A few days ago, Corsair introduced a 45-inch display called Xeneon Flex with a panel made by LG that you can bend to switch between a flat and a curved screen. Turns out LG also developed a bendable monitor model of its own. The Korean company has just unveiled the LG OLED Flex or LX3, a 42-inch screen that you can manually adjust until it reaches a curvature of 900R. To note, Corsair's has a max curvature of 800R, and a smaller number means the monitor's curve is more pronounced.
You can quickly adjust the Flex's curvature by using a dedicated button on its remote control and choosing either of the two available presents. But you can also manually adjust its degree of curvature in five percent increments, giving you over 20 levels of curve to to choose from. Further, you can tilt the monitor towards or away from you and adjust the height of its stand by 140 millimeters.
LX3 uses the company's backlight-free and self-lit OLED technology and was designed to have a 0.1 millisecond response time and low input lag. It also gives you the power to adjust the size of the image onscreen so you can choose to use the whole monitor or just a part of it, if you want to see the whole picture at a glance — say for games that need you to be aware of your environment.
LG also gave the monitor exclusive access to its new Game app, which has shortcuts to popular gaming-related apps like Twitch and YouTube and lists all your connected external input devices. Speaking of connected devices, the model's Switching Hub function lets you easily switch device connection between your PC and the monitor. You can use the monitor's built-in mic and anything connected to its USB ports, including headsets and keyboards, and then press a button to use the devices connected to the PC instead. Other features include two front-firing 40W speakers, support for Dolby Atmos and support for Dolby Vision gaming.
LG has yet to announce pricing or relate date for the model, but it will showcase the OLED Flex at IFA 2022 in Berlin.
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Earlier this month, Logitech said it was working on a gaming handheld to hook into your cloud gaming service of choice. Now, leaked images of the G Gaming Handheld have danced their way across the internet. Looking like a slimmer Steam Deck (or Switch), the image shows icons for Xbox, GeForce Now and Steam, as well as Chrome and YouTube. On one hand, it looks a lot like so many of those clip-on braces that pair with your existing smartphone, like the Kishi. On the other, if this offers an affordable way to play AAA titles on the road while preserving your smartphone’s battery life, Logitech could sell a bundle. (And while you wait for it to launch, you can always upgrade your mouse situation, as Logitech upgraded those, too.)
The disc model now weighs the same as the digital model did at launch.
The PlayStation 5 was famously swole at launch, which was a problem for the company that made it (and those that deliver it). But the quiet program of corporate weight-shedding Sony has put the console on has started to bear fruit, with an updated model. The new digital version is 200 grams lighter than its predecessor, and the disc version has dropped 300 grams. That means the disc model weighs the same as the digital one did when the console made its debut. We shouldn’t expect a PS5 slim any time soon, but it gives us hope that Sony is working hard to bring one to reality.
I get it – the easiest and most convenient thing to do when you’re in a dorm room is to watch TV on your phone. But let’s be honest, your eyes (and ears) deserve better, and there are enough decent, affordable options to improve your home entertainment time. Our Back to School buyer’s guide has a bunch of good TVs, streaming sticks and audio gear to do what you need, without breaking the bank.
Employees said the company doesn’t do enough to tackle harmful content.
A lengthy report has detailed Twitter’s plans to build its own OnlyFans-style subscription content platform. The project hit the buffers, however, because the company couldn’t implement an effective-enough system to filter out CSAM and other non-consensual image sharing. Twitter insiders said its filtering platform is out of date, inefficient and not up to the task of keeping the platform safe for users at large. The company responded, saying the report is not reflective of where the platform is at right now, and it has stepped up efforts to tackle CSAM on its platform.
Don’t believe the haters who keep telling you to stop using them in the library – mechanical keyboards are cool. And Drop is launching its first premium unit, the Sense75. Looking very much like the Glorious GMMK Pro, the 75 is a 75 percent tenkeyless deck with Holy Panda X switches, DCX keycapa and a rotary dial. Be warned, while Drop normally aims for affordability, a pre-built one of these will set you back either $349 or $399, depending on the color you pick.
Look at this! Isn’t it magnificent? This is a new image of the Phantom Galaxy (M74), 32 million light years away from Earth. The image offers an unprecedented look at a spiral galaxy that first bewitched astronomers in 1780. What’s even cooler is the image is a composite, pulling data from both the brand-new James Webb and the positively ancient Hubble space telescopes. It’s a testament to the longevity of Hubble, the improved power of Webb and the value of friendship and teamwork.
Nintendo and Cygames have announcedDragalia Lost's exact end-of-service date: November 30th, at 1AM Eastern time. The companies started winding down the gacha fantasy RPG back in March and released its last major update by the end of that month. In July, they wrapped up the game's main story with the intention of shutting down its servers before the year ends. Players can expect more changes before November 30th comes around — in fact, Diamantium, the premium currency in Dragalia Lost, is no longer available for purchase as of August 30th.
The upgrade essentials and packs players can buy from the in-game shop using their Diamantium stash will no longer be available starting on October 31st at 2AM. If users still have in-game money left by that time, they could spend it on summoning, building facilities at the Halidom castle, recovering stamina and other gameplay-related purposes.
When the companies announced that they were shutting down the game, they didn't explain the reason behind their decision. This new announcement is no different. Dragalia Lost is Nintendo's first foray into mobile games and was released back in 2019. While it never quite achieved the popularity of games like Genshin Impact, it wasn't a flop either: Sensor Tower estimates put its earnings at over $140 million by the end of 2020. That said, Nintendo hasn't been exactly been putting a lot of energy into mobile gaming — its most recent title is Pikmin Bloom released in 2021 — and was resistant to the idea of making games for phones for the longest time. No matter what the reason is for Dragalia Lost's demise, anybody who tries to sign in after its servers shut down will only see an end-of-service notification on the screen.
