Dell’s XPS 13 Plus ultraportable is now available for $1,299

Dell’s latest flagship ultraportable is now available for purchase. The Dell XPS 13 Plus is powered by Intel’s 28-watt 12th-gen processors and features a clean, minimalist design. Its keyboard has no borders and no space in between its large keys that makes it ideal for touch-typing. The laptop’s haptic touchpad blends into its palm rest and the function buttons at the top of the keyboard aren’t buttons at all — they’re displayed on a touch panel similar to Mac’s Touch Bar.

It’s a beautiful device that gives the illusion of being carved out of a single piece of metal, but it doesn’t come without drawbacks. The biggest one of all? It doesn’t have a headphone jack. You’d have to use Bluetooth headsets with it, and the process of connecting a pair to a Windows laptop isn’t quite as seamless as connecting one to a phone. In addition, we had some trouble using the touchpad when we tested the laptop at CES earlier this year, because the lack of borders means you can’t see its edges. That said, it might be something you get used to the more time you spend with the notebook. 

The XPS 13 Plus will set you back at least $1,299 and comes with either an OLED touch or an LCD display. You can also get the Developer Edition, which ships pre-installed with Ubuntu instead of Windows, for at least $1,249. It’s still showing on Dell’s site as coming soon, but it should be available shortly.

Samsung reports steep rise in profit for the first quarter of 2022

Samsung has reported a massive rise in operating profit for the first three months of 2022, thanks in part to the robust demand for its memory chips and the strong sales of its new Galaxy flagship devices. The Korean tech giant has posted an operating profit of KRW 14.12 trillion ($11.12 billion), which is 51 percent higher than the same period last year, and a record consolidated revenue of KRW 77.78 trillion ($61.2 billion). 

As usual, Samsung’s memory division was a standout performer, exceeding market forecasts because memory prices didn’t drop as much as analysts had expected. It posted a consolidated revenue of KRW 26.87 trillion ($21.14 billion), and while it saw a slight decline in profit due to incentives and seasonality, demand for PC and server chips remained solid. The company’s foundry business also contributed to the division’s performance by achieving its highest ever first quarter sales. Samsung is optimistic for the division’s prospects going forward, but it also expects component shortages to persist through the second half of the year and will constantly monitor the situation. 

While overall demand for mobile was down due to seasonality and “geopolitical uncertainties,” Samsung posted higher profit (KRW 3.82 trillion or $3 billion) and revenue (KRW 32.37 trillion or $25.5 billion) for the division this quarter compared to the last. The strong sales of its new flagship phones, particularly the Galaxy S22 Ultra, as well as of its mass market 5G phones contributed to both profit and revenue growth. Despite the allegations that a preinstalled app on S22 phones is throttling the performance of several applications, the company previously said that demand for the flagship is 20 percent higher than of its predecessor’s. Samsung expects component shortages for mobile to continue, as well, but it also expects the availability of component supplies for the S22 to improve. That’s why it plans to focus on maintaining strong sales for its flagships in the next quarter.

The tech giant reports a rise in mobile display earnings due to solid demand for premium products, as well. For larger displays, it says its QD monitors were well-received. It debuted its QD-OLED technology, which differs from standard OLED in that it only uses blue organic light-emitting diodes for a brighter output, at CES earlier this year. Samsung’s TV business lagged behind its other divisions, though, and saw a decline in demand following strong sales in the end of 2021 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In early March, Samsung halted its product shipments to Russia, where it has a TV plant and where it’s known as the top smartphone brand. 

Twitch 據傳正在重新考慮頂階直播主的分錢方式

據 Bloomberg 的消息來源指出，Twitch 正在重新考慮知名的頂階直播主的分成方式，讓直播主能從訂閱中獲得的金額，由現行的 70%，調降至與其他直播主相同的 50%。做為調降的補償，Twitch 有可能會不再要求直播主簽獨家協議，讓他們也能到 Facebook Gaming 或 YouTube 等平台去直播。…

Elon Musk is already at risk of violating a key provision of his deal with Twitter

Elon Musk may have already broken a key provision of the deal he made with Twitter. One day after Twitter disclosed the terms of its deal with Musk, the Tesla CEO is already raising questions about his willingness to adhere to a non-disparagement clause.

According to an SEC filing shared by twitter on Tuesday, Musk is “permitted to issue Tweets about the Merger or the transactions contemplated hereby so long as such Tweets do not disparage the Company or any of its Representatives.” In other words, Musk can tweet about the deal all he wants, but he can’t denigrate Twitter or its employees.

But once again Musk seems unwilling to moderate himself, and has done so at the expense of a top Twitter executive.

