One of the most memorable Apple II games of all time is now available to play on your Apple Watch thanks to the efforts of Oliver Klemenz who’s ported Prince of Persia to JavaScript making it playable on almost any device with a web browser.
Source: Gizmodo – You Can Play the Original Prince of Persia on Your Apple Watch, No App Required
NVIDIA has started rolling out Software Experience Upgrade 9.0 for Shield TV devices, and it will upgrade their operating system to Android 11. The company says Experience 9.0 will bring the new OS to all Shield TVs, including the original 2015 models, and it will also include the September 2021 Android security patch that fixes a vulnerability allowing remote attackers to cause a permanent denial of service.
In addition, the upgrade adds access to a new Google Keyboard with support for voice searches. Users will now be able to look for movies and shows to watch by issuing voice commands through Google Assistant. Those who have aptX compatible Bluetooth headsets will be able to start using it with their streaming box, as well.
Other updates including the option to automatically disconnect Bluetooth devices on sleep in order to save battery, an Energy saver setting for additional power customization and Stadia button support for Xbox, Playstation and Shield controllers. For GeForce Now members, the update adds support for additional Bluetooth keyboards and mice. Plus, Twitch has been updated to be able to simultaneously support high-quality streaming and gaming for them.
Finally, those living in the US can get six months of Peacock Premium for free when they get a new Shield TV. Peacock is NBCUniversal’s streaming service that serves as home to NBC shows like The Office. It has a free ad-supported version with a limited catalogue, and a Premium ad-free one with more content that costs $5 a month.
Source: Engadget – NVIDIA begins rolling out Android 11 update to all Shield TV models
Nuro already has a third driverless delivery vehicle on the way, and this model is focused as much on protecting others as it is hauling goods. The newly introduced version, simply called Nuro, includes a host of 360-degree sensors including cameras, LiDAR, radar and thermals, but also includes a giant external airbag to protect pedestrians. We still wouldn’t risk stepping in front of this machine (you’ll still hit the ground, after all), but this should reduce the chances of a serious injury.
The new vehicle also carries twice the cargo, and offers both temperature-controlled compartments and modular inserts to help shuttle a wider variety of goods. Nuro didn’t say when this latest self-driving vehicle would be ready, but the North American branch of China’s BYD will help produce units at a Nuro factory due to go online later in 2022. Kroger (an investor in Nuro) has already committed to using this latest hardware.
The upgrade might be necessary. Nuro already has deals and tests with major brands like 7-Eleven, CVS, FedEx and Kroger, but it’s facing stiffer competition from Walmart, Uber and automakers like Ford. The firm risks losing business if would-be customers either need larger payloads or are worried about liability in the event of a collision.
Source: Engadget – Nuro’s third-gen driverless delivery vehicle includes an external airbag
Keychron pleasantly surprised mechanical keyboard fans when it announced the Q1. It was the company’s first foray into fully customizable keyboards, and we liked it a lot. Today it’s the turn of the Q2, which is a smaller (65% or no “function key”) version of the Q1. Despite the reduced footprint, it retails for the same price, starting at $149 for the barebone or $169 if you want it fully assembled – cheaper than much of the competition.
When we tested the Q1 we liked it a lot. It offered the same level of configuration as the much-loved GMMK Pro for about $100 less. That said, the selling point of the GMMK Pro (in this author’s opinion) is all about those luxurious “Lubed Panda” switches and the firm, responsive typing experience. The “Panda” is GMMK’s own “switch” which for those that don’t hang out at Drop and/or use a “mech” are the mechanical part of the key – the important bit, really, as that’s mostly what will define how the keyboard “feels.”
As with the Q1, the Q2 is compatible with VIA configuration software (and thus QMK) which easily allows you to remap keys to almost anything, create macros and more. Also like the Q1 (and the GMMK Pro and increasingly others) there’s the option to replace the top-right-most key (Insert) with a clickable rotary for volume and media control.
I’ll admit, after using the GMMK Pro for a while now, I find the Gateron Reds that came with the Q2 a little flacid by comparison, but that’s the joy of a customizable keyboard, you can use whatever switches you like (or change out more or less any other part). You could even load it with the Pandas if you wish, though that would require a (lot of) extra spend.
The Q2 remains USB only (no wireless) but is still compatible with either Windows or Mac and the corresponding OS-specific keycaps are included in the box. It’s also just as rugged and well built as the Q1 with the all-metal casing. You can choose between three colors thereof: Black, gray and navy blue.
