Movies based on video games have become a pretty big deal in recent years. Just look at those box office returns for A Minecraft Movie for proof of that. This means that more films are coming down the pike, including a motion picture based on Hideo Kojimas delivery simulator Death Stranding. We first learned this was coming back in 2022, but now theres a writer and director attached to the project.
The production company A24, which is helping to finance the film, just announced that it will be written and directed by Michael Sarnoski. He isnt a household name, but he did co-write and direct A Quiet Place: Day One. He also co-wrote and directed that delightfully weird Nicolas Cage romp Pig.
A24 says that the movie will explore the "catastrophic series of events that blurred the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead," thus creating the fragmented society of the game. Theres no casting information yet, but one would hope that Norman Reedus would be involved in some capacity. A cameo from Conan O'Brien also wouldnt hurt.
Kojima Productions is involved with the movie. Theres no release date yet, as filming hasnt even started.
This wasnt the only Death Stranding news to drop recently. The video game Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will be released on June 26, which will be accompanied by a world-wide concert tour and, inexplicably, a luxury watch.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-death-stranding-movie-now-has-a-writer-and-director-153029985.html?src=rss
Ten architects and designers have created a striking collection of funeral urns for Alessi's The Last Pot exhibition at Milan Design Week. The project, curated by Alberto Alessi, explores the funeral urn as a final container an object surprisingly overlooked by the design world despite its significance.
Later than expected, Google has begun rolling a pair of new Gemini Live features to Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25 devices. The company first previewed Gemini live video and screensharing during Mobile World Congress in March. As you might have guessed from their names, the two features allow you to take advantage of Gemini's multi-modal capabilities to ask Google's chatbot questions about what you see in front of your or on your phone's screen.
Its here: ask Gemini about anything you see. Share your screen or camera in Gemini Live to brainstorm, troubleshoot, and more.Rolling out to Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25 devices today and available for all Advanced users on @Android in the Gemini app: pic.twitter.com/fjTD4qhvjz Google Gemini App (@GeminiApp) April 7, 2025
If you don't own a Pixel 9 or Galaxy S25, Google says you can still access the new features through the Gemini app on Android. However, you'll need a Google One AI Premium plan, which costs $20 per month.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/gemini-live-video-and-screensharing-starts-rolling-out-to-pixel-9-and-galaxy-s25-phones-151032356.html?src=rss
While the Nintendo Switch 2 had its splashy debut last week, including details about the hardware and launch games, there's still lots about the console that Nintendo has yet to clear up. For instance, the company hasn't gone into specifics about the CPU and GPU that are powering the Switch 2, other than to touch on the performance enhancements that they offer over the Switch (NVIDIA separately confirmed that the Switch 2 uses its Deep Learning Super Sampling tech).
However, since last Wednesday's blockbuster Direct, Nintendo has touched on some new Switch 2 details in interviews with the press. For one thing, Nate Bihldorff, Senior Vice President of Product Development & Publishing at Nintendo of America, told Nintendo Life that the console's Joy-Con 2 controllers do not use Hall effect tech. "The Joy-Con 2's controllers have been designed from the ground up," Bihldorff said. "They're not Hall effect sticks, but they feel really good."
Switch 2 producer Kouichi Kawamoto separately said that the Joy-Con 2 joysticks "are quieter and dont make noise, even when theyre moved quickly to the edge." The company is referring to them as "smooth-gliding sticks."
Engadget has asked Nintendo why the company opted not to use Hall effect tech in the Joy-Con 2. We've also asked whether the Switch 2 Pro Controller foregoes Hall effect sensors as well.
This technology is becoming increasingly common in the thumbsticks of third-party gamepads, but Nintendo has yet to implement it in its own joysticks (nor have Sony or Microsoft, for that matter). The idea behind Hall effect sensors is that they reduce the likelihood of stick drift. This problem was so pervasive on the original Switch's Joy-Cons that Nintendo offered free, unlimited repairs for stick drift in Europe. So it's not clear why Nintendo would opt out of having Hall effect sensors in the Joy-Con 2 to help mitigate such problems.
Meanwhile, Nintendo has confirmed US pricing for a few Switch 2 experiences. The company told IGN that the upgrades for two The Legend of Zelda games Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom cost $10 each for those who already own either game. However, Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers get access to the upgrades at no extra cost.