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Elon Musk has filed an updated notice to kill his $44 billion Twitter acquisition by citing whistleblower Peiter Zatko, Twitter's former head of security. In a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Musk alleged that Twitter "has not complied with its contractual obligations" due to the "extreme, egregious deficiencies" alleged by Zatko.
Musk filed his initial bid to terminate the acquisition agreement on July 12th because of "false and misleading representations" made by Twitter, alleging that it "dramatically" understated the number of spam and fake accounts. Twitter sued Musk in July to force him to honor his agreement, saying that he "apparently believes that he... is free to change his mind, trash the company, disrupt its operations, destroy stockholder value, and walk way." Musk filed a countersuit later that month.
With the updated filing, Musk's lawyers said that Zatko has revealed "additional and distinct bases to terminate the merger agreement," and that Twitter was in "material noncompliance" with its FTC obligations. Specifically, they said that Twitter is "uniquely vulnerable to systemic disruption resulting from data center failures or malicious actors," something the company "ignored and sought to obfuscate."
Yesterday, Musk subpoenaed Zatko for a deposition on September 9th, requesting materials related to how Zatko’s tenure at Twitter ended and what stock, if any, he owns in the company. It also requested documents that may indicate any illegal activity by Twitter. Twitter and its CEO Parago Agrawal have disputed Zatko's assertions, laid out in a lengthy whistleblower complaint against the company.
A court case between Musk and Twitter is set to go to trial in October. On top of that, US Senate and Congressional committee leaders announced that were investigating Zatko's claims, saying they "raise serious concerns" about the company's security and other issues.
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France’s Budget Minister Gabriel Attal announced plans for a lease program to open up EV use. “We know that for many French, [EVs] remain very expensive,” he said, adding the government was working to figure out how quickly it could implement the measure.
At the moment, under a subsidy scheme similar to the one introduced by the US Inflation Reduction Act, French car buyers can receive as much as €6,000 off electric vehicles less than €47,000. Under this new electric vehicle subsidy program, people could lease an EV for €100 ($100) per month.
You probably don’t think of cheap Windows laptops when you think of daily drivers. But it would be a big mistake to ignore these devices – if not for yourself, for someone close. There’s a reason the big PC companies, like Acer, ASUS and Dell, make Windows devices for under $500. We lay out what to look out for (things like an SSD with at least 128GB of space, a 1080p display and a mostly metal design) and share our top choices.
While Senior News Editor Billy Steele wanted a White Mountain ice cream maker, they’re hard to pick up. Eventually, he received Cuisinart’s Pure Indulgence two-quart ice cream maker as a gift. It’s a compact countertop model that takes up about the same space as a food processor. It has a bowl insert you stick in the freezer to chill, and a plastic dasher churns your ice cream. You just really need to ensure the mixing bowl is properly chilled and homemade ice cream is all yours.
Apple may again be looking to nail down "Reality" trademarks ahead of the launch of its much-anticipated AR/VR headset. While Apple didn't directly request the trademarks, law firms the company has previously used applied for "Reality One," "Reality Pro" and "Reality Processor" in the US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica and Uruguay. With realityOS as a potential name for the operating system, Reality One and Reality Pro could be naming options for the actual headsets. "Reality Processor” could be an M2-based chip to power those.
Sony has announced a fresh push into mobile gaming with the launch of a new division inside PlayStation Studios, aptly called PlayStation Studios Mobile, and the acquisition of Savage Game Studios. Sony said the new studio will be "providing more ways for more people to engage with our content.” Savage Game Studio doesn't appear to have produced any games yet, but its co-founders had a hand in mobile franchises like Clash of Clans and Angry Birds. It will join PlayStation Studios Mobile, which will operate separately from its console division and create "new experiences" based on PlayStation IP and franchises. You know, like all those movies.
Meta has followed through on its promise to bring NFT (non-fungible token) support to Facebook. Users can now post digital collectibles they have in their digital wallets across Facebook and Instagram. After they connect digital wallets to one app, they'll be able to access NFTs from both of them. Meta is moving deeper into NFT territory even though the market for the digital tokens has nosedived in recent months.
Logitech has refreshed its iconic gaming mouse, the G502, with lighter materials and new features while mostly keeping its design. The new lineup is called the G502 X, and it comes in a wired version, a base wireless form and another wired option with RGB lighting. Logitech used thin-wall exoskeleton and a lighter scroll wheel to reduce the wired mouse's weight to 89 grams. It also used an updated version of its proprietary Lightspeed wireless protocol to ensure that its wireless versions have a 68 percent faster response rate than the previous generation's.
All three versions use Lightforce hybrid optical-mechanical switch technology, which (as Logitech explains) combines the crisp tactile clicks of mechanical switches with the ultra low-latency/speedy performance of optical switches. They also use Logitech's Hero 25K gaming sensor — the company's most advanced mouse sensor — for max speed and accuracy. Plus, they come with a removable DPI shift button that lets you program the mouse to go faster or slower. You can either reverse the button's orientation to bring it closer to your thumb or replace it completely with the included blank cover if you don't think you need it.
The Plus wireless variant of the G502 X has all the features the other models offer, but it also comes equipped with a flowing 8-LED lighting strip that you can customize with effects and personalizations through the G Hub software. While it will likely use more battery than its less showy wireless sibling, it does have a play detection feature that switches the lighting off while your hand is covering it to conserve power.
Sony has started to sell a new PlayStation 5 model that may not necessarily improve performance, but will be lighter and possibly easier to produce, Press Start has reported. The CFI-1200A/B digital/disc models have started to appear in Australia with a significant loss in weight.
According to packaging information, the digital version is 200 grams lighter and the disc version weighs 300 grams less than last year's models, so the latter is roughly the same weight as the digital model was at launch. Whether that loss is coming from changes in the case design or internal components is not yet known, though — we'll have to wait for a teardown to confirm that. However, last year's CFI-1102 mode was lighter mostly due to a smaller heatsink.
