Audi still isn't done unveiling self-driving concept EVs, but its next model might be appealing if you're eager to leave the asphalt. The company has revealed that its fourth Sphere concept will be the Activesphere, an SUV-like machine that promises "maximum variability" for on- and off-road travel. As with earlier designs, the automaker is touting an autonomous-friendly interior that can help you relax. We wouldn't count on going hands-free while you're on the trail, but Audi is at least moving beyond city-oriented prototypes.
The full Activesphere debut is slated for the start of 2023. Audi began its campaign by unveiling the Skysphere roadster in August 2021, and quickly followed it with the Grandsphere sedan (September 2021) and Urbansphere SUV (April this year). As a rule, they've centered around living room-like cabins and ambitious performance. The Grandsphere and Urbansphere, for instance, boast a claimed 466-mile range.
The question, as you might have guessed, is whether or not the Activesphere and any of its predecessors will directly influence future Audi EVs. Right now, the brand's electric lineup revolves around decidedly more conventional (if very speedy) products. Fully self-driving vehicles may also have to wait when many countries only allow limited autonomy at best. Audi expects its new vehicles to be EV-only starting in 2026, though, and it's hard to imagine the company ignoring driverless cars when its rival Mercedes is already touting Level 3 autonomy.
Meta is denying that it purposely muted the audio of downloaded Reels videos to keep users from exporting them to TikTok, The Vergereported. A company spokesperson blamed an “audio glitch” for the incident and said it’s in the process of being fixed. The outlet reported earlier this week that users who wanted to export their Reels onto another app (cough, cough TikTok) were forced to publish the video first — or risk losing its audio. Prior to this development, Instagram users could film and edit a video using Reels’ tools and opt to download and publish it elsewhere.
Although Meta is hoping to position Reels as the future of Instagram and Facebook, it has struggled to take the crown from the reigning short-form video app, TikTok. Creators and brands often cross-post Reels onto their TikTok accounts (or vice versa), meaning that Instagram and Facebook are no longer exclusive destinations for that content. TikTok gives users the ability to easily cross-post videos made on the platform to Facebook and Instagram Reels, but doing the reverse on the Meta-owned platforms requires manually downloading the video first. Reels and TikTok have different editing tools, so it’s easy to see why a user may want to edit in one specific platform and cross-post — not to mention that it simply saves time.
Meta is still working on fixing the audio glitch on Reels as of Friday afternoon, a spokesperson told Engadget in an email. The glitch appears to only impact iPhone users. “Due to a bug, the Reels download feature is not working as intended for iOS users and in some cases, audio is missing in downloads — we’re working to fix the issue as soon as possible," the company said in its statement.
It's a little jarring to consider what's happening over at HBO Max a bloodbath in the context of Sesame Street, but that's exactly what's going on at the streaming platform right now. The platform has removed around 200 old episodes of the classic preschooler show, as Variety reports.
All episodes from seasons 39-52 are still available, along with a selection from the first, fifth and seventh seasons. There are 456 Sesame Street episodes on HBO Max right now, but it offered around 650 episodes not too long ago. HBO landed an exclusive deal back in 2015 to broadcast new episodes of the show before they aired on PBS. HBO Max will be the place to catch new Sesame Street episodes through at least 2025, but good luck trying to find old episodes there.
The platform yanked the Sesame Street episodes in the same week it removed dozens of other shows, including 20 original series (such as animated programs). While it's common for titles to cycle in and out of streaming services, it's rare to see exclusives going away. That's becoming increasingly par for the course at HBO Max.
Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery said it nixed those shows ahead of HBO Max merging with Discovery+ next year. “As we work toward bringing our content catalogs together under one platform, we will be making changes to the content offering available on both HBO Max and Discovery+. That will include the removal of some content from both platforms," it said.
Since the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery earlier this year, Warner Bros. Discovery has been on a brutal cost-cutting drive. It laid off dozens of HBO and HBO Max production staffers this week. The company recently removed some other original films and shows from HBO Max — including An American Pickle, HBO show Vinyl and the 2020 remake of The Witches — reportedly to avoid paying residuals on them.
