Lego's Mindstorms robotics kits have been on the market since 1998, born from a collaboration between Lego and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Now, Lego has announced it will be discontinuing Mindstorms at the end of the year and providing support for the mobile app for at least another two years beyond that, Gizmodo has reported.
Starting as the Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System over 24 years ago, the kits used Lego's advanced Technics pieces with gears and other robotics parts, powered by the basic "Brick" processing unit. They took a big step forward in 2006 with the introduction of the company's next generation of Mindstorms kits, dubbed NXT.
Another big jump came in 2013 with the EV3 robotics platform. This new lineup was backwards-compatible with the NXT series, offering enhancements to its sensor load and processing power. Lego also launched dedicated mobile apps, turning iOS and Android devices into remote controls for Mindstorms projects. Finally, it set up a Mindstorms community where users could share their creations and collaborate with other builders.
The last official product was the Robot Inventor lineup from 2020, but with nothing seen since, the writing seemed on the wall for Mindstorms — particularly as Lego was focusing on other educational ventures.
"Now having a number of priorities in LEGO Education and other Build & Code experiences, we have decided to focus our resources and future plans by redirecting our Mindstorms Robot Inventor team and their expertise into different areas of the business," the company said in a statement to Brick Fanatics. "This means the physical Mindstorms Robot Inventor product (51515) and its related elements (88016 and 88018) are to exit our portfolio from the end of 2022, whilst digital platforms—such as the LEGO Mindstorms Robot Inventor App—will remain live until at least the end of 2024."
It was one of the first toys to actively promote STEM learning while getting kids and adults alike interested in robotics. (Engadget collaborated with Lego on a Mindstorms robotics contest in 2014.) While it's the end of an era in robotics education, there are now plenty of kits on the market, including Lego's own Boost robotics kit for beginners. And if you happen to own a Mindstorms robot, it might soon become a collector's item.
It’s been a busy year for Nothing. After debuting its Ear 1 wireless headphones last year, it followed up with its first smartphone, the Phone 1, daring to compete in an arena that’s actually shed some more established competitors. Now, it’s tackling wireless buds again with the $99 Ear Stick. It’s not a great name, but it’s at least descriptive. Instead of the slim, squarish case of the Ear 1, Nothing has pulled inspiration from cosmetic product design, creating a charging case for the buds inspired by tubes of lipstick. It’s not the first set of wireless headphones to feature a twisting cylinder, but it ensures the Ear Stick won’t be confused with rival earbuds.
At $99, the Ear Stick is reasonably priced but lacks some of the significant features of Nothing’s first wireless buds – most crucially, active noise cancellation (ANC). There are plenty of improvements here, though, especially concerning connectivity.
The hardware
Mat Smith / Engadget
It’s hard to stop twisting and pawing at the Ear Stick’s eye-catching case. The micro-dotted surface of the charger, exposed when the buds are locked in and charging, feels nice. At the top of the charger, there’s a USB-C charging port and a chrome button for pairing the buds to devices. Given the form factor, there’s no wireless charging this time around, but it also ensures the Ear Stick is cheaper to make. (As it is, Nothing recently raised the price on its Ear One buds.) There is a sliver of space on the case, though, so pocket lint can easily get trapped and rolled into the crevice, which is annoying. Judging by my other transparent gadgets, this might only get worse.
The Ear Stick buds themselves continue that Nothing design language, with transparent casing around the tips and a dot-matrix font labeling each stem. There’s a red dot on the right bud to help users ensure they go in the right ears. However, compared to the Ear 1, they don’t have silicone tips, so they rest loosely inside the ear. This means that, regardless of any noise cancellation technology, a good amount of noise will seep in.
Nothing says the buds went through over 200 rounds of modifications, and I think it was worth it: They’re comfortable. Weighing in at 4.4 grams (0.15 ounces) each, they’re also lighter than the Ear 1 buds. I know that many people (and several Engadget editors) prefer this kind of looser fit, as AirPods Pro, Galaxy Buds and many others put a little too much pressure on their ear canals. The Ear Stick is aimed at those people – but are there enough of them?
