Apple introduced a brand new iPad today, and one of its biggest features is that it ships with an A13 Bionic chip. Apple promises that it has a 20 percent faster performance than the previous iPad, from the CPU, GPU and the Neural Engine. The company also claims that the new iPad is three times faster than the top-selling Chromebook and six times faster than the top-selling Android tablet. 

The new iPad also features a new front-facing 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera that is especially useful for video calls. It has a 122-degree field-of-view and comes with Center Stage, a tech that we've already seen in Apple's iPad Pro. Similar to the tech on Facebook's Portal devices, Center Stage automatically detects people and dynamically adjusts the frame as you move around, or as more people join the call. The tech works in both portrait and landscape mode. 

This Center Stage feature works not just on Facetime but in other video apps too, like Zoom, Bluejeans and WebEx. Plus, the tech isn't just for video calls. Users can also utilize the tech to record, stream and publish videos to apps like DoubleTake, Explain Everything and TikTok. 

It will have a 10.2-inch Retina display with True Tone, which adjusts the screen content to the color temperature of your surroundings. 

The iPad will support existing accessories like Apple's Smart Keyboard and the first-generation Apple Pencil. 

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Follow all of the news from Apple’s iPhone event right here.

Apple's iPhone 13 event is finally here, and you'll have multiple ways to watch — including after the big show. You can watch the company's "California Streaming" presentation at 1PM Eastern either below or on the company's YouTube channel. It's also available through the Apple website or the Apple TV app on supporting devices. And don't forget to check Engadget's YouTube channel after the event. We'll have a live recap of the announcements as well as a dose of witty commentary.

The iPhone 13 family will likely be the highlight, with rumors hinting at a 120Hz, always-on display (at least for Pro models) with a smaller notch. You could also see camera upgrades, the usual speed improvements, a 1TB storage option and even emergency satellite calls. Not that the iPhone will necessarily be the only star. Many also expect an Apple Watch Series 7 with a brand new case design, and you might see third-generation AirPods as well as new iPads. It's safe to say you'll want to tune in if you're interested in upgrading your Apple gear this fall.

Follow all of the news from Apple’s iPhone event right here.

The Xbox app on PC just got much more useful. You can now use it to stream games from your Xbox Series X/S. In addition, the app can now stream all of the console titles available through the cloud on Xbox Game Pass.

This is the first time Microsoft has enabled remote play on PC for Xbox Series X/S — folks have been able to stream Xbox One games to PC since 2015. The company says it has improved the feature's stability and added features such as being able to stream games from consoles in 1080p at up to 60 frames per second and play some original Xbox and Xbox 360 games. 

Microsoft noted that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers in 22 countries can now play console titles through the cloud on Windows 10 (and soon, Windows 11) PCs. As long as you have a membership, compatible controller and a sturdy enough internet connection, all you need to do is hit the Cloud Gaming button in the Xbox app and you'll be able to stream console and PC games and play either by yourself or with friends. 

There are currently 294 console games available through the cloud on Game Pass Ultimate, compared with 115 PC games. Those include some EA games via the bundled EA Play membership.

The update marks another step forward in Microsoft's goal of bringing cloud gaming to as many devices as possible. Last month, the company said it would enable cloud gaming on Xbox consoles this holiday season. Game Pass subscribers have been able to stream games from the cloud via web browsers since June. 

Meanwhile, if you want to play a game on your Series X/S but your TV's in use, you'll able to hop into a session on your desktop or laptop instead. Remote play is also available on iOS and Android phones and tablets.

After beta testing the second major PlayStation 5 firmware update over the past few weeks, Sony is ready to roll it out to everyone, along with new versions of the PS4 system software and the PlayStation mobile apps. The PS5 patch is the big one since, 10 months after Sony released the console, the company is finally unlocking the internal storage expansion slot for everyone.

Although you can store games on an external hard drive, you can't run PS5 titles from USB storage. Those drives are just too slow for PS5 games. Plug in a compatible M.2 solid state drive, though, and you can use it just like the system's internal storage for PS5 games, PS4 titles and media apps. You can move games and apps between the internal storage and M.2 SSD as you wish.

