Technology

vendredi 8 septembre 2023

Tesla’s $25,000 ‘next-generation car’ will have a Cybertruck design

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Tesla is reportedly preparing to build a $25,000 electric car built on the company’s next-generation engineering platform. Axios reports that Elon Musk biographer Walter Isaacson has detailed the plan to build a $25,000 electric car alongside an autonomous robotaxi that could ferry passengers around.

The $25,000 car reportedly has a futuristic design like the long-delayed Cybertruck — the angular pickup truck that Tesla first revealed in 2019. The Cybertruck will supposedly begin production this year, with production-at-scale beginning in 2024.

This isn’t the first time we’re hearing about Tesla’s plans for a $25,000 electric car. Musk promised one in 2018, saying it would be possible within three years. The goal for a more affordable EV was reiterated again in 2020. The Model 3 was also promised to be $35,000, but it debuted at that hard to find price for a few months before Tesla killed its original plan in favor of a new, more expensive strategy.

Tour Of The Elkhorn Battery Energy Storage System — *The Cybertruck.*

Musk had reportedly been pushing for a truly autonomous robotaxi instead of his original $25,000 electric car plan. The robotaxis are designed to reduce reliance on car ownership, with no mirrors, no pedals, and no steering wheel and would make the $25,000 car unnecessary. “[The robotaxi] is the product that makes Tesla a ten-trillion company,” he told Isaacson. “People will be talking about this moment in a hundred years.”

Tesla’s engineers were skeptical about the project, debating whether to create a robotaxi with a steering wheel that could be removed later — fearing Full Self-Driving (FSD) wouldn’t be ready or regulators would not approve such a car. After quietly keeping the $25,000 EV plan alive as a separate project, the engineers eventually convinced Musk that Tesla could build a mass-market vehicle, one sold for $25,000 with a steering wheel and one as a robotaxi, on the company’s “next-generation” engineering platform.

Musk reportedly came on board earlier this year after seeing the design that Tesla engineers had created. Engineers presented a robotaxi and the $25,000 EV next to each other, with both reportedly sporting a “Cybertruck futuristic feel” that Musk approved of. “When one of these comes around a corner,” he said, “people will think they are seeing something from the future.”

Design drawings for a compact electric car were briefly shown in a Tesla corporate video earlier this year, leading many to speculate they could be part of Tesla’s plans for a $25,000 electric car.

So when will this $25,000 EV actually be available? That’s never certain when it comes to Tesla, and the excerpt from Isaacson’s upcoming biography of Musk doesn’t provide any hints at a launch date. Tesla’s top engineers are working in Austin, Texas alongside a high-speed automated assembly line in an attempt to build these next-generation cars and robotaxis at volume. It’s all part of a manufacturing push to reduce battery costs and make the aim of a $25,000 mass-market Tesla a reality.

iOS 16.6.1 fixes a big iPhone security vulnerability used to install Pegasus spyware

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Apple has issued a critical security update for iPhones to address a zero-day bug in iOS 16 that could allow attackers to remotely install spyware on a device without any interaction from the iPhone owner. Citizen Lab, a spyware research group, discovered the exploit last week and immediately notified Apple.

The zero-click zero-day exploit had been used to install NGO Group’s Pegasus spyware onto an iPhone owned by an employee of a Washington DC-based civil society organization. Pegasus is spyware developed by a private contractor for use by government agencies. The spyware infects a phone and sends back data, including photos, messages, and audio / video recordings.

Apple has now released iOS 16.6.1 just days after the discovery of this exploit and it’s crucial for iPhone owners to install this update, even if they’re not likely to be targeted with spyware. There are still plenty of groups willing to reverse engineer iOS security updates to try and discover how to exploit this new vulnerability, raising the risk of broader attacks.

