Gaming creators and streamers will already be familiar with Rode. The company’s microphones and podcastingproducts make good options for those plugging into OBS, YouTube, Twitch and anywhere else you might “go live.” But as of today, there’s a whole new sub brand specifically catering to their needs: Rode X.

The first three products under the new mark include two microphones and a comprehensive desktop app for stream routing and mixing. The mics will look eerily familiar to fans of Rode products, but the company assures us they have been “redesigned internally for optimal performance for streaming and gaming.”

The new mics are the XDM-100 ($249) and XCM-50 ($150). The clue to the difference between them is in the name - D for dynamic, C for condenser (you can read about the difference here). The XDM-100, at least physically, looks like Rode’s Podcaster with a dash of red at the top. The XCM-50 is a condenser microphone that appears to be built on the same platform as the NT-USB Mini and features a distinct red button on the front.

James Trew / Engadget

Both microphones are USB only (no XLR), which means you won’t need an audio interface to use them, and they have built-in headphone ports for latency-free monitoring. Which of the two might interest you most will depend on both your preferences and the room where you stream from.

The XCM-50 has a bright sound that will work well for those in acoustically treated, or “softer” rooms. When tested side by side with its NT-USB Mini doppelganger, they do sound incredibly close, but to my ears the XCM-50 is a tiny bit brighter sounding. The NT-USB Mini sounds a shade “closer” by comparison.

The XDM-100 has a more classic “dynamic” microphone sound. While perhaps not quite as well rounded as something like the Shure SM7B or even Rode’s own Podmic, it feels cleaner than the Podcaster that it shares its physical appearance with. If you want a good USB dynamic option, this feels like a competitive choice for the price. Especially once coupled with the new Unify software.

The one thing that a lot of gamers and streamers really need isn’t so much a microphone – there are many options for that – it’s a reliable tool to route all the sounds in your stream, usually some mix of game sounds, chat, music and effects. With Unify, you have a simple software solution that is similar to the routing matrices you find with the GoXLR, the BEACN Mix Create or Elgato’s Wave Link.

Rode

Unify creates a couple of virtual audio interfaces on your PC and you can then control which app uses what, and where that sound goes. For example, you probably want your intro music to go out on the stream, but maybe you don’t want it in your headphones? Or maybe you want your audience to hear a YouTube video you’re playing, but not the music you’re streaming. With Unify, you can pipe most things to most places, and then change the levels, or “mix” for each destination also.

Rode has added the ability to record all your audio directly within the app, too. This makes it appealing to more than just streamers. For example, you could use it to record both sides of a Zoom call and be able to feed audio into that call that would otherwise be tricky. The fact that Unify has sound pads for intros and effects means it also works quite well as a software “Rodecaster Pro.”

Unify looks most similar to Wave Link but offers much more fine-grained control. The app isn’t quite as simple as BEACN’s, which lets you access each mix matrix at all times and has a slightly clearer UI. BEACN also benefits from the hardware mixer, too, but there’s no option to record within that app or trigger sound effects.

Where Unify differs from most of its rivals is that you don’t have to buy the company’s hardware to use it. If you just wanted the software features you can pay $5 a month or $45 a year for the app alone. This means you can easily use it with any microphone you have, you’re not beholden to using a Rode (unlike, Wave Link that requires an Elgato mic). If you do buy a Rode X mic, then the software is free. Sadly, if you already own a Rode USB mic, it won’t unlock the software, you'll be paying like everybody else.

Back in July, Samsung began testing a new privacy feature on Galaxy S21 phones in Korea. Dubbed Maintenance Mode, the tool allowed users to secure their personal information – including photos, messages and contacts – when sending their device in for repair. Now Samsung says the feature is ready for primetime.

Starting today, the company has begun rolling out Maintenance Mode to Galaxy devices with One UI 5 installed. Broader availability will follow in 2023. In other words, Galaxy S22 users will receive access to the feature first.

