We still have months to wait before Dune: Part Two hits theaters, so what better time to reminisce about David Lynch’s intriguing adaptation of Frank Herbert’s masterpiece? Reviled at the time, Lynch’s Dune has now firmly established itself as a cult sci-fi epic, a film with boundless creative energy hampered by studio interference.

In this bonus episode, Devindra chats with film journalist Max Evry, author of A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune. We explore why he devoted two years of his life towards researching an unloved film, as well as how it’s a refreshing departure from the superhero films dominating theaters today.

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 podcast, Engadget News!

Politicians and awkward SNL hosts have long-relied on the humble teleprompter to get their lines out, and now there’s a device that lets the rest of us get in on the mealy-mouthed fun. The Elgato Prompter is basically a shrunken-down teleprompter, complete with a scrolling display, side hoods to minimize unwanted ambient lighting and simple connectors that attach to an external camera, built-in webcam or just about anywhere else.

Unlike other prompters on the market, you don’t need your own tablet or phone, thanks to a built-in screen and the company’s proprietary Camera Hub software. Once activated, the device not only displays video scripts, but also mirrors any window or app via a simple drag and drop. This lets you see both the script and live feeds from chat participants at the same time, all while looking directly into the camera. It’s a bona fide cornucopia of human social cues.

On Tuesday, Microsoft announced a slew of accessibility updates for Xbox players on consoles and PCs. These include keyboard key remapping using controllers, easier-to-get-to accessibility shortcuts and a new section in the Microsoft Store. In a reminder that inclusive design can help everyone, one of the new features will let anyone set up a new controller without getting up to press a pair button on the console.

Wireless controller pairing no longer requires direct console contact. “From the comfort of a couch, wheelchair, hospital bed, etc., players can now put their console into pairing mode using an Xbox media remote, digital assistant voice command, or previously paired controller to connect a new controller to their console,” the company wrote today in a blog post. An official online support document walks you through the setup steps.

Microsoft also announced that “almost 90 keyboard keys” will soon be remappable to the Xbox Adaptive Controller and Elite Series 2 controllers. The idea is to make it easier for people with disabilities to play games that only support mouse / keyboard input. One example the company provides is reprogramming the left bumper to Ctrl+C for copying text.

In addition, the company is simplifying the steps to view options from the Xbox Accessibility menu. Beginning on October 19, the Xbox Game Bar on Windows will let you jump to accessibility settings via widgets. “In the updated Xbox widgets, you’ll find both visual and audio-related accessibility controls to customize your PC gaming experience according to your preferences and needs,” Microsoft wrote. Once the feature launches, you’ll get to the accessibility options via the settings button for “any of the new Xbox widgets in Game Bar.”

Finding accessibility-friendly games is about to get easier, too. The Xbox store now has a channel devoted to Accessibility in Games, featuring every title with corresponding feature tags. The labeling feature launched in 2021 and spread to the Windows app and web store earlier this year.

Finally, Microsoft shared the video below highlighting how the Adaptive Gaming program at Craig Hospital in Englewood, CO, is empowering players with disabilities to rekindle their love of gaming.

Austrian Audio is not exactly a household name. It was formed in 2017 following the closure of AKG’s offices in Vienna. And it’s mostly stuck to higher-end microphones and headphones. Now the company is dipping its toes into more consumer-friendly territory with the $199 MiCreator Studio, a combination condenser microphone and USB-C audio interface in an incredibly portable package. 

At 155 x 60 x 37 mm the MiCreator Studio is quite small, but I’d say a touch shy of pocketable. It’s also surprisingly dense. 13 ounces isn’t exactly heavy, but it’s more than I expected the MiCreator to weigh just by looking at it. The heft makes it feel like a durable and well-made device. The only exception to this is the swappable faceplates. My review sample came with black and red plates, they look nice but feel a little flimsy. And the magnets that attach them to the sides are a little weak and I could see them easily coming off if tossed in bag. At least it comes with a soft pouch you can put it in so everything will stay in one place even if it does get jostled around. 

There are a pair of rubber feet on the bottom that allow the MiCreator to sit comfortably on almost any surface with little concern it’ll get jostled around. And the mic capsule is suspended by rubber shock absorbers, so vibration shouldn’t prove too much of a concern. If the tiltable head doesn’t give you enough flexibility, there is screw mount underneath for attaching to a mic stand.

Controls on the unit itself are relatively spartan. On the front is a switch that changes the mic from high gain, to low gain or mutes it. And there’s a knob for controlling monitoring levels or the balance between two sources when you have something plugged into the 3.5mm in/out jack on the back. Below that dual-purpose jack is a dedicated 3.5mm headphone output, and above it is a switch that allows you to set the input level of the additional input.