The weight reduction could allow Sony to reduce production costs and possibly build consoles more quickly. Last week, Sony announced that it was raising PlayStation 5 pricing around the world but not in the US (€50 more than the original launch prices in Europe), due to "challenging economic conditions." It said last year that it's no longer selling the PS5 at a loss and was actually making money on the disc-based version.
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Following months of tests and troubleshooting, NASA hopes to launch its long-awaited Artemis 1 Moon mission. Before today, the plan was for the agency's next-generation Space Launch System rocket to blast off sometime after 8:33AM ET. However, during the night a lightning storm moved close to the Kennedy Space Center, forcing NASA to delay the start of propellant loading. The agency later discovered a hydrogen leak and had to troubleshoot through a communications issue with the Orion spacecraft the SLS is supposed to put on a trajectory toward the moon. It's unclear if those issues could delay the launch.
Liquid hydrogen replenish is closed and now in revert to troubleshoot the bleed on engine number 3. Teams are working to increase pressure in the bleed on engine 3 to continue conditioning the four RS-25 engines on @NASA_SLS for launch. https://t.co/wEUPRpb8q2
If the mission doesn't get underway today, it could blast off later this week. The current launch window is open until September 6th. If the rocket is delayed beyond that date, the earliest we could see NASA attempt to put Artemis 1 in space again would be between September 19th and October 4th. Whatever happens over the next few hours, you can watch it all unfold on NASA's official YouTube channel.
Once it's underway, Artemis 1 will send an uncrewed Orion spacecraft on a trip beyond the moon. If all goes according to plan, the capsule should return to Earth after spending 39 to 42 days in space. The mission is mostly designed to test NASA's latest hardware before a planned crewed spaceflight sometime in 2024.
Update, 8;36am ET: The launch is currently in an unplanned hold, NASA says, as it addresses an engine issue.
Released in 1992, a few years after the Super Nintendo console, Super Mario Kart was an odd proposition: Nintendo mascot Mario, his friends and enemies all get in go-carts, racing around flat, pseudo-3D tracks. It all seemed so silly, but Super Mario Kart was a critical and commercial hit, and became a formative gaming experience for many of us.
As we shake our heads in disbelief that it’s already been 30 years, we're sharing some of our memories of a game that’s now older than a lot of our readers – and even some of our writers.
More than 3,000 cinemas across the country are participating.
On September 3rd, to coincide with a newly announced National Cinema Day, more than 3,000 theaters across the US - including chains like AMC - will offer discounted $3 tickets. All the major film studios are participating, as well as more than 30,000 screens. The promotion comes at a time when the movie industry is still dealing with the aftermath of COVID-19. The pandemic saw movie studios like Universal significantly shorten theatrical windows, and many chains, including Regal Cinemas, struggled to stay open.
The new tier may arrive in some markets as early as this year.
Netflix’s incoming ad-supported tier could represent a significant discount on some of the company’s existing plans. According to Bloomberg, the streaming giant is considering a monthly price between $7 and $9. The company’s current “Basic” plan starts at $10 per month. Bloomberg reports that Netflix wants to avoid many of the complaints that frequently come up with other ad-supported streaming services.The company plans to show only about four minutes of ads every hour of streaming, while other reports suggest it won’t show ads during kids’ content.
When it comes to gaming monitors, you have to decide between a flat or curved display. Usually. Now Corsair is developing a monitor that can be manually bent and straightened. The Xeneon Flex is a 45-inch prototype with a pair of handles on its sides that allow you to adjust the curvature of its display panel up to a maximum of 800R. For now, the monitor doesn’t have a release date or price tag.
It looks like the tier will carry a 'Friends and Family' branding.
Microsoft’s forthcoming Xbox Game Pass Ultimate family plan could allow you to share the subscription with your buddies. Frequent Microsoft Store leaker Aggiornamenti Lumia shared an image that indicates the tier will carry a “Friends and Family” branding. In the two regions where Microsoft is currently testing Game Pass Ultimate family plans, you can share your subscription with up to four other people, as long as they’re in the same country.
The $230 Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are Samsung’s best earbuds yet, and it’s not even close. Thanks to a huge improvement to sound quality, better noise cancellation and a host of handy features, this is the most well-rounded true wireless product from the company so far. But even with all of its gains, the best is still reserved for the Samsung faithful, which means these are only a truly great option if you already own a Galaxy phone. Read on for why.
Apple may again be looking to nail down "Reality" trademarks ahead of the launch of its much-anticipated AR/VR headset, Bloomberg has reported. Applications were filed for the names "Reality One," "Reality Pro" and "Reality Processor" in the US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica and Uruguay. While Apple didn't directly request the trademarks, they were filed by law firms that it has previously used to claim brand names.
Clues emerged in February that Apple may be using "Reality" branding for its headsets, when the term was spotted in GitHub open source code and App Store upload logs. Then in May, trademark applications were spotted for "realityOS" at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Those were filed by a company called Realityo Systems, but evidence suggests that's a shell company created by Apple to cover its tracks.
With realityOS as a potential name for the operating system, Reality One and Reality Pro could be naming options for the actual headsets. "Reality Processor” could be an M2-based chip designed for the headset that reportedly includes 16 gigabytes of memory, along with graphics technology designed for high-resolution VR and AR images.
There are similar clues with the new filings. The three "Reality" trademarks were filed by a shell company called Immersive Health Solutions LLC incorporate in February, according to Bloomberg. That was registered by another shell corporation (Corporation Trust Co.) often used for filings by firms who want to avoid publicity. Trademarks filed in other countries like New Zealand, meanwhile, were made by law firms that Apple has used in the past.
Apple's development of AR/VR headsets has been rumored for years, after it purchased VR company VRvana in 2017. The most recent rumor from Bloomberg suggests that the headset will be delayed until 2023 . It may include VR versions of apps like Maps and FaceTime along with collaboration features that will help it compete with Meta. It may also let users watch movies and other content, while offering health-related functions.