The Switch 2 upgrades include visual fidelity and framerate enhancements, along with the inclusion of HDR support and faster loading times. You'll also be able to use the Switch mobile app as a Sheikah Slate of sorts, helping you to find hidden items with voiced directions.
In addition, Nintendo has revealed that Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, which seems like a tech demo that will take you through all the features of the console, will cost $10. As for why Nintendo is charging 10 bucks for this as opposed to offering it for free (like Valve did with the fun Steam Deck tech demo, Aperture Desk Job, or Sony did with Astro's Playroom on PS5), Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience Bill Trinen had this to say to IGN:
For some people, I think there are people who are particularly interested in the tech and the specs of the system and things like that, for them I think it's going to be a great product. It's really for people that want more information about the system rather than necessarily a quick intro to everything it does. And for that reason and just the amount of care and work that the team put into it, I think it was decided that, 'Yeah, this feels like $9.99 is not an exorbitant price. It feels like a good value for what you're getting out of the product.'This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-says-the-switch-2-joy-con-controllers-dont-have-hall-effect-thumbsticks-145541771.html?src=rss
I appreciate devices that dont try to do too much. There are too many products throwing too many features at the consumer in the hope one or two sticks. Im reminded of the recently revived Pebble, which offers a pared down way to check your phones notifications from your wrist, and little else. Thats the best way to describe Even Realities G1 smart glasses, which puts a second screen for your smartphone on your face.
G1 is almost aggressively low-tech, putting in your line of sight a dot matrix display thatll leap into life when required. Youll be able to see the time, phone notifications, calendar, stock and news updates from a handful of chosen publishers. Tap the temple tips (also known as earpieces) and youll be able to speak to an AI to answer questions or dictate a note without touching your phone at all. Open the app to activate heads-up turn-by-turn directions, access real-time translation and use the glasses as a portable teleprompter.
On devices like this, the limited feature set goes hand-in-hand with lowered expectations: If it promises the basics and delivers them, all good, right? Problems arise when it fails to do them well, or if its obvious to anyone there are features that would work here but have been omitted. The G1 doesn't stumble on the essentials, but I do find myself flip-flopping about how much praise they should get. Theyre useful right now, but Id love to see how much better theyll get in a year or two.
Hardware
Daniel Cooper for Engadget
Until the laws of physics change quite dramatically, smart glasses will always be noticeably bigger and heavier than their siblings. But the G1 is hardly an embarrassment in those stakes, and while chunky, theyre not comically oversized. The frame is built from magnesium and titanium alloy and weighs in at 44 grams. Thats more than the 26 grams my regular glasses weigh, but not to such an extent that its burdensome. Its no surprise to learn some of the companys leadership team came from the glasses industry, including stints at high-end eyewear brand Lindberg and Mykita.
Each lens houses a rectangular waveguide with a 25-degree field of view displaying a 640 x 200 20Hz dot matrix green monochrome screen. It brings to mind the old workstation terminals from the early 1990s. This isnt shameless hipsterism, since green is more easily seen by the eye, and it also reduces the displays power consumption, which is useful since the maximum brightness is 1,000 nits, and youll need all of it to see your screen on a bright day.
Much of the hardware is housed in the temple tips the bits sitting behind your ears, if youre not au fait with glasses terminology. These chunky boxes include the wireless charging gear, 160mAh battery, Bluetooth LE 5.2 radio and the touch control sensors. As for the rest, the projector and microphones are housed in the end pieces (the hinges on the frame), and thats it. Theres no camera, speakers, headphones, bone conduction audio or any touch surface along the arms themselves, because the makers expect you to have your own camera and audio gear.
In the box, youll get the glasses and USB-C charging case, the latter of which has its own 2,000mAh battery which the company says will charge your glasses two and a half times before you need to head back to a socket. You can also get a pair of clip-on sunglass lenses for your specs to ensure you can wear them outdoors. I had initially presumed, given the heft of the original investment, that the clip-on glasses were thrown in but no, theyll set you back an additional $100 in the US, 100 in Europe or 85 in the UK.
