Samsung’s Galaxy A53 offers 5G and a 120Hz screen for $450

Almost a year after Samsung revealed the Galaxy A52 (and the rest of the 2021 Galaxy A family), the company is back with even more phones. While the foldables and the Galaxy S22 line might grab the headlines and raise the bar for specs, the Galaxy A ph…

The Morning After: ‘Elden Ring’ is a hit

Bandai Namco expected to sell four million copies of FromSoftware’s Elden Ring. Considering Dark Souls 3 sold three million copies in the month it came out, that seemed a relatively ambitious goal. Elden Ring, however, eclipsed the company’s expectations: It sold 12 million units worldwide, one million in Japan alone, within 18 days of its release.

Elden Ring was made with help from Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin, who wrote the overarching mythos for the game — yes, there are dragons — so one part of the press release may not be a huge surprise: the possibility of expanding the IP “beyond the realm of games.” Elden Ring, a new HBO series, coming soon?

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Apple iPad Air (2022) review

Almost future proof.

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Engadget

Nathan Ingraham thinks the iPad Air is the best iPad for most people: It’s significantly better than the basic $329 iPad and is nearly identical to the 11-inch iPad Pro, which costs $200 more than the Air. If you want a bigger or smaller screen, the iPad mini and 12.9-inch iPad Pro are still great options. But if you want a premium tablet that’s about as future-proof as it gets, the iPad Air is the way to go.

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Netflix tests out ways to stop you sharing your login

It’s kicking off a test in Peru, Chile and Costa Rica.

Netflix is gearing up to do something about unauthorized account sharing. After testing a notification last year that pushed people to stop mooching and get their own Netflix accounts, the company has announced another test in Chile, Costa Rica and Peru, which will let subscribers pay extra to share their accounts with people outside their home. According to Variety, subscribers will be able to add up to two “sub-members” for $2.99 each in Costa Rica. Those users will get their own Netflix logins, recommendations and profile.

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Chipotle’s experimental tortilla robots know to add a little variety

Just tortilla chips for now.

Chipotle is testing Chippy, a version of Miso Robotics’ arm-based automaton (already in use at White Castle) customized to make tortilla chips. The bot not only knows how to replicate Chipotle’s recipe but is smart enough to add “subtle variations” to keep things interesting — you might get a little more lime or salt.

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Netflix brings Ukraine president’s sitcom back to its US service

The service claims ‘Servant of the People’ is back by popular demand.

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Netflix

Before he became 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. It’s an odd move, amid the conflict between Ukraine and Russia in which thousands of people have been killed.

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How to sell your used and unwanted gadgets

There are lots of ways to make a buck off your old stuff.

Our latest spring-cleaning guide is about clearing out your old tech — and hopefully making cash out of it. We highlight the best trade-in sites and stores, advice on how to sell directly and how to get the best cash-back deals, too. Maybe you’d be interested in an OLED upgrade for your old Switch?

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Audio-Technica’s 20-hour earbuds are now available in the US for $149

Even with ANC on, the company promises up to 15 hours of use.

Audio-Technica introduced its latest true wireless earbuds last month in the UK and EU, and now you can order the long-lasting ATH-CKS50TW model in the US. For $149, you can expect up to 20 hours of battery life with active noise cancellation (ANC) disabled and up to 15 hours with it on. That’s well beyond what most of the competition offers — with or without noise-canceling abilities. The buds are due to ship early-to-mid April.

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The Morning After: NFTs are coming to Instagram

Just when I thought the NFT chaos had calmed, here comes Instagram. Speaking at SXSW, Mark Zuckerberg confirmed digital collectibles would be arriving on Instagram “in the near term.” Zuckerberg said NFTs could one day play a role in the company’s eventual metaverse. “I would hope that, the clothing that your avatar is wearing in the metaverse… can be basically minted as an NFT, and you can take it between your different places,” he said.

SXSW 2022 is this week, and we’re remotely reporting on all the major panels, announcements and reveals. Just, sadly, without the Austin food scene on hand.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Google says Steam is coming to ‘select’ Chromebooks

You’ll need the right hardware to play.

