Amazon knocks 10 percent off Nintendo’s $50 eShop gift card

If there’s a Switch title you’ve had your eye on for a while, or you’re looking to stock up on a few games, you can do so for slightly less by picking up an eShop gift card at Amazon right now. The online retailer knocked 10 percent off Nintendo’s $50 eShop gift card, so you can get it for $45. You’ll then have a total of $50 to spend at Nintendo’s online store, where you can get the latest games like LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga or buy a few titles that are already on sale.

Buy $50 Nintendo eShop gift card at Amazon – $45

There are plenty of new and popular titles that are unlikely to see discounts soon, so you could use your gift card to get one of those. Those include Kirby and the Forgotten Land, MLB The Show 22 and Rune Factory 5, all of which are $60 each, or you could use your gift card toward pre-orders for titles like Nintendo Switch Sports, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 or Splatoon 3.

If you’d rather use your funds to get as many new games as possible, it’s worth checking on the sales and deals page on Nintendo’s eShop. The offers change regularly, but you can usually find some indie titles, expansion packs and others at a discount. Currently, you can snag the puzzle adventure game Carto for only $10, or half off its normal price, plus a number of Doom and Jackbox games for less.

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

Hawaiian Airlines will be the first major air carrier to offer Starlink internet

Your next flight to Hawaii might come with speedy in-flight internet access. CNBCreports Hawaiian Airlines has signed a deal to offer SpaceX’s Starlink service aboard all its Transpacific flights. Fly aboard an Airbus A321neo, Airbus 330 or Boeing 787-9 and you’ll have free, relatively low-latency WiFi that should be quick enough to stream media and play online games.

Hawaiian will start deploying Starlink broadband with “select” aircraft in 2023. There aren’t any plans to add satellite access to the Boeing 717 airliners that provide short-hop flights between Hawaii’s islands.

The agreement makes Hawaiian the first major airline to use Starlink. SpaceX signed its first airline deal earlier this month with charter carrier JSX, which operates shorter, smaller-capacity flights. Delta has conducted Starlink tests, but it’s not clear if or when the company might adopt the technology.

The Hawaiian Airlines arrangement won’t necessarily guarantee more in-flight business for SpaceX. Some major airlines already offer satellite internet service to passengers, and might not be in a rush to replace equipment that sometimes took years to install. The new deal gives SpaceX a significant foothold, however, and it won’t be surprising if more airlines try Starlink before long.

GM’s Ultium heat pump can extend EV ranges up to 10 percent

Keeping an EV’s batteries within their optimum operating temperature range is essential to getting the highest performance and longest life cycles possible from them. Too hot and charge seeps from the cells, too cold and the vehicle’s range can drop up to 20 percent with charging sessions taking significantly longer than they would in warmer climes. This is why heat pumps, devices that scavenge waste heat from a vehicle’s engine components to provide power other systems, have been finding their ways into a number of electric autos in recent years. Tesla has added them to its Model Y, 3, and S Plaid; Polestar includes them with the PS2 single-motor, and Rivian, well, Rivian does it a little different, but on Monday, GM announced its latest entry into waste heat reclamation game with the debut of its “Ultium Energy Recovery” system.

The UER is “based around an advanced automotive grade heat pump that captures and repurposes otherwise wasted energy,” Tim Grewe, GM director of electrification strategy, said during a press call last week. “It’s more sophisticated than even the most advanced thermal heat pump that you would find in modern homes.”

“We could do several things with this energy,” he continued, “including increase the range of our EVs, power low-level electrical functions like heating, and even pre-conditioning of our battery for faster charging and acceleration.” For an EV like the new Hummer, the estimated ten percent increase in range that this system provides translates into an extra 30 miles of range. Similarly, this heat pump is what drives the Hummer’s Watts to Freedom launch control function, autonomously conditioning the battery temperatures to the optimal level with which to dump as much current they can, as fast as they can, in order to propel the 9,000-pound EV SUV from 0 to 60 in 3 seconds flat.

“It’s one of those situations where you want to get the magnets in the motor as cold as you can to give you ultimate torque going forward,” GM energy recovery system project manager, Lawrence Zeer, said on the call. “And then you want to warm up the battery because the battery is give you a little more power when they’re warmed up.” Zeer also points out that given the immense size of these batteries — the Hummer’s is rumored to weigh more than 2,900 pounds — “it’s got a lot of heat capacity to it.” Conversely, the pump will also automatically precondition the batteries if the driver selects an upcoming charging station from the nav computer and can cool the cabin as easily as it warms it. 

