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Microsoft may be building a disc-less next-gen Xbox after all
Just when it seemed Microsoft's plans for Project Scarlett, its next-generation Xbox console, were getting simpler, there's a new wrinkle to the narrative. According to Kotaku's Jason Schreier, Microsoft is working on a more affordable, disc-less version of the device codenamed "Lockhart."
Motorola's bezel-free One Hyper has a 32-megapixel pop-up selfie camera
Lenovo-owned Motorola has unveiled the One Hyper, an ambitious mid-range phone with a near bezel-free display and some pretty nice camera features. It packs a 32-megapixel, pop-up front camera that delivers as much resolution as you'd ever need for selfie shots and retracts automatically if you drop the phone. It also features a rear 64-megapixel camera that delivers either high resolution or low-light sensitivity when you enable the Night Vision mode and Quad Pixel tech.
iPad Pro and MacBook Pro could switch to mini LED displays in late 2020
Never mind Apple expanding the use of OLED in its devices -- it may go one step further with its future hardware. Well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (who has a reputation for largely accurate Apple predictions) believes that Apple will start using mini LED displays in its devices in late 2020, starting with updated versions of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (what, no love for the 11-inch model?) and the 16-inch MacBook Pro. There will eventually be four to six products in Apple's lineup using mini LED, Kuo claimed, but there will be a gradual transition.
Intel is losing against AMD
When AMD launched its third-generation Zen 2 Ryzen processors earlier this year, Intel had to be sweating. Its rival had developed an all-new architecture with improvements to clock speed, core count and instructions per clock and promised performance that matched -- and even beat -- Intel's CPUs. Then, along came AMD's mainstream 12-core and 16-core Ryzen 9 3900x and 3950X CPUs, which doubled the thread count of competing i9-9900 series chips. That threatened not only Intel's gaming market but muscled in on its workstation territory. To compete, Intel was forced to launch the Cascade Lake i9-10980X at $999 -- half the price of the previous 9980XE model. Unfortunately for Intel, the 3950X still keeps pace with the i9-10980X in most tests, despite costing just $750. Reviews are now in for AMD's latest 32-core 3970X and 24-core 3960X Threadripper processors, and it's more bad news for Intel. Those high-end desktop (HEDT) chips perform better for both video and 3D rendering than Intel's latest i9-10980X CPU. Furthermore, they've even made many of Intel's high-end workstation Xeon CPUs obsolete. And the kicker is that AMD has yet to release the 64-core, Threadripper 3990X. Intel still has a lead in gaming, but only just, and given AMD's progress and recent Zen 3 announcements, is any market safe? Let's explore the state of this rivalry and how Intel might counterpunch.
Elon Musk tells Ford VP 'bring it on' in F-150 vs. Cybertruck battle (update)
At the unveiling of Tesla's Cybertruck, Elon Musk showed off a video of the low-polygon-count pickup defeating an F-150 in a tug of war. Since then, many have complained it wasn't a good comparison, since the presumably AWD Cybertruck appeared to face off against a lower-spec RWD Ford with nothing in the bed to help its tires get grip, and took off first.
Huawei's answer to the iPad Pro is the 10.8-inch MatePad Pro
Huawei has unveiled the 10.8-inch MatePad Pro, an iPad Pro-like tablet that we saw earlier via a leak. While it does bear a strong resemblance to Apple's 11-inch iPad Pro, the MatePro has even slimmer 4.9mm bezels made possible by an 8-megapixel hole-punch front camera, according to Engadget Chinese. It's also got a slightly higher-resolution 2,560 x 1,600 display that can output a very bright 540 nits while supporting the DCI-P3 color gamut.
SpaceX's first Starship pops its top during a 'pressure test' in Texas
SpaceX has already moved on to manufacturing its next generation of 'Mk3' Starship frames, but the original model Elon Musk stood in front of two months ago popped open during an apparent "pressure test" at the company's Boca Chica, TX site. According to site watchers like LabPadre, the top flew some 500 feet in the air as cryofluid sprayed everywhere. In slow-motion, it appears that fluid started bursting from the sides first.
Human patient put in suspended animation for the first time
Scientists (and sci-fi fans) have been talking about suspended animation for years. The idea that the functions of the human body can somehow be put on "pause" while life-saving medical procedures are performed (or a person is sent into space, a la Alien) has long seemed untenable -- until now. According to New Scientist, doctors have successfully placed humans in suspended animation for the first time, in a trial that could have an enormous influence on the future of emergency room surgery.
This 'Jedi: Fallen Order' lightsaber is also a motion controller
Twitch streamer and DIY gaming accessory buff Dylan "Rudeism" Beck, who created a hilarious Untitled Goose Game "controller," is at it again with the new Star Wars title Jedi: Fallen Order. He built a motion-controlled lightsaber and a force glove that make the game look more fun and sporty, according to his Twitch videos and a post on Reddit.
