PUBG, aka PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, has a new name. It's now called PUBG: Battlegrounds, which technically makes it PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds: Battlegrounds. It seems publisher Krafton quietly made the change in July. On the surface, it's a silly rebranding akin to "ATM machine," but there seems to be some reasonable logic behind the decision.

"Krafton is actively expanding the PUBG brand through a variety of new experiences set in its universe," the publisher told PC Gamer. "Rebranding PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds to PUBG: Battlegrounds is the first step in us realizing this vision. Additional titles in the franchise will carry the PUBG name, as you see with our upcoming game, PUBG: New State."

The next game in the series, PUBG: New State, is a mobile title with a futuristic setting. The Callisto Protocol, a horror game from the creators of Dead Space, is also connected to the franchise. The name hasn't been weighed down with the PUBG prefix just yet, though.

Many players have referred to the original game simply as PUBG for years, and with more games in the franchise on the way, it makes sense to differentiate it a bit. The rebranding also takes the game away from the equally baffling former title, especially for folks who don't know who the devil PlayerUnknown actually is. Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene is the man who ushered in the battle royale craze by creating an ARMA 2 mod and then leading development of PUBG. He left the game in 2019.

Still, Krafton could have called the phenomenally successful game literally anything else rather than giving it another awkward name. Simply PUBG or even PUBG: OG or PUBG: Where Are We Dropping? would have been better.

Meanwhile, PUBG: Battlegrounds (sigh) is going free-to-play for a week to mark the game's collaboration with K-pop megastars Blackpink. It won't cost you a dime to play between August 10th and August 16th.

According to leaker PlayerIGN, Krafton may be using that week to test the waters and "gauge player responses" before potentially making the game free-to-play permanently. PUBG: Mobile is free, as are rival battles royale such as Fortnite, Apex Legends and Call of Duty: Warzone.

Microsoft is betting that a little Spotify streaming could help sharpen your mind. The Vergereports that product chief Panos Panay has previewed a Focus Sessions feature in Windows 11 that uses Spotify to help you concentrate. Based on the Pomodoro Technique that divides tasks into timed segments with breaks, the new Clock app mode asks you to choose a task (from Microsoft To Do, at least for now), set a timer and choose a Spotify playlist if you need a soundtrack. When the timer is done, your music will stop and let you know it's time for a brief pause.

Focus Sessions aren't yet available in public Insider Previews, but there's a real chance they'll be available in the finished version of Windows 11 arriving late this year. Microsoft has integrated Spotify with Xbox consoles before, but this appears to be the first major effort in Windows.

The concept of a Pomodoro app isn't new, but this will be built into Windows — and Microsoft is clearly hoping the Spotify tie-in will make a difference. It could be an important competitive advantage, too. Windows 11's focus elements could help it compete against macOS Monterey's Focus modes, not to mention parallel similar features in Android and iOS.

This week, Cherlynn is joined by guest co-host Terrence O’Brien and senior tech correspondent at Insider Lisa Eadicicco to discuss Google’s own mobile chip Tensor and the Pixel 6. We share more insight from having seen and used the phones in person, too. Plus, we go over some updates from the Activision Blizzard case and a handful of new gadgets.

Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

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Topics

• Google announces Tensor, its own mobile chip, will debut on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro – 1:47

• Activision/Blizzard hit with another lawsuit – 33:08 

• NLRB recommends a new union election for Amazon’s Alabama warehouse – 40:04

• Google Nest launches new battery-powered doorbell and security cameras – 43:06

• Amazon releases a soap dispenser that counts to 20 – 47:58

• R2-D2 Tamagotchi is coming later this year – 49:26

• Working on – 52:23

• Pop culture picks – 56:40

Video livestream

Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Terrence O'Brien
Guest: Lisa Eadicicco
Producer: Ben Ellman
Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos, Owen Davidoff, Luke Brooks
Graphics artists: Luke Brooks, Kyle Maack
Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien

Jabra's Elite 85h headphones are available for $150 on Amazon once again, giving you another chance to grab them at the price if you weren't able to last month. We praised the wireless headphones for offering active noise cancellation that rivals the technologies used by Bose and Sony and gave it a score of 84 in our review. The device was priced at $300 upon launch in 2019, which we felt was a bit too high for what it can do. Amazon has been selling it for $174 after its sale in July, but now it's back down to its lowest price on the website.

Buy Jabra Elite 85h Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones at Amazon - $150

To be clear, only the Titanium Black version is on sale for $150 on Jabra's official store on Amazon, while the rest will cost you a bit more. If you don't mind the lack of color options, though, one of the best features we liked about the headphones is their insane battery life that can last up for to 41 hours with noise cancelation turned off. During our tests, we used the Elite 85h for around two to three hours a day for seven days and still had 85 percent of power left by the time we were done. 

We also liked that it has EQ and noise-cancellation presets you can choose from based on your environment. You can have different settings for use in public and in private, and you don't even have to manually switch between them. The headphones have the ability to analyze noise, so they can detect your location and switch to the appropriate profile.