Glasses need to be up to the challenge of withstanding the same conditions the rest of your head is exposed to. Even Realities says the G1 can resist a splash" or "light rain, but doesnt include a specific IP rating, so you may need to baby them a little.
There is only one size of the G1 available, and the company says itll suit anyone with a pupillary distance between 54 and 80. The temples can be adjusted to go looser or tighter, depending on the unique topography of your skull. But the frames are fairly stylish, and if you prefer the rounded Panto style of glasses, or a squarer one, you can opt for the B1 model instead.
Naturally, glasses arent a one-and-done deal, with most folks changing their prescriptions on a bi-annual basis. Even Realities says that you should be able to send your glasses back to HQ when your eyesight changes, along with your updated prescription, for up-to-date lenses. In the EU thatll cost 230, or if youre further abroad, 240 ($260).
Random musing about Smart Glasses vs AR
Ive deliberately not referred to the G1 as a pair of augmented reality glasses because I dont think they fit the description. The dictionary says AR is anything that puts a digital view in front of the real world, but thats too broad a definition. After all, if I held a paper map in my line of sight I wouldnt be augmenting my reality as the map doesnt engage with its environment. And its the same thing here just because the display in question is transparent doesnt, for me, move the needle enough for it to be classified as AR.
In-use
Daniel Cooper for Engadget
Charge the glasses, download the app and youll walk through the brief setup and tutorial process. Software updates take around five minutes each time, surprisingly long given the low-tech nature of the system. Put the glasses on and youll notice the waveguide prisms add a slight tint to whatever youre looking at. For instance, when staring at a white page on my computer, the prism adds a hint of gold thats noticeable compared to the white around it.
The glasses are deactivated by default, behaving like any regular pair of specs as you go about your day. If you want to look up at the dashboard, which is your home screen, youll need to tilt your head up. This is the first thing youll define in the settings: How far you need to move your head up to trigger the dashboard. I found I had to tweak it regularly, given my head naturally drift upwards more often when I'm, say, relaxing against the sofa versus standing at my desk.
Daniel Cooper for Engadget
The dashboard is the first sign the G1 has some limitations. You only have three layout options for what you can see, one of which is the Status Pane, which is always on. Status shows you the time, date, temperature, a notification indicator and (when required) low battery warnings. You can add one widget or two, but if you pick two, one of those widgets will default to your calendar. The other widgets include News, Stocks, QuickNotes or a Map.
News, Stocks and Maps feel like the default options you get with every gadget while its makers work out what its users really want and need. The news feed pulls from a handful of outlets and you can select from which categories (Politics, Science, Sports and the like) you want to see. The map view gives you a little peek at your location to the nearest 25, 50 or 100 meters, which Im sure is helpful for some folks, like delivery drivers. But Im not sure there are many folks who want or need to have this information so immediately at hand.
Notifications
Youll be able to gatekeep which apps you can permit to be put through to your glasses, and when you get a message, a speech bubble will pop up on your blank display. When it appears, you can just flick your head up to see the message, or tap the temple tip while in Dashboard.
Its the same limited message you would get with any basic wearable connected to your iPhone. The obvious benefit is removing the need for you to get your phone out of your pocket or look at your wrist.
On a Saturday jaunt into the city, several of my group chats sprung into life and I was able to keep abreast of the conversation without having to look at my phone. That was a real benefit, as Id have been frustrated if Id have had to check my pocket on the regular for messages that didnt entirely concern me. The only downside is that you cant do anything with the messages, like respond to them, unless you do finally succumb to your phone.
Teleprompt, Transcribe and QuickNote
Even Realities
Even if youre comfortable speaking off the cuff, using the G1 as a teleprompter is a staggeringly good idea. As soon as I started using it, I was thinking they would be great for shooting review videos, as well as giving presentations and acting. Hell, Ive recited the Gettysburg Address a few too many times in the last week.
The glasses will also offer a way to turn what its hearing into text, either with the dedicated Transcription setup, or the QuickNote action. For the latter, all you need to do is touch a temple tip and you can then speak, with the system picking up your words and turning them into text. Youll then be able to read the note, and play back the audio recording in the app, although you can only share the text of what youve said. Its perhaps a lot more pertinent to journalists than other folks but the ability to have such easy access to a tool like this is exciting.
