Marvel is rolling out a brand new version of its Marvel Unlimited comics subscription app. Among the updates are exclusive Infinity Comics, which are high-res vertical comics designed for phones and tablets. At the outset, 27 Infinity Comics are available, and you should have access to more than 100 by the end of the year. The comics include series such as X-Men Unlimited, Captain America, Black Widow, Deadpool, Shang-Chi and Venom/Carnage.
Experience an All-New, All-Different @MarvelUnlimited. The app with everything you need to read Marvel comics! Here are some updated features to help you dive into the Marvel Universe ⬇️ (1/6) pic.twitter.com/KLuAIhZV1S
The app, which was redesigned from the ground up with the help of Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, now offers unlimited downloads for offline reading and a way to share content elsewhere. Marvel's promising a streamlined design, more stability, "best-in-class speed and search tools" and personalized reading guides based on your preferences. Marvel Insider members will receive rewards for using the app too.
Also new is an annual plus subscription option, which costs $99/year. That grants access to all the perks of a monthly or regular annual plan, as well as a membership kit, invites to in-person events and a discount at Disney's digital store. The monthly plan costs $10/month, while the standard annual subscription is $69/year.
Marvel
Marvel Unlimited hosts more than 29,000 comic issues, with more added each week. However, there's at least a three-month gap between titles hitting shelves and Marvel bringing them to the app.
This is a welcome update for an app that was perhaps overdue for a refresh. So, you've been watching Marvel's What If...?series on Disney+ (or anything else from the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and are curious about checking out the comics as well, it seems as good a time as any to try Marvel Unlimited.
Sony debuted its latest flagship Dolby Atmos soundbar in July. The HT-A7000 is also the first of the company's soundbars to support 360 Reality Audio. The device is premium in every way, from connectivity options that include both 8K and 4K/120fps passthrough right down to the $1,300 price tag. If you don't want to spend that much, but still crave the same features, Sony announced another home theater speaker today. The HT-A5000 is a 5.1.2-channel soundbar that offers nearly all of the same bells and whistles as the A7000, but for $400 less.
In addition to Dolby Atmos, the A5000 also supports DTS:X, and Sony's Vertical Surround Engine simulates audio above your head thanks two a pair of upward firing drivers. S-Force Pro Front Surround creates a wider soundscape horizontally, using the company's X-Balanced speakers and "digital sound field processing" tech in an attempt to make things more immersive. In terms of the actual speakers, the A5000 has seven of those X-Balanced drivers: two up-firing, three front-firing, two built-in subwoofers. The soundbar also packs in a pair of beam tweeters situated on the front corners of the device. If you happen to own a compatible Bravia TV, Sony offers a Center Speaker Mode that uses the television speakers to boost the center channel. The company says that this can help with things like dialog and a secondary wired connection to the TV ensures sound and visuals are in sync.
To properly calibrate the A5000 to your living room, Sony's Sound Field Optimization feature uses built-in microphones to measure speaker position in relation to the walls and the ceiling. This tool can also assess the position of any satellite speakers or a subwoofer to ensure the system is properly adjusted for the space.
Sony
For connectivity, a single HDMI eARC output allows for 8K HDR, 4K/120Hz and Dolby Vision passthrough, making the A5000 a worthy option for gaming in addition to movies and television. The soundbar also offers AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth and WiFi for wireless connections, in addition to Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control via a separate device. The A5000 is compatible with Hi-Res Audio content and it employs Sony's AI-powered DSEE Extreme technology to upscale compressed files in real time, restoring someof the detail that's otherwise lost. 360 Reality Audio is available for use here via Amazon Music HD, Deezer, Tidal or nugs.net.
There are a few key differences between the A7000 and the A5000. First, the former is a 7.1.2-channel soundbar while the latter is 5.1.2. Depending on your sonic preferences, those two extra channels and two extra speakers may make a difference in immersive sound. Typically, more channels and more speakers means better audio quality and more detail, but some folks may be just fine with a 5.1.2 setup. On the A7000, the tweeters are positioned in a way so that they bounce sound off the side walls to help with the overall immersion. Lastly, the A5000 only has one HDMI 2.1 (eARC) input and the A7000 has two. From supported audio formats to Sony's various home theater tech, nearly all of what the A7000 has to offer is available on the A5000.
