The wait is over. After a year of regional betas and a delay to the game’s initially planned limited launch, Respawn Entertainment announced on Wednesday it will release Apex Legends Mobile on May 17th. At that point, anyone who wants to check out the battle royale can do so on Android and iOS. Fans can pre-register to receive a notification as soon as Apex Legends Mobile is available to download. And by signing up for a download prompt, Respawn says you’ll be helping the community unlock special rewards.
So close. Just out of reach. Apex Legends Mobile is launching May 17!
Help the community unlock the pre-registration rewards:
— Apex Legends Mobile (@PlayApexMobile) May 11, 2022
EA first shared it was bringing Apex to mobile in 2019. The Android and iOS release does not feature cross-play support with the PC and console versions of the popular first-person shooter. At launch, Apex Legends Mobile will also include a smaller pool of playable characters, but one will feature one exclusive legend.
Amazon is rolling out some more features for Alexa Together, a service designed to help aging folks and caregivers stay connected using the voice assistant and Echo devices. One of these is called Circle of Support, which is now available to all users. This allows the person receiving support to have up to 10 designated caregivers.
Both that person and their primary caregiver can add or remove trusted people such as siblings, cousins, friends and close neighbors. All caregivers will receive daily alerts and check-ins through the activity feed. Circle of Support could be especially useful if the primary caregiver doesn’t live close to the person receiving care. If the person receiving support enables Remote Assist, only the primary caregiver will be able to use it.
Speaking of Remote Assist, Amazon will soon upgrade that feature to let the primary caregiver set up Alexa Routines for their loved one. For instance, to make life a little simpler for the person receiving care, a routine might group together early morning actions like switching off the alarm, playing a news bulletin and turning on the coffee machine, all of which can be triggered with a single voice command.
Amazon says over 25 percent of Alexa Together users communicate across state lines and 65 percent do so between different cities. Adding some extra functions for users who live far apart from each other could make the service a more attractive proposition for some folks. Alexa Together, which is only available in the US for now, costs $20 per month or $200 per year. There’s a six-month trial available as well.
It’s the end of an era. Apple introduced the first iPod back in October 2001, when the company was highly dependent on its Mac computer sales and still on shaky financial ground. While the Mac requirement limited interest at the start, sales exploded after Windows users joined the fray — back when you needed to tether your iPod to your PC to sync music and, later, podcasts.
Apple
Now, in 2022, the company is finally discontinuing the iPod touch, which will only be available in stores “while supplies last.” It’s the final death knell for the iconic gadget: Apple dropped the iPod classic in 2014, and both the iPod nano and iPod shuffle were discontinued in 2017.
The iPhone, ironically, was what killed the iPod, combining MP3 (not to mention video) playback with cellular networks, WiFi, apps, cameras and everything else.
Starting in 2023, the soccer series will be ‘EA Sports FC’
Don’t panic. The beautiful game will go on. Electronic Arts is calling it quits with FIFA after nearly 30 years of using the soccer governing body’s name in the titles of its games. Starting in 2023, it’s renaming the series EA Sports FC. Which is rather (well, very) janky.
Other than the rebranding, the EA Sports FC games may not be vastly different. EA still holds licenses for more than 300 soccer partners and has exclusive agreements with the likes of the Premier League, MLS, La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A.
The DJI Mini 3 Pro is a small, lightweight drone loaded with features found on bigger models, like the Mavic 3. It has some of the best image quality specs on a lightweight drone, including 4K 60p, 1080 120p and 48-megapixel photos, as well as advanced features like ActiveTrack, QuickShots and more. The Mini 3 Pro is a bit expensive at $910 with the new RC remote, though, and image quality might not be good enough for some pros. Check out our gorgeous review video from Steve Dent. And consider whether you’d like a new toy. I am.
Android 13, the Pixel 6a and Pixel Watch could all take the spotlight.
Google’s I/O developer conference is finally returning as an in-person keynote for 2022, but that’s not the biggest story likely to emerge from the event. This year, in addition to the customary Android update (we’re up to 13, now), it’s probably going to include the debut of the first Pixel smartwatch, and possibly at least one new Pixel phone and more. We break down everything we’re expecting to see later today.
The Xbox Adaptive Controller was Microsoft’s first real attempt at making accessible hardware. And while it was very well received, it didn’t really impact non-gamers. Today, the company is launching an Adaptive Mouse kit.