The switches for changing the input level are probably my biggest gripe with the MiCreator. The difference between the high and low settings are pretty massive. Yes, obviously you can tweak the levels in your DAW and most people will have no issue doing that. But personally I like getting my levels as close to right as possible without touching the gain in my DAW for maximum flexibility. 

I also found that the high gain setting still required me to get pretty close to the mic while speaking which resulted in a lot of breath and mouth noises. Probably exactly what you want when recording some ASMR videos, but it wasn’t ideal for podcasting. Again, a lot of this is easily rectified with a decent pop filter. But that’s one more thing to carry and slightly undercuts the portability factor.

Those minor nitpicks aside, the mic sounds great. They’re highly directional so, despite the fact that they’re fairly sensitive condenser mics, background noise is rarely a problem. And they capture a healthy amount of midrange and low end. That’s essential for micing up, say, a guitar amp, and it tends to treat my lower vocal register well. But many will want to toss a low cut on their voice in post production.

That lack of tweakability on the gain is an issue again when you plug an instrument directly into the second input. Something like a synth with a master volume that doesn’t alter tone is fine. But going direct in with my guitar was a little hit or miss. The most reliable way was to go through my pedal board and one of UA’s amp sim pedals to give me better control over volume and tone, rather than relying on amp plugins in a DAW. Austrian Audio gets a ton of credit though for including an instrument cable in the box though that’s standard 1/4-inch TS on one side and 3.5mm TRRS on the other side for plugging into the MiCreator. It might seem like a small thing, but it saves you from having to track down and order a rather unusual cable on your own.

The company also sent over one of its MiCreator Satellites. This is a second mic, without an interface, designed to pair with the MiCreator. It costs $99 but adds a lot of flexibility. For one, it’s the exact same mic as the MiCreator, so you can use them as a stereo pair or for two people in a simplified podcast setup. But the included cable is also long enough for you to put one mic right up against an amp while capturing some room tone with the other. Or, you could mic an acoustic guitar with one and sing into the other. And the Satellite is truly tiny. This is one of, if not the, smallest full-fledged podcast studio you can can get. 

If there’s one feature I would have loved to see, it’s a standalone operating mode. If the MiCreator had a small battery and a microSD card slot so it could double as a field recorder, or capture an interview when hooking up your laptop or iPad is not really feasible, I could see it carving out a permanent spot in my day bag.

Still, for $199, or $299 when bundled with a Satellite, the MiCreator offers a surprising amount of value. Frankly it’s better than it has any right being at that price. It’s an excellent condenser USB microphone and a solid (if simple) audio interface in a small, rugged package. It can be a high-quality go-anywhere podcast studio. Or be the primary way a band records new material while they’re out on tour. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/micreator-studio-hands-on-a-199-portable-recording-studio-worth-more-than-its-price-tag-180021292.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – MiCreator Studio hands-on: A 9 portable recording studio worth more than its price tag

Google has revealed a string of accessibility updates it’s rolling out for Maps, Search and Assistant, as well as greater availability of some camera-based Pixel features. One of the main focus areas this time around is wheelchair accessibility. A new option that’s gradually becoming available on iOS and Android will allow Maps users to request stair-free walking routes. This feature — which Google says will benefit those traveling with luggage and strollers as well — will be available globally, as long as the company has sufficient data for the region.

Google notes that if you have the wheelchair-accessible option enabled in your transit preferences, this will automatically be applied to walking routes too. Otherwise, when you request a walking route, you can access stair-free directions by tapping the three dots at the top of the screen and enabling the “wheelchair-accessible” option.

On a related note, wheelchair-accessible information will be available across more Google products, namely on Maps for Android Auto and cars with Google built in. When you search for a place and tap on it, a wheelchair icon will appear if the location has a step-free entrance, accessible restrooms, parking or seating.

It should be easier to find and support businesses owned by people with disabilities in Maps and Search too. If a business chooses to identify itself as “disabled-owned,” this will be mentioned in Maps and Search listings. Google previously rolled out similar Asian-owned, Black-owned, Latino-owned, LGBTQ+ owned, veteran-owned and women-owned business labels.

Elsewhere, Google is enabling screen reader capabilities in Lens in Maps (which was previously called Search with Live View), an augmented reality tool that’s designed to help you find things like ATMs, restrooms and restaurants with the help of your handset’s camera. When you’re in a perhaps unfamiliar place, you can tap the camera icon in the search bar and point your phone at the world around you.

“If your screen reader is enabled, you’ll receive auditory feedback of the places around you with helpful information like the name and category of a place and how far away it is,” Eve Andersson, senior director on Google’s Products for All team, wrote in a blog post. This Lens in Maps feature, which is geared toward blind and low-vision folks, will be available on iOS starting today and Android later this year.