Apple unveiled a new standalone monitor—the $1599 Studio Display—that includes your choice of either a tilt-adjustable stand or a VESA wall mount adaptor. But for $400 more, you can purchase a fancier tilt and height-adjustable version of that stand. In the Apple universe, a 5K retina display monitor and stand aimed at the consumer market priced just shy of $2000 is a steal. Be forewarned: If you’re partial to non-reflective surfaces, shooting for nano-texture glass on the Studio Display is another additional $300.
Even hardcore Apple enthusiasts balked at the Pro Display XDR the company released in 2019, which started at $4,999, not including $999 for the (optional) stand. Back then, we called the smooth, elegantly designed accessory “an expensive gadget no one needs”. It’s due to this type of conditioning that a $400 metal stand— even though it’s roughly the same price as a new iPad with 128 GB of storage or an Apple Watch Series 7—still seems like a bargain. It’s definitely not.
For consumers who opt not to purchase the $400 stand, the stand included with the Studio Display is still tilt-adjustable. If you want to save some desk space, mounting your Studio Display is another good option. But for those who struggle with eye strain or are using a standing desk, a height-adjustable stand is non-negotiable.
Those still recovering from sticker shock induced by the $400 Studio Display stand should also remember the cost of wheels for the Apple Mac Pro, which will set you back $699. Once again, this new mount feels like a relative bargain.
Since you’ve been spending so much time at home these past two years, you could probably use a better tablet for when you’re kicking back on the couch or hanging out in the yard. And Apple’s new iPad Air might just be the screen you need in front of yo…
As expected, Apple is adding a new display to its product lineup. On Tuesday, the company announced the Apple Studio Display during its Peek Performance event. The standalone monitor features a 5K retina panel with 14.7 million pixels, 600 nits of brightness and P3 wide color gamut coverage. It also includes Apple’s True Tone technology, allowing the display to match the color temperature of its panel to the ambient lighting in your workspace.
On the top of the display, you’ll find a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera with Apple’s Center Stage feature, a first for one of the company’s monitors. That tool will automatically keep you centered in the middle of the frame during FaceTime and Zoom calls, leading to a more natural video calling experience. Studio Display also comes with a six-speaker sound system that supports Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio. Internally, the monitor includes Apple’s A13 Bionic processor. The chip is there to bolster the Studio Display’s camera and audio capabilities.
If you want to mount it to a monitor arm, Apple will offer a separate VESA adapter that will allow you to do just that. On the I/O front, the monitor comes with four USB-C ports, one of which offers Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. That connection can provide up to 96W of power to a Mac notebook, allowing you to fast charge the 14-inch MacBook Pro.
Before today, Apple’s most recently announced monitor was the 2019 Pro Display XDR. That’s a screen that famously starts at $5,000 before you even include an optional $1,000 stand. The last time the company offered a consumer-level monitor was 2016, the year it discontinued the 2011 Thunderbolt Display.
Apple Studio Display is available to pre-order today starting at $1,599. Like the Pro Display XDR, Apple will offer a Nano-texture glass option that is designed to reduce glare in brightly lit workspaces. That option adds an additional $300 to the price of the monitor. You also have multiple stand options. If you just want a tilt-adjustable one or the VESA adapter, those come at no extra cost, but a stand with height adjustment adds $400 to the price of the package. The Studio Display will ship March 18th.
Catch up on all of the news from Apple’s Peek Performance event right here!
For the first time, live sports are coming to Apple TV+. Apple announced today during its Peek Performance event that it will carry Friday Night Baseball. Once Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association agree to a new collective bargaining agreement, Apple will stream two games per week that will only be available on the company’s streaming platform. The weekly doubleheader will be available in eight countries and you won’t have to worry about local blackouts.
In the US, Apple will also stream MLB Big Inning, a live show featuring highlights from regular season games. US fans, in addition to their Canadian counterparts, will also have access to a 24/7 livestream featuring game replays, news, analysis and more. For a limited time, Apple said Friday Night Baseball would be available through Apple TV+ without the need for a subscription.