Like the A7000, the A5000 works with Sony's latest arsenal of satellite speakers and subwoofers. The company announced two subwoofer options, the SA-SW5 and SA-SW3, and a pair of rear satellite speakers (SA-RS3S) as separate add-ons when it debuted the A7000 in July. All three connect to the HT-A5000 wirelessly. The difference between the two subs is the SW5 packs 300 watts of booming bass via a 7-inch driver and the SW3 offers 200 watts of low-end tone with a 6-inch speaker.
The HT-A5000 will go on sale "in early fall" for $900 at Sony retailers. The SA-SW5 and SA-SW3 subwoofers are $700 and $400 respectively, while the SA-RS3S satellite speakers are $350. All three of those expansion items should be available in September or October alongside the A7000. Sony hasn't yet announced exact dates for any of this new home theater gear just yet.
For a few years now, gaming laptops have been some of the most intriguing PCs around. They’ve gotten thinner and lighter, naturally — but they’ve also become vastly more powerful and efficient, making them suitable for both work and play. They’ve adopted some bold innovations, like rotating hinges and near desktop-like customizability. Gaming laptops are where PC makers can get adventurous.
If you’re a professional in the market for a beefy new computer, and you like to play a few rounds of Apex Legends on occasion, it may make more sense to go for a gaming notebook instead of a MacBook Pro-like workstation. You’ll still get plenty of power for video encoding and 3D rendering, plus you may end up paying less than you would for some comparable workstations.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
What's your budget?
Your laptop buying journey starts and ends with the amount of money you're willing to spend. No surprise there. The good news: There are plenty of options for gamers of every budget. In particular, we're seeing some great choices under $1,000, like Dell's G15, which currently starts at $930. PCs in this price range will definitely feel a bit lower quality than pricier models, and they'll likely skimp on RAM, storage and overall power. But they should be able to handle most games in 1080p at 60 frames per second, which is the bare minimum you'd want from any system.
Stepping up to mid-range options beyond $1,000 is where things get interesting. At that point, you'll start finding PCs like the ASUS Zephyrus ROG G14, one of our favorite gaming notebooks of the last few years. In general, you can look forward to far better build quality than budget laptops (metal cases!), improved graphics power and enough RAM and storage space to handle the most demanding games. These are the notebooks we'd recommend for most people, as they'll keep you gaming and working for years before you need to worry about an upgrade.
If you're willing to spend around $1,800 or more, you can start considering more premium options like Razer's Blade. Expect impeccably polished cases, the fastest hardware on the market, and ridiculously thin designs. The sky's the limit here: Alienware's uber customizable Area 51m is an enormous beast that can cost up to $4,700. Few people need a machine that pricey, but if you're a gamer with extra cash to burn, it may be worth taking a close look at some of these pricier systems.
What kind of CPU and GPU do you want?
The answer to this question used to be relatively simple: Just get an Intel chip with an NVIDIA GPU. But over the last two years, AMD came out swinging with its Ryzen 4000 and 5000-series notebook processors, which are better suited for juggling multiple tasks at once (like streaming to Twitch while blasting fools in Fortnite). In general, you’ll still be safe getting one of Intel’s latest 10th or 11th-gen H-series chips. But it’s nice to have decent AMD alternatives available for budget and mid-range laptops, especially when they’re often cheaper than comparable Intel models.
When it comes to video cards, though, AMD is still catching up. Its new Radeon RX 6000M GPU has been a fantastic performer in notebooks like ASUS’s ROG Strix G15, but it still lags behind NVIDIA when it comes to newer features like ray tracing. I’ll admit, it’s nice to see a Radeon-powered notebook that can approach the general gaming performance of NVIDIA’s RTX 3070 and 3080 GPU.
