Intel Arc A770 and A750 desktop GPUs arrive for testing - VideoCardz.com

Arc A7 GPUs are reporting for duty

Intel finally delivers Arc A7 GPUs to reviewers.

After months of waiting, Intel has finally delivers review kits to the media around the world. The kits feature Arc A770 and A750 Limited Edition models, considered Intel’s reference design. It’s the same design that go on sale next month.

The distribution of the Arc media kit happens just a day after the first 13th Gen Core “Raptor Lake” desktop CPU media kits were sent out as well. So, there is definitely a lot of work ahead for all these media outlets, who are getting both.

Intel Arc A7 Review Media Kit, Source: HardwareLuxx, ComputerBase

All review kits come with A770 and A750 GPUs hidden in a large outer boxes, but the actual product was delivered in retail form, just as it will ship to all gamers next month. Furthermore, Intel has bundled with some cool Arc swag, such as a screwdriver set and even an Arc neon/LED lamp. Those will obviously not be available with the product, but there is a chance that Intel will later sell it separately.

Intel Arc A7 Review Media Kit, Source: PCWatch, MyNavi

Just as we leaked last week, Intel A7 embargoes are as follows:

Arc A770/A750 embargo:

• Unboxing : Sep 30, 09:00 (EDT)
• Review : Oct 5, 09:00 (EDT)
• Launch: Oct 12, 09:00 (EDT)

We are not aware of any changes to the review embargo, so you should expect first independent test results as soon as next week.

Intel Arc A7 Review Media Kit, Source: MyNavi

There are many more photos available here, but just in case you prefer video unboxing, check the ones below.

[HotHardware] Intel Arc A770 And A750 Graphics Cards - They're Finally Here! (112 views)

[JayzTwoCents] These GPUs might not actually suck! (87,174 views)

Source: HardwareLuxx, Computerbase, Overclocking, PCWatch

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Microsoft confirms new Exchange zero-days are used in attacks - BleepingComputer

Microsoft has confirmed that two recently reported zero-day vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server 2013, 2016, and 2019 are being exploited in the wild.

"The first vulnerability, identified as CVE-2022-41040, is a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability, while the second, identified as CVE-2022-41082, allows remote code execution (RCE) when PowerShell is accessible to the attacker," Microsoft said.

"At this time, Microsoft is aware of limited targeted attacks using the two vulnerabilities to get into users' systems."

The company added that the CVE-2022-41040 flaw can only be exploited by authenticated attackers. Successful exploitation then allows them to trigger the CVE-2022-41082 RCE vulnerability.

Microsoft says Exchange Online customers don't need to take any action at the moment because the company has detections and mitigation in place to protect customers.

"Microsoft is also monitoring these already deployed detections for malicious activity and will take necessary response actions to protect customers. [..] We are working on an accelerated timeline to release a fix," Microsoft added.

According to Vietnamese cybersecurity outfit GTSC, who first reported the ongoing attacks, the zero-days are chained to deploy Chinese Chopper web shells for persistence and data theft and to move laterally through the victims' networks.

GTSC also suspects that a Chinese threat group might be responsible for the ongoing attacks based on the web shells' code page, a Microsoft character encoding for simplified Chinese.

The threat group also manages the web shells with the Antsword Chinese open-source website admin tool, as revealed by the user agent used to install them on compromised servers.

Mitigation available

Redmond has also confirmed mitigation measures shared yesterday by GTSC, whose security researchers also reported the two flaws to Microsoft privately through the Zero Day Initiative three weeks ago.

"On premises Microsoft Exchange customers should review and apply the following URL Rewrite Instructions and block exposed Remote PowerShell ports," Microsoft added.

"The current mitigation is to add a blocking rule in "IIS Manager -> Default Web Site -> Autodiscover -> URL Rewrite -> Actions" to block the known attack patterns."

To apply the mitigation to vulnerable servers, you will need to go through the following steps:

1. Open the IIS Manager.
2. Expand the Default Web Site.
3. Select Autodiscover.
4. In the Feature View, click URL Rewrite.
5. In the Actions pane on the right-hand side, click Add Rules.
6. Select Request Blocking and click OK.
7. Add String “.*autodiscover\.json.*\@.*Powershell.*” (excluding quotes) and click OK.
8. Expand the rule and select the rule with the Pattern ".*autodiscover\.json.*\@.*Powershell.*" and click Edit under Conditions.
9. Change the condition input from {URL} to {REQUEST_URI}

Since the threat actors can also gain access to PowerShell Remoting on exposed and vulnerable Exchange servers for remote code execution via CVE-2022-41082 exploitation, Microsoft also advises admins to block the following Remote PowerShell ports to hinder the attacks:

• HTTP: 5985
• HTTPS: 5986

GTSC said yesterday that admins who want to check if their Exchange servers have already been compromised could run the following PowerShell command to scan IIS log files for indicators of compromise:

Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Path <Path_IIS_Logs> -Filter "*.log" | Select-String -Pattern 'powershell.*autodiscover\.json.*\@.*200'

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How Trombone Champ Evolved from an Inside Joke to a Viral Success - IGN - IGN

Combine the dramatic story of Dark Souls (if it had baboons in it), the gameplay of Guitar Hero (if Guitar Hero was drunk, and played with a single button), the card collecting of The Witcher 3 (if the cards were chiefly of dead composers), and you might get a game akin to Trombone Champ. What began as just a single, funny idea from husband-and-wife development team Holy Wow Studios has become 2022’s most hilarious game, created with a simple philosophy: 'If it’s funny, it goes in.'

Trombone Champ is a rhythm game that has players – in its own words – “honk, blow, and toot” their way through more than 20 songs as they attempt to solve the mysteries of the Trombiverse and collect Tromboner Cards as they go. It’s ridiculous, and creator Dan Vecchitto knows it.

“My ethos for this game was: if it's a funny idea, do it,” Vecchitto told IGN. “I didn't let standard rules of game design or common sense inhibit the comedy. I let the game gradually grow into a big sloppy pile of jokes: lots of poop jokes, lots of inexplicable baboon references, and lots of parodies of other games.”

But where did the idea for a trombone-based rhythm game come from? Again, a joke. “I originally imagined Trombone Champ as an arcade game, where the player used a huge, rubber trombone controller and attempted to desperately play along with squiggly note lines,” Vecchitto said, but “at that point, it was nothing more than a funny mental image.”

It wasn’t until later he imagined using a mouse to emulate the motion of playing a trombone, and from there Vecchitto created a prototype that was almost as funny as he imagined. “I decided that it was a solid idea and worth developing into a full game,” he said.

Holy Wow had made games before, but these were all smaller, browser-based titles. The Curse of the Chocolate Fountain is a sidescroller about chronic diarrhoea and dodging birds. Icarus Proudbottom Teaches Typing is a typing game with fun facts such as: “Typing was invented by Steve Jobs in January, 1984”. World of Typing is an episodic, Twin Peaks inspired sequel, followed by Typing Party, a two player local multiplayer spin-off.

"My ethos for this game was: if it's a funny idea, do it. I didn't let standard rules of game design or common sense inhibit the comedy."

---

“

Trombone Champ is the team’s first game that’s being sold as an actual product, however - despite Vecchitto expecting it to be a relatively quick and easy game to make. “I thought the project could be completed in under six months but, as is often the case, it proved to be much more work than expected,” he said.

It ended up taking four years to develop in total, with a few starts and stops along the way. Holy Wow isn’t a full-time game studio, with the work done during evenings and weekends, outside of Vecchitto's day job as a web designer.

One thing that extended Trombone Champ’s development was the need for an additional hook that would keep people playing beyond the few hours of songs. The first thing to be added was the Tromboner Cards mechanic, where players can open packs and collect cards with famous trombone players like J. J. Johnson, Al Grey, and more. These are also a parody of lootbox systems in other games like FIFA, as players unlock the packs in a variety of over the top ways.

Inspiration from other games was taken too. “The storyline is a direct parody of the Dark Souls series, which I found funny because those games are intensely dark and serious, the exact opposite of a goofy trombone game,” Vecchitto said.

Trombone Champ Screenshots

While Trombone Champ has blown up now – with Overwhelmingly Positive reviews on Steam – the game only had a small following throughout its development: fans of the comedy in Holy Wow’s previous games. An open playtesting period one month before launch caused the first stir of wider interest, though, with Holy Wow receiving a completely unexpected and overwhelming 600 feedback forms. Things really exploded at launch though, which came as a complete surprise to Holy Wow.

“I've always thought the game concept was fundamentally solid, and knew it would have some viral appeal,” Vecchitto said. “But realistically, what I expected was for a handful of people to share funny videos, and for those videos to go viral.

“I really didn't expect the virality to lead to an explosion of interest in the game itself. It's been nice, but is also overwhelming — it's too much demand for us to keep up with. We're currently trying to strategize how to deal with it.”

"[The success has] been nice, but is also overwhelming — it's too much demand for us to keep up with. We're currently trying to strategize how to deal with it."

---

“

While the future is still a little unclear, Holy Wow is committing to work on Trombone Champ for a while instead of moving onto other games. “I have a ton of game ideas, and my initial idea was to update Trombone Champ for a while and then move on,” Vecchito said, “but given the intense response, we'll probably stick with Trombone Champ for a while.”

