coverage period, AppleCare+ includes "unlimited incidents of accidental damage protection." Even so, you'll still need to pay a $79 service fee for repairs. Meanwhile, Apple will charge $99 to replace the battery, even if you do have AppleCare+.
Depending on the model, Apple Watch Series 8 repairs will cost between $299 and $399 without AppleCare+ protection (the device starts at $399). The service fee is $69 with AppleCare+. Apple Watch SE repairs outside of AppleCare+ coverage will run you between $199 and $229. Battery replacements for the non-Ultra models cost $79.
Meanwhile, we had some hands-on time with the Ultra this week. While the device certainly seems more rugged than other Apple Watch models, it's not immune to damage, so ponying up $99 for AppleCare+ coverage could prevent your wallet from feeling a far sharper sting.