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For all the conveniences of streaming, there’s still something to be said about venturing out to see a film at a movie theater. Sure, there isn’t an endless amount of choice, and you can’t pause when something else requires your attention but seeing a compelling film on the silver screen is its own treat.
On September 3rd, US cinemas will make it more affordable to enjoy that experience. As part of a newly announced National Cinema Day, more than 3,000 theaters across the US, including chains like AMC, will offer discounted $3 tickets. With all major film studios and more than 30,000 screens involved, there’s a good chance a theater near you is participating.
“After this summer’s record-breaking return to cinemas, we wanted to do something to celebrate moviegoing,” said Cinema Foundation president Jackie Brenneman. “We’re doing it by offering a ‘thank you’ to the moviegoers that made this summer happen, and by offering an extra enticement for those who haven’t made it back yet.”
While people are returning to theaters to see films like Dune and Top Gun: Maverick, the promotion comes at a time when the industry is still dealing with the aftermath of COVID-19. The pandemic saw movie studios like Universal significantly shorten theatrical windows, and many chains, including Regal Cinemas, struggled to stay open amid strict lockdown measures in the US and other parts of the world.
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Anker chargers aren’t the only thing on sale at Amazon this weekend. The retailer has also discounted the Echo Show 10. After a 20 percent price drop, the device is $200, down from $250. Both the Charcoal and Glacier White colors are included in the company’s latest promotion. We saw Amazon discount the Echo Show 10 to $180 during Prime Day in July, making this the best price we've seen since then.
Alongside the Echo Show 15, The Echo Show 10 is one of the more unusual products in Amazon’s smart display lineup. Engadget awarded the device a score of 83 in 2021. The rotating screen is an interesting feature that can make it easier to glance at information and participate in video calls while completing other tasks. It also sounds and looks great, and can double as a security camera. However, the problem with the Echo Show 10 is that it’s significantly more expensive than the Echo Show 8. When they’re not on sale, the former is double the price of its more affordable sibling. The Echo Show 10 also takes up more counter space. Amazon’s latest sale won’t help with that last point but a $50 discount does make it a more reasonable purchase.
For over a decade, Valve has offered access to Steam through Android and iOS clients. In recent years, however, the Steam mobile app hasn’t gotten much attention from the company. Not only does it look dated, but it’s also a pain to use. I only keep it on my iPhone to take advantage of Steam Guard verification.
The good news is that Valve is working on a new version of the mobile app. In a blog post spotted by PC Gamer, the company invited “invested Steam users” to beta test its redesigned Android and iOS client. “We’ve rebuilt the app on a new framework and modernized the design. (2015 called and wanted their app back,)” Valve wrote.
In addition to previously included features, the redesigned app adds more intelligent notifications, multi-account support and a new way to log into your Steam account. Instead of inputting your username, password and Steam Guard verification, you can use a QR code to simplify the process. It’s probably the most useful feature added by Valve.
The early consensus among testers is that the new app is a welcome improvement over its predecessor. It does have the usual blemishes you find in beta software, including sluggish performance and plenty of bugs, but it's a step forward. “The sooner we get your feedback on a product, the better,” Valve wrote. “This is especially important when the app can be used on so many different phones and devices.”
There’s no public release date for the redesigned app yet. However, the beta is open to anyone who wants to take part. You can find installation instructions on the Steam website, but note that the iOS beta is limited to 10,000 concurrent participants due to Apple’s TestFlight restrictions.
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For today only, Amazon has discounted a handful of Anker chargers and Soundcore speakers. Starting things off, there’s Anker’s 521 Charger. It’s a 40W power adapter with a pair of USB-C ports capable of charging two devices simultaneously. The company offers the 521 in four colors: Glacier Blue, Cool Lavender, Black Ice and Arctic White. The blue model is $9 off, making it $27 at the moment. Engadget hasn’t had a chance to check out the 521, but it has a five-star rating on more than 4,300 reviews. One thing to note is that it doesn’t come with a cable. Thankfully, included in today's sale is Anker’s 10-foot Nylon USB-C to USB-C cable. At the moment, it’s 30 percent off.
For something you can take on the go, consider the PowerCore Fusion 10000. It’s a 20W adapter that doubles as a 10,000mAh power pack. The Fusion 10000 features both a USB-C and USB-A port, with the former delivering 20W charging whether you’re using the adapter as a wall charger or battery pack. Based on the Amazon rating, the Fusion 10000 is another Anker product that people seem to like. It’s currently $37.49, down from $50.
If you’re looking for a wireless charger, Amazon has also discounted Anker’s PowerWave Magentic 2-in-1 Stand. The nifty thing about the PowerWave is that it can charge your phone and a pair of wireless earbuds at the same time – though you’ll need a Qi-compatible case for the latter. The PowerWave is currently $18 off from its usual $50 price. Note that you’ll need to buy a compatible power adapter separately.
Hurricane season is currently in full swing across the Gulf Coast and Eastern Seaboard. Following a disconcertingly quiet start in June, meteorologists still expect a busier-than-usual stretch before the windy weather (hopefully) winds down at the end of November. Meteorologists like Matthew Cappucci who, in his new book, Looking Up: The True Adventures of a Storm-Chasing Weather Nerd, recounts his career as a storm chaser — from childhood obsession to adulthood obsession as a means of gainful employment. In the excerpt below, Cappucci explains the inner workings of tropical storms.
Hurricanes are heat engines. They derive their fury from warm ocean waters in the tropics, where sea surface temperatures routinely hover in the mid- to upper-eighties between July and October. Hurricanes and tropical storms fall under the umbrella of tropical cyclones. They can be catastrophic, but they have a purpose—some scholars estimate they’re responsible for as much as 10 percent of the Earth’s annual equator-to-pole heat transport.