Translation
The G1s presently support real-time translation of 24 languages, including the major European languages, Arabic, Cantonese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean and Turkish. After you open the app, select the language in question and activate the feature, youll get a translation two or three seconds later when someone talks to you. Ive tested the feature with native French and Turkish speakers and while the translations did at times miss a word, the overall sentiment was well conveyed.
Without a doubt, this is one of the glasses most eye-catching and useful features, since it subtitles the real world. But while the idea and implementation is all there, its not as sci-fi perfect as it could or should be, and thats a problem. For a start, theres the obvious moment you have to wait for while the system translates what your counterpart has said. Then theres the fact itll translate anything it can hear, so when I asked my Turkish friend to speak to me, and then I read out the translation in English, the glasses tried to translate my response back into English.
Everythings far more reliant on the app than it could be you cant activate the feature or swap languages without having the phone in your hand. If you were able to switch the options around with a tap on the touch sensor, you could theoretically have a conversation just with the glasses. But as soon as you need the phone in your hand, its easier to just open up Google Translate and harness the power of conversation mode.
Navigation
The ability to project basic information in your line of sight is enormously helpful when it comes to navigation. After all, if youre wandering around unfamiliar streets, then you probably dont want to appear to look like youre lost. Certainly, the spate of phone thefts where well-prepared poachers snatch devices from peoples hands is a sign of that. Much like every other feature, youll start by opening the app, activating the navigation pane and setting your destination.
You can pick walking or cycling directions, and youll get a turn-by-turn layout on the phone as well as in the glasses. Once the route has been calculated, which will take a second, you can put the phone in your pocket and start moving around. On the left, youll get the road name, an arrow for your direction and the distance in meters before the next move. In the middle, youll get the projected journey time and distance, and on the right a mini-map showing you the route. Look up (triggering the Dashboard) and youll get a full sized route map showing your progress as well as an indication of your speed. Id be lying if I said I didnt adore this feature and would love to test it out while roaming an unfamiliar city, because its supremely effortless.
Even AI
Rounding out the spec list is Even AI which, at the tap of the left temple tip, will be available for you to ask questions. Even AI is essentially just an interaction layer for either Perplexity, which is the default AI client, or ChatGPT. Press the button and youll be able to ask it questions, the answers of which will then be displayed in your field of view.
If you have a beginners knowledge of AI, by which I mean a fundamental distrust of anything it says, then this might be useful. Defining words, answering basic questions like Who is Florence Nightingale and looking up facts like the price of Bitcoin are all easily done. But thats all, I think, Id trust any AI to do, given how generally incapable of providing useful information it is.
Controls
There are two buttons, one on each temple tip, which will let you engage EvenAI or QuickNotes and scroll through notifications. Two buttons, however, even with the ability to accept multiple taps, is a little too few input mechanisms for a device this sophisticated. I keep thinking about the ways you can control true wireless headphones with all of that rhythmic tapping and thats just for audio playback.
It means youll be relying on your phone a lot more than you may like, and while its not a deal breaker, it is an issue. After all, if these glasses offer a way of spending more time engaging with the world around me, then I dont want to be constantly snatching up my phone. I imagine this is another area that, as the software develops and more commands can be incorporated into the buttons, things will get easier. But it is, for now, a fairly significant frustration.
Batery Life
Id consider myself a fairly heavy user, and I would regularly get a day and a halfs worth of life from the G1 glasses before needing a recharge. Its vexing in the extreme that the glasses dont have an off switch, so theyll be draining an admittedly small amount of power when not in use. I suspect, if I was living with these full time, Id get into the habit of keeping them in their charging cradle on the nightstand while in bed to avoid any inadvertent losses of power while out and about.
Price
Even Realities G1 is available in two different frame styles: The G1A with the panto round-rim style and the G1B, with a rectangular frame. If Im honest, Id have preferred to test the G1B, which is more in keeping with my regular glasses preference, but cest la vie. The glasses on their own cost $599, with corrective lenses costing you an extra $150 and the sunglass clip an additional $100. It puts these glasses in the same sort of territory as the highest-end designer frames you can get at LensCrafters.