In noisy environments – say, when traveling on public transport or working out – I’m forced to crank the volume up to max to compete with all the ambient noise. That said, they are comfortable and, for buds without removable tips, snug enough not to fear losing them when on the move. I still wasn’t completely at ease running or jumping in them, but they didn’t fall out during regular use.
I haven’t extensively tested the battery life yet, but Nothing’s seven-hour rating seems roughly accurate. Expect to get 29 hours of total playback with the case, which is almost a week of intermittent listening for me. There’s a fast-charge function that can juice the buds with two hours of playback with only 10 minutes of charge time, which has already been convenient during long trips across London, where I’m based.
Nothing also made a new custom-designed dynamic driver in this generation of buds. The company claims it’s the most sensitive one found on wireless buds in the market, and while I can’t vouch for that, I did find that the Ear Stick performs best when I’m listening to spoken word or on phone calls; they’re notably clearer and crisper sounding than the Ear 1. Additionally, Nothing says it’s packed in a Bass Lock feature that tries to gauge sound leaking from the half-open design, but I struggle to hear it make enough for all of the sound loss.
However, there’s not much Nothing can do with a half-ear design like this to maintain bass levels in comparison to the competition. There’s a tinniness to music and sounds that I don’t think any algorithm can fix, given the half-open bud design.
The software
You can ameliorate this a little with the customizable equalizer from the companion app, and if you’re already a Nothing Phone 1 user, you’ll get handy shortcuts from the Android drop-down menu. It’s a nice touch, matching the slickness you get when using Samsung buds with a Galaxy phone, etc.
Mat Smith / Engadget
Nothing has also addressed some of the connectivity issues that marred the Ear 1. It’s moved the antenna further down the buds, which it says minimizes signal blockage. In use, the Ear Stick connects and pairs more consistently than Nothing’s other headphones. They’re less likely to drop connection when I move around my apartment and get farther away from my phone. The Stick is also much less fussy about pairing with phones, laptops and other devices. While I was initially impressed with the Ear 1, its inconsistency pairing to iPhones, laptops and even Android phones meant I eventually changed back to my AirPods Pro. Nothing has fortunately learned that lesson with its second pair of wireless buds.
I’d happily take the audio and signal improvements of the Stick, but unfortunately, I’m just not as enamored with the Ear Stick as I was with the Ear 1. I need my noise cancellation and silicone tips. However, I am looking forward to Ear 2, or whatever Nothing decides to call its third attempt, when it hopefully combines the best of both buds.
The next-gen iPhone 15 Pro models may swap its physical volume and power buttons for solid state versions that use haptic feedback, analyst Min-Chi Kuo wrote in a tweet spotted by MacRumors. The design would be similar to the non-physical home button on the iPhone 7, which used a Taptic Engine to simulate a button press with vibrations. It could also resemble Mac trackpads, which don't move but simulate clicks using similar haptic technology.
Making this work would require additional Taptic Engines on top of the one already in current iPhone models. "There will be Taptic Engines located on the internal left and right sides to provide force feedback to make users feel like they are pressing physical buttons," said Kuo in a tweet thread. "Due to this design change, the number of Taptic Engines used in each iPhone will increase from the current one to three."
(1/6) My latest survey indicates that the volume button and power button of two high-end iPhone 15/2H23 new iPhone models may adopt a solid-state button design (similar to the home button design of iPhone 7/8/SE2 & 3) to replace the physical/mechanical button design.
Apple was reportedly planning a similar change for the Watch to increase water resistance, according to a 2018 rumor, but it never happened. It's not clear how a buttonless design would benefit an iPhone, though, as it seems like two additional Taptic Engines would add rather than reduce complexity (a large part of the Watch Ultra's heft is due to the massive Taptic Engine).
