NASA 將 Artemis I 的火箭測試延至 4 月 12 日

原定是要在 4 月 4 日進行名為 WDR 的全套發射前預演，但在開始灌入液態氫燃料時，發生了閥門控制上的問題，在當日無法解決後，NASA 決定擇日再進行 WDR 測試。WDR 先是被推遲到了 4 月 9 日，然後現在又宣佈將延後到了 4 月 12 日。…

The Morning After: Google and iFixit collaborate on parts to help you repair Pixel phones

Google is the latest phone maker to join Apple and Samsung in giving you resources to fix phones yourself. It’s partnering with the tinkerer of all tinkerers, iFixit, to provide official parts for Pixel phones later this year. Notably, the initiative will cover models ranging from the Pixel 2 (from 2017) through to the Pixel 6 Pro and beyond. According to the announcement, you’ll get access to a “full range” of components, like batteries, cameras and displays, whether you buy them individually or with iFixit’s own Fix Kit tools.

It’s shaping up to be an interesting year for people willing to repair their own phones. We still haven’t had a chance to see how Apple’s iPhone repair proposal will fare in real life — how hard is it going to be? — but Google is being smart by pairing with, arguably, the go-to people for those willing to take their phone’s life into their own hands.

— Mat Smith

 

The biggest stories you might have missed

Hummer EV first drive

An enormous electric super truck

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Engadget

The Hummer has always been ostentatious. So it’s no surprise the Hummer EV is not only large but also heavy, and really not all that efficient as an EV. But what it lacks in miles per kilowatt, it makes up for in over-the-top fun.

Roberto Baldwin got to drive the larger-than-life SUV, and it proved to be a capable off-roader that showcases GM’s Ultium platform. It is still, at its core, a Hummer.

Continue reading.

iOS 16 could include upgraded health tracking features

But don’t expect an UI redesign.

The next major update of iOS could include “significant enhancements,” according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman anticipates iOS 16 will include an update to notifications and an assortment of new health-tracking features.

Gurman added that the Apple Watch’s watchOS 9 may include upgrades to its activity and health-tracking features, but stopped short of sharing specifics. Boo.

Continue reading.

‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ has the best opening weekend for a video game movie

Breaking the record set by… the first Sonic movie.

TMA
Paramount

With a $71 million debut at the domestic box office, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has set a new record for the US film debut of a video game adaptation, beating the previous high watermark set by its predecessor in 2020. The sequel made $57 million during its opening weekend, and Paramount now plans to expand this success into a cinematic universe. What have you done?

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Police got confused trying to pull over an autonomous Cruise vehicle

‘Step outside the vehicle, please.’

Since February, GM’s Cruise self-driving unit has offered public taxi rides across San Francisco. And so far, the service hasn’t had many issues. A video from April 2nd showed San Francisco police attempting to pull over a driverless Cruise vehicle in the city’s Richmond District, only for the car to temporarily take off.

Watch for the confusion.

Watch the first trailer for ‘Kingdom Hearts IV’

Disney, Final Fantasy and a kinda-Tokyo.

Kingdom Hearts IV
Square Enix

During an event celebrating the franchise’s 20th anniversary, we got our first proper glimpse at the next Kingdom Hearts game. Kingdom Hearts IV marks the return of Sora after 2019’s Kingdom Hearts III seemingly concluded the story arc that began with the original game in 2002. The trailer showed Sora waking up in a city called Quadratum, a Tokyo-inspired city rendered in a semi-realistic way, marking a major artistic shift for the series. The city is soon attacked by a towering monster and the story-centric opening scenes seamlessly transition to gameplay… and fighting.

Continue reading.

Amazon’s Kindle and Fire tablet sale offers savings of up to 45 percent

As it does from time to time, Amazon has launched a sale on both Fire HD tablets and Kindle devices, with most items at the second-best prices we’ve seen so far. One of the best deals is on the Fire HD 8 tablet, now available for $50 instead of $90, for a savings of $40 or 44 percent off. 

You’ll also find the Fire HD 8 Plus at $60 (normally $110) for the 32GB model and $90 (normally $140) for the 64GB variant. Finally, the Fire HD 10 Plus now starts at $100 for the 32GB model or $120 if you require more storage. 

Buy Fire HD tablets at Amazon

There’s a lot to like about the Fire HD 8 tablet, provided you’re okay without direct support for Google apps. It includes Alexa support, a USB-C port for faster charging, solid build quality, 32GB of storage that can be upgraded via a microSD card slot, a relatively sharp 1,280 x 800 display, 2GB of RAM, a 4,850 mAh battery and a quad-core chip that offers decent performance.

The Fire HD8 Plus boosts RAM to 3GB, includes wireless charging and comes with a 9W charger in the box. And the Fire HD 10 gives you a 10-inch 1080p display, 32GB of upgradeable storage, 2GB of RAM, an 8-core processor and a battery that allows for up to 12 hours of reading with fast USB-C charging. 

Amazon's Kindle and Fire tablet sale offers savings of up to 44 percent
Engadget

Several Kindle tablets are also on sale at the second best prices we’ve seen. The regular ad-supported model is on sale for $55, a discount of $35 from the regular $90 price. You can also pick up the Kindle Kids Edition with the “Rainbow Birds Cover” for $65 instead of $110, a savings of 41 percent.