It also canceled HBO Max exclusive movies Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, which were almost completed. Reports suggest it did so to claim tax write-downs on the projects.
Rivian has discontinued the entry-level Explore trim for its R1T and R1S electric vehicles. "After weighing customer demand, Rivian decided to remove Explore Package as an option when configuring an R1T or R1S," wrote in a support article. "We realize this news comes as a surprise and apologize to customers who have had their planning impacted."
The company said it initially gave customers two package options to offer them "more variety." While Rivian expected that many customers would opt for the Explore package, it claimed that only a small percentage of them have done so, with "the vast majority" selecting the Adventure trim. The company said that by narrowing its focus to the Adventure trim, it would be able to streamline its supply chain and deliver its EVs more rapidly.
The move means Rivian's electric truck and SUV are getting more expensive for those looking for the cheapest option — it marks an increase of $5,500 across the board. The R1T truck now starts at $73,000, while the R1S costs at least $78,000 for new orders (the latter starts at $75,500 for those who pre-ordered on March 1st or earlier).
Those with a pre-order for an Explore trim will need to reconfigure their package to an Adventure model by September 1st. Otherwise, Rivian will move them out of the production queue. Customers with an Explore package pre-order will receive their deposit back if they cancel. Those with a binding Explore order agreement can cancel by September 16th for a full refund.
Meanwhile, the quad-motor option has increased in price for new orders in the US (by $2,000) and Canada (by $3,250 CAD). Rivian is currently testing dual-motor versions of the R1S and R1T.
Rivian announced price increases of between $12,000 and $20,000 for all models earlier this year. After a swift backlash, it altered those plans and limited the increases to new R1T and R1S orders, though shareholders brought a lawsuit against the company.
Rivian recently laid off six percent of staff in order to funnel more resources into increasing production. It's struggling to build EVs quickly enough to meet demand and it had to slash its production forecast for the year in half to 25,000. The company's pre-order backlog stood at around 98,000 as of the end of June, not counting the 100,000 electric delivery vehicles Rivian is making for Amazon.
It took more than a decade, but there's finally a sequel to Jetpack Joyride — if not for everyone. Halfbrick Studios has releasedJetpack Joyride 2 as an Apple Arcade exclusive for iPad, iPhone, Mac and Apple TV. Sorry, Android fans. The endless flier revolves around more "story-driven" gameplay with a new character to play (Betty Beefpies) as well as fresh mechanics and more detailed graphics. In that light, Halfbrick is effectively dragging the game into the modern era.
The original title came to Apple Arcade last year as Jetpack Joyride+, which maintains the core experience without the need (or ability) to make in-app purchases. The title first arrived in 2011 and helped define the endless runner category alongside classics like Canabalt and Temple Run. Halfbrick's signature game has racked up 500 million-plus downloads in the years since.
JJ2 probably won't justify the $50 per year ($5 per month) for Apple Arcade by itself, and it represents yet another dose of nostalgia on the all-you-can-play service. However, it might build a stronger case for a subscription. You can play simple blasts from the past alongside newer games that make the most of modern Apple devices.
It was good times for the Ford Mach-E GT atop the e-muscle car heap. Those halcyon days of performance dominance will soon be coming to an end when Hyundai unleashes its EV6 GT performance crossover on North America. With 576 horses under the hood and a 0-60 of 3.4 seconds, not even a Huracan Evo can beat it off the line.
Hyundai Motor Group
The new EV6 GT is not to be confused with the existing EV6 GT-Line, though it’s easy to do. From the outside they’re largely similar — save for the neon accents and 21-inch rims — but like story morals, puff pastries and spider egg sacs, it’s what’s on the inside that really matters. Where the GT-Line AWD offered a not-insignificant 320 HP (446 lb ft torque) from its 165kW front and 74kW rear electric motors, the GT AWD goes two steps further, slamming a 160kW motor onto the front axle and a massive 270 kW motor on the rear to output 576 HP and 546 lb ft of torque.
