Google will soon make it easier to see what Stadia has to offer. In the “coming weeks,” the company will introduce a new public-facing storefront that will be accessible without the need for a Google account. You also won’t need to sign in to the service to see its entire library. One of the ways you’ll be able to access the storefront is through Google Search, much like you can do for games on Steam and the PlayStation Store.
Alongside the new storefront, Google is expanding the availability of click-to-play trials to all developers. They’re limited-time demos that anyone can access, even if they haven’t signed up for Stadia. All a developer needs to do to offer one is set the amount of time someone can play their game without an account. One game that’s currently available to try in this way is Risk of Rain 2, with more to come throughout 2022.
Both initiatives broadly see Google removing barriers that in the past may have stopped some people from trying the service. Whether that ultimately changes the outlook of Stadia is hard to say, but at least anyone with a passing interest in the platform will find it easier to discover what it’s all about.
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has fined Meta €17 million ($18.6 million) over 12 data breaches. It said the company violated several articles of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by failing “to have in place appropriate technical and organizational measures which would enable it to readily demonstrate the security measures that it implemented in practice to protect EU users’ data.”
The DPC received the data breach notifications from Meta between June and December 2018. Before announcing the fine, it consulted with other European authorities under GDPR guidelines, as the investigation was related to “cross-border” processing.
“This fine is about record keeping practices from 2018 that we have since updated, not a failure to protect people’s information,” a Meta spokesperson told Engadget. “We take our obligations under the GDPR seriously, and will carefully consider this decision as our processes continue to evolve.”
The fine is a drop in the ocean for Meta, which raked in $32.6 billion in ad revenue last quarter alone. The penalty pales in comparison with a $267 million fine the DPC imposed last year after it determined Meta app WhatsApp failed to comply with GDPR transparency rules. The regulator has investigated Meta over other data-related issues.
Tencent has added yet another studio to its stable of game developers. On Tuesday, the company announced it recently acquired a majority stake in Tequila Works, the Madrid-based studio best known for its work on Rime. Financial terms of the deal weren’…
Ms. Marvel, one of several Marvel Cinematic Universe shows coming to Disney+ this year, will premiere on June 8th. Disney also revealed a trailer for the series. It centers around Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), a Pakistani-American whose idol is Captain Marvel.
It’s not too much of a spoiler to say that Kamala gains cosmic powers of her own, such as super strength and a shapeshifting ability, seemingly through mystical bracers. On top of becoming a superhero, Kamala has to contend with more ordinary aspects of life as a teenager, including high school, crushes, career counseling and parents.
Ms. Marvel (who’ll be familiar to those who’ve read the comics or played Marvel’s Avengers) is the MCU’s first Muslim superhero. She’ll also appear in The Marvels, which is scheduled to hit theaters on February 17th, 2023.
Now might be a good moment to buy an Echo Show 5 as a smart alarm clock. Amazon is once more selling the second-gen Echo Show 5 for a record-low $45, or a large 47 percent below the official price. You can also buy the Kids edition for $55 (42 percent off) if the colorful shell and year-long Kids+ subscription prove appealing.
The Echo Show 5 is practically tailor-made for your nightstand between its small size, a sunrise alarm and a tap-to-snooze feature. It sounds surprisingly good for its size and includes a camera (with privacy shutter) for morning video calls. If you just want to check the weather or control your Alexa-powered smart home from your bed, this is all you need.
There are some limitations. The interface isn’t quite as elegant as Google’s Nest Hub, and you’ll want that device if you use other Nest devices or otherwise immerse yourself in the Google Assistant ecosystem. The video calling performance isn’t a huge leap over the first-gen Echo Show 5, and you can’t plug in a better set of speakers. For $45, though, there’s not much room to complain — it costs less than an Echo Dot with clock while offering more overall functionality.
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No modern smartphone is completely carbon neutral. Even the most eco-conscious phones are only partially made out of recyclable materials. But you can help cut back on plastic usage by at least purchasing an eco-friendly case to protect your phone from dings and scratches. There are plenty of them, from those that are completely compostable to ones made from ocean-based plastic. Best of all, eco-friendly cases are often just stylish and durable as their mainstream counterparts. Here are our favorites.
Pela
Nicole Lee / Engadget
Without a doubt, our favorite eco-friendly phone cases are those made by Pela. We absolutely love their colors and designs, plus the fact that the entire line is 100 percent plant-based and compostable. The case material is called “Flaxstic,” which the company says is made from flax straw and compostable bioplastic elastomer. Importantly, it’s also free of BPA, phthalates, cadmium and lead. If you ever decide to get rid of it, you can indeed just chuck in a compost bin and it’ll be completely biodegradable.
