Parallels, the company best know for its virtualization software that lets you run Windows and Linux directly on your Mac, has had a busy year. In addition to building a version of Parallels that can run on Chrome OS for the first time, the company also had to figure out how to quickly make its software work with the new, ARM-based M1 Macs that arrived last fall. Now, Parallels Desktop 17 is being released with improved performance on M1 Macs, as well as full support for the upcoming macOS Monterey and Windows 11 operating systems. 

Before getting into these improvements, though, it's worth taking a moment to talk compatibility. Apple moving the Mac to ARM architecture means there are now two classes of Macs for Parallels to support. As of today, the only versions of Windows that Parallels can run on an M1 Mac are the Insider Previews for Windows 10 and Windows 11 — because those versions of the OS are able to run on ARM-based hardware. But, Parallels unequivocally says that when the full version of Windows 11 is released to the public, it'll run on Parallels 17.

On an Intel-baed Mac, however, users can still run a host of virtual machines, including Windows support all the way back to XP and Windows 2000, and macOS all the way back to 2011's OS X Lion. It can also run eight different Linux distros; M1 Macs can only virtualize four right now, including Ubuntu and Fedora.

So while Intel Macs still offer the broadest compatibility, Parallels has found that the raw power of the M1 chip means users likely aren't giving anything up running the Windows 10 or 11 Insider Previews. Microsoft's built-in emulation for Windows means that Windows 10 Insider Preview can run almost any 32-bit x86 app as well as "many" 64-bit x86 apps, and the M1's power helps to make up for speed lost due to emulation. 

As for what's new, Parallels has speed improvements across the board, whether you're running Intel or M1. Regardless of which system you're using, Parallels 17 resumes Windows and Linux up to 38 percent faster, while OpenGL graphics run up to six times faster than the previous version. M1-specific speed improvements include 20 percent faster disk performance when using Windows 10 Insider preview, while DirectX graphics should perform up to 28 percent better. These tests are all run by Parallels, and we can't verify them yet, but improving performance has long been a focus for the company. 

There are a handful of new features on board, as well. Parallels improved its "Coherence" mode, where you can run a Windows app without launching into the full Windows UI. Now, things like shutdowns, updates and sign-in screens are windowed as well, making them easier to pop into the background. The ability to drag and drop between Windows and Mac apps has been improved, as well — for example, you can now highlight and drop text and images between Mac and Windows apps, and it'll work with the new Quick Note feature coming to macOS Monterey. 

Parallels 17 also contains a virtual TPM (Trusted Platform Module) chip, which lets the system use BitLocker and Secure Boot when running Windows 10 and Windows 11. There's an added layer of intrigue to this feature: Microsoft originally said that a computer with a TPM chip was a requirement for Windows 11 before backtracking (at least for the testing period). It's not clear yet if the final version of Windows 11 will require a TPM chip, but this virtualization should let Parallels users get around this requirement. 

As with most software these days, Parallels Desktop 17 is being sold as a subscription. The standard edition is $79.99 per year, and the pro edition costs $99.99 per year. If you're on a subscription, you'll get Parallels updates as long as the subscription is active. If you prefer, though, you can get a perpetual license of the standard edition Parallels 17 for $99.99; people who have purchased a past perpetual license can upgrade for $49.99.

It's official. Sony now owns both Crunchyroll and Funimation. The company's Sony Pictures division completed the $1.175 billion acquisition on Monday. And with the deal now closed, Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra said the company's goal is to "create a unified anime subscription experience as soon as possible."

Sony didn't say how soon we could see that happen and what form that "experience" will take. For the time being, Funimation and Crunchyroll will continue to exist as separate streaming platforms, with few details on what the deal means for subscribers.

"With the addition of Crunchyroll, we have an unprecedented opportunity to serve anime fans like never before and deliver the anime experience across any platform they choose, from theatrical, events, home entertainment, games, streaming, linear TV — everywhere and every way fans want to experience their anime," Vinciquerra said.

Sony first announced it was acquiring Crunchyroll from AT&T at the end of 2020. At the time, the service said it had 3 million subscribers and over 90 million registered users across more than 200 countries. Less than a year later, Crunchyroll notes those numbers have increased to 5 million and 120 million, respectively.

Amazon and GoPro have filed a joint lawsuit against a group of Chinese nationals and businesses they allege sold counterfeit GroPro products on Amazon. In newly unsealed court documents, the two companies say the fraudsters made knockoffs of some of GoPro's most popular accessories that blatantly used its branding to try and trick potential buyers.

Among the products the counterfeiters saw to pass off as authentic include GoPro's signature "3-Way" and "The Handler" grips. The knockoffs were often hard to spot, with subtle differences between them and their real GoPro counterparts. For instance, some had foam handles that were a slightly different color from the one you'll find on tripods from the company.

"When counterfeiters attempt to sell in our store, they not only violate the intellectual property rights of companies like GoPro, they also mislead consumers and harm Amazon's reputation as a place to buy authentic goods," said Kebharu Smith, director of Amazon's recently formed Counterfeit Crimes Unit.