Citizen Lab hasn’t provided a full breakdown of the vulnerability for obvious reasons, but the exploit involves PassKit — the framework behind Apple Pay and Wallet — attachments that are loaded with malicious images sent via iMessage. “We expect to publish a more detailed discussion of the exploit chain in the future,” says Citizen Lab.

iOS vulnerabilities have regularly made headlines in recent years, especially ones that have been actively exploited before Apple was aware of the security flaw. Apple has even developed a Rapid Security Response system that can add security fixes to an iPhone without needing to reboot the device.

Crucially, Citizen Lab says Apple’s Lockdown Mode can protect users against this latest exploit, so if you’re at risk of being targeted by state-sponsored spyware then it’s well worth enabling this mode.

jeudi 7 septembre 2023

Mattel’s Windfall From ‘Barbie’ Goes Far Beyond Dolls

Mattel’s Windfall From ‘Barbie’ Goes Far Beyond Dolls The company’s approach has paid off to a degree that even the C.E.O. could hardly have believed possible.

Honda adopts Tesla’s charging port for future EVs

Tesla Supercharger — Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Honda announced today that it’s adopting Tesla’s electric vehicle charging connector for its future vehicles. The Japanese automaker was one of the holdouts to accept the competing (and winning) standard, joining the likes of Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo, Polestar, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, and Fisker.

Honda is planning to implement Tesla’s plug, now known as the North American Charging Standard (or NACS) in a new electric vehicle slated for 2025. The automaker, like every other manufacturer on board with NACS, is promising the availability of a CCS Combo to NACS adapter before 2025 so existing models (and soon-to-be-released ones like the Prologue) will have access to Tesla’s vast and reliable Supercharger network.

Before its plans to adopt NACS, Honda jumped in on a joint venture with BMW, GM, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis to build out a nationwide electric vehicle charging network. DC fast-charging networks that aren’t built by Tesla are found to be largely unreliable, so with access to Tesla’s Supercharger plus building a new network, future Honda EV owners might have a better time, whenever the automaker gets around to releasing them.

Welcome Honda owners to Superchargers across North America⚡️
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) September 7, 2023

Polaroid’s new I-2 is its most capable — and expensive — instant camera

Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Polaroid has announced a new high-end instant camera dubbed the Polaroid I-2 today. According to Polaroid, the $599.99 I-2 is the company’s most capable instant camera yet, with built-in manual controls and the sharpest new lens it’s ever produced.

The I-2 boasts a three-element autofocusing lens, which Polaroid claims should produce sharper photos than any of its other instant cameras. Meanwhile, the lidar (light detection and ranging) sensor should be able to automatically adjust the lens based on how far away the subject is, even in low-light settings, allowing for more accurate focus. It’s a lot of tech for a camera that uses a decades-old instant film system.

The new lens, to an extent, could address one of my personal pet peeves when it comes to Polaroid’s instant cameras. Traditionally, Polaroid’s instant cameras tend to produce photos that aren’t particularly clear in comparison to their Fujifilm rivals, especially in low-light conditions. That gives the photos an artsy and dreamy vintage vibe that’s charming, which was why the Polaroid Now Plus was my top instant camera pick for retro fans. However, it can be frustrating if you want to quickly and easily take a shot that’s clear and true to life.

In addition, Polaroid also added a small external display and controls so you can manually adjust shutter speed, aperture, brightness, and shooting modes from the camera itself. Making similar adjustments with the Polaroid Now Plus required using the companion app on your phone.

Two Polaroid I-2 instant cameras sitting on top of a counter. One shows the front while the other displays the back. A pack of Polaroid film sits nearby. — *The new Polaroid I-2 is a bulky instant camera with built-in controls you can manually adjust.*

The Polaroid I-2 also attempts to differentiate itself from the rest of the lineup by offering compatibility with i-Type, 600, and SX-70 film. Otherwise, the I-2 is similar to the Polaroid Now Plus, with Bluetooth support and an app you can use to control the camera remotely.