Kuo said that the buttonless design and switch to USB-C (which Apple already confirmed) would be two of the major changes for the next iPhone Pro models. Kuo is often right about such things, but the iPhone 15 models are still a year away, so a lot can change in the meantime.
Over the years, we've seen smartphone charging speeds going from the already-impressive 30 minutes down to 15 minutes, but apparently that's still too slow for Xiaomi. In the new Redmi Note 12 lineup unveiled earlier today, one model dubbed "Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition" stood out with a whopping 210W HyperCharge capability. This feature is controlled by three 100W fast charging chips, which fully charge the phone's 4,300mAh battery in just 9 minutes. To put things into perspective, both Xiaomi's earlier 120W HyperCharge and Oppo's 150W SuperVOOC need 15 minutes to juice up a 4,500mAh battery.
The Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition also sees the debut of MediaTek's mid-range Dimensity 1080 processor, and it's completed with a 6.67-inch OLED screen (2,400 x 1,080, 120Hz), a 200MP main camera (Samsung's brand new HPX sensor; with OIS), an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 2MP macro camera and a 16MP selfie camera. You'll also find dual-SIM slots, dual speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack, an in-display fingerprint sensor, NFC, and an infrared blaster on this Android 12 device.
As for RAM and storage, this model only comes with one combo: 8GB LPDDR4x RAM and 256GB UFS 2.2 storage. Unlike last year's Redmi Note 11 Pro+, microSD expansion is missing here, which may be a deterrent for those who are considering an upgrade. Still, not bad for 2,399 yuan or $330.
From left to right: white, black, blue versions of the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, as well as the Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition and Redmi Note 12 Yibo Edition (a collaboration with Chinese artist Wang Yibo).
Xiaomi
Despite the name, the Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition is actually based on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, with the main difference being the lesser charging power (120W) but bigger battery (5,000mAh) for the latter. This model starts from 2,199 yuan or about $304, which comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage; or you can pay 2,399 yuan or around $331 to bump the RAM up to 12GB.
Then there's also the lesser but similar-looking Redmi Note 12 Pro, which swaps the 200MP main camera for a 50MP one (using Sony's IMX766 sensor), and it only uses 67W charging for the same 5,000mAh battery. This starts from 1,699 yuan or about $235, which gets you 6GB of RAM with 128GB of storage; and you can max out at 12GB of RAM with 256GB of storage for the price of 2,199 yuan or around $304 — the same as the Pro+'s starting price, interestingly.
Redmi Note 12
Xiaomi
Last but not least, the Redmi Note 12 is positioned as an affordable smartphone, starting at 1,199 yuan or about $166. It packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chipset, a slightly lesser-grade OLED display of the same size (mainly lower brightness and contrast, as well as the lack of HDR support), less powerful cameras (48MP main, 2MP depth sensor and 8MP front), weaker charging power (33W) and just a mono speaker. In terms of variants, it starts from 4GB of RAM with 128GB of storage, going all the way up to 8GB with 256GB, respectively (1,699 yuan or around $235; same as the Note 12 Pro's base price).
As with recent Redmi phones, there's a good chance that these new models will make their way to international markets later, so we'll be keeping an eye out for further updates.
Apple seems to be weathering the financial storm, albeit with a few hitches. The company reported a record high revenue of $90.1 billion in its fiscal fourth quarter, with a net profit of $20.7 billion. While those were only slight increases versus the same period last year (revenue was up 'just' 8 percent), they came despite a rough economic climate and near-flat revenue growth in the previous quarter.
