Apple’s 2022 iPad Air gets its first discount at Amazon

Apple’s new M1-equipped iPad Air arrived just a few days ago, but we’re already seeing our first discounts. You can now pick up both the 64GB and 256GB WiFi models for $570 and $720 respectively, or $29 off Apple’s direct prices. While the reductions aren’t huge, it’s unusual to see any at all on brand new Apple products, particularly ones like this that have generated considerable buzz. 

Buy Apple iPad Air 64GB (2022) at Amazon – $570Buy Apple 256GB iPad Air (2022) at Amazon – $720

The M1 chip provides a big performance boost over the previous model, making it a great option for creative, gaming and other demanding apps. You’ll get another dose of extra speed via the 10Gbps USB-C ports that have double the bandwidth over the previous iPad Air. At the same time, you still get the same excellent 10-hour battery life of the last model. All of those things make the 2022 iPad Air future-proof and helped it garner a top-notch 90 score in our Engadget review.

It has more than speed going for it. You get a 10.9-inch “liquid Retina” LCD display with Apple’s True Tone feature for optimizing the screen’s color temperature based on ambient light, to start with. It also comes with an improved 12-megapixel ultra wide front camera and supports the same accessories as the last model (keyboard cases, Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil). 

The main downsides are the relatively miniscule 64GB storage on the budget model, lack of Face ID and pricey accessories. Still, it’s a huge leap over the previous model with a nice little discount to boot. 

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

Amazon has a big sale on Razer gaming peripherals and accessories

Several Razer peripherals are on sale on Amazon, including the Kishi gaming controller for iOS and Android. The Android version is $50 off at $40. It’s best to make sure the “for Android” option is selected — the Xbox-branded variant is also on sale, but it’s $55. The iOS model has been discounted as well, but the savings are much more modest. The price has dropped from $100 to $80.

Buy Razer Gaming Inputs and Accessories at Amazon

The Razer Kishi is a great option for playing games on the go without having to resort to touch controls or a Bluetooth controller. It works with many games that run natively on your device as well as cloud gaming services like Google Stadia, NVIDIA GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming. The controller plugs into your phone’s USB-C or Lightning port and holds it in place. There’s passthrough charging support, so you can keep your device’s battery topped up while you play.

Elsewhere, Razer’s BlackWidow V3 mechanical keyboard is on sale. At $60, it’s $40 off the regular price. The peripheral has Razer’s clicky green switches and fully programmable keys, but since it’s a tenkeyless model, it doesn’t have a number pad at the side.

You can also save on the Razer Viper Ultimate, which is currently $70, almost half off the usual price of $130. The ambidextrous wireless mouse has a battery life of up to 70 hours, low-latency HyperSpeed tech, a 20,000+ DPI optical sensor, Razer’s optical switches and eight programmable buttons. We picked it as our favorite gaming mouse for everyday use.

Buy Razer Gaming Inputs and Accessories at Amazon

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

The Morning After: Russian cosmonauts boarded the ISS in blue and yellow jumpsuits

Just before the weekend, cosmonauts Denis Matveyev, Oleg Artemyev and Sergey Korsakov arrived at the International Space Station in bright yellow and blue jumpsuits. Being the first Russians to arrive at the International Space Station since the war in Ukraine began, it seemed like, well, a choice. Russia’s Roscosmos space agency dismissed the connection saying in a Telegram post spotted by Space.com: “Sometimes yellow is just yellow.” Roscosmos went on to claim the three were wearing the colors of Bauman Moscow State Technical University, their shared alma mater, which has a crest with blue and yellow details.

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Roscosmos TV

The cosmonauts didn’t say too much about their choice of uniform during a press conference. “It became our turn to pick a color,” said Artemyev. “We had accumulated a lot of yellow material, so we needed to use it. That’s why we had to wear yellow.” Does this mean they crafted their own jumpsuits?

Then again, with the three men still in space, they couldn’t be further away from immediate repercussions from their government.

— Mat Smith

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The ‘Overwatch 2’ PvP beta starts on April 26th

Doomfist will change roles from damage hero to tank.

The Overwatch 2 PvP PC beta lands on April 26th. Block out that weekend because as well as 5-on-5 battles — the Overwatch PvP was 6-on-6 — the beta also comes with four fresh maps and some reimagined characters, both in aesthetics and play style.

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French police charge seven in Netflix ‘Lupin’ set heist

‘Lupin’ is literally about a master thief.

On February 25th, some 20 masked thieves broke on to the set of the production of popular Netflix show Lupin while it was filming in a Parisian suburb. They stole approximately $330,000 worth of equipment. As a distraction, perpetrators set off mortar-style fireworks during the heist. Now, French authorities have charged seven individuals allegedly involved in the robbery. Lupin isn’t the only Netflix project to fall victim to a robbery this year. Just one day before the thefts in Paris, thieves made off with more than $200,000 worth of antique props after breaking into vehicles used for the production of The Crown.