Once Maintenance Mode arrives on your phone, you’ll find the option to enable it within the “Battery and device care” section of the Settings menu. It will create a separate account on your phone for a technician to use while working on your device. In addition to protecting your personal information, Maintenance Mode prevents a technician from seeing what apps you have installed. They can use the Galaxy Store to download any diagnostic software they need, but once they’re done, your phone will automatically wipe any new data and apps. When your phone is back in your possession, you can disable Maintenance Mode by authenticating your identity.

With the first betas of iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2 and macOS Ventura 13.1 rolling out earlier today, Apple is letting developers try its Freeform app for the first time (via MacRumors). Announced at WWDC this past June, Freeform is a whiteboard-style collaboration app with integrations across the company’s ecosystem.

The software provides a “flexible canvas” where multiple participants can add text, photos, sketches and PDFs, as well as other content, to a shared space. Like Google Docs and many other collaboration apps, Freeform allows groups to edit their work together in real time. You can invite someone to a Freeform session over FaceTime, with Messages tracking any changes in a corresponding group thread.

Given its inclusion in the latest iOS, iPadOS and macOS betas, Freeform is likely to officially arrive alongside those updates later this year. The new versions of those operating systems don’t have a release date yet.

It took a while, but you no longer need to use an app just to check on your home through a current-gen Nest camera. As The Vergeexplains, Google has introduced a home.google.com portal in preview that offers web viewing for the latest Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell models. You can't watch recorded video, but you can catch the live feed, zoom in and turn cameras on or off.

The functionality is rolling out within the next week for battery-powered and wired Nest Cam models (including floodlight, Indoor, Outdoor and IQ variants) as well as the battery-based Nest Doorbell and its two wired counterparts (the Nest Hello and Doorbell second-gen). You can wake any battery devices.

Google already offered a web view for Nest cameras, but that support didn't carry over to the products released in 2021. General Manager Rishi Chandra told customers a web view would be available this year. It's not certain what prevented these newer models from simply using the old home.nest.com portal, but it's safe to say this was frustrating when numerous competing cameras had web support.

Whatever the reason, the web viewer makes recent Nest cameras and doorbells more useful. You can check on the front door or a pet rom your work computer rather than pulling out your phone. Google also stresses that it will continue to add "more popular camera features" over time, so you might not need the mobile app as much going forward.

World's Edge, the Xbox studio that's overseeing Age of Empires these days, held an event to mark the franchise's 25th anniversary. With it came some major news about the future of the series, including its debut on consoles. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition will be available on Xbox consoles and Xbox Cloud Gaming on January 31st. 

The most recent game in the real-time strategy series, 2021's Age of Empires IV, will arrive on consoles and Xbox Cloud Gaming later in 2023. Naturally, both titles will be available on Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. This is a big shift for a series that, until now, has only been available on PC. 

There will be crossplay support for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, so you can play with friends whether you're on Xbox, PC or accessing it via the cloud. What's more, the game will support keyboard and mouse inputs on console. In case you'd rather use a gamepad, World's Edge has designed a new controller tutorial, along with a revamped onboarding experience for newcomers to the game. On top of that, the team has added an AI system that's designed to make resource management more efficient and intuitive.

Elsewhere, World's Edge announced a new definitive edition of 2002's Age of Mythology, featuring "beautiful graphics, updated gameplay" and other features. Expect more details in the coming months. And, as is the way of things in the modern era, Age of Empires Mobile is in development, so you'll be able to get your AoE fix wherever you are without having to stream a game from the cloud. That game is coming soon, according to a teaser.

Sony's LinkBuds S offer a more traditional true wireless fit as opposed to the open wear design of the original model. The company debuted the follow-up back in May, filling out the features list with active noise cancellation (ANC) and a host of other handy items from Sony's premium audio products. Like the first LinkBuds, the S model was built to wear all the time, thanks to they're small size, comfy fit and capable transparency mode. LinkBuds S were already being made with recycled plastics from automobile parts, but today the company has announced an Earth Blue variant made from even more reclaimed materials. 

Sony says the body and case for this version of the LinkBuds S are made from "factory-recovered plastic and reclaimed water bottles." The recycled materials are what give the exterior surfaces a marble pattern. The company explains that the idea originally came from design exploration around new uses for recycled water bottles. Of course, the earbuds aren't entirely make from reclaimed substances, but the main shell of the buds and the case have the swirl look from the process. Like the existing LinkBuds S colors, the packaging for this new version uses no plastic. 