My colleagues Antonio G. Di Benedetto, Becca Farsace, and I have been testing the new Polaroid I-2 for the past few days, and you can check out Becca’s thoughts in the video below. As for me, I’ve yet to form an opinion. So far, the Polaroid’s prints exude the same retro vibe as its siblings, but my biggest gripe with this camera is how difficult it is to set up and use. All three of us wasted multiple shots while coming to grips with the I-2’s quirks, which gets expensive fast since Polaroid prints cost about $2 each.

Once you get the hang of things, the photos do indeed look sharper than those from the Polaroid Now Plus. You’ll just need patience to get there, especially if you, like me, don’t already have some photography knowledge — and of course, the willingness to pay $600 for an instant camera.

Nintendo Switch 2 evidence grows with rumors of developer demos

A Nintendo Switch — Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

Nintendo has reportedly demonstrated the Nintendo Switch 2 behind closed doors at Gamescom last month. Eurogamer reports that some trusted developers got an early look at the Switch 2 and some tech demos of how games run on the unannounced system.

There was reportedly a demo of an improved version of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that’s designed to run on the more advanced hardware inside the Nintendo Switch 2. Eurogamer’s report follows rumors from Windows Central’s Jez Corden that Nintendo had discussed a next-generation Switch with select developers at Gamescom.

VGC also reported in July that a new Nintendo Switch is being planned for a 2024 release. The new console is said to include an LCD screen instead of OLED and continue to support cartridge slots for playing physical releases of games. Developer kits for the next Nintendo Switch are said to already be available to certain developers, with Nikkei Asia reporting recently that the new console development is “progressing well.”

A next-generation Switch has been rumored for years, though. Bloomberg first reported that Nintendo was working on a 4K version of the Nintendo Switch in 2020. The Bloomberg report claimed that the global chip shortage during the pandemic made Nintendo reevaluate its plans to upgrade the Switch hardware to a 4K resolution and new Nvidia chips. At least 11 developers had reportedly received 4K Nintendo Switch development kits. Nintendo denied that a 4K “Switch Pro” was in development.

Existing Switch sales have been slowing down recently, with Nintendo hoping to boost sales with special edition OLED versions.

Experts link LastPass security breach to a string of crypto heists

A cartoon illustration shows a shadowy figure carrying off a red directory folder, which has a surprised-looking face on its side. — *One researcher claims the number of victims who stored their crypto keys on LastPass was “simply too much to ignore.”* | Illustration: Beatrice Sala

Security experts are claiming that some of the LastPass password vaults stolen during a security breach near the end of 2022 have now been cracked open following a string of six-figure cryptocurrency heists. Cybersecurity blogger Brian Krebs reports that several researchers have identified a “highly reliable set of clues” that seemingly connect over 150 victims of crypto theft with the LastPass service. Collectively, over $35 million in crypto has reportedly been stolen so far, with between two to five high-value heists occurring each month since December 2022.

Taylor Monahan, lead product manager at crypto wallet company MetaMask and one of the key researchers investigating the attacks, concluded that the common thread connecting the victims was that they’d previously used LastPass to store their “seed phrase” — a private digital key that’s required to access cryptocurrency investments. These keys are often stored on encrypted services like password managers to prevent bad actors from gaining access to crypto wallets. The stolen funds were also moved to the same blockchain addresses, further linking the victims.

At this point I'm also confident in saying that, in most of these cases, the compromised keys were stolen from @LastPass

The number of victims who only had the specific group of seeds/keys that were drained stored in LastPass is simply too much to ignore.
— Tay (@tayvano_) August 28, 2023

Password management service LastPass suffered two known security breaches in August and November last year, with hackers using information obtained during the first breach to access shared cloud storage containing customer encryption keys for vault backups during the latter incident. We have reached out to LastPass to confirm if any of the stolen password vaults have been cracked and will update this story if we hear back.