If you want to future-proof your purchase, or you’re just eager to see how ray tracing could make your games look better, you’re probably better off with an NVIDIA video card. They’re in far more systems, and it’s clear that NVIDIA has had more time to optimize its ray tracing technology. RTX GPUs also feature the company’s DLSS feature, which uses AI to upscale games to higher resolutions. That’ll let you play a game like Destiny 2 in 4K with faster frame rates. That’s useful if you’re trying to take advantage of a high refresh rate monitor.
NVIDIA’s RTX 3050 is a decent entry point, but we think you’d be better off with at least an RTX 3060 for solid 1080p and 1440p performance. The RTX 3070, meanwhile, is the best balance of price and performance. It’ll be able to run many games in 4K with the help of DLSS, and it can even tackle demanding titles like Control. NVIDIA’s RTX 3080 is the king of the hill; you’ll pay a premium for any machine that includes it.
It’s worth noting that NVIDIA’s mobile GPUs aren’t directly comparable to its more powerful desktop hardware. PC makers can also tweak a GPU’s voltage to make it perform better in a thinner case. Basically, don’t be surprised if you see notebooks that perform very differently, even if they’re all equipped with the same RTX model.
What kind of screen do you want?
Screen size is a good place to start when judging gaming notebooks. In general, 15-inch laptops will be the best balance of immersion and portability, while larger 17-inch models are heftier, but naturally give you more screen real estate. There are some 13-inch gaming notebooks, like the Razer Blade Stealth, but paradoxically you'll often end up paying more for those than slightly larger 15-inch options. We’re also seeing more 14-inch options, like the Zephyrus G14 and Blade 14, which are generally more powerful than 13-inch laptops while still being relatively portable.
But these days, there are plenty more features to consider than screen size alone. Consider refresh rates: Most monitors refresh their screens vertically 60 times per second, or 60Hz. That's a standard in use since black and white NTSC TVs. But over the past few years, displays have evolved considerably. Now, 120Hz 1080p screens are the bare minimum you'd want in any gaming notebook — and there are faster 144Hz, 240Hz and even 360Hz panels. All of those ever-increasing numbers are in the service of one thing: making everything on your display look as smooth as possible.
For games, higher refresh rates also help eliminate screen tearing and other artifacts that could get in the way of your frag fest. And for everything else, it just leads to a better viewing experience. Even scrolling a web page on a 120Hz or faster monitor is starkly different from a 60Hz screen. Instead of seeing a jittery wall of text and pictures, everything moves seamlessly together, as if you're unwinding a glossy paper magazine. Going beyond 120Hz makes gameplay look even more responsive, which to some players gives them a slight advantage.
Steve Dent/Engadget
Not to make things more complicated, but you should also keep an eye out for NVIDIA's G-SYNC and AMD's FreeSync. They're both adaptive sync technologies that can match your screen's refresh rate with the framerate of your game. That also helps to reduce screen tearing and make gameplay smoother. Consider them nice bonuses on top of a high refresh rate monitor; they're not necessary, but they can still offer a slight visual improvement.
One more thing: Most of these suggestions are related to LCD screens, not OLEDs. While OLED makes a phenomenal choice for TVs, it's a bit more complicated when it comes to gaming laptops. They're limited to 60Hz, so you won't get the smoother performance you'd find on a high refresh rate screen. And they're typically 4K panels; you'll need a ton of GPU power to run games natively at that resolution. OLED laptops still look incredible, with the best black levels and contrast on the market, but we think most shoppers would be better off with an LCD gaming laptop.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
A few other takeaways:
Get at least 16GB of RAM. And if you're planning to do a ton of multitasking while streaming, 32GB is worth considering.
Storage is still a huge concern. These days, I'd recommend aiming for a 1TB M.2 SSD, which should be enough space to juggle a few large titles like Destiny 2. Some laptops also have room for standard SATA drives, which are far cheaper than M.2's and can hold more data.
Normally we'd recommend getting your hands on a system before you buy, but that's tough as we're in the midst of a pandemic. I'd recommend snagging your preferred system from a retailer with a simple return policy, like Amazon or Best Buy. If you don't like it, you can always ship it back easily.