The mouse core is a tiny square, approximately two inches (50mm) wide, and about as thick as a finger. This packs in the usual mousey parts: scroll wheel, left and right buttons, optical sensor and triggers for Bluetooth. The intriguing part comes from the Button, which you can program to perform any task you want. The Button can even handle sequential tasks, so you can have the first push open an app, have the second tap of the same button enter a phrase and a third send an email, for example. We’ve taken a deep dive and even toured Microsoft’s inclusive tech lab.
In an interview with The Financial Times, Elon Musk said he would reinstate Trump when his deal to acquire Twitter closes. “I guess the answer is that I would reverse the permaban,” Musk said in response to a question about whether he would allow the former president back on the platform. “Obviously, I don’t own Twitter yet. So this is not a thing that will definitely happen because what if I don’t own Twitter.”
Anker’s Eufy brand offers some very affordable robot vacuums that just got even cheaper thanks to a sale on at Amazon. The most interesting model is the Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S Max that’s available for just $160, for a savings of $90 (36 percent) off the regular price. That’s very inexpensive for a model that earned a spot in our budget robot vacuum guide thanks to its attractive looks and super solid design.
The RoboVac 11S Max is missing certain features like WiFi connectivity, which isn’t surprising given the price. However, it’s still easy to control using the physical remote that allows you to set things like cleaning schedules or change the suction power using BoostIQ or Max modes. It cleans both hard and carpeted floors with up to 2,000 Pa of suction power, and is pretty decent at avoiding collisions considering the price. It’s only three inches high so it fits under a lot of furniture, and if it does hit something, it’s quite sturdy.
If you do want WiFi or other more advanced features, the Eufy G30 Hybrid is on sale for $220, for a savings of 41 percent off — the cheapest price we’ve seen on it so far. It’s effectively an updated version of the 11S with WiFi connectivity, giving you smartphone control via the Eufy app. It can map out your home using the Smart Dynamic Navigation 2.0 system, allowing for more logical route planning instead of random paths. It also offers up to 2,000 Pa suction and boundary strips to block off specific areas. The sale finishes in less than 24 hours, so it’s best to act soon.
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Sony has heavily leveraged its camera expertise to create its upcoming flagship smartphone, the Xperia 1 IV, it announced. It offers a slew of innovative, image-oriented features including what it calls the “world’s first true optical 85-125mm zoom lens,” along with true 4K at 120fps, livestreaming and external monitor capabilities and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile platform chip.
The key feature of the Xperia 1 IV is the telephoto zoom that offers an 85-125mm equivalent zoom range, enough for sports, wildlife and more. To build it, Sony appears to have used a 90-degree periscope style system, much like Huawei did with the P30 Pro.
Sony
On top of the telephoto zoom, it has 16mm and 24mm lenses (35mm equivalent), along with a time-of-flight sensor. All three cameras use a 12-megapixel Exmor RS sensor with readout speeds of up to 120 fps. That allows the phone to record 4K 120 fps video, or the equivalent of 5x slow-motion at 4K.
Other camera features include real-time Eye AF and real-time tracking with every lens, along with an Optical SteadyShot system. For photography, it can hit burst speeds of up to 20 fps with auto-exposure and continuous autofocus enabled on all three lenses, for both people and animals. Sony’s also promising accurate automatic white balance in challenging conditions thanks to AI.
All the lenses use Zeiss optics with a Zeiss T* coating designed to boost contrast and sharpness while reducing reflections. The front camera uses a new 12-megapixel Exmor RS sensor that’s larger than on previous models, allowing you to shoot selfies with less light.
Sony also added some apps and software features to aid video content makers. Much like on the Xperia 1 Pro, the “Powered by CineAlta” Cinematography Pro feature allows users to record using similar parameters and settings to professional cinematographers. You can also manually adjust settings like focus, exposure and white balance, even while recording. It also features 4K HDR multi-frame shooting, allowing for videos with wider dynamic range without any loss of resolution.
It’s also promising “the ultimate mobile gaming experience” with the Xperia 1 IV, thanks to a 120Hz HDR 6.5-inch 21:9 OLED display with 240Hz motion blur and a 240Hz touch-scanning rate. It’s powered by a Snapdragon Gen 1 Mobile Platform and uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Elite Gaming to improve performance. It also has what Sony calls “Heat Suppression power control” that automatically reduces performance at high temperatures, “even during gameplay when connected to a charger.”