Rumors that Apple was bidding on a baseball package came out in January. By that point, the League had been in a lockout since the start of December, but it didn’t seem like it would cancel any games. That was then. Now, it’s unclear if there will even be a 2022 season.
Catch up on all of the news from Apple’s Peek Performance event right here!
A few big PlayStation exclusives have dropped over the last few weeks — Horizon Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7 and Sifu— along with other major releases like Dying Light 2 and Elden Ring. Now that players have their hands on those, it’s time to take a look at what’s ahead for PS4 and PS5.
The next State of Play stream will take place on March 9th at 5PM ET. It’ll run for around 20 minutes and focus on games from Japanese publishers. There’ll be updates from studios elsewhere too.
As ever, Sony is tempering expectations a bit. The State of Play won’t include anything about the PlayStation VR2 headset or games for it. Still, fingers crossed for a firm release date for God of War Ragnarök and details about whatever Naughty Dog is working on.
You’ll be able to watch the stream on PlayStation’s Twitch and YouTube channels.
Samsung may be in legal trouble following worries that it’s throttling app performance. Sources for The Korea Herald claim South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission is “expected” to investigate Samsung over allegations it violated advertising law when marketing the Galaxy S22 phone series. While the company claims the S22 has the “best performance ever,” its Game Optimizing Service limits speed to both preserve battery life and prevent overheating — and you can’t currently override it.
The regulatory crackdown might not be Samsung’s only problem. Yonhap News Agencyclaims Galaxy S22 owners in South Korea are preparing a class action lawsuit against the company for distorting the phone’s capabilities. They feel “cheated” and are asking for 300,000 won (about $243) in compensation per person, according to the news outlet.
Recently, Samsung promised a GOS update that will give users control over throttling. However, the tech firm has denied reports it’s slowing down general apps like Netflix and TikTok, not just games. Some also say it’s removing speed caps for benchmarks like 3DMark and GeekBench, providing an unrealistic view of the Galaxy S22 in synthetic tests.
We’ve asked Samsung for comment. Performance throttling is a common practice for smartphones, as mobile processors can’t always run at full speed for sustained periods. The concern, however, is that Samsung is throttling more aggressively while giving users no say in the matter, much like Apple did during its “batterygate” scandal. There’s no guarantee Samsung will face penalties or do more than release its planned update, but the story is a familiar one so far.
When it announced the Android 12L beta in October, Google promised the software for larger screens would be ready early this year. It’s not here just yet, but the company still expects it to land in 2022. And while we don’t have device specifics, we could see existing devices like the Galaxy Z Fold, Z Flip and Surface Duo pick up the new interface, adding features like home and lock screens optimized for larger displays.
Engadget
Android has long faced criticism for still being an unintuitive system for tablets, leading to a dearth in real competition for Apple’s iPads — Samsung’s efforts aside. But hey, at least with Android 12L, Google is trying to make it better. Are you an unloved Android tablet user who’s intrigued? We tested the Android 12L beta here.
South American hacking group Lapsus$ 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.
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.
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.
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.
Canon plans to more than double its RF mirrorless lens lineup by 2025, producing around 32 more models over the next four years, according to its latest earnings report spotted by Canon Rumors. One chart showed that it planned to keep up the “same pace” of lens releases, which amounted to eight new models in 2020-21. If it can stick to that, it would have nearly 60 full-frame RF lenses in about four years time.
Chairman and CEO Fujio Mitarai said that the overall market continues to shrink due to the decline of entry-level models (thanks, smartphones), but demand for higher-end models is still high. As such, Canon has been working on developing more of those types of cameras and lenses to go with them. The company now feels it’s capable of gunning for Sony in the mirrorless market share race.
“Overall, the market seems to be bottoming out,” he said. “Over the past several years, we have worked to raise the appeal of the EOS R system by enhancing our lineup with highly competitive full-frame mirrorless cameras and RF lenses. As a result, we have established a solid position in mirrorless cameras, and are now in a situation where we can target the top market share position.”
Canon also plans to improve its profitability with increased factory automation, while further pursuing “concept” camera designs like the weird table-mounted PowerShot PX. It’s also planning to mass produce SPAD sensors that can take high-quality color photos with almost no light, used in applications like “advanced monitoring.”
