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Tuesday, May 31, 2022

This iPad Mini 6 case offers MagSafe-like charging capability - The Verge

If you’ve wanted MagSafe-style convenient charging on an iPad Mini, Pitaka’s latest case is here for you. The new $79 MagEZ Case Pro for the sixth-generation iPad Mini (aka the iPad Mini 6) has magnetic points on the back that pass power through the iPad’s USB-C port when used with the included pad. Or you can use it with the $129 MagEZ Charging Stand, which elevates the tablet and provides a second Qi charging spot in its base for a phone or headphones.

There are some downsides to this approach. Pitaka’s case doesn’t make use of the magnets built into the back of the iPad Mini, and it blocks the USB-C port from access, leaving you with the magnetic pad as the only way to charge the device. Forget about transferring any data over a wired connection while the case is on, too. The case itself is a stiff rubber with a carbon fiber-like weave pattern, which should provide protection from most average drops but isn’t the most rugged thing I’ve seen. It also doesn’t cover the screen like Apple’s folio cases, so you’ll probably want to pair it with some kind of screen protector.

On the plus side, the case does allow for Apple Pencil charging on the right side, and there’s a little accessory that grabs the Pencil and holds it in place better when you toss the iPad in a bag.

Those downsides aside, the MagEZ certainly lives up to the easy part of its name, as charging just requires plopping the case near the base and letting the magnets do their thing. The magnetic attraction is strong, and the stand will hold the iPad easily in either landscape or portrait orientation. (The stand also tilts, but it does not have any height adjustment.)

Neither the case nor the stand comes with a charging brick, and Pitaka recommends at least a 45W USB-C Power Delivery brick if you want to charge the iPad and a phone at full speed at the same time on the stand. (The base supports 7.5W charging with iPhones or up to 15W charging with other Qi devices.)

You do have to really be committed to wanting magnetic charging to make this setup worthwhile, though, as neither the case nor the stand is particularly cheap. But if that’s not a blocker for you, both accessories should be available starting today, May 30th.

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Monday, May 30, 2022

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE review: A refined powerhouse for work and play - Engadget

Acer is one of those laptop makers that frequently tries too hard to stand out. Consider the Predator Triton 900, a wild machine with a 360-degree swiveling screen that I found to be mostly useless. Earlier this month, Acer also announced plans to bring its SpatiaLabs glasses-free 3D technology to gaming laptops. Ambitious swings are nice and all, but these days I'm more interested in notebooks that are subtle about their gaming prowess. And after testing out the Predator Triton 500 SE for the past week, I've learned that Acer can pull that off pretty well.

Gallery: Acer Predator Triton 500 SE | 12 Photos

The Triton 500 SE packs all of the power you'd want from a large gaming notebook, in a sleek metallic frame that wouldn't look out of place in a stuffy office or lecture hall. There's little need for garish LEDs (except for the keyboard backlight, which you can always turn off), or other obnoxious case bling. It's ready to get down to work. And sure, it's not the only subtle gaming notebook around, but competitors like the Razer Blade cost more than the Triton's $2,300 starting price.

Critics - Not yet scored

Users - Not yet scored

Pros

  • Gorgeous and smooth 16-inch screen
  • Fast 12th-gen CPUs and NVIDIA GPUs
  • Refined design
  • Cool performance
  • Easy overclocking
  • Plenty of ports

Cons

  • Could use a better keyboard
  • Trackpad is stiff
  • Tinny speakers

What separates the Triton 500 SE from your typical productivity laptop, aside from the powerful hardware, is its glorious 16-inch screen. It has a 16:10 aspect ratio, making it slightly taller than typical widescreen displays and more useful for dealing with documents. Our review unit shipped with the 240Hz WQXGA model (running at 2,560 by 1,600 pixels) which, in my book, is the ideal balance between sharpness and silky smooth refresh. There's no HDR support, but at least it offers a relatively high brightness of 500 nits, as well as full coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut. And while the screen is a big reason the Triton is a hefty 5.3 pounds, that's still better than most 17-inch gaming notebooks (the Razer Blade 17 clocks in at 5.5 pounds).