GM plans to include the recovery system across its electric vehicle lineup including the Hummer EV, the Lyric, and the upcoming Blazer EV. And since the recovery system is already standard throughout GM’s EV offerings, folks who’ve pre-ordered their Lyric and Hummers won’t have to turn around and head back to the dealership for a service installation. 

Samsung’s Galaxy S22 phones drop to new record lows at Amazon

Samsung’s latest Galaxy S22 handsets are some of the best Android phones you can get right now, and Amazon has discounted the entire lineup. Each of the three S22 models is cheaper than usual, with the best savings being on the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the S22+ — both are $200 off, bringing them down to $1,000 and $800, respectively. The standard Galaxy S22 is $100 off and back down to an all-time low of $700. And if you decide to take the plunge, you can get $60 off the Galaxy Buds 2 if you buy the earbuds along with one of the S22 smartphones. Just click on the “extra savings” banner on the phones’ product pages to see how to add both items to your cart.

Buy Galaxy S22 Ultra at Amazon – $1,000Buy Galaxy S22+ at Amazon – $800Buy Galaxy S22 at Amazon – $700

The Galaxy S22 Ultra is the best of the best coming from Samsung right now, and it marries a lot of features from the company’s Note family with its flagship S lineup. It sports a 6.8-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen that has a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,750 nits. It also has the new “Vision Booster” feature, which automatically adjusts display brightness and contrast depending on how bright or dim your environment is. The phone runs on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processors, and the model on sale has 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

With the phone being so large, it has space for a built-in S Pen, which lets you take notes and doodle on the phone’s screen. This is the main feature taken from the Note family, and power users will appreciate it. Samsung also improved the latency to 2.8 milliseconds, so writing with the S Pen will feel even more natural than it did before.

As far as cameras go, you’re getting a 108-megapixel main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide shooter and two 10MP telephoto lenses, plus a host of improvements like auto-framing, better video stabilization, more accurate portrait blur and Samsung’s new Adaptive Pixel feature. That’s all to say you’re getting a very capable camera setup that holds its own against those on the latest iPhones and Google smartphones.

Ultimately, the S22 Ultra is the handset to get if you want all of the latest features that Samsung has to offer in a smartphone. But if you’re ok with a slightly smaller device and one that doesn’t have perks like a built-in S Pen, either the S22 or S22+ will serve you well. We gave both smartphones a score of 87 for their lovely displays, strong performance and slick design. The S22+ has the added benefits of UWB and WiFi 6E connectivity, slightly faster WiFi speeds and a longer battery life. Considering this sale makes the S22+ only $100 more than the S22, it’s a good opportunity to get a slightly more capable device without paying too much of a premium for it.

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

Amazon’s latest Echo Dot falls to a new all-time low of $28

If you’ve been eyeing an Alexa-powered fourth-generation Echo Dot smart speaker, now is the time to buy. Several models are on sale, including the basic model that’s selling for just $28 or 44 percent off, the lowest price we’ve seen to date. The Echo Dot + Amazon Smart Plug, Echo Kids and Echo with Clock model are also carrying steep discounts near their all-time low prices. 

Buy Echo Dot on Amazon – $28Buy Echo Dot + Smart Plug at Amazon – $33

Powered by Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, the Echo Dot is one of the least expensive smart speakers out there. You get a lot for your money, though. It delivers surprisingly good sound, offers a 3.5mm audio output to connect to an amp or headphones, and is small and discrete enough to fit into any décor. And of course, you get the power of the Alexa smart home ecosystem.

The best deal is the Echo Dot + Amazon Smart Plug selling for $33. With that combo, your voice can control any outlet to schedule lights (“Alexa, turn on the lights”), fans and appliances or create timers and routines. Buying the items separately at full retail costs $75, and even if you bought both items on sale separately (the smart plug is currently at $20 or $5 off), you’re still saving $15. 

