Advertisement

The Morning After: Ray tracing makes 'Minecraft' look like a new game

And ASUS misses the mark with its latest Chromebook.

NVIDIA

Congratulations, you made it through another week. Beyond recapping some of the key stories from the last few days, make sure you don’t miss some of the new stories that hit on Friday, like our Chromebook Flip review or a look back at the Apollo 13 mission. I’m still stuck on this slick Cyberpunk 2077 limited edition Xbox One X. The details that went into it are top-notch, from the glow in the dark paint to the extra LED.

The only thing I can’t figure out is Microsoft’s timing -- shipping this in June puts it out just a few months before the Xbox Series X hits. The game’s delay probably threw a wrench in plans to put it out sooner, but this would be nice to have under my 4K TV now instead of later.

-- Richard

The Engadget Podcast: iPhone SE, OnePlus 8 Pro and a ton of new phones

With Motorola on deck next week.

TMA
Engadget

On this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn are joined by senior mobile editor Chris Velazco to rip into the glorious phone news that’s been bombarding us these past two weeks. Is it time to take OnePlus seriously as a flagship maker? Can LG save itself with a rebranding campaign or should it pivot to making baked goods? We tackle all these searing questions, and recommend some fun entertainment options as always.

Stay tuned to the end of the episode for an interview with Nathaniel Halpern, writer and creator of the new show Tales from the Loop, which is available on Amazon’s Prime Video.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Pocket Casts or Stitcher.
Continue reading.

Chromebook Flip C436 review

ASUS missed the sweet spot.

TMA
Engadget

The Flip C436 is well-designed, fast, and has a great keyboard and solid screen. But Engadget Deputy Managing Editor -- and frequent Chrome OS evangelist -- Nathan Ingraham says this one isn’t as easy to recommend as its predecessors, due to its relatively high starting price ($799) and mediocre battery life. Read on for more details.
Continue reading.

'Minecraft' looks like a whole new game with NVIDIA's RTX ray tracing

You’ve never seen ‘Minecraft’ like this before.

TMA
NVIDIA

Still need a reason to believe in ray-tracing technology? Take a look at the pictures and videos from Devindra Hardawar’s experience with the NVIDIA Ray Tracing Worlds pack.

“You can almost feel the sunlight on your face. These are "god rays," volumetric light scattering effects meant to evoke the way sunlight peaks through clouds. While they can sometimes seem overused, like the way J.J. Abrams is notorious for throwing lens flares on everything, seeing god rays deployed realistically with ray tracing was simply breathtaking.”
Continue reading.

Sponsored Content by StackCommerce

Canva Pro takes the hassle out of graphic design

Stack Commerce

Apple's new iPhone SE is surprisingly powerful for $399

Shipments start next week.

iPhone SE
Apple

For just $50 more than the Magic Keyboard, you can buy an iPhone that packs Apple’s latest A13 Bionic chipset into a 4.7-inch frame. While it doesn’t have the same sensor seen in more expensive iPhone 11 devices and drops Night Mode capturing, the single lens 12MP setup managed to impress us at first glance.

Also, in an increasingly face-masked world, this iPhone includes TouchID for easy unlocking. Check below for Chris Velazco’s first impressions, or go direct to spec-for-spec comparisons vs. other iPhones and other similarly priced devices.
Continue reading.

OnePlus 8 Pro review: Speed is everything

Two excellent new phones.

OnePlus 8
Engadget

New OnePlus phones are here, and according to Chris Velazco, the 8 Pro “is a fantastic smartphone that's well worth the price of admission.” We shouldn’t be surprised that 5G support across the lineup, up to 12GB of RAM and as much as 256GB of storage to go along with excellent screens and speedy processors combine to create the desired effect. The only bad news about the Pro model? That unique pop-up camera is gone, and there are some questions about the decision to put four lenses on it.
Continue reading.

But wait, there’s more...

NASA and SpaceX's first crewed flight is set for May 27th

The best deals we found this week: iPhone SE, Google Pixel 4 and more

Apple Music's web player is out of beta, and ready to use on Windows 10, Linux or Chrome OS

The Big Picture: Apollo 13's long-shot mission to reach Earth

'Streets of Rage 4' arrives with Battle Mode on April 30th

Beats president Luke Wood is stepping down

Razer's Pikachu wireless earbuds are stored in a Poké Ball

The importance of Apple and Google’s rare collaboration on contact tracing

This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.