If you can't tell by now, we really like the Zephyrus G14. It's compact, at just 3.5 pounds, and features AMD's new Ryzen 5000-series chips paired together with NVIDIA's latest graphics. It's a shockingly compact machine, and while its 14-inch screen is a bit smaller than our other recommendations, it looks great and features a fast 144Hz refresh rate. We also like its retro-future design (some configurations have tiny LEDs on its rear panel for extra flair). While the G14 has jumped in price since last year, it’s still one of the best gaming notebooks around. The only downside: It doesn't have a webcam, which can be inconvenient in the era of never-ending Zoom calls. Still, it's not that tough to attach an external camera. (If you want something bigger, consider the Zephyrus G15.)
We've been fans of Dell's G5 line ever since it first appeared a few years ago. Now dubbed the G15, it starts at just over $1,000 and features all of the latest hardware, like Intel's 11th-generation CPUs and NVIDIA's RTX 30-series cards. (You can also find AMD's Ryzen chips in some models.) It's a bit heavy, weighing over five pounds, but it's a solid notebook otherwise. And you can even bring it into mid-range gaming territory if you spec up to the RTX 3060.
Razer continues to do a stellar job of delivering the latest hardware in a sleek package that would make Mac users jealous. The Blade 15 has just about everything you'd want, including NVIDIA's fastest mobile GPU, the RTX 3080, as well as Intel's 11th-gen octa-core CPUs and speedy quad-HD screens. You can easily save some cash by going for a cheaper notebook, but they won't feel nearly as polished as the Blade.
While we've seen some wilder concepts from Acer, like its 360-degree hinge-equipped Triton 900, the Triton 500 is a more affordable bread and butter option that doesn't break the bank. This year, it’s bumped up to a 16-inch display, giving you more of an immersive gaming experience. It’s relatively thin, weighs just over five pounds , and it can be equipped with Intel's 11th-gen CPUs and NVIDIA's RTX 30-series GPUs. Acer's build quality is as sturdy as ever, and it has most of the standard features you’d need in a gaming notebook.
Take everything we loved about the Razer Blade 15, scale it up to a larger 17-inch screen, and you’re pretty much in gamer paradise. If you can live with its six-pound weight, the Blade 17 will deliver the most desktop-like gaming experience that you can find in a notebook. It’s relatively slim, and it’s perfect for binging Netflix in bed. The Blade 17 is also a smart choice if you’re editing media, as its larger screen space makes it perfect for diving into larger timelines. It’s not for everyone, but sometimes you just want to go big or go home, right?
You no longer have to settle for watching tiny, random clips of the next Matrix movie. Warner Bros. has finally shared the first trailer for The Matrix Resurrections, the long-anticipated fourth movie in the sci-fi action series. As you'd expect, the preview marks the return of Keanu Reeves as Neo, who initially appears unaware of who he really is — he's even taking blue pills and visiting a therapist (Neil Patrick Harris). As you'd expect, though, he begins to question reality and finds the truth underneath, including a reunion with Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss).
You'll also see Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as a Morpheus-like figure, and Jessica Henwick (Game of Thrones) enticing Neo to rediscover the Matrix. The title will also see Jada Pinkett Smith and Lambert Wilson reprise their respective roles as Niobe and the Merovingian, while Jonathan Groff (Hamilton), Christina Ricci and Daniel Bernhardt are also poised to make appearances.
The movie premieres theatrically on December 22nd. It will also be available to stream on HBO Max for a month if you subscribe to the ad-free tier — the last movie to have that option before Warner Bros. switches back to a theater-first strategy in 2022.
After teasing it yesterday, Lego and Nintendo have unveiled the Lego Super Mario 64 block set, complete with microscale levels including Peach's Castle along with several microfigures, Lego announced. The companies describe it as a "unique way for fans to rediscover the magic of Super Mario 64."
