Yes, after years of rumors (not to mention near-constant fan demand), it’s finally happening: there’s a new Skate game in the works. There’s nothing to show at this stage (you’re looking at Skate 3 above). It’s “really early,” as the team explains. This does put the speculation to rest, though, and it’s safe to presume the new title will bring major strides forward in graphics and features when Skate has skipped a whole console generation. Bring on the ridiculous physics-based wipeouts.
EA Play kicked off with some big news for Apex Legends players. Starting this fall, it’ll support cross-play between PC, Xbox One and PS4. Oh, and Nintendo Switch when the game launches there in a few months. As with many other EA games, you’ll soon be able to play it through Steam as well as Origin. You can expect more details about the Switch version in the coming months.
Along with those big updates about what’s coming up for Apex Legends in the next few months, Respawn also offered a peek at the next collection event, Lost Treasures, which starts June 23rd. It includes a fresh spin on a previous limited-time mode. In Armed and Dangerous Evolved, the only weapons you’ll only have access to are sniper rifles and shotguns. The big twist is that there won’t be any respawn beacons on the map. Instead, you’ll have a mobile one in your inventory you can use once per match to bring back your teammate(s).
You can watch along with Engadget Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar and myself right here, starting at 6:40PM ET. We’ll see some trailers, watch some developers attempt to stick to the script, and then discuss all the news afterward.
Speaking of news — EA hasn’t outlined exactly what we’ll see during today’s show, but there are a few confirmed appearances. Star Wars: Squadronsis the latest game out of EA Motive, and it’s heading to Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on October 2nd, complete with cross-platform play and VR support. EA only revealed the game this week, teasing first-person X-wing battles with a cinematic trailer. Today would be a good opportunity to show off some actual Squadrons gameplay.
There’s also the new title from Hazelight, the studio that built A Way Out and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. Hazelight founder Josef Fares said there will be “a short tease” about the studio’s new game during EA Play Live. Fares has a reputation for saying whatever the hell he wants during live events, so maybe don’t run for a drink refill during his segment.
Of course, there will likely be plenty of Madden 21 and FIFA 21 talk, extra indie goodies from the EA Originals line, and potentially some DLC news for Battlefield 5 or The Sims 4. Maybe, maybe we’ll even hear something about Dragon Age, Titanfall, Skate, Mass Effect, Apex Legends, Need for Speed, Dead Space or Plants vs. Zombies. EA owns a deep library of iconic franchises, and with a new console generation on the horizon, everything is on the table.
Facebook is also building a “new space” in the Facebook app called Lift Black Voices, which will highlight stories from Black people, share educational resources and encourage people to donate. Some of Facebook’s other plans to address racial inequality include providing free training to Black and Latinx individuals through a program called Elevate, giving 100,000 scholarships to Black students in its Facebook Blueprint program and donating $5 million to over 250,000 Facebook Fundraisers created for the Equal Justice Initiative, Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the Innocence Project. It’s also continuing a push to diversify its workforce by 2023.
Honeywell’s quantum computer is now commercially available after it was first announced in March. The company, best known in the US for making thermostats, says enterprise customers can access the machine either directly through one of its own interfaces or via Microsoft’s Azure Quantum portal. As it did when it unveiled the device, Honeywell claims it’s the world’s most powerful quantum computer.
Typically, when most companies talk about quantum computers, they usually mention qubits. Honeywell is instead using a metric called quantum volume to play up the capabilities of its machine. The term tries to capture the “quality” of qubits. The larger the quantum volume value, the more complex problems the computer can solve. Honeywell says its computer features a quantum volume of 64. For context, IBM recently said its latest quantum computer had a quantum volume of 32.
The upcoming iOS 14 software release will include some notable changes to the Apple’s Podcasts app, such as a feature that suggests podcasts you may like based on what you currently listen to, according to 9to5Mac. The leak comes ahead of the virtual WWDC next Monday, where Apple is expected to reveal more about iOS 14.
The new podcast feature will reportedly work similar to Apple Music’s “For You” feature, which uses an algorithm to suggest new songs, albums and artists, a source told 9to5Mac. Apple Podcasts will learn from your listening preferences and suggest new podcasts.
