Microsoft has finally given us launch details on the Xbox Series X: It’s arriving on November 10th for $499, just like the leaks earlier this week predicted. It’ll also be available via Xbox All Access, a bundle which includes the system Game Pass Ultimate, for $34.99 a month over 24 months. Microsoft confirmed that the $299 Xbox Series S, which was revealed yesterday, is also landing on November 10th. And no matter which console you’re getting, the company is also sweetening the pot by offering EA Access for free as part of Game Pass, which grants consoles and Windows PC players access to over 60 EA titles like Mass Effect and Battlefield.
It supports multiple authentication protocols including FIDO2, FIDO U2F, smart card (PIV), Yubico OTP, OpenPGP, OATH-TOTP, OATH-HOTP and Challenge-Response — all on a single device. That means it’ll work with most password managers, along with social media platforms, collaboration tools and browsers like Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Edge.
The main difference with the latest model is that it supports both NFC and USB-C, rather than USB-A. That should work better for people with newer devices, as USB-C is now common on recent Macs, most PCs and Android smartphones. The YubiKey 5C NFC is now available for $55 on Yubico’s website.
Today, we’re covering the history of Blue Origin, reviewing Android 11 and more. But first: three-thousand-two-hundred megapixels. Taken with sensors for the world’s largest digital camera, it would comically take 378 4K ultra-high-definition TV screens to display one image in full size. The image fidelity is apparently so high, you could see a golf ball 15 miles away.
The camera will live in Stanford University’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) telescope in Chile, where researchers will study dark energy, dark matter and create the “largest astronomical movie of all time.”
The sensor is actually 189 charge-coupled devices (CCDs), which each capture 16-megapixel images. So where is the image itself, you big tease? Well, it’s still too early for that. These 3,200-megapixel images mean the world’s largest digital camera has passed its important first test. The team still has challenges ahead to build the rest of the camera, but final testing should start mid-2021 — just think of the selfies.
Note: We’re having some issues with SSL certification, and are working to fix that as soon as possible.
— Mat
‘Star Trek: Discovery’ season 3 trailer shows the crew landing in the future
Season 3 will be out for streaming on October 15th.
CBS All Access has released the official trailer for the third season of Star Trek: Discovery, giving you a glimpse of what’s in store for its characters after they went into a wormhole last season. (It’s a bit late for spoilers, I think…) It shows Commander Michael Burnham and the rest of the USS Discovery crew making a one-way trip and landing in an unknown future where the Federation has mostly collapsed. This should be interesting, given the first two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery was set before the beginning of the original Star Trek series. Now, we’re going to the other side of the timeline. Continue reading.
Android 11 review: An incremental update that needs some polish
The new OS finally brings built-in screen recording.
Engadget
Most of the updates to Google’s mobile OS are subtle, focused on communications, media controls and, importantly, privacy settings. According to Cherlynn Low, the update brings useful features, like expanded power menu controls, and also offers a long-awaited built-in screen recorder. The new Conversations section in notifications might need work, but the good news is you can disable most of Android 11’s changes if you hate them. Continue reading.
Razer made the gum gamers didn’t know they needed
I can’t think of much worse than ‘gamer gum’.
Razer, makers of pretty decent neon-decorated gaming hardware is going into gum. As a follow up to its focus-sharpening Razer Respawn drink, and to meet an apparent need for fortified gum, the company has rolled out Respawn By 5 gaming gum.
Razer has partnered with Wrigley’s 5 gum (remember their mid-2000s sci-fi commercials?) to make a gum specifically for gamers. Infused with B vitamins and green tea extract, the product helps improve your focus and reaction time, if you believe the company’s press release. The price of getting an extra edge? 10 packs for $27.99. Continue reading.
Nintendo is sticking with its forecast of 19 million consoles for the year, likely out of an abundance of caution. However, it’s own figures show it has sold 11.4 million consoles in the last two quarters alone, nearly double over the same period last year.
To keep things rolling, Nintendo is reportedly working on a new Switch that’s set for release next year. It could be a high-end model, as the company asked “several outside game developers” to prepare 4K upgrades for their titles. That ties in with previous rumors that Nintendo has more Switch consoles planned and that Sharp could be making high-resolution panels for them.
