We've seen rollable device concepts from companies like Oppo and TCL, and LG was even working on a commercial rollable smartphone until it quit making mobile devices last year. Now, Lenovo is showing off a laptop with a rollout display, while its mobile division Motorola has a roll-out smartphone — and they look like some of the more practical efforts yet. 

The phone starts out at a very pocketable 4 inches high, but with the click of a button, the OLED panel extends to a normal-sized 6.5 inches. Another click retracts the phone back to its original form. It's usable at both sizes, and the content on the screen adapts to the size, including the home screen, videos and more, as shown below. 

Lenovo also showed off a rollable laptop that starts with a typical landscape display and then rolls up to a square shape, making it better for documents or vertical TikTok style videos. Lenovo VP of design Brian Leonard explained in the video that it's part of Lenovo's research into novel form factors that started with the ThinkPad 360P laptop/tablet. "It can expand into a much larger screen real estate as the content dynamically adjusts to the screen, offering people an unprecedented way of hyper-tasking for productivity, browsing, and more," he explained.

Motorola already makes a folding device, the Razr, that's unfortunately not available in China, but nothing like this. People seem to love these rollable concepts, though — for instance, LG's rollable OLED TV was a popular item at CES 2019. And in some ways, a rolling screen is more elegant than a folding one, as there's no hinge or crease to worry about. While it remains squarely in the concept realm for now, we'd love to see Lenovo take a shot at commercializing it. 

Ever had a great idea for a riff rattling around your head while you ride the bus or wait in line? Well, if you use Ableton Live, there’s now a way to capture those busts of inspiration wherever you are thanks to the new Note iOS app.

The name here is important. It’s not Ableton Live Mobile or Live Go or similar. The “Note” idea is as much about noting things down as it is a reference to semiquavers. Think of it as a scratch pad for ideas on the go. Ideas that can then be seamlessly picked up in Ableton Live proper once you get to your PC.

Users of Ableton’s Live desktop DAW will recognize Note’s main interface. It bears more than a striking resemblance to Live’s “Session” view – itself a sort of sandbox for experimentation. In Note, you can have up to eight tracks each with up to eight clips.

For those not familiar with Live or its Session View, each track can be considered a musical part (drums, synth, vocal and so on) and each “clip” represents a sequence or short arrangement using that part. From there you can build out different collections of clips that form the basis for different parts of a song.

Note comes preloaded with 261 of synth presets, 56 drum kits, melodic samples and more. Basically most things you need to put together a song. Everything found in the app is part of Ableton Live, too, which is what enables you to export it to Live so easily.

That said, you’re not limited to the sounds included in Note. You have the ability to sample into the app via your phone’s microphone. The good news is, that includes an external microphone and I was even able to sample into the app via a synth with a 3.5mm-to-lightning adapter. All that should mean this is plenty flexible when it comes to sound palettes.

Ableton

There’s a surprising amount of depth of control, too. Beyond sampling, there are all the essential edit tools like quantize, nudge and transpose. There are also two effects slots and each of those can have its own performance “automation” - if you alter a filter over time, that performance is recorded into the clip.

While there are many apps out there for making music, a true “DAW on a phone” is perhaps a little ambitious. It feels like Ableton has got the balance right here, it’s familiar, deep enough but also simple to use. Best of all, is the integration with Ableton Live proper – something that’s obviously unique to Note.

In Note there’s a setting for Ableton Cloud. Activate this, and your current Note projects will appear in Live’s browser on the desktop (providing that PC has an internet connection of course). This cloud functionality is free, but limited to five “ideas” or slots (which should be plenty for most).

While cloud functionality is free, the app is now. Note will cost $6 (£5/€7) and it requires Live 11.2 and onwards for sharing projects to the desktop.

Fossil is acting on its promise to release Wear OS 3 watches, but you might want to temper your expectations. The fashion brand has introduced its first Wear OS 3 model, the Gen 6 Wellness Edition, and the name says a lot about it — it's a refresh of last year's smartwatch that focuses on software. Google's new software promises an easier-to-navigate interface with improved health tracking, including through Fossil's in-house Wellness app. You'll also get relevant watch faces, including a device-exclusive "Wellness Gauge" to monitor your vitals.