Google mentioned in its Games Developer Summit keynote that a Steam alpha test for Chrome OS will be available for “select” Chromebooks. Details weren’t available as of this writing, but Google pointed would-be players to a (currently unavailable) Chromebook community forum post. What about minimum specs? According to rumors, you might be limited to models with at least an 11th-gen Core i5 and 7GB of RAM. And hey, what about Stadia?

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Microsoft’s DirectStorage will speed up game loads on Windows 10 and 11

The API is available to game developers right now.

“Windows games can ship with DirectStorage,” starting today, Microsoft has announced. DirectStorage is the tech giant’s fast game-loading technology that was introduced with the Xbox Series X and S consoles. In September 2020, Microsoft revealed it’ll also make the DirectStorage API available on Windows, allowing games for PCs to take advantage of the technology. It may take a while for more titles to come with DirectStorage, especially since not everyone has upgraded to NVMe SSDs yet.

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Tesla raises prices across its entire EV lineup

The base Model 3 now costs $46,990.

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Tesla

Tesla has raised the prices of its electric vehicles for the second time in a month. After adding $1,000 to some long-range models last week, the automaker has now implemented a much larger price increase across its lineup. Prices now start at $46,990 for the base Model 3, $2,000 higher than before. Although Tesla has quietly raised prices overnight, the move didn’t come out of left field. On Twitter, company chief Elon Musk hinted at the possibility of a price hike. He said both Tesla and SpaceX are seeing “significant recent inflation pressure in raw materials [and] logistics.”

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Watch the first ‘Ms. Marvel’ trailer

It’ll premiere June 8th on Disney+.

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Marvel

Ms. Marvel, one of several Marvel Cinematic Universe shows coming to Disney+ this year, will premiere on June 8th. It centers around Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), a Pakistani–American whose idol is Captain Marvel. She’ll be the MCU’s first Muslim superhero and will also appear in The Marvels movie, which is scheduled to hit theaters on February 17th, 2023.

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Amazon wins EU approval for its $8.45 billion purchase of MGM

The company’s still awaiting the go-ahead from US regulators.

European Union officials have unconditionally OKed Amazon’s $8.45 billion bid to buy famed movie and TV studio MGM. The European Commission’s antitrust regulators determined there was limited overlap between the companies and said the merger wouldn’t severely reduce competition in the movie business.

Amazon still needs the green light from the Federal Trade Commission before it can close the deal, which was announced last May. Recent reports suggested the FTC was planning to challenge the merger with an antitrust lawsuit. However, that requires a majority vote by commissioners.

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The Morning After: You should clean your AirPods

We’re approaching spring-cleaning season, and tech sometimes needs a refresh, too. True wireless earbuds — and most wearable devices — can accumulate a worrying amount of dirt, oils and, well, detritus. So how do you clean them without breaking, damaging or scratching them? We made a guide for that, synthesizing official guidance from Apple, Samsung, Sony and the rest with real-world tips and cleaning tool recommendations.

The good thing is the more often you clean them, the less disgusting they’ll be. And don’t worry — no pictures of ear wax-caked buds. I know it’s early. No one wants to see that.

This week on the site, we’ve updated our robot vacuum guide, and we’ll be tackling how to recycle your old gadgets, how to clean and care for your displays and how to prep your grills for BBQ season.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

iPhone SE review (2022)

Small phone, powerful processor.

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Engadget

Apple’s approach to making a more affordable iPhone has been to stuff premium processors into older cases. With the new iPhone SE, the company has stuck to that strategy. With a home button, substantial top and bottom bezels and rounded corners, it’s nearly identical to the 2020 model. And at this point, it’s starting to feel borderline retro. When basically all smartphones have done away with home buttons, this year’s iPhone SE feels anachronistic. However, it has Apple’s latest cutting-edge processor, the A15 Bionic, a surprisingly capable camera, and it’s just $429. Tempted? Read on for our full review.

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Apple’s iOS 15.4 comes with mask-friendly Face ID unlock

The company has also released iPadOS 15.4.