Powering that glorious display is Intel's 12th-gen processors and NVIDIA's latest RTX 30-series GPUs, all the way up to the droolworthy RTX 3080 Ti. The unit we received featured that GPU as well as Intel's top-end Core i9 12900H, 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a speedy 1TB NVMe SSD. To be honest, it was that configuration that inspired me to review the Triton 500 SE in the first place. I wondered, can this unassuming notebook actually satisfy gamers? Turns out, yes.

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE

Halo Infinite, for example, reached a solid 85fps at the Triton's native resolution at ultra graphics settings. While I missed the HDR and expansive view I've grown used to on the Alienware QD-OLED ultrawide monitor, I was surprised at just how immersive the game felt on a 16-inch display. You can thank the taller 16:10 aspect ratio for that – it sometimes felt like I was about to dive headfirst into Halo Infinite's maps. (That could also be a sign that I need to make my desk a bit more ergonomic for laptops.) The 240Hz display also shined as I lowered the game's graphics settings to reach higher framerates. I'm still not fully sold on such a high refresh rate, but it's nice to see laptop makers pushing for smoother and more realistic gameplay.

Gearheads will likely appreciate the Triton 500 SE's built-in overclocking capabilities. Acer's software makes it easy to tweak clock speeds and thermal profiles. Personally, though, I was just glad to have a simple "Turbo" button on the keyboard. It revs up the fans all the way and automatically overclocks the system. In Halo Infinite and all of the benchmarks I ran, it typically led to 8 to 10 percent increase in performance. The big downside? It's so loud you probably wouldn't want to use it without headphones.

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Even without overclocking, the Triton 500 SE annihilated all of the benchmarks we threw at it, delivering performance mostly on-par with the Razer Blade 15. There were a few instances where the Razer edged ahead, like in PCMark 10 and Geekbench 5's Compute test (which mostly stresses the GPU). But in others, including Cinebench R23 and 3DMark's Port Royal ray tracing benchmark, the Triton held a commanding lead. Partially, that's due to our review unit having a slightly faster 12th-gen processor. Hit that Turbo switch and the Triton's numbers soar even higher.

PCMark 10

3DMark (TimeSpy Extreme)

Geekbench 5

ATTO (top reads/writes)

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE (2022, Intel i9-12900H, NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti)

6,779

4,887

1,736/11,382

6.4 GB/s / 4.9 GB/s

Razer Blade 15 (2022, Intel i7-12800H, NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti)

7,085

4,798

1,795/9,529

4.32 GB/s / 6.45 GB/s

ASUS Zephyrus G14 (2022, AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, Radeon RX 6800S)

7,170

3,821

1,543/9,839

3.5 GB/s / 4 GB/s

ASUS Zephyrus G15 (AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS, NVIDIA RTX 3080 Max-Q)

6,881

4,530

1,426/7,267

3.3 GB/s / 2.85 GB/s

NVIDIA's Advanced Optimus feature, which intelligently swaps the Triton's GPU between integrated and discrete graphics, also worked flawlessly throughout my testing. I didn't see any of the performance bottlenecking that occurred with older Optimus machines, where discrete GPUs had to be squeezed through integrated graphics. There's also a MUX switch that lets you manually change between both GPUs without rebooting the entire system.

After benchmarking and playing several games for a few hours, the Triton 500 SE remained relatively cool. The CPU typically hovered around 78 Celsius under load, while the GPU hit 83 Celsius. It never felt hot to the touch, though it's worth noting that I was testing in my chill basement. Fan noise was about what I'd expect with the Triton's default performance settings – audible, but not nearly as irritating as cranking them up all the way with the Turbo button.

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

But even though Acer got cooling and overall performance right, it's a shame that some of the Triton 500 SE's hardware holds it back. The keyboard is fine for gaming, but I’d like more feedback for lengthy typing sessions. And while I appreciated the large and smooth trackpad, the actual clicking mechanism felt stiff – it was particularly bad at registering right clicks. I'm also not a fan of having a fingerprint sensor right on the trackpad, as it often gets in the way while I'm swiping around. Just stick that sensor on the power button, or throw in a Windows Hello webcam already! I'd also like to see Acer bundle more than just a pair of tinny stereo speakers, especially since Razer, Dell and others are cramming many more drivers into their notebooks.

Battery life is another disappointment, though I suppose we've grown used to that in powerful gaming laptops. The Triton 500 SE lasted five hours and twenty-five minutes in our benchmark, which involves looping an HD video. That's 17 minutes less than the Razer Blade 15. During my typical workday, it usually lasted around five hours before needing a recharge. Unfortunately, that's typical for gaming laptops with large screens. You'll never want to be too far from a power plug.