Netflix has streamlined its content team by merging its English and local language original programming under a single head, undergoing a leadership shakeup in the process. Newly-appointed co-CEO Ted Sarandos has named Bela Bajaria, who used to be the streaming giant’s VP for local language originals, as VP of global TV. As a result, Netflix veteran Cindy Holland will be leaving in October after 18 years with the company.
Sarandos said he’s been wanting to simplify how the the company’s content team operates ever since he became co-CEO, with one global film unit headed by a VP and one global TV unit headed by another. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix’s growing TV group has been a source of confusion among among creators, since having multiple execs on point made it difficult to figure out who to pitch to. The publication also reports that the choice had always been between Holland and Bajaria, but Sarandos ultimately chose the former.
Star Trek: Discovery finished filming for its third season before COVID-19 lockdowns were put in place, allowing CBS to make it available for streaming on October 15th as planned. It’s exclusive to All Access in the US, but it will be out on Netflix for the rest of the world on October 16th. Series star Sonequa Martin-Green has unveiled the trailer, which you can watch above, during the Star Trek: Discovery panel at CBS All Access’ virtual Star Trek Day celebration. If you’ve been a fan of the series from the start, you’ll also notice that the trailer debuts a new series logo — one that CBS says represents the show’s jump into the future.
Huawei has tried to reduce its reliance on foreign chip suppliers by sourcing components from SMIC, China’s leading chip foundry. However, the Trump Administration’s ongoing trade war with China may not make that a viable option for much longer.
At the start of September, the Defence Department confirmed it might add the chipmaker to the same Commerce Department entity list that prevents US companies from dealing with Huawei. If the Trump administration goes through with the move, it will stop SMIC from getting the equipment it needs to manufacture chips for Huawei. Even if SMIC avoids a potential ban, it’s two process node generations behind Huawei’s former chip supplier, Taiwan’s TSMC. It will take a while before the company can make processors for Huawei’s flagship phones. A best-case scenario for Huawei is that it can start purchasing parts from Samsung and other component manufacturers at some point in the future.
A lot of people love the original KeyStep for its capable but easy-to-use sequencer. Arturia’s latest controller takes a don’t fix it if it ain’t broke approach to that aspect of the KeyStep’s design. Like its sibling, the KeyStep 37 is a 64-step sequencer with eight-note polyphony per step. It gives you eight slots to program custom patterns. It also comes with a scale mode, allowing you to choose from five different scales, including one of which you can define, to keep you playing in key.
What you won’t find on the KeyStep 37 is a drum sequencer — that’s something you need to upgrade to the more expensive KeyStep Pro to get. There’s also no metronome, and you’re limited to a single MIDI out port. However, new to the KeyStep 37 is a strum feature that allows you to break up the notes you’re playing. The nifty thing here is you can change the direction of the strum, as well as adjust how long each strum takes.
The KeyStep 37 is available to pre-order today from Arturia’s website. The company will start shipping out orders on September 15th.
If you own a Vizio TV, you may have felt left out watching sets from manufacturers like Samsung and LG get access to Apple TV. But now you too can use the software on your television. Starting today, the Apple TV app — through which you can access Apple TV+ — is available on Vizio SmartCast TVs in the US and Canada (via Variety). If you’re new to Apple TV+ and own a Vizio SmartCast TV with SmartCast Home from 2016 or later, you can get three free months when you sign up for the streaming service.
Besides allowing you to watch originals like Greyhoundand The Morning Show,you can also use the TV app to subscribe to premium networks like Showtime and Starz through Apple’s Channels feature. With the company’s family sharing system, up to six people in a household can share a single Apple TV channel subscription. The TV app also allows you to buy and rent movies and TV shows.
If you’re a gamer who chews gum, standard Juicy Fruit or Big Red won’t do your mental performance any favors … at least, not according to Razer. As a follow up to its focus-sharpening Razer Respawn drink, and to meet an apparent need for fortified gum, the company has rolled out Respawn By 5 gaming gum.
Razer has partnered with Wrigley’s 5 gum (remember their mid-2000s sci-fi commercials?) to make a gum specifically for gamers. The product is infused with B vitamins and green tea extract to help improve your focus and reaction time, according to a statement from Razer. Choose from a classic cool mint flavor, or two flavors already time-tested in the Respawn drink: pomegranate watermelon and tropical punch.