Buy Kindle tablets at Amazon

The latest Kindle models offer a lot for the money, including an LED-lit screen, weeks of reading time and a touch interface. The Kids Edition adds some perks, like one of four colorful cases, a two-year worry-free guarantee and a year of complimentary access to the company’s FreeTime Unlimited service.

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

《超音鼠大電影 2》成電玩改編電影史上開畫首週最賣座作品

《超音鼠大電影 2》在美國本土上映電影院已有一週，順利獲得了高達 5,700 萬美元的票房成績，同時還打破自己於第一集時的紀錄，再次成為當地電玩改編電影史上，開畫首週最賣座的作品。

AMD Ryzen9 5950X 價格再度下調， US$535 即可入手

強效的 AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 能夠滿足媒體創作者或職業玩家的高效能需求，對預算較多的用家而言是不錯的選擇。現在 Amazon 上 5950X 的價格進一步下調，只需 US$535.01 即可入手，較平常的 US$579.99 再便宜了近 US$45。…

Apple Watch Series 7 falls to a new all-time low of $314 at Amazon

Apple Watch Series 7 models are still on sale at Amazon starting at $330, but one model in particular just fell even further. The 41mm GPS model with a green aluminum case and green “Clover Sport” band has now dropped to $314 or $85 off, marking a new low price for Watch Series 7 models. 

Buy Watch Series 7 GPS (green only) at Amazon – $314

If you’re fond of green, you’ll get Apple’s latest Watch Series 7 model with improvements over the Series 6 like a larger screen, faster charging and IP6X dust resistance. The bigger display makes it easier to see time at a glance, and the faster charging is handy if you like to wear your Watch continuously — even while you sleep. As with past models, it also comes with features like an always-on display, a rich app ecosystem and tight integration with Fitness+ and other Apple apps. On the downside, it doesn’t have the best sleep-tracking app around and isn’t the best option for Android users. 

If you’re looking for a more neutral or other color, worry not. Other 41mm Apple Watch Series 7 GPS models are still on sale in Red, Abyss Blue, Midnight (black) and Starlight (white) at the $330 price tag we saw last week. And there are a variety of 41mm GPS+Cellular models on sale for $429 ($70 off), 45mm GPS models for $359 ($70 off) and 45mm GPS + Cellular models for $459 (also $70 off). These are essentially the same deals we saw last week, but a dollar cheaper for some reason. 

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

Apple Studio Display issue leaves some owners unable to update their firmware

Some owners of the new Apple Studio Display have reported having problems updating to the latest firmware. As MacRumors points out, after multiple failed attempts, users were being told by Apple support to bring their display in for repair to an Apple Store or authorized repair facility. 

The issue has affected a growing number of users on Apple’s support forum. When attempting the update, users get a message stating “Apple Studio Display firmware could not be updated. Try again in an hour. If the problem persists, contact an authorized Apple service provider.” Subsequent attempts then fail, even if connecting via another computer. (Engadget has reached out to Apple for comment on the issue.)

The Studio Display is off to a shaky start, with criticism of its 60Hz refresh rate, relatively high price tag and mediocre webcam. Apple promised to fix the webcam via firmware update, but has yet to provide a timeline. The Studio Display packs an A13 Bionic chip (the same as on the iPhone 11) and runs a full version of iOS 15.4. As such, fixes arrive as part of an iOS update, allowing users to update it through System Preferences on macOS. 

Update: 04/11/22 at 6am ET — Apple has reportedly begun re-signing an older iOS 15.4 firmware, allowing the Studio Display to resume updates. 

Elon Musk won’t join Twitter’s board of directors after all

Elon Musk will no longer join Twitter’s board of directors, Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal revealed in a tweet. Last week, it was reported that Musk would join as a Class II director following his purchase of 9.2 percent of the company’s shares, but he has now decided against the move. 

“We announced on Tuesday that Elon would be appointed to the Board contingent on a background check and formal acceptance,” said Agrawal. “Elon’s appointment to the board was to become officially effective 4/9, but Elon shared that same morning that he will no longer be joining the board. I believe this is for the best. We have and will always value input from our shareholders whether they are on our Board or not. Elon is our biggest shareholder and we will remain open to his input.”

Musk’s Twitter stock purchase was worth $2.89 billion when it was revealed by the SEC, but some recent reports questioned whether he revealed his stake early enough. Joining the board would have restricted Musk’s purchases to 14.9 percent of common stock during his tenure and for 90 days afterward. 

It’s not clear why Musk decided not to join Twitter’s board, especially since he seemed to be full of ideas on how to change the social media network. Most recently, he tweeted out the idea of giving verification checkmarks to paid Twitter Blue subscribers and suggested that Twitter convert its San Francisco office to a homeless shelter since “no-one shows up anyway.” He also ran a poll asking users if Twitter should add an edit button, and just a day later, the company confirmed it would do just that. 

Musk also recently tweeted a photo of himself smoking cannabis on the Joe Rogan podcast on Spotify in 2018, stating the next board meeting was “going to be lit.” When his joining the board appeared imminent, Agrawal offered to address any employee concerns in a Q&A session with Musk. Musk appears to have removed some of his Twitter-related tweets, like the poll and homeless shelter ones, over the last few hours.