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE

Still, I’d imagine most people would want to keep their workstations plugged in for the best performance. Acer also included all of the ports you’d need to make it a true workstation, including two USB 3.2 Type A connections, dual USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, Ethernet and an SD card slot. And thankfully Acer didn’t get rid of the headphone jack, something more laptop makers are doing these days.

The Acer Predator Triton 500 SE starts at $2,300, which is $200 less than the Razer Blade 15 with 12th-gen Intel chips and $400 less than the most recent Blade 17. Be prepared to shell out $3,000 if you want all of the hardware from our review unit (still cheaper than comparable machines from Razer and others). But if you can live with last year's 11th-gen Intel chips, you can also find older Triton 500 SE models for $2,000 and under. We'd recommend doing whatever it takes to get a 12th-gen chip, though, as the performance difference is huge.

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

If anything, the Triton 500 SE proves that Acer is doing more than just chasing gaming gimmicks. After being known for producing cheap and unsophisticated laptops for years, it’s nice to see that Acer can make a refined gaming notebook without any unnecessary bling.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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The merging of Comixology and Kindle has created a hell I'd like to escape - The Verge

In February of this year, Amazon finally completed its consumption of the once independent app for downloading comics, Comixology. Amazon had acquired the app way back in 2013, and apart from removing the ability to buy comics directly from the app, it left it untouched for nearly a decade. But this year, Amazon changed things — incorporating Comixology’s digital marketplace directly into the Kindle ecosystem and totally redesigning the Comixology app. It has taken two distinct mediums — digital comics and digital books — and smashed them together into an unholy blob of content that is worse in every single way. Apparently, if you let one company acquire a near-monopoly in the digital books and comics spaces, it will do terrible things that make the experience worse.

For those of you who aren’t big comic nerds, Comixology is the largest marketplace for digital comics. If you don’t want to pay for individual monthly subscriptions to publishers, it’s the only per-issue supplier of digital comics from a number of major publishers, including DC Comics and Image. If you read comics and want to avoid the issues of storing your physical collection, Comixology has, until recently, always provided a pretty solid catchall alternative.

Kindle, meanwhile, has maintained a de facto monopoly in the digital books space in the United States. Amazon’s e-readers are the most widely purchased in the US, with Rakuten’s Kobo line of e-readers (Rakuten is the largest bookseller in Japan) and Barnes & Noble’s line of Nook e-readers trailing behind.

If you think the enormity of these marketplaces would mean Kindle or Comixology were the best, you’d be sorely mistaken. They’ve succeeded entirely due to their size — not their quality. Amazon is so large it can regularly use its size to pressure publishers or ignore them. In 2019, Amazon shipped numerous copies of the sequel to Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale a week in advance, and despite an uproar from independent booksellers, it suffered no issues with the publisher, Penguin Random House. Penguin Random House didn’t even mention Amazon when apologizing to readers and booksellers for the broken embargo.

Amazon’s increasingly outside role in digital publishing had led me to try and cut back on using its services. So when Amazon completed its integration of Comixology in February, it took me a little while to notice. But oh boy, I’ve started noticing lately.

The new Comixology app is largely just... annoying. That’s the best word for it. Everything you need is still there, but the design isn’t really intuitive, and it can make a large collection of comics (I’ve been using Comixology since 2011) difficult to navigate. It feels sort of like when you go to the grocery store after they move aisles around. Everything is still there, but the change feels so dramatic after years of the familiar.

But where my local Food Bazaar will helpfully label the aisles, Comixology has not. There are no clear labels for useful built-in tools like its “Guided View,” which is designed to fluidly move you from panel to panel with a swipe instead of having each page take up the whole display. The Guided View is still there, but the clear explanation of what it is or how to use it is gone. You access it by double-tapping — which I only know because I was trying to access the menu to leave the book.

Yet the real pain of the new Comixology experience is its store’s integration with the larger Amazon store. Amazon’s always been a struggle to navigate. There are the fake products, the sponsored ads, and sometimes even fake products in sponsored ads. When I went to preorder the new Poison Ivy series, about the DC villainess, earlier this month, I was instead met with salves used to treat poison ivy rashes.

