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'Your Hands Are Feet' puts you inside a psychedelic egg yolk
Sarah Rothberg is obsessed with the bright-red silicone sponge she bought at Sur La Table. As a sponge, it's worthless -- it's too flimsy to be abrasive, and you can forget about it absorbing liquid -- but when you rub its tiny bristles together the sound is strangely familiar. It's the sound of shaving a giant's leg.
Pixelbook hands-on: stunning hardware for Chrome OS aficionados
Google's Pixelbook is the first new laptop hardware the company has released since 2015's Chromebook Pixel 2. But that computer was only an iterative update on the original 2013 model. The Pixelbook is wildly different and reflects what we've come to expect from laptops over the last five years or so. And while the prospect of spending $1,000 or more on a Chromebook remains a stretch for just about everyone, my first impressions of the Pixelbook is that it's one of the nicest pieces of hardware I've tried in a long time.
Nonny de la Peña, Eugene Chung illuminate the Engadget Experience
Virtual reality captured the mainstream's imagination in the 1990s, but ultimately failed to deliver on the the medium's potential. Fast forward more than two decades and VR is once again the next big thing. With far more advanced hardware and billions in investment, virtual reality is on the cusp of upending storytelling but the future is still unclear. On November 14th, VR luminaries Eugene Chung and Nonny de la Peña will take the stage at the historic United Artists Theatre at the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles to help shed some light on how virtual reality and augmented reality are changing the way that we see the world.
The surprisingly lackluster rise of VR porn
"It's like being inside of a womb or a particularly immaculate throat, all gently pulsating, mucus-y pink flesh." NSFW Warning: This story may contain links to and descriptions or images of explicit sexual acts.
Where to buy HTC's U11 and Sony's Xperia XZ Premium in the UK
Over the past couple of days, two new flagship smartphones have landed on UK shores -- HTC's U11 and Sony's Xperia XZ Premium -- and both have their merits. HTC's latest marries powerful innards with elegant looks, all the AI assistants and quirky edge pressure sensors that let you interact with the device in new and interesting ways. Sony's Xperia XZ Premium, on the other hand, is all about top-tier specs and couple of stand-out features, including a 4K HDR display and 960FPS slow-motion video capture. As you'll discover, one has proven far more popular with carriers and retailers than the other, but if you're interested in either handset, we've got the low-down on where to pick it up.
The new Nokia 3310 is too basic for 2017
Nostalgia's a funny thing. It makes us leave the house in the dead of night to imprison a wild Clefairy and scramble over each other to buy an NES Classic Edition decades after we sold our original consoles for a pittance at yard sales. Companies are always finding new ways to push our sentimental buttons, and for HMD Global, that means launching a new Nokia 3310 more than 16 years after the original made its debut in 2000. But does anyone really have fond memories of a cellphone that was only good for calling your dad to come pick you up from school?
Where to buy LG's G6 in the UK
The launch of LG's latest smartphone, the G6, has been somewhat staggered. First there were pre-orders, and then a prerelease specifically for those eager customers. But over the last few days, the G6 has gone on general sale pretty much everywhere. After last year's ambitious but tepidly received, modular G5, LG has gone back to basics -- if you can call ample power, a big and beautiful display and two primary cameras "basics," that is. Intrigued? Well, here are all the carriers and retailers in the UK that'd be more than happy to sell you one.
Where to buy Samsung's Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus in the UK
It's that time of the year again -- one of the most important dates in the smartphone launch calendar. Today, the UK gets its hands on Samsung's new Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, and whichever size you're eyeing up, you won't be disappointed. They are easily two of the best handsets on the market right now, with the lack of bezel around their gorgeous "Infinity" displays a particularly striking feature. Though Samsung's Bixby assistant still needs some training, they are both blazing fast with batteries big enough to get you through two days of normal use. And if you didn't pre-order one right away, these are all the places you can pick one up from today.
What the internet taught me about dressing like an adult
Last December, I bought a pair of jeans from Uniqlo. That was the only time I purchased clothing from a brick-and-mortar store in all of 2016. For the past few years now, I've done most of my clothes shopping online. Not just because it's convenient, but because the internet provides me with fashion alternatives that I would never have discovered otherwise. The internet not only opened my eyes to different style options; it helped me feel more comfortable in my own skin.
I don't know how to drive and I may never have to learn
Whenever I'm hanging out with friends from out of state and I pull out my New York state ID, there's always a bit of confusion: "What is that? Is it like a driver's license? Is that valid? Can you fly with that? Why don't you just get a real license?" And I have to give the same list of explanations: It's just a good as a driver's license for ID, since I have to provide the same level of documentation to the DMV to get one. I can use it to fly and get into bars. And, well, I don't have a driver's license because ... I don't know how to drive. I've never needed to. And, as I approach my fourth decade on this earth, I might never need to, because the world is increasingly made for people like me.
Apple's Clips app makes crafting viral videos in iOS dead-simple
Crafting a short-form video masterpiece on an iPhone or iPad is possible, but Apple just made it a little easier. This morning, the company announced a new iOS app called Clips that -- long story short – tries to help anyone piece together a polished, well-produced video without a lot of work. After playing with the app earlier this week, I'd say Apple succeeded.