In a statement to The Verge, LastPass CEO Karim Toubba says that the security breach last November remains “the subject of an ongoing investigation by law enforcement and is also the subject of pending litigation.” The company did not say whether the 2022 LastPass breaches have anything to do with the reported crypto thefts.

Researcher Nick Bax, director of analytics at crypto wallet recovery company Unciphered, also reviewed the theft data and agreed with Monahan’s conclusions in an interview with KrebsOnSecurity:

“I’m confident enough that this is a real problem that I’ve been urging my friends and family who use LastPass to change all of their passwords and migrate any crypto that may have been exposed, despite knowing full well how tedious that is.”

The new Mustang Mach-E Rally is Ford’s off-roadiest performance EV yet

yellow mustang suv kicking dry dirt up as it drives — *2024 Mustang Mach-E Rally in Grabber Yellow.* | Image: Ford

This new Mach-E Rally is what you’d get if you could cross Ford’s most performant Mustang Mach-E electric SUV trim, the GT, with the company’s discontinued Focus RS rally sport monster. Ford initially revealed the Mustang Mach-E Rally at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, but is today announcing more details. The vehicle is slated for early 2024 manufacturing (yes, this isn’t some performance one-off), with deliveries coming “shortly” afterward.

The Rally isn’t quite hot-hatch-sized like the Focus RS, but the added suspension upgrades, protective underbody shielding, and extra tuning let it similarly hit the dirt roads. Ford says it’s put Mach-E Rally prototypes through “500-mile simulating rally-cross durability trials” to ensure it can survive off-road adventures. The automaker also added extra shielding for the dual motors to protect them from dirt and rocks, plus film on the door cladding and fender arches to protect the paint.

Ford says that the Mach-E Rally is expected to be priced similar to the GT Performance Edition at about $65,000 — although final pricing won’t be announced until closer to production time (and possibly subject to price fluctuations).

Specs-wise, the 2024 Mustang Mach-E Rally is similar to the GT Performance Edition. Both are capable of 480 horsepower, but Ford’s targeting a quicker zero to 60mph acceleration for the Rally to edge the GT Performance’s 3.5 seconds. And the Rally ekes out a bit more muscle with its two-motor layout that targets 650lbs-ft of torque.

As an EV, the Rally gets the same range as the Mach-E GT at 250 miles on a single charge. That’s on the same 91kWh-usable battery found in the bellies of current Extended Range Mach-E vehicles, which have an EPA-estimated 290 miles on a single charge for AWD versions. Ford isn’t concerned about range, though, as it shares that the median daily distance Mach-E customers drive is approximately 30 miles. And Ford CEO Jim Farley has feelings when it comes to really big cars and really big batteries.

*Ford vehicles won’t get Tesla’s NACS plugs on board until 2025.*

You can fast-charge the Rally at up to 150kW max (just like the other Mach-E trims), but Ford made changes to decrease the overall DC fast-charge time of the Rally: from 10 to an 80 percent state of charge in about 36 minutes (compared to about 45 minutes on the standard-range Mach-E).

The Rally will still have a CCS Combo connector on board despite Ford and other manufacturers adopting Tesla’s connector, now known as the North American Charging Standard (NACS). Ford EV customers are slated to get CCS-to-NACS adapters in 2024, but details are still scarce.

*White wheels, big spoiler, and that Rally logo.*

The suspension for the Rally is raised about 20 millimeters compared to the GT, and includes specialty-tuned springs and MagneRide shocks to help it grip those bumpy dirt roads. And it's got 385-millimeter front brake rotors and red Brembo calipers behind 19-inch white alloy wheels for better stopping power.

The Rally’s interior has some minor updates that remind you that you’re driving a special Mach-E. The dash includes subtle gloss white accents, and the steering wheel bottom spokes have a glossy white finish. Additionally, there are extra contrasty stitches on the interior door trim, and the seats have a “Mach-E Rally” stamp along with gloss-white seatbacks. There’s no need to look up while in the vehicle, as the Rally doesn’t feature the panoramic glass roof found on premium Mach-E trims.