Apple has begun rolling out iOS 15.4. One of the most notable upgrades is the option to unlock your device while wearing a mask without needing to enter a passcode or use an Apple Watch. Once you’ve installed iOS 15.4, you need to activate it manually in the Face ID and Passcode section of the Settings menu.

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Twitter ditches its tabbed timeline mere days after rolling it out

“We heard you.”

Just days after introducing a feature that made an algorithmically generated feed the default for iOS users, Twitter is changing things back to the way they were before. “We heard you,” the company said. “Some of you always want to see [the] latest tweets first. We’ve switched the timeline back and removed the tabbed experience for now while we explore other options.”

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CD sales rose for the first time in 17 years

The music industry made almost as much from CDs as digital downloads in 2021.

According to the Recording Industry Association of America’s annual sales report, revenue from CDs grew by 21 percent to $584 million in 2021. That marked the first annual increase in CD revenue in the US since 2004. A lot of this may be due to how many record stores reopened and artists sold music at shows again after COVID-19 put everything on hold in 2020. However, CD sales were close to the totals for digital music sales. Sales for digital tunes dropped by 12 percent to $587 million — only $3 million more than CD revenue for 2021.

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‘SNL’ star Pete Davidson will be on Blue Origin’s next spaceflight

Scheduled launch: Later this month.

Blue Origin’s next crewed spaceflight is scheduled for March 23rd and, as reports suggested, Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson will be one of the passengers. It will be New Shepard’s fourth flight with humans on board and its 20th overall. Davidson seems to be the famous face on this launch, following the likes of William Shatner and Good Morning America host Michael Strahan.

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Discovery will combine HBO Max and Discovery Plus following TimeWarner merger

The unified platform will launch sometime after the $43 billion deal closes.

Months after announcing their proposed $43 billion merger, WarnerMedia and Discovery have answered what will happen to HBO Max and Discovery Plus once they form the imaginatively named Warner Bros. Discovery. Discovery Chief Financial Officer Gunnar Wiedenfels said the company plans to combine the two platforms into one unified streaming service. Wiedenfels said he expects it’ll take a few months for Warner Bros. Discovery to “do it in a way that’s actually a great user experience for our subscribers.” In the meantime, HBO Max and Discovery Plus customers should expect at least some form of bundling.

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Kawasaki made a rideable robotic goat

I won’t be taking questions at this time. Thank you.

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Kawasaki

Bex can carry approximately 220 pounds of cargo. Or human.

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How to clean your AirPods

It didn’t take long for wireless earbuds to become ubiquitous. Apple’s AirPods launched back in September 2016, joining notable true wireless headphones from Jabra, Sony, Samsung, and others. A few years later, they’re the go-to choice for many of us when listening to music, podcasts and streaming services on our phones and tablets.

However, because we use them so often, wireless earbuds can quickly get dirty. They will come into contact with ear wax, oils and skin cells. Hygiene aside, you should clean your earbuds (and their charging case) because it may result in better-sounding, longer-lasting headphones. Always use the gentlest cleaning equipment before going ham with rubbing alcohol or a metallic tool. Doing so will reduce the chances of damaging your headphones’ often glossy plastic casing and lessen the chances of damaging the delicate membranes that many buds (and some eartips) have. I speak from experience, having perforated two AirPod membranes due to over-enthusiastic cleaning. Even when removing the tips, take care: With Sony’s WF-1000XM4, you need to twist and pull them off. Just follow the manufacturers’ guidance (we list several guides below), along with our best tips below.

How to clean your wireless earbuds

Or any true wireless headphones.
Mat Smith/Engadget

The cleaning process differs depending on what kind of buds you have. First, there are wireless earbuds with removable silicone (or plastic) buds, like the Galaxy Buds, Sony’s WF-1000XM4 buds or most Beats buds, and several models with a single solid body, like Apple’s original AirPods.

The main difference is that the detachable tips are easier to deep clean. They are also replaceable and spare tips often come in-box. You can also use soapy water or other mild cleaning products on particularly messy tips without fear of damaging the electrical parts of your headphones.