Im not sure theres a mainstream competitor sitting in exactly the same category as the G1. There are similar headsets, like TCLs RayNeo, but that has a far higher resolution display since it promises real AR. The Frame by Brilliant Labs, perhaps, but that only has a display in one lens and relies far more upon AI to operate. Captifys glasses use binocular vision but are only designed to offer real-time captioning for users with hearing loss. Vuzixs Z100 only has the display in one lens and, as far as I understand it, Meizus Myvu glasses are only available in eastern countries. Which means, for now, Even Realities is your one stop for a product like this.
And while theyre not in the same category at all, it feels negligent to not even mention Meta and Ray-Bans Wayfarers. The retail price may be cheaper but, once youve added prescription lenses theyll set you back around $600, putting them close to the G1. But theyre obviously a very different product, with no heads-up display and a greater emphasis on AI and photography.
Wrap-Up
Daniel Cooper for Engadget
I really like Even Realities G1 for what they can do right now, but Im also hopeful that itll get far more useful in the future. It seems to me there are so many things that could be tweaked, primped and plumped to make these far more appealing.
Id love to be able to switch the translation mode with a press of the temple tip, so I could get a translation of whats said, flip it to translate my English to the other language and then say it back to them so we could actually have a(n admittedly stilted) conversation. Adding reminders and other options to the dashboard would make it a lot more desirable to use. Hell, imagine a future dashboard update that pulls your step count from your phone so you can see how well youre moving. Not to mention the ability to offer some form of real-time captioning for users who may have hearing issues.
Im not going to judge the G1 on its potential but for what it offers now, and what it offers now is plenty good enough. The biggest obstacle is the price, but what can you expect for a first generation product in a niche category? When speaking to friends about them, many said if the price wasnt that much more than a regular pair of glasses, theyd struggle to say no to whats on offer here. And I agree, once youve had a taste of the functionality thats on show here, its hard to go back to normal.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/even-realities-g1-review-limited-but-effective-smart-glasses-140059586.html?src=rss
Nothing has enough storage these days. Whether it's a Mac or a PS5, it feels like everyone I know spends far too much time deleting things on their devices to clear up space. That annoyance is what makes SSDs so appealing, especially the Crucial X9 Pro.
We find the Crucial X9 Pro to be the best portable SSD for most people and, right now, the 1TB model is down to $70 from $101. The 31 percent discount brings this device to only $10 more than its all-time low price. If you need even more storage then pick up the 2TB option for $120, down from $180, or the 4TB one for $210, down from $279.
The Crucial X9 Pro is our favorite portable SSD for a few reasons, including excellent performance for its speed class and its very compact size. It uses a USB-C cord to connect with devices like an Xbox, PC, PS4 or 5, Mac and more. Plus, it offers a five-year warranty. One of our biggest quips with the Crucial X9 Pro is the price, but the sale really takes care of that.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/our-favorite-portable-ssd-is-up-to-33-percent-off-right-now-140645047.html?src=rss
The weather is turning warmer, so it's about time to hang up that winter coat with the big pockets you use to store everything. That also means things might be a bit harder to keep track of now I lost my phone, alone, multiple times over this sunny weekend. But, now there's a (cheaper) potential solution: The Chipolo One bluetooth tracker.
Right now, a four-pack of Chipolo Ones is down to $50 from $75 a 33 percent discount. This sale is a record-low price for this set of our favorite Bluetooth tracker for 2025. It also offers two different color sets to choose between and is a great deal if you want multiple trackers (just one is usually $20).
Beyond the convenient keyhole (sorry Apple), we like the Chipolo One for features like how loud it is when you're searching for something plus, it never has a delay when you press find. It's also very quick to ask if you've left something behind and works equally well with an iPhone or Android.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/a-four-pack-of-chipolo-one-trackers-drops-to-an-all-time-low-of-50-131257240.html?src=rss
Ankers lifestyle brand Eufy has already swallowed a big chunk of the robot vacuum market and now its got its sights on your yard. The company has been sharing details of its first two robot mowers since the start of the year, and now theyre ready to start selling them. Eufys E15 and E18 are designed to automate one of the most tedious jobs around the home if youre able to pay. Ive been testing an E15 for the last few weeks ahead of their retail debut today and Im fairly impressed.