A console version may also be released eventually. “I can't say for certain that Trombone Champ will come to consoles, but I can say for certain that we'll start pursuing it soon,” he added. Holy Wow will explore other ways to expand its audience too, such as localising Trombone Champ into different languages, but there’s still a lot of different things for the duo to figure out.

Vecchito puts it in terms worthy of the game itself: “The challenge for us will be navigating this without losing our minds."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

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Sonos Sub Mini review: low end for a lower price - The Verge

The long-awaited $429 Sub Mini doesn’t disappoint, but there are still reasons to opt for the standard Sub

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Sonos customers have been anticipating a product like the Sub Mini for years. Until now, the only way to fully realize a “complete” Sonos home theater system meant coughing up $749 for the Sub subwoofer — on top of whatever you paid for a Sonos soundbar and rear surrounds. That total can quickly balloon to just shy of $2,000 depending on the soundbar you want. For many consumers with Sonos’ step-down products like the Beam and Ray, the Sub was impractically expensive and out of reach.

That’s why there’s now the Sub Mini. First revealed by The Verge back in May, Sonos originally intended to ship the $429 subwoofer well before the October 6th release date it ultimately settled on. But a rough financial quarter and underwhelming demand for the entry-level Ray soundbar led the company to push back the Sub Mini’s release by several weeks. 

Now, the smaller, more affordable subwoofer is nearly here. I’ve been testing it for over a week, sampling the Sub Mini’s low-end performance across TV, movies, video games, and music. If you’ve been counting down the days until you can get your hands on one, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. There are still circumstances and use cases where the larger, pricier Sub is the better choice. But so long as you plan to use the Sub Mini in a small- to mid-size room, it has all the kick necessary for movie night. And in my opinion, its design looks much nicer than the glossy, boxy Sub — even if, on the inside, they’re both based on similar acoustic principles. 

How we rate and review products

Standing 12 inches high and weighing 14 pounds, the Sub Mini isn’t as “mini” as its name might suggest. But a subwoofer can only get so small if you still want it to pack some wallop. The Sub Mini is significantly larger than the Sonos Move, itself a fairly big “portable” speaker, and finding a hiding place for it near your TV might take some creativity. I’ve been testing the white Sub Mini, and I’m very happy Sonos moved away from a glossy finish in favor of a matte look. The “center tunnel” section of the product — the cutout in the middle — is black, which creates a classy two-tone look reminiscent of the second-generation Play:5.

The Sub Mini’s dual six-inch woofers face each other for a force-canceling effect.

Image: Sonos

Like the Sub, the Sub Mini’s dual woofers face inward (one on each side of the tunnel) for a force-canceling effect to mitigate floor rumble and keep your downstairs neighbors happy. Those relatively small six-inch woofers are encased in an acoustically sealed cabinet structure that Sonos says “neutralizes distortion” and should improve bass response and extension. Both the Sub and Sub Mini are designed to reach as low as 25Hz, but the Sub’s larger woofers let it hit output levels two to three times louder than the Sub Mini. It’s really that resonance that separates them.

The Sub Mini isn’t all that “mini,” but then again, no subwoofer really is.

Setting up the Sub Mini was a breeze. You just plug in the power cord, open the Sonos app, and the software will prompt you to set up the new device. You’re then asked to hold your smartphone near the top of the Sub Mini to transfer your Wi-Fi and other Sonos system details over NFC. For the last step, Sonos asks which existing soundbar or speaker you want to pair the Sub Mini with. Obviously most people will link it to a Beam or Ray (I tested with both), but you can also combine it with Sonos’ music speakers like the Play:5 / Sonos Five to bring more low-frequency energy and clarity to your tunes. 

Once setup is done, Sonos offloads low frequencies to the Sub Mini while letting the original device handle the mids and treble. This divvying up of sound frequencies happens automatically. If you disable the Sub or unplug it, your soundbar simply returns to its normal full-range output. Like always, it’s best to tune your Sonos home theater setup with the help of the Sonos app’s Trueplay feature, which remains exclusive to iOS devices.

Sonos says the Sub Mini is best suited for small- to mid-sized rooms.

Outside of Trueplay, there aren’t many settings to adjust for the Sub Mini in Sonos’ app. You can toggle it off or adjust the “sub level” slider anywhere from -15 to +15 if you really want to explore what the subwoofer can do. I left it at the default of zero for most of my testing. If you activate Night mode while watching TV or a movie, that will also apply to the Sub Mini to keep its intensity and rumble in check. 