In the three weeks since, they’ve fixed that search result. The new book is now the top result. The salves come after. The rest of the Poison Ivy-focused books DC has released over the years are now “below the fold,” hidden until you scroll past the sponsored junk you probably weren’t searching for.

Other popular heroes, like Spider-Man, Captain America, and Batman, return toy results right alongside the comics.

Comixology searches used to just return comic results.

And look, those search results weren’t exactly great before the merge. There have to be a million variations on the Spider-Man title. If you’re looking for issue 10 of a very specific Spider-Man run, you’re probably going to be sifting through a lot of results unless you add more to your query. But pre-Amazon merger, you weren’t also dodging results for Amazon Prime TV shows, toys, salves and anything else Amazon thinks a searcher of Spider-Man comics might want to buy.

Using the service now, you are reminded, painfully, at every turn, that you are in Amazon’s house and you will consider more than just the one thing you wanted to buy. It’s obtrusive and unpleasant. And for months, I have griped out about it with friends and read about it while nodding in agreement and generally accepted the unpleasantness.

But last week, I wanted to read a book in the Kindle app. I hadn’t used it in a while, preferring Libby when I can, but I knew I owned this book, and I knew I wanted to read it. Only instead of being met with the myriad of books I’ve acquired over a decade of using the Amazon Kindle store, I was met with the myriad of comics I’ve acquired over a decade of using the Comixology store.

There’s no way to filter the comics out of my Kindle app. They’re always just right there. The first thing I’ve seen if I haven’t purchased a book that week. It is annoying on my iPad Mini. It is downright offensive on my Android E-Ink tablet and Kindle Oasis.

It also doesn’t have to be this way. Amazon is one of the largest and wealthiest companies in the world. It has money to spare on front-end user interface designers. It could sort this out quickly. But I don’t think Amazon has any inclination to. For the most part, Amazon is content to maintain its ebook business, not be actual leaders or good stewards. And it’s not just the bonehead design choices that came after merging its digital comics and ebook stores that have me feeling this way.

The Kindle lineup of e-readers now feels painfully outdated next to something like the Kobo Elipsa and Sage or basically the entire Onyx Boox lineup. Those use the latest E-Ink displays and include fancy abilities like faster refresh rates for web browsing and stylus input. The biggest thing going for the Kindle lineup is the e-readers are relatively cheap and work with Amazon’s store.

Amazon has left its main book-recommending app, Goodreads, to wallow, too. The app doesn’t appear to have had a UI refresh since Amazon acquired it in 2013. In fact, it looks a lot like it did when it launched in 2007. Other apps, like Netflix, Facebook, and Google, have grown powerful using their immense amount of data to develop algorithms that try to anticipate what you want to read or watch before you do. Goodreads just recommends whatever is popular widely and in a genre vaguely adjacent.

From the store to the recommendation service to the Kindle hardware, Amazon could do a whole lot better. Yet it’s as if Amazon actually likes how little effort it has to exert over its enormous monopoly to continue raking in dollars. Earlier this year, Comixology CEO David Steinberger left to “lead a new Amazon-wide initiative that is too good an opportunity to not take.” In a Twitter thread, he assured he would be with Comixology in an advisory role. From the outside, it sure seems like Amazon went and rewarded ineptitude with a promotion. I’d be more annoyed, but I’m still trying to find that book I wanted to read on my Kindle.

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It Must Be Summer, Because Clearly Fake State of Play Leaks are Spreading on Social Media - Push Square

State of Play Fake

Oh no, we've somehow travelled back in time to an era when wonky off-screen photos of leaked press conferences were all the rage! Actually, hold on...these tweets are dated 2022, and they're talking about Sony's upcoming State of Play. Are we really still doing this?!

As it turns out, yes, yes we are. Unbelievably, several images, supposedly exposing Sony's plans for this week's broadcast, are being passed around on social media. Trying to track down the original sources for some of these pictures is incredibly difficult — as far as we know, they're just being picked up by more popular accounts — but it doesn't really matter since they're so clearly fake.

What's even crazier is that this next "leak" is meant to be fake. It's purposefully put together to demonstrate just how easy it is to get the ball rolling on ridiculous rumours — and it's still being shared and passed around as if it's the real deal. A perfect example.