Ultimately, the selling point of the Q2 boils down to whether you prefer a compact keyboard or to have access to physical function keys (they’re still accessible here with shortcuts obviously).
The Q2 is also joined by some other relatively new additions. Keychron is prolific if nothing else. In particular, there’s the lightweight/70% K14 which is both wireless and has hot-swappable switches for a more affordable on-the-go option that retails for a modest $59. The company also recently unveiled its first mouse wired the M1. It’s visually quite similar to the Razer Viper ($39) but also bears more than a passing resemblance to the Glorious O (also from the same people behind the GMMK Pro).
Orders for the Keychron Q2 are open as of today.
Source: Engadget – Keychron’s Q2 is a compact take on its popular customizable keyboard
The Nvidia Shield is arguably one of the most popular streaming devices for the Android-using crowd, and it’s getting a massive update to start the new year.
Source: Gizmodo – Nvidia Shield TVs Are Getting a Long-Awaited Update, but Not Android 12
I’m an Apple fan. I’m pretty much entirely enrolled in the ecosystem, working between my iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch throughout the day (sadly, no iPod). However, there’s one aspect of the Apple universe that I don’t subscribe to, and, in fact, make an effort to steer away from: accessory loyalty.
Source: LifeHacker – Don’t Buy Apple’s Accessories
Enlarge / The International Space Station, as seen in November 2021. Prominent at center in this view are the cymbal-shaped UltraFlex solar arrays of the Northrop Grumman Cygnus space freighter. (credit: NASA)
The International Space Station is now more than two decades old. And while primary construction of the orbiting laboratory ended a little more than a decade ago, before the retirement of NASA’s space shuttle, the station has continued to evolve with smaller modules and an ever-changing array of visiting spacecraft.
Over this time the station has begun to show its age, being exposed to the extreme hot and cold temperatures of space, a vacuum environment, and micrometeoroid debris. For more than 20 years, these harsh conditions have worn on the station, inducing stress fractures and other damage.
Following the space shuttle’s retirement in 2011, NASA lost the ability to fly humans around the station to catalog these changes with highly detailed photographs. But thanks to the emergence of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon vehicle, astronauts have started circumnavigating the station once again after undocking and before heading home.
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Source: Ars Technica – New images of the International Space Station reveal that it is still a jewel
A team of zooarchaeologists in the United Kingdom recently analyzed the bones of centuries-old warhorses to determine their size, finding that they were actually of a surprisingly small stature.
Source: Gizmodo – Medieval Warhorses Were Actually Quite Small, Study Finds
Cyberattacks are a huge risk, and they’re on the rise. College students—especially those who are away from home, bringing their devices to class, or frequently connecting to public wifi—may be particularly vulnerable to hacks and cybercrime. Here’s how they can avoid becoming a victim of a cyberattack.
Source: LifeHacker – How to Protect Your Student Laptop and Accounts From Hackers
These days, side hustles are more common than ever. But one firefighter in Wakayama, Japan is being punished for his double life as a gaming YouTuber.
According to Mainichi and AFP, the 33-year-old firefighter uploading 314 videos between December 2020 to October 2021. The fire-fighting YouTuber typically played…
Source: Kotaku – Japanese Firefighter Gets In Trouble For YouTube Gaming Side Hustle
I’ve seen some very pretty data tables in spreadsheets, on webpages and in word-processed documents. There were lots of colours and careful attention had been paid to font, font size and font emphasis. Of course, all that colour and data decoration is for human eyes. If the same tables were to be processed digitally, the processing program wouldn’t care what the table looks like. It just wants the data to be tidy and workable. Here’s what that means.
Source: LXer – Tidy tables for data processing
WFH didn’t just mean working from home. For those with the drive, it also stood for workouts from home. Many companies boomed as they adjusted to many of us shifting our training and exercise from gym to living room / spare room / that corner of the bedroom. Now, the pendulum is swinging back as some gyms tentatively reopen, and we return to the squat rack that didn’t quite fit into our tiny studio apartment. But that won’t stop fitness companies from introducing new blends of gear with tech tricks, hoping you’ll be willing to upgrade your gear.
NordicTrack’s Adjustable Dumbbells can connect to any Amazon Alexa-capable third-party device to quickly adjust the weight from 5lbs to 50lbs (in 5lb increments) with just your voice. The voice assistant, sadly, won’t cajole you into a few extra reps.
