Sony and Honda want to make their EV partnership a standalone business

Sony and Honda recently announced plans to build EVs together, with Honda focusing on the manufacturing and Sony creating the mobility service platform. Now, it looks like the companies plan to make it a separate business. “We shared the view that it is better to make the joint venture independent, in the long run, rather than putting it under Sony or Honda,” Sony President and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida told Nikkei. 

Yoshida didn’t provide more details, but did say it’s a “possibility” that the companies may sell a stake in the joint venture or have an initial public offering. “I hope to be able to talk a little about it at some point in the near future,” he added. 

The companies announced the joint venture back in March. Sony said it aimed to “fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology,” likely via high-tech interiors and fancy entertainment systems. It added that it wants to create a mobility system “centered around safety, entertainment and adaptability.”

Last year, Honda announced plans to shift its entire vehicle lineup to EVs and fuel-cell vehicles by 2040. As part of that, it’s going to invest $40 billion and launch 30 new EVs by 2030. It’s not yet clear how the Sony tie-up fits into those plans, but Honda is far behind rivals — its only true EV sold in the west is the niche, Europe-only Honda E.

Sony apparently believes that other tech companies like Apple may soon be jumping into the fray, and that EVs will become more connected much like gaming consoles or the company’s Aibo robot dog. “Mobility is becoming more of a service,” he said. “We want to contribute to the evolution of mobility by providing the basis with network functions.” 

Amazon’s consumer chief Dave Clark is departing the company

Dave Clark, who headed Amazon’s worldwide consumer operations, announced he is resigning after 23 years at the company. The former Kentucky warehouse manager was in charge of overseeing the company’s retail business as well as its warehouse and shipping operations, which expanded due to the pandemic. Clark tweeted the announcement today along with an email sent to his team, writing that he had discussed “transitioning out of Amazon” for some time with family and those close to him. Clark was promoted to his current role only last year, following the departure of longer-serving executive Jeff Wilke.

Clark’s resignation comes as the company is dealing with its first quarterly loss in seven years, a unionization push and more warehouse space than it needs. Clark was in charge of the company’s logistic operations, which he expanded as demand soared during the pandemic. The company reported in April that excess warehouse space would contribute to $10 billion in excess costs for the first half of 2022.

The executive regularly defended Amazon’s warehouse operations, even amid criticism of its unsafe working conditions. After John Oliver investigated Amazon warehouses in an episode of Last Week Tonight, Clark tweeted that Oliver was “wrong on Amazon” and that the company was “proud of the safe, quality work environment” of its facilities.

Clark’s resignation will be effective in July, according to a regulatory filing by Amazon. So far a successor has not been named.

Samsung app hints at a Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

Samsung might tweak its Galaxy Watch strategy the next time around. 9to5Google and The Verge report the company’s latest beta Health app listed both a Galaxy Watch 5 and, unusually, a Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. There’s no mention of a Galaxy Watch 5 Classic. While the listings don’t necessarily spell the end of the sporty-looking Classic design, they do suggest Samsung is rethinking its high-end smartwatch.

Just what the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro would look like isn’t clear. Well-known tipster Ice Universe has hinted Samsung might drop the rotating bezel, and that the wristwear might use a light-but-strong titanium case and scratch-resistant sapphire glass. While those could add to the price, they could also give the new timepiece a more upscale look even as they improve its durability.

The Pro is expected to run Wear OS like its predecessor. Although there’s no rumored release date, the Galaxy Watch 4 arrived last August. We wouldn’t be shocked to see the Watch 5 family arrive in a similar timeframe. If so, the Pixel Watch might not be your only choice for a posh Google-powered smartwatch in late summer.

iRobot’s Roomba 694 is $94 off at Amazon right now

A robot vacuum can take one chore off your hands, and now you can grab one of iRobot’s most affordable machines for less. The Roomba 694 robot vacuum is back down to $180, which is just about an all-time low (we’ve seen it $1 cheaper in the past). That’s $94 off, making it a great deal if you’ve had your eye on a robo-vac for a while but have been hesitant to drop a lot of money on one.

Buy Roomba 694 at Amazon – $180

The Roomba 694 is one of iRobot’s most basic machines, but don’t let that fool you. It earned a spot on our list of favorite affordable robot vacuums thanks to its good cleaning power and easy to use companion app. Its three-stage cleaning system and dual multi-surface brushes do a good job sucking up dirt and debris on both carpeted and hard floors, and it has sensors that can detect furniture and “cliffs” (stairs, really) so it can avoid or maneuver around those obstacles.