Along with Peach's Castle, the 2,064-piece set includes Bob-omb Battlefield, Cool, Cool Mountain and Lethal Lava Trouble, all appearing when you unfold the large, brick-built question mark block. You also get microfigures including Mario and Princess Peach, or you can add full-sized Mario or Lego Luigi features for interactive play, complete with "unique music and sounds from the video game," according to the companies. Players can also seek out "hidden Power Stars that reveal secret reactions from the figures," as hinted in the build instructions.
The new set joins other Nintendo/Lego collaboration products, including Lego Super Mario and a Lego Luigi kit. "It’s difficult to imagine the Super Mario Universe without the classic game’s iconic levels full of discovery and secrets," said Lego's Pablo González. It will come exclusively to Lego stores and Lego.com around the world on October 1, 2021, at a retail price of $170.00.
I’m a dozen miles outside of Santa Fe, heading West on the 502 towards Los Alamos in a borrowed 2022 Polestar 2 that won’t quit begging my right foot to gain a few pounds. Damned if I can’t stop staring at the horizon. In a futile effort to overtake me, stacks of clouds race across an azure backdrop spanning the Earth’s curvature.
“It’s just so big,” my mind protests after 18 months of indoor pandemic living.
My right foot, ever loyal, finds the floor. Away we go, the overhead world a fading memory as the horizon rushes forward to meet us.
Paul Barshon/Beadyeye
With the Polestar 1’s production run ending in December and both the 3 and Precept without firm release dates, the Polestar 2 I’m driving is the current crown jewel of the company’s burgeoning model lineup. The Polestar 2 Launch Edition arrived last year with every bell and whistle the company could manage to pack into its frame. For the 2022 model year, Polestar is taking a different tack by splitting the vehicle’s bevy of features into optional packages fitted onto a surprisingly well-appointed — and inexpensive — base mode.
The FWD version starts at $45,900 (as low as $34,900 after California incentives) and is outfitted with a single-speed AC synchronous permanent magnet motor using a 10.51:1 gear ratio. That motor delivers 231 HP, 243 ft-lb of torque, and a lengthy 265-mile range — 35 miles more than last year’s model, putting the 2022 FWD Polestar 2 on par with the VW ID.4, Hyundai Kona EV, and the Chevy Bolt (assuming the latter isn’t currently on fire). It offers a 100 MPH top speed with a 0-60 of 7 seconds.
The AWD version starts at $49,900 (down from last year’s $61,200 starting price) and utilizes a pair of permanent magnet motors (one on each axle) running 8.57:1 gear ratios. At that ratio, the performance-focused AWD Polestar 2 will have a higher top speed of 127 MPH, albeit at the cost of a nominally reduced 249-mile driving range. As such, the AWD puts out 408 HP between the two motors, 487 ft-lb of torque, and a 4.45-second 0-60.
Both variants will offer a $4,000 Plus Pack, which includes a full-length glass roof, "premium" interior including a 600W Harman Kardon stereo, powered seats, cabin illumination and the addition of a heat pump that uses waste energy from the drivetrain to heat the cabin interior and battery pack on cold days (while also improving range by up to 10 percent under certain climate conditions).
Paul Barshon/Beadyeye
The 2022 base models will come outfitted with a new, vegan “embossed textile upholstery” while the Weave-Tech covering found in last year’s Launch Edition is now included in the Plus Package. If you’re hankering for real leather, that is available but comes at a premium price point. If you want the metallic Magnesium, Midnight, Snow, Moon, or Thunder paint options, they’ll set you back an extra $1,200.
The $3,200 Pilot Pack incorporates Advanced Driver Assist features like adaptive cruise control, blind spot warnings and a 360-degree camera. Only the AWD version, however, will have access to the $5,000 Performance pack which adds 20-inch alloys, Brembo brakes, sport tires, and upgraded suspension components. You’ll be able to spot Polestars with the performance pack by their bright yellow cosmetic accents on the brake calipers, seatbelts and valve caps. There is also a “blacked-out” option that eliminates all the chrome and colored exterior accents if you opt for the “Void” color scheme.