There’s a subscription training service to go along with the $429 dumbbells — available now — but it’s thankfully not required.
— Mat Smith
Horizon Forbidden West is one of the most-anticipated games coming to PS5. But just over a month before the action RPG arrives on February 18th, it appears an unfinished version of the game has leaked. It’s another problem for Sony. Months before The Last of Us Part II was released, a large portion of the game, including cutscenes with major story spoilers, leaked online.
China’s Chang’e-5 lunar lander has found water on the surface of the Moon, marking the first-ever time scientists have found on-site evidence of the substance on Earth’s satellite. Chinese researchers claim the lander detected signs of water molecules or hydroxyl, a close chemical cousin of H2O.
Chinese scientists believe most of the molecules came to the Moon through a process called solar wind implantation. Charged particles from the sun drove hydrogen atoms to the lunar surface where they later bonded with oxygen to form water and hydroxyl. The study builds on findings NASA published in 2018 when it found evidence of water on the sunlit surfaces of the Moon using an airborne infrared telescope.
The LAPD has fired two police officers for ignoring a robbery on April 15th, 2017, deciding instead to play Pokémon Go. Rather than respond to a radio call demanding backup for a theft at Macy’s in the Crenshaw Mall, the officers reportedly spent the next 20 minutes driving around to catch a Snorlax.
Lozano and Mitchell denied playing Pokémon Go and insisted they were only “having a conversation” about the game, but the in-car camera revealed they discussed the robbery call and chose to ignore it. Another officer also witnessed the cruiser leave the area after the call.
The Associated Press (AP) will start selling its “award-winning contemporary and historic photojournalism” as non-fungible tokens on January 31st. The news agency teamed up with blockchain technology provider Xooa to develop a marketplace for its NFTs, which will debut with an initial collection it will release after opening.
AP’s initial collection includes digitally enhanced Pulitzer Prize-winning images across categories such as space, climate and war. Each one will include the image’s original metadata that shows its location, the time and date it was taken and the equipment and settings the photographer used for the shot.
A Nintendo Switch Online and microSD bundle is half off on Amazon
Signal founder Moxie Marlinspike steps down as CEO
Roku offers easy access to live TV with a new hub
Uber no longer supports ride-hailing via the Apple Watch
‘Wordle’ clones are taking over the App Store
Rapid COVID tests will soon be fully covered by insurance in the US
GM recognizes California’s authority to set its own vehicle emissions standards
‘Attack on Titan’ gear is coming to ‘Call of Duty’
‘Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection’ heads to Nintendo Switch on February 17th
Source: Engadget – The Morning After: Connected dumbbells that Amazon’s Alexa can adjust
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: A defunct hydro plant in Costa Rica is getting a new lease on life by powering crypto mining, and bringing clean energy to a rapidly expanding business. More than 650 machines from 150 customers operate non-stop from this plant next to the Poas River, just outside of capital city San Jose. Costa Rica generates nearly all its energy from green sources, where the state has a monopoly on energy distribution. But the government stopped buying electricity due to surplus power in the country, forcing the plant to reinvent itself.
Eduardo Kooper is the owner of Data Center CR and the plant. “We had a lot of power, but we did nothing with it. We had to pause activity for nine months. We looked for many alternatives — from making fried food, frozen food — everything that used a lot of energy. Just a year ago, someone told me about Bitcoin, blockchain, and digital mining.” Kooper, skeptical at first, learned that the crypto mining business requires a lot of energy, much of which comes from fossil fuels. The company invested $500,000 to venture into hosting digital mining computers. “Our market is the international miner who is looking for better conditions,” said Kooper. “That miner is looking for clean energy, cheap energy that is economically viable, and looking for internet connection, where he finds it is where that miner is going to go.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Costa Rica Hydro Plant Revivified For Crypto Mining
As far back as the 1930s, when manual typewriters walked the Earth, people have been predicting that some future generation will no longer need to write with a pen and paper—and these days, it’s true that most communication involves a keyboard of some sort. And yet, longhand is making a comeback. And that’s a good…
Source: LifeHacker – Why You Should Write in Longhand More Often
The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) that serves as the default system compiler on most Linux distributions is nearing its annual update with GCC 12. GCC 12 has been in a general bug fixing period since November while beginning next week will be onto its final phase of focusing just on regression and documentation fixes to the compiler…
Source: Phoronix – GCC 12 Shifting To Stage 4 Development – No Sign Of AMD Zen 4 Support
Samsung’s Galaxy S21 FE smartphone is still only available as a pre-order, but it’s already available with a discount of sorts. If you pre-order the S21 FE from Amazon, with shipping set to start around January 14th, you’ll get a $100 Amazon.com gift card — effectively a 12 percent discount off the $700 price.