Wipe down the earbuds and removable tips with a microfiber cloth. As most wireless buds are stored in a case, you may find that dirt from the tips has shifted to the headphones too. Apple says you can use “70-percent isopropyl alcohol wipe, 75-percent ethyl alcohol wipe or disinfectant wipes” to clean the exterior of its wireless headphones, but advises that you shouldn’t use wet wipes on the speaker mesh parts of the AirPods. Samsung’s guidance sticks to soft dry clothes and cotton swabs.

Remove the tips, and gently trace the inside of each bud with cotton swab, or a toothpick if you need something thinner. If any detritus sticks around, upgrade to a metal loop on the end of an earphone cleaning tool, but just go carefully. Metallic objects are more likely to scratch and pierce things. The cleaning tool also has a brush at the other end to pull out any loose dirt. Once clear, wipe the sides of the tips with a slightly damp cloth.

The AirPods Pro tips each have a delicate mesh membrane, making it easier to clean than membranes on the headphones themselves, but they’re also fragile. Apple itself advises that you can rinse the tips with water, adding you shouldn’t use soap or other cleaning products on them. If you do use a damp cloth or rinse them, make sure to set them on a dry cloth and let them dry completely before reattaching them.

Apple advises using cotton swabs or a dry cloth for the microphone and speaker mesh parts of the AirPods. You can also use a bulb air blower, which should provide a mild amount of force to dislodge dirt without harming electrics. However, while it might be stronger, don’t use canned air. Sony says this can force dust further into the microphone or sound outlet holes.

How to clean your wireless earbuds’ charging case

How to clean your AirPods and other wireless headphones.
Mat Smith/Engadget

You might find that your charging case is in a worse state than your buds. With deep crevices to pick up dirt from your buds when they’re charging, the case can also pick up pocket-lint from being in, well, pockets and your bag. These cases typically use metal contacts to connect to and charge the buds, so any build-up of dirt or earwax can actually affect recharging your headphones. It pays to keep those charging contacts clean. A soft cloth, or a cotton swab for more difficult-to-reach locations, should be able to capture anything blocking your buds from charging. You could also use a bit of air from a bulb air blower – I find the ones with a brush attached are perfect for this.

For both the earbuds and the case, you can use a thin toothpick to pull away any grime or wax trapped in the seams of the device. Most earbuds are molded plastic, but some have edges and lines that collect dirt together.

How to keep your wireless earbuds clean

Now your buds are looking pristine, try to keep them looking that way. If you’re using your AirPods or Galaxy Buds during your workouts, wipe them down with a cloth afterward to reduce the chances of moisture getting inside. The more frequently you check on the state of your wireless earbuds, the easier they are to clean.

We’ll finish this guide with a little bit of digital hygiene: make sure any companion TWE apps are up-to-date. These updates can sometimes add notable new features or improve performance. Your smartphone will usually transmit firmware updates to your earbuds automatically after OS and app updates, so make sure you keep them nearby to your phone. This is especially true with iPhones and AirPods, which will not notify you when firmware updates are available. Check that you’ve got the latest version of the firmware in iOS settings (you probably do), and if it’s not up-to-date, make sure both your iPhone and AirPods are plugged into power and (crucially) near each other. The update should be beamed to the AirPods pretty quickly, but you can also leave the devices next to each other overnight to ensure the update happens.

The Morning After: Intel’s latest NUC mini-desktop is pretty powerful

As Apple’s new powerful mini-desktop, the Mac Studio, arrives, Intel’s very own series of tiny desktop PCs, the humble NUC, has reappeared.

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Engadget

The NUC 12 Extreme is basically a slightly upgraded version of last year’s NUC 11 Extreme, which was notable for being the first of its kind that could fit a full-sized desktop graphics card. Now it has Intel’s hybrid 12th-gen desktop processors, which promise to be a huge upgrade over last year’s CPUs. The NUC 12 Extreme may not be as tiny as previous models, but it can fit in a full-sized desktop GPU. There is some groundwork you’d have to do yourself, like adding your own RAM, SSD and GPU, but it can also be easily upgraded over time. Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar was impressed. Read his full review here.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

‘Chrono Trigger’ just got an update for ultrawide PC screens

The game’s almost 30 years old.