Hurricanes are different from mid-latitude systems. So-called extratropical, or nontropical, storms depend upon variations in air temperature and density to form, and feed off of changing winds. Hurricanes require a calm environment with gentle upper-level winds and a nearly uniform temperature field. Ironic as it may sound, the planet’s worst windstorms are born out of an abundance of tranquility.
The first ingredient is a tropical wave, or clump of thunderstorms. Early in hurricane season, tropical waves can spin up on the tail end of cold fronts surging off the East Coast. During the heart of hurricane season in August and September, they commonly materialize off the coast of Africa in the Atlantic’s Main Development Region. By October and November, sneaky homegrown threats can surreptitiously gel in the Gulf of Mexico or Caribbean.
Every individual thunderstorm cell within a tropical wave has an updraft and a downdraft. The downward rush of cool air collapsing out of one cell can suffocate a neighboring cell, spelling its demise. In order for thunderstorms to coexist in close proximity, they must organize. The most efficient way of doing so is through orienting themselves around a common center, with individual cells’ updrafts and downdrafts working in tandem.
When a center forms, a broken band of thunderstorms begins to materialize around it. Warm, moist air rises within those storms, most rapidly as one approaches the broader system’s low-level center. That causes atmospheric pressure to drop, since air is being evacuated and mass removed. From there, the system begins to breathe.
Air moves from high pressure to low pressure. That vacuums air inward toward the center. Because of the Coriolis force, a product of the Earth’s spin, parcels of air take a curved path into the fledgling cyclone’s center. That’s what causes the system to rotate.
Hurricanes spin counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, and clockwise south of the equator. Though the hottest ocean waters in the world are found on the equator, a hurricane could never form there. That’s because the Coriolis force is zero on the equator; there’d be nothing to get a storm to twist.
As pockets of air from outside the nascent tropical cyclone spiral into the vortex, they expand as barometric pressure decreases. That releases heat into the atmosphere, causing clouds and rain. Ordinarily that would result in a drop in temperature of an air parcel, but because it’s in contact with toasty ocean waters, it maintains a constant temperature; it’s heated at the same rate that it’s losing temperature to its surroundings. As long as a storm is over the open water and sea surface temperatures are sufficiently mild, it can continue to extract oceanic heat content.
Rainfall rates within tropical cyclones can exceed four inches per hour thanks to high precipitation efficiency. Because the entire atmospheric column is saturated, there’s little evaporation to eat away at a raindrop on the way down. As a result, inland freshwater flooding is the number one source of fatalities from tropical cyclones.
The strongest winds are found toward the middle of a tropical storm or hurricane in the eyewall. The greatest pressure gradient, or change of air pressure with distance, is located there. The sharper the gradient, the stronger the winds. That’s because air is rushing down the gradient. Think about skiing — you’ll ski faster if there’s a steeper slope.
When maximum sustained winds surpass 39 mph, the system is designated a tropical storm. Only once winds cross 74 mph is it designated a hurricane. Major hurricanes have winds of 111 mph or greater and correspond to Category 3 strength. A Category 5 contains extreme winds topping 157 mph.
Since the winds are derived from air rushing in to fill a void, or deficit of air, the fiercest hurricanes are usually those with the lowest air pressures. The most punishing hurricanes and typhoons may have a minimum central barometric pressure about 90 percent of ambient air pressure outside the storm. That means 10 percent of the atmosphere’s mass is missing.
Picture stirring your cup of coffee with a teaspoon. You know that dip in the middle of the whirlpool? The deeper the dip, or fluid deficit, the faster the fluid must be spinning. Hurricanes are the same. But what prevents that dip from filling in? Hurricane eyewalls are in cyclostrophic balance.
That means a perfect stasis of forces makes it virtually impossible to “fill in” a storm in steady state. Because of their narrow radius of curvature, parcels of air swirling around the eye experience an incredible outward-directed centrifugal force that exactly equals the inward tug of the pressure gradient force. That leaves them to trace continuous circles.
If you’ve ever experienced a change in altitude, such as flying on an airplane, or even traveling to the top of a skyscraper, you probably noticed your ears popping. That’s because they were adjusting to the drop in air pressure with height. Now imagine all the air below that height vanished. That’s the equivalent air pressure in the eye a major hurricane. The disparity in air pressure is why a hurricane is, in the words of Buddy the Elf, “sucky. Very sucky.”
Sometimes hurricanes undergo eyewall replacement cycles, which entail an eyewall shriveling and crumbling into the eye while a new eyewall forms around it and contracts, taking the place of its predecessor. This usually results in a dual wind maximum near the storm’s center as well as a brief plateau in intensification.
In addition to the scouring winds found inside the eyewall, tornadoes, tornado-scale vortices, mini swirls, and other poorly understood small-scale wind phenomena can whip around the eye and result in strips of extreme damage. A mini swirl may be only a couple yards wide, but a 70 mph whirlwind moving in a background wind of 100 mph can result in a narrow path of 170 mph demolition. Their existence was first hypothesized following the passage of Category 5 Hurricane Andrew through south Florida in 1992, and modern-day efforts to study hurricane eyewalls using mobile Doppler radar units have shed light on their existence. Within a hurricane’s eye, air sinks and warms, drying out and creating a dearth of cloud cover. It’s not uncommon to see clearing skies or even sunshine. The air is hot and still, an oasis of peace enveloped in a hoop of hell.
There’s such a discontinuity between the raucous winds of the eyewall and deathly stillness of the eye that the atmosphere struggles to transition. The eyes of hurricanes are often filled with mesovortices, or smaller eddies a few miles across, that help flux and dissipate angular momentum into the eye. Sometimes four or five mesovortices can cram into the eye, contorting the eyewall into a clover-like shape. That makes for a period of extraordinary whiplash on the inner edge of the eyewall as alternating clefts of calamitous wind and calm punctuate the eye’s arrival.
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If you’re in the market for a new gaming monitor, one of the early decisions you need to make is whether to buy a flat or curved display. The two formats offer different advantages and frequently mean the difference between picking up an IPS or VA panel when considering an LCD screen. Corsair is developing a new monitor that would seem to offer the best of both worlds.