On Tuesday night, Musk replied to a tweet about an earlier Politico story that reported Twitter’s top policy exec, Vijaya Gadde, had cried during a meeting with staff discussing Musk’s buyout. The original tweet also noted Gadde’s role in Twitter’s handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020. (The company quickly reversed course after initially trying to limit the story, citing its policy on hacked materials.)

“Suspending the Twitter account of a major news organization for publishing a truthful story was obviously incredibly inappropriate,” Musk responded. On Wednesday, Musk targeted Gadde again, tweeting a meme based on her appearance on a 2019 episode of Joe Rogan’s podcast.

The tweets, which have prompted a wave of harassment directed at Gadde, have prompted two former Twitter CEOs to come to her defense. Twitter co-founder and former CEO EV Williams wrote that Gadde is “one of the most thoughtful, principled people I know.”

Former CEO Dick Costolo was more pointed. “You’re making an executive at the company you just bought the target of harassment and threats,” hesaid. “Bullying is not leadership,” he wrote in a separate tweet. “I’m just saying Twitter needs to be politically neutral,” Musk responded.

Notably, neither Jack Dorsey — who recently enthusiastically endorsed Musk’s takeover —or current CEO Parag Agrawal has commented directly. Agrawl tweeted Wednesday that he was “proud of our people who continue to do the work with focus and urgency despite the noise.”

Twitter didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Regardless, this kind of “noise” from Musk is not likely to sit well with Twitter employees, many of whom are already apprehensive about the direction Musk will take the platform.

Musk has claimed that he wants Twitter to be “politically neutral,” which in his estimation “effectively means upsetting the far right and the far left equally.” Early reports looking at changes in follower counts for high-profile accounts suggest that far-right politicians are seeing a sharp uptick in followers. 

Amazon makes advocacy group’s list of most dangerous US workplaces, again

Amazon has made a list for the most dangerous workplaces in the US for a third time. The advocacy group National COSH (Council for Occupational Safety and Health) has included Amazon in a “Dirty Dozen” list meant to shame what it sees as the least safe American workplaces of 2022. The internet retailer earned the less-than-flattering distinction for an injury rate more than double the industry average, including six deaths at a Bessemer, Alabama warehouse since it opened in 2020.

National COSH noted that one of the workers who died was reportedly forced to work while ill as he didn’t have enough unpaid time off. It also pointed to worker Jennifer Bates’ concerns that the “pace of work” and overall strain contributed to injuries. The advocates also pointed to Amazon firing Staten Island warehouse worker Gerald Bryson after a 2020 protest over a lack of COVID-19 safety measures. A judge recently ordered Amazon to reinstate Bryson after determining that he’d been fired in retaliation for his criticism.

We’ve asked Amazon for comment. It has historically denied putting workers at undue risk, and maintains that Bryson was fired for violating company language policies despite a lack of evidence. Amazon also made the list in 2019 and 2020. Other companies on the 2022 list include Dollar General, Hilton Hotels and Starbucks.

National COSH’s list won’t have any direct repercussions for Amazon. However, it’s not a good look for the tech firm after a string of allegations and incidents beyond the ones that helped it reach the list. The company has been chastised for running an Illinois warehouse during a tornado that killed six staffers in December. Workers’ rights proponents have also accused Amazon of misusing a charity work program to hide its true injury rates, and Bryson wasn’t the first supposedly fired for criticizing labor practices. We wouldn’t count on Amazon avoiding the 2023 list, even if it is trying to improve safety. 

Soundboks Go: A portable boombox with a wireless focus

I’ve spent plenty of time in the past DJing, throwing small parties and going to events, so that’s put me in the mindset of looking for the biggest sound systems with the least amount of hassle. There are plenty of Bluetooth options these days that would make my younger self excited. The Soundboks Go is the latest of the bunch, packing a respectable boom from this relatively small package (18 x 12 x 10 inches). This 20-pound speaker is half the size of the Soundboks Gen 3 and nearly half the price at $699. It still has a thumping bass output, clear, long-throw mids and highs and wireless TeamUP expansion, but its physical connectivity is limited to a single 3.5mm aux input.

There’s a lot to like here for people who are looking for big sound in a format you can lug around without too much effort using its integrated handle or $59 shoulder strap accessory. With Soundboks’ SKAA wireless connectivity (TeamUP), it’s also easy to expand the setup with other speakers from the brand by setting one speaker to Host and the others to Join. This would let you quickly cobble together an event PA or dancefloor, but that’s no small financial feat considering the price.

The Go and the Gen 3 have a lot in common, both in sound quality and build. Both use the same swappable BatteryBoks, include a top hat (or pole) mount and offer a big, bright output (40Hz – 20kHz) with little to no distortion at the loudest volume. These Bluetooth 5.0 speakers work with the Soundboks app so you can adjust the EQ, custom sound profiles, volume, stereo positioning, set Bluetooth signal locks and download the latest firmware updates.