Early robot mowers needed a boundary wire to tell them where they were allowed to mow. But digging a trench around your lawn is time consuming, costly and less than ideal if you eventually move. It prompted companies to pivot to other methods, such as GPS or RTK (real time kinematics) to navigate. Eufy, however, is harnessing its computer vision know-how to trim your lawn with even less fuss, calling its technology visual full self-driving, or vFSD. Yes, I know. Anker says there are plenty of benefits in using cameras over GPS, like more reliable mowing and better obstacle avoidance.
Daniel Cooper for Engadget
The E15 is capable of covering lawns up to 800 square meters while the E18 will conquer lands as broad as 1,200 square meters. If you assumed, like I did, that the difference between the two is battery size, youll be mistaken both have the same 4,200mAh battery, but the E18 has more on-board memory to accommodate a bigger map size. Otherwise, they are the same machine, with an adjustable cutting height between 25 - 75mm, a maximum climb of 18 degrees and a combined GPS / 4G anti-theft system. One feature Im very partial to is that the garage (the mowers charging station) comes with a rain cover, meaning fewer worries if youre out and the weather suddenly gets a bit intense. Not that its necessary, since the hardware is rated IPX6 enough to withstand being cleaned with a hose.
Setting up the E15 is painless so long as your lawn is nicely mown, with the grass no taller than 3.5 inches. All youll need to do is fix the garage in place with some hefty ground screws, hook it up to power and connect it to your homes Wi-Fi. Then all youll need to do is send it out for one or two mapping runs in order for it to get a sense of your space.
Daniel Cooper for Engadget
My lawn is cut into a hill, with a sunken pathway and a 1.5 meter drop at one end, which is a problem. Since it maps visually, I opted to babysit the mower during the process to make sure it didnt hurl itself into the chasm. I also have a small lean-to wood shed with a green roof (at the bottom of the chasm) that I reckoned a computer vision system could easily mistake for grass, so I wanted to keep an eye on it. Once it had made a few too many furtive advances toward that roof, I paused the mapping, sent the E15 back to its garage and set up a keep out zone in the app before finishing the job.
Once that was done, however, the E15 very easily staked out the rest of the space and made sure it could get nicely close to the path without going over. From there, youre doing everything of note within the app. You can set the cutting height as low as 25mm or as high as 75mm, and can also set the units movement and cutting speed letting you use more power if youre pressed for time. Plus, you can schedule mows, and if the device detects rain or too much wet in the grass, itll head back to base until things have dried out.
One feature Im a big fan of is that its the first such machine Ive encountered that lets you set a cutting direction for stripes. Its not that I have an issue with most robomowers chaotic mowing per se, but Ive always seen striped lawns as desirable. While the unit isnt going to give you the sort of over-manicured, inch-perfect stripes youd find at a tennis club, you can at least see the contrast.
Daniel Cooper for Engadget
An additional benefit of remote control is that if it does run into an issue and youre not at home, you can activate a remote control mode. Not only are you able to access the camera feed, but you can trigger on-screen controls to navigate out of any tricky spots it might have wound up in.
It's funny, but something I didn't notice, but my in-laws did when they visited, was how shockingly quiet the E15 was. When I set the hardware running to satisfy their curiosity, they were baffled that the thing was scuttling around on the lawn making almost no noise whatsoever. It's certainly a perk, especially if you choose to set this thing off for a scheduled trim in the early morning it's quiet enough that even the ants probably won't complain.
All in all, I like the package Eufy is offering, and it even handled some of my misgivings about its computer vision system. If I have gripes, its not really about the E-series at all and more about this category of product generally. For a start, robot mowers may not get every square inch of your lawn, especially if some of your edges neighbor deep crevasses, like mine. That means youll still need to go out there every once in a while with a weed wacker to trim the borders of your turf.
And Id still love nothing more than to be able to exert more control over the initial mapping phase to eliminate some of the trial and error. I wish for a system that would let me use my phone as a tool to trace the outside edge of a space myself, to set some basic expectations. Sure, the hardware would still have to scuttle around making sure it can get where I need it to go, but itd save some of the busywork for both of us.