There are a few physical changes. The Wellness Edition includes a tweaked 44mm case in rose gold- or silver-hued steel with 20mm straps. Apart from that, though, it's effectively the Gen 6 you saw in 2021. That means a 2020-era Snapdragon Wear 4100+ chip, a 1.28-inch circular display, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage and 3ATM water resistance. You'll be disappointed if you were expecting a Snapdragon W5+ or more space for your apps and music.

Existing Gen 6 owners should be receiving Wear OS 3 as an update, and they'll get much of the experience from the Wellness Edition. Gen 6 watches from Michael Kors, Razer and Skagen should also get the new software. Just be warned that you'll need to erase your device data as part of the upgrade.

The Gen 6 Wellness Edition is available now for $299. Silicone straps to customize the look are available for $30 each. Fossil still makes some of the better-looking Wear OS watches outside of luxury models like the Montblanc Summit 3, but this is undoubtedly a tough sell if you're looking for something genuinely new. Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 family offers a wider range of cases and more up-to-date processing power, while Google's Pixel Watch compensates for its aging chip with Wear OS 3.5 and a truly stand-out design. If you weren't thrilled by Fossil before, the refresh won't change your mind.

Discord is making it more affordable to pay for perks if a $10 Nitro subscription or Premium Membership is beyond your budget. After testing, the company is launching a $3 per month Nitro Basic plan on October 20th that offers 50MB file uploads and enables custom emoji anywhere. You'll miss out on regular Nitro's 100MB uploads, HD video streaming, custom profiles, server boosts and most Activities (more on those in a moment), but this might be useful if you just want to upload short videos or flaunt emoji from a streamer's server.

Activities (shown above) are also rolling out in earnest. Chatters can now play games, watch videos and otherwise share experiences without having to leave the app. Only Putt Party and Watch Together viewing are available for free, but regular Nitro users can invite non-subscribers to join an expanded catalog that includes games like Chess and Sketch Heads. More Activities should be available as developers build for Discord's platform.

Apps are becoming more useful at the same time. Discord is now testing Premium App Subscriptions that let you pay to unlock features without heading elsewhere first. And if you're running a server, there's now an App Directory that helps you find useful add-ons.

The strategy behind Nitro Basic and the other upgrades is clear. Discord is hoping to not only reel in more subscribers, but to foster an app ecosystem that ultimately bolsters the company's bottom line. Having said this, you might not mind if this helps you pass on a full-fledged Nitro account or participate in a viewing party.

After announcing it nearly a year ago, Mercedes-Benz is finally rolling out Apple Music's Spatial Audio in select electric and luxury vehicles. The Dolby Atmos-powered surround sound audio already works on multiple Apple devices including the HomePod speaker, Apple TV and AirPods headphones, but it's the first implementation in vehicles.

"Mercedes-Benz drivers who are already subscribed to Apple Music gain immediate access to an ever-growing selection of songs and albums available in Spatial Audio," the companies said in a press release. And if you're not an Apple Music subscriber, select Dolby Atmos content will be available from Universal Music as well. 

The feature will be available in the select EQS and EQE sedans and SUVs (including the new EQE SUV), along with Mayback and S-Class vehicles. To use it, you'll need to own a vehicle with the MBUX interface and optional 31-speaker Burmester 3D or 4D sound systems, an option that starts at $4,550 on top of the price of the vehicle (the 2023 EQE 350 sedan is expected to start at $70,000 or so). The technology will come to other models "soon," according to Mercedes.

Apple Music's Dolby Atmos implementation creates a 3D soundstage by spreading sounds across different channels, though the level of the effect depends on a song's mix. In the Mercedes implementation, the spatial audio effect will come from six of the 31 speakers located above the driver. Other speakers include four near-ear speakers in the front seats, eight sound transducers (two per seat) and two amplifiers that pump out 1,750 watts of power. 

SpaceX sent a letter to the Department of Defense last month, asking the Pentagon to take over paying for Ukraine's use of its Starlink satellite internet. According to CNN, SpaceX told the department that continued access would cost the company over $120 million for the rest of 2022 and almost $400 million over the next 12 months. "We are not in a position to further donate terminals to Ukraine or fund the existing terminals for an indefinite period of time," the company wrote.

Now, company chief, Elon Musk, seems to have backtracked, writing on Twitter that SpaceX will "keep funding” the service in Ukraine.

The Pentagon confirmed after the letter became public that it's been discussing payments with SpaceX, but it’s also looking into alternatives. Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon's deputy press secretary, said: "There are other entities that we can certainly partner with when it comes to providing Ukraine with what they need on the battlefield."