It does a 0-60 in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 161 MPH — that’s a tenth of a second faster than the Mach-E GT Performance edition with 96 more horsepower to use. That said, the Mustang does offer more torque (600 lb ft to the EV6’s 546) and a much longer driving range, 270 miles on a full Mach-E charge vs just 206 miles for the EV6 GT.
Hyundai Motor Group
Like the rest of the EV6 lineup, the GT will benefit from Hyundai Group’s 800V electrical architecture enabling rapid charging to the tune of 70 percent battery capacity in 18 minutes at 350 kW. Exclusive to the GT, however, are three new drive modes: GT Drive, My Drive and (squeeeee) Drift Mode.
GT Drive “optimizes the performance of the EV6 GT’s motors, braking, steering, suspension, e-LSD, and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems into their most dynamic settings,” per a Friday release. “Drivers can also create custom-tailored settings to suit individual driving preferences using My Drive Mode.” The real fun begins with Drift Mode, which pushes a majority of the power to the rear wheels for a fully electrified hooning experience.
Hyundai Motor Group
There’s no word on pricing yet but it’s pretty safe to assume that it’ll be north of the GT-Line AWD’s $56,400 MSRP (maybe even more than the $62,000 Mach-E GT). We'll find out when the EV6 goes on sale in Q4 2022.
Paramount+ will be the home of UEFA Champions League soccer for the rest of the decade. Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS) has secured a six-year extension to stream the glitzy annual soccer tournament until the end of the 2029-30 season. The deal includes the English-language rights to the Europa League and Europa Conference League, the second and third tiers of international European club soccer competition.
The agreement is valued at over $1.5 billion, meaning that Paramount Global will pay around $250 million per year. That's a steep increase from the $100 million per year the company is currently paying, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the news. Several media companies are said to have been interested in the Champions League rights, with Paramount believed to have pipped Amazon.
The deal marks an extension of the current agreement Paramount has with UEFA, which will expire in 2024. Although some Champions League games air on Paramount-owned networks like CBS and CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ streams all of them. The service will continue to do so for another eight years.
The latest pact runs through the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the US, Canada and Mexico and is expected to make the sport even more popular in North America. Paramount (which also has the rights to broadcast Serie A, some CONCACAF international games, the National Women's Soccer League and the Women's Super League) aired the 2022 Champions League final on CBS and drew record ratings. It was also the most-streamed soccer match ever on Paramount+.
“UEFA has been a key driver for Paramount+ since our launch and we are thrilled to extend this successful partnership showcasing even more world-class soccer through the 2029-30 season, building on the incredible momentum we have created the past two years,” CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus said in a statement.
The short life of CNN+ left its parent network without an official home for original shows, but the broadcaster now appears to have a makeshift solution. Discovery+ has launched a CNN Originals hub that offers more than 800 episodes of library material, including Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, HLN's Vengeance lineup and movies like Race for the Vaccine. Some originals will come to the service after their runs on cable, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) said.
The hub is available through the Discovery+ website and apps for all supported platforms. More show announcements are due in the "months to come," WBD said.
Discovery+ won't be a go-to source for all of CNN's on-demand material. The CNN+ show Who's Talking to Chris Wallace? is coming to HBO Max this fall, for instance. However, this does make Discovery+ a more compelling subscription if its existing batch of reality shows and documentaries wasn't enough.
This situation won't last for long. WBD plans to merge HBO Max and Discovery+ in summer 2023, so you'll likely have access to a unified CNN catalog within a year. Whether or not it includes everything you're looking for is another matter. HBO Max is pulling some shows (including some with unreleased seasons) as part of WBD's broader cost-cutting efforts, and it's not clear if CNN productions are exempt from this strategy.
Just as it is to Eddie Munson in Stranger Things 4, Metallica's "Master of Puppets" is, to me, the “most metal ever.” I spent my teen years obsessively learning the guitar, and Metallica was one of my biggest influences. The combination of vocalist and rhythm guitarist James Hetfield's thrash riffs and progressive song structures along with lead guitarist Kirk Hammett's shredding gave me plenty to try and master. I was never quite fast or precise enough to fully nail Metallica's hardest songs, but I could do a pretty decent impression when I was on my game.