It’s worth noting that the Sub Mini does not suffer from a bug that, at the time of publication, affects the Sub (Gen 3). Owners of that product have complained about reduced performance after a recent software update. Here’s a statement on the situation, courtesy of Sonos spokesperson Olivia Singer:

“Last month, we made a change to Arc’s audio profile to improve dialogue clarity and the overall sound experience. The change was based on feedback from our listeners in the field and brings Arc in line with our other Home Theater products. We have identified an issue for some users whose configuration includes a Sub (with or without surrounds), who find their Sub output is lower than desired after performing a new Trueplay tuning. Users with Beam or Ray bonded with Sub can increase the Sub level for a more powerful low-end response, however this won’t have the same impact for Arc users. Customers using Arc bonded with a Sub (and/or surrounds) who find their Sub output is lower than desired following performing a new Trueplay tuning, should temporarily disable Trueplay on Arc until this is addressed by an upcoming software update.”

So, does the Sub Mini deliver on the company’s “bold bass” promises? For movies and TV, I’d give a solid thumbs-up. I watched plenty of flicks while testing the Sub Mini in combination with both a second-gen Beam and Ray, and performance is largely what I hoped it would be. In this lounge fight scene from The Batman, the Sub Mini brought an impressive thump to the music playing in the club throughout the scuffle. I’m a big Edge of Tomorrow fan, and the first scenes of that film are a good workout for any subwoofer. The Sub Mini proved itself ready for the challenge and never distorted. This remained true throughout the entirety of Blade Runner 2049 as well. Movies and shows alike sounded fuller and more dynamic. 

For music, I bounced around tracks like Genesis’ “Follow You Follow Me” and Ray LaMontagne’s album Trouble. The Sub Mini noticeably lent more bottom end to whatever I played and made the whole experience more dynamic than listening to music through the soundbar alone. Synths and standup bass sound richer with the Sub Mini there to give lower frequencies more power and presence. I can imagine that the full-fledged Sub offers more nuance and variation in the bass tones, but I didn’t have one at hand for a direct comparison. Depending on volume level or content, it’s not always obvious that the Sub Mini is putting in work. There’s minimal floor vibration due to those force-canceling woofers. But just reach your hand into the center tunnel and you’ll feel constant movement.

There aren’t many settings to worry about.

I didn’t encounter any playback issues or dropouts over the course of my testing. Only one Sub Mini can be connected to a soundbar, whereas you can include up to three units of the normal Sub (Gen 3) in a system. Sonos is positioning the Sub Mini as the ideal companion for all of its midrange gear, like the Ray, Beam, One, and Ikea Symfonisk hardware. The company’s top-level speakers (like the Arc and Five) and bigger viewing spaces are better served by the full-size Sub. It felt just right for my apartment, but I could see how the Sub Mini might strain itself in large living rooms or basements due to its reduced footprint. Also, it’s not compatible with either of Sonos’ portable speakers, so you can’t use it with the aforementioned Move.

AGREE TO CONTINUE: SONOS SUB MINI

Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it — contracts that no one actually reads. It’s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit “agree” to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don’t read and definitely can’t negotiate.

By using the Sonos Sub Mini, you’re agreeing to:

• Sonos privacy policy
• Sonos terms of use, license, and warranty agreement

Sonos also collects what it refers to as “additional usage data,” and this covers a lot, including:

• The temperature of your product
• Wi-Fi information like signal strength
• How often you use music services connected to your Sonos system
• Information about how often you use the Sonos app versus other control mechanisms
• Flow of interactions within the Sonos app
• How often you use the physical controls on the unit
• Duration of Sonos product use
• Duration of music service use
• Product or room grouping information
• Command information (such as play, pause, change volume, or skip tracks)
• Sonos playlist or Sonos favorites information

You can opt out of additional usage collection from the Sonos mobile app, but Sonos warns that doing so will disable functionality like personalization services (e.g., Recently Played), Sonos Radio, voice control, and more.

The final tally is two mandatory agreements and one optional agreement.

I think the Sub Mini will be a welcome addition to many Sonos living room setups, and even if $429 is nowhere near “cheap” — that’s more than some home-theater-in-a-box 5.1 systems and the Ray soundbar itself — it’s still considerably less than investing $749 into the Sub. You’re paying extra for Sonos’ meticulous design and engineering along with the stylish aesthetic, but it’s not for nothing.

The Sub Mini isn’t technically or acoustically as powerful as the standard Sub, but it succeeds in providing an immersive, full-bodied audio experience that’s only possible with a “complete” Sonos home theater system. And it deals less damage to your bank account. 

Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge

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Has Verizon really released stable Android 13 update to the Galaxy S22? - SamMobile - Samsung news

Samsung is currently testing the third One UI 5.0 beta version on the Galaxy S22 series. However, Verizon claims on its website that it has already released the stable Android 13 update to the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra. The carrier even published the complete One UI 5.0 changelog and screenshots of some of the new features. But has it actually released the update?