– 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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'Dead Space' hands-on: The return of gruesome sci-fi horror

It won’t be in time for Halloween, sadly.

EA

The original Dead Space came out 14 years ago, immersing us in ravaged corridors in the middle of space. Dead Space was a terrifying space horror. And this is what the remake has to compete with. Engadget’s Jessica Conditt thinks the new Dead Space nails it – mostly. The game hits PC, PS5 and Xbox Series consoles on January 27th, 2023.

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Google Fiber will offer 5Gbps and 8Gbps internet plans in early 2023

Your cable provider's best plan suddenly seems mediocre.

Google Fiber's sudden revival will include a dramatic boost to internet speeds. Google has revealed it will offer 5Gbps and 8Gbps plans in early 2023 at monthly rates of $125 and $150. Both tiers will include symmetric upload and download rates, a WiFi 6 router and up to two mesh network extenders. It’s a big jump from the previous-best 2Gbps service Google introduced in 2020 and could make a big difference if you're a gamer or thrive on cloud computing.

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Razer’s cloud gaming handheld will cost $400

It’s expected to launch in January.

Razer

The Razer Edge is a handheld console for cloud gaming. (Yes, it’s a trend now.) The Edge has a 6.8-inch AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 144Hz and a Full HD+ resolution of 2,400 x 1,080. Razer claims the display has 87 percent more pixels than competitors’ devices. The Steam Deck’s screen, for instance, has a 1,280 x 800 resolution. The Edge comprises an Android 12 tablet inside the new Razer Kishi V2 Pro controller. Initially only available in the US, it will come with dedicated launchers for Epic Games, Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now pre-installed. You'll also be able to access remote play services, such as Steam Link, Moonlight and Parsec.

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Acer’s cloud gaming Chromebook is a solid laptop

Even if you don’t game.

Last week, Google and hardware partners ASUS, Acer and Lenovo announced a somewhat surprising initiative to build Chromebooks expressly for cloud gaming. (Yes, just after Google gave up on its own Stadia game service.) While many Chromebooks are a riff on the classic 13-inch laptop, the first round of these devices have large, high-resolution screens with fast refresh rates, anti-ghosting keyboards and powerful processors. Nathan Ingraham, Engadget’s Chromebook expert, is loving the premium screen and keyboard.

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The next-generation iPad Pro with Apple's latest M2 processor is set to arrive in "a matter of days," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. It'll be the first new model since May of last year, and reportedly offer a 20 percent speed boost over the M1 version. Apple will also introduce an iPad dock with an integrated speaker in 2023 and launch new Macs later this year, Gurman wrote in his newsletter.

The new iPad Pro models will keep the same form factors as the current models, with 11-inch and 12.9-inch display versions. While the performance bump isn't enormous, 20 percent is still significant, the M2 chips should bring more efficiency to the iPads Pro. Along with the new high-end models, Apple is about to launch an entry-level iPad soon, Gurman said. It'll reportedly have a USB-C instead of a Lightning port (in line with upcoming European rules), along with 5G support — but will use an A14 Bionic rather than an M-series chip. 

Another intriguing piece of news it that Apple is working on an iPad docking accessory with a built-in speaker that's could be announced next year. The idea is that users could attach an iPad to the device and get a full home hub/smart speaker experience. It appears to resemble the Pixel charging speaker dock that Google revealed was coming with the Pixel Tablet going on sale next year. 

Along with new iPads, Apple will be launching 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models later in the year. They'll come with more powerful versions of the M2 chip, including the M2 Pro and M2 Max. A Mac Mini with an M2 processor is also coming in the near future. 

Finally, Apple is working on the next-generation Apple TV that will use an A14 chip and come with 4GB of RAM, offering a significant boost over the current A12 model. While Gurman is generally accurate about these sort of things, Apple also tends change its mind about products and launch dates — so take the rumors with some salt until they're officially announced. 

Razer, you may recall, recently teased a 5G handheld device that's focused on cloud gaming. The company took the opportunity at RazerCon to formally announce the system, which it calls the Razer Edge — yep, Razer finally went there with its branding.

The Edge has a 6.8-inch AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 144Hz and a Full HD+ resolution of 2,400 x 1,080. Razer claims the display has 87 percent more pixels than competitors’ devices. The Steam Deck’s screen, for instance, has a 1,280 x 800 resolution. The Edge's Gorilla Glass touchscreen also has a 288Hz sampling rate, which should make it pretty darn responsive.

