The Morning After: New WiFi 6E routers are starting to go on sale
And Microsoft is fixing an annoying Windows 10 problem.
On Thursday, Sony delivered another State of Play stream that included a long look at this summer’s upcoming Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart game for the PS5 and revealed that Among Us is coming to PlayStation consoles this year. But right now, the new system’s most notable exclusive is Returnal, a third-person shooter from Housemarque.
Later this morning, we’ll have a piece from Devindra Hardawar that you should read about how the game’s rogue-like nature encourages players to embrace their failures. But if you’re just trying to get a handle on what it has to offer, then check out a new 30-minute video from the development team. It shows how the title mixes arcade-style shooter action with a deep story to (hopefully) create a new-gen exclusive that’s worth the hassle and expense of buying a new system.
— Richard Lawler
Microsoft is fixing the pain of arranging Windows 10 apps on multiple displays
It's stopping apps from jumping to the wrong screen when your PC goes to sleep.
If you use a multi-monitor setup on Windows 10 for gaming, work or because it's built right into your laptop, you may have noticed that apps can annoyingly move to the wrong display. Microsoft has announced it's finally introducing a fix for the issue, so app windows behave more predictably. When your PC wakes up from sleep, all the apps on your secondary monitor can suddenly jump to your main or laptop display, meaning you’ll have to re-drag apps across to their original positions — an utter nightmare if you’re an accomplished multitasker. With an incoming Windows Insider release (you’ll need to sign up for it), when you wake up from a sleep, all your windows should appear where you previously left them.
You'll need to join Microsoft's Insider program to get the new feature, which will work by default, while the final version should ship to all Windows 10 machines by October 2021.
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Linksys launches its first WiFi 6E routers
Including a $1,200 mesh networking system.
The new WiFi 6E standard promises users better wireless connections with lots of bandwidth and less interference. Now Linksys has unveiled its first two products based on the standard, and while they’ll get you an upgrade early, they won’t come cheap.
The Qualcomm-powered Linksys Hydra Pro 6E is capable of WiFi speeds up to 6.6Gbps. It can cover 2,700 square feet of space and can connect to more than 55 devices at one time.
Meanwhile, the Atlas Max 6E mesh system is powered by the Qualcomm Networking Pro 1210 platform and was designed specifically for bandwidth-heavy homes.
A three-node mesh system that can connect up to 195 devices and cover up to 3,000 square feet per node costs $1,200, and one- or two-pack systems are also available. The Hydra Pro 6E router is available for $500, which is cheaper than the Netgear RAXE500 router that just went on sale for $600. Right now, you can only get them on the Linksys website, but they will come to retail shelves soon.
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Real-life 'Disaster Girl' turns her meme into a $500,000 NFT
Now it’s a digital collectible.
Zoe Roth, a 21-year-old college student and face of the viral Disaster Girl, sold an NFT (non-fungible token — if you need an explanation of what that means and why it might be worth anything then you’re in luck, we can help) of the meme for roughly $500,000 worth of Ether, The New York Times reported.
The now-iconic image dates back to 2005, when her father, David Roth, snapped the photo in their neighborhood while watching local firefighters at a controlled burn. He entered the photo into a contest (he won), and it was quickly picked up by internet forums, according to Know Your Meme.
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NYPD stops using Boston Dynamics' robodog following backlash
The police force canceled its $94,000 lease and will return Spot to the company.
The New York Police Department will no longer deploy its Spot robot dog and has canceled its lease from Boston Dynamics. The police force had planned to keep testing Spot (which it nicknamed Digidog) until the lease ran out in August. However, critics raised privacy concerns about the robot, which has been deployed to several crime scenes and hostage situations since October. Bill Neidhardt, a spokesman for Mayor Bill de Blasio, told The New York Times that the machine is "creepy, alienating and sends the wrong message to New Yorkers."
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Ford, BMW and Honda cut production due to global chip crisis
Apple and Samsung are feeling the pain, too.
For chips, demand has outstripped supply in the wake of a pandemic-induced buying spree that saw the public snap up everything from gaming consoles to TVs during lockdowns. Now, the situation is deteriorating for one of the worst hit sectors: cars.
In just 12 hours, Ford in the US said the chip shortage could halve production in the current financial quarter, Japan's Honda announced it will halt production at three domestic plants for five to six days next month and BMW warned of delays at its facilities in Germany and England.
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Gadgets that make great Mother's Day gifts
From tablets to snack subscriptions, these are gifts Mom probably hasn't received before.
You didn’t forget, did you? Don’t worry, the Engadget team has pulled together a selection of tech-based recommendations for Mom, including what I think is the best one: a wine subscription. We cover tablets, smart home gadgets and even a fitness wearable, if your mom’s currently in the midst of a health kick.
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