The Eufy E15 (800 sqm) and E18 (1,200 sqm) are available to order today from Eufy and Amazon. The E15 will set you back $1,599, while E18 is priced at $1,999.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/eufys-new-robot-mowers-use-smart-vision-to-trim-your-grass-130008542.html?src=rss
The iPhones lock screen isnt just the place you check the time or your notifications anymore its a fully customizable space where you can express your personality, highlight your favorite photos and even stay on top of your day with helpful widgets. With iOS 18, Apple has given users even more control, letting you personalize your home screen and adjust lock screen controls..
Whether you want something functional, minimal, photo-heavy or playful, well walk you through exactly how to make your lock screen your own from changing fonts and adding widgets to switching between screens throughout the day.
How to create a custom lock screen
To start personalizing, youll first need to create a new lock screen or modify an existing one.
Wake your iPhone, then touch and hold anywhere on the lock screen until you feel a buzz and see the wallpaper editor.
Youll see a carousel of lock screens youve created. Tap the + (Add New) button to start fresh, or swipe to an existing one and tap Customize.
A gallery of wallpaper options will appear. Choose from:
Photos (pick one from your library)
People (iOS intelligently finds portraits)
Photo Shuffle (select multiple images that change)
Emoji, Weather, or Astronomy
Suggested themes like color gradients or Live Photos
Once youve picked your background, you can dive into the fun part: customizing fonts, colors, widgets and more.
Georgie Peru for Engadget
Photos and People
You can set a favorite picture as your wallpaper and tweak its color or crop to make sure you have the best view of your loved ones. Note that these steps will only allow you to select one picture if you want a rotating selection of backgrounds, skip to the Photo Shuffle section below.
Tap Photos to bring up a list of Photos and Collections. You can search for specific images, or filter by All, Featured, Live Photo, People, Pets, Nature and Cities.
Once youve selected a photo, you then have more options. You can Pinch to Crop the image, change and customize the filters (Natural, Black & White, Duotone and Color Wash)
You also have the option to Add Widgets and remove the Flashlight and/or Camera.
You can also set a photo as your wallpaper directly from the Photos app by tapping the Share icon, and then selecting Use as Wallpaper.
Photo Shuffle
With Photo Shuffle, you can select multiple photos that change depending on the frequency youve selected.
Select the types of photos you want to include, e.g. People, Pets, Nature and Cities, or select an Album.
Tap the Shuffle Frequency option and choose between On Tap, On Lock, Hourly or Daily.
Select whether you want to Use Featured Photos or Select Photos Manually.
It would be worth going through your selected photos separately to make sure they are cropped correctly (e.g. if you have a mix of landscape and portrait images).
You also have the option to Add Widgets and remove the Flashlight and/or Camera.
Emoji and Color
If you dont want to use a photo, you can select an emoji or color instead.
Select Emoji and choose up to six emojis. Alternatively, if you want a single color, you can select the Color option.
Choose between Dynamic, Grid, Large, Radial and Spiral to customize how the emoji background will appear.
Once youve selected an emoji or multiple, you can change the color of the background.
You also have the option to Add Widgets and remove the Flashlight and/or Camera.
How to change the clock style
The default iPhone clock gets the job done, but it doesnt have to be boring. In iOS, you can customize the font, weight and color of the clock to match your aesthetic. This small change can have a big impact on your lock screens overall vibe.
In the lock screen editor, tap the time. You can do this before or after youve personalized your lock screen with photos, weather, etc.
Choose from a selection of font styles. Drag the slider to increase the font weight and tap the available fonts to see what they look like.
Use the color picker or swipe through presets to find something that fits.
How to add widgets to your lock screen
Widgets are a game changer for lock screen productivity. Whether you want to see your calendar, the weather forecast, activity rings or even battery levels at a glance, widgets can make your lock screen both pretty and practical. Widgets are compact, but you can fit up to four small ones or a mix of two medium and one small on a single lock screen, depending on the layout.
While editing the lock screen, tap the field below the time or select Add Widgets if the option appears (sometimes it can be tricky to see).
Choose from Apples widget library or supported third-party apps.
Drag and drop widgets into the space where youd like them to live.
You can also tap the date above the time to change or remove the default calendar widget.
Georgie Peru for Engadget
How to customize controls at the bottom of the lock screen
In iOS 18, Apple lets you personalize the quick access buttons at the bottom of the lock screen the ones typically reserved for the flashlight and camera. You can set different controls for different lock screens and tie them to specific Focus modes as well.
