Apple has closed a loophole in the US that allowed buyers to take advantage of its education pricing even if they’re not actually a student or a teacher. As noticed by a Redditor, the US Apple Store now requires buyers to verify their status via UNiDAYS to be able to purchase MacBooks, iPads and other devices from its education portal. The tech giant’s education discount typically knocks off 10 percent from a device’s original retail price. It applies to currently enrolled and newly accepted college or university students, as well as teachers and faculty/staff at a school for any grade level.

The change happened sometime over the past few days, based on snapshots from the Wayback Machine, which don’t show the UNiDAYS verification requirement even in its latest record for January 17th. Prior to this change, Apple doesn’t require its customers in the US to verify their status unlike its stores for other locations such as the UK that have long required UNiDAYS authentication. It didn’t even ask for a .edu email address. The company simply occasionally checks customers at random and then charge the difference to their credit card if it determines that they’re not truly eligible for the education discount. 

Now, when buyers go to the Apple Education website, they won’t even be able to see the device listings. They’ll have to click through to the UNiDAYS’ partner page for Apple first, where they need to sign in or register for verification. Once they’re in, they can buy what they want, so long as it’s within the device limits for the promotion. Buyers can only avail of the discount for one desktop, one Mac mini, one laptop, two iPads and two accessories per year.

Source: Engadget – Apple now requires verification for education discounts in the US

Microsoft’s been buying up studios for the last couple of years, adding notable developers and game series to the Xbox, righting the wrongs of previous generations of the company’s console — namely the lack of exclusive games. And while the purchase of Bethesda last year seemed the biggest deal made in modern gaming, Microsoft picking up Activision Blizzard blows it out of the water. There’s been a mixed response, however.

First off, the studio is mired in multiple investigations into allegations of sexual harassment and gender discrimination at the company, with calls for CEO Bobby Kotick to step down. Further, as Senior Editor Jessica Conditt lays out, this puts an incredible amount of industry power — and titles — in the hands of one gaming platform. (Two if you include PC.)

And what about exclusivity? In his blog post about the acquisition, Xbox’s Phil Spencer didn’t address Sony or Nintendo platforms specifically, but he alluded to the possibility of cross-platform support. “Activision Blizzard games are enjoyed on a variety of platforms, and we plan to continue to support those communities moving forward,” he said, without getting into specifics. Spencer said similar things regarding Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls VI at first, only for his comments to change later.

— Mat Smith

Toddlers and their parents are mad about Google changing its white noise

Nest speakers are now playing a different, shorter sound.

Multiple users noticed that Google recently changed its white noise on its Nest speakers series. A new ambient noise was repeating every 10 minutes, when it used to repeat every hour, with the previously crisp sound file now apparently “muffled” and quieter than before.

There were at least 100 complaints on Nest community forums, with many people saying they use the white noise to get their babies or toddlers to sleep. The feedback reached Google, which has reverted the feature back to how it was. Rest easy, angry toddlers.

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COVIDTests.gov is now accepting orders for free rapid tests

You can request four tests per household, and the USPS will start deliveries later this month.

A little earlier than scheduled, folks in the US can now order free at-home COVID-19 tests from a United States Postal Service website. Households can each request one set of four rapid antigen tests. USPS will start shipping the kits later this month, usually within seven to 12 days of ordering.

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Garmin’s new Fenix 7 smartwatches have a flashlight built in

The premium multisport watch has been button-only until now.

Garmin’s new Fenix 7 line will now include touchscreens — a first for this series. The great outdoors, with sweat, dirt, gloves and the rest, can usually mess with the proper workings of a touch interface, so it’ll be intriguing to see how this works out. The new watches also include a new multi-LED flashlight, which can alternate between red and white as you run, matching your personal cadence.

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Fortnite’s latest update adds climbable monsters

And Tilted Towers are coming back!

Say hello to Klombos. They’re climbable monsters with blowholes ion their heads to launch you into the sky. They also offer up items if you feed them. Provoke them, however, and they will attack. The latest update also revives Tilted Towers, arguably Fortnite’s best-known location. While there appear to be some cosmetic changes, you’ll have the chance to revisit the sniper-friendly clock tower.

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The biggest news stories you might have missed

The Kingdom Hearts trilogy is coming to Nintendo Switch on February 10th | Engadget

Weber’s 2022 smart grill lineup includes gas and pellet options

Logitech’s new Pen is a rechargeable stylus for classroom Chromebooks

‘OlliOlli World’ is a friendly but deceptively difficult skateboarding game

Roku is making a Weird Al mockumentary starring Daniel Radcliffe

Marvel’s ‘Moon Knight’ series premieres March 30th on Disney+

YouTube (mostly) abandons its original content ambitions

Source: Engadget – The Morning After: Microsoft is spending .7 billion on the makers of ‘Overwatch’ and ‘Call of Duty’

If you missed your chance to get Microsoft’s Xbox Elite Series 2 controller for $140 on New Year’s Day, here’s your chance to grab it a discount again. The controller is $40 off its usual price of $180 on Microsoft’s website right now, and that almost matches its $135 Black Friday pricing last year. Released in 2019, the Xbox Elite Series 2 typically sells for $180 and is aimed towards avid gamers.

