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Powerbeats review: Better workout earbuds at a better price
The Powerbeats Pro are some of the best true wireless earbuds I tested last year. They sound much better than any previous Beats in-ear option before and they're loaded with handy features. However, the sound isn't perfect and the over-ear hook design isn't for everyone. Now the company has redesigned the "regular" Powerbeats ($149.95), bringing almost all of what makes the Pro version so good to its other wireless model. Plus, they're $50 cheaper than the Powerbeats 3, which makes them even more attractive.
Engadget Podcast: How games (and Animal Crossing!) are keeping us sane
This week on the show, Devindra and Cherlynn dive into the deserted island life of Animal Crossing and how games can help us all survive being stuck at home. Also, Senior Editor Jessica Conditt describes how Doom Eternal -- a literal romp through hell on Earth -- serves a similarly relaxing roll for her. And producer Ben Ellman nerds out about Cities Skylines. Don't ever say we don't have varied tastes. Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News! Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Play Music Links Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the island escape we all need today Doom Eternal is guns, gore and sophistication Cherlynn on Overcooked 2 Half-Life: Alyx is the flagship VR game we've been waiting for Half-Life: Alyx is proof Valve answers to no one Credits Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Cherlynn Low Guest: Jessica Conditt Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien
The Morning After: Reviewing the iPad Pro (2020)
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. I spent the last few days talking with Huawei, listening to Huawei and (briefly) playing with its new flagship P40 Pro phone. If you've been following the company's progress over recent years, you'll know it really hit its groove making aggressively high-specced smartphones with incredible cameras and imaging tricks. But hopes of becoming the de facto Android phone maker (and kicking Samsung aside) were crushed when the US government took aim at Huawei, and Google had to stop providing Android services (as you know 'em) for Huawei devices. The P40 is its first P series phone since that bombshell, and it doesn't have the Google Play app store, Chrome or Google Maps. Making things worse, Huawei's app store is still severely lacking, despite huge teams of software engineers and an outreach program to the biggest app developers both globally and in specific countries. So, what do I think of the P40? It feels like a Galaxy phone, to be honest, all curves and sloping sides. It comes with a 5X optical zoom, backed by a huge imaging sensor that would be more at home in a compact camera than a phone. The specs are to die for, but the reality of using it is a dull one. I'll be carrying around the P40 for a little longer -- even if there's really not many places to go at this moment in time. Hey, at least Nintendo is ensuring there's no shortage of games for me to play. -- Mat
OnePlus 8 Pro will reportedly include wireless charging and waterproofing
Despite their value proposition, OnePlus phones have long had two significant flaws: to date, they've never included an official water-resistance rating or support for wireless charging. As the cost of the company's devices has increased with each subsequent release, that's something that has started to irk people. But it looks like OnePlus will finally address those issues. Unfortunately, you may need to buy the company's most expensive device to get those features.
Our favorite noise-cancelling headphones are cheaper than ever
Earlier this month, Newegg discounted Sony's $350 WH-1000XM3 headphones down to $250. (Sale prices on the unit typically hover around $275.) Now, the electronics retailer is dropping the price even lower. At $238, the 1000XM3s are a great deal. Engadget gave the Bluetooth headphones an impressive score 94 thanks to their fantastic audio quality and great noise-cancelling performance, but noted that the price was a big downside. With a $112 discount, that's far less of an issue. Buy Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones on Newegg - $238
WCW's Nintendo 64 legacy lives again, in mod form
Growing up, my friends and I were obsessed with Nintendo 64 wrestling games. That was all thanks to THQ, the AKI Corporation, and their AKI Engine. The AKI Engine made playing as your favorite on-screen personality simple yet refined, introducing a grappling system that allowed you to perform moves a heck of a lot easier than the Mortal Kombat-level button input-system other games used. Each wrestler had individual specials, taunts, and submission moves that reminded you of who they were supposed to represent, and lent itself to a variety of gameplay tactics depending on who you chose.
Home Depot's $179 Nest Hub Max deal is even better than Google's
If you're going to be spending a lot of time at home in the coming weeks, chances are you'll be looking for activities to help pass the time -- video calls, cooking inspiration, that sort of thing. The sort of things, in fact, that a smart display would be helpful for, and it just so happens that Home Depot is currently offering a decent discount on the Google Nest Hub Max. The website has it on offer for $179, which is about $20 cheaper than we've seen anywhere else (Google itself has the device on sale, but has reduced the price to only $199 from the usual $229). Buy Google Nest Hub Max on Home Depot - $179
Watch Huawei's P40 launch event right here at 9AM ET
Huawei's P40 series launch event starts today at 9AM ET. You can watch the livestream below or follow along as we write about the proceedings. Be sure to check the website afterward as well, as we'll have all the biggest highlights.