The Echo Dot with Clock gives you the same feature set as the Echo Dot, but can also show the time, weather and timers. The visual timer is very handy for cooking, and it’s on sale for $40, or $20 off the regular price. Finally, the Kids version of the Echo Dot gives you the same feature set, but adds cute animal faces to the orb-like speaker. It’s available with tiger or panda motifs for $40, also $20 off the regular price. It’s best to act fast if you’re interested, as the sale won’t last forever. 

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

The Morning After: Another gadget prototype left behind at a restaurant

We’ve been playing peek-a-boo with Google’s teased/leaked/rumored Pixel smartwatch for centuries now, but the existence of actual hardware makes it all feel a little more real.

Unfortunately for someone who’s probably been working hard on Google’s bid to dethrone the Apple Watch (or at least make a more compelling Android wearable), they left the circular smartwatch prototype in a restaurant. Oops.

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Android Central

There’s a heart rate monitor, buttons and proprietary watchband latches (boo) and, well, not much else to add for now. The watch wouldn’t run beyond its boot-up screen, so for now we’ll have to dream how WearOS 3 will look. Such heady dreams!

It isn’t the biggest mishap in lost prototype property. Over ten years ago, Apple engineer Gray Powell left a prototype iPhone 4 in a bar, and Gizmodo got the jump on exactly what Apple had planned for arguably the iPhone that set the pace for smartphones at the time. That all ended in litigation.

Will this Pixel Watch leak end similarly? I’m not sure, but Google could do with the publicity when it comes to its wearables.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Massive human cancer DNA study offers new clues to their causes

UK scientists analyzed the complete genetic makeup of 12,000 tumors.

A team of UK scientists has analyzed the complete genetic makeup of 12,000 tumors from NHS patients and discovered 58 new mutations that provide clues about their potential causes. The team used data from the 100,000 Genomes Project and developed an algorithm called FitMS that will give clinicians easy access to the new information.

Continue reading.

Twitter may take another look at Elon Musk’s $43 billion takeover bid

The company will likely weigh in on the proposal this week.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the company is re-examining Musk’s takeover bid after the billionaire announced he had the financial backing to get the deal done. When Musk first announced he was ready to pay $43 billion to buy the social media giant, noting at the time it was his “best and final offer,” Twitter was widely expected to reject the proposal.

Twitter declined to comment on the report. When Musk first announced his bid, the company said it was committed to a “careful, comprehensive and deliberate review” of the offer. It’s very likely we’ll learn how Twitter plans to proceed sometime in the next few days.

Continue reading.

European Union limits targeted advertising and content algorithms under new law

The Digital Services Act could reshape the internet beyond Europe.

Following a marathon 16-hour negotiation, the European Union reached an agreement early Saturday to adopt the Digital Services Act. The legislation seeks to impose greater accountability on global tech companies, once the act becomes law in 2024.

It’ll have teeth, too: The EU will have the power to fine tech companies up to six percent of their global turnover for rule violations. And The Guardian did the math: For Meta, that would translate into a single potential fine of approximately $7 billion.

Continue reading.

What we bought: An excellent portable monitor

Sometimes it’s worth paying extra.

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Engadget

Sam Rutherford’s investment in an ASUS ROG Strix XG17AHP portable monitor is paying off nicely. With a selection of peripherals that come free with it, loads of ports and 240Hz refresh rates, it might be better than your older, existing not-at-all-portable monitor.

Continue reading. 

Elon Musk isn’t done with the idea of building a hyperloop

Elon Musk first started the idea of a high-speed hyperloop transport system between cities way back in 2013, but he left it to other companies to develop the idea further. Fast forward to 2017, when Musk announced that would build a hyperloop system after all, starting with the New York to Washington D.C. route. Now, Musk has tweeted that The Boring Company will attempt to build a working hyperloop “in the coming years.” 

As a reminder, hyperloop is a system that runs pods with passengers or cargo through low-pressure tubes at speeds up to 800 MPH. It’s an idea that could work in theory, but it’s never been proven to run at anything close to those speeds in practice.

Musk noted that hyperloop would be the fastest way of getting from one city center to another for distances less than 2,000 miles, with Starship being faster for longer journeys. He also noted that “underground tunnels are immune to surface weather (subways are a good example), so it wouldn’t matter to hyperloop if a hurricane was raging on the surface. You wouldn’t even notice.” 

In fact, Paris subways are susceptible to flooding when the Seine river is high, for instance, and the New York subway system flooded during Hurricane Sandy, as TechCrunch noted. Still, perhaps hyperloop could be designed to be flood-resistant.  