Amazon and GoPro aren't the first companies to take legal action against fraudsters using the platform to sell counterfeit goods. Back in 2016, Apple alleged that about 90 percent of the Lightning cables and chargers marked "Fulfilled by Amazon" were fake.

However, Amazon contends the problem isn't widespread. In 2020, the company says less than 0.01 percent of all products sold on its marketplace were the subject of a counterfeit complaint from customers. As The Verge points out, what we don't know is how many items the company sold last year.

At the scale Amazon does business, 0.01 percent could represent tens of thousands of complaints. It's also not clear how many people bought a counterfeit product, and either didn't think to contact the company about their purchase or were none the wiser about what they had in their possession. Either way, the issue of fake GoPro products was pressing enough for Amazon to team up with the company to take it on.

It's no longer possible to prevent the planet from heating over the next 20 to 30 years, and some of the changes global warming is bringing about are now impossible to undo in the short term, according to a new report from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The document represents the most comprehensive analysis of the physical science behind climate change ever amassed in human history. The 284 scientists who worked on the project spent eight years examing data from more than 14,000 studies. They say human activity is "unequivocally" behind the Earth's rapidly changing climate.

Since the mid-19th century, the planet's temperature has increased by 1.1 degrees Celsius, or 2 degrees Fahrenheit, as a direct result of greenhouse gas emissions related to humans burning coal, oil and other fossil fuels for energy. We've already seen the effects a warmer planet can have on humans. It was only earlier this summer that parts of Canada and the US Pacific Northwest suffered through a sweltering and unprecedented heatwave that melted power cables, buckled roads and killed people.

"Many of the changes observed in the climate are unprecedented in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years, and some of the changes already set in motion — such as continued sea level rise — are irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years," the IPCC said.

Unless governments commit to sharply reducing emissions, limiting warming to the targets established in the Paris Climate Agreement will be "beyond reach," the report warns. With a 1.5 degree Celsius increase in global temperatures, there will be more frequent and life-threatening heat waves, droughts that leave millions struggling to find water and continued sea level rise that will likely displace coastal communities across the globe.

"We can expect a significant jump in extreme weather over the next 20 or 30 years," Piers Forster, one of the climate scientists who contributed to the report, told The New York Times. "Things are unfortunately likely to get worse than they are today."

Reiterating past UN reports, the IPCC also warned a 3 degree or even 4 degree Celsius increase in global temperatures would be catastrophic. With every additional degree of warming, there's a greater risk of the planet passing specific tipping points that could lead to even dramatic changes to the climate. According to the IPCC, drastic reductions in emissions can limit the worse effects of climate change and keep warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. However, it could take between 20 to 80 years to see global temperatures stabilize.

The report will be front and center when diplomats travel to Glasgow, Scotland, to attend the UN's COP26 summit on climate change. As one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases globally, the US can play a significant role in what happens next. After rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, President Biden pledged America would cut its greenhouse emissions in half by 2030. Now more than ever, it's time to take action.

Ninja Theory has released an Xbox Series X/S optimization patch for Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, three years after the action-adventure game arrived on Xbox One. Along with enhanced visuals, you can take advantage of DirectX ray-tracing on your next playthrough. A PC update is also in the works, but there are no current plans for a PlayStation 5 performance patch.

The performance mode supports a dynamic resolution of up to 1080p with a maximum framerate of 120 on Xbox Series X, and full HD at 60 frames per second on Xbox Series S. The resolution mode offers up to 4K dynamic visuals on Series X at 60 fps, and up to 1440p at 30 fps on Series S. The enriched mode enables ray-tracing on both consoles at 30fps, with a dynamic resolution of up to 4K on Series X and full HD on Series S. Ninja Theory says it has updated details, materials and particles, and there's now a chapter select option.

The patch arrives ahead of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, which will be exclusive to Xbox and PC. The original game debuted on PC and PlayStation 4 in 2017 before hitting Xbox One the following March. Microsoft added Ninja Theory to the Xbox Game Studios portfolio in 2018.

There's no confirmed release window for the sequel as yet. Microsoft is promising updates on some Xbox Game Studios titles during its Gamescom event later this month, so perhaps we'll find out more details then.

SpaceX just dipped its toes into the Internet of Things. SpaceNewsreports that SpaceX has acquired Swarm Technologies, a startup best known for smallsats that power IoT services. The two companies aren't shy about how this will help Swarm — this gives the younger company the resources it needs to take on other smallsat operators, no to mention "synergies" that come with a company used to designing and launching satellites.

Swarm's commercial mini-satellite network just went live in February of this year, but it already had enough funding to finish rolling out an array of 150 satellites. It's a small company with roughly 30 employees as of March.

It's not clear if or how SpaceX will alter its strategy as a result of the deal, although an FCC filing suggested Elon Musk's outfit would primarily benefit from Swarm's "intellectual property and expertise." In other words, this might be an acquihire rather than an expansion of SpaceX's strategy.

