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Razer built a compact modular gaming PC around Intel's new NUC
A bit earlier this week, Intel gave us an early look at its NUC 9 Extreme, the latest in a long and fascinating line of super-compact PCs. It's bigger than the NUCs (or Next Units of Computing) we've seen in the past, but that extra size means this is the first NUC to play nice with unlocked Core i9 CPUs and full-sized graphics cards. As it happens, that sort of performance and flexibility was enough to catch Razer's eye, leading it to build a tiny, modular gaming PC built around Intel's latest high-powered Compute Element. Say hello to the Tomahawk.
Tesla's Holiday Update improves Camp Mode and driving visualization
Today, Tesla began pushing its "holiday update" to its vehicle fleet. The changes include one present for EV owners who appreciate the great outdoors (though not enough to sleep on the ground): Camp Mode. The feature, reported by Electrek, allows Tesla's vehicles to maintain airflow, temperature and interior lighting. You can also play music and power devices, which could come in handy for tailgating too.
AMD's 64-core Threadripper 3990X arrives in 2020
AMD appears to have confirmed that it will launch the creator-centric 64-core Threadripper 3990X chip sometime in 2020, as rumored. The company didn't release many details, other than to say it'll have 64 cores and 128 threads, 288MB of total cache and consume 280 watts (TDP). We still don't know the all-important price, though you can expect it to cost several thousand dollars, at least.
Microsoft tests Quick Search buttons in Windows 10
Microsoft has made a few small tweaks to the Windows 10 search function, designed to help users get everyday info that bit quicker: Search Home will now have tabs for weather, news, "today in history" and movies at the bottom of the window. The company has also made a few tiny -- and almost imperceptible -- changes to the design for web preview in search results. This is what it looks like now.
Windows 10 preview brings Android phone calls to your PC
Windows 10's Your Phone calling support is finally here, provided you're willing to live life on the edge. Microsoft has released a Windows 10 Insider Preview for Fast ring testers that adds the ability to take and start calls from your PC. You'll need a handset running at least Android 7.0 Nougat or later (it doesn't have to be from Samsung), the Your Phone Android app as well as a PC with Bluetooth support, but after that it's simple. You can initiate a call through your contacts or an in-app dialer. If you'd rather not accept an incoming call, you can respond with a text or send the caller straight to voicemail.
'The Last of Us Part II’ preview: Vengeance and vulnerability
It's been years since I've felt so vulnerable playing The Last of Us. While I've finished the original game several times, this is my first time playing the upcoming sequel. I'm stalking my way through the suburbs of Seattle on a revenge mission, and things are getting dire — no health packs, no shotgun shells, just a knife, a revolver, far too few bullets and far too many enemies on my tail. But let's back up a bit. At the exact moment Sony announced The Last of Us Part II's February 2020 release date, I was playing the game at a preview event in Los Angeles. The demo I was handed consists of two disconnected sequences. Developer Naughty Dog explained that the Seattle segment comes after a traumatic event that sets Ellie -- Part II's protagonist -- off from her home in Jackson, Wyoming.
What do you want to know about Samsung's updated Galaxy Fold?
Well, would you look at that: The same day Samsung announced its official US Galaxy Fold launch, it also loaned us one of its updated devices for yet another round of testing. For the next week or so, I'll be digging into the changes Samsung made in this redesigned Fold and reviewing it (yes, again) with more of a focus on durability. Before we get to that, though, I want to know what you want to know.
What to expect at Apple's September 10 iPhone event
There are three things you always count on September for: Kids trudging back to school, the end of summer's oppressive heat and new iPhones. Apple is gearing up to show off a handful of updated models at 1 PM Eastern/10AM Pacific on September 10th, but they're far from the only things the company plans to introduce. Before we jump on a plane and set a course for California, let's take a closer look at everything we expect — and hope — Apple has in store for us when we land.
Early version of the new 'Plants vs. Zombies' is available today for $30
As we get closer to the October 18th launch of Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, PopCap Games is ready to share a Founder's Edition. Today, fans can play the digital-only version of the game. New features and content will be added weekly over the next six-weeks, as PopCap polishes the title for its official launch.
Spotify lets you add 15-second song clips to Facebook Stories
Beginning today, Spotify will let users share 15-second clips of Spotify songs on their Facebook Stories. If followers tap on the preview, they'll be transferred to Spotify, where they can listen to the rest of the track. The change is geared toward musicians, and Spotify calls it "a more powerful way to connect with fans." But anyone will be able to use the new feature.
What to expect at IFA 2019
There's just one big technology show before the end of the year, IFA, where we'll see the last goodies revealed before everyone goes into buying mode. As usual, a team of Engadget's finest will descend upon Berlin in the first week of September to uncover all of the best things being shown off. Before we do, however, you can whet your appetite with what we're expecting, or at least hoping, to see when we land.