The robot will start by watching over the Atlanta Botanical Garden for several months, hanging from a lone 100-foot cable. In the long run, though, researchers hope to have SlothBot covering wide areas with multiple cables. It could be vital for tracking endangered species and changes to their environments, such as orchid pollination by endangered frogs, with minimal intrusion by humans or having to crawl over obstacles like rocks. The bot could even be useful for precision agriculture, where it might spot bugs or diseases before human farmers do.
There’s at least one other sign that Apple is rethinking its old conventions. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg reported earlier this year that the company is considering letting people set third-party apps as the default for actions like writing emails and web-browsing, rather than Mail and Safari. The move would be great news for Apple’s power users, but make no mistake: If this happens, it would likely be because of the heightened antitrust scrutiny the company faces from US lawmakers and the European Union. (Just don’t expect Tim Cook to dwell on that too much that on-stage.) Curiously, the conversation around this move has died down since Bloomberg broke the news in February, so we’ll just have to see how things play out.
Beyond all that, Apple has been working on several updates to its slew of preloaded iOS apps. According to MacRumors, Apple is working on a “mention” system for iMessage so you can nudge specific people in your group chat, as well as the ability to retract your messages after you’ve sent them. Safari may automatically translate websites in other languages, much like Chrome does now.
Some reports also suggest we’re getting new first-party apps this year, like an augmented reality project code-named “Gobi” that displays information when pointed at an Apple-made QR code. Apple has reportedly between working with brands like Starbucks on early demos, one of which signs people up for the coffee chain’s loyalty program. The details are pretty thin at this point, and we probably shouldn’t be spending too much time in stores with strangers anyway, but thankfully Apple’s AR push doesn’t end there. Remember the revamped “Find My” app that debuted in iOS 13? A crucial update this year should allow you to use augmented reality to help track down lost devices.
Apple might also reveal a new Fitness app that allows people to download guided workout videos, which seems like a handy way to help users work out while sheltering at home and potentially siphon revenue away from services like Peloton and Nike Training Club. (You know, since services are so important and all.)
And just to top it all off, 2020 might also be the year you start unlocking your car with your iPhone or Apple Watch. The code for this “CarKey” feature has already been spotted in recent builds of iOS 13, which suggest it’ll be introduced well before iOS 14 ships later this year. That said, 9to5Mac spotted other references in a leaked version of iOS 14 that suggest BMW will be the first carmaker to embrace this feature.
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Amazon has discounted the 256GB model iPad Air to $549. When you visit the retailer’s iPad Air product page, you’ll see the price listed at $620. Combined with Amazon’s lower starting price, you’ll get the discount through a $70 coupon that’s automatically applied at checkout for a total savings of $100. Another thing to keep is you can still take advantage of the promo even though the 256GB model is out of stock at the moment. However, that does mean you won’t be able to get the tablet delivered before Father’s Day. One last thing to note is only the space gray model is part of the promotion.
Hundreds of CEOs signed a letter urging Trump to keep DACA. Those included Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Warren Buffett. Leaders from Airbnb, Dropbox, eBay, Fitbit, Foursquare, GoFundMe, LinkedIn, Lyft, Netflix, Netgear, Pandora, Tesla, Tumblr and Uber also signed the letter.
A number of tech companies including Facebook, Google and Twitter went on to file amicus briefs in support of plaintiffs who challenged the DACA withdrawal in lower courts. Apple filed an amicus brief defending DACA with the Supreme Court. The general argument among tech companies is that DACA recipients make meaningful contributions to the US. According to CNBC, there were about 700,000 DACA recipients when Trump ordered the program to wind down.
The Trump administration originally argued that former President Barack Obama did not have the legal authority to implement the program. In today’s 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court decided that the Trump administration’s termination of DACA was “arbitrary and capricious” and that it violated federal laws around administrative procedure.
“We do not decide whether DACA or its rescission are sound policies. ‘The wisdom’ of those decisions ‘is none of our concern,’” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote.