This week, the company announced the Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240, a 45-inch 3,440 by 1,440 monitor you can manually bend to switch between a flat panel and a curved screen. The prototype features a pair of handles on its sides that allow you to adjust the curvature of its LG-made W-OLED panel up to a maximum of 800R. You can even adjust the sides independently of one another – though there’s no practical reason for doing so.
The conventional wisdom when it comes to whether you should buy a flat or curved monitor is that the former is better suited for daily use and productivity tasks while the latter is ideal for gaming since it can make the experience feel more immersive. What will be interesting to see with the 45WQHD240 is just how durable it proves to be over time. Samsung’s foldable phones have a noticeable crease where you bend them open and their screen protectors are known to wear down. For a monitor that will likely cost thousands of dollars, no one wants to see those kinds of imperfections.
Judging by its other specs, the 45WQHD240 will be a more than capable gaming monitor. Its 21:9 ultrawide panel features a 240Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms gray-to-gray response time and 99 percent DCI-P3 coverage. It’s also G-Sync compatible and can max out at 1,000 nits of brightness. The biggest downside is that it won’t support VESA mounting, but the included stand offers plenty of ports.
The Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 doesn’t have a release date or price tag yet. Given the feature set, it will probably be eye-wateringly expensive when it arrives. Corsair promised to share more details later this year.
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Secure messaging app Signal isn’t the only platform dealing with the aftermath of the recent Twilio data breach. In an August 24th update spotted by TechCrunch, the company disclosed that hackers gained access to 93 individual Authy accounts. The platform is one of the more popular two-factor authentication apps on the market. It was acquired by Twilio in 2015 and has approximately 75 million users.
According to Twilio, hackers took advantage of the access they gained to register additional devices to the 93 accounts affected by the breach, meaning they had the opportunity to use the software to generate login codes. The company has “since identified and removed unauthorized devices” from the 93 accounts. Twilio says affected users should review their linked logins and look for signs of suspicious activity. It also recommends that those individuals double-check their linked device list and disable the app’s “Allow Multi-device” option.
On Wednesday, Twilio also shared that it now believes 163 of its customers had their data accessed for a “limited period of time” due to the hack. The company previously put that number at 125. While the scale of the Authy component is small, it represents a worst-case scenario for those individuals. Adding two-factor authentication to your accounts is one of the best ways to protect yourself online; having a hacker compromise that system, even if only momentarily, is scary.
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Microsoft’s forthcoming Xbox Game Pass Ultimate family plan could allow you to share the subscription with your friends. In a tweet spotted by The Verge, frequent Microsoft Store leaker Aggiornamenti Lumia shared an image that indicates the tier will carry a “Friends and Family” branding. This is something we thought the company was working towards. In the two regions where Microsoft is currently testing Game Pass Ultimate family plans, customers can share their subscription with up to four other people, as long as they’re in the same country.
Microsoft did not immediately respond to Engadget’s request for comment. Before the start of testing, there were months of rumors that the company would introduce a family plan. Allowing customers to share its most expensive subscription offering with people outside of their immediate family would make a lot of sense for Microsoft. Not only would the feature encourage more people to try the new tier, but it would also likely earn the company goodwill since the industry standard in recent months has been to restrict account sharing.
Netflix’s forthcoming ad-supported tier could represent a significant discount on the company’s existing plans. According to Bloomberg, the streaming giant is considering a monthly price between $7 and $9. For context, the company’s current “Basic” plan starts at $10 per month and does not include HD streaming. You can pay as much as $20 every 30 days to access 4K content on Netflix.
The new tier could arrive in half a dozen markets before the end of the year, with a broader rollout planned for 2023. Bloomberg reports that Netflix wants to avoid many of the complaints that frequently come up with other ad-supported streaming services. At first, the company plans to show only about four minutes of ads every hour and won’t place any at the end of a show or movie. Additionally, most people will see the same selection of ads, mainly because Netflix wants to avoid a situation where people see the same few advertisements repeatedly.
Bloomberg previously reported that Netflix doesn’t plan to show ads during kids content or original movies. Code found within the app suggests the new tier could also drop support for offline viewing. Netflix described Bloomberg’s report as “all just speculation at this point” in a statement the company shared with The Verge, adding that it was “still in the early days of deciding how to launch a lower priced, ad-supported tier and no decisions have been made.”
Mark Zuckerger has confirmed on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast that Meta will be releasing its next virtual reality headset in October. While he didn't mention a product name, he described a device that's consistent with previous reports about the headset that's codenamed "Project Cambria." He said the company will likely launch it around its annual Connect event, which took place in late October last year.
According to a previous report by The Information, Reality Labs employees described the new headset as "laptop for the face" or "Chromebook for the face." It will reportedly have outward-facing cameras enabling mixed-reality experiences. Also, the publication said back then that it will have the capability to allow users' avatars in the metaverse to mirror their expressions and to show where they're looking in real life.
As The Verge notes, Zuckerberg has also confirmed those features during his guesting. He said the headset's features allow some kind of eye contact in virtual reality and that it will be able to translate users' expressions in real time to their avatars, whether they're smiling, frowning or pouting.
The Meta chief didn't delve into pricing and other release details, but the device is expected to be much more expensive than the Quest 2, which itself got a price hike in early August. Bloomberg reported back in July, however, that the upcoming device will be called the Meta Quest Pro and that it will cost upwards of $1,000.
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Solo Stove is celebrating Labor Day a bit early this year by discounted all of its fire pits and bundles. This is the first big sale we've seen on the new, second-generation fire pits, which debuted earlier this month. The Ranger 2.0, Bonfire 2.0 and Yukon 2.0 are up tp 40 percent off and down to $200, $230 and $430, respectively. Most bundles are around 45 percent off, including the Bonfire Backyard Bundle 2.0, which includes a spark shield, stand, shelter, carrying case and lid along with the aforementioned fire pit.