In addition, we praised the headphones for having simple controls and a better design than some of their rivals. We noted in our review that Sony's 1000XM3 has better sound quality, but that device will set you back $100 more on Amazon right now.

Disney's Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is going to cost you. For two guests in a standard cabin for a two-night adventure, you’ll have to set aside just shy of $5,000.

Disney is promising it as "part live immersive theater, part themed environment, part culinary extravaganza, part real-life role-playing game." The company offers more details on how your story might unfold, with the ability to choose to side with the First Order (boo), or ally with the resistance.

Disney

There will also be lightsaber lessons, optional missions and the chance to interact with iconic SW characters who will, well, behave like video game NPCs. According to reports, each Starcruiser adventure is several months of salary one-of-a-kind, so if you can afford one journey on the cruiser, you can probably book a second, different, adventure.

The posit sounds very Westworld, and like that fictional theme park, it seems unashamedly aimed at only the wealthiest Star Wars fans. It also sounds like there will be no Star Wars experience like it. Temptation, however, might be outweighed by economic reality. Then again, it seems positively cheap compared to a ticket to actual space.

— Mat Smith

Google's upgraded Nest Cam and Doorbell are here

Floodlight options and battery-powered devices.

Google

Google’s first battery-powered Nest Cam and Doorbell can be installed just about anywhere around your home, and you can even connect them to a wired power source, if you prefer. The battery life depends on how many recorded events the devices detect and factors like the temperature and settings. Google says the Doorbell’s battery will run for up to six months on a single charge, while the Nest Cam can run for up to seven months before you need to recharge it over USB. Continue reading.

Apple announces new iPhone features to detect child sex abuse

The Messages, Photos and Siri features will also come to watchOS and macOS.

Apple has detailed new features focused on child safety. With the release of iOS 15, watchOS 8 and macOS Monterey later this year, the company says it will introduce a variety of child safety features across Messages, Photos and Siri.

To start, the Messages app will include new notifications to warn children, as well as their parents, when they either send or receive sexually explicit photos. When someone sends a child an inappropriate image, the app will blur it and display several warnings. Apple will also introduce new software tools in iOS and iPadOS that will allow the company to detect when someone uploads content to iCloud that shows children involved in sexually explicit acts. Rather than scanning photos when they're uploaded to the cloud, the system will use an on-device database of "known" images. These features and more will come to devices later this year. Continue reading.

President Biden wants half of new vehicles to be zero-emissions by 2030

Some carmakers and states want an even faster transition.

Leah Millis / reuters

President Biden’s latest executive order sets a target for half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 to have some form of zero-emissions driving, whether it's a pure EV, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. The move is meant to not only promote clean transportation and limit climate change but help the US "outcompete" a Chinese car industry that's quickly shifting toward electrified vehicles. It could be an ambitious target: EVs have represented about 2 percent of US car sales for the past three years, according to the International Energy Agency and Pew Research. Continue reading.

Nintendo's sales can't keep up with last year's lockdown boom

The success of ‘Animal Crossing’ makes business as usual look worse by comparison.

In Nintendo’s latest financial report, it posted an operating profit of 119 billion yen, roughly $1.1 billion. That is, however, a 17.3 percent drop compared to the 144 billion yen ($1.3 billion) posted this time last year, when Switch consoles were consistently sold out and most of us were trapped indoors, isolating. Nintendo didn’t release a game that could match the success of Animal Crossing the year before. Amusingly, the company made a graph to show that, if you remove the Animal Crossing spike, its software sales have constantly increased since at least 2018. Continue reading.

But wait, there’s more...

Senior Apple employee alleges sexism at work, is put on indefinite leave

Inside the sexual harassment lawsuit at Activision Blizzard

Paramount+ is getting 14 South Park movies starting with two this year

Elon Musk confirms Walter Isaacson is writing his biography

What you'll get in the 'Back 4 Blood' open beta

Amazon launches new resale programs following backlash over stock destruction

Virgin Galactic starts selling tickets to space again for $450,000 per seat

Peloton treadmill owners will be able to run again without a subscription

Over the next 12 months, Microsoft is rolling out a series of updates for its OneNote apps on Windows with the intention of creating a single user experience. At the moment, there are two versions people can use: The OneNote app installed with Office and the OneNote for Windows 10 app available in the Microsoft Store. Microsoft will update the OneNote app with features currently exclusive to its counterpart pre-installed on Windows 10, though, and it will also give the program a visual refresh.

Microsoft originally intended to kill the OneNote app when the one for Windows 10 became available, but it changed its plans and revived the app in 2019. It upgraded the note-taking program with a bunch of new features and bundled it with Office installs a year later. Now, the tech giant says it will update OneNote with visual elements that it'll share with other Windows apps as part of Microsoft's efforts to give Windows 11 a more seamless look. The merged OneNote application will also gain access to the latest Microsoft pen and ink features, as well as a new navigational UI layout option. 