The issues mainly stem from mixed performance across Apple's lineup. It won't surprise you to hear that the iPhone 14 debut helped fuel the company's mobile revenue ($42.6 billion versus last summer's $38.9 billion), but other segments were volatile. While the MacBook Air M2 helped Mac revenue jump 25 percent to $11.5 billion, iPad sales dropped sharply — they fell to just under $7.2 billion versus nearly $8.3 billion a year earlier. And while services like Apple Music and TV+ set a new record of $19.2 billion, that's only a mediocre bump versus the $18.3 billion from a year ago. Sales for the Apple Watch and smart home devices grew solidly from $8.8 billion to $9.7 billion.
The customer base appears to be strong, at least. During Apple's earnings call, CFO Luca Maestri noted that roughly half of Mac and iPad buyers were new to the platform. The company also touted an all-time (but unspecified) high for the number of active devices. CEO Tim Cook added that phone sales were strong despite tight supply constraints for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
The fall (Apple's first fiscal quarter of 2023) could be rosier. Apple introduced new iPads in October this year where it released updated models in September last year, so we'd expect a bump in sales for the tablet lineup. Cook added that last year was "unusually strong" thanks to the iPad Pro M1 launch. The iPhone 14 family had also been available for just eight days during the fourth quarter, so overall iPhone sales should improve.
Apple isn't out of trouble yet. It's still hiring more cautiously, and supply issues (including for the Apple Watch Ultra, Cook says) may dog the company for a while. It's also unclear how people will take to devices like the iPhone 14 Plus, which didn't ship until this month. All the same, Apple may be happy. The computer market tanked 19.5 percent during the quarter, according to Gartner estimates, while Canalys believes smartphone shipments dropped 9 percent. If those figures are reasonably accurate, Apple is thriving simply by avoiding sharp declines in most categories.
Can you believe it's been 10 years since Microsoft first launched the Surface? That's a decade of trying to make hybrid tablet PCs a thing, something I'm still not sure many people actually want. But, you know what, I'll give Microsoft credit for trying to push laptop designs forward in an era when everyone was trying to copy Apple's unibody MacBook Pro and ultra-thin MacBook Air. The Surface was a radical alternative.
The Surface Pro 9 with 5G makes it clear that Microsoft has learned some lessons since its first tablets: It's impeccably designed, and it's the first Surface to tap into speedy 5G networks. Unfortunately, it's also a disappointing reminder that Microsoft can't help but repeat many of its earlier mistakes. It's yet another ARM-based Windows PC that we can't possibly recommend.
That's not exactly surprising, given our lukewarm reaction to the ARM-powered Surface Pro X line. But what's more galling this year is that Microsoft is actually calling it the Surface Pro 9 with 5G, as if it's directly comparable to the Surface Pro 9 powered by Intel's 12th-gen chips. That's more than hubris – it's an outright lie, one that will undoubtedly confuse shoppers and IT workers for the next year.
Sure, they both have the same gorgeous and impressively thin aluminum case, 13-inch PixelSense display, and very usable keyboard covers (which are unfortunately still sold separately). Both models also have the same built-in kickstand, which lets you prop up the screen on a table, or if you're feeling risky, on your leg for on-the-go computing. If you've seen a Surface tablet before, especially last year's solid Pro 8, not much has changed.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
A tale of two Surfaces
Here's the rub: Microsoft now has one product line running on two very different chip designs, Intel's x86 hardware and Microsoft's custom SQ3 ARM system-on-a-chip (itself based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3). The Intel-powered Surface Pro 9 can run all of the legacy Windows apps you'd expect. The SQ3 model, on the other hand, can only run newer apps natively. Everything else is emulated, leading to significantly slower performance. On the plus side, Windows 11 supports x64 emulation now, so the Pro 9 with 5G can run plenty of apps that the Pro X couldn't when it launched. But that doesn't cover games, and it's a compromise I don't think anyone should be making at this point.
What's even more frustrating is that Microsoft is making you pay a $300 premium above the $999 Surface Pro 9 for the privilege of owning an inherently slower computer. How much is built-in 5G worth to you, then?