Now look, some of the "leaks" on these lists are somewhat reasonable. A release date for Stray? Sure. A glut of PSVR2 titles after Sony specifically said that they would play a part in this showcase? Of course. The bottom line is that if you have a decent understanding of how these shows go, you can probably make up a believable leak. You might even end up being right on a few of your guesses — but come on.

We just can't quite believe that photos like this are still a thing. Events like State of Play never leak in this kind of capacity, but then we are heading into the summer months, which has always been the perfect time for such absurd rumours.

Some things never change!

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Saturday, May 28, 2022

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II is coming to Switch - The Verge

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) II: The Sith Lords is heading to the Nintendo Switch on June 8th, as announced at this year's Star Wars Celebration event. The sequel to the classic KOTOR RPG is supposed to feature some performance enhancements and resolution upgrades, as well as a Restored Content DLC set to arrive post-launch.

As you might’ve guessed, the Restored Content DLC comes with the content that Obsidian Entertainment and Aspyr Media, the game’s developers, left out during their rush to launch the game in 2004. There’s already a fanmade mod for KOTOR II on Steam that restores some of this lost content, but it’s unclear how similar the official DLC will be when it comes out.

You can preorder KOTOR II on the Nintendo Store for $15.00 right now, or you can buy it as part of a $29.99 bundle that also includes the original KOTOR that arrived on the Switch last year. And while Aspyr is currently working on a KOTOR remake that’s exclusive to the PlayStation 5, there’s still no word on a release date.

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Twitter Circle may be rolling out to more users - The Verge

Twitter started testing Circle earlier this month with a limited group, and now it looks like it’s starting to roll out to more users (via Android Police). The feature works a lot like Instagram’s Close Friends, as it allows users to send out tweets to a specific group of people rather than all of Twitter.

To check if you have access to Twitter Circle, update your Twitter app or head to Twitter in a web browser. When you start composing a tweet, you’ll see a dropdown menu at the top that reads Everyone. From here, you can choose Twitter Circle to limit your tweet to a select audience, or you can hit Edit to add or remove people from your Circle. Twitter won’t notify users if you add or remove them.

You can add up to 150 users to your Circle, whether they follow you or not. Users in your Circle will see a note appended to Circle-only tweets (and vice versa), stating: “Only people in @[yourusername]’s Twitter Circle can see this tweet.” Tweeting to your Circle is almost like having a private account, only it privatizes certain tweets instead of limiting access to your entire profile.

The people in your Circle won’t be able to retweet anything you post to it, but they can still screenshot and download your tweets. It’s also important to keep in mind that Twitter’s community guidelines still apply even if you’re sending your tweets out to a smaller audience.

Although it seems like more users are getting access to the feature, Twitter spokesperson Joseph Nunez told The Verge it’s still in testing. “We are still currently testing Twitter Circle with a group of people across iOS, Android and Web globally,” Nunez said. “The feature has not rolled out widely to everyone yet as we continue to gather feedback.”

Right now, it’s unclear how many people currently have access to Circle. It looks like more users (myself included) are finally seeing the feature pop up when they start composing a tweet, but some users still report not having access quite yet.

Update May 28th, 5:27PM ET: Updated to add a statement from a Twitter spokesperson, as well as to reflect that Circle hasn’t rolled out to everyone yet.

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Pixel 7/7 Pro wish list: Functions and features we really hope to see [Video] - 9to5Google

Google’s next flagship series is not all that far away, especially if previous launch period conventions are adhered to. That has us dreaming up a wish list of things we really hope to see from the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro come launch.

The Mountain View firm has wasted absolutely no time in revealing the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. We know that there is set to be some minor changes to the bug Pixel 6 redesign — hopefully, that means big improvements. As you’d expect, the second-generation Tensor chip is also set to at the very heart of the upcoming smartphone duo, but no details yet on just how it will stack up against its predecessor or the competition.

Our previous Pixel 6 wishlist was well catered for when the devices eventually came to market. That said, a few lingering issues haven’t helped out the current flagship Made by Google smartphones as fans complain about quite a few common issues.

Table of contents

Video — Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro wish list: Things we really want to see

https://youtu.be/ydoC-DWxLB0

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Improved fingerprint scanner and Face Unlock

Pixel 7 wish list - Face unlock

The biggest bone of contention most people have with the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro is the fingerprint scanner. It’s outright the biggest complaint that we have seen. Google is ditching the Pixel 6’s scanner in the upcoming Pixel 6a and at least according to the official early unboxings, it looks like it will be much faster and, hopefully, more accurate.