The interior tech of the Rally, including the 15.5-inch touchscreen, is the same as other Mach-E models. But the software includes a new RallySport Drive Mode that enables added yaw for bigger slides, a linear throttle response for better control, and better damping for improved corner handling. For daily drivers, this can translate to better traction on snowy and rainy road conditions. It also helps that it comes with Michelin’s all-season Cross Climate2 tires that have sidewall grooves and directional treading.

Ford also includes a 90-day trial of its latest BlueCruise hands-free driver assistant system (version 1.3), which users can purchase or defer to later. Ford claims the updated version has improved lane-change assistance, lane repositioning, and better overall performance curve handling and narrow lane driving.

There’s an extra set of lights up front on the Rally, two circular fog lamps on the nosecone that Ford says are rally-inspired. Color options include grabber blue, shadow black, eruption green, grabber yellow, star white and a new glacier gray.

Fans who miss the Focus RS will love the inspired winged spoiler on the Rally, and old-school Mustang fans can continue to lament how far off from the source material the electric SUV has gone.

mercredi 6 septembre 2023

Google Search, Whatsapp, and TikTok on list of 22 services targeted by EU’s tough new DMA

Graphic showing the companies and services being designated as gatekeepers. — *A graphic showing the companies and services being designated as gatekeepers. (Click* *here* *for higher resolution image.)* | Image: European Commission

The European Commission has officially confirmed which tech companies, and which of their services, count as “gatekeepers” under its strict new Digital Markets Act (DMA). The companies listed all appeared on a provisional list released in early July, and mostly consist of American tech giants. There’s Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft from the US, plus ByteDance from China. 22 core platform services provided by gatekeepers must now comply with the DMA’s obligations by March 6th, 2024.

Here’s the full list of core platform services, as announced by the European Commission today:

Social Networks: TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn
N-IICS (aka messaging services): WhatsApp, Messenger
Intermediation: Google Maps, Google Play, Google Shopping, Amazon Marketplace, Apple’s App Store, Meta Marketplace
Video Sharing: YouTube
Advertising services: Google, Amazon, Meta
Web Browsers: Chrome, Safari
Search: Google Search
Operating Systems: Android, iOS, Windows

Samsung, which appeared on the previous list, successfully argued that it does not meet the threshold for being a gatekeeper with its internet browser. Likewise Microsoft’s Bing search engine, Edge browser, and advertising service are not on the list, but Commission has said it’s opening market investigations to assess whether they meet the bar for regulation. The same is true of Apple’s iMessage service. The Commission has said these investigation will take no more than five months, but could result in Apple being forced to make iMessage interoperable with competing services upon request. It’s also investigating whether iPadOS should be designated as a gatekeeper.

Broadly, the DMA is the EU’s attempt to rein in the market power of Big Tech by opening up entrenched platforms and curbing ecosystem lock-in and anti-competitive behavior, making them compete on the merits of their products and services alone. Major messaging apps will have an obligation to make themselves interoperable with competitors, for example, while operating systems will need to be designed to offer third-party app stores and allow developers to offer alternative in-app payment options.

It’s D-Day for #DMA!

The most impactful online companies will now have to play by our EU rules.#Gatekeepers are:

Alphabet
Amazon
Apple
ByteDance
Meta
Microsoft

DMA means more choice for consumers.

Fewer obstacles for smaller competitors.

Opening the gates to the Internet pic.twitter.com/xaTluUfBax
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) September 6, 2023

The exact rules companies will have to obey depend on which of their services the commission has deemed to hit its bar for regulation (it calls these “core platform services”). Meta’s Instagram and Facebook are set to be regulated as online social networking services, for example, while Google Search will be regulated as a search engine and Microsoft’s Windows will be regulated as an operating system.