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
A better Windows on Arm experience, but not by much
After using the Pro 9 with 5G for several days, I'm even more baffled by Microsoft's reckless attempt at shoving its x86 and ARM product lines together. While a few of the company's engineers assured me in a recent interview that the performance would be comparable between the SQ3 and Intel models, I knew that was inaccurate the minute I launched Chrome. As an emulated x86 app, it's slower to launch and fairly laggy while browsing the web and juggling tabs. Microsoft Edge, on the other hand, is snappier all around because it's a native ARM app.
I typically run multiple browsers at once, since it's the easiest way to separate work and personal accounts. I can't just move to Edge full time. So if I wanted to work the way I'm used to on the Surface Pro 9 with 5G, I'd just have to live with an experience that's worse than a three-year-old Surface Laptop. Does that sound like progress to you? While it performed generally fine with native apps like Spotify and Evernote, multitasking between them and emulated apps still felt noticeably sluggish. In many ways, it felt like a step down from the Surface Pro 6 I reviewed four years ago, save for the silkier 120Hz refresh rate on the Pro 9's larger screen.
Geekbench 5 CPU
3DMark Wildlife Extreme
Cinebench R23
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 5G (SQ3, Adreno 8cx Gen 3)
1,122/5,764
2,959
575/1,866
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (Intel Core i7-1185G7, Intel Iris Xe graphics)
1,289/5,217
N/A
620/4,619
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 (Intel i5-1135G7, Iris Xe graphics)
1,349/3,764
2,799
1,127/3,115
ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED (Intel i7-1280P, Iris Xe graphics)
1,596/6,491
3,012
1,504/5,384
All of the benchmarks I ran on the Surface Pro 9 also show that it's slower than any premium laptop we've reviewed over the past few years. Sure, Geekbench 5 was running as a slower emulated app, but its score is also indicative of how other emulated programs will run. Even the weak Surface Go 2, with its low-power 11th-gen Intel chip, managed to outperform the Pro 9 5G in single-core performance. (At least the SQ3 faired better with multi-core speeds.) 3DMark's Wildlife Extreme test, which is one of the best ways to compare cross-platform gaming, also returned a low score, as I expected. (The bigger surprise? It was on par with the ASUS ZenBook Fold 17, a foldable computer held back by a low-wattage Intel chip.)
While I don't think many people would be buying the 5G Surface Pro 9 for its performance alone, it's still worth reiterating that it'll be a far slower computer than its Intel counterpart. I didn't have that other Pro 9 model to test, but we did review the ASUS ZenBook Fold 17, which uses a similar Intel Core i7-1250U CPU. That's a low-power chip but otherwise comparable to the i7-1255U on the Surface Pro 9. Compared to the SQ3 Pro 9, the ZenBook blew it away in Geekbench 5's CPU test, as well as Cinebench R23.
Surprisingly, both the ZenBook Fold 17 and 5G Pro 9 scored similarly in the Wildlife Extreme benchmark, but the Intel chip has the advantage of being able to run games natively. The Pro 9 5G couldn't even successfully emulate older titles like Quake on Steam. (For the truly desperate, you can always stream Xbox Game Pass titles over the cloud, and a handful of low-power native games like Minecraft run fine.)
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
What good is built-in cellular?
The Surface Pro 9's built-in 5G connectivity gives it one major leg up over the Intel model, but I didn't find it very compelling during my testing. During cellular setup, Windows directed me to Ubigi and Gigsky as two potential providers that would connect to the Surface's eSIM. I went with Ubigi, and after 20 minutes of account setup, I was able to hop onto their LTE network. Unfortunately, I didn't see any 5G speeds in my Atlanta suburb, but the network still delivered a respectable 33.6 Mbps down and (far less impressive) 2 Mbps up over LTE.
