Arturia’s MiniLab MkII and software bundle is 25 percent off

Arturia is offering a solid deal on its MiniLab MkII, which may lower the barrier to entry for those who want to try making music with a MIDI keyboard. Not only has the company dropped the price to $99, a reduction of 25 percent, it bundled the MiniLab MkII with software worth over $400.

Buy MiniLab MkII bundle at Arturia – $99

The MiniLab MkII is a portable, 25-key MIDI keyboard controller. It has 16 velocity and pressure-sensitive pads, the same number of rotary encoders and two touch strips for modulation and pitch bend. The USB-powered device has eight user control presets too.

The MiniLab MkII comes with Ableton Live Lite, a version of one of the most popular DAWs around. It offers dozens of instruments and effects. With Analog Lab Intro, you’ll get access to 500 presets, while UVI Grand Piano replicates the sound of the Steinway Model D grand piano. The bundle also includes Mini V, Stage-73 V and Rev PLATE-140 plugins.

At 3.3 lbs, the MiniLab MkII isn’t the most portable MIDI controller around. Still, it’s a great option for beginners.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Snap bans anonymous messaging from third-party apps

Snap is taking more action against bullying and harassment on Snapchat. It will no longer allow anonymous messaging from third-party apps that hook into its platform. The company said that while most people used these features in “fun, engaging, and entirely appropriate ways,” it acknowledged others might take advantage of anonymity “to engage in harmful behavior.”

From now on, third-party apps that want to let folks communicate through a Snapchat integration will need to have registered users with visible usernames and identities.

Last May, Snap locked two third-party apps that allowed for anonymous messages out of its developer platform and began a review of Snap Kit standards and policies. The decision came soon after the filing of a lawsuit related to the death of a teenager who was allegedly bullied through the apps, Yolo and LMK. The teen’s mother sought to hold the makers of all three apps liable.

Of the more than 1,500 developers with access to Snap Kit, two percent will be affected by this policy, according to The Verge. Another rule change will impact three percent of Snap Kit developers: friend-finding apps will be restricted to those aged 18 and older. Snap is enacting that change to protect younger users and make things “more consistent with Snapchat’s use case — communications between close friends who already know each other.”

Samsung’s Neo QLED 8K TVs are available for pre-order, starting at $3,500

Samsung has opened up pre-orders for many of its 2022 TVs and revealed when you’ll be able to lock in an order for some of its other upcoming displays. The company is refreshing its Neo QLED sets this year with features such as refresh rates of up to 144Hz, 14-bit processing for enhanced brightness accuracy and AI-driven upscaling via the Neural Quantum Processor 8K.

Neo QLED QN800B 8K TVs are available to pre-order now at $3,500 for the 65-inch model, $4,700 for the 75-inch TV and $6,500 for the 85-inch version. Pre-orders for the QN900B-series TVs (which have thinner bezels and 144Hz output) will open on March 21st. Pricing hasn’t been announced.

Like the 8K models, the Neo QLED 4K QN95B uses Mini-LEDs. It has a Neural Quantum Processor 4K and 144Hz refresh rate. Top-channel speakers are integrated with Object Tracking Sound with the aim of making whatever you’re watching feel more immersive. Pre-orders will open on May 23rd. 

Samsung 2022 The Frame Matte Display
Samsung

Depending on your preferred screen size, you won’t have to wait quite as long as that to get your hands on a 2022 version of The Frame. It also has new top speakers and comes with Samsung’s solar-powered remote. There’s also a matte finish that’s said to give the appearance of texture to art that you display on the Frame while minimizing glare.

The 43”, 50”, 65” and 75” models are available to pre-order now, starting at $1,000. Samsung will open pre-orders for the 32-inch, 55-inch and 85-inch sizes soon.

Samsung S95B OLED TV
Samsung

In addition, Samsung announced the S95B OLED TV. Features include the Tizen platform, Neural Quantum Processor 4K, Object Tracking Sound and QSymphony- with Dolby Atmos. Samsung says it includes an OLED brightness booster and perceptional color mapping as well. It’s available to pre-order now in 55-inch and 65″ formats, starting at $2,200.