There are areas where the businesses might mesh well. SpaceX is busy deploying a giant constellation of relatively small Starlink internet satellites. The firm also recently began launching rideshare missions full of cubesats and other small payloads. Swarm would at least serve as a customer for those rideshare missions. It might also help SpaceX refine or expand its smallsat efforts, no matter how much IoT plays a role.

Before Gamescom 2021 gets officially underway on August 25th, Microsoft will kick off the all-digital event with a livestream of its own. The company will share an update on its holiday Xbox lineup on August 24th at 1PM ET/10AM PT. We don't expect Microsoft to announce too many new titles. Instead, it sounds like we'll see more of the games it highlighted at its E3 2021 presentation, including Starfield and Halo Infinite.

"You'll get in-depth updates from some of our previously announced Xbox Game Studios titles alongside some of our third-party partners, including some of the incredible titles coming to Xbox this holiday, upcoming releases to our monthly subscription service, Xbox Game Pass and much more," the company said.

Microsoft will stream the presentation to YouTube, Twitch, Facebook Gaming and Twitter. It also said today it would have more information to share about Xbox FanFest at a later date. As always, if you can't watch the livestream, we will have you covered after the event with coverage of all the biggest announcements.   

Roku is still busy giving Quibi shows a second life as Roku Originals. The media device maker has revealed that 23 more shows will come to the free Roku Channel on August 13th, including a few that might just catch your attention thanks to their critical acclaim or star power. Memory Hole has Will Arnett revisiting the poorly-aged elements of pop culture, while Mapleworth Murders is an Emmy-nominated spoof of the mystery genre (such as the sheer body count in shows like Murder, She Wrote).

Other picks include Skrrt with Offset (a car enthusiast show starring its namesake rapper), the Reese Witherspoon-hosted nature documentary Fierce Queens and the celebrity stunt show Elba vs. Block.

As before, Roku is focused on filling the gaps Netflix, Amazon and other streaming heavyweights tend to leave in their catalogs. Quibi's shows not only didn't get much exposure during their ill-fated initial run, but offer short (roughly 10 minutes per episode) bites that you're unlikely to find on rival services.These new offerings may be easy choices if you're either pressed for time or just want an alternative when you run out of things to watch on paid services.

Home chefs looking to experiment more should give sous vide cooking a try, but that's easier said than done if you're starting from scratch. Many sous vide machines cost hundreds of dollars, but those looking to give the method a go don't have to spend that much now thanks to a new sale on Anova's Precision Cooker Nano. Both Amazon and Best Buy have the device for $99, which is $30 off and a return to the best price we've seen all year.

Buy Anova Precision Cooker Nano at Amazon - $99Buy Anova Precision Cooker Nano at Best Buy - $99

A machine like the Nano is the most important piece of equipment you'll need for sous vide cooking that you probably don't already have in your kitchen. The method involves cooking food in a sealable bag that's submerged in heated water. The Precision Cooker Nano and other devices like it constantly circulate the water and keep it at the right temperature, ensuring your food is never over- or undercooked.

The Nano is the entry-level machine in Anova's lineup, making it the right pick for sous vide newbies. It uses 750 watts of power to heat up water and it'll run for up to 3,000 hours before it needs to be recharged. With that amount of power, you'll be able to easily cook meals for up to four people.

Aside from wattage and battery capacity, it differs from the more advanced devices in Anova's lineup in its clamp and connectivity. It has a fixed clamp, rather than a removable and adjustable one, that you'll use to secure the machine to your cooking pot. It also connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth rather than WiFi, but that still gives you access to the customizable controls in the Anova mobile app. You can set the cooking time and keep track of your cook while it's cooking in the app, plus the app gives you access to a bunch of recipes you can try, too. While it may be tempting to spring for the standard, $199 Precision Cooker for it extra power and battery life, the Nano is arguably the best choice for home cooks who want to give a new method a try without spending too much money upfront.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Renault is looking to revive flagging sales in China. It has agreed to set up a joint venture with a major auto manufacturer in the country. Renault will share tech and resources with Geely (which owns Volvo and Polestar) to bring Renault-branded hybrid vehicles to China.

The companies plan to take advantage of Geely's supply chain and manufacturing capabilities. Renault will focus on sales and marketing.

Along with China, the companies are eyeing South Korea as a key market for their joint venture. They plan to sell localized versions of hybrids from Geely's Lynk & Co brand.

The joint venture will likely expand to other Asian markets in the future, according to Reuters, which reported that Renault and Geely are considering making fully electric vehicles as well. Renault recently announced an ambitious timeline for electrifying its vehicles. It forecasts that 65 percent of its lineup will be electric by 2025.

Having a partnership in China seems important for Renault, which has struggled to sell cars under its own name in the country. It sold just 2,324 Renault-branded cars there in 2020, a drop of 89 percent from the previous year, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the global semiconductor shortage. In comparison, Jinbei and Huasong, brands owned by a joint venture between Renault and Brilliance Auto, sold 154,049 vehicles in China last year.