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Epic will donate two weeks of ‘Fortnite’ proceeds to Ukraine charities

Microsoft is pitching in, too.

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Epic

Starting today through April 3rd, Epic Games will donate all of its Fortnite proceeds to humanitarian organizations providing on-the-ground relief to Ukrainians affected by the invasion of their country. Direct Relief, UNICEF, UN’s Refugee Agency and Food Programme are all involved.

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Engadget Podcast: Samsung’s Galaxy A53 5G and the Mac Studio

Samsung may have just won the battle for mid-range phones.

This week’s podcast centers on Samsung’s big mid-range phone show. Devindra Hardawar and Senior Writer Sam Rutherford discuss the new Galaxy A53 5G and A33. The Galaxy A53 has a 120Hz screen, four cameras and 5G support for $450. Can the iPhone SE stand up to those kinds of specs?

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The Nintendo Wii and DSi stores have been down for days with no explanation

Nintendo stopped selling DSi and Wii games in 2017 and 2019 respectively, but it has continued to allow users to download games they already own. Now, both stores have gone completely offline with no explanation from the company, Eurogamer has reported. If you try to select the Wii Shop channel, you’ll just see a blank white screen and error code — a situation that has persisted for around four days.

When it initially shuttered those stores, Nintendo said that you’d still be able to download purchased games for an unspecified period of time. However, it warned that the servers would eventually be shut down completely, meaning folks wouldn’t be able to download or transfer purchased games using the Wii System Transfer Tool.

Nintendo has kept these stores running for a long time (since 2006 in the case of the Wii), but folks would rightfully be upset if Nintendo shut off access with no heads up whatsoever. Many would no doubt have liked at least a few months notice so they could download or transfer their games. The servers do appear to still be up, though, as some folks have found they can use third-party tools like NUSDownloader to access games. 

Sony was recently forced to backtrack on a decision to close the PS3 and Vita stores after a consumer backlash. The situation isn’t quite same for Nintendo, but it should probably provide some kind of explanation if the stores don’t come back online soon. 

Brazil reverses its Telegram ban after just two days

A judge on Brazil’s Supreme Court has reversed a ban on Telegram, two days after blocking the messaging app for ignoring orders. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said the company missed the court’s emails.

“We complied with an earlier court decision in late February and responded with a suggestion to send future takedown requests to a dedicated email address,” Durov wrote on Telegram on Friday. “Unfortunately, our response must have been lost, because the Court used the old general-purpose email address in further attempts to reach us. As a result, we missed its decision in early March that contained a follow-up takedown request. Luckily, we have now found and processed it, delivering another report to the Court today.”

Durov added that Telegram will appoint a representative in Brazil and set up a framework so it can address requests more promptly. According to The New York Times, Telegram complied with the court’s demands by taking down classified information posted on President Jair Bolsonaro’s channel and deleting the accounts of a Bolsonaro supporter who was allegedly spreading misinformation. The court then reversed the ban.

Telegram reacted so swiftly that the ban (which was imposed by a judge who is running multiple investigations into Bolsonaro and his allies for spreading misinformation) was never actually in effect. The court order gave Apple, Google, ISPs and phone providers five days to block the app.

Durov and his team made some other changes to the app in Brazil in the hope of avoiding another ban. Officials are said to be concerned about misinformation in the lead up to the general election in October. As such, Telegram will start promoting verified information and labeling posts containing falsehoods.

It will also monitor the 100 most popular channels in the country. Telegram says those account for 95 percent of views of public posts. The company has typically taken a hands-off approach to content moderation. The far-right Bolsonaro has used it as a means of communication with his 1.2 million followers after the likes of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube took a firmer stance against misinformation.

Brazil has become a key market for Telegram. According to data from Sensor Tower, Brazilians have installed Telegram more than 84 million times. Between January 1st and March 17th (the day before the court issued the ban), Brazilian iOS and Android users downloaded the app an estimated 4.9 million times.

Amazon’s one-day sale offers up to $400 off Samsung foldables

Although the launch of Samsung’s S22 lineup is still fresh in everyone’s minds, the Korean smartphone maker still has a number of unique and powerful handsets available to buy. That includes foldables like the Galaxy Z Flip 3, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and mid-range devices like the Galaxy S21 FE, all of which happen to be discounted as part of a one-day Amazon sale. Our pick of the bunch is the Galaxy Z Flip 3, which has fallen to $850 and represents a 15 percent savings on its usual price. It’s also the second best price we’ve seen. 

Buy Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 at Amazon – $850Amazon’s one-day Galaxy smartphone sale

The Z Flip 3 is, in our mind, the best Samsung foldable yet. It scored an 82 in our review, which was helped by its improved durability (with better scratch and water resistance), its main 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rates and Flex Mode, which quickly splits apps like YouTube in half to separate content and controls. When closed, the 1.9-inch external screen will display small snippets of information like the weather and calendar reminders but also provide easy access to features like Samsung Pay.

