Holoride’s VR gaming system for passengers caught our attention a few years back at CES when we were given a ride in an Audi on a track and had the game react to the movement of the vehicle while we played. Well, the company is back and this time they demoed two games and threw off the shackles of the track for the real world.
We took a ride in an Audi with the Holoride system and again enjoyed video games while someone else drove. The company is currently courting developers to build games via their recently announced SDK and are partnering with automakers to make sure that the data they need from the car to make their games a reality is available. Watch the video above for the full story.
Pinterest has launched a new search feature that could make it easier for Black, Brown, Indigenous, Latinx and other POC users to find hair inspiration that would suit their hair types. The visual discovery website has introduced hair pattern search, it said, with BIPOC users in mind. This new feature uses computer vision-powered object detection to enable users to refine their searches by six different hair patterns: protective, coily, curly, wavy, straight and shaved/bald.
Now, after users search for broader terms like "summer hairstyles," "glam hair" or "short hair," they'll find new hair pattern buttons that will narrow down the results. The feature is now live in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on desktop, as well as on iOS and Android. It will roll out to more locations over the coming months.
Yes, there are different types of curls, not to mention different hair textures and porosities, and Pinterest said its technology detected hair patterns in over 500 million images on its platform. Being able to refine results could help POC users find styling inspiration more easily instead of having to wade through pages and pages of hair images that wouldn't work for their hair types. That said, it remains to be seen how accurate the feature is and if it's truly effective in sifting through images on the website.
According to the company, this feature builds on its first inclusive product that allows users to search for images based on the subjects' skin tones. It worked with BIPOC creators and popular Pinners like Naeemah LaFond to design the product.
Pinterest's Head of Inclusive Product Annie Ta said in a statement:
"Our mission on the Inclusive Product team is to help everyone feel like Pinterest is a place for them. As a visual discovery platform, we have an opportunity and responsibility to do a better job of increasing representation in the products we build. That's why we built hair pattern search using computer vision technology to help identify hair patterns in images. By doing this, we hope we're able to use technology for good and make it easier for people, no matter who they are, to find hair inspiration for them on Pinterest."
A number of companies make "hearing enhancement" devices that look more like a set of earbuds than a piece of clinical tech. Nuheara has been a staple at CES with its IQbuds line and companies like Bose, Bragi, Olive and others have offered a mix of tech and hardware to assist with hearing loss. Even Apple plans to introduce a "Converstaion Boost" for its AirPods Pro. Since the FDA allows companies to sell directly to consumers with mild-to-moderate hearing loss without the need for a prescription, the list of options is constantly growing. Another company that's specifically equipped to blur the line between hearing aid and true wireless earbuds is Jabra, thanks to the auditory assistance expertise of its parent company GN.
With the Jabra Enhance Plus, the company offers a more approachable device for people who may not need what all-day hearing aids offer just yet. Jabra describes these earbuds as "a miniaturized true wireless form factor" that's 50 percent smaller than its stellar Elite 75t model. Those are already some of the smallest buds I've tested, so reducing the size even further makes the Enhance Plus more comfortable and more discreet. Plus, a design that resembles earbuds rather than a traditional hearing aid helps reduce the stigma around wearing something that helps your hear better.
Inside, four separate sound processing features work to improve audio quality. The Enhance Plus analyzes sound to keep things as natural as possible while also reducing noise for speech clarity. The earbuds also ensure feedback doesn't hinder amplification and they isolate sounds coming from in front of you.
Jabra
In addition to providing hearing enhancement, the Jabra Enhance Plus can work just like a set of true wireless earbuds to play music and take calls. Similar to other earbuds, the Enhance Plus comes with multiple sizes of ear tips to help you find the best fit, on-board controls and water/dust resistance (IP52). Jabra says they'll last 10 hours on a charge with 30 hours total when you factor in the charging case. An app assists with setup and offers a degree of customization.
Jabra plans to launch the Enhance Plus at "select hearing care clinics" in the US "towards the end of the year." A licensed professional will conduct a hearing test to make sure these earbuds are appropriate. There's no word on pricing just yet, but the company says it's applying for approval under the FDA's self-fitting category. If you're looking for more of a true hearing aid rather than these "enhancers," Jabra also offers the Enhance Pro. It carries the more traditional behind-the-ear hearing aid design along with a charging case. It's also pricey, starting at $1,800.
If that's what you're after, the Bose SoundControl hearing aids went on sale in May in a handful of states. That device puts the company's audio expertise to use to help you hear better, and Bose said it was the first FDA-cleared hearing aids that could be sold directly to consumers. What's more, they're more affordable at $850, but they run on the typical zinc-air batteries for hearing aids rather than being rechargeable.