If you’re looking for a capable mid-size SUV with a bit of plug-in hybrid pep, three rows of seats and don’t mind a slightly ho-hum aesthetic, Kia’s 2022 Sorento plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is made for you. It’s not nearly as flashy as Toyota’s RAV4 Prime, a car widely considered to be the pinnacle of affordable plug-in SUVs. But the Sorento is larger and in many ways more practical for families.
And yet, even though the 2022 Sorento PHEV offers a relatively posh experience, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed every time I passed a Telluride, Kia’s larger and far more fashionable family SUV. Where the Telluride raises the bar for affordable SUV designs with its aggressive front fascia, voluminous seating space and Land Rover-like styling, the Sorento is decidedly more basic. Sure, it has leather seats and plenty of great safety and entertainment technology, but looking at it just doesn’t stir my soul.
That’s a shame, because on paper the 2022 Sorento sounds like the ideal family PHEV for people who don’t want to make the leap to minivans like the Chrysler Pacifica plug-in or Toyota’s excellent hybrid Sienna. Its electric engine can keep things moving for up to 32 miles – more than enough to deal with many daily commutes. And in hybrid mode, which also taps into the 1.6-liter gas engine, the Sorento can run for up to 34 miles per gallon. It also offers standard all-wheel drive and up to 75.5 cubic feet of cargo space, more than double the RAV 4 Prime’s 33.5 cubic feet of storage. So you wouldn’t have to worry about hauling a large TV, or a full trunk of groceries alongside baby gear for two kids.
If all you care about are those specs, the Sorento will serve you nicely. But, like the middle child sandwiched between an over-achieving elder sibling (the Telluride) and a new baby (Kia’s adorable EV6), it almost feels like the Sorento PHEV is an afterthought for Kia. While having some pure EV driving is a nice thing to have, especially as gas prices continue to climb, its electric motor only spits out 90 horsepower. That’s enough to deal with street-level driving under 40 miles per hour, but it’ll need some serious help from the gas engine to deal with highway traffic. As Car and Driver found, the weak EV just holds back the overall driving experience. (It’s also unclear to me why the Sorrento still occasionally spun up its gasoline engine at low speeds.)
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
During my week of testing, I drove the Sorrento PHEV around winding local roads, up highways that climbed along nearby mountains, and to visit family an hour away. The driving experience felt solid and never overtly floaty, but I was also constantly reminded that I was behind the wheel of a 4,537-pound SUV. (The gas variant weighs 3,794 pounds.) Large batteries always add more weight to PHEVs, but the Sorento felt bogged down as I I tried to reach 65MPH highway speeds in hybrid mode. Even so, I appreciated being able to force it to only use EV for local driving, something that Chrysler still doesn’t offer on the Pacifica. Though the Sorento’s EV motor is relatively weak, it gives a decent bit of electric torque off the line, making it well-suited for dealing with stop signs and traffic lights.
I typically saw around 30 miles of electric driving before the Sorento’s gas engine kicked on, but its hybrid efficiency was less impressive, typically clocking in around 32MPG. The RAV4 Prime gets around the same electric range, but it can reach up to 40MPG in hybrid mode. As with any PHEV, your efficiency with the Sorento is dependent on how often you plug it in to charge. It typically took around 12 hours to juice up completely on a standard 110-volt outlet. If you’ve got access to a Level 2 charger, you can top it off in around 2.5 hours.
Given the complexity involved with installing a Level 2 setup — that involves running a 220-volt outlet to your garage and installing a charger — many EV-curious shoppers may be better off with a PHEV like the Sorento. There’s no need to install any additional outlets, plus you don’t have to worry about EV range anxiety since PHEVs will automatically flip over to their gas engines when they’re out of electricity. That also makes them better suited for family road trips, since you won’t have to spend time hunting down EV chargers and waiting to get juiced up.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
I didn’t have much to complain about with the Sorento’s entertainment system. The 10.3-inch central display was bright, responsive and made it easy to deal with Apple CarPlay. I appreciated that it was a wide screen, since it didn’t cut into my view of the road and it didn’t prevent Kia from including buttons for climate control right below it. While large and tall screens might look more impressive at first, as we’ve seen on Teslas and the Prius Prime, I find them much more annoying to use while driving. I’ll always prefer physical buttons combined with an unobtrusive screen. Below the dash there’s a circular dial for changing gears (which feels as elegant as it does on cars twice as expensive), another dial to manage driving modes, and more buttons to turn on the heated steering wheel, parking camera view and other features.