Regardless of the packages included, both Polestar variants run off the same 400V electrical architecture and 78 kWh (75kWh usable) capacity battery pack. The company has squeezed a few additional kW of charging capacity, 155 kW up from last year’s 150 using just software updates, for the 2022 models dropping the amount of time needed to refill from 10 percent charge to 80 percent to just 33 minutes. On a standard Level 2 AC charger (like what you'd have installed in your home), you’re still looking at around 8 hours to fully repower the vehicle.
Paul Barshon/Beadyeye
Compared to last year’s model, the 2022 Polestar’s interior appears largely unchanged. An 11-inch central infotainment display running Android Automotive still dominates the vehicle’s minimalist dashboard. Rather than tethering or mirroring content from your mobile device, drivers will be able to log into the vehicle’s OS directly, granting them access to their Google accounts, contacts and the Google Play Store as well as natively running Google Maps, Spotify, YouTube Music and others.
Installing new apps is a cinch, a nearly identical process to doing so on your smartphone. Each new Polestar comes with 3 years of included access to Google Service Connectivity and LTE capability from AT&T. The company anticipates that a steady stream of OTA updates will help keep the Polestar 2’s features and performance continually up to date. Polestar also plans to extend its latest OTA service to the 2021 model year so Launch Edition vehicles will enjoy the latest and greatest in software updates.
Paul Barshon/Beadyeye
At 5,312 feet above sea level, Albuquerque, New Mexico is the highest of America’s state capitals, though it is outclassed by Santa Fe, an hour to the west and 7,199 feet high, where I spent last Tuesday putting both Polestar iterations through their relative paces. At more than a mile above sea level, the air is so thin that conventional internal combustion engines (ICEs) can lose as much as 30 percent of their power output (roughly a hundred HP). Thank goodness battery electric vehicles (BEVs) like the Polestar have no need for triflings like oxygen. No matter how high it climbed, every last one of the FWD Polestar’s 231 horses remained available — still chomping at the bit, if you will.
Snapping awake from an unplanned anaphylactic nap, I find myself charging through the rolling hills of New Mexico State Road 4 while it winds its way through the Valles Caldera National Preserve. Of course, because it’s being pulled along by its leading axle, the FWD Polestar 2 does tend to swing wider through turns (as front drive vehicles are wont to do) compared to its AWD cousin, which led to a couple of hair-raising encounters with oncoming vehicles who were themselves shading the narrow two-lane’s centerline.
“If you are thinking of flying a drone to take video of the car near Los Alamos National Lab,” Polestar PR warned us before we took off for the initial test drive. “Don’t. The government has been known to shoot them down.”
So instead, here’s a picture of the W80 that was awaiting us at the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History at the end of the drive’s initial leg. Coffee, snacks and selectable-yield thermonuclear warhead displays, oh my.
National Museum of Nuclear Science and History
The choice between the FWD and AWD versions of the 2022 Polestar 2 is not an easy one. For nearly all intents and purposes, the two are functionally identical both inside and out. The question you’ll have to answer for yourself is whether you want a fast, sporty and stylish ride with 265 miles of range or whether you want to trade in 16 of those miles for an extra 177 HP of head-snapping acceleration.
It’s mid-afternoon and I’m hill-climbing the absurdly tall, 10,000-foot high mountain that leads Ski Santa Fe. It started raining about 20 minutes ago, the temperature is dropping, and that gentle pitter-patter of formerly refreshing precipitation is now doing its best to become a Class 3 Kill Storm. When I raced along Skyline Blvd in 2019, the skies were clear and my right foot was a rotund demon with 408 Launch Edition horses at its beck and call.
Today, the skies were crying and the roads were revolting, but had just as much power at my disposal with the AWD Polestar 2’s accelerator pedal underfoot. It’s raining, it’s hailing, it’s snowing, minor landslides are depositing forearm-sized stones into the roadway. The Polestar barely seemed to notice the hazards — easily forging through spontaneous road rivers, slush piles, and newly laid rock beds — while charging up the tightly winding hillside. One flick of my right foot and away we go, ever onward, ever upward, and ever faster, just as soon as the Chevy Tahoe ahead of me decides to pull off into its campsite and stop crawling along at 15 goddamn miles an hour.