What’s more, Pela cases are available for a wide array of handsets. They can accommodate iPhones (from iPhone 5 onwards), Samsung Galaxies (Galaxy S8 and newer), Google Pixels (from the Pixel 3a on), the Huawei P50 and P50 Pro and the OnePlus 9.
For iPhone users, we should note that Pela cases are not MagSafe-compatible by default. Strangely, too, you can only purchase an additional $6 MagSafe module for the iPhone 13, and not the iPhone 12. Applying it to my phone was pretty straightforward, so that’s not a big concern, but it’s something to keep in mind. And, obviously, the MagSafe module with all its magnets is not compostable; you’ll have to take it off and dispose of it separately.
LifeProof is a phone case brand that specializes in recycled materials. Each of its products is at least partially made out of recycled materials. But the most eco-friendly option is the LifeProof Wake, which is made from 85 percent ocean-based recycled plastic. According to the company, a lot of that comes from discarded fishing gear, which would otherwise be a fatal hazard for marine life like sharks and turtles.
In addition, we’re big fans of the Wake’s design. It comes in four different colors, and features an attractive sculpted wave pattern. It feels sturdy and durable, and LifeProof says it’s drop proof from two meters (roughly six and half feet). Plus, it’s MagSafe-compatible by default. The LifeProof Wake is available for iPhones (iPhone 11 onward), Samsung Galaxies (Galaxy S20 and newer) and Google Pixels (Pixel 4a and up).
LifeProof’s other cases aren’t too bad either. If you want a clear see-through case instead, LifeProof’s SEE series is a good option (those cases are made out of 50 percent recycled plastic), as is the NEXT series (they’re made out of 55 percent plastic and blocks out dirt, dust and snow). The FRE series (50 percent recycled plastic) doesn’t have a clear case option, but it’s also the sturdiest of the bunch: It’s the only one that’s waterproof from two meters for an hour.
Casetify is mostly known for making durable yet stylish phone cases, but it has several eco-friendly options, too. The latest is its new Compostable line, which is made with a 100 percent compostable and plant-based material called “Ecotify.” Basically, it’s a blend of bamboo, biopolymers and starch.
The regular Compostable line has a drop-protection of around four feet, while the Ultra Compostable line, with its extra corner bumpers, has a drop-protection of about 6.6 feet. My recommendation would be to go with the more durable Ultra Compostable option, even if it does cost about $5 more.
Unfortunately, Casetify’s Compostable line is only available for iPhones the (iPhone 7 and up). Casetify does make other kinds of sustainable cases for both the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy handsets (Galaxy S20 and newer), but they’re not compostable. Instead, they’re made from 65 percent recycled materials. Plus, Casetify offers the option to return your old case, which they’ll then reuse or up-cycle to create a new one, thus reducing waste.
The biggest perk of Casetify’s cases is that they’re very customizable. Not only can you pick out your favorite bumper colors and designs (Casetify regularly partners with brands and illustrators to come up with unique styles), but you can actually add engravings to them too. You can also choose to add even more protection with thicker bumpers (Casetify says the “Bounce Case” offers a 13-foot drop protection).
It took a while, but AMD’s first desktop processor with 3D V-Cache is finally on the horizon. AMD will release the eight-core Ryzen 7 5800X3D on April 20th for $449. That’s the same price as the older 5800X cost when new, but the company is clearly betting that the much larger combined cache (100MB versus 36MB) will help justify the outlay. AMD claimed in January that the 5800 X3D could outperform both the Ryzen 9 5900X and Intel’s Core i9 12800K in 1080p gaming, although it’s safe to say real-world results might vary.
There are also some decidedly more affordable CPUs if you’re more interested in value for money than raw speed. AMD has introduced six budget Ryzen chips, including three Zen 3 models. The six-core Ryzen 5 5500 only supports up to PCIe Gen 3, a 4.2GHz boost clock and 19MB of cache, but at $159 (cooler included) should be the most accessible Zen 3 part to date. Step up to the $199 Ryzen 5 5600 and you’ll get PCIe Gen 4 support, a 4.4GHz boost clock and 35MB of cache. The $299 Ryzen 7 5700X, meanwhile, is built for the sweet spot with eight cores, a 4.6GHz boost and 36MB of cache, although you’ll have to bring your own cooler.