However, it's important to note that not any M.2 drive will do. You'll either need one with a built-in cooling structure or to add your own heatsink. Sony has several other requirements. We've put together a guide detailing the best SSDs you can buy for your PS5.

The update adds some other handy features, including 3D audio support for TV speakers, which you can activate through the sound menu. You'll be able to use the DualSense controller's microphone to measure the acoustics and help decide the best setting for your space. There will be equalizer settings for the Pulse 3D Wireless Headset too.

Some key user interface changes are on the way as part of tomorrow's update too. It should be easier to tell whether a game you have installed is the PS4 or PS5 version. Each will be listed separately in the Installed tab on the Home screen and in the Game Library. 

You'll have additional customization options for the Control Center, including more choice over which controls to include in the bar at the bottom of your screen. You'll also be able to see and send messages to friends and parties from the Control Center's Game Base section.

On the accessibility front, there are new screen reader shortcuts. Press the PlayStation and triangle buttons to turn the feature on or off, and press the PS and R1 buttons to have the tool repeat the last thing it said. PlayStation Now members can select a resolution of 720p or 1080p depending on the game, and there's a tool to test your connection and hopefully help you resolve any issues.

The console will also be able to automatically record clips of your "personal best" moments, such as hitting a better time or score when you compete in challenges. You can access those clips from the Media Gallery or the challenge card in the Control Center. In addition, there's a new trophy tracker that lets you view progress on up to five trophies per game in the Control Center.

Sony

That's not all, though, as Sony will release a PS4 update tomorrow. You'll be able to see your PS5 trophies (as well as others' PS5 accolades) on PS4. On both consoles, you'll be able to disband a Party without removing people individually if you're the Party owner.

On top of that, there are updates coming to the PlayStation mobile apps. Starting tomorrow, you'll at last be able to stream PS4 and PS5 games to your iOS or Android device over mobile networks, a feature that definitely would have come in handy for visits to the park during the summer. You can adjust video quality options to help manage your data.

Meanwhile, as of September 23rd, you'll be able to watch your friends' PS5 Share Screen broadcasts through the PS App. It may take up to a week for the feature to become available through the Android version of the app, as Sony is rolling it out gradually on that platform.

After expanding to Samsung TVs earlier in the year, Movies Anywhere, the service that allows you to keep your digital film collection in one place, is now available on Xbox consoles. Starting today, you can download the app on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Movies Anywhere works with most digital storefronts, including Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu and of course the Microsoft Store.

The Xbox version of Movies Anywhere includes support for the platform’s Watch Together feature, which means you can take part in online watch parties with up to nine other people and talk in a shared chat room. Screen Pass is also supported. If you’ve already accepted a rental invitation sent to you by a friend or family member, you can watch the movie on your Xbox. Moreover, once you connect your Microsoft Store account to Movies Anywhere, you can watch the content you purchase there on any other device that supports the platform.

Only a few months after unveiling its Prime mice for pro gamers, SteelSeries has revealed smaller versions of the peripherals. The Prime Mini and Prime Mini Wireless mice are 12 percent and nine percent lighter than their respective counterparts, which SteelSeries designed with input from more than 100 esports competitors.

The Prime Mini weighs just 61 grams. SteelSeries says it has a "hyper-durable" shell along with a matte finish to help you maintain your grip. It's five millimeters shorter than the original Prime and a touch narrower with a slightly lower profile. The mouse has a TrueMove Pro optical sensor with adjustable sensitivity of 18,000 CPI.

The Prime Mini Wireless, meanwhile, weighs 73 grams. It supports fast charging via a USB-C port. SteelSeries says you'll get up to 100 hours of use from a single charge, and 15 hours of usage after 15 minute of charging time.

Like the previous models, both mice boast SteelSeries' Prestige OM optical switches, which are rated for 100 million clicks. They also have 16.8-million color RGB backlighting and on-board customization with five pre-sets.