Amazon’s customary early-September refresh of its home entertainment products comes with a big, if not that unexpected, surprise. As part of a whole fleet of new Fire TV devices, the mega-retailer has announced the first launch, at least in the US, of its own Amazon-branded TVs. First up, the Fire TV Omni series is a lineup of 4K screens in 43-, 50-, 55-, 65- and 75-inch sizes. The smaller trio in that lust support HDR10, hybrid log gamma HDR (HLG) and Dolby Digital Plus, as well as the usual Alexa integrations. The larger pair, the 65- and 75-inch models, also get Dolby Vision, as well as a thinner bezel to better fit into your room decor.
These new screens come with a whole bunch of Alexa integrations and links to the broader Amazon ecosystem. As we’ve seen on other Fire TV units, far-field microphones will let you speak to Alexa from across the room, and lets you control the rest of your smart home from the couch. As well as the usual recommendations and curation, the Omni will also let you access TikTok straight from your TV. You’ll also be able to speak to your visitors if you have a Ring doorbell, and if you plug in a webcam to your TV, you can use it for both Alexa calling and Zoom, when that feature is enabled later this year.
Price-wise, these TVs will start at $410 for the 43-inch model and fly all the way up to $1,100 for the 75-inch beefy boi. All of them will be exclusive to Amazon and Best Buy, although it’s worth noting that Amazon is knocking up to $110 off the 50-inch Omni as an introductory offer, making it cheaper than the 43-incher, when they arrive over the next month.
Amazon
Amazon is also looking after the lower-end with the “4-series” range of smart TVs, which offer HDR10 and HLG. The lineup includes 43-, 50- and 55-inch sizes, with the same Fire TV smarts and Alexa integrations you'll find on pretty much any comparable Fire TV device. Naturally, Amazon is targeting price with this series, and the 43-inch model will be priced at $370, while $470 and $520 will be enough to grab you the 50-and 55-inch units, respectively. Similarly, Amazon will offer discounts on select models here as well.
Of course, if the idea of handing Amazon even more of your cash fills you with dread, you can also get new Fire TV sets from other manufacturers. Pioneer, for instance, is launching a new 4K set in 43-and-50-inch sizes with HDR10 and Dolby Vision, as well as picture-in-picture with a compatible device. Toshiba, meanwhile, is launching a range of Fire TV sets with far-field voice, which has been a must-have for Fire TV devices for years at this point. These models, however, won't be available until the spring of 2022, but Amazon promises that you’ll get “high-end picture quality in large format sizes,” including a 55-, 65- and 75-inch model.
Amazon
If you’re already happy with your TV, however, then Amazon also has the new TV Stick 4K Max to plug into your existing set. The stick is packing a new processor, 2GB RAM and WiFi 6, which Amazon says will make it smoother, faster and bettererier than any other streaming stick on the market. You’ll also get a bunch of the same Alexa voice features and access to Amazon Luna, the company’s cloud gaming service. The hardware also supports 4K, HDR, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos, offers live view picture-in-picture and comes with the new Alexa voice remote. When available, it’ll cost you $55 for the privilege of owning one, too.
Other than some developer tests, Twitter has only ever offered you one way to react to tweets: the classic heart "Like" emoji and prior to 2015, the "Favorite" star button. Now, the social media network might be finally expanding that range as it's testing a new feature called "Reactions" with additional emoji over the coming days.
In Turkey only for a limited time, the company is testing four new emojis on top of the heart icon: 😂, 🤔, 👏 and 😢, aka "tears of joy," "thinking face," "clapping hands" and "crying face." Back in 2015, Twitter tested a wider variety including the the "100," "heart eyes" and other emoji. However, this time it wanted to "find emoji that are universally recognizable and represent what people want to express about Tweets," the company said.