The $200 LinkBuds S feature ANC and transparency mode that allow you to tune out or tune into the world as you see fit. Sony added a tool called Auto Play to these earbuds that allows you to set up certain times audio will begin automatically — like after a video call or when you're on the go. The company's Adaptive Sound Control from other earbuds and headphones is here too, automatically changing sound modes based on your location or activity. You can expect up to six hours of battery life on a charge with ANC enabled and another 14 hours in the case. IPX4 protection also means you can wear these during workouts without fear of sweat damage and a handy Speak-to-Chat feature pauses audio when you begin to talk to assist with quick conversations. 

The new Earth Blue variant will be available at the end of October from Sony, Amazon and other retailers, joining the black and white options in the LinkBuds S lineup. We've seen these earbuds for as low as $148, although you might have to wait a while for a deal on this new version. 

Sony

Google is on the hook for another nine-figure fine after India’s antitrust agency said the company abused the dominant position of the Play Store. The regulator told Google to pay 9.36 billion rupees ($113.5 million) and to allow Play Store developers to use third-party payment systems for app and in-app purchases.

After a lengthy investigation, the Competition Commission of India said Google's requirement for Play Store developers to use its billing system “constitutes an imposition of unfair condition,” as TechCrunch reports. The regulator found that Google didn't use the billing system for its own apps, which it said constituted an “imposition of discriminatory conditions.”

The agency has ordered Google to open up the Play Store to third-party payments within three months. It said Google can't impose any anti-steering provisions on app developers and mustn't hinder them from promoting apps and services to users. Likewise, the company can't restrict users from accessing developers' services and features.

The Competition Commission also stated that Google must be fully transparent with Play Store developers and that it can't impose any condition on them "which is unfair, unreasonable, discriminatory or disproportionate to the services provided to the app developers." Furthermore, Google will need to have a clear and transparent data collection policy, and it will not be allowed to use "competitively relevant transaction/consumer data of apps generated and acquired" through the Google Play Billing System to its competitive advantage.

The regulator has determined that Google has a dominant position in the spheres of licensable smartphone operating systems, app stores, web searching, video hosting platforms and "non-OS specific" mobile web browsers. Last week, the Competition Commission fined the company $161.9 million after finding that Google abused Android's dominance. It said smartphone makers shouldn't have to preinstall Google's apps and that the company shouldn't withhold Play Services APIs and monetary and other incentives from other parties.

Google reportedly has a 97 percent smartphone market share in India, while Google Play is one of the most popular payments services. India is the company's largest market in terms of user numbers. Google told TechCrunch that its legal team was reviewing the most recent ruling.

Apple surprised us last week with two new iPads. We’ve spent a bit of time with the new entry-level iPad ($449) which has been redesigned to match the rest of the iPad family with flat edges, USB-C and a Touch ID-enabled power button. Unusually, it also has a landscape selfie camera. Inside, there’s an A14 chip, which might not match the M1 in the iPad Air (let alone the M2 in the new iPad Pro), but it’s still a powerful enough processor.

Engadget

So far, Engadget’s Nathan Ingraham is pleasantly impressed, although there are other corners cut – it still only supports the first-generation Apple Pencil. Expect our full review and verdict soon. For now, read up on our first impressions here.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

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Justice Department alleges Chinese spies tried to disrupt a criminal investigation into Huawei

Two agents may have tried to bribe a US law enforcement official.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Wednesday that two spies from the People's Republic of China attempted to interfere in a criminal investigation by the US Department of Justice into Huawei. According to a Bloomberg report, Guochun He and Zheng Wang were working for the benefit of Huawei. The two agents attempted to bribe a law enforcement official to provide them with information on the Justice Department's investigation. Starting in 2017, they allegedly sought to obtain details about witnesses, evidence and possible additional charges that could be filed against Huawei, unaware that they were talking to an FBI double agent.

