Google’s in-house incubator Area 120 wants to make it easier for people to stay connected inside buildings where cell service might be iffy, for instance, inside NBA stadiums. To do that, Area 120 just launched Orion WiFi, a platform that links carriers to public WiFi providers. When customers of participating carriers walk into a building or space with public WiFi, Orion will automatically and securely connect their devices to the WiFi.
Through the Orion platform, public WiFi providers will sell their capacity to carriers. In theory, better connectivity will make customers happier, which could benefit both carriers and venues alike. Plus, customers won’t have to go through an irritating sign-on process. The WiFi connection will happen seamlessly.
The same workflow from that desktop app is carried over to the standalone groovebox, so you should be able to seamlessly bounce back and forth between the two depending on your mood. When in standalone mode the Maschine+ will be able to run a whole bunch of plugins from the Komplete library, including softsynths like EDM stalwart Massive, FM8, Monark and Prism. Plus a sampler, 8GB of preloaded sounds (plus expansion packs) and 35 built in effects including the excellent Raum reverb plugin.
Between this and the upcoming launch of Komplete 13 and Guitar Rig 6, Native Instruments is roaring into fall with a pretty exciting lineup.
Unsurprisingly, all of this doesn’t come cheap. When it hits store shelves on October 1st it’s expected to cost $1,399 / €1,299. We’ll obviously have to wait to get our hands on one to see if Native Instruments has successfully captured the power and allure of its software instruments in a hardware device. But, regardless, I wholly endorse this trend towards unplugged music making.
Typically, one person drives the car while the other operates the EyeDrive system — an iPad equipped with the EyeDrive app, which provides routes and driving instructions. The vehicles must be driven in perfect weather conditions, and they must start capturing in the morning when the sun is at 30 degrees and drive until dusk when the sun returns to 30 degrees.
According to 9to50Mac, the data is primarily being used for features like Flyover and Look Around. The vehicles are mostly seen in the US, but Apple is allegedly expanding them to Canada, Europe and Japan.
“Moving forward, PUBG Corporation will take on all publishing responsibilities within the country,” it said. “As the company explores ways to provide its own PUBG experience for India in the near future, it is committed to doing so by sustaining a localized and healthy gameplay environment for its fans.”
Since June, India has banned 177 China-linked apps. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology says it is doing so “in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India and security of the State.” It has expressed concern over how user data is used and stored.
The US is also considering banning apps with links to China. President Trump ordered TikTok owner ByteDance to sell off its US business and issued an executive order to ban Tencent’s WeChat. The orders will most likely be challenged in court and complicated by the fact that Tencent has investments in several US companies, including Snapchat’s parent company, Riot Games and Epic Games. It also publishes PUBG Mobile in the US.
At the same time, Bike owners will be able to sign up to Bike Bootcamp, a series of classes that integrates bike work with strength training and total body workouts. That’ll be available to all members on September 15th and is taught by Peloton VP Robin Arzón, Jess Sims and Cody Rigsby.
The Peloton Bike+ will cost $2,495 and is available to order from tomorrow, with the existing Peloton Bike staying around as a more affordable option. The Bike will be priced at $1,895, and both machines will be available to try for 30-days as before, while finance options are available for $49 a month.
Peloton
At the same time, Peloton is adding a lower-cost version of its Tread treadmill, and shifting around the branding to make things a little clearer. The new Tread offers much of the same fine-grain control as its predecessor but in a smaller footprint, and at a lower price. The new features include a 23.8-inch touchscreen that can tilt through 50 degrees, making it easier for you to transition to floor work.
The new Tread measures 68-inches long by 33-inches wide, making it a nicer fit for smaller apartments and homes. Part of the smaller size is thanks to the deck, which no longer includes a front shroud — the big mount surrounding the front of the equipment. Peloton says that it makes the machine feel more like you’re running on a “natural road,” too.
The existing Tread, which is larger and packs a 32-inch display, has now been rebranded as the Tread+, to cement its upmarket status. It doesn’t appear that Peloton has done much beyond change the name, since it was already the Rolls-Royce of connected treadmills. When we tried it in 2018, we found that its rubber coated aluminum slat belt was one of the most comfortable we’d ever ran along.
And, for pricing, the Peloton Tread will set you back $2,495, with finance options available, while the Tread+ will be priced at $4,295. The new model will be available in the US and Canada at the start of 2021, while lucky buyers in the UK can get it on December 26th, just in time to sweat off all that turkey. Other European countries will get the Tread through 2021.
Spare a thought for the PR arm of Microsoft, enjoying their Labor Day time off, when almost every major unanswered new Xbox question gets answered at once. If there was any particular surprise, it’s how small the cheaper Series S will be. A render suggests a pretty tempting $299 price. Compared to the bigger Series X, there are some compromises: The disc-less console, once codenamed “Lockhart,” will reportedly have less RAM and a less powerful CPU than the Series X.
Talking of which, the Series X will apparently set you back $499 and be available on November 10th — the same date as the smaller Series S. According to Windows Central, Microsoft is going to offer a $35-per-month Xbox All Access financing option for the Series X in a bid to claw back some gamers from Sony’s PlayStation. It added there would be a global rollout for both consoles. It sounds like Microsoft means business.
— Mat
Meet the Game Boy that doesn’t need batteries
The future.
The original Game Boy, with four simple AA batteries, could play games for about 10 to 15 hours. It was equal parts impressive (for the time) and frustrating for kids with minimal disposable income. Especially if you didn’t have rechargeable cells. Well, the future is here.