Twitter
Twitter narrowed it down to those additional four after conducting surveys and researching what the most common words and emoji are in Tweets. It found that the most popular one is the laughing emoji, and that people want to express reactions centered around "funny," "support/cheer," "agreement" and "awesome." It also identified "entertained" and "curious" as the top emotions people feel when reading tweets.
Its surveys also revealed that "frustration" and "anger" were common emotions experienced by users. While some people wanted to express disagreement with Tweets, the company decided not to incorporate that. Rather, it's trying to see if the new, more positive emoji will drive "healthy public conversations." It's also likely related to the high levels of polarization and toxicity on the site, something that Twitter has been keen to reduce over the past several years.
More specifically, Twitter said that reactions will help people better show how they feel in conversations "while also giving those Tweeting a better understanding of how their Tweets are received." The new reactions will be available in Turkey only for a limited time on Twitter for iOS, Android and the web over the coming days. However, it added that "based on this test, we may expand the availability of the Reactions experiment to other regions."
With Luna’s one-year anniversary quickly approaching, Amazon is expanding the places where you can access the platform. Starting today, the cloud gaming service is available on Fire tablets and Chromebooks. With the expansion, Amazon is also introducing new hardware bundles you can buy to get access to the service without an invitation from the company.
One option is to spend $99 to buy a Fire TV Stick 4K Max and a Luna controller. Two other new bundles allow you to get a Fire HD 10 tablet or a Fire HD 8 tablet with a controller for $156 or $116 respectively.
New hardware bundles aren’t the only way Amazon hopes to attract new subscribers to Luna. The company is also introducing a feature called Luna Couch. If you find yourself playing a game such as Team Sonic Racing that includes support for local cooperative play, you can invite one of your friends to play with you over the internet — even if they don’t have their own Luna subscription. The invite process involves creating a session code you share with your friend. If they want to play on PC or Mac, they’ll need to input that code online. Otherwise, on every other supported device, you input the code through the Luna app.
Elsewhere, the company is making tweaks to channels. The Luna+ and Ubisoft+ channels now come with access to some 120 games between the two of them. They will be joined by two new channels. The Family Channel, available today, costs $2.99 per month and comes with a curated selection of more than 35 family-friendly titles, including SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom. The other new addition, the Retro Gaming Channel, is coming “soon” and will include classic games from publishers like Atari and SNK.
Lastly, if you’re a current Prime Member in the mainland US, you can play four Luna games for seven days until September 15th. The free lineup is made up of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Metro Exodus, Katamari Damacy Reroll and Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom.
You can get a bunch of Anker charging products for up to 40 percent off on Amazon for today only. The e-commerce website has added several Anker-branded devices to its deal of the day offerings, including a wireless power bank, a charging station, wall chargers, a car adapter and a power cord. If you're looking for a portable wireless charger, Anker's PowerCore 10,000mAh is now available for $25.19, down almost $11 from its usual price of $36. It's compatible with Qi-certified devices — simply place them on the center of the pad to get a 5W wireless charge. You can also use the powerbank for wired charging through its USB ports if you need more power in a short span of time.
If you don't need wireless charging, you can also get Anker's PowerCore Slim 10000mAh Portable Charger in green for $20. It has a USB-C port capable of 18W in output and a USB-A port, giving it the capability to charge two devices simultaneously. The sale also includes a GaN wall charger with a 30W output that can be used with all USB-C devices, including the now-defunct 12-inch MacBook. It's powered by GaN, which it means it uses gallium nitride instead of silicon. Anker says that made it possible to make the device so small, since GaN enabled it to create a higher efficiency charger that generates less heat. The product is now on sale for $21, down from its usual price of $30.
The other products in the list include a 36W USB Type C car adapter that you can use for in-vehicle charging. It comes with Anker's PowerIQ 3.0 technology to make it capable of speedy charging and will set you back $24, or $14 less its usual price. There's also a 3-in-1 Multi-Device Wireless Charging Station, which you can use to charge a phone wirelessly while also charging two other devices via its USB ports. It will set you back $30, down from $43. You can grab a couple of cables and an extension cord from the sale, as well — just take note that the promo ends in 18 hours or so, as of this writing.
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