If you’ve had your eye on Samsung’s other foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 3, then Amazon has you covered there, too. For today only, the 2-in-1 handset is $1,400, which is $400 (or 22 percent) off its normal price. The Z Fold 3 improves on its predecessor in nearly every way, including better durability and displays that are 29 percent brighter while consuming less energy. It also includes the S Pen, letting you scribble down notes while on the go.

Buy Samsung Galaxy ZFold 3 at Amazon – $1,400

Rounding out the sale is the Galaxy S21 FE (Fan Edition), which at $525 has fallen to a new all-time low at the retailer. The Galaxy S21 FE is essentially last year’s flagship without the frills, with the same 5-nanometer processors, 120Hz refresh rate in a slightly bigger display and a familiar triple camera system. It actually has a larger battery and comes with Android 12. With it now on sale for 25 percent less than its normal retail price, it might be easier to ignore those minor drawbacks and bag yourself Samsung’s affordable no-nonsense handset.

Russia denies cosmonauts wore yellow jumpsuits in protest of Ukraine invasion

On Friday, cosmonauts Denis Matveyev, Oleg Artemyev and Sergey Korsakov arrived at the International Space Station wearing bright yellow and blue jumpsuits. They were the first Russian astronauts to travel to the ISS since the war in Ukraine began, and many saw their choice of uniform as a statement against their country’s invasion of its neighbor.

One day later, per Space.com, Russia’s Roscosmos space agency dismissed those suggestions. “Sometimes yellow is just yellow,” it said in a Telegram post spotted by the outlet. Roscosmos went on to claim the three cosmonauts were wearing the colors of Bauman Moscow State Technical University, their shared alma mater. And for what it’s worth, the school’s crest, like Ukraine’s national flag, features plenty of blue and yellow. 

“Under no circumstances will we force cosmonaut graduates of Bauman University not to wear the colors of the coat of arms of their alma mater,” said Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Roscosmos. The space agency also later shared a photo of Artemyev wearing a white jumpsuit with the colors of the Russian displayed prominently across the chest.

The cosmonauts didn’t say too much about their choice of uniform. “It became our turn to pick a color,” said Artemyev when asked about the subject during a subsequent press conference. “We had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it. That’s why we had to wear yellow.”

While astronauts from the US and Germany looked happy to see their new crewmates, tensions between the West and Russia threaten the future of multiple joint projects. This week, the European Space Agency said it was suspending its ExoMars mission while looking for a way to move forward without the involvement of Roscosmos.

Netflix will release a Tekken animated series later this year

Having helped bring properties like DotA 2 and Castlevania to TV, Netflix is once again turning to a historic gaming franchise to add to its content library. On Saturday, the streamer announced it would release Tekken: Bloodline, an animated adaption of Bandai Namco’s popular fighting game series, in 2022.

In the trailer Netflix shared alongside the announcement, we’re introduced to protagonist Jin Kazama, who joined the franchise as a playable character in 1996’s Tekken 3. In the show, Kazama embarks on a quest for revenge when his mother Jun falls to what she calls a demon. Kazama subsequently turns to his grandfather, Heihachi Mishima, for help. If old man Mishima gives off a sinister vibe, it’s because he’s the main villain of the Tekken franchise. Kazama’s quest eventually leads him to The King of Iron Fist Tournament where we see some familiar faces.

Outside of knowing it will come out later this year, we don’t have an exact release date for Tekken: Bloodline. Netflix’s track record with video game adaptations has mostly depended on the companies it has partnered with to work on those projects. Productions like Arcane and The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf have been a success for the company thanks to the involvement of studios like Fortiche and Studio Mir.

Hackers are corrupting the save files of ‘Elden Ring’ players on PC

If you’re playing through Elden Ring on PC, you may want to disable the game’s online functionality for the time being. According to a Reddit report spotted by Eurogamer, some malicious individuals have found a hack that can send PC players into an endless death loop.

You can see the exploit in action in a video posted by Elden Ring Update on Twitter. A hacker will invade your game and use a specific ability that forces Elden Ring to crash. When you reload your save, your character will repeatedly fall to their death. Elden Ring is a big game, and some players have reported losing as much as 100 hours of gameplay in this way.

If all of this sounds familiar, it’s because FromSoftware was recently forced to disable Dark Souls 3’s multiplayer features after a hacker identified a vulnerability within the game that allowed them to execute code remotely. The studio has been working to address the issue since February.

FromSoftware and Bandai Namco have yet to comment on the exploit. We’ll update this article when they say something on the matter. In the meantime, your best bet is to play offline. Failing that, you’ll want to regularly backup your save in case someone uses the exploit on one of your characters. In the worst-case scenario, it’s possible to salvage a save, but the process isn’t easy. You need to press Alt F4 before your character dies, and then quickly fast travel to a Site of Grace when you reload the game.