Earlier this week, Square Enix updated the Steam version of Chrono Trigger for the first time in four years. It adds support for 21:9 resolutions, “improved” D-pad controls and a handful of other quality of life changes. The addition of ultrawide screen support is particularly notable since it’s pretty rare. For instance, 2022’s Elden Ring doesn’t come with native 21:9 support.

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Samsung’s next Galaxy phone event is on March 17th

Think A series, not foldables.

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Engadget

Samsung has started sending out invitations to the Galaxy A Event, where it’ll unveil its latest mid-range smartphones. The tech giant introduced the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 on the same day last year. Samsung isn’t stopping: This comes just over a month after the company launched its flagship Galaxy S22 series.

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Apple stops selling LG’s $1,299 UltraFine 5K Display

Because the company announced its own Studio Display.

Days after discontinuing the 27-inch iMac, Apple has also stopped selling one of LG’s UltraFine displays. If you visit the company’s website, it no longer lists the 27-inch 5K model that retailed for $1,299 before its removal. LG has seemingly stopped selling the monitor as well, with its website indicating it’s “out of stock.”

Unsurprisingly, the 27-inch model’s removal from the Apple Store comes in the same week Apple announced its new Studio Display. Starting at $1,599, the monitor features a 5K retina panel with P3 wide color gamut coverage and 600 nits of brightness. It’s also 27 inches.

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Engadget Podcast: Apple goes Super Ultra

We dive into the iPhone SE, M1 Ultra and Mac Studio.

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Engadget

In Friday’s episode, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into all the news from Apple’s first 2022 event. They talk about the iPhone SE, the new iPad Air and discuss who exactly the Mac Studio is aimed at. Not to mention the latest on Android 12L, the Magic Leap 2 and fond memories of illicit filesharing services.

Listen here.

The Morning After: Nintendo’s Super Mario theme park is coming to the US

The Nintendo theme park experience is headed to the US. Universal Studios Hollywood announced Super Nintendo World — a ride and interactive area in the style of the Super Mario game series — will debut at the California theme park in 2023.

Nintendo’s debut park in Osaka was delayed by nearly a year due to the pandemic, opening to limited numbers in March 2021.

For the US spin, fans can expect an interactive area, a special themed ride and themed shopping and dining — because the park has to make money, right? Like the Osaka iteration, Super Nintendo World will be an expansion of the current Universal Studios Hollywood, marking the first major expansion of the Hollywood park since the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was added in 2016. If your heart is still set on seeing the Japanese original, it will be getting a Donkey Kong expansion in 2024.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

‘Call of Duty: Warzone’ is coming to mobile

Activision is currently hiring for new roles to build the game.

Call of Duty: Warzone, the free-to-play battle royale, will soon have a mobile version. In a tweet, the game’s publisher, Activision, announced it was hiring for a slate of new mobile roles. It’s not the first CoD title adapted for mobile — Activision released the kinda-OK Call of Duty: Mobile in 2019.

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Ford’s 2022 Maverick pickup is perfect for nerds

Low cost, 3D printing and customization.

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Engadget

The only problem is that EVs are pricey. So why not embrace a hybrid that also happens to be a small truck with a very impressive starting price? The 2022 Ford Maverick starts at $20,000 and ships with a hybrid powertrain that delivers up to 42 MPG. In addition to being a truck, it has a bed built for customization. Plus, thanks to makers like Robert Trapp, the FITS (Ford Integrated Tether System) already has 3D designs for printing or manipulation. It’s relatively cheap, customizable and a hybrid. Roberto Baldwin gives it a test drive.

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NVIDIA’s high-end GeForce Now streaming tier is available on a monthly plan

It costs $20 per month or $100 for six months.

There’s finally a month-to-month payment option for GeForce Now RTX 3080. Before, NVIDIA only offered six months of access for $100. Now, it costs $20 per month to try that tier. That lowers the barrier to entry, though you’ll save more in the long run with the six-month plan. Expect 1440p resolution gaming with ray-tracing at up to 120 fps on Mac and PC and 4K HDR resolution at 60 fps on NVIDIA Shield.