A research team of computer scientists from Northwestern University in Illinois and the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands has developed a Game Boy that uses no batteries at all.
Instead, all you need is some sunlight and frantic button mashing. The solar panels attached to the front of the device provide its primary power, with your button presses generating additional juice. Technically, you could play it forever. Continue reading.
TikTok is trying to stop a suicide video from spreading
The company has been banning accounts that try to re-upload the clip.
Since Sunday evening, TikTok has been trying to stop the spread of a graphic video showing a man committing suicide with a gun. TikTok says it has tried to stop the video from circulating by banning the accounts of people who try to re-upload it multiple times.
“Our systems have been automatically detecting and flagging these clips for violating our policies against content that displays, praises, glorifies or promotes suicide,” a spokesperson for the company said.
The episode highlights a significant weakness in TikTok’s algorithm. While most social networks have struggled to moderate their platforms, the way TikTok works, with its recommendation engine at the center, makes it difficult for the company to prevent content like this from spreading altogether. Continue reading.
Motorola’s budget G9 Plus leaks with a 64-megapixel camera and big battery
It features a hole-punch front camera and 1080p display for around $300.
Orange Slovakia
Motorola’s latest leak shows how its budget smartphones are pretty decent value. The entry-level Moto G9 Plus (appearing in an Orange Slovakia listing, via Roland Quandt) has four rear cameras including a 64-megapixel main camera, along with a huge 5,000 mAh battery — all for €255, about $300. There’s even a hole-punch camera, for that full-screen smartphone look. Continue reading.
WinFuture recently published new renders and a detailed specification list identifying where Samsung could be making compromises. One of the biggest is, for the 4G version only, Samsung is reportedly swapping out the Snapdragon 865 found in most retail versions of the S20 for the, uh, less whelmingExynos 990. As Slashgear wrote, this could irk some Galaxy Note 20 users, because the 5G budget version of the S20 could outperform the Exynos-toting Note 20.
In addition, that 6.2-inch QHD display has been ditched in favor of a FHD version with a pixel density of 407ppi. That said, the report adds that the screen will still have a 120Hz refresh rate, making it ideal for gaming.
Imaging-wise, the S20 Fan Edition’s primary camera is a 12-megapixel f/1.8 lens that has dual phase-detection autofocus and optical image stabilization. That unit is paired with a 12-megapixel, f/2.2 123-degree wide-angle lens and an 8-megapixel f/2.0 telephoto lens, also with OIS. Up front, there’s a 32-megapixel, f/2.0 camera poking through the tiny hole in the phone’s display.
Inside, the report says that all handsets will have 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a 4500mAh battery, Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi 6 as standard. What will differ is the colors, with the handset available in white, blue, orange, lavender, green and red, although it’s not clear if the phone will be made out of glass or plastic. Whichever material it does use, the report says that it’ll support wireless charging.
It’s thought that we’ll see the S20 Fan Edition launch around the same time that Apple launches its latest handset. That certainly makes sense, since this could provide a powerful — and price conscious — alternative to the new iPhones.
Lewis Hamilton has announced that he’s launching his own team to compete in the Extreme E off-road racing series. Hamilton’s team, X44, will be part of the first Extreme E race season, which is expected to take place at the start of next year. The superstar will, however, not be participating directly with the team due to commitments with his own, fossil fuel-powered racing career.
Extreme E is a race series featuring electric monster trucks — specifically the Odyssey 21 — racing through regions at risk from climate change. These massive vehicles will be driving around glaziers, through rainforests and over deserts, helping preserve their fragile ecosystems for future generations. The vehicle itself is built by Spark Racing Technology, the French company that built Formula E’s first and second-generation cars.
Apple has some pretty stunning stores around the world, such as the one in NYC’s Grand Central Terminal and the one in Dubai with “Solar Wings” that respond to environmental conditions. Its newest location Singapore is its first ever “floating” store, though, and the tech giant has just announced that it’s set to open on September 10th.
The floating Apple Store, its third retail location in Singapore, is located at the country’s posh Marina Bay Sands resort. It’s a sphere-shaped self-supported glass dome structure composed of 114 pieces of glass connected by 10 narrow vertical mullions. The store offers a 360-degree view of the city and an interior that’s flooded with natural light during the day. At night, its glass panels will also provide a lighting effect. In addition to being Apple’s first “floating” store, the Marina Bay location is also the first one to have an underwater boardroom that businesses and developers can use for meetings with the company’s team members.
A key feature of the design is what appears to be an enormous vent — which is slightly larger than the size of a disc. It’s a fair guess that a similarly enormous fan sits below to cool the console’s components. (The Xbox Series X utilizes a single large fan and a huge vapor chamber to keep its parts cool.)
Engadget
The Series S is visually similar to the Xbox One S, but from the comparison image above it looks to be around a third of the volume of the Series X, making it easier to position alongside other consoles and electronics in an entertainment center.
According to reports, both the Series S and Series X will be available to buy on November 10th. The Series S will likely be offered as part of a $25-per-month Xbox All Access financing option, making the cheaper console more attractive in global markets. The Xbox Series X will reportedly cost $499 and be made available via a $35-per-month Xbox All Access financing option.
👀 Let’s make it official!
Xbox Series S | Next-gen performance in the ˢᵐᵃˡˡᵉˢᵗ Xbox ever. $299 (ERP).