Ford’s Mustang Mach-E straddles the world of EVs, SUVs and muscle cars
The Mustang is the official muscle car of the United States. The keyword here is car and that's why it's odd that Ford decided to call its new electric vehicle the Mustang Mach-E, when it's clearly not a car. It's a crossover with hints of Mustang design. While the name is perplexing, it's not difficult to understand why the Mach-E, with a range of up to 300 miles, took the most iconic name in the automaker's lineup. It'll help it sell.
'Star Wars' and 'The Mandalorian' make Disney+ worth it
Disney+ has a ton of things to watch based on its vast library alone, but if you're interested in something that's actually original, your options are pretty slim. Just like Apple TV+, most of the new content on Disney+, like The World According to Jeff Goldblum, is watchable but not exactly exceptional. That's not the case for The Mandalorian though. It's the first live-action Star Wars show, and it brings with it all of the action, wonder and visual splendor you've come to expect from the films. That's not the only new bit of Star Wars goodness either: there's also a surprise 4K remaster of the entire Skywalker saga with Dolby Vision and Atmos. And yes, that includes the original trilogy (albeit with the Special Edition CG tweaks and yet another Han/Greedo scene change). If you were on the fence about subscribing to Disney+, these new Star Wars releases are more than enough reason to check it out.
Apple tried and failed to break RED's stranglehold on RAW video
RED has claimed victory in the latest battle over its patent on RAW video, this time against a mighty plaintiff: Apple. The dispute started earlier this year, when Apple set out to overturn RED's patent on RedCode RAW in a possible effort to avoid paying royalties on its ProRes RAW codec. A patent court ruled that Apple "has not shown a reasonable likelihood that it would prevail" with claims that RED's original 2007 patent was obvious and shouldn't have been issued in the first place.
AMD's 16-core Ryzen 3950X is its fastest desktop processor ever
After getting some wins against Intel in the desktop enthusiast processor race, AMD is trying to run up the score with its latest model, the Ryzen 9 3950X. It has 16 cores/32 threads, a 3.5 Ghz base clock with up to 4.7 GHz boost (on two cores) and 105 watt power consumption (TDP), and costs $749, compared to $1,199 for Intel's 12-core i9-9920X. At the same time, AMD claims it outperforms the i9-9920X in gaming and even more so for content creation, where those extra cores can be best exploited.
Ford's electric Mustang project car packs a manual transmission
Sports car enthusiasts will sometimes balk at electric cars due to their usual lack of manual transmissions (there's no need for a gearbox, after all), but Ford has hinted that stick shifting might not be completely dead. The automaker has partnered with Webasto on a Mustang Lithium project car (no, it's not the Mustang-like SUV) that mates a monstrous 900-plus horsepower electric motor with a six-speed, drag-race-ready Getrag transmission. You could have the thrill of dropping 'gears' without the guilt of spewing emissions, and you'd definitely feel it when there's over 1,000ft/lbs of always-available torque.
Xiaomi unveils its 108-megapixel smartphone
Xiaomi has unveiled the CC9 Pro smartphone that has one of the highest-resolution cameras -- period -- that you can buy. For instance, the 108-megapixel wide-angle camera has more resolution than Fujifilm's 102-megapixel GFX 100 medium format camera, which has a sensor about 15 times larger. On top of that, the CC9 Pro has four other rear cameras: a 5-megapixel 5x telephoto, 12-megapixel 2x telephoto, 20-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens and a 2-megapixel macro camera with big 1.75um pixels.
AirPods Pro have replaceable components but aren't repairable
Apple's AirPods Pro might sound better, but they're just as non-repairable as the regular AirPods. A teardown of the new buds performed by iFixit confirms that trying to repair them is "both impractical and uneconomical."
Apple AirPods Pro hands-on: I can already hear the difference
Earlier today, I popped in a set of Apple AirPods, jumped onto an uptown 6 train, and began a short journey to our New York office. That would be a pretty apt description of any of my daily commutes to work, but today was different: Because I was using the new AirPods Pro, I didn't have to dial up the volume dangerously high to hear my music over the din.
Xiaomi’s first real smartwatch looks just like an Apple Watch
As Xiaomi gears up to launch its 108-megapixel phone at its November 5th event, the company has also unveiled details of its upcoming smartwatch -- and it looks awfully familiar. The device -- which will probably be called the Mi Watch -- bears a striking resemblance to the Apple Watch.
BYU researchers extend WiFi range by 200 feet with a software upgrade
As we fill our homes with connected devices, we'll need WiFi to reach around every corner. One solution is hardware like Amazon's Eero routers and Google's Nest WiFi, physical devices that give your primary WiFi signal a boost. But researchers think there might be another way: a software protocol that extends the distance connected devices can send and receive WiFi by more than 60 meters.
Samsung patent application showcases AR headset design
When websites like Engadget report on patents, typically all you see accompanying the applications are line diagrams that give a faint idea of what a tech company is working on. Not so with a recently discovered application from Samsung, which includes a 3D render of an augmented reality (AR) headset. According to Galaxy Club, which was the first to spot the patent, the headset features projection screens in each lens. Additionally, one diagram depicts a wire on the right side of the device -- though the purpose of the cable isn't clear.