The DMA uses several criteria to determine whether a company and its service should be designated as a gatekeeper, including whether a company has an annual turnover of over €7.5 billion (around $8 billion) in Europe and a market cap of over €75 billion (around $80.5 billion), and whether a service has over 45 million monthly active users in the EU.

Meanwhile the likes of Google Search (and Bing, if it ends up being included) will have to give their users a choice of other search engines, while operating system providers will need to offer the ability to uninstall pre-installed apps and change system defaults like virtual assistants and web browsers. Gatekeepers will be banned from self-preferencing their own products and services compared to other companies on their platforms. The commission has put out a pretty extensive FAQ listing all the obligations.

Although today’s announcement is a significant step towards implementing the DMA, the process is far from over. The FT previously noted that the commission is bracing itself for legal challenges over the rules, similar to what we’ve seen with Amazon and German retailer Zalando challenging the EU over their designations as “very large online platforms” under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The new UE Epicboom is a beefy $350 Bluetooth speaker

A marketing image of two UE Epicboom speakers on a diving board. — Image: Ultimate Ears

Where do you go next after branding your speakers with names like the Boom, Megaboom, Hyperboom, and Wonderboom? Well, apparently the natural progression has led Ultimate Ears to none other than “Epicboom.” That’s the new speaker that the company just announced today. It’s a chunky device that gives off more of a Sonos Move aura as opposed to UE’s signature cylindrical Bluetooth speakers. Priced at $349.99, the 4.36-pound Epicboom promises 360-degree audio output from its 4.6-inch woofer and two high-frequency 45mm transductors.

This speaker is rated IP67 against dust and water — that’s a win over the Move’s IP56 rating and means you can submerge it for up to 30 minutes — and it’ll last for 17 hours of playback on a charge, the company claims.

Fundamentally this is still just a Bluetooth speaker; there’s no Wi-Fi element for richer audio quality, nor any smart voice assistant functionality. But UE does advertise an adaptive EQ function that tailors the sound performance based on the speaker’s environment. And like always, you can use party mode to link it up with other UE speakers you own to blanket your space in music.

A marketing image of the UE Epicboom speaker. — *The Epicboom can last for up to 17 hours on a charge.*

UE also includes NFC pairing for you Android users, and the Epicboom can connect to two audio source devices at the same time. It has numerous preset sound modes including Signature Bass Boost, Game/Cinema, Podcast/Vocal, and Deep Relaxation. (Consider me curious about that last one.) There’s even an Outdoor Boost button that tacks on an extra 1dB of sound, according to the product’s website. And yes, Ultimate Ears’ customizable “Magic Button” is still present as well for one-tap access to your favorite playlist on your chosen music subscription service.

The Epicboom comes in black (with yellow volume button accents) or white (with red accents), and it’s available for immediate shipping. $349.99 is definitely up there for a Bluetooth-only speaker in this day and age. But Ultimate Ears has built enough brand power with its Boom lineup that people seeking beefier sound will inevitably splurge on this since it’ll be easily found at Best Buy and other retailers starting on September 22nd. The UE formula might be losing its sheen for certain people in light of smarter alternatives, but as ever, there’s something to be said for the easy, convenient, and dependable option.

In Its First Monopoly Trial of Modern Internet Era, U.S. Sets Sights on Google

In Its First Monopoly Trial of Modern Internet Era, U.S. Sets Sights on Google The 10-week trial, set to begin Tuesday, amps up efforts to rein in Big Tech by targeting the core search business that turned Google into a $1.7 trillion behemoth.

mardi 5 septembre 2023

PowerA is adding the wrong kind of wireless to its wired Xbox controller

A PowerA Advantage Wired Controller for Xbox Series X / S consoles in black with an LED light strip and USB cable beside it on a white background. — *It’s got nice features like hair-trigger lockouts, but what is up with these cheap-o looking LED strips?* | Image: PowerA

Accessory maker PowerA seems to know that RGB gamer lights are all the rage, but its new Xbox controller and LED strips have very strong “We have gamer lights at home!” vibes.