Buy Samsung Galaxy S21 FE at Amazon – $600
In our CES 2022 hands-on, we called the S21 FE (“Fan Edition”) “last year’s flagship without the frills.” That’s because it offers the same 5-nanometer processors, 120Hz refresh rate in a slightly bigger screen and a similar triple camera system. However, the S21 FE actually has a larger battery and comes with Android 12.
Because of the larger screen, it is slightly heavier than the original and features a less shiny finish. Unfortunately it doesn’t support the stylus available with the S21+ and S21 Ultra, but that shouldn’t be an issue for many folks. The telephoto camera also comes with an 8-megapixel sensor, rather than a 64-megapixel sensor like the S21 Ultra. However, the front camera is actually sharper at 32 megapixels rather than just 10 megapixels on the original.
If you’re okay with last year’s phone at a discount, this looks like a solid deal with four colors available (graphite, olive, lavender and white). If you’d rather be on the bleeding edge, however, you might want to wait until the Galaxy S22 arrives. It’s reportedly set to launch on February 8th, according to the latest rumor, with pre-orders going live the next day and shipping start on February 24th.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
Source: Engadget – Samsung Galaxy S21 FE pre-orders at Amazon come with a 0 gift card
Good lighting that flatters the subject is an essential element of production for streamers and video creators in general. Logitech (under the Logitech for Creators brand) has just launched a new lighting device made for streamers called Litra Glow, and it says the product is capable of providing a “natural, radiant look across all skin tones.”
Litra Glow delivers a glare-free light that’s supposed to be gentle on the eyes and is safe for all-day streaming. It also features Logitech’s TrueSoft technology, which promises cinematic color accuracy and enables a soft, flattering light that can apparently make streamers look less, well, tired.
Jasmine Apolinar, Product Manager for Logitech For Creators, said:
“We designed Litra Glow to solve common challenges faced by streamers and content creators, including light quality, harsh shadows and eye fatigue from long hours of streaming.”
Whether it can truly provide a “radiant” look across all skin tones remains to be seen. Different skin tones require different approaches to lighting on video — using the same lighting for white actors, for instance, had made Black actors look ashy or barely visible during dimly lit scenes in movies and shows for a long time. One of the creators Logitech got to talk about Litra Glow, however, is Black visual artist and photographer Aundre Larrow, who once shared tips on how to photograph darker skin tones in an article he wrote for Adobe. Larrow said of Litra Glow:
“The lighting looked natural. It looks good on my skin and works for people of different skin tones without looking blown out. The warm to cool is super accurate and I found light to be strong and soft enough to use on its own.”
Logitech designed Litra Glow to be plug-and-play, and streamers can choose between five presets with different brightness and color temperature. If they want to customize it further, they can adjust those settings on their own. They can also connect it to Logitech’s G HUB software to create their own presets and assign them to the G Keys on a Logitech G keyboard or mouse. The Litra Glow will come with a monitor mount that has adjustable height, tilt and rotation when it starts shipping sometime this month. It will be available in the United States, Canada, Australia and select European countries on Logitech’s website and from Amazon, Adorama and other retailers for $60.
PINE64 announced today that their latest PinePhone Pro Linux-powered smartphone is now available for pre-order for everyone who wants to buy the device.
Source: LXer – You Can Now Pre-Order the PinePhone Pro Explorer Edition Linux Smartphone
Qualcomm only announced the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and X65 platforms at the end of November but already they have managed to provide timely mainline support for these latest high-end SoCs. This is great to see compared to the days of slow to materialize mainline support for new Arm SoCs, which still persists among some vendors with either belated mainline support or only focusing on vendor downstream kernels. The big batch of Arm SoC/platform changes have landed for Linux 5.17…
Source: Phoronix – Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Sees Timely Support With The Mainline Linux 5.17 Kernel
While watching Belle, the latest feature from Mamoru Hosoda, two movies kept racing through my mind: Disney’s animated Beauty and the Beast and Hosoda’s own Summer Wars—and for good reason. Belle takes a classic fairy tale and filters it through the virtual world in which we live.
Source: Kotaku – Belle Is A Spiritual Sequel To Summer Wars And A Modern Beauty And The Beast