Some 20-plus years later, I am decidedly not on my game, having only played sporadically over the last decade. I've tried getting back into playing in fits and starts, but nothing has really stuck. Just recently, though, Finnish company Yousician came on my radar thanks to a collaboration with — who else? — Metallica.
At a high level, the Yousician software listens to your guitar playing and matches it to the lesson or song you're trying to play, giving you a higher score depending on how accurate you are. The app features courses and songs for guitar, piano, bass, ukulele and vocals, but my time was only spent on the guitar section.
For people who've never played before, there are loads of introductory lessons — but the most interesting thing about Yousician for someone like me are the song transcriptions. The app is loaded up with tons of popular songs that have, in my limited testing, fairly accurate transcriptions that help you learn to play along with the original recording. Queuing a song up brings up a continuously scrolling tablature overview of the song; play along with it and Yousician will try and tell you if you hit a chord right on the beat, whether you're a little early or late or whether you blew it completely.
From what I can tell, the vast majority of the music on Yousician has been recorded by session musicians — so you're not playing along to the original Nirvana or Foo Fighters tracks, but a well-recorded, though somewhat soulless, reproduction. That's OK, as these exercises work well enough for learning a song, and then you can just go play along with the original once you have it perfected.
But the Metallica course is different, and far more compelling. Yousician got access to the master recording for 10 of the band's songs, which means you're learning from and playing along with the original songs you (presumably) love.
The Metallica portion of Yousician isn't limited to learning specific songs, however. There are three courses to play through: Riff Life, Rock in Rhythm and Take the Lead, each of which dives into a different aspect of the band's music. Each of those courses, in turn, has a handful of lessons focused on a song and the skills needed to play it. There are also videos featuring members of the band talking about the overarching concept. While James and Kirk aren't literally teaching you the songs, it's still great to see them play up close and personal and hear about how they approach writing and performing.
For example, the "Rock in Rhythm" course has a whole section on downpicking, a more percussive and aggressive way of using your picking hand that has come to define much of Metallica's riffs and heavy metal music in general. Seeing James Hetfield perform some of his most complicated and fast riffs in great detail is an absolute treat.
Mixed in with these videos are lessons that focus on a specific part of a song. The Riff Life course starts things out extremely simple, with the key riffs to songs like "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "Nothing Else Matters'' and "Enter Sandman." These lessons follow a pretty standard format. First, you'll listen to the isolated guitar part to get it in your head, sometimes accompanied by a Yousician instructor showing you how to approach the song. After that, you play the part in the context of the song, starting out slowly and then gradually speeding up to play it at full speed. Then, to complete the lesson, you perform the complete song.
For that last option, Yousician offers multiple ways to move forward. If you're a beginner, you can play simplified versions of the song — but Yousician also includes full versions of the rhythm guitar track or a combo of the rhythm and lead parts. If you're just learning the song for the first time, you're not going to want to jump right into those versions. But if you're up for the challenge, the practice mode helpfully divides the song up into sections like intro, verse, chorus, solo and so forth. You can slow the song down, work on those sections, and then string the entire thing together. The app uses time stretching so that the music’s pitch isn’t affected.
As someone already familiar with the Metallica songs included, I can tell Yousician has done an impressive job with these full transcriptions. I've already picked up some tricks and learned a few improved ways to play these songs, even for very simple parts like the opening riff to "Enter Sandman." I've known that song basically since I first picked up a guitar, but Yousician identified that Hetfield plays the riff with his left hand in a fairly unconventional finger position, one that is not simple but makes the notes ring out clearer once you master it.
The lead guitar parts are also impressively detailed, considering how fast and complex some of Hammett's solos can be. This is a case where I'm sure it helped to have access to Metallica's master recordings for these songs; being able to isolate parts and slow things down makes the learning process much more accessible and also likely made a difference in the accuracy of the transcriptions. While I can't say that the notation for extremely fast solos like those in "One" or "Battery" are 100-percent accurate, they should be good enough for a convincing performance.