The onboard controls are fairly basic, providing a volume control that doubles as the power button, alongside the manual Solo, Host and Join button. The Join indicator shows the connection status, which you can read about further in the manual. For deeper controls, you’ll have to head to the app.

The Soundboks Go portable Bluetooth speaker seen on the front steps of a Brooklyn brownstone.
Jon Turi / Engadget

As for its build, the Soundboks brand has made a name for itself making rugged portable Bluetooth speakers and the Go follows suit. It has an IP65 rating so it can handle inclement weather well, just don’t dunk it in the water. On the exterior, there’s a solid ABS and polycarbonate cabinet and grille with silicone bumpers and a TPE rubber handle similar to the one on the UE Hyperboom. There’s strapping with loops that run around the center, which is used for connecting the shoulder strap. While the Go is easy enough to carry around by the handle, I’d recommend going all in and getting the strap as well if you plan to walk around with it for more than a few blocks. Sometimes even 20 pounds can seem heavier after a while.

The audio design for the Go has just one 10-inch woofer (96dB), a 1-inch horn-mounted tweeter (102dB) and you’ll find the bass ports around the woofer in a front-facing position. This limits the reflectivity of the bass from that of the Gen 3, making it generally better for outdoor settings. 

That’s fine, since this is a speaker that works best when unlimbered at higher volumes and provides bass you can feel even at 20 feet away (most effectively in Bass+ mode). While that’s the ideal, you can use it indoors at a lower volume (50% or less on Indoor mode) to good effect, but again the output is very directional and can seem a bit big for smaller rooms. It is marketed as an “outdoor” speaker after all.

Still, you can shuffle through the custom profiles to get the ideal output for your particular environment. Bass+ mode provides the chunkiest and thumping bass output, but will tax the battery life. Power mode is still very loud, with plenty of bass and should give you 10 hours of playtime at full volume or 40 hours at medium. Indoors mode is a much thinner sound, but won’t disturb the neighbors as much and still sounds fine. There’s also a custom setting, so you can adjust the EQ as you see fit. However, if you’re thinking of just keeping the battery plugged in and charging the whole time while you play, keep in mind that you shouldn’t go past 50 percent volume or risk damaging the device.

One big changeup with the Soundboks Go is the focus on wireless connectivity over practical wired inputs and outputs. The single 3.5mm aux input is all you get, so even though it’s more portable, musicians and singers looking to amplify their craft on the road will have to try and make do — or upgrade to the Gen 3.

While the Soundboks Go is a high-end device, it can still fall victim to the capricious nature of Bluetooth signals. Using TeamUP to connect multiple speakers also has some range limitations, although raising the speakers up on top hats to maximize line-of-sight and having structures for the radio signals to bounce off of will help optimize connectivity. In my testing with the Bluetooth source being my pocketed phone and connecting a Soundboks Go and Gen 3 together via TeamUP they started to have a little bit of connection drop while about 40 feet away from each other in an area off a busy road with no walls of any sort nearby.

Having more than one speaker placed within 30 feet or less of each other or in clusters would seem to be the way to go here if you have them. If you’re planning an event, you may want to consider getting a SKAA transmitter to bridge your source and connect to the speakers for a more stable connection than Bluetooth. For the most reliable connection, you’ll want to stick with wired input, although the Soundboks Go’s 3.5mm port isn’t a standard for professional use.

The Soundboks Go portable Bluetooth speaker seen on the front steps of a Brooklyn brownstone.
Jon Turi / Engadget

Overall, the $699 Soundboks Go is definitely a more portable alternative to the $999 Gen 3 model, but loses most of the wired connections, aligning it more with the Bluetooth mainstream. If you want to use a pair as a Bluetooth loudspeaker alternative, it’s doable considering the up to 10 hour runtime at full volume in Power mode. But for larger (and louder) event applications, especially in Bass+, the runtime limit becomes an issue. As a personal standalone device, it’s powerful, portable and durable. The JBL PartyBox series (110 or 310) speakers are close competitors, but in portability, perhaps the JBL Boombox 2 is closer. That kicks out some volume, but doesn’t have the long throw like you’ll find with the Soundboks Go.

The price is a bit steep, but the audio quality doesn’t disappoint, especially in its size range. It can also be a great complement to another Go or a Gen 3 speaker, but it’s a less capable pro-level competitor. If you’re on the fence, there’s a 100-day return policy and a respectable two-year warranty (plus one more if you register the device). The Soundboks Go is now available to purchase for $699 on the company’s website.