Well, a Redditor was able to download the update with firmware version S90xUSQS2AVI1, as mentioned on Verizon’s website. However, it’s not Android 13-based One UI 5.0, as claimed by Verizon. The changelog on the carrier’s website also mentions the October 2022 security patch, which Samsung released earlier today. We know that Samsung is currently testing Android 13 on its high-end phones and is yet to release a stable build.

So, it is possible that Verizon has published the wrong changelog by mistake. This also points towards a possibility of an earlier-than-usual release of the next major Android OS update for Samsung’s phones. The company might release the Android 13-based One UI 5.0 stable update to the Galaxy S22 series sometime next month.

Samsung has also been testing Android 13 on the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, Galaxy S20 Ultra, Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, Galaxy S21 Ultra, and the Galaxy A52. All these phones could get the stable Android 13 update within a couple of months.

SamsungGalaxy S22

SamsungGalaxy S22+

SamsungGalaxy S22 Ultra

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Here's everything Amazon announced on Wednesday: A Kindle you can write on, a new TV, four new Echos and more - CNBC

7 Hours Ago

Amazon unveils new smart TV, the Fire TV Omni QLED Series starting at $799.99

Amazon Fire TV Omni Series in QLED

Amazon

Amazon just announced a new TV: The Amazon Fire TV Omni Series in QLED. 

Aside from its QLED display, the TV has Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive for the first time. Support for those formats should help improve the picture quality, particularly in dark scenes where it might otherwise be hard to see everything on the screen. And the adaptive brightness features mean the picture adjusts if the room is overly brightened by the sun, or in a dark room. It also works as an Echo, with built-in Alexa, and includes Alexa Widgets. It can turn on and off when someone enters or exits a room. The TV can also act as a  piece of wall art when it's not in use, thanks to a gallery of famous landscape paintings.

The TV will be available in 65" and 75" starting at $799.99. Preorders start today. 

--Sofia Pitt

7 Hours Ago

Amazon upgrades remote to Alexa Voice Remote Pro for $34.99

Amazon's new Fire TV remote

Amazon

Amazon just unveiled a new remote called the Alexa Voice Remote Pro. Preorders for the $34.99 Alexa Voice Remote Pro start today and it will begin shipping in November. You can ask Alexa device to help you find your remote and it will start playing a noise for location assistance. It also comes with two customizable buttons to create shortcuts to your favorite streaming apps or channels.

--Sofia Pitt

7 Hours Ago

Amazon announces new Fire TV Cube for $139.99

Amazon Fire TV Cube 2022

Amazon

Amazon just unveiled its third generation Fire TV Cube, a device that's a cross between a streaming media player and an Echo speaker. It's the first big refresh since 2019. Amazon says the newest version of the Cube is 20% faster than its predecessor.

The Cube can be controlled by Alexa and includes support for 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, HDR and Dolby Atmos audio. It now includes an HDMI input port, which means users who are cable subscribers can plug their cable box into the Cube to consolidate their TV's UI. The Cube also has WiFi 6E support, and Super Resolution Upscaling, meaning it helps upgrade older quality content into a clearer, sharper picture. 

Preorders for the $139.99 device start today and orders will start shipping October 25.

--Sofia Pitt

7 Hours Ago

Fire TV coming to Amazon’s Echo Show 15 later this year for free

Echo Show with Fire TV

Amazon

If you have an Echo Show 15, which is a big smart screen you can hang on the wall, a free software update will allow you to add Fire TV to your device. An update later this year will add the Fire TV software so that you can quickly access all the streaming apps just like you would on any other Fire TV device.

--Sofia Pitt

7 Hours Ago

Amazon-owned Ring unveils new Spotlight Cam Pro

Ring Spotlight Cam Pro

Amazon

Amazon just announced the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro, the Spotlight Cam Pro Solar and the Spotlight Cam Plus. 

The Spotlight Cam Pro is a new pro-tier security camera that has 3D motion detection, which can send motion alerts to your phone. 

The Spotlight Cam Plus now has multiple power options including solar, battery, wired and plug in. 

The new Ring Spotlight Cam Pro battery and plug in cost $229.99. The Spotlight Cam Pro Solar is priced at $249.99. The Spotlight Cam Plus starts at $199.99.

--Sofia Pitt

7 Hours Ago

Amazon's Astro robot adds new features including pet detection

Amazon Astro home robot

Todd Haselton | CNBC

Amazon's Astro robot can now check on doors to see if they're open. It also allows for pet detection so owners can monitor their pets from home.

There's a new integration between Ring and Astro called Virtual Guard + Astro for small businesses. Astro's cameras can alert virtual security agents.