24 hours with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
Very early yesterday morning, I picked up a shiny new Galaxy Note 10+ (in that trippy Aura Glow finish, no less). We'll have our full review completed soon, but after 24 hours of fiddling with it, there are a few features and flourishes that are worth digging into right now.
Adobe Fresco brings realistic painting to the iPad
Adobe has a second major app release for designers coming this year. Sure, Photoshop for the iPad is going to get most of the attention, but for illustrators and designers who dabble in digital drawing or painting, Adobe Fresco could be the real game-changer. In addition to syncing with your Creative Cloud workflow across desktop versions of Photoshop, Illustrator and more, Fresco's marquee feature makes digital painting with watercolors and oils a lot more realistic. Gone are the days when hardness, opacity and a few other parameters were the only variables you could control when painting in Photoshop. Now you can select an oil or watercolor brush and watch in awe as your strokes blend with the wet paint already on your (digital) canvas.
What to expect from Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10 event
Few companies revel in spectacle the way Samsung does, and if nothing else, the company's Unpacked event in Brooklyn will be an assault on the senses. Of course, all that spectacle serves a purpose: to get people hyped for its newest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy Note 10. We're getting ready to lug our gear onto the subway and report from Barclays Center live on August 7th, but before we do that, let's take a moment to sift through all the things Samsung could (and should) announce in a few days.
Google brings AMP-powered search to Google Images
Google wants to make it easier for users to search for content through Google Images. To do so, it's rolling out a new, AMP-powered Swipe to Visit feature. When you select an image, you'll see a preview of the website header at the bottom of the screen. You can keep scrolling through Google Images, or swipe up on the preview to load the AMP (accelerated mobile pages) version of the site.
Microsoft starts testing Internet Explorer mode for Edge
Microsoft's ever-expanding tests for its Chromium-based Edge browser have reached the corporate crowd. The software firm has started enabling enterprise features in Edge's Dev builds, most notably the vaunted Internet Explorer mode. If a company absolutely needs IE 11 to visit a legacy site, you can try the option without having to switch browsers or give up the creature comforts of the modern web. IT managers can even create a site list that automatically flips to the legacy mode.
Windows 10 preview tests password-free sign-ins
Microsoft is taking its disdain for passwords to a new level. It just released a Windows 10 preview for Fast ring Insiders that gives you the option to make all accounts on a particular device "passwordless" when logging into the operating system. Flick a switch in settings (under Accounts -> Sign-in options) and a password won't work at all. You'll have to use Windows Hello face recognition, fingerprint detection, a PIN code or a physical security key to unlock your system. If you don't already have Hello enabled, Microsoft will walk you though it the next time you sign in.
iPadOS makes Apple's tablets feel like a priority again
When I reviewed the iPad Pro last year, I was torn. Here was one of the most impressive (not to mention expensive) tablets any company had ever made, and its software seemed caught between two goals: provide the classic, friendly iOS experience people were used to, and grow in a way that made it more meaningful to pro users shelling out for premium hardware.
iOS 13 preview: Shaping up to be a huge update
After Apple announced all of its big software updates for the year at WWDC, it made clear that the first public beta versions of iOS, iPadOS and macOS would go live sometime in July. Whoops! Never mind. The company just let us know they'll be released any minute now, and the brave (or possibly reckless) among you can load them onto your Apple devices later today. Of the three beta builds coming, I'd argue iOS 13 is the most important. In case Apple's two-plus-hour keynote didn't make it clear, this is shaping up to be a meaningful update, especially compared to iOS 12, which mostly just focused on performance improvements. We've got some important interface improvements here, plus a slew of revamped first-party apps and some impressive new accessibility features, among other things. Oh, and let's not forget that iOS 13 also provides the foundation for iPadOS. It's indisputable that iOS 13 is one of the most substantial updates Apple users have received in some time. Now we're left with just one question: What's it like to live with?
macOS Catalina preview: It's all about the apps
Three weeks ago, Apple was holding court at the San Jose Convention Center, where it kicked off its annual developer conference with first looks at iOS 13, iPadOS and the latest version of macOS, Catalina. Today the company is releasing Catalina in beta, though I've been testing it since last week. This time around, the story is mostly about Apple's first party apps, many of which have received an iOS-inspired overhaul. Speaking of the sort, it's been a year since Apple announced it was working on a framework designed to make it easy for developers to port iOS apps over to the Mac; first-party apps from last year's macOS Mojave release were even built on this technology. Twelve months later, Apple opened that development kit to third-party programmers, so we're finally seeing mobile-first apps adapted for Macs' larger screens. With this release, Apple also included a feature called Sidecar, allowing an iPad running iPadOS to be used as a secondary screen for mirroring or extending a Mac display.