PowerA’s new RGB-infused peripheral is the Advantage Wired Controller for Xbox Series X / S with Lumectra. It’s a $44.99 wired gamepad available in black or white with some nice sounding features, like hair triggers, two customizable rear buttons, four-zone RGB lighting with three preprogrammed modes, and a detachable USB-C cable (a nice upgrade over PowerA’s cheaper models still plagued by Micro USB ports).

That all sounds well and good, but the new wired Advantage also has some wireless tech — no, it doesn’t have any official Xbox wireless connectivity like PowerA put into its MOGA XP-Ultra mobile controller — but instead, it has a friggin’ IR blaster. “Why?” you ask? Well, isn’t it obvious that it’s for controlling a new range of non-smart LED strips called Lumectra?

*If you look at this and think “needs more RGB,” PowerA is here for you.*

PowerA’s Lumectra LED strips launching alongside the controller come in two flavors: one is a four-foot RGB LED strip you can get bundled with the Advantage for $54.99, and the other is a standalone 18-foot RGB LED strip PowerA is selling for $19.99. Both strips can be controlled by the Advantage’s IR blaster, while the 18-foot model also comes with its own generic-looking IR remote control.

I’ve tested many PowerA game controllers, and I’ve found most of them to be capital-F Fine. The company typically offers more than competent products, excellent customer service (bordering on being a little Extra), and even some premium features trickled down to cheaper models for a better value. But these Lumectra light strips, frankly, look like cheap-o generic LED strips from no-name brands found on Amazon or AliExpress.

PowerA’s 18-foot Lumectra RGB LED strip with its components and IR remote on a white background. — *Come on, what are we doing here?*

I’ve already started testing the existing non-RGB version of the Advantage Controller for a future update to our Xbox controller buying guide, sans IR blaster. It’s a very competent wired controller for Xbox and PC, offering a low price for a gamepad with additional rear buttons and three-stage trigger lockouts for firing off faster shots in FPS games. But I never once thought while using it, “You know what I really need to be doing right now? Controlling some dumb lights.”

There may be folks out there who find $55 for a controller and some simple strip lights worthwhile for a basic gamer-y setup (and we all know they’ll go on get discounts soon enough), but my esteemed colleague Umar Shakir has a simple alternative for his own generic LEDs that’s cheaper and even more wireless:

*You can even use the fancy washi tape of your own choosing.*

Facebook’s unloved ‘News’ tab is going away in Europe

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Meta plans to “deprecate” the News tab in Facebook’s bookmarks section in the UK, France, and Germany. That’s typically been company speak for removing a feature. The changes are supposed to go into effect in early December, according to Meta.

“As a company, we have to focus our time and resources on things people tell us they want to see more of on the platform, including short form video,” the company said in a press release today.

This is the latest action Facebook has taken to make news a lower priority on its platform. It’s also another step toward mimicking shortform video content on TikTok.

Meta announced in July that it would quit paying US publishers to put their content in Facebook’s News tab. Last year, the company also said that its engineering and product teams would be more focused on video content from creators rather than on its News tab.

Facebook News was only available in the US, UK, Germany, France, and Australia. After the changes go into effect in Europe in December, it’ll only be left in the US and Australia. News accounts for less than 3 percent of what users around the world see in their Facebook feed, according to Meta.

People will still be able to see links to news articles on their feeds, and news publishers in Europe will still have access to their accounts and pages after the changes go into effect in December. Meta also seems to be encouraging news organizations to pivot to shortform video, saying in its release today that they “can also still leverage products like Reels and our ads system to reach broader audiences and drive people to their website.”

The company also says it will honor “obligations under all existing Facebook News deals” with publishers in the UK, France, and Germany until December. But it won’t sign onto any new deals for content on Facebook News or offer new products to news publishers in those countries in the future.