If you already have a working SIM card, you can open up the Pro 9's expansion area under the kickstand and slide it in there. My Verizon SIM was recognized in 30 seconds, and it delivered 50 Mbps down and 4 Mbps up over LTE. You can also easily swap out the notebook's SSD in that expansion area too, something we could never do before. In exchange, though, Microsoft removed the SD card slot. I wouldn't consider that a dealbreaker — being able to upgrade to a larger SSD down the line is incredibly useful — but it's something to keep in mind if you rely on SD cards to store your music or photos.
Having the ability to hop on cellular everywhere, especially for international providers like Ubigi, is certainly impressive. Personally, though, I'd trade that in for the increased speed and app compatibility from the Intel Surface Pro 9. Is it really that tough to tether your phone? And true road warriors are likely better off with a mobile hotspot, which can connect to multiple devices easily.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
Same Surface issues, 10 years later
Perhaps I'm just grumpy from the whole forced ARM transition, but I also couldn't help but be frustrated by the other annoyances from the Surface Pro 9. Microsoft has been pumping these things out for a decade now, and they're still annoying to use on your lap. Unlike a traditional laptop, which has a flat base connected to a screen, you have to juggle the Surface's keyboard cover and kickstand on your leg to keep it propped up. It's functional enough — I was able to type this whole review with the Surface on my lap — but not exactly comfortable.
I've been able to bear it for years, but by this point, it'd be nice to see Microsoft try something to improve the experience. Maybe add a secondary hinge to stabilize things, or offer a case that can completely unify the keyboard and tablet (like HP's leather-clad Spectre Folio). With ultraportables like the MacBook Air and Dell XPS 13 getting lighter and thinner every year, Microsoft can't just assume consumers will live with subpar ergonomics. Perhaps the tradeoff would be worth it if the Surface was usable as a tablet on its own, but I still find it too large and unwieldy compared to the iPad Pro. (And it’s not like Windows is any better on tablets, either.)
There are still some nice design ideas around the Surface — I love the way the Slim Pen 2 hides away in the $180 Signature Pro keyboard, and it remains one of the best stylii on the market when it comes to drawing and jotting down notes. Still, it feels like the Surface is turning into a computer that's more performative than it is functional. Look at its kickstand! Don't worry about how impractical it is. It's got 5G! But ignore the fact that it has a slow mobile processor. Even its two USB-C ports are compromised; they're limited to USB 3.2, whereas the Intel model's ports all support the faster Thunderbolt 4 standard.
AI-assisted video chats
Oddly enough, there's one thing the 5G Surface Pro 9 excels at: video calls. It sports a sharp 1080p front-facing camera, but crucially, it's assisted by the SQ3's Neural Processing Unit. That powers features like automatic framing, background blurring and sustained eye contact during video calls. And in my experience, it's almost magical. The portrait blurring effects are close to what I'd expect from a larger DSLR camera, and the automatic framing was silky smooth. Those features also work across any video chat app, so you don't have to worry about looking different across Zoom or Teams.
The one downside of the Intel-powered Surface Pro 9 is that it can't take advantage of any of those features. While Intel's 12th-gen CPUs are plenty powerful, they don't have an NPU built-in. Microsoft reps say any future chips that add AI processing will be able to use these features, but that doesn't help people buying Intel Pro 9 models this year. At the very least, they'll have a good front-facing camera (as well as a very capable 10-megapixel rear camera).
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
Wrap-up
If you're still interested in the 5G Surface Pro 9, having read my complaints and frustrations, be prepared to pay dearly. It starts at $1,300 with a relatively modest 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, while the Intel model goes for $1,000 with those same specs. And if you want a keyboard, add another $120 for the Pro Type Cover (though we’d recommend the $140 Pro Keyboard instead). Jumping up to 16GB of RAM with the 5G Pro 9 (like our review unit) will cost you $1,600 with 256GB of storage. As you go up the price range, the Intel and SQ3 models end up costing the same — but who wants to pay nearly $2,000 for an ARM-based Windows PC?