Access to cloud gaming services such as Google Stadia and NVIDIA GeForce Now will be available on some of Samsung’s 2022 TVs. You’ll just need a compatible controller to play games on supported TVs.

Update 3/18 10:26AM ET: Samsung provided updated pricing for the S95B. It’s $200 less than previously announced.

‘Elden Ring’ update adds more quests, as if there wasn’t enough to do already

Elden Ring is a massive game in every sense of the word. To fully complete it can take well over 100 hours, but for those who’ve somehow already exhausted every dungeon and boss, there are now even more things to do. In the latest patch, FromSoftware has added quests for certain non-player characters (NPCs): Diallos, Nepheli Loux, Kenneth Haight and Gatekeeper Gostoc.

Keeping track of NPCs’ locations will be easier too, thanks to new map markers that allow you to include their name. So, if you want to remember where to find a specific merchant, you might not need to jot down their location in a notebook. There’s a new NPC named Jar Bairn as well, while the developers have “added some summonable NPCs in multiple situations,” according to the patch notes.

The update brings in a host of balance changes too. One of them will reduce the effectiveness of the Mimic Tear summon. That allows players to create an AI-controlled spirit with the same loadout as the player, which has come in extremely useful for boss fights.

Meanwhile, FromSoft reduced the amount of damage dished out by the Hoarfrost’s Stomp Ash of War and increased the time it takes to cast. Speedrunners have been relying on that skill to blaze through Elden Ring in under 30 minutes, so they might need to find some new strategies — unless they play offline and decide not to update the game.

To offset those changes and some other nerfs, a bunch of skills now have lower FP (Focus Points) consumption, so you’ll be able to use them more often. Smithing Stones will be easier to find and shields are more effective. Stat scaling issues for some weapons should be smoothed out after some bug fixes. Publisher Bandai Namco says there are some performance improvements too.

Instagram suspended Kanye West for 24 hours

Instagram suspended Kanye West from the platform for 24 hours after the rapper and producer attacked Pete Davidson and others. The Saturday Night Live star and soon-to-be Blue Origin passenger has been dating West’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian for several months.

West (who legally changed his name to Ye) reportedly violated Instagram’s policies on hate speech, harassment and bullying. Some posts that broke the rules were removed from his account, according to HuffPost. Along with lashing out at Davidson, West is said to have posted a (now-deleted) racial slur aimed at Trevor Noah, who criticized him in a recent episode of The Daily Show.

The suspension temporarily prevented West from posting, commenting or sending direct messages on Instagram. A Meta spokesperson has said the company may take further action against West if he violates the rules again.

It remains to be seen whether West will show restraint when The Kardashians premieres on Hulu next month. Kardashian’s relationship with Davidson will be a focal point of the reality show.

Amazon completes its $8.45 billion takeover of MGM

The James Bond, Rocky and RoboCop movies are now owned or co-owned by Amazon. The company has closed its $8.45 billion takeover of storied movie and TV studio MGM.

European Union antitrust regulators unconditionally approved the deal this week. They determined there wasn’t a great deal of overlap between the two companies, and that “MGM’s content cannot be considered as must-have” compared with other studios. 

Amazon had reportedly given the Federal Trade Commission, which was said to have been reviewing the buyout, a deadline of mid-March to challenge or approve the acquisition. If the agency didn’t file a legal challenge by then, Amazon would have been free to move forward with the purchase.

MGM “will complement Prime Video and Amazon Studios’ work in delivering a diverse offering of entertainment choices to customers,” Amazon said in a press release. The studio has more than 4,000 films and 17,000 episodes of TV to its name, along with 180 Oscars and 100 Emmy Awards. MGM movies include classics such as Thelma & Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, The Magnificent Seven and Raging Bull.

Amazon will still release James Bond movies in theaters instead of hanging onto them as Prime Video exclusives. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Bond reading by the pool with a Kindle in his next outing, as long as franchise co-owner Eon Productions gives the OK for that product placement.