You can control the robo-vac via its on-device buttons or from within the iRobot mobile app, and when it has finished cleaning your home, it’ll automatically return to its charging base to power up. Even if you’ve never used a robot vacuum before, you’ll likely be able to learn the ins and outs of the iRobot mobile app pretty easily. It’ll be your portal for doing things like setting cleaning schedules, checking the status of your machine and more. And if you have an Alexa or Google Assistant smart speaker in your home, you can use voice commands to control the Roomba 694.

Most people will find all of their semi-autonomous vacuuming needs met by the Roomba 694, but if you want to splurge, the Roomba j7+ is also on sale right now for $589. That’s $210 off its regular rate and a new record low. The j7+ is one of iRobot’s newest machines and its first “pet poop-detecting” robot vacuum. It has advanced obstacle avoidance which should allow it to avoid unexpected things on your floors, including a robo-vac’s arch nemesis: pet poop. It also comes with a clean base into which the machine will automatically empty its dustbin after each job.

Buy Roomba j7+ at Amazon – $589

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Devolver Digital will host a not-E3 games showcase on June 9th

Did you think there couldn’t possibly be space for another gaming event in the next couple of weeks? Guess again. Devolver Digital has added its summer showcase to the calendar. You’ll be able to catch the Devolver Direct on Twitch on June 9th at 6PM ET. If the slightly NSFW trailer is anything to judge by, expect a typically off-the-wall stream from Devolver.

This time around, the gist is that the publisher’s event takes place during a 30-minute countdown before one of the big summer showcases, when the audience is at its most hyped. As it happens, the Devolver Direct will take place in the hours after one of the larger events happening this month, the Summer Game Fest showcase.

Devolver Direct will be hosted by a “mecha” version of Japanese developer Goichi Suda (aka Suda51), who is best known for the No More Heroes series. Expect at least four announcements of new games. Here’s hoping for a look at Return to Monkey Island too.

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 drop to a new record-low price

Samsung fans looking for a new pair of wireless earbuds can get a couple of the company’s latest models for less. Amazon has the Galaxy Buds 2 in graphite and olive at the lowest price we’ve seen — just $95, which is $55 off their usual rate. If you prefer earbuds with a more power and perks, the Galaxy Buds Pro in phantom violet are also down to a new low of $120, which is $80 off their normal price.

Buy Galaxy Buds 2 at Amazon – $95Buy Galaxy Buds Pro at Amazon – $120

Both of these wireless earbuds came out last year, with the Galaxy Buds 2 being the newer of the two. Samsung brought a number of premium features down to these relatively affordable earbuds, including adjustable ambient sound mode and wireless charging. The Buds 2 are 15 percent smaller and 20 percent lighter than the Galaxy Buds+ that came before them, plus they have much improved sound and an IPX2-rated design. Just keep in mind that the Buds 2 don’t have any iOS integration — while you could use them with an iPhone, you’d be stuck with thee default settings. Those with Samsung handsets will get the most out of these buds.

Same goes for the Galaxy Buds Pro, which we dubbed Samsung’s best earbuds yet when they first came out. Normally $200, these are the company’s direct competitor to the AirPods Pro and they hold their own against Apple’s offering. Sound quality is excellent and ANC is strong enough to block out surrounding noises like those from a fan or running dishwasher. The Buds Pro also have an IPX7-rated design and support for 360 Audio and wireless charging. If you’re on a tight budget, we recommend opting for the Galaxy Buds 2, but if you can spend a bit more, you’ll appreciate the extra perks that come with the Galaxy Buds Pro. 

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Sony’s ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Miles Morales’ games are coming to PC

Back in 2017, Sony’s Insomniac Games famously tweeted that its Spider-Man game was a “permanent PS4 exclusive” that would “never appear on Xbox or PC.” Welp, Sony just announced that the Spider-Man series is coming to PC, with Spider-Man Remastered arriving on August 12th, 2022 and Spider-Man: Miles Morales coming in the fall.

Sony mildly acknowledged its previous ultimatum (“That’s right…), while pointing out that the port isn’t due to any lack of success on PS4 or PS5. It said that the series has now sold through more than 33 million copies globally as of May 15, 2022, which makes it one of Sony’s biggest first-party hits. 