Last month, we saw a number of Roku streaming devices receive big discounts on Amazon — including the Roku Streambar, which went down to $99. Now that sale is back, making it a good time for those who missed it last time to snag an updated streaming gadget. The Roku Streambar is back down to $99, or 24 percent off its normal price, while the Streaming Stick+ and the Express 4K+ are down to $40 and $29, respectively.
If you have an older TV in your home or a smart TV with software that you're not a huge fan of, Roku's Streambar can revamp your system when it comes to audio as well as streaming. It earned a score of 86 from us thanks to its compact size — it'll easily fit into almost any setup — solid audio quality with Dolby Atmos support and its built-in 4K HDR streaming tech.
You're essentially getting a soundbar that doubles as a Roku Ultra (albeit without Dolby Vision support), so movies and TV shows will sound better and you'll have access to all of the streaming services on the Roku platform including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max and more. It also works as a Bluetooth speaker as well, but we found the device sounded better when watching action movies than when playing our favorite pop playlists.
The other discounted Roku products are best for those aren't as interested in an audio upgrade as they are in streaming power that comes in a small package. The Streaming Stick+ has ended up in many of our home entertainment guides thanks to its affordability and relatively comprehensive feature set. It supports 4K HDR streaming, long-range wireless connectivity and voice commands with Alexa and the Google Assistant. The Express 4K+ is very similar, but it supports smooth wireless connectivity instead of long-range. Both dongles also come with Roku's voice remote as well.
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Samsung's insistence on shoving ads into its stock apps has detracted from its otherwise stellar phones. If the pop-ups inside Samsung Pay and Music irked you, we have good news: They'll soon be axed for good. “Samsung has made a decision to cease the advertisement on proprietary apps including Samsung Weather, Samsung Pay, and Samsung Theme,” the company confirmed in a statement to The Verge. “The update will be ready by later this year.”
The move to cull in-app ads was first reported by Korean media who attributed it to TM Roh, president and head of mobile communications business, Samsung Electronics. In response to a question by an employee at the company's online town hall, the exec said that ads would go away in future versions of apps like Samsung Pay, Samsung Themes and Samsung Weather. Roh hinted that the reversal was made in response to user and staff feedback.
We were never fans of the in-app ads here at Engadget. In our recent reviews of the flagship S21 Ultra and mid-range A52 5G, we noted that the "lousy" ads in Samsung's Weather and Daily news apps felt "unpleasant and weird." It seems Samsung finally took heed of the criticism, especially from irritated users, and decided to ditch them altogether.
As more and more venues and events, including CES, require proof of vaccination against COVID before granting entry, Samsung is working to make it easier to keep your records on hand. The company has today announced that it has partnered with non-profit The Commons Project to help digitize people’s vaccination records. Once a user has authenticated their record through the CommonHealth app, they can add the details to their Samsung Pay wallet for “convenient access and use.”
The feature is rolling out to a small number of devices initially, but Samsung says that every compatible device will have access by the end of the week. Both parties say that the data will be secure and the transfer from the CommonHealth app to Samsung Pay will be quick and painless.
There are three Pokémon games on the way to Nintendo Switch in the coming months: Pokémon Legends Arceus, a brand-new, open-world entry in the series, and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl, remakes of two gen-four Nintendo DS titles from 2006. The Pokémon Company (TPC) is offering fans a deeper look at what's in store during a Pokémon Presents stream this morning on its YouTube channel.
TPC didn't give away too much about what to expect from the showcase, which starts at 9AM ET. However, it will include a peek at all three games. Perhaps we'll learn exactly when Pokémon Uniteis coming to mobile devices too. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl land on Switch on November 19th, and Pokémon Legends: Arceuswill be released on January 28th.
DTS has found a way to integrate TV speakers into a surround sound setup. The Play-Fi Home Theater system connects TVs to external speakers over WiFi. The first compatible TVs should arrive in the third quarter of 2021 (in other words, by the end of October).
The company says Play-Fi Home Theater won't require manufacturers or customers to add any additional hardware to their TVs. If you'd rather not use the TV's built-in speakers, you can still wirelessly output the center channel audio to a compatible soundbar or front speakers. The system can automatically adapt to the number of speakers you connect to the TV, and you can build out your setup with more speakers later.
The system, which builds on DTS' long-standing Play-Fi protocol, can connect several other speakers, including up to two subwoofers, for surround sound. You can also play audio from your TV elsewhere in your home if you have a multiroom setup. In addition, you can listen to audio from your TV through headphones via an app.
The Play-Fi Home Theater approach isn't entirely new. Sony has enabled customers to use compatible TVs' built-in speakers as their surround sound setup's center channel for a while. Competition is almost always a good thing, though, and if DTS can lower the cost barrier for multi-channel audio with its system, so much the better.