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Apple raises the price of Music and TV+ subscriptions

Apple One bundles will also be more expensive.

Apple has raised the prices of Apple Music and Apple TV+. Music now costs $11 per month for individual plans (up from $10) in the US, or $109 per year. The Family plan now costs $17 per month instead of $15. TV+ sees the largest relative jump — the price has increased from $5 per month to $7, and from $50 per year to $69. Apple has also increased prices for its multi-service One bundles. You'll now pay $17 per month for an Individual plan versus the earlier $15.

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Listen to the eerie sounds of a solar storm hitting the Earth's magnetic field

Scientists converted data from three Swarm satellites into ethereal audio.

NASA

The European Space Agency (ESA) has released audio of what our planet's magnetic field sounds like. While it protects us from cosmic radiation and charged particles from solar winds, it turns out that the magnetic field has an unnerving rumble. Scientists from the Technical University of Denmark converted data collected by the ESA's three Swarm satellites into sound, representing both the magnetic field and a solar storm.

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Urtopia's tech-heavy ebike is only as good as its software

There’s a lot packed into it.

Urtopia’s mission seemed pretty clear, to make the most feature-rich, connected bike the world has ever seen. Its ebike packs in a 4G SIM, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, a fingerprint reader and even mmWave sensors for collision detection. However, when we tested an early prototype, we didn’t get to see how all that came together, software-wise. Now, we got to test the bike along with its companion app and some of its unique ideas. Thanks to the 4G radio, you should get a log of your ride in the app every single time you go out. We say “should” as it often didn’t work for Engadget’s James Trew.

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The best budget robot vacuums for 2022

Don’t spend a fortune on an autonomous dirt sucker.

In a change from just a few years ago, there are now plenty of budget robot vacuum options to choose from. We consider anything under $300 to be cheap in this space and you may be surprised to see how many there are to choose from. And if you’re new to the world of robot vacuums, you may find that one of these budget gadgets does everything you expected and more. We’ve got our favorite picks from the likes of Roomba, Shark and even Anker.

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If you've been trying to send messages via WhatsApp and they're not going through, you're not alone. The messaging app has been down for many users around the world for at least 30 minutes. Based on information from Downdetector — and from Engadget editors' reports — the service isn't working in several countries, including the US, the UK, Canada, India and the Philippines. WhatsApp users either can't connect to the service at all or their messages get stuck with the loading wheel and aren't being delivered. Instagram and Facebook appear to be fine and unaffected.

Developing...

Apple is matching its wave of software updates with a not-so-pleasant price hike. As 9to5Macreports, the company has raised the prices of Apple Music and Apple TV+. Music now costs $11 per month for individual plans (up from $10) in the US, or $109 per year. The Family plan now costs $17 per month instead of $15. TV+ sees the largest relative jump — the price has increased from $5 per month to $7, and from $50 per year to $69.

Accordingly, Apple has hiked prices for its multi-service One bundles. You now pay $17 per month for an Individual plan versus the earlier $15. Family users now pay $23 per month instead of $20, and Premier customers pay $33 per month where they previously paid $30.

A company spokesperson attributes the increases to licensing costs in a statement to 9to5. The more expensive plans will let artists and writers "earn more" from streaming music, Apple claims. The TV+ increase also reflects the size of the service, the representative adds. The video offering had "just a few shows and movies" when it launched three years ago, and now has a much larger catalog.

This won't thrill you if you're cross-shopping services. Spotify still asks $10 per month for its regular plan, and $16 for a six-user family account. You won't get lossless or spatial audio, but it's a better bargain if you're more interested in the lowest possible price. Things are murkier with video services. The higher pricing still makes Apple TV+ more affordable than Amazon Prime Video and ad-free Netflix (particularly if you want 4K HDR), and more specialized services like Disney+ and Hulu will charge extra in December. It's just a question of whether or not shows like Ted Lasso and Slow Horses are worth the outlay.

The larger One prices may be easier to swallow. It's difficult to find all-in-one bundles that combine music, video, cloud storage and other services, particularly if you want something Apple-friendly. And like it or not, you probably won't find alternatives that include fitness apps or magazine subscriptions.