SteelSeries is keeping the Prime Mini and Prime Mini Wireless at the same price as their larger siblings, both of which are still around for those who prefer a slightly larger option. The Prime Mini is $60 and the wireless version costs $130. They're available starting today.

Sonos has sold home theater products for a long time, but the company has made the living room even more of a priority in recent years. It started with the Sonos Beam, a smaller and more affordable version of the flagship Playbar soundbar. And 2020’s new flagship, the Sonos Arc, was the company’s first soundbar capable of Dolby Atmos playback.

Today, the Beam is getting a major upgrade. The new, second-generation Beam goes on sale today for $449 and will be available on October 5th. That’s $50 more than before, in line with the other price increases Sonos announced last week. The good news is that the new Beam is more capable than its predecessor in a number of ways. We’ll have to review it before we can really say if it’s worth the extra $50, but there are a number of notable new features here.

The new Beam looks nearly identical to its predecessor, aside from a new perforated polycarbonate grille instead of the cloth front found on the original. It also has the same speaker components inside: a center tweeter, four woofers, and three passive bass radiators. What’s different is that the new processor inside the Beam is 40 percent faster, which opens up a lot of new audio formats.

Sonos

Most notably, the gen-two Beam supports Dolby Atmos, for movies, TV and music (the latter in a limited fashion, for now). Scott Fink, a product manager at Sonos who worked on the new Beam, says that the horsepower from the new CPU let the company increase the speaker arrays — not the specific speaker components, but, as Fink explains, “the set of software that coordinates the playback and interaction of all the speakers together in the soundbar.” The new Beam has five arrays, up from the three in the older model, and Fink said that the extras are dedicated to surround sound and height info.

All told, the Beam supports the same home theater audio formats as the Arc (including Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus, Multichannel PCM and more), which costs twice as much as the Beam. In addition to the increased processing power, the new Beam has HDMI eARC to facilitate these new formats. Sonos says the speaker should have improved dialog clarity thanks to the additional audio processing power, something that should make the currently-available speech enhancement feature work better than before.

The hardware also supports additional music formats, as well. The Beam (as well as the Arc) will soon support the Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos formats from Amazon Music. Some Sonos speakers have worked with a handful of HD music services for a while now, but this is the first time that a 3D music format will work with the company’s products. I asked if there were any plans to support Dolby Atmos on Apple Music, and unsurprisingly the company wasn’t willing to say yet. But, there shouldn’t be any technical reason, it’s just a matter of Sonos and Apple working together to get more Apple Music formats supported.

Sonos

As with other Sonos products, the new Beam connects to the company’s other speakers for multi-room playback; you can also use other Sonos speakers as surrounds. You can tune the speaker to your room to improve the sound using Trueplay, assuming you have an iOS device. The Beam also has far-field microphones so it can receive voice commands through either Alexa or the Google Assistant, but that’s not required (there’s a mic mute button right on top of the Beam, too). Like some other recent Sonos speakers, the new Beam has NFC to make setup even easier — playing your phone running the Sonos app near it will automatically connect it to your WiFi network.

Based on what Sonos has said so far, the new Beam is probably not a crucial upgrade for most, unless you’ve been itching to get Dolby Atmos into your setup without spending a ton of money. But given that the Beam is already the best-selling compact soundbar (according to NPD data), these upgrades should help it keep its lead over the competition — even with that $50 price hike.

You won't have to stick to Samsung's The Wall if you insist on a gigantic TV for your equally sprawling mansion. LG has introduced a Direct View LED (DVLED) Extreme Home Cinema line aimed squarely at "super-luxury" homes. It relies on the same basic concept of using millions of LED diodes (anywhere from 2 million to 33 million) to form a complete picture in customized shapes, but can scale to sizes that might even make Samsung blush — you can choose anything from a 'small' 81 inches to a room-dominating 325-inch setup.