--Sofia Pitt

7 Hours Ago

Amazon adds enhanced shopping features to Echo Show

Amazon shop the look

Amazon

Amazon announced a new feature for Echo Show devices, called "Shop the look."

For example, users can say "show me that shirt," when they see an image on their screen, and the device will serve up similar products, drawing in part from Amazon's product catalog.

The feature shows that Amazon remains intent on making voice shopping more pervasive.

— Annie Palmer

8 Hours Ago

Amazon introduces four new Echo devices

Amazon Echo Dot 2022

Amazon

Amazon just announced four new Echo products: the Echo Dot, the Echo Dot with Clock, the Echo Dot Kids, the Echo Studio and the Echo Auto. 

The Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock deliver up to two times the bass of the previous generation, according to Amazon. It also has a new temperature sensor, so it can do things like automatically turning on your smart fan when it gets too warm inside. Both devices also have new gesture controls and a new display. The coolest new feature is probably a built-in Eero, which turns your device into a WiFi extender to improve network coverage in your home. Eero built-in will also roll out to older 4th generation Echo Dots and Echo Dots with Clock in the next few months. 

The new Echo Dot Kids now comes in owl and dragon designs. The device comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, offering kid content including books, games, videos, songs and more. 

Echo Studio 2022

Amazon

The company also rolled out a new high-end Echo Studio. Sound quality is even better with new spatial audio processing technology and frequency range extension, according to Amazon. 

Last, but not least is the new Echo Auto, which has a new design and flexible mounting options. You can use Alexa to listen to music, make calls and get hands-free roadside assistance. 

The Dot is priced at $49.99, the Dot with Clock and Echo Dot Kids are both $59.99, the Echo Studio costs $199.99 and the Echo Auto is priced at $54.99. Preorders start today and devices will begin shipping next month.

--Sofia Pitt

8 Hours Ago

Amazon just unveiled the Halo Rise, a $139.99 bedside sleep tracker

Amazon just unveiled a $139.99 no-contact sleep tracker called the Halo Rise.

Amazon Halo rise sleep tracker

Amazon

The company says the device has environmental sensing with a smart alarm and wake up light as well as machine learning and sensor tech to accurately detect sleep patterns. 

The device comes with six months of Halo membership and will ship later this year. 

The Halo Rise works with Alexa. It doesn't require users to press a button or charge a battery and it helps determine all of your sleep phases, from REM, to light and deep sleep and provides users with a sleep score.

--Sofia Pitt

8 Hours Ago

Amazon announces new Kindle Scribe that you can write on

Amazon just announced a new Kindle Scribe, the first Kindle that you can write on.

Amazon Kindle Scribe

Amazon

It has a 10.2-inch display with a pen that allows you to take notes, make to-do lists, and write directly on the pages of the book you're reading.

You can use Scribe to mark up PDFs and other documents. It can last weeks and weeks without a charge.

Preorders start today and will ship in time for the holidays. Scribe is priced at $339.99.

8 Hours Ago

David Limp kicks off Amazon's hardware event with Kindle presentation

David Limp, senior vice president of devices at Amazon, starts the presentation with Kindle.

--Sofia Pitt

8 Hours Ago

The robot elephant in the room

One question that's likely to be on many people's minds during the event: Will Amazon mention Roomba-maker iRobot?

Amazon made the surprising announcement in August that it plans to acquire iRobot for roughly $1.7 billion, delivering a shot in the arm to its hardware and robotics businesses. iRobot is best known for its robotic vacuum Roomba, and robot mops.

Amazon's Astro home robot

Amazon

Amazon launched its own consumer robot, Astro, at last year's hardware event. Astro is equipped with Amazon's Alexa digital assistant and can follow users around the home. But it's only available by invitation, and it will have a steep $1,450 price when released.

iRobot's Roomba.

Source: iRobot

— Annie Palmer

8 Hours Ago

Amazon's hardware business isn't a big moneymaker

A group of Amazon Echo smart speakers, including Echo Studio, Echo and Echo Dot models, taken on September 24, 2020.

Neil Godwin/Future Publishing via Getty Images

Unlike Apple, which makes money off of sales of its flagship iPhone and other products, Amazon's hardware business doesn't generate much profit, and it doesn't account for a significant portion of the company's revenue.

Instead, Amazon launches devices at extremely cheap prices with the goal of promoting its other products and services. It hopes that for every $99 Fire tablet it sells, for example, users will purchase movies, audiobook subscriptions and other items, which tend to have higher margins.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has previously admitted that the retail giant doesn't expect to make a profit on its devices.

Even if it's not a lucrative business, Amazon's growing array of Echo smart speakers, Ring doorbells and Fire TV sticks help extend the company's reach in the smart home. And they help serve its other, fast-growing businesses, like advertising.