A screenshot of the guitar tablature for the guitar solo in the Metallica song "One."
Unfortunately, I ran into some problems when trying to tackle the aforementioned epic, “Master of Puppets.” While I was working my way through the downpicking lessons, I was presented with the riff played during the main verse. Whether through my own ineptitude, Yousician not “hearing” me well enough or some other unknown issue, I simply could not play the riff accurately enough to move forward. It’s definitely a fast one, but even at slowed down speeds, Yousician consistently didn’t recognize that I was hitting the sliding power chords that anchor the end of the riff. A colleague of mine had previously tried Yousician and had a similar problem with the app not recognizing his playing, which can be a major bummer if you’re trying to ace each lesson.
I can’t say why this happened with this particular riff. Yousician did a good job at hearing me play the song’s introduction, which is equally fast and pretty complex in its own right. There seemed to be something specific to those sliding chords that the app had a hard time picking up. I’m not well-practiced enough to attempt the fastest solos the Metallica course offers, so I can’t say how well it’ll pick those up, but it did a fine job of recognizing the quick, arpeggiated licks near the end of the “Fade to Black” solo. Yousician did a better job of picking things up when I plugged my guitar straight into my computer using the iRig 2 interface. But since I don't usually go straight into my computer, I didn't have any virtual amps or effects set up, which meant playing wasn't nearly as much fun as it is through my amp.
Despite these occasional issues, I really enjoyed the Yousician Metallica course. Whether it’s worth the money is another question altogether – Yousician costs $140 a year or $30 a month. That’s not cheap, but it’s less expensive than the private guitar lessons I took 20 years ago. Obviously, Yousician can’t tailor its lessons to me, but I’m still impressed with the attention to detail and comprehensive nature of the Metallica course, and there’s a host of other things I could play around with, too. Between the accuracy of the transcriptions, a solid song selection and the ability to slow down tracks for practicing, there’s a lot to like here.
It certainly would have been a fantastic tool when I was learning the guitar as a teenager – but in 2022, there are a wide variety of options for learning your favorite songs. That’s probably the biggest catch with Yousician. Most people will probably be happy to view YouTube instructional videos and look up transcriptions for free online. I just did a quick search for “Master of Puppets guitar lesson” and found a host of excellent videos, including one multi-parter where the instructor spent ten minutes just demonstrating the first two riffs. It was a thorough, detailed lesson from someone who clearly knows the song as well as Metallica’s approach to playing in general.
That said, I’d still encourage Metallica fans to check out a monthly subscription to Yousician. The song selection spans simpler tracks to some of their toughest material, making it useful regardless of your skill level. The video content is entertaining and informative; you don’t often get to see a band speaking so candidly about their approach to playing their instruments. And as good as some YouTube lessons are, being able to look at and play along with detailed tablature transcriptions of extremely fast guitar solos makes the learning experience much better. Those transcriptions combined with the original Metallica master tracks that you can slow down or speed up as needed are an excellent practice tool. For anyone looking to unleash their inner Eddie Munson, Yousician’s Metallica course is a solid place to start.
Labor Day is rapidly approaching and we're already starting to see more tech deals pop up across the web. Amazon discounted a bunch of its own gadgets this week, including the new Kindle Paperwhite, its Signature Edition and the Kindle Oasis, as well as a bunch of Fire TV Sticks and Fire tablets. A couple of iRobot's more advanced robot vacuums are hundreds of dollars off, and you can still pick up the base iPad for only $299. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Kindle Paperwhite
Almost all of Amazon's e-readers have been discounted — the Kindle Paperwhite is down to $110, while the Paperwhite Signature Edition is on sale for $150. The high-end Kindle Oasis has also been discounted to $200. We consider the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition to be the best e-reader available right now, and we gave it a score of 97 for its bigger, more responsive screen, USB-C charging and wireless charging capabilities and its plenty of onboard storage.