It’s likely that the vast majority of MGM movies and TV shows will wind up on Prime Video following theatrical runs and after agreements with other streaming platforms expire.

Update 3/17 12:03PM ET: Noting that Amazon co-owns the James Bond franchise rather than owning it outright.

Netflix thought now would be a good time to resurface Zelensky’s sitcom

Before he gained widespread acclaim for his leadership of Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, president Volodymyr Zelensky was a famous actor and comedian. He starred in a satirical comedy series called Servant of the People, which is now once again available to view on Netflix in the US.

Zelensky played a teacher who is unexpectedly elected president of Ukraine after a video of him ranting about government corruption goes viral. As The New York Times notes, the series, which ran from 2015 to 2019, proved successful in Russia as well as Ukraine. The show has previously been on Netflix in the US, and the service suggested it was bringing Servant of the People back by popular demand.

It’s not surprising that subscribers are interested in watching the show that helped propel Zelensky to the presidency. It’ll be interesting to see if Netflix shares viewership figures in the coming weeks. 

Still, Netflix is touting the return of the show amid a conflict in Ukraine in which thousands of people have been killed. The number of refugees who have fled the country is in the millions, according to the United Nations.

Netflix is one of many companies that have cut ties with Russia over the last few weeks. Its streaming platform is no longer available there. It reportedly suspended production and content acquisitions in the country too.

Epson’s latest laser projector promises 4K 120Hz output for $3,999

Only a month after revealing the Pro Cinema LS12000 laser projector, Epson is bringing much of the same tech to a cheaper model. The Home Cinema LS11000 4K PRO-UHD also uses multi-array laser diodes as the light source (which Epson says will last for up to 20,000 hours), as well as pixel-shifting technology and a three-chip LCD system.

The company claims its precision shift glass plate can refract light accurately to deliver an “exceptionally sharp and clear picture” with a 3,840 x 2,160, 8.29 million-pixel image at a display size of up to 300 inches. It says the Epson Picture Processor can handle resolution enhancement, frame interpolation, color, contrast and HDR imagery in real time. The projector supports HDR10, HLG and HDR10+, though there’s no mention of Dolby Vision.

The LS11000 can output 4K images at 120 fps with input lag times below 20 milliseconds, according to Epson. That could make it a solid choice for large-display gaming, though the lag might not quite cut it for high-performance players who need to minimize input latency. There are two HDMI 2.1 ports on the rear, one of which has eARC/ARC and Dolby Atmos support.

At 2,500 lumens, the LS11000 isn’t quite as bright as the 2,700-lumen LS12000. It has a lower contrast ratio of 1,200,000:1 compared with the LS12000’s 2,500,000:1. For those key tradeoffs, you’ll save $1,000 by opting for the LS11000. Epson’s latest laser projector costs $3,999 and it will ship later this month.

Heliophysics pioneer Eugene Parker dies at 94

Dr. Eugene Parker, a pioneer in the field of heliophysics, has died at the age of 94. In the 1950s, Parker developed a theory that predicted solar winds. As NASA notes, Parker pushed the field forward throughout his career, “advancing ideas that addressed the fundamental questions about the workings of our Sun and stars throughout the universe.”

Heliophysics centers on the physics of the Sun and its impact on the Solar System. In 2018, NASA launched the Parker Solar Probe, the first spacecraft it named after a living person. The probe is tasked with observing the outer corona (or atmosphere) of the Sun to improve our understanding of solar winds and space weather. In December, it became the first spacecraft to enter the Sun’s upper atmosphere.

“Anyone who knew Dr. Parker, knew that he was a visionary. I was honored to stand with him at the launch of Parker Solar Probe and have loved getting to share with him all the exciting science results, seeing his face light up with every new image and data plot I showed him,” Nicola Fox, director of NASA’s heliophysics division, said. “I will sincerely miss his excitement and love for Parker Solar Probe. Even though Dr. Parker is no longer with us, his discoveries and legacy will live forever.”