If an upgraded under-display scanner is used, it needs to be more reliable for everyone that uses the Pixel 7 series. Removing a capacitive fingerprint scanner hasn’t gone quite as well as Google would have hoped. This is why we also would like to see Face Unlock come with the new Pixel series, too. It’s a confusing situation to see the workings of Face Unlock appear within the recent Android 13 Beta builds, but we’d also love to have the option to unlock using facial recognition alongside an in-display fingerprint scanner.

Pixel 4’s Face Unlock was fast and accurate. Although we don’t expect a full return of the feature without a 3D face scanning camera, we hope that Google’s software-based option will finally arrive on the upcoming devices fully baked. Sure, it wouldn’t be quite as secure, but it would be a nice inclusion nonetheless. Maybe, eventually, we’ll see Face Unlock properly return, but until then, we can at least hope.

Enhanced camera zoom range

Slapping a 4x periscope zoom lens into the Pixel 6 Pro was an excellent decision. With the help of Super Res Zoom, images look great even past the 10x zoom range. Add in a sprinkling of Google color tuning and post-processing courtesy of Tensor, and it has been an incredible return to form for the Pixel camera.

Since Huawei wowed with the P30 Pro’s incredible zoom capabilities, Android manufacturers have steadily improved the telephoto camera on flagship phones. After a few years of a main wide and ultrawide combination, the Pixel 6 Pro is the first flagship since the Pixel 4 to offer greater zoom controls.

Now that Google is back competing directly with the best in the business after a comprehensive camera upgrade, it would be excellent to take things a step further and increase the zoom capabilities of the Pixel 7 Pro with an extended hybrid zoom range. Getting above and beyond the 10x optical range would certainly be a start and allow for even better images past the current 20x zoom cap on the Pixel 6 Pro.

120Hz for both device displays

A 120Hz display was right at the top of our Pixel 6 wish list, but this time around we want to see it on the smaller Pixel7 series too. Sure, the 90Hz panel on the regular Pixel 6 is fine, but that 30Hz bump makes a big difference in how Android 12 runs. Animations are just a little smoother and for anyone coming from an older model or phone with a 60Hz display, this would be quite the noticeable jump.

Adaptive screen resolution

pixel 7 wish list - adaptive resolution

Although it’s highly likely that we’ll see the Pixel 7 come with an FHD+ screen and the Pixel 7 Pro pack a QHD+ panel, it would be excellent to get the option to adjust the screen resolution within device settings. This could undoubtedly be added to Android 13, if it were to be a Pixel-exclusive feature it would be highly welcomed.

For the Pixel 7 Pro in particular, being able to bump down to FHD+ resolution and retain a 120Hz refresh rate might provide some battery longevity benefits – although this could also be a great option to include within the Battery Saver and Extreme Battery Saver modes. Dropping to HD+ resolution could be great for getting multiple days of lifespan alongside all of the other tweaks that are applied when these modes are activated.

Faster wired charging speeds

Pixel Stand 2nd Gen charge time remaing message

Our wish was granted last year with the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro with 30W charging being added. Annoyingly, this is not “true” 30W charging as even if you buy the optional power brick, you’ll actually get closer to 23W charging using the accessory.

The new Pixel Stand also only tops out at 23W, which is not exactly fast and is even less impressive given the old 18W power brick charges are similar speeds overall. That’s why faster charging has carried over yet again to our Pixel 7 wish list.

50W wired charging would be a great addition, especially if the Pixel 7 series retains large batteries above the 4,500mAh threshold. We’re unlikely to see a charger return to retail packaging but it would be a nice option for those wanting improved top-up speeds.

Enhanced Tensor performance

Google’s first stab at a custom processor has been overall pretty solid. Sure, it isn’t the most powerful, and it’s not quite at the top of the benchmark charts. That doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t like to see a little extra under-the-hood grunt from the second-generation Tensor chip.

If it can get close to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and still offer the added processing power for things like real-time translation and enhanced image effects, then we’d consider it a success. Gaming is a big area in which the Tensor processor doesn’t quite stack up, most games run smoothly, but it would be great to see a few more frames in the most intense mobile titles. So long as it nails the basics and exceeds the first-generation Tensor processor, then Google is on to a winner yet again.