ASUS is updating its range of ROG gaming phones at a fast clip to keep up with the latest processor advancements. The new ROG Phone 5S and 5S Pro, the fifth and latest additions to the high-end lineup, pack Qualcomm's fresh Snapdragon 888+ 5G chipset, a beefed-up version of the base 888 found inside predecessor, the ROG Phone 5. It's not the first phone to get the processor, though. That accolade went to the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4. In fact, we knew the 888+ was coming to the ROG phone: Qualcomm listed ASUS' gaming handset as a partner earlier this summer, along with devices from Vivo, Honor and Motorola.
The processor itself promises a clock speed boost from a peak 2.86GHz to nearly 3GHz courtesy of its Kryo 680 CPU architecture. It also boasts a 20 percent AI improvement with up to 32 TOPS AI performance. All of which is to say it's a natural fit for a premium gaming phone.
ASUS
Beyond the upgraded chipset, the new ROG phones sport the same 6.78-inch 144Hz display, 6,000 mAh battery and triple rear cameras with a 64-megapixel main sensor as their predecessor. Additional updates include a more responsive 360Hz touch-sampling rate (which still doesn't match the 720Hz responsiveness of Lenovo's Legion Phone Duel 2) and a max 18GB and 512GB storage on the 5S Pro. You can also expect ultrasonic sensors for the AirTrigger 5 buttons and grip press detection.
According to Gizmochina, the two phones are currently only available to pre-order in ASUS' native Taiwan ahead of an August 24th shipping date. The 5S costs $1,077/$1,221 based on RAM and storage and the 5S Pro costs $1,365.
Epic Games’ latest addition to Fortnite is called Imposters, and it helps players scratch their Among Us itch without, well, playing Among Us. Each match features two teams of eight agents and two imposters. There’s a new level to play — one that looks incredibly similar in structure to an existing Among Us level. Hmmm.
This is Fortnite’s second attempt at an Among Us-ishmode — remember last year’s The Spy Within? — but it’s a smart move because it doesn’t center on gunplay or shooting skills. For those reasons, Among Us swiftly became one of my favorite games to play online during the pandemic with non-gamer friends. Anything but more Zoom quizzes, right?
As an imposter (aka the fun part of the game), you can make agents and imposters temporarily look like Fortnite’s mascot, Peely, as well as teleport everyone to a different location on the map. And, like in Among Us, you have the power to freeze any assignments other players are working on.
The developers of Among Usreacted as you might expect.
Most people know the value of Pi as 3.1416, but it's gotten longer and longer over the years. Now, a team from the University of Applied Sciences Graubünden in Switzerland claims it has broken the world record for computing the mathematical constant. If confirmed it’d blow the current record holder, Timothy Mullican, out of the water. He calculated up to 50 trillion digits and was recognized for his work last year. The team in Switzerland, however, reached 62.8 trillion digits. Guinness has yet to confirm the new record, but after it does, the university plans to publish the new and expanded value of Pi.
Activision has released a teaser trailer for its upcoming Call of Duty installment, Vanguard. It features elements clearly indicating the game is set during World War II. It shows old weapons, a German forest and a beach littered with the remains of planes from the era. Activision plans to officially launch Vanguard during an in-game event within Call of Duty: Warzone, its free-to-play battle royale title. The event, Battle of Verdansk, starts at 10:30 AM PT/1:30 PM ET on August 19th — that’s tomorrow.
The now-Hyundai-owned robot company has shared a new video showing its humanoid bots successfully completing a parkour routine that included vaulting beams and even a backflip.
Before the Pixel 6 breaks cover, how about a newer midrange Pixel phone? Yes, as predicted, Google’s Pixel 5a has appeared, and we’ve given it a full review. If you liked what you heard about its predecessor, the Pixel 4a 5G, then there are not many surprises. It’s largely the same phone, but this time packing water resistance. Terrence O’Brien tests everything out — including what seems to be a very impressive battery life.
Welcome to the world of luxury gamepads. Scuf, a brand that once collaborated with Microsoft on an official high-end gamepad, has now tackled the Xbox Series X/S with the new $170 Instinct and $200 Instinct Pro controllers. They bring back fan-favorite features like an interchangeable faceplate while also improving the buttons and switches. Kris Naudus tests out some luxurious controllers aimed at the professional gamer — or at least the very serious ones.
Disney previously offered a behind-the-scenes look at its anime series, and now it has revealed the first trailer. You can watch it in either the original Japanese with subtitles or an English dub. Expect to see droids, lightsabers, Stormtroopers and more. The nine-episode run starts next month.
So you have a Switch. You’ve got the games, but you need a case. Or another controller, or simply more storage space? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s the best ways to upgrade Nintendo’s hybrid console — before that OLED option even lands.