From the footage shown in the teaser, the visuals look pretty great. The remastered version includes adjustable render settings and ray-traced reflections, and you’ll of course be able to use your keyboard and mouse. The game “will include the full main story and its continued narrative in Marvel’s Spider-Man: The City that Never Sleeps DLC,” with three accompanying Peter Parker story chapters along with additional missions and challenges, according to Insomniac.

Despite the “never” tweet, a Spider-Man port looked far more likely after Sony purchased Nixxes, a studio known for porting games to PC. Nixxes did in fact do the work, saying it focused on “creating the best possible PC experience that takes advantage of all the exciting possibilities the PC platform has to offer.” As mentioned, Spider-Man Remastered arrives on August 12th and Spider-Man: Miles Morales shortly afterwards in autumn. More information about both games will arrive closer to the launch dates. 

Capcom’s ‘Resident Evil 4’ remake lands on March 24th, 2023

Capcom’s oft-rumored, much-anticipated remake of Resident Evil 4 is officially a thing and it’s heading to PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC via Steam on March 24th, 2023. The studio debuted a trailer for the project during the PlayStation State of Play live stream.

The game will be a revamp of the original, beloved 2005 title starring Leon S. Kennedy and the president’s daughter, Ashley Graham. And, of course, a bunch of homicidal infected villagers.

“We aim to make the game feel familiar to fans of the series, while also providing a fresh feeling to it,” a Capcom producer said on the PlayStation Blog. “This is being done by reimagining the storyline of the game while keeping the essence of its direction, modernizing the graphics and updating the controls to a modern standard.”

Capcom also teased some Resident Evil 4 content built specifically for PlayStation VR 2, the incoming version of Sony’s console VR headset. 

On top of all the old-school remake goodness, Capcom is also building a PSVR2 version of Resident Evil: Village, the latest Resident Evil game. The first trailer for this bit of content features scenes from early sections of the game, focusing on everyone’s favorite tall vampire lady.

The PSVR2 edition of Resident Evil: Village will feature the entire PS5 version of the game. Capcom and Sony partnered up to bring Resident Evil 7 to VR back in 2017, and this formula seems to be working for them.

There’s no release date for Sony’s PSVR2 quite yet, and no word on a release date for that Resident Evil: Village DLC we were promised a year ago.

Watch PlayStation’s PSVR2-themed State of Play here at 6PM ET

It’s almost time to tune into what could be one of Sony’s most important streaming events this year. The company is airing its PlayStation VR2-focused State of Play event today (June 2nd) at 6PM Eastern, and you watch live through YouTube (below) as well as through Twitch.

The company will offer peeks at several PSVR2 games, some of which might be the 20 “major” titles promised for launch. You can also expect other third-party game introductions as well as unspecified “updates.” While we wouldn’t count on many huge revelations, this State of Play might represent the first real look at the PS5-oriented headset’s game selection beyond a handful of brief announcements. You could get a better sense of whether or not PSVR2 will be worth the investment.

Quentin Tarantino is getting his own film podcast on Stitcher

Four decades after famed film director Quentin Tarantino and his “Pulp Fiction” co-writer Roger Avary started their employment at Video Archives in 1983, the pair are reuniting once again to host a podcast exploring those seminal moments and the movies that influenced their later careers in The Video Archives Podcast, premiering on Sirius Stitcher later this summer. 

“We never imagined that 30 years after we worked together behind the counter at Video Archives, we would be together again doing the exact same thing we did back then: talking passionately about movies on VHS,” Tarantino and Avary said in a joint statement. “Watching movies was what originally brought us together and made us friends, and it’s our love of movies that still brings us together today.”

The films will be pulled from Tarantino’s extensive collection of more than 8,000 tapes and DVDs — Video Archives’ actual archives that he bought after the rental shop went out of business. 

Sirius has been working to develop its spoken word offerings in recent years, launching three new Marvel podcasts in 2020, reviving Lucille Ball’s old radio show, buying “99 Percent Invisible,” and purchasing not only Conan O’Brien’s podcast but his entire media company to boot. The Engadget Podcast, on the other hand, is entirely subscription-free while Filmcast, from Engadget’s own Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar, has all the movie references with (I assume) far fewer N-bombs than Tarantino’s.