Insta360’s Sphere lets DJI’s latest Mavic Air drones capture 360-degree video

Insta360, best known for its action and 360 degree cameras, has just launched an interesting drone camera. The Insta360 Sphere attaches around the body of DJI’s Mavic Air 2 or Air 2S drones, letting you film 5.7K 360 footage or create regular 2D videos with the option of reframing them later in post. Better still, Insta360’s tech ensures that the drone is “invisible” in shots.

Since 360 cameras film in all directions, half the video can be obstructed by the drone itself. However, Insta360 mounted cameras on either side of the drone to ensure it doesn’t appear in the footage. To provide seamless footage, “Insta360’s proprietary dynamic stitching algorithm makes the whole drone (including the propellers) disappear automatically,” the company wrote. 

The Sphere attaches to Mavic Air 2/2S drones with an “ultra-secure” mechanism, and doesn’t affect its structural integrity or impact the GPS signal or control system. Insta360 is also promising smooth flights via its FlowState stabilization tech that’s been fine-tuned for the Sphere. At the same time, you can simultaneously capture video from the drone’s own camera. 

The company showed off some fancy footage in a YouTube video, with barrel rolls and dolly zooms, created in its Insta360 app. The Insta360 Sphere is now available in the US and mainland China for $430.  

Windows 11 will get third-party widgets later this year

Windows 11 widgets could become more useful in the coming months. Microsoft revealed at its Build developer conference that the operating system will start supporting widgets for third-party apps later this year. Developers will be able to create widgets for their Win32 apps and progressive web apps using Microsoft’s Adaptive Cards platform.

“We’re energized by the customer feedback on widgets to date. People are enjoying the quick access to content most important to them in a way that is seamless without breaking their flow,” Panos Panay, Microsoft’s chief product officer for Windows and devices, said.

Microsoft brought back widgets, which previously appeared in Windows 7, when it released Windows 11 last year. However, it tucked the widgets behind a dedicated button. In any case, we felt they weren’t all that useful.

Opening up widgets to third-party developers so they can provide some at-a-glance information Microsoft doesn’t offer through its own apps could be handy. You might, for instance, eventually see your Twitter timeline or WhatsApp messages in a widget.

The company shut down widgets (aka gadgets) in Windows 7 in part because they could be exploited. Microsoft hasn’t revealed too many details about how third-party widgets will work in Windows 11 just yet, so here’s hoping there’s some quality control to fend off bad actors.

Universal Audio brings its excellent vintage amp emulations to your pedalboard

Last year Universal Audio decided to make the leap from plugins the pedal with the UAFX line. Then it got into the mainstream audio interface game, launched a series of high-end modeling microphones, and even a subscription plug-in service. But, UA isn’t doesn’t appear ready to slow down yet. Now the company is expanding its line of stomp boxes with a trio of amp modelers. 

The Dream ’65 Reverb, Ruby ’63 Top Boost and Woodrow ’55 Instrument Amplifier bring UA’s excellent emulations of vintage amplifiers to a board-friendly format, using the same hardware it did for last year’s Astra, Golden and Starlight pedals. The UAFX Guitar Amp Emulators all have a host of modern amenities and options, but they are, at their heart, recreations of iconic amps that have been staples of studios around the world for over five decades. The Dream is based on a Fender Deluxe Reverb, Woodrow is a Fender Tweed Deluxe and Ruby a take on the Vox AC30. 

Each pedal has a handful of speaker, cabinet and mic options to further shape your tone, as well as reverb and vibrato on the Dream and Ruby, respectively. The pedals also have additional customization options available the UAFX Control mobile app, plus the ability to save presets. 

Of course, UA doesn’t cheap out on the hardware front either. These are solid pedals built to withstand abuse, with stereo ins and outs, plus USB-C and Bluetooth connectivity. 

All three of the UAFX Guitar Amp Emulators are available now for $399. Which, certainly isn’t impulse purchase territory, but considering a real-deal Fender Tweed Deluxe can fetch around $5,000, this seems like an absolute bargain. 

Waze finally adds Apple Music integration

Five years after Waze first added Spotify integration, Google’s navigation app finally supports Apple Music. Starting today, you can use Waze’s built-in audio controls to play, pause and switch between songs in your iPhone’s Apple Music library. That means you don’t need to switch between apps when trying to drive to a destination you haven’t been to before.

Before today’s announcement, Apple Music was effectively the last major music streaming app that didn’t include integration with Waze. Over the years, Google has added support for a long list of smaller services, including Pandora, Deezer and iHeart Radio. Before today’s announcement, it was even possible to listen to audiobooks and podcasts through integrations with Audible and Stitcher. All of that is in the past now. And if you’re an Apple Music subscriber with a fondness for Waze, you’re probably just happy that you can use the two apps together.

Microsoft’s Project Volterra is a mini PC for ARM developers

At its annual developer conference, Microsoft doesn’t typically announce new hardware. But at Build 2022 the company made time to unveil Project Volterra, a PC Microsoft designed to assist developers with building native ARM apps that employ AI-acceler…

SteelSeries’ latest gaming headset offers 360 audio and a fresh design

SteelSeries makes some of the best gaming headsets on the market, but with its new flagship Arctis Nova Pro, the company is doing a top to bottom overhaul featuring with a brand new design, a second-gen GameDAC and an innovative audio suite with support for 360-degree spatial audio and more. 

Available in both wired and wireless versions for PC, Xbox and PlayStation, the Arctis Nova Pro’s revamped design was created to be super comfortable even during marathon gaming sessions. SteelSeries added four different points of adjustment including rotating and height-adjustable earcups, pivoting hangers, and a flexible tension band. Meanwhile, for people who want to customize the look of the headset, the company is offering $35 Booster Packs consisting of interchangeable headbands and exterior plates in red, lilac, mint and rose.

When it comes to audio, the Nova Pro uses custom speaker drivers with a dual-diaphragm design, while the new Sonar Audio Suite adds support for what the company claims is the world’s first pro-grade parametric EQ for gamers. The idea is that by allowing people to highlight specific frequencies like the sound of footsteps or breaking glass, gamers can get a jump on anyone sneaking up behind them. On top of that, SteelSeries developed a new 360-degree spatial audio feature generated from your content’s 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound track, which should make noises and effects sound more realistic when compared to traditional virtual surround sound techniques. 

The headset also features built-in ANC to drown out any potentially distracting noises. And to make sure your friends and teammates can hear you loud and clear, SteelSeries includes a fully retractable mic with AI-powered noise cancellation. For the wireless model, the Nova Pro also features a dual battery system so you’ll also have a fresh power pack you can swap in when the headset runs low on juice. And thanks to the company’s Quantum 2.0 Wireless system, users can connect to two different devices at the same time using Bluetooth and the Nova Pro’s dedicated 2.4GHz connection. 

Finally, the new GameDAC Gen 2 features Hi-Res Audio Certification and a new Quad DAC that SteelSeries says delivers a 78 percent purer signal. And by using the DAC’s OLED display, you can easily adjust your EQ, audio inputs, volume and more all without ever needing to close or pause your game. 

The Arctis Nova Pro is available today, with the wireless models going for $350, while the wired models being a bit more affordable at $250. 

Microsoft Teams goes beyond screen sharing for real-time collaboration

What’s cooler than just sharing your screen with colleagues? Sharing live projects that everyone can edit at the same time. That’s at the heart of Microsoft’s new Live Share feature, which make it easier for Teams apps to enable real-time collaboration…