The Morning After: Weightlifting with a robotic exosuit
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. When the International Olympic Committee decided to make the right call and postpone the Tokyo Olympics, I was disappointed. I was writing a story about Panasonic's robotic exosuits that were going to be assisting Tokyo visitors and Paralympic athletes this summer. I had hoped to report on all the major tech showcases that Japan had planned, too. (Like a broken record, yes, I used to live there and, sure, wanted to visit again.) Whether it was self-driving transport, robotics or 8K broadcast, it was going to be a quintessentially tech Olympics. It still will be, I'm sure, just in 2021. -- Mat
The terrible, fantastic life of AbleGamers COO Steven Spohn
When Twitch streamer DrDisrespect won the Trending Gamer prize at the 2017 Game Awards, there was a tiny riot on Twitter. There's always a buzz of hashtag activity after a winner is announced as people congratulate or disagree with the pick, but this time around, there was a small yet clear consensus: Steven Spohn should have won. As the Chief Operating Officer of AbleGamers, a charity working to make video games more accessible to people with disabilities, Spohn was the face of positive change in the industry. He regularly shared insightful affirmations on Twitter, as well as deeply personal stories about the realities of living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a disease that was progressively destroying his motor neurons and muscles. Meanwhile, DrDisrespect was best known for wearing a mullet wig and mocking his teammates with racist accents in Fortnite streams.
Qualcomm’s latest Bluetooth chips could bring ANC to lower-cost earbuds
Today, Qualcomm unveiled its next-generation of ultra-low-power Bluetooth Systems on a Chip (SoCs). The SoCs are designed for true wireless earbuds and hearables, and they could make top-end features, like active noise cancellation (ANC) and voice assistant support, more universal.
Lifting weights in a Panasonic exosuit destined for the Tokyo Olympics
Exosuits, exoskeletons and power-assist suits are mostly a thing of science fiction, used for battling alien menaces or lifting extremely heavy obstacles. Mostly. Now companies like Panasonic are making the case for actually using one. The reality is less about batting away threats and more about supporting workers with physically demanding or repetitive jobs and tasks. That was why Panasonic's Atoun Model Y was meant to go to the Tokyo Olympics, right?
The Morning After: iPadOS 13.4 brings mouse and trackpad support
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. Years after Apple's tablet first debuted, the iPad is finally like other computers in one important way: You can easily use it with a mouse or a trackpad. The 13.4 update that rolled out yesterday for iOS and iPadOS added that and a number of other new features, like support for third-party navigation apps in the CarPlay dashboard and revamped iCloud file sharing that will be a lot more useful. Still, one of the biggest changes is in the browser. Safari for iOS, iPadOS and macOS now blocks all third-party cookies by default and is the first mainstream browser to do it. Google has announced it will do the same with Chrome, but not until 2022. The team calls this a "significant improvement for privacy since it removes any sense of exceptions or that "a little bit of cross-site tracking is allowed." I feel more secure already, and I use Android. -- Richard
The Morning After: 'Half-Life: Alyx' is exactly what we've been waiting for
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. Greetings from the corner of my apartment. Like a lot of you, the four corners around me are going to be my world for the foreseeable future. It's not great, but some companies are making it a little less bad: Many phone carriers have tacked on additional data (or increased speeds) at a time when we're streaming and consuming the web more than ever. Meanwhile, Apple is offering free e-books and audiobooks to its US customers, and if you're looking for peace of mind rather than distraction, Amazon is delivering at-home COVID-19 testing kits as part of a Gates Foundation-backed trial in Seattle. Today's newsletter has several suggestions of what you can do when it feels a little like you can't do anything, from workout upgrades to new hobbies. -- Mat
Huawei P40 Pro may feature 50X zoom, custom photography chip
Ahead of their official debut on March 26th, frequent leaker Ishan Agarwal has shared a bunch of information about Huawei's newest phones, detailing both the P40 Pro and P40. As expected, the P40 Pro is all about photography. The phone will reportedly feature a 50-megapixel wide camera, 40-megapixel telephoto camera, a time-of-flight depth sensor and one more (likely ultra-wide) 12-megapixel camera. According to Agarwal, the telephoto camera will be able to zoom in on subjects by a factor of up to 50x.