Those already using the app installed with Office don't have to do anything but wait for the upcoming updates to roll out. As for those using OneNote for Windows 10, Microsoft will send them an in-app invite to upgrade to the other application once it's ready. The company says it expects to start sending out invitations in the second half of 2022, and it now advising organizations to make their personnel use the OneNote app, so they don't have to migrate next year.

Microsoft

The city of Detroit in partnership with both Ford and Bosch is about to open a new Smart Parking Lab, hosted in Detroit’s Bedrock Assembly Garage. It’s a real-world environment to test future autonomous technologies that could be used to refine autonomous valet parking into a product. Opening in September, the facility will also enable these companies to test if it’s possible to introduce automatic smart charging into the system.

The Detroit Smart Parking Lab is designed to continue work showcased last summer, when Ford and Bosch showed off a self-parking Ford Escape in that same building. The vehicle was able to drive through the car park without human assistance, find a space, and reverse park into it without any stress. It’s hoped that, in some far-flung future when climate change doesn’t kill us all, that this sort of automatic valet parking could free people up to spend more time doing anything other than fighting for a space in a multi-storey car park.

As well as Ford and Bosch, rental company Enterprise is going to test how this technology could streamline its own processes. It hopes that cars that drive themselves to a valet station, then recharge themselves before parking back on the lot ready for pickup will reduce dead time between rentals. At this stage, at least, the hope is to just get the cars to park themselves in a manner that’s cost-effective for the company.

You now have a chance to purchase a seat aboard one of Virgin Galactic's space tours — provided you can afford to pay $450,000 for it. The company has reopened ticket sales less than a month after Richard Branson, its founder, flew with other "mission specialists" for Virgin Galactic's first fully crewed spaceflight. It made the announcement alongside its financial results for the second quarter of the year, wherein it also said that the private space corporation "made meaningful progress towards commencing commercial service in 2022."

Virgin Galactic is giving you three consumer options to choose from. In addition to a single seat that costs almost half a million, it's also selling multi-seat packages for groups and offering full-flight buy outs. The current iteration of the company's VSS Unity spacecraft can seat four passengers in addition to two pilots, so selling full flights isn't out of the realm of possibility. Virgin Galactic will prioritize its "significant list of early hand-raisers," though it will create a follow-on priority list for customers interested in reserving future flights.

As CNBC notes, its next scheduled flight will have members of the Italian Air Force onboard. After that, the company will take a break until mid-2022 to refurbish VMS Eve, its jet-powered carrier aircraft. Since there will be one more scheduled test flight after that period, that means Virgin Galactic is delaying its first official flight for paying astronauts again. Earlier this year, the company was hoping to launch its first commercial flight in early 2022, but it now told CNBC that its new target is sometime in the late third quarter of 2022.

After previously announcing it expected corporate employees to return to the office on September 7th this year, Amazon has announced a further delay until January 3rd, 2022, Reuters has reported. The change of plans comes amid a surge of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant across the US. "As we continue to closely watch local conditions related to COVID-19, we are adjusting our guidance for corporate employees," the company said in a statement. 

Shortly after the pandemic started, Amazon said it expected employees to return to the office in October of 2020. That date was pushed back to 2021 as multiple waves of the virus forced lockdowns and business closures across the US. 

Google and Microsoft also recently announced that they'd be pushing back office returns until October 2021, later than the September date that Microsoft originally planned. However, while both Google and Microsoft require that any employees returning to the office be vaccinated, Amazon has said that unvaccinated employees may return as long as they wear masks. 

Like other tech companies, Amazon has allowed for a hybrid office/home work structure due to the pandemic. However, in March this year, it seemed eager to get everyone back to the office. "Our plan is to return to an office-centric culture as our baseline. We believe it enables us to invent, collaborate, and learn together most effectively," the company said in its vaccination and testing blog. Now, that will be delayed for at least another five months. 

Last year, Boss Team and Saber Interactive announced that Evil Dead: The Game with Bruce Campbell reprising his original movie role would arrive sometime in 2021. Now, the developers have tweeted out an update with a specific and slightly later release date: February 2022. 

The reason for the delay is to "give the team some extra time for polish and to ensure this is the ultimate Evil Dead experience you're all waiting for," the team tweeted. "This additional time is also allowing us to implement a single-player option that will let you enjoy the game when you are without your co-op compadres." 

As we saw in the launch trailer in December, Campbell's Ash along with Kelly and crew have to work together to fight Deadites led by a powerful demon. You can think of it as a Dead by Daylight-style asymmetric title with a chainsaw hand and Bruce Campbell's clever catchphrases. It also comes with a big dollop of nostalgia with familiar characters, locales and plenty of gore in the form of blood-soaked zombies.

Evil Dead: The Game will offer "multiplayer co-op and PvP for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch," according to the developer's website. They advised that you stay tuned to their Twitter page "for more information about new character updates, pre-order availability, and the next gameplay video featuring Bruce Campbell."