I’ll give Kia credit for delivering an incredible level of comfort in a relatively affordable mid-size SUV. The Sorento’s leather seats were perfectly plush, and I appreciated having both heating and ventilation options. The two second-row captains chairs were less comfy, but still better than I’ve felt on some competitors. It was a bit tough for me to secure my daughter’s large car seat, but once I did (thanks to a bit of extra cushioning from a pool noodle), it was easy for me to lift her up and bring her down. And while the third-row seats were far too cramped for me to fit comfortably, they’re fine for kids. Most mid-size SUVs have cramped back rows, which is why minivans are still the better choice if you’re regularly carting around adults.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
There’s also a decent dose of safety features, including forward collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist protection, blind-spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera. I particularly appreciated the camera views whenever I hit the left or right indicators, which allowed me to see right beside the Sorento for any cars or cyclists in my blind spot. If you’re a nervous driver, it may be worth looking into the Sorento for those cameras alone.
The 2022 Sorento PHEV starts at $46,405, around $6,800 more than the AWD Sorento Hybrid EX model. Since it’s a plug-in hybrid, you can get a hefty $6,587 tax credit, which puts them on a slightly more level playing field. (You’ll still have to wait for your next tax filing before you can see that credit, though.) The Sorento has always been a budget-focused car — the gas-powered 2022 model starts around $30,000 — so the PHEV model feels particularly out of place as it nears $50,000.
Much like video cards, these prices are also purely theoretical. The global chip crunch, along with manufacturing delays and other issues, have pushed new and used car prices up considerably. So while you may see advertised figures close to MSRP, don’t be surprised if dealers end up tacking on extra fees once you’re ready to negotiate. (During my recent quest to buy a new Toyota Sienna, local dealers regularly added around $8,000 in “market adjustment” fees. I gave up and instead bought a used 2018 Chrysler Pacifica hybrid with a slight markup from Carvana.)
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
There’s a lot to love about the Sorento PHEV, it’s just unfortunate it’s debuting as Kia’s Telluride is winning over reviewers and consumers alike. Still, it’s notable it exists at all, as there aren’t many plug-in hybrids with three rows of seats. It’s perfectly positioned as an upgrade from compact SUVs and sedans, especially for families that want to dabble with electric driving and rely less on gas. Personally, though, I can’t wait for Kia to take what it learned here and bring it over to the Telluride (which debuted as a PHEV concept car).
Samsung confirmed Monday that some of its data was stolen as part of a cyberattack that was first reported over the weekend. In a statement to Bloomberg, the Korean electronics giant revealed that a security breach saw “some source code relating to the operation of Galaxy devices” taken but customer and employee credentials were not impacted.
Although Samsung has not revealed the actors behind the compromise, South American hacking group Lapsus$ 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 the biometric authentication and on-device encryption for Galaxy phones and tablets. Attackers may have also gained access to confidential data related to Qualcomm.
The admission comes less than a week after the same group said it obtained around 1TB of data, including schematics and source code, from chip giant NVIDIA. The company said it became aware of the attack on February 23rd, after which time Lapsus$ had demanded a ransom paid in cryptocurrency to prevent NVIDIA’s files from becoming public. When NVIDIA failed to respond, source code for the company’s DLSS technology and information related to as many as six unannounced graphics cards was shared online.
“Currently, we do not anticipate any impact to our business or customers. We have implemented measures to prevent further such incidents and will continue to serve our customers without disruption,” Samsung later confirmed in its statement. It is not known whether Lapsus$ issued the same cryptocurrency demands to Samsung, but we’ve contacted the company for clarification.