Razer worked with Qualcomm and Verizon on this device. It runs on the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 Gaming Platform, which was developed exclusively for the Edge. The device has a 3Ghz octa-core Kryo CPU and an Adreno GPU, along with active cooling and six air vents. Razer says early benchmarking shows that the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 delivers two to three times the speeds of typical mobile platforms, such as the Snapdragon 720G.

Razer

The device has a 5,000mAh capacity battery, as well as 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB of storage. On the audio front, there are two-way speakers with Verizon Adaptive Sound and a pair of digital microphones. There's a webcam too — you'll have the option to livestream your gameplay.

The Edge is comprised of an Android 12 tablet housed inside the new Razer Kishi V2 Pro controller. The latter has the same analog triggers as the Kishi V2, along with microswitches, programmable buttons and what Razer claims is an "ultra-precise" D-pad. What makes the Kishi V2 Pro different is that it has HyperSense haptic feedback and, blissfully, a 3.5mm headphone jack. Together, the tablet and controller weigh 400.8 grams, which is a bit less than a pound.

As for the games, the Edge, which will only be available in the US at the outset, will come with launchers for Epic Games, Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now preinstalled. You'll also be able to access remote play services such as Steam Link, Moonlight and Parsec.

Razer

Since this is a cloud gaming-focused device, connectivity is key. Razer says the Edge has WiFi 6E that performs on an "uncongested" 6GHz channel and has multi-gig bandwidth support for fast download and upload speeds. When you're on the go, you'll be able to connect to cloud gaming services through 5G as long as you have the right model.

The 5G version of the Razer Edge is a Verizon exclusive. Pricing and exact availability will be confirmed later, but it should be out in January, around the same time as the WiFi model. That version will run you $400 and it'll be available from Razer's website and RazerStore locations. You can reserve one for a refundable deposit of $5. Razer hasn't revealed pricing or availability for the standalone Kishi V2 Pro controller.

That's not an insignificant price for the WiFi model, and it's likely that the 5G version will cost more, but the specs seem solid for the money. It seems like an option worth considering for on-the-go cloud gaming if you'd rather not slot your phone into a controller and you don't want to lug a Steam Deck around.

The Razer Edge isn't the only handheld device focused on cloud gaming. Logitech's $350 G Cloud Gaming Handheld, which doesn't have WiFi 6 or 6E support, will be available next week. Other notable manufacturers are turning their attention to cloud gaming as well. Google this week announced three Chromebooks from Acer, ASUS and Lenovo that are designed for streaming games.

Razer

The Edge was far from Razer's only product announcement at RazerCon. Along with the Kraken Kitty V2 Pro wired headset (featuring swappable bunny, bear and cat ears with Chroma RGB lighting) and some other gear, the company showed off its Hammerhead HyperSpeed earbuds. 

The earbuds feature Chroma RGB, active noise cancellation, Bluetooth 5.2 and 2.4GHz connectivity (via a USB-C dongle you can plug into your console or other device) to minimize latency. Razer claims you'll get up to 30 hours of total battery life, factoring in top ups from the charging case. Hammerhead HyperSpeed is available in PlayStation- and Xbox-braded variants. The earbuds cost $150 and they will be available in November.

Razer

Earlier this week, Google and hardware partners ASUS, Acer and Lenovo announced a somewhat surprising initiative to build Chromebooks expressly for cloud gaming. While many Chromebooks are a riff on the classic 13-inch laptop, the first round of these devices have large, high-resolution screens with fast refresh rates, anti-ghosting keyboards, powerful processors and a few software tweaks to better work with cloud gaming services like GeForce NOW.

All these laptops are set to be released by the end of October, but I got a chance to check out a pre-production version of Acer’s Chromebook 516 GE. Over the last week, I’ve played some games with it as well as put it through my daily work routine. I’ll need to test the final version before giving it a proper review, but the Chromebook 516 GE has a lot going for it, whether you play games or not.

Acer will offer a few configurations of this laptop, but the one I tried is up for pre-order at Best Buy. It features a 12th-generation Intel Core i5-1240P processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage and a 16-inch, 2,560x1,600 display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The 516 GE is larger and heavier than a lot of Chromebooks, but 3.75 pounds is pretty reasonable for a 16-inch laptop.