We've been fans of Solo Stove machines for a long time here at Engadget. They've made it into numerous guides in the past because, while pricey, they produce less smokey fires and will last longer than cheaper alternatives you can pick up at a local hardware store. Once you get a fire going, Solo Stoves channel smoke away from you using a double-walled design that pulls hot air through vent holes and back into the fire. This setup reduces smoke while also creating a fine ash and keeping the fire hot.
The 2.0 models that recently came out fix arguably our biggest gripe with these machines — how difficult they can be to clean. After a couple of uses, you used to have to pick up the whole fire pit and hold it upside down over the garbage to get all of the ash and debris out. That's not necessary now thanks to the removable base plate and ash pan that come with the 2.0 models. Once the fire pit has completely cooled, you can simply reach in, remove the base plate and then pull out the ash pan to dump out leftover debris.
This is a big improvement and will make the overall experience of using a Solo Stove much easier. Plus, the company didn't mess with the design otherwise. The new models have the same 360° Signature Airflow Technology of the previous versions, plus all of the first-gen accessories work with the new fire pits. Whether you're picking up a Solo Stove for the first time or upgrading from your current fire pit, now's a great time to grab one of the latest machines while they're on sale.
We’re in the middle of a major wearable refresh. With Apple’s latest Watch expected to surface at its iPhone event in a few weeks, we’ve already seen updates from Fitbit and been testing out the latest pair of smartwatches from Samsung. To be honest, its outdoor-minded Galaxy Watch 5 Pro isn’t that different from the Galaxy Watch 5.
Aside from a larger screen, bigger battery and more durable glass, its applications have few upgrades on the Watch 5. Still, with its rugged build and the company’s capable wellness-tracking software, the Watch 5 Pro can still claim the title of best Android smartwatch. Check out our full review of both watches.
It pairs with the new DJI Goggles 2 video headset.
DJI has launched a new cinematic drone called Avata, made to work with the new DJI Goggles 2 video headset. Since it's a cinewhoop, the Avata has the speed and agility of racers but with the stabilization technology needed to capture smooth vivid footage. The camera can shoot 4K videos in 60 fps and 2.7K videos in 50, 60, 100 or 120 fps. The DJI Avata is available today from the company's website and various retailers, with prices starting at €579. We’re still waiting to hear US pricing.
Duolingo Math marks the learning company’s first move beyond language. The new app has two elements. The first is a math course designed for elementary school-level kids, with short, gamified math lessons. The app also has a brain training component geared toward those aged 13+.
According to early images seen by The Verge, Sonos is working on a new high-end speaker with the codename Optimo 2. If its current design sticks, the device will have a dual-angled shell and be able to fire sound in nearly all directions, including up. Its work-in-progress images apparently make it look as big as the Sonos Five.
The first fully hydrogen-powered passenger train service is now up and running. Coradia iLint trains built by Alstom are running on the line in Lower Saxony, Germany. The only emissions are steam and condensed water, and Alstom notes the train operates with a low level of noise. Alstom says the Coradia iLint has a range of 1,000 km (621 miles), so it can run all day using a single tank of hydrogen.
They're returning to the series for the first time since 2006.
Microsoft
We knew helicopters and gliders were coming to Microsoft Flight Simulator, but they'll arrive earlier than expected. Developer Asobo Studio previously said it would add them on November 22nd, but it will introduce both types of aircraft on November 11th instead. That's the release date for the game's 40th Anniversary Edition, which will be available as a free update for anyone who has bought Microsoft Flight Simulator. In all, Asobo will add 12 aircraft: four classic commercial airports (including Meigs Field in Chicago), 10 glider airports, 14 heliports and 20 missions from previous games on November 11th.
After months of innuendo, speculation and rumor, German car giant Audi has announced that it will join Formula One from the 2026 season. The VW-owned company says it will build a new hybrid engine for the competition at its facility in Neuburg. Audi said that technical changes made by the sport’s governing body, the FIA, to prevent cost overruns and improve sustainability prompted it to sign up. It’s hoped Audi will help push the sport to its ambitious goal of being climate neutral by 2030.
Broadly speaking, the FIA’s new engine specifications require a V6 engine designed to run on a more sustainable fuel blend. Paired with that will be a 400kW electric motor with an output of around 544 horsepower, making it almost as powerful as the V6 itself. Audi added that its project will be led by Adam Baker, who has previously served as the FIA’s Safety Director, and had stints with Cosworth (another F1 engine maker) and BMW.
Audi said it will announce which team it will work with “by the end of this year,” but most F1 fans feel it’s already a done deal. The longstanding rumor is that Audi will buy a majority stake in Swiss motorsport company Sauber, which currently races under the Alfa Romeo livery. As Planet F1 reports, Sauber has already been the subject of takeover talks this year and could benefit from a big auto giant’s backing.
Given the fact we’re still some years away from Audi’s first race, it’s not clear how any of this will impact the storylines on Drive To Survive, which I know is what most of you are worried about. Whatever happens, I’m sure Christian Horner will find a way to be face-punchingly smug about it.
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The judge presiding over Twitter's lawsuit against Elon Musk has mostly rejected the multi-company executive's request to access an "absurdly broad" amount of data. She did, however, agree that additional data from Twitter is warranted and has ordered the social network to produce a subset of what Musk's camp had requested. To be exact, Judge Kathaleen McCormick has ordered Twitter to hand over data from the 9,000 accounts it reviewed in the fourth quarter of 2021 to determine the number of spam accounts on the platform. Further, it must produce the documents showing how those accounts, which Twitter calls "historical snapshot," were selected for review.