— Annie Palmer

8 Hours Ago

There may be surprises

You can usually expect new Echos, Fire TV software and the like at these events, but sometimes Amazon has a few surprises. One year it announced Echo Frames glasses, for example. Last year it launched a smart frame that hangs on the wall. And it's also used its fall event to announce a security drone that flies around your house. But that hasn't launched yet.

Also of note: Amazon just updated its Fire tablets, so we probably won't see anything new there today.

-- Todd Haselton

9 Hours Ago

Amazon's launching new gadgets just in time for Prime Day 2.0

Amazon's hardware event is well timed. The company is planning to host another Prime Day-like discount bonanza next month, the first time it's held two deal events in the same year.

Amazon typically discounts its own gadgets during these events. In years past, Amazon-branded devices like Echos, Fire TVs and Kindles also tend to be among the top sellers on Prime Day (which is typically held in the summer), and busy holiday shopping days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

— Annie Palmer

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Samsung reveals world's first slidable display for PCs - SamMobile - Samsung news

Samsung has been making foldable smartphones for quite a few years now, and it is the unrivaled king of the segment. However, the company has far greater things planned for foldable devices in the future, including slidable displays. In May 2022, Samsung Display showcased a 6.7-inch slidable OLED display that extends vertically, unlike a few expandable display prototypes that we’ve seen that expand horizontally.

Samsung’s slidable OLED display for PCs can extend from 13 inches to 17 inches

Now, Samsung Display has revealed what it calls “the world’s first 17-inch slidable display for PCs globally.” The tablet-like device that Samsung Display CEO JS Choi demonstrated at the Intel Innovation Keynote 2022 has a 13-inch display that expands horizontally to 17 inches. This working prototype had a single static image displayed on it, and going by what JS Choi said, it is made specifically for computers with a tablet-like form factor, such as the Microsoft Surface Go 3.

We still don’t know the display panel’s resolution, aspect ratio, brightness, and other specifications. The company hasn’t revealed how durable it is. So, it’s hard to judge the slidable display’s quality.

The fact that Samsung calls it a “slidable” display rather than an expandable screen hints that the South Korean tech giant wants to differentiate its product from others. That makes sense when you consider that the expandable displays we’ve seen from brands like LG and OPPO were made for smartphones, but the one from Samsung is made for PCs.

The LG Rollable smartphone that made its debut a couple of years ago never made it to the market because the company had to shut down its smartphone business. OPPO’s smartphone with the rollable display was also never launched to the public. We’ll have to see if Samsung’s latest slidable display makes it to the market or if even it faces the same fate as the others.

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Apple Ditches iPhone Production Increase After Demand Falters - Bloomberg

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1. Apple Ditches iPhone Production Increase After Demand Falters  Bloomberg
2. WION Business News | Apple drops plan to boost production: Reports | WION Business News  WION
3. Apple reportedly reverses plan to increase iPhone 14 production due to lower demand  9to5Mac
4. Apple reportedly readjusts iPhone 14 production targets after slow demand  TechCrunch
5. Apple won't boost production of iPhone 14 due to slower demand: report  MarketWatch
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Here’s how Apple Watch Series 8 compares to Series 7 and earlier - 9to5Mac

The 2022 Apple Watch lineup is here with three new wearables. While much remains the same between Series 8 and previous models, there are some differences worth considering. Read on for Apple Watch Series 8 vs 7 and earlier plus what Apple Watch Ultra brings to the table.

Table of contents

For Apple Watch Ultra vs Series 8 and more, check out our full comparison on that:

Apple Watch Series 8 vs 7 and earlier

Processor, storage, more

In 2021, Apple used the same 64-bit dual-core processor in the Series 7 that launched in the Series 6, but with the updated S7 name.

This year, the Series 8 (and Ultra) come with the S8 SiP 64-bit dual-core processor. But even with the numerical bump in name, it appears to be the same as the S7 and S6 performance-wise – Apple didn’t share any claims of performance advancements during its announcement or on its website.

While you shouldn’t expect a perceptible speed bump from Series 6 or 7 to 8 (or Ultra), if you’re coming from an earlier Apple Watch model you should definitely notice a faster, more responsive watch.

Apple does specify that the S8 is 20% faster than the S5 chip.

Another benefit, if you’re coming from a Series 3 or 4 to Series 8, Ultra, or SE gen 2, is a jump in storage to 32GB.