Perhaps one day, Microsoft's dream of an ultra-thin, ARM-powered Surface will come true. But the company has failed at every attempt to make that happen (my condolences to anyone who bought the Surface RT). The 5G Pro 9 is an improvement, but its beauty belies its many practical issues. If you're at all interested in a new Surface, buy the Intel model and get a hotspot on the side. You'll be far happier.
It took several months, but Snap's promised video editing suite is finally available. The social network is now rolling out "Director Mode" to all Snapchat users on Android and iOS. As teased in April, the feature lets creators add polish to their Snaps with virtual green screens, camera speed changes and quick editing for multiple clips.
You can also use the BeReal-style Dual Camera functionality within this mode, although it's currently limited to iOS users. Android users will have "limited" access to two-camera recording in the weeks ahead. Dual Camera is also available through the regular Snapchat cam.
Director Mode will be useful for influencers who want to produce videos for Spotlight, Snapchat's home for TikTok-like short videos. It may be particularly helpful for verified users (Snap Stars in company lingo) who want more of the sheen they apply to all their online content.
Snap isn't alone in chasing after TikTok and similar rivals. Instagram has been testing a Candid Challenges feature that mimics BeReal, and it's no secret that social media heavyweights have routinely lifted elements from each other in a bid to remain competitive — to the point where they've occasionally had to walk back their plans after mimicking designs too closely. Like it or not, social networks are harmonizing to the point where differences may only be subtle.
Duolingo Math is now available on iOS, over a year since it was first teased. Naturally, the new math app feels a lot like the company’s language app, including colorful animations and interactive exercises all built into gamified lessons.
There are two main components to the app: an elementary-level math curriculum that goes over classroom topics and a brain-training course aimed at adults, with a focus on improving mental math skills. Dr. Kawashima has a lot to answer for. For those anxious about their math skills, it could be a subtle way of brushing up on those multiplication skills. Sadly, mental arithmetic remains not quite as dreamy as learning a second language.
Duolingo’s reputation should help it stand out in a sea of similar apps, and like many rivals, Duolingo Math is free. The app is available on iPhone and iPad, only in English for now. No word yet on when it will be available on Android.
SpaceX has launched a new variant of Starlink for RVs called "Flat High Performance" that you can use on moving vehicles. You will have to be willing to pay almost five times as much for the dish needed to be able to access the service. It’s designed for in-motion use, with a bigger rectangular terminal that can see 35 percent more sky than its standard counterpart. It also has enhanced GPS capabilities, giving the dish the ability to connect to more satellites. SpaceX is already taking pre-orders for the new service and will start deliveries in December. The hardware kit, which includes its dish and mount, will set you back $2,500.
Nothing’s second attempt at wireless headphones come in a carry case that tries to combine a cosmetics packaging aesthetic with the glossy white, transparent style of its other devices so far. While the $99 Nothing Ear Stick wireless earbuds are cheaper than its predecessor, these buds lack active noise cancellation. There are no silicone buds this time around, so you can expect more noise bleed-through, too, although some headphone wearers may find them a more comfortable fit. Expect to read our impressions on the buds very soon.
Computer monitors keep evolving rapidly, with new technology like OLED Flex, QD-OLED and built-in smart platforms just in the last year alone. That’s on top of big improvements in things like color accuracy, size and resolution. As there are a lot of products in this market and a lot of features, it can be overwhelming, so we’ve researched the latest models for all kinds of markets, whether you’re a gamer, business user or content creator. Read on to find out which model is the best for you and, especially, your budget.
The Callisto Protocol is a new game from a studio with zero releases to its name, but playing it feels familiar - according to Engadget’s Jessica Conditt. It all seems to unapologetically feed off the immersive sci-fi horror concepts of Dead Space. This is the first game out of Striking Distance Studios, a team led by Dead Space co-creator Glen Schofield — so yeah, all the references are coming straight from the source.
The high-resolution A7R V uses 'human pose estimation.'