The display uses Bravia HDR remaster technology for enhanced entertainment viewing, promising “more contrast, color and clarity.” It’s also equipped with Dolby Atmos surround sound tech that’s supposed to deliver a more immersive experience for cinema.
Sony
The Xperia 1 IV is designed to simplify livestreaming as well, giving you access to the Eye AF and object tracking features when using the Videography Pro mode. It can also be used as an external monitor for livestreaming from any compatible Alpha camera, and when paired with Sony’s Vlog Monitor, “users can livestream content by using the rear cameras,” Sony said.
Other features include IP65/68 water and dust resistance, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on front and back, 5G with sub6/mmWave, WiFi 6E, 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage with a microSD card. It comes with a 5,000 mAh battery with wireless charging capability and can be quick-charged to 50 percent in 30 minutes.
The price, as you’d expect from all that, will not be cheap. It’s arriving on September 1, 2022 for $1,600 to B&H Photo and other Sony dealers around the US in black or purple, though the purple color is available exclusively at Sony’s website. Pre-orders open today and for a limited time, eligible customers will get Sony’s latest WF-1000XM4 true wireless earbuds thrown in for free.
Razer’s original Viper was one of the better-known ultra-light gaming mice when it arrived in 2019, and now it’s finally getting a sequel to keep up with rivals. The brand has introduced a Viper V2 Pro wireless mouse that trims the weight even further, from 69g to 58g, while improving the fundamentals — this is meant for esports players and enthusiasts who need precise, flick-friendly input to thrive.
The design revolves around an equally new Focus Pro 30K optical sensor that, as the name implies, promises 30,000 dots per inch resolution. It’s reportedly 99.8 percent accurate, and uses AI to guide tracking. You even have 26 levels of customization for height (to determine when tracking starts or stops) versus ‘just’ three for the first Viper.
The Viper V2 Pro also introduces third-generation optical mouse switches that supposedly end accidental double-clicks and debounce delay (the wait to filter out unintended input signals). Their lifecycle is about 25 percent longer, too, so you might not chew through mice quite so quickly if you’re a pro gamer. You can recharge through USB-C, and a dedicated DPI button lets you tweak sensitivity without using software.
Razer is now selling black and white versions of the Viper V2 Pro for $150 with grip tape, a charging cable and a USB dongle extender in the box. That puts its price in line with competing ultra-lightweight mice from the likes of Logitech and SteelSeries, and could make it a viable option whether or not you’re loyal to the Razer brand.
Apple just marked the end to one of the most important product lines in its history. The company has discontinued the iPod touch, which will only be available in stores “while supplies last.” Not surprisingly, the company maintained that the “spirit of iPod” continues in other products, including the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
The move has been expected for a long time. Apple last updated the iPod touch in 2019, and that was just to provide a faster processor in a design that hadn’t fundamentally changed since 2012. The iPod hasn’t played an important role in Apple’s product strategy for a long time, and it was increasingly a niche product aimed at kids and those who didn’t want to use their phones for remote controls or workouts. Apple dropped the iPod classic in 2014, and scrapped both the iPod nano and iPod shuffle in 2017.
Even so, it’s a sad moment that closes a vital 20-year chapter in Apple’s history. The company introduced the first iPod in October 2001, at a time when the firm was highly dependent on computers and still on shaky financial ground. While the Mac requirement limited interest for the first couple of years, sales exploded after Windows users joined the fray — Apple figured out the recipe for an easy-to-use MP3 player, and did a good job of marketing that concept to customers (see its well-known silhouette ads as an example).
The iPod effectively made Apple the general consumer electronics giant it is today. It quickly dominated the MP3 player market, and iPods represented 40 percent of its revenue by 2006. Apple not only turned its fortunes around, but became a household name after years of being written off as a dying brand. The iPhone’s much-hyped 2007 launch was helped in no small part by the iPod’s success. People were looking for the “iPod phone,” and the iPhone’s media capabilities were arguably its strongest selling point in its early days.
The iPhone helped start the iPod’s downfall, of course. Many people only needed one device in their pocket, the smartphone, and iPod sales were in freefall by the early 2010s. Nonetheless, the iPod’s legacy remains intact. It’s the device that gave Apple a second chance, and laid the groundwork for a modern era where digital media devices are virtually ubiquitous.