As an all-purpose machine, there’s a lot to like about the 516 GE, assuming you’re OK with a computer that isn’t super portable. The screen is simply great to work on – with an effective 1,600 x 1,000 resolution by default, there’s plenty of vertical space, and I was easily able to have large windows (like a Google Doc and Slack) next to each other without feeling cramped. Its brightness rating of 350 nits isn’t going to blow you away, but it felt like plenty to me, and colors were nicely saturated without being exaggerated. And while the 120Hz refresh rate doesn’t change the basic experience of using a Chromebook, things like scrolling through YouTube or resizing windows did feel smooth and fluid.

The keyboard and trackpad are also great. The keyboard is large and spacious, and the keys have plenty of travel. It’s equally suited to a long writing session or playing games. And the computer’s large deck means the trackpad is also one of the bigger ones I’ve used on a Chromebook; it’s smooth and responsive. In a nod to its gaming heritage, the keyboard has an RGB LED backlight and an outline around the WASD keys, but these are about the only flourishes that make this computer feel like a “gaming laptop.”

The real question with this laptop, though, is whether it truly offers a better cloud gaming experience than other options (including other Chromebooks). I’m not ready to pass judgment on that yet, but both NVIDIA’s GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming worked without any issues here. I just plugged in my Xbox Controller and got to business. On GeForce Now, which I connected to my Steam account, I spent some time playing Portal and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, while I tried out favorites like Forza Horizon 5 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge via my Game Pass subscription.

There’s no doubt that this display elevates the experience, both simply because of its sheer size and its resolution. I haven’t tried any games that played at 120Hz yet, but everything I did play looked excellent – assuming my connection stayed solid. The 516 GE has a WiFI 6E chip inside, but as I don’t have a 6E router yet, that didn’t do me any good. And even when I was in the same room as my router, with a strong signal, the quality of my game streams varied significantly. Overall, GeForce Now feels much more reliable than Xbox Cloud Gaming. When playing Xbox games, the picture glitched out in significant, game-disrupting fashion pretty frequently. GeForce Now, on the other hand, I would experience the occasional burst of dropped frames, but the visuals rarely started tearing and distorting like they did on Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Neither were nearly as good as playing a locally installed game, and the overall experience isn’t all that different from what I’ve experienced doing cloud gaming on my MacBook Pro or other laptops. Acer can make a great laptop, but there’s only so much they can do about iffy streaming quality. And my internet connection isn’t exactly slow – I got about 170 Mbps down in a speed test I took when I was done playing.

For $650, Acer’s Chromebook 516 GE seems like a solid value – the combination of a powerful hardware, a great screen and keyboard and solid build quality make it a compelling device. Chromebooks with an i5 processor usually cost at least this much if not more, and the 516 GE has a fair number of features that make it unique. Whether this helps Google’s initiative to convince people Chromebooks are worth gaming on is another story altogether, but at the very least, Acer’s latest will likely be worth a look once it is available.

Google Fiber's sudden revival will include a dramatic boost to internet speeds. Google has revealed that it will offer 5Gbps and 8Gbps plans in early 2023 at respective monthly rates of $125 and $150. Both tiers will include symmetric upload and download rates, a WiFi 6 router and up to two mesh network extenders. The upgrades should help with massive file transfers while keeping lag and jittering to a bare minimum, according to the company.

Current customers, particularly in Kansas City, Utah and West Des Moines, can try the speedier plans as soon as November if they sign up to become "trusted testers." If you're eligible, Google will ask you how you expect to use the extra bandwidth.

This is a big jump from the previous-best 2Gbps service Google introduced in 2020, and could make a big difference if you're a gamer or thrive on cloud computing. If a 150GB Microsoft Flight Simulator download takes 11 minutes at 2Gbps, the 8Gbps plan could cut that wait to less than three minutes in ideal conditions. It certainly makes typical cable internet plans seem expensive. Comcast is already offering 6Gbps service in some areas, for instance, but that costs $300 per month on contract and doesn't yet include symmetric uploads.

Either way, the new plans represent a declaration of intent. Alongside the first network expansions in five years, the upgraded speeds suggest Google is getting back to Fiber's roots. That is, it's both raising expectations for truly fast internet access and (to a degree) spurring competition among incumbent providers. This could help Google pitch its other services, of course, but you might not mind if it gives telecoms an extra incentive to roll out '10G' and similar upgrades sooner than they might have otherwise.