Touch and hold the lock screen, then tap Customize.
Tap one of the bottom controls to select it.
Tap the Remove icon (-), then tap the Add (+) option to open the controls gallery.
Youll see a gallery of available buttons for tools like Calculator, Translate, Shazam, Notes and more.
Pick the one you want, then tap Done.
How to link a Focus mode to your lock screen
One of the smartest features in iOS is the ability to link different lock screens to Focus modes. That means you can have a minimalist screen for work, a bright one for weekends and a sleep-ready design for winding down. If you dont see Focus options when you edit your lock screen, go to Settings then Focus to set up a new one first.
Touch and hold the lock screen, then tap Focus.
Choose a Focus mode (e.g., Work, Sleep, Do Not Disturb).
That lock screen will now automatically appear when that Focus is active.
How to switch between lock screens
Once youve created a few lock screens, you can swap between them on the fly. If youve linked a Focus to any of them, switching lock screens will also switch the Focus automatically.
Touch and hold the lock screen.
Swipe left or right to cycle through your saved designs.
Tap the one you want to use.
How to delete a lock screen
If you want to delete a lock screen you no longer want or need, you can do so very easily.
Touch and hold the lock screen until the carousel appears.
Swipe to the screen you want to delete.
Swipe up on the lock screen.
Tap the Trash icon, then confirm with Delete This Wallpaper.
Dont worry this wont delete any photos from your library. It just removes the layout.
If youre looking for more iPhone customization tips, you might also enjoy our guide on how to make the most of the iPhones Action Button.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/how-to-personalize-your-iphone-lock-screen-120015173.html?src=rss
Blackmagic Design has unveiled DaVinci Resolve 20, the latest version of its editing app with free and paid versions that's a popular alternative to Adobe's Premiere Pro. The update offers over 100 new features including many powered by AI, along with improved cloud support and major quality-of-life updates to the cut, edit, color and fusion pages.
One of the key new features is called AI IntelliScript that can automatically generate a timeline based on the original project script. "AI IntelliScript will match the transcribed audio in media clips to the script and construct a timeline of the best selected takes, with any alternative takes placed on additional tracks for editor review," Blackmagic wrote. That new feature could drastically speed workflow for editors (like myself) who often use standup or voiceover clips.
Another key feature is the AI Set Extender that can create a scene extension to fill an entire frame based on a text prompt. If you want to reframe a shot or delete something, for instance, you can simply tell DaVinci Resolve what you want and it'll fill in the blanks. "Customers can even create new backgrounds behind foreground objects," the company wrote.
Other new AI features include AI Animated Subtitles, AI Mulltcam SmartSwitch (which can assemble a timeline based on who is speaking) and AI Audio Assistant. The latter can create a "professional audio mix" with a single click, according to Blackmagic Design. Finally, the AI Detect Music Beats feature does just that, analyzing music and automatically placing beat markers in the timeline.
Along with the AI stuff, DaVinci Resolve has a number of quality-of-life improvements in the cut, edit, color and fusion pages. Davinci Resolve Studio 20 (the paid version) now supports Apple Immersive Video on Apple Vision Pro, allowing creators to edit, color grade, mix audio and deliver Apple Immersive video capture on the company's recently launched URSA Cine Immersive camera.
Blackmagic Design
Other updates include improved Blackmagic Cloud support with improved collaboration tools, easier editing for vertical video, new voiceover palettes, a dedicated keyframe editor in cut and edit, a new Text+ tool, direct voiceover recording and more. On the color page, there's a new chroma warp function that lets you adjust color and saturation with a single motion. And the Fairlight audio page has a new feature that lets adjust a target clip's audio to match a reference clip, dynamic EQ to match tonality throughout a clip and Level Matcher to ensure that levels remain consistent in a given timeline.
A full list of features can be found on Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve 20 product page. It's now available to download in a public beta, and as usual, DaVinci Resolve 20 is free to download while DaVinci Resolve 20 Studio costs $295 with no subscription required.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/davinci-resolve-20s-latest-ai-feature-can-create-an-entire-timeline-based-on-a-script-120009351.html?src=rss