You'll need to stick to a conventional 16:9 ratio if you want those extremes, but you can also opt for "UltraStretch" 32:9 arrangements if you want to watch multiple video sources at the same time (say, live sports featuring the teams you own). You'll have to spring for those 33 million diodes if you want an 8K picture, but you can make do with 4K or even 2K (both in single or dual configurations) if you're not quite so determined to impress your guests. A WebOS controller box provides smart TV functions.

LG is taking orders for these DVLED home sets now, but it won't shock you to hear that LG isn't listing prices when each system is a custom order. It's safe to say the costs won't be trivial. LG estimates the installation, warranty and support (including twice-a-year "health checks") are worth $30,000 — the actual set is bound to be much more. If that's too much, you might have to 'settle' for LG's $100,000 rollable OLED TV instead.

Sony's true wireless earbuds are some of the best you can buy, if you're willing to pay premium prices. The latest WF-1000XM4 come in at $280, so they're not exactly budget-friendly. If you're willing to invest in the previous-generation buds, you can grab Sony's WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds for only $150 during a Best Buy one-day flash sale. That's $80 off their original price and just about the lowest we've seen. Amazon's matching the sale price and actually comes in a couple dollars cheaper at $148.

These buds took the top spot in our best wireless earbuds guide when they came out in 2019, and they've recently been replaced by the XM4. The XM3 have excellent sound quality with booming bass that isn't overpowering, bright highs and overall solid performance across a bunch of genres. Their active noise-cancellation is stellar, blocking out most background noises, and they'll last about six hours with ANC turned on. We also like Sony's comprehensive companion app that lets you customize the buds' settings.

Our biggest gripe with the XM3 was is design. The buds themselves are bulkier than most and their charging case is, admittedly, huge. Sony tried to fix this with the XM4, and it succeeded in doing so more with the charging case than with the earbuds. The latest buds remain on the larger side, although they have a more modern design, and the wireless charging case 40 percent smaller than that of the XM3. Sony also improved upon the ANC in the XM4 and increased the battery life to eight hours with ANC turned on. Those changes were enough to push the XM4 to the top spot on our favorites list, but you'll pay $280 to get all of that new tech.

Best Buy's flash sale has a few more gems to consider. Lenovo's original Smart Clock is on sale for $35, or $45 off its normal price. It's a good option for Google Assistant users who want a small, subtle smart display that works well as an alarm clock. It earned a score of 87 from us for its charming design, sunrise alarm feature and lack of camera, the latter of which will be attractive to the most privacy-conscious among us. The sale also includes the AeroGarden Elite Slim for $100, which is $80 off and one of the best prices we've seen it. If you want to try your hand at indoor gardening, AeroGarden's devices are one of the best ways to do so. It can grow up to six plants at once and won't take up too much space on a countertop.

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TikTok is adding new warnings to its in-app search that will alert users when results may include “distressing content.” The app has employed “sensitive content” warnings on individual videos since last year, but the updated alerts will appear in search results for terms that could include such content.

In a blog post, TikTok uses the example of “scary makeup” as a search term that may prompt such a warning. The company notes that users will be able to click through the warning to view results anyway, and that individual videos deemed “graphic or distressing” are ineligible from the app’s recommendations.

TikTok is also changing up search results to provide more resources on searches related to suicide and self harm, the company said. In addition to surfacing links to reach helplines like the Crisis text Line, the app will also point users to “content from our creators where they share their personal experiences with mental well-being, information on where to seek support and advice on how to talk to loved ones about these issues.”

TikTok

The app has at times struggled to deal with content related to self harm. Last year, a video of a suicide, originally streamed to Facebook Live, went viral on TikTok as the company scrambled to take down new copies. But even as users came up with workarounds to skirt TikTok’s detection, other creators posted viral clips urging users not to engage with the content. That suggests that TikTok’s plan to rely on creators to share positive PSAs could be an effective strategy for the company.

In the U.S., the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting HOME to 741741 (US), 686868 (Canada), or 85258 (UK). TikTok has published a list of resources for other countries.