Sony’s $3,900 A7R V is expensive and impressive. Built for shooting portraits, landscapes and other subjects that require as much resolution as possible, it’s plenty capable in other regards, too. The new model carries the same 61-megapixel resolution as the A7R IV, but the key improvement may be in the autofocus. This is Sony's first camera to introduce "human pose estimation." The system can see 20 different points in the human body and thus figure out where the eye is supposed to be, and keep faces in tight focus.
You probably won't run out of Gmail and Drive storage space anytime soon.
Google has some good news for those using its Workspace plans. Users will soon get a significant storage upgrade from 15GB to 1TB at no extra cost. This storage will be accessed through Gmail, Drive and other Google services attached to your Workspace account, and it’s a major space upgrade, and it’ll come at no extra cost.
On October 25th, Apple started displaying more ads in the App Store, particularly in the "Today" tab and at the bottom of app listings. Since then, multiple developers have complained about getting ads for gambling under their listings' "You Might Also Like" section, when they have nothing to do with their applications. One of those developers was Marco Arment, who posted a screenshot on Twitter showing gambling advertisements on the App Store page for his podcast app Overcast. Other developers reported having the same issue and made it clear that they weren't OK with casino ads in their product pages. Now, Apple has told MacRumors that it has "paused ads related to gambling and a few other categories on App Store product pages."
Now my app’s product page shows gambling ads, which I’m really not OK with.
Apple shouldn’t be OK with it, either.
The App Store has corrupted such a great company so deeply. They make so much from gambling and manipulative IAPs that they don’t even see the problem anymore. https://t.co/MnNlf7k0kT
That's pretty much Apple's whole statement. It's not quite clear if the tech giant intends to resume serving gambling ads after the backlash dies down — Apple didn't expound on its decision, and the word "pause" seems to suggest that the change is only temporary. As MacRumors notes, people have been criticizing Apple for serving casino ads as a whole and not just because they're being served within app listings. Florian Mueller of the FOSS Patents blog also argued that by putting ads in app pages, Apple is forcing developers to pony up money to buy those ad spaces. That's because if they don't purchase them, competitors could use them and take potential customers away.
Apple has sold ads in the App Store for years, but the ads space in the Today tab used to be reserved for a curated list of recommendations from Apple's editorial team. Meanwhile, the "You Might Also Like" section where ads are now displayed at the bottom of listings contained suggestion cards for similar apps. Since Apple allows advertisers to target categories different than their own, though, casino ads can show up just about anywhere on the App Store.
iCloud has been available on the web for a long time, but you might not have rushed to use it given a basic and sometimes clunky interface. You might have a reason to give it another look, though. Apple has introduced a beta iCloud web client that presents far more info at a glance, with a customizable tile layout that reflects your priorities. It's easier to switch between apps thanks to launchers on the home page and menu bar, and you can quickly start tasks (such as writing email or adding calendar events) thanks to another menu option.
The revamp also improves access to iCloud+ features like custom email domains and Hide My Email. And if you're panicking at the thought of lost info, a "Data Recovery" tool will help you reclaim bookmarks, calendars, contacts and iCloud Drive files deleted within the last 30 days. Except for iCloud Drive, you can restore from specific moments in time. Some features still need to be controlled through Apple hardware, including Family Sharing, HomeKit Secure Video and Private Relay.
Apple hasn't said when the new iCloud web interface might leave beta testing. We've asked the company for comment and will let you know if we hear back. However, the tech firm pitches this as an upgrade for customers whose only Apple product might be an iPhone — you can more readily access content and manage services through your Windows PC's browser.
This redesign probably won't persuade Android users to switch, and the individual web apps haven't changed much. The beta may encourage you to stick to the Apple ecosystem, though. Combined with web access to services like Music and TV+, it also shows that Apple is eager to court users who can't (or just don't want to) run dedicated apps on their platforms of choice.