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Red Rocks Amphitheater will no longer use Amazon’s palm-scanning tech

Activists and artists pressured Denver Arts and Venues to stop using the system.

Red Rocks Amphitheater, one of the most recognizable concert venues in the US, no longer plans to use Amazon’s palm scanning technology for ticketless entry. Activists and artists including Fight for the Future, Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) and Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill) pressured Denver Arts and Venues to refrain from using Amazon One at the venues it manages.

Those who signed an open letter cited concerns about Amazon sharing palmprint data with government agencies that seek to track marginalized people and activists.

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Samsung adds performance throttling controls to the Galaxy S22

They’re only available in South Korea for now.

Users on Samsung’s Korean community forums are receiving an update for the Galaxy S22 series that adds a “Game Performance Management Mode” to Game Booster. The release should let users override the throttling feature and wring more speed out of the flagship phones, at least so long as they’re willing to accept reduced battery life.

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DuckDuckGo reverses course, will demote Russian propaganda in search results

The founder said he is “sickened” by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The search engine DuckDuckGo will down-rank sites that spread Russian propaganda and disinformation. Founder and CEO Gabriel Weinberg tweeted that the privacy-focused search engine would be releasing updates to ensure Russian disinformation sites rank further down in search results. Earlier this month, DuckDuckGo announced it would pause its relationship with Russian-state-owned search engine Yandex.

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Razer’s Seiren lapel mic works over Bluetooth

It’s made for streamers on the move.

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Razer

Razer’s Seiren Bluetooth lapel microphone packs an omnidirectional mic and AI-based noise suppression. The lapel mic includes a 3.5mm jack for monitoring through headphones, and you can customize it through the Razer Streaming App to tweak the noise suppression level, making for a pretty compelling mobile mic experience, at least on paper.

The Seiren Bluetooth is available for $100 and should work with “all” phones as well as common streaming apps like Streamlabs, Twitch and YouTube.

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The Morning After: President Biden tackles cryptocurrency

He’s a little late to the party, but President Biden has detailed the country’s first “whole-of-government” strategy for exploring cryptocurrency and other digital assets. Officials at multiple bureaus will explore the risks and potential advantages of crypto.

US regulators have been chasing improved legal clarity on crypto since last year. The Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) previously shared a roadmap focused on the legal status of stablecoin releases and crypto being logged on company balance sheets.

According to Biden’s executive order, the Treasury Department will recommend policies to protect people and businesses, as well as regulations to protect against “systemic financial risks.” The most intriguing part of the order may be the possibility of a central bank-backed digital currency. It’s still early days for now.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

‘Mar10 Day’ sales knock up to 83 percent off Nintendo Switch titles

‘Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle’ is a mere $10.

Nintendo’s favorite day for gaming discounts is back, and Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, one of our recent all-time faves for the Nintendo Switch, is only $40. Also up for grabs at the same price are the must-have Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, 2019’s Luigi’s Mansion 3, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury and Yoshi’s Crafted World. That’s a lot of Mario. Mamma mia. (I regret nothing.)

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Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz EV: The hippie bus reborn

VW’s newest electric vehicle will seat five people.

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VW

Nearly 75 years since the first Volkswagen Type 2 rolled off its assembly line and into the annals of Americana as an icon of 1960’s counterculture, VW is re-releasing the emblematic vehicle — this time as a full EV.

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LimeWire is back!

…. but as an NFT marketplace.

In May, LimeWire is relaunching as a “mainstream-ready, digital collectibles marketplace for art and entertainment, initially focusing on music.” Its backers believe it’ll be a place for artists and fans to create and sell digital trinkets without the “technical hurdles of the current NFT landscape.” If you remember LimeWire, from the era before Spotify, iTunes and the rest, you’ll know this new direction has nothing to do with what the network once was — an often-not-legal filesharing service.

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Patient dies two months after groundbreaking pig heart transplant

It’s unclear if his body rejected the organ.