Apple's M2-powered MacBook Air in starlight is $100 off and down to $1,099, which is the best price we've seen since launch. We gave the laptop a score of 9 for its thinner design, gorgeous 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display and excellent performance. While we generally think the M2 Air is best for most people, you can also save on the M2-powered,13-inch MacBook Pro by going to B&H Photo. The online retailer has the laptop with a whopping 24GB of RAM for $1,749, which is $150 off its usual price.
Most models of Apple's iPad are on sale at Amazon right now, so you can pick one up for as low as $299. 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 last month ($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.
The Product Red version of the Apple Watch Series 7 (45mm) is on sale for $320 right now. We gave the wearable a score of 90 for its larger screen, faster charging and handy watchOS capabilities. However, if you want the latest from Apple, it may be worth waiting until September when the company historically has announced its latest phones and smartwatches.
iRobot's Roomba j7+ is $200 off and down to $599 right now, while the s9+ has the same discount and is on sale for $799. These are some of our favorite robot vacuums, and they're made even better by these sale prices. The j7+ has advanced obstacle detection that helps it avoid pet poop and other hazards, while the s9+ has the strongest suction power of any Roomba.
Sony's budget-friendly WH-CH710N headphones are on sale for an excellent price of $98. While we have seen them cheaper before, this 35-percent discount is a good one for these ANC cans. We like them for their comfortable design, solid noise cancellation and long battery life.
Most models of Google's Pixel 6 Pro are on sale right now — both the 128GB and 256GB versions are $250 off and down to $649 and $749, respectively. The standard Pixel 6 is also on sale for $499. The Pro is one of our favorites at the moment, and we like it for its striking design, excellent performance and battery life, plus it has some of the best cameras you'll find on any smartphone.
Amazon knocked $15 off its Fire TV Stick 4K Max, bringing it down to $40. A couple of other Fire TV dongles are on sale, too: you can pick up the standard Fire TV Stick for $25 and the Fire TV Stick Lite for only $20. The TV Stick 4K Max is the most capable of the bunch, with support for Dolby Vision, WiFi 6 and more.
Amazon's latest version of the Fire 7 tablet is 25 percent off and down to $45 for the first time since it came out a couple of months ago. It's a decent slab if you want something affordable to use as a couch device, or to give to your kids. If you're looking for something specifically geared towards children, Amazon has a bunch of Fire Kids tablets and Kindle Kids e-readers on sale right now, too.
The Echo Show 15 smart display is $60 off and down to $190, which is only $10 more than its record-low price. We gave it a score of 78 for its beautiful design, large screen and useful widgets. If you only have space for something smaller, you can still pick up the Echo Show 5 for only $40.
Amazon Prime members can save up to 40 percent on Anker charging accessories, including the 521 magnetic battery pack for MagSafe-compatible iPhones, which is $20 off and down to $30. It's a 5,000 mAh portable battery that attaches to the back of the latest iPhones to power them up. Also on sale is Anker's 511 2-in-1 power bank, which is down to $35. That accessory works with more devices since it's an AC charger and portable battery in one.
Samsung's new T7 Shield SSD in 1TB is down to a new record low of $98, which is $62 less than usual. This is the most durable version of Samsung's palm-sized portable drive, featuring a rubberized exterior and enough protection to survive up to 9.8-foot drops. It has sequential read speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s and write speeds of up to 1,000 MB/s, plus Dynamic Thermal Guard and 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard.
The Beats Studio Buds are back on sale for $100, or $50 off their usual rate. These are some of the best Beats earbuds for most people and we gave them a score of 84 for their comfortable design, good sound quality and ANC and fast pairing with both iOS and Android devices.
Sony's LinkBuds S are on sale for $148, which is 26 percent off and a new all-time low. These buds came out earlier this year and support smart playback, which lets them automatically play and pause music depending on what you're doing.
Jabra's Elite 3 earbuds are on sale for $58 right now, which is 28 percent off their normal price.We gave them a score of 88 for their comfortable fit, impressive sound quality and good battery life.