The Morning After: First impressions of the new MacBook Air
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. In a week where very few things felt normal, sitting down with a new laptop is one of the most regular things that happened. Our review of Apple's new MacBook Air won't be ready until next week, but even just a few hours is enough time for Editor-in-Chief Dana Wollman to have some opinions about its upgraded new keyboard. Give that a read right here, check out the latest Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 trailer to see if its new CG-style works and then check out other highlights from this week below. -- Richard
The best deals we found this week: 'The Sims 4,' Fire TV Sticks and more
Digital deals dominated this week, but there are also numerous deals on gadgets as well. Some of the highlights include an early start to Origins' annual spring sale, which brought steep discounts on The Sims 4 expansion packs and dropping the price of the base game to $5. Square Enix cut the prices of all of its Nintendo Switch games, so now's the time to grab a Final Fantasy title (or three) while they are up to 50 percent off. Amazon Prime members can also snag a Fire TV Stick 4K for only $25. Here are all the deals from this week that you can still get today. The Sims 4 This is a great time to get into The Sims—or to jump back into it—while the base game and most expansion packs are still on sale. The Sims 4 costs $5 right now, and some of the most popular expansion and game packs, including Parenthood, Realm of Magic and Spa Day, are as low as $15. Be careful, though — once you start playing The Sims, it's pretty hard to stop. Buy The Sims 4 on Origin - starting at $5 Buy The Sims 4 on Amazon - starting at $5
Windows 10 UI updates have been spotted in a Microsoft promo video
Windows 10 now has one billion active monthly users -- likely thanks in part to the deprecation of Windows 7 in January. To celebrate the milestone, Microsoft's chief product officer, Panos Panay, shared an Instagram video recounting the various iterations of Windows' UI. The look of Windows 10 could keep evolving, it seems, as some eagle-eyed viewers spotted new types of windows, interfaces, and menus.
Get $100 off Google's already budget-friendly Pixel 3a
If you'd like to buy a new phone but don't want to break the bank doing so, Amazon has discounted one of Engadget's favorite budget devices: the Pixel 3a. Except for the Purple-ish Pixel 3a XL, all three different color models of the 3a and 3a XL are currently $100 off, making the former $300 and the latter $380. For context, $300 is the lowest price we've seen Amazon sell the Pixel 3a since the company discounted the phone to $280 last year.
The best lap desk
By Sarah Witman This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to lap desks. Lap desks are like the athleisure of workspaces: not the most elegant option but generally comfortable and functional. After spending 10 hours researching and 25 hours testing lap desks, we're confident that the LapGear Designer is the best for most people. It reigns supreme in terms of comfort and build quality, has one of the widest and sturdiest surfaces of any lap desk we tested, and offers extra storage options for your phone and other supplies. The LapGear Designer has a clean, simple design and comes in a variety of colors and patterns. It's sturdy and well made, and feels comfortable and cool in your lap. It measures 17¾ inches across—wide enough to fit a 13-inch laptop and mouse—and weighs about 2 pounds. It has a slot to perch your phone, a handle to carry it around or hang it up, and an elastic strap for storing index cards or a pen. Plus, it has a short and unobtrusive plastic laptop rest toward the front edge to keep your stuff from sliding off of the top and it works equally well for left- and right-handed people. The Avantree Multifunctional is the best option if you want a lap desk with built-in legs. Because it's basically a mini desk, it raises your laptop and other supplies off of your lap, making it a much better choice in terms of heat management and ergonomics. It's just as well constructed as the LapGear Designer and has many of the same features—a laptop rest, left- and right-hander accessibility, a sizable work surface—plus a few more. Its legs extend to almost 13 inches, and you can adjust the desk's angle as well, making it more customizable to your desired posture—just make sure you have an even surface underneath you so the legs aren't off-kilter. Plus, if you set the Avantree Multifunctional on a desk or table, you can also use it as a DIY standing desk or laptop stand. The LapGear eDesk isn't quite as comfortable, stable, or well built as the brand's Designer but it's your best bet if you want something that feels more lightweight and portable. It has a padded laptop rest that protects your wrists from chafing, and a cushy underside. You can use the tablet slot to prop up a book or iPad, or you can cover it up with your laptop. At nearly 18 inches across, the eDesk is plenty wide enough to fit a 13-inch laptop, yet it weighs only 1.4 pounds. By comparison the 2-pound Designer feels noticeably bulkier in your lap. Like the Designer, the eDesk has a fabric handle and raises your laptop about 3 inches off the top of your lap. The eDesk's aesthetic is simple and utilitarian, and it's available in a variety of colors. It's also one of the least expensive models we tested.