David Bennett, the first human to successfully undergo a heart transplant involving a genetically modified pig heart, has died, aged 57. It’s unclear if his body rejected the organ doctors implanted in January. “There was no obvious cause identified at the time of his death,” a spokesperson for the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Even if doctors determine the cause of death was organ rejection, it remains a groundbreaking milestone. Stephanie Fae Beauclair, one of the most famous patients to undergo a xenotransplantation procedure, survived 21 days before her body rejected her adopted baboon heart. 

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Finally, watch the ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ teaser trailer

The Disney+ series debuts May 25th.

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Disney

Disney+ has released an Obi-Wan Kenobi teaser trailer that documents the Jedi’s life on Tatooine as he avoids the Empire and protects a young Luke Skywalker.

Watch here.

Elon Musk wants to reverse his $20 million SEC settlement

The Tesla chief claims the SEC is overstepping.

Musk has asked a federal court to terminate his 2018 $20 million settlement with the SEC over claims the regulator both pressured him into an agreement and overstepped its limits. Musk felt “forced” to sign the consent decree at a time when Tesla’s financial health was at risk, according to the memorandum of law sent to the court.

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The Morning After: Apple reveals Mac Studio, new iPhone SE and more

Apple events can sometimes fizzle out. Besides the ceremony of a new iPhone series each year, it’s a little harder to get excited for Macs and iPads with slightly better chips and minor design tweaks. We saw a splash of color and some redesigns in the last year, but this March event was packed with devices for elements of the Apple audience that aren’t always catered for. For them, this might be an important Apple reveal.

I say this in hushed tones as a phone guy, but the Mac Studio could be the standout. It’s a pro-level desktop built to showcase Apple’s most powerful chip, the new M1 Ultra. The company says its new desktop runs up to 60 percent faster than a Mac Pro with its 28-core Intel processor. Also, counter to some of its laptops, it’s filled with ports. There are four Thunderbolt 4 connections, two USB-A ports, HDMI and 10Gbps Ethernet. Also! There’s an SD card slot and two additional USB-C connectors on the front of the computer. The bad news might be that it starts at $2,000, but it still isn’t quite the Mac Pro beast some creatives are waiting on. That’s “for another day,” according to Apple. Oh, and there’s a new display to go with it.

At the other end of the scale, the iPhone SE makes a return. And it’s still got a home button. This means it looks like its predecessor, mostly. However, it’s now got 5G (welcome to 2022) and an updated quad-core A15 Bionic processor — the same processor as Apple’s iPhone 13 series, but now in a phone that costs $429. Finally, Apple’s iPad Air also sticks to its 2020 redesign. It has a new front-facing camera sensor and, like the 2021 iPad Pro, features Apple’s M1 chip.

We go into finer detail below, or if you need a swift overview, we’ve pulled all the bullet points together right here.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

The new iPhone SE adds 5G but keeps the home button

Apple’s budget-friendly phone looks exactly like its predecessor.

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Apple

As I mentioned in the intro, there are no major design shakeups here. The new iPhone SE is a more affordable version of the flagship range, now packing an A15 Bionic processor, some new camera tricks (despite the single lens) and a familiar home button. With the upgraded internals (including power efficiencies from iOS 15), Apple says we’ll see better battery life performance compared to the last model. The 4.7-inch screen is covered with what Apple calls the “toughest glass in a smartphone on both the front and back.”

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Apple unveils its most powerful chip yet, the M1 Ultra

It’s basically two M1 Max chips fused together.

Following the M1, M1 Pro and M1 Max, Apple is adding a new member to the family: the M1 Ultra. The M1 Ultra is essentially two M1 Max chips put together, making it even better for intensive creative applications like video editing and 3D rendering. Apple says the M1 Max chips feature a die-to-die interconnect, dubbed UltraFusion, and its specs are basically what happens when you sandwich two M1 Max chips: the Ultra features a 20-core CPU (16 high-performance and 4 high-efficiency cores) and a 64-core GPU. Apple says it should offer up to eight times faster graphics than the original M1 chip.

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Apple announces the 27-inch 5K Studio Display for Mac Studio

It starts at $1,599.