Buy Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 at Microsoft – $140

Its official page says it was “designed to meet the needs of today’s competitive gamers” and that it “features over 30 new ways to play like a pro.” The controller is highly customizable and ships with a set of six thumbsticks of different shapes and sizes, four paddles, two D-pads, a charging dock, a carrying case and a USB-C cable. Its battery can last for up to 40 hours, and yes, it can connect to your device via Bluetooth or USB-C to play both Xbox and PC titles. You can also save up to three custom profiles with one default for the controller, so you can easily switch between them, depending on what you’re playing. 

While it’s the second time the Elite Series 2 has gone on sale this month, it’s not usually easy finding it for sale at a discount. It’s also out of stock on Amazon at the moment, so this may be the best chance to buy it for much lower than retail price.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Source: Engadget – Microsoft’s Xbox Elite Wireless Series 2 controller is off again

Opera has launched its Web3 “Crypto Browser” into beta with features like a built-in crypto wallet, easy access to cryptocurrency/NFT exchanges, support for decentralized apps (dApps) and more. The aim is to “simplify the Web3 user experience that is often bewildering for mainstream users,” Opera EVP Jorgen Arnensen said in statement. 

A key feature is the built-in non-custodial wallet that will support blockchains including Ethereum, Bitcoin, Celo and Nervos from the get-go. It also announced partnerships with Polygon and others. The idea is to let you access your crypto without the need for any extensions, with the option of using third-party wallets as well. You can purchase cryptocurrencies via a fiat to crypto on-ramp, swap crypto directly in-wallet, send and receive it and check your wallet balance. It even has a secure clipboard that ensures other apps can’t data when you copy/paste.

The other primary function is support for Web3, aka blockchain-based decentralized internet, aka the buzzy new thing among crypto enthusiasts (and skeptics). On top of providing extra security via blockchain encryption, it allows users to access things like GameFi “where you can earn as you play your way through all sorts of metaverses,” Opera notes. It also offers a “Crypto Corner” with the latest blockchain news that also “lets you grow your Web3 skills,” according to Opera. 

Opera’s rival Mozilla recently announced it would accept cryptocurrency donations, but was hit by a backlash from users including co-founder Jamie Zawinski over the environmental impact of blockchain. Perhaps anticipating a similar reaction, Opera said it was working toward implementing the more energy-efficient Etherium Layer 2 standard “as quickly as possible.”

Other companies like Ubisoft jumping on the blockchain train with NFTs and other offerings have been hit by similar criticism. However, Opera at least gives its users a choice with multiple browser options, as it also offers its regular Opera browser and one that’s dedicated to gamers. The Crypto Browser is now available for Android, Windows and Mac, with an iOS version coming soon. 

Source: Engadget – Opera launches a dedicated crypto browser

A new Canadian study has found that “space anemia” caused by weightlessness is not a temporary issue as once thought, the CBC has reported. “As long as you are in space, you are destroying more blood cells than you are making,” said the University of Ottawa’s Guy Trudel, who led a 14-astronaut study carried out by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). 

Normally, the body destroys and replaces two million red blood cells per second. However, the new study found that the astronauts’ bodies destroyed three million red blood cells per second during six month missions. “We thought we knew about space anemia, and we did not,” said Trudel.

A full year after returning to Earth from the ISS, the astronauts’ red blood cell levels had not returned to pre-flight levels, according to the study in Nature. “If you are on your way to Mars and… can’t keep up” with red blood cell production, “you could be in serious trouble,” said Trudel. That wouldn’t necessarily cause problems in a zero gravity environment, but could become an issue once astronauts arrive on Mars or when they return to Earth. 

[Anemia] is a primary efffect of going to space.

The researchers said that anemia could even be an issue for space tourism, if the potential travelers are at risk for anemia. The study also noted that “current exercise and nutritional countermeasures of modern space travel did not prevent hemolysis and post-flight anemia” with the astronauts tested. 

The study, first announced in 2016, drew from data gathered during Expedition 10 and 11 missions aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in 2004 and 2005. Anemia is defined as a deficiency of red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood, a condition that can result in pallor and weariness and affect endurance and strength.

The study didn’t say how such issues could be directly resolved, but suggested that doctors focus on anemia-related issues when testing candidates. “Medical screening of future astronauts and space tourists might benefit from a preflight profiling of globin gene and modifiers,” according to the study. It also suggested that post-landing monitoring should cover conditions affected by anemia and hemolysis.  

Source: Engadget – Anemia could make space travel to Mars a challenge, study finds