	Series 8	7	6	SE 2	SE 1
SiP/Processor	S8 SiP 64-bit dual-core processor	S7 SiP 64-bit dual-core processor	S6 SiP 64-bit dual-core processor	S8 SiP 64-bit dual-core processor	S5 SiP 64-bit dual-core processor
U1 (ultra wideband)	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌
Bluetooth	5.3	5.0	5.0	5.3	5.0
Storage	32GB	32GB	32GB	32GB	32GB

One more difference between Apple Watch Series 8/7/6 and SE 2nd gen is the latter doesn’t come with the U1 ultra wideband chip.

Case and display

Apple Watch Series 8 keeps on with the same sizes that launched with Apple Watch Series 7. That’s 45 and 41mm cases and a larger display that’s 20% bigger than Series 4-6/SE and 50% larger than the Series 3.

Apple Watch Ultra comes with the biggest case and display yet from Apple with 49mm for the former and a 410 x 502 resolution display that offers 1164 sq mm. Apple says it’s 27% bigger than the display on Series 4-6/SE.

	Series 8	7	6	SE 2	SE 1
Case size	45/41mm	45/41mm	44/40mm	44/40mm	44/40mm
Display size	396 x 484 pixels, 1143 sq mm (45mm model)	396 x 484 pixels, 1143 sq mm (45mm model)	368 x 448 pixels, 977 sq mm (44mm model)	368 x 448 pixels, 977 sq mm (44mm model)	368 x 448 pixels, 977 sq mm (44mm model)
Brightness	1,000 nits	1,000 nits	1,000 nits	1,000 nits	1,0000 nits
Always-on display	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌
Sapphire crystal front	Yes with steel models, no with aluminum	Yes with steel models, no with aluminum	Yes with steel models, no with aluminum	❌	❌

Apple Watch SE 2nd gen features the same 44 or 40mm case options and the same display size as the 1st gen/Series 6 and earlier.

Apple Watch band compatibility

For bands, loops, and bracelets, Apple says those designed for 38/40/41 and 42/44/45mm Apple Watches will work with Apple Watch Series 8, SE 2, Ultra, and vice versa.

Battery life and charging

Notably, a new Low Power mode comes to Apple Watch Series 4 and later with watchOS 9. This can double the battery of those models from 18 to 36 hours. However, you do lose some functionality for that efficiency.

First introduced with Apple Watch 7 and continued with Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra is 33% faster charging than Series 6 and earlier. That means going from 0-80% in 45 instead of around 60 minutes for the other models.

	Series 8	7	6	SE 2	SE 1
Battery life – standard	18 hours	18 hours	18 hours	18 hours	18 hours
Extended battery with Low Power mode	36 hours	36 hours	36 hours	36 hours	36 hours
Charging	0-80% in 45 minutes	0-80% in 45 minutes	0-80% in 45 minutes	0-80% in 60 minutes	0-80% in 60 minutes

A major change with Apple Watch Ultra is the biggest battery yet in the lineup. That’s 36 hours of standard battery life and up to 60 hours of extended use with Low Power mode (special Ultra Low Power mode coming soon).

If you’re interested in using Apple Watch Series 8 or 7 for sleep tracking, you also get 8 hours worth of use from an 8-minute charge (Ultra too).

Apple Watch Series 8 vs 7 and more – Key features

New with Apple Watch Series 8 is a temperature sensor that enables advanced cycle tracking and new hardware to detect car crashes.

In a support document Apple says anyone can use the temperature sensor to track the metric (outside of using advanced cycle tracking) by using Apple Watch sleep tracking but some have been having trouble getting the data to show up.

Here are the core features you’re getting with Apple Watch Series 8, 7, SE 2, and more:

Apple Watch model/features	Series 8	7	6	SE 2	SE 1
ECG app	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌
Blood Oxygen app	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌
High/low heart rate notifications	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
New Compass app w/ waypoints + backtrack	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
IP6X dust resistant	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
Water resistant to 50m	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Sleep tracking	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Crash detection	✅	❌	❌	✅	❌
Fall detection	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Advanced cycle tracking with temp sensing	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Cycle tracking without temp sensing	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Emergency SOS	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅

Price

• Series 8 starts from $399/$429 and up (Apple, Amazon, more)
• Series 7 goes usually sells at a discount (Amazon, Best Buy, more) Apple has stopped selling Series 7
• Apple Watch SE 2nd gen goes from $249 (Apple, Amazon, more)

Apple Watch Series 8 vs 7 and earlier wrap-up

Apple Watch Series 8 could feel like Series 7S for many people with only two main changes – the temperature sensor with advanced cycle tracking and crash detection. But if you’re thinking of upgrading from Series 3, 4, or SE, you get a larger display, always-on screen, faster charging, and all of the latest and greatest health features.

What do you think about the new Apple Watch lineup? Did you get one or are you passing? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Thanks for reading our guide on Apple Watch Series 8 vs 7!

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