Those happy to make do with Zen 2 have lower-priced options. The four-core Ryzen 3 4100 peaks at 4GHz with 6MB of cache for $99 with cooler, while the $129 Ryzen 5 4500 jumps to six cores, a 4.1GHz boost and 11MB of cache. Cost-conscious gamers can buy a $154 Ryzen 5 4600G with Vega-class Radeon graphics, a 4.2GHz peak clock and 11MB of cache.
All six lower-cost CPUs should be available starting April 4th. We wouldn’t be surprised if pricing climbs higher for the Ryzen 7 5800X3D given ongoing chip shortages, but they represent solid values at their official stickers. They might also do the trick if you lean AMD and can’t wait until Zen 4-based hardware arrives late this year.
Intel has confirmed plans to build a semiconductor plant in Germany as part of an investment of up to €80 billion ($88 billion) in Europe over the next decade. The initial outlay for the facility in Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt, is €17 billion ($19 billion).
The so-called “mega-site” will actually comprise two factories. Planning will start right away with construction expected to get under way in the first half of next year, as long as Intel gets the thumbs up from the European Commission. Production should commence at what Intel is calling “Silicon Junction” in 2027. As such, the plant won’t help offset the global chip shortage any time soon.
Intel says the dual plants will build chips using its top-of-the-line Angstrom-era transistor tech. It expects to create 7,000 construction jobs for the duration of the build, 3,000 permanent positions and thousands more jobs across partners and suppliers.
Elsewhere, Intel will invest another €12 billion ($13 billion) to expand a factory in Leixlip, Ireland. It will double the manufacturing space and expand foundry services there. The company’s also in discussions with Italy to build an assembly and packing facility there at a cost of up to €4.5 billion ($4.9 billion).
Intel plans to build its European research and development hub near Plateau de Saclay, France. It expects to create 1,000 jobs as a result, with 450 of those opening up by the end of 2024. Intel aims to set up its main European foundry design center in France too. Further investments are earmarked for Poland and Spain.
The company says the plan is “centered around balancing the global semiconductor supply chain with a major expansion of Intel’s production capacities in Europe.” In February, the European Union announced a $49 billion effort to prevent future chip shortages and reduce reliance on parts manufactured in Asia.
“The EU Chips Act will empower private companies and governments to work together to drastically advance Europe’s position in the semiconductor sector,” Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said. “This broad initiative will boost Europe’s R&D innovation and bring leading-edge manufacturing to the region for the benefit of our customers and partners around the world.”
If you ever wondered how General Motors, one of the biggest automakers on the planet, went from 0 to EV so quickly while managing to reinvent its iconic Hummer SUV, former-poster child of automotive excess, as a future-facing electric vehicle, the History Channel has a show for you. Revolution: GMC Hummer EV will take a behind-the-scenes look at the development of the all-electric supertruck when it premieres Sunday, March 27th at 11am ET.
“Our goal was to upend what an electric vehicle is capable of and push the boundaries from 100 years of vehicle development experience,” Executive Chief Engineer for the Hummer EV, Josh Tavel, said in a press statement. “This documentary captures the soul of a team capable of incredible innovation and resilience. Their learnings are laying the foundation of vehicle development for decades to come.”
The hour-long documentary, produced by Hiatus and Detroit-based WTP Pictures and directed by Sean King O’Grady, followed the Hummer development team over the course of two years of design at the Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan followed by grueling environmental testing at GM’s proving grounds in Milford and Yuma.
If you miss the live premiere, Revolution will hit History on Hulu, History.com and the GMC YouTube page the following Sunday, April 3rd.
You don’t have to use Google Assistant if you’re wearing a Fossil Gen 6 smartwatch. As promised in January, Gen 6 smartwatches now officially support the new Alexa watch app. Set it up and you can launch Amazon’s assistant either from the screen (including through a tile) or by configuring one of the pushers. This will be helpful if your smart home revolves around Alexa, of course, but it also provides some choice if you don’t want to be tied to one AI helper.
This is the first Amazon-made Alexa app for a Wear OS device, Fossil said. It’s available for Fossil, Michael Kors and Skagen models, and Fossil promises to improve it over time.
Alexa won’t be quite as convenient as using Google Assistant. You’ll still have to tap the screen to invoke Amazon’s assistant where Google will be available just by holding the home button. This is a start, though, and it may make Fossil Gen 6 alluring if you like Alexa but don’t want to buy a Fitbit smartwatch to put it on your wrist.