Twitter, if you'll recall, is suing Elon Musk to force him to complete his $44 billion acquisition of the website. Musk offered to buy Twitter for $54.20 per share back in April, and Twitter had quickly agreed. Their talks broke down over the next few months, though, and Musk accused Twitter of fraud for hiding the real number of bots on its platform. Twitter has long been claiming that the inauthentic accounts that see ads, which are called monetizable daily active users or mDAU, represent less than five percent of its userbase. However, Musk claimed in a legal filing that the actual numbers are much higher and that mDAUs represent 10 percent of the website's users.
Musk's camp has been requesting access to "all of the data Twitter might possibly store for each of the approximately 200 million accounts included in its mDAU count every day for nearly three years," according to the judge's decision as obtained by The Verge. Twitter couldn't even say how much time it would take to do that, because "no one in their right mind has ever tried to undertake such an effort," McCormick continued. Twitter told the court that the historical snapshot it used in the fourth quarter of 2021 no longer exists and that it could take up to two weeks to recreate it, so the judge gave the company that much time to do so.
In a statement sent to Reuters, Musk's lawyer, Alex Spiro said: "We look forward to reviewing the data Twitter has been hiding for many months."
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HP's work PCs typically focus more on performance than clever features, but you can't accuse it of playing it safe this time around. The company has unveiled a pair of computers that each have their share of tricks for remote workers. To start, HP has introduced the first Folio hybrid in its Dragonfly line, the Dragonfly Folio G3. As with earlier Folios, you can pull the 13.5-inch screen forward to convert the machine from a laptop to a presentation device or tablet. Don't expect the Snapdragon chip from the Elite Folio, though — this is a conventionally-powered PC with a 12th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7, up to 32GB of RAM and a new cooling system that promises to maximize performance without extra bulk.
The 3.1lb design is also thoroughly up to date. You can choose between either a 1,920 x 1,280 LCD or a 3,000 x 2,000 OLED panel. There's no slot for the stylus, alas, but you can magnetically attach and charge the pen on the side like you can with some recent iPads. You'll find a pair of Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports plus the usual audio jack, and optional 5G can keep you online away from WiFi. Storage starts with a 256GB SSD and scales up to 2TB.
The Dragonfly Folio G3 is already available with a $2,379 starting price. That's far from modest, but it's better than the $2,642 Elite Folio HP was selling as of this writing while offering better performance.
HP
Desktop-bound remote workers are well accounted for. HP has unveiled a 34-inch All in One (that's the actual name) whose centerpiece, beyond the 5K ultra-wide display, is its webcam system. You can move the magnetically attached 16MP camera to multiple places on the top bezel, and point it toward the desk for sharing documents. You can even add a second camera to share your notes while you stay on-screen.
You have the choice of 12th-gen Core i5, i7 or i9 processors, and you'll have GeForce RTX 3050 or 3060 dedicated graphics. Expansion shouldn't be much of an issue with up to 128GB of RAM, 4TB of SSD storage, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, four USB-A ports, Ethernet, HDMI 2.1 output, an audio jack and an SD card reader. The 34-inch All-in-One arrives in September with a base price of $2,119.
HP
There are a pair accessories that might prove appealing whether or not you care for HP's computers. The 32-inch Z32k G3 is billed as the first monitor to combine LG's IPS Black tech (higher contrast ratios) with Thunderbolt 4. You can plug in and charge many recent laptops (up to 100W), daisy-chain another 4K screen and otherwise minimize the need for cables and docks. It's not the brightest display at 400 nites, but the 98 percent DCI-P3 color coverage, pivoting and tilting will make it useful for creatives. It doesn't ship until November and has yet to receive a price.
There's also an add-on webcam. The HP 965 touts a 4K resolution, AI-guided framing and autofocusing and a low-light-friendly 18mm f/2.0 lens. You can buy it today for $199.
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Apple has just sent invites for its next hardware event. As expected, the company will share what it's been working on for the past year on September 7th, with a live broadcast from Apple Park starting at 1 PM ET. The invite features the words "Far out", so hit up Reddit for what that could possibly mean. We’re expecting new phones and wearables from Apple.
Rumor-wise, the iPhone 14 may include more RAM, longer-lasting batteries and a better selfie camera. Meanwhile, the Pro models are expected to feature a new design that swaps a display notch for a Samsung-style hole-punch front camera cutout. The Pro phones might also pack a new 48-megapixel main camera and thinner display bezels.
HyperX is putting its own spin on the burgeoning gaming monitor product category. Instead of bundling the display with a traditional stand, the company has created an all-in-one package featuring an adjustable monitor arm. For HyperX, the goal is, apparently, to offer a simple solution that frees up desk space for things like extra-large mousepads, wireless charging pads or any other peripheral you could imagine.
A third-party entity accessed users' emails, usernames and encrypted passwords.
Plex says someone has infiltrated its system. The company says a third-party entity got access to a subset of its data, which includes people's emails, usernames and encrypted passwords. Plex says it has already addressed the method the bad actor used to infiltrate its system, but it didn't elaborate on what method that was. For now, Plex is requiring all users to change their passwords "out of an abundance of caution."
Fitbit has several updated wearables to announce, all at once. Both the Sense 2 and Versa 4, which already have continuous heart rate monitoring, will connect to Google Maps for turn-by-turn directions on your wrist. The pair also get access to Google Wallet – reminding all of us that the company is now owned by, well, Google. Its entry-level Inspire fitness tracker has also got a battery upgrade and more.
It will reportedly star Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton.
It’s the spicy tech tale we all needed to see at the movie theater. Relive the rise and fall of the company from the time it was still known as Research in Motion (RIM) until it lost the smartphone fight against Google and Apple. Miss the phone keyboard? Then you won’t want to miss this epic.
The legislation also targets blind spots in larger vehicles.
New York State Senator Brad Hoylman has proposed legislation that would require automakers to fit speed limiting tech to new cars. If the bill passes, any passenger vehicle built after January 1st, 2024, registered in the state will need to have "advanced safety technology." The bill notes there were 270 traffic-related deaths in New York City's streets in 2021, up from 243 the previous year.