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Amazon completely revamped its Kindle family in October when it debuted the entirely new Colorsoft ereader along with updated generations of the other three existing models: the standard Kindle, the Paperwhite and the Scribe E Ink tablet. The new Paperwhite has a slightly larger screen, a bigger battery and a more powerful processor that Amazon combined with E Ink tech to make page turns faster. This Paperwhite again comes in a Signature Edition, which adds wireless charging, an auto-adjusting front light and extra storage all for $200, which is $10 more than the previous Signature Edition. The standard Kindle also got a $10 price bump, leaving the same $90 gap between Amazons cheapest model and the Signature Edition. I tested both to see whether the price difference between the two is worth it. The higher-end model is certainly posh, but the base model handles ereader basics well. Is the deluxe treatment that much better? Processor, capacity and other hardware features The company is calling the Paperwhite (Signature and standard) the fastest Kindle ever thanks to a new dual-core processor and an oxide thin-film transistor layer that enables quicker switching of the text and graphics on the page. That layer is also more transparent than the previous tech, so the on-page clarity has increased as well. As for storage, the Paperwhite Signature gets 32GB, double that of the regular Paperwhite, which is the same treatment as the prior generations for both. They have a couple additional backlights this time: ten standard LEDs and nine warm ones for a total of 19. The screen is a little larger at seven inches, up from 6.8, and sports the same 300 ppi resolution. Despite a larger battery capacity (with an estimated 12 weeks of live instead of just ten), the device is a fraction of a millimeter thinner than last time, and weighs just two-tenths of a gram more. It has the same IPX8 rating, meaning it can handle full submersion, and the back is made from a metallic plastic with a rubberized texture thats easy to grip (so youre less likely to accidentally dunk it in water). The bezels help with grip too, as theyre just wide enough to accommodate a thumb without triggering a page turn. The hardware upgrades are subtle, but they add up to a downright elegant way to read books. Pulling up menus, opening new titles and turning pages are all speedier than any ereader Ive tried. And ghosting is basically non-existent. The roomy screen displays text thats crisper than a January morning and the auto-adjusting front lights are like a warm lantern lighting your way. If I take any issue with the design of the Signature, its the placement of the power button at the bottom edge. One of the simple joys in this life (for me anyway) is eating while reading. That means I hold a book or ereader on the table in front of my plate as I shovel stir fry into my mouth. Often, resting the Signature on the bottom edge accidentally presses the power button, shutting off my read mid-forkful. Notably, this doesn't happen with the standard Kindle, even though the button is in the same place, simply because the smaller ereader isnt heavy enough to trigger the button-press. The Signature also has a rubber grommet around the edge of the flush-front screen, which I dont hate, but I do find myself distractedly fidgeting with it when I read. Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget Touch controls and customization I sat the Paperwhite Signature next to other ereaders in my testing collection and compared the page-turn speeds, menu load times and scrolling refresh rates. Though the differences werent significant, the Signature was definitely faster. (But the Kobo Libra Colour is still the fastest at waking up after a sleep of longer than a few minutes.) The Signatures touch response is impeccable. Ive accepted the fact that most ereader screens occasionally need an extra tap before they do what I want. Whether thats turning a page or pulling up a menu, my first gesture sometimes goes unnoticed. Not here; the screen immediately responds to every swipe and tap I make. Unfortunately, sometimes that tap is unintentional, and other times the screen doesnt respond the way I want but it always responds. That leads me to a couple of disappointments in the Paperwhites interface. Those misinterpreted taps were almost always page turns. The area that skips back in your reading is a narrow sliver on the left-hand side. Some people may plow forward in a book with no backwards glances, but I often find myself at the top of a new page with the realization that Id been thinking about toast or Cristin Milioti for most of the last page and have no idea whats going on. Then, when I tap to go back, Im often taken forward, which confuses me more. To be fair, swipes are generally accurate but Im a tapper not a swiper. This wouldnt be a problem if the area for a back tap were wider but you cant adjust that. In fact, you cant adjust the way your taps and swipes work at all. The middle of the top of the page accesses the header menu and a swipe down from the top brings up the quick settings panel. Theres no switching those gestures or the zones to suit your preference. Its unfortunate because thats something both Kobo and Boox devices can do. Those readers also give you finer adjustments for the margins, line spacing, font weight and more. The options the Kindle does provide for the look of your text are honesty fine, though. And the Kindle gets points for letting you create and save themes made up of different combinations of fonts and layouts. Kobo doesnt allow this and Boox cant do it in its native reader app. Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget Buying, borrowing and listening to books Acquiring books you want to read is maybe one of the most important qualities in an ereader and Kindles have their strengths and weaknesses. These features arent unique to the Paperwhite, but its worth mentioning how Amazons book access compares to its competitors. The first thing to acknowledge is that the Amazon Kindle library is the largest, thanks to Amazon Exclusive books and self-published, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) titles. That said, if you mostly read titles from established publishers, youll find them on any reader. Amazons devices are better for people who like to flit between reading and listening to a given book. Not only do you get a discount on an audiobook if you buy the ebook version, the Whispersync feature keeps track of where you are so you can swap between the formats and pick up the story at the right place. And if youre active on Goodreads, a Kindle will also serve you better as the integration with (the Amazon-owned) site is baked-in. What Kindles dont support are ePubs with any digital rights management (DRM) other than its own. If you buy a book from a third party ebook store that uses Adobe DRM, you cant read it on a Kindle but you can on Kobo and Boox devices (with a few extra steps). Finally, you may want to consider how youll access books borrowed from your local library. Using either the Libby app on your phone or your local librarys website, you just need to choose the send to Kindle option for them to show up on your reader. It's worth noting that Kobo lets you search for and borrow library books from the device itself, and Boox devices let you do so from the Libby app directly. Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget How the Signature compares to the regular Paperwhite and base Kindle The regular Paperwhite is $160 and the Signature Edition is $200. Thats a $40 increase that may make sense for some, but probably not for most people. The three add-ons (extra storage, wireless charging and auto-adjusting light) are handy, but wont dramatically improve your reading experience. If you like having offline access to lots of audiobooks, the larger 32GB capacity might be worth it. But if you mostly read ebooks (and/or use your phone for audiobooks, which makes more sense to me), the 16GB-capacity should be more than enough for years of library expansion. The auto-adjusting front light on the Signature Edition is responsive and calibrates the light to the environment pretty well. I still need to manually lower it in a fully dark room, so its not fully hands-off, plus its easy enough to adjust. The separate warm light (which you get with the regular Paperwhite) is the more critical feature anyway, as it makes reading into the wee hours of the night far more pleasant. The final Signature-only feature, wireless charging, is probably the least important you only charge these things once every other month at the most. How you do so feels inconsequential. So if you save $40 by not going with the Signature model, does it make sense to save even more by going with the $110 standard Kindle? Thats harder to answer. The base Kindle has the same 300 ppi resolution, the same storage capacity, the same font and layout options and access to the same audio- and ebooks as the standard Paperwhite. But the Kindles screen is smaller, the device is not waterproof, the battery lasts half as long and theres no warm light. Touch responsiveness isnt quite as good and page turns are slightly slower (though the difference on both counts is minor). Honestly, the lack of a warm light on the base Kindle is the only major drawback. Its far more enjoyable to read the softer yellowish screens of either Paperwhite than the harsher blue of the base model. But I found myself getting used to it fairly quickly, and I probably noticed the difference most when switching back and forth between the two something most people wont do. Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget Wrap-up In short, the Kindle Paperwhite and the new Paperwhite Signature offer a more premium reading experience. The flush front screen and soft-touch back feel more upscale. The larger screen feels like the difference between reading a mass market paperback and a trade paperback, which isnt to say the standard Kindle feels cramped, its just smaller. I see the Paperwhite (especially the Signature model) appealing to people who want the most elevated reading experience the crispest text, the least lag, the swankiest feel. And the regular Kindle is perfect for those who just want the most direct line to reading nearly any book they want. It comes down to whether you think a heightened experience will make you read more. If so, then its probably worth the price jump in the long run. But if youre just looking for a no-frills way to read books, go for the base Kindle. Even though its less high-end, it feels more durable and more portable. The smaller size can fit in a back pocket and you may be more apt to toss it in a cluttered bag all of which may very well mean you read more, and, really, thats the whole point of any ereader.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/kindle-paperwhite-signature-2024-review-a-luxurious-reading-experience-163036611.html?src=rss
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Xbox has revealed the first wave of Game Pass additions for November. While there perhaps isn't anything quite on the mainstream blockbuster level of recent newcomer Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, there's still plenty worth paying attention to. Arguably the most notable new game to hit the service this month is Flight Simulator 2024. For the first time in the series, you'll be able to exit your aircraft and explore more than two dozen biomes. You can seemingly land anywhere in what's said to be the most detailed recreation of our world in the franchise so far. There are new weather features, including auroras. Meanwhile, you'll be able to undertake various aviation careers, including medevac operations and aerial firefighting. On top of that, you'll be able to compete against other players in races. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 will hit Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on its November 19 release day. You'll be able to play it via PC (if you have a beefy enough rig), Xbox Series X/S and, appropriately enough, the cloud. In the meantime, you'll be able to check out Metal Slug Tactics on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and the cloud on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass starting November 5. This is a tactical RPG take on the classic run-and-gun series that will hit the service on day one. The game is arriving on Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PS5 on Tuesday as well. Also on Tuesday, PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to play the single-player components of StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft II: Campaign Collection on PC at no extra cost. The multiplayer aspects of both are already free. Four games are joining the Game Pass Standard tier on November 6: Go Mecha Ball, The Rewinder, Turnip Boy Robs a Bank (all on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S) and Harold Halibut (Xbox Series X/S only). The following day, you can hop into Goat Simulator Remastered via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on PC, Xbox Series X/S and the cloud. Meanwhile, Xbox is removing some other titles from Game Pass on November 15. Those are: Dicey Dungeons (cloud, console and PC) Dungeons 4 (cloud, console and PC) Goat Simulator (PC) Like a Dragon: Ishin! (cloud, console and PC) Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name (cloud, console and PC) Persona 5 Tactica (cloud, console and PC) Somerville (cloud, console and PC) This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/the-first-game-pass-additions-for-november-include-flight-simulator-2024-and-metal-slug-tactics-155259538.html?src=rss
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Somehow it's already November, which means Thanksgiving and Black Friday are right around the corner. Amazon is already running early Black Friday deals on some of our picks for best smart speakers. There's a range of Amazon products on sale, including the Echo Pop, which is available for $18, down from $40. The 55 percent discount brings the Amazon Echo Pop to a record-low price. Amazon launched the Echo Pop in May 2023 as a new entry-level option for Alexa-powered devices. It features a 1.95-inch front-facing speaker which could work well in a small room like a study or a dorm room. It uses Amazons AZ2 Neural Edge processor to allow for on-device tasks and lets you do all the standard commands with Alexa. Plus, you can get it in four colors: Charcoal, Glacier White, Lavender Bloom and Midnight Teal. The Pop isn't the only Echo device on sale ahead of Black Friday. Right now, you can get the fifth-generation Echo Dot for $28, down from $50 a 44 percent discount. The Echo Spot is also on sale, dropping to $50 from $80 and the fourth-generation Echo is $65, down from $100. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazons-echo-pop-speaker-drops-to-only-18-in-an-early-black-friday-deal-142842720.html?src=rss
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