Uniform screen bezels

The Pixel 5 has the most aesthetically pleasing Pixel display to date and that is owed to the use of uniform display bezels on all sides. While this might explain the use of a pretty terrible under-display earpiece speaker, but even so, the Galaxy S22 and S22+ prove that it is possible to have uniform bezels and a great earpiece speaker.

Android 12 and Material You actually feel more at home on the rounded sides and small bezels of the Pixel 5 than the Pixel 6 series its boxier visual appeal. Shaving down the forehead and chin would be a great way to ensure that Android 13 “fits” better into the upcoming flagship duo in our opinion.

Pre-applied screen protector

pre-applied screen protector on pixel 7 wish list

Not all screen protectors are created equally, but when many other high-end Android phones come with a basic protective cover pre-applied we start to wonder why Google hasn’t followed suit. Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, and Xiaomi are far bigger players in the market and provide this base level of coverage for brand new devices at a multitude of price points.

Sure, if this is not possible due to Google’s wider focus on using recycled materials, then we can accept that decision. After launch, it was a minefield trying to get a good quality screen protector for the Pixel 6 Pro’s curved screen in particular. Google has never offered pre-applied screen protectors but the Pixel 7 series would be a great place to start as a “premium” product. Plus, having some level of out-of-the-box protection would be greatly appreciated, though.

What hardware or software features do you have on your own Pixel 7 wish list?

Is there anything you are really hoping for or looking forward to seeing from the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro? Let us know your Pixel 7 wish list items down in the comments section below.


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Mario Strikers: Battle League Will Be Supported With Free Post-Launch Updates - Nintendo Life

Mario Strikers Battle League
Image: Nintendo

In case you missed it, Nintendo has announced it will be supporting the upcoming release Mario Strikers: Battle League with free post-launch updates, including new characters.

It seems now we've got some additional information courtesy of Twitter user and dataminer 'Wipeoutjack7' - revealing the game's source code makes mention of 10 additional characters. The exact characters haven't been revealed just yet, but hey, it means characters such as Daisy could return.

Of course, this is all subject to change, and for now - all we know is that this post-launch content will include at least some free characters. If we did get 10 additional characters, as noted above, this would bump the full roster up to 20.

These free post-launch updates follow in the footsteps of various other first-party Nintendo releases. On the sports front, Mario Golf: Super Rush also got additional courses and characters.

How do you feel about Nintendo and Next Level Games bolstering Mario Strikers: Battle League with additional free content? What characters would you like to see join the roster? Leave your thoughts down below.

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Thursday, May 26, 2022

Gucci x Oura launch a $950 smart ring to help you discover yourself - TechCrunch

It’s a common problem among the superwealthy. Sure they can buy fancy clothes, jewelry and fast cars, but at the end of the day, they’re stuck using the same boring gadgets as the rest of us. How can they possibly extend their expensive and flashy taste to consumer electronics?

Fortunately, from the bedazzled Nokias of Vertu to Apple’s $1,300 Hermès Watch, hardware makers have been more than happy to cater to extremely expensive tastes. It’s a proud tradition that Oura is furthering with a new Gucci collaboration. The pair are releasing an ostentatious edition of the popular wearable.

Image Credits: Oura

Gucci x Oura Ring is, effectively, an Oura 3 ring featuring the designer’s logo and a braided torchon detailed in 18-karat yellow gold, running along the outside of the band. The ring itself is made from black PVD-coated titanium — it’s similar to this ring here, trading some of the gemstones out for Oura’s sleep and fitness tracking sensors.

Here’s some copy from the release:

The vision of both brands is brought to life in a dynamic campaign that showcases the ring’s highly personalized and responsive capability through a playful time-loop storyline expressed through photographic stills and a video with the tagline, “A journey of self-discovery.” The narrative follows a central character’s fast-paced daily routine and highlights how she maximizes her day with the ring and app’s guidance.

Oura ring and charger

Image Credits: Oura

Said journey of self-discovery will run you $950. Given how I often suggested the Oura Ring’s $300 barrier to more mainstream adoption, I’m probably going to sit this one out. The upshot here is that Oura’s tossing in a lifetime subscription to its service. The company caused waves a while back when it announced that it would be paywalling some insights behind a premium membership. So, really you can say this is more of an investment than anything.

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