Engadget's editors on the Nintendo Switch
We were lucky enough to get an early look at the Nintendo Switch and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. But now that the console and its killer launch game are finally available to all (if you can find them, at least), we've asked several of our editors about their thoughts on the system. Despite the Switch's limited launch-title selection, most of them came away impressed.
Everything you don't want to know about the Nintendo Switch
Being a Nintendo fan is often an exercise in managing expectations. For years, we've watched the company just miss the mark with online services, third-party game availability and outdated hardware specifications. The frustration of seeing a company you like make so many odd decisions can wear you down. Now, Nintendo is about to release a new game console, and as always, it's far from perfect. For the most loyal Nintendo fans, these imperfections can evoke one of two responses: anger that the company has failed to live up to their expectations, or denial that the company is doing anything wrong at all. That's no way to live. Instead, let's skip the first four stages of grief and embrace the Nintendo Switch's faults with acceptance. This is everything the Nintendo Switch is doing wrong at launch (so far).
48 hours with the Nintendo Switch
Is the Switch more like the Wii, Nintendo's ambitious and wildly successful console which unearthed a whole new audience of casual gamers, or the Wii U, the half-baked followup that even the company's hardcore fans never truly adopted? That was the main question I had in mind as I started testing the new console this week.
Samsung and Google have work to do before the Chromebook Pro launches
Samsung's forthcoming Chromebook Pro, which the company introduced in partnership with Google at CES last month, appeared to be the latest contender in my search for the perfect premium Chromebook. For me, that means a high-resolution screen, excellent keyboard and trackpad, and a battery that lasts all day. I'm also looking for a well-designed machine, not the cheap, netbook-inspired computers that were the hallmark of earlier Chromebooks. On the surface, the Chromebook Pro offers all of that, along with a few new hardware and software tricks. It's the first Chromebook specifically designed with the Google Play Store and Android apps in mind. It's also the first Chrome OS device with a stylus, and Google added new features to its Keep note-taking app to make it work with a pen. Samsung and Google claim that the machine learning prediction should remove latency to the point that it feels like writing on the Surface Pro 4 -- one of the best stylus experiences available.
2016 was a hard year to be an Apple fan
Tim Cook and the rest of Apple's leadership will probably not look back fondly on 2016. iPhone sales declined for the first time, and Apple's profits followed suit. There are still bright spots, like the company's growing services business, and the company is still making insane amounts of money. Even so, the stalled growth has to be concerning to both the company and its investors. Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to pity Apple. I'm here to commiserate with its fans, the ones who Apple shafted this year. Particularly those of us who waited all year long for a substantial update to the Mac lineup only to be offered a pair of intriguing but compromised new laptops. Or those of us who bought an iPhone 7 and can't use the headphones included with it in our new MacBook Pro, or even those of us trying to figure out which iPad to buy. Across the board, Apple has confusing product lineups with weird and unnecessary compromises. And if you believe the wailing of aggrieved fans across the internet, it seems like plenty of loyal Apple supporters might be contemplating life outside the company's ecosystem. How did we get here?
The slow death of the manual transmission
I've never owned a car with an automatic transmission. From my 1969 Datsun 2000 roadster to the 2011 Mini Countryman S that currently sits in my garage, I've had a long line of vehicles that required more than just pressing on the accelerator and pointing it toward a destination. Yes, there were a few years when my wife had a Honda CR-V with an automatic transmission. But my cars have always required me to actually shift gears. I plan on continuing this tradition for as long as possible. But I know eventually I'll be forced to drive a car with my left leg sitting idle.
Ford CEO Mark Fields looks to a future beyond car ownership
Ford CEO Mark Fields has been moving the automaker into ventures outside of its normal core business of selling cars for a few years now. His LA Auto Show keynote touched on the company's current undertakings and future plans. Engadget sat down to talk with Fields about the automaker's post-car-ownership road map, its partnerships with public transportation and the company's plan to bring autonomous taxis to the market in 2021.
One consultation was enough to sell me on online doctors
This time last week, I was writhing in pain. I had a minor surgery a while back that left me susceptible to infections. This doesn't happen very often -- four times over the past decade -- but when it does, it's not fun. One side of my face swells grotesquely, brimming with pus deep within. Positioned equidistant between my mouth and temple, this swelling brings on major headaches and makes eating painful. I get a black eye, and, if left unchecked, that eye gets forced shut. Without going into more detail, it's very unpleasant.
Singapore is striving to be the world's first 'smart city'
There are few places better positioned to become a "smart city" than Singapore. That's an easy statement to justify. Singapore is an island city-state just 30 miles across that has been governed by the same party for decades. Putting the implied democratic flaws to one side, the geography and political stability of Singapore have aided the city in preparing for the future. Two years ago, those preparations got a name: "Smart Nation," an ambitious program to push the city, its residents and its government into the digital age. Or perhaps, even further. A fiber network already stretches the length and breadth of the island, bringing high-speed internet access to every home and office; there are already three mobile devices for every two of its citizens. This is about the next step. The Smart Nation initiative looks to turn the island into a "living laboratory" -- a kind of playground for testing smart solutions to urban issues. Part of that plan is a network of sensors placed across the island that officials hope can solve the fundamental issues of Singapore's high-density living.