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Apple

As expected, Apple is adding a new display to its product lineup. The Apple Studio Display is a standalone monitor with a 5K retina panel with 14.7 million pixels, 600 nits of brightness and P3 wide color gamut coverage. It’s more for work, less for gaming, topping out at a 60Hz refresh rate. We’re sure Apple thinks it’d go really nicely with a new Mac Studio desktop.

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Gogoro unveils the first swappable solid-state EV battery

Electric scooters could deliver more range without bigger batteries.

Some Apple respite. Gogoro, best known for its scooters and charging stations, has announced what it claims is the world’s first swappable solid-state EV battery. Using solid-state batteries, the lithium ceramic prototype is compatible with Gogoro’s current scooters but should deliver a much higher capacity — the two companies are targeting 2.5kWh versus the 1.7kWh of existing hardware. The end result is greater range and improved safety.

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Eargo 6 review: Tiny hearing aids that don’t scrimp on features

It’s closing in on the incumbents.

Eargo 6
Engadget

In the world of hearing aids, Eargo stands out. The company operates more like a technology company than a slow, plodding medical-device provider — it has a rapid annual release cycle more similar to Apple, Samsung and the rest. In version 6, it’s added customizable sound profiles, as well as sound adjustment features to help make the Eargo better fit with your own hearing levels and preferences.

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The Morning After: Android 12L will arrive on tablets and foldables this year

When it announced the Android 12L beta in October, Google promised the software for larger screens would be ready early this year. It’s not here just yet, but the company still expects it to land in 2022. And while we don’t have device specifics, we could see existing devices like the Galaxy Z Fold, Z Flip and Surface Duo pick up the new interface, adding features like home and lock screens optimized for larger displays. 

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Engadget

Android has long faced criticism for still being an unintuitive system for tablets, leading to a dearth in real competition for Apple’s iPads — Samsung’s efforts aside. But hey, at least with Android 12L, Google is trying to make it better. Are you an unloved Android tablet user who’s intrigued? We tested the Android 12L beta here.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Samsung confirms hackers compromised its systems and stole Galaxy source code

South American hacking group Lapsus$ previously claimed responsibility.

Samsung confirmed yesterday some of its data was stolen during a cyberattack over the weekend. In a statement to Bloomberg, the company admitted “some source code relating to the operation of Galaxy devices” was taken, but customer and employee credentials were not impacted. Although Samsung has not revealed the actors behind the compromise, South American hacking group Lapsus$ has claimed responsibility. The organization shared a 190GB torrent file that reportedly includes bootloader source code for all of Samsung’s recent devices, as well as code related to biometric authentication and on-device encryption for Galaxy devices.

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Kia’s 2022 Sorento plug-in is no Telluride

But it’s still a posh SUV.

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KIA

Kia’s 2022 Sorento plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is a capable mid-size SUV with some hybrid pep, three rows of seats and a slightly ho-hum aesthetic. It suffers a little from comparisons to the Telluride, Kia’s larger and far more fashionable family SUV. The Sorento is decidedly more basic, but with plenty of charm. Devindra Hardawar test drove it for a bit.

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Cities turn to tech to keep sewers free of fatbergs

These pipe-blocking globs can outweigh an elephant.

It’s a little early to go into too much detail on fatbergs, but once you’ve had your coffee and are fully awake, this is an intriguing insight into how cities are fighting the issue, exacerbated by the boom in wet wipes over the years. Weapons to tackle them include high-pressure water cannons, remote-operated cameras and even sonar tech.

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‘God of War’ might also get a TV series adaptation

‘The Last of Us’ is already on its way.

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SIE

Amazon Studios and Sony’s PlayStation Productions unit are in talks to produce a live-action TV series adaptation of God of War, according to Deadline. The outlet reports that Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, best known for their work on The Expanse and Children of Men, are involved in the project.

In case you’re not keeping count, Sony’s recently established PlayStation Productions unit is already working with HBO to produce a TV series based on Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us. It’s also working on a Ghost of Tsushima movie and a Twisted Metal series that will stream on Peacock. There was also that Uncharted movie. Ahem.

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