Meanwhile, Musk founded the Boring Company in late 2016 as a way to dig tunnels efficiently for cars and high-speed trains. That company recently received a big cash injection that valued it at around $5.7 billion, but it has yet to complete any significant projects, apart from the Las Vegas LVCC Loop with 1.7 miles of tunnels. (It has announced, but shelved or cancelled several other projects). 

Hyperloop would add to the stack on Musk’s plate, which could include a $43 billion purchase of Twitter. It’s also not completely clear how serious Musk is when he makes such proclamations. 

There’s an obvious synergy between hyperloop and The Boring Company. It could become a lot more practical once the company finishes development of Prufrock-3, a machine that will supposedly be able to dig seven miles of tunnel per day. That’s about fifty times faster than the company’s current Prufrock-2 machines that can do just one mile of tunneling per week. 

The Wachowskis are auctioning iconic film props to support trans youth

A record 238 anti-LGBTQ bills have been proposed in the US this year alone (as of last month), with about half of them targeting transgender people specifically. With that in the background, filmmakers Lana and Lilly Wachowski have announced that they’re holding an auction of props from films like The Matrix and Cloud Atlas to raise money for vulnerable trans youth, Gizmodo reported.  

The Enter the Matrix: The Wachowski Collection held by Potter & Potter Auctions features items from their film canon and the Netflix cult series, Sense8. All the money raised will go to the Protect & Defend Trans Youth Fund, which will distribute the funds to organizations in Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee and elsewhere in the US.

A number of iconic props and items are up for grabs, like the screen-used Lightning Rifle from The Matrix “as seen wielded by Cypher (Joe Pantoliano) against Tank (Marcus Chong) and Dozer (Anthony Ray Parker),” according to the description. Others include Channing Tatum’s screen-worn latex ears and gravity boots from Jupiter Ascending, a purple Segway from Speed Racer, an execution chair from Cloud Atlas, MTV Movie/ACE/Jupiter Awards, platinum records and more. 

The auction is taking absentee bids, with a live auction starting on May 12th at 11AM ET. At the same time, Trans Week starts today and runs until March 31st — for information on how to help, visit their website. 

Apple may have begun a new push to remove outdated software from the App Store

Apple may have begun more rigorously enforcing its policy against unused and dysfunctional apps. Back in 2016, the company vowed it would go out of its way to remove applications that had stopped working, not kept up with its latest guidelines or become outdated. After not drawing much attention over the last few years, that policy came back into the public consciousness this week. In a series of tweets spotted by The Verge, a handful of indie developers shared an email notice from Apple prompting them to update their games.

“This app has not been updated in a significant amount of time and is scheduled to be removed from sale in 30 days,” the company states in the email. “You can keep this app available for new users to discover and download from the App Store by submitting an update for review within 30 days.”

Apple notes developers can continue to earn revenue from microtransactions even if it removes their app or game from the store. Moreover, their programs will continue to work for those who have them downloaded to their devices. Some people who shared screenshots of the notice on Twitter expressed concern that the policy disproportionately affects smaller developers.

“This is an unfair barrier to indie devs,” Protopop Games developer Robert Kabwe said. “I’m sitting here on a Friday night, working myself to the bone after my day job, trying my best to scrape a living from my indie games, trying to keep up with Apple, Google, Unity, Xcode, macOS changes that happen so fast my head spins while performing worse on older devices.”

On a support page dedicated to its App Store Improvements initiative, the company states the policy is designed “to make it easier for customers to find great apps that fit their needs.” It also notes it wants to ensure all the software you found on the platform is “functional and up-to-date.”

Obviously, there isn’t an easy answer to the situation. From the perspective of an iOS user, it’s not great when you buy a new Apple device and find apps that aren’t optimized to take advantage of the hardware. I encountered that situation when I bought my 2020 iPad Air and downloaded Klei’s tactical espionage RPG Invisible, Inc. Playing the game for the first time, I was disappointed when I found out the studio had not updated the game to support the iPad Air’s 2,360 by 1,640 resolution. In fact, Klei hasn’t updated the iOS version of Invisible, Inc. since 2016. That hasn’t stopped me from enjoying the game, but I wish I could play it without black bars letterboxing the interface.