Meta’s also reportedly exploring ad-free paid subscriptions in Europe. That could be one way to get around regulators’ concerns in the EU about data collection and privacy. The company didn’t immediately respond to a press inquiry from The Verge.

Ring’s former CEO is rebranding Latch to Door.com

An image showing someone unlocking a door with their phone — Image: Latch

Latch, the commercial access company run by the founder of Ring, is expanding beyond smart locks. The company announced today that it’s rebranding to Door.com with the goal of offering an overarching platform that gives independent service workers, like drivers, housekeepers, and dog walkers, a platform to grow their businesses.

After founding Ring in 2013, Jamie Siminoff sold the company to Amazon in 2018, where he continued to work until leaving in May of this year. The next day, Latch announced that it had acquired Siminoff’s four-month-old stealth startup, Honest Day’s Work, and Siminoff became CEO of Latch. Honest Day’s Work aimed to create “a full-building operating system designed to help owners, residents, and third parties like guests, couriers, and service providers seamlessly experience the modern building.”

Latch has become known for its line of smart locks that landlords can use to manage who can enter their buildings. It also developed its own smart building operating system, LatchOS, which offers control over its smart locks as well as other smart devices via the Latch app. The rebrand doesn’t mean that Latch is going away, however, as Siminoff seeks to combine its vision with that of Honest Day’s Work. According to Siminoff, Latch will exist as a subbrand under the Door.com umbrella, joining a series of other services that the company plans on launching in the future.

“Latch is a great brand for locks, but I do think it was too constrained,” Siminoff tells The Verge. “Even if you go back to latch before I was part of it... they had this vision of services and other things. I think Latch was too constrained on expanding that vision.”

One of the services Door.com is launching in line with that goal is called James, something Siminoff says is the “first view you can get into what we were building.” This app serves as a platform for professional drivers, allowing them to book and manage clients. Siminoff notes that while drivers will get 100 percent of the profit, riders will get charged a 5 percent cut that James will take.

It’s still not clear what other services Door.com plans on launching in the future, but it seems the company will adjust its path based on the success of James. “I could see a world where you master that and then you launch multiple verticals from there... but we definitely want to learn more.” Door.com is expected to officially launch sometime next year.

DLSS 3 mod for Starfield has a controversial DRM paywall

A screenshot from the video game Starfield. — Image: Bethesda Softworks

Starfield isn’t even officially out of early access yet, but one of its mods has already generated controversy within the community. The mod in question adds support for Nvidia’s DLSS 3 upscaling technology, which Bethesda omitted to include in Starfield in favor of AMD’s rival FSR 2. But users have been critical of modder PureDark’s decision to lock DLSS 3’s more advanced frame-generation features behind a subscription to their Patreon. The free version of the mod only supports DLSS 2, which offers upscaling but not frame generation.

Attempting to charge users for mods is a controversial topic, as Bethesda and Valve discovered when they teamed up to let modders charge for their Skyrim mods via Steam in 2015. The move was so controversial that Valve removed the feature just days later, with Valve’s Alden Kroll admitting that the company had “missed the mark pretty badly” with its decision to introduce the feature.

Particularly controversial has been PureDark’s decision to add DRM to the DLSS 3 Starfield mod in an attempt to prevent non-Patreon subscribers from getting access, though RockPaperShotgun reports that this copy-protection appears to have already been cracked. DLSS 3 is notable for offering frame-generation on newer 40-series Nvidia GPUs, adding additional frames in addition to upscaling the game to a higher resolution.

For what it’s worth, the non-paid DLSS 2 mod reportedly works well. RockPaperShotgun’s benchmarks show it matching or even slightly beating the performance of the game’s official AMD FSR 2 support, with slightly better image quality to boot. As of this writing, PureDarks’ “Starfield Upscaler” DLSS mod is the most popular release on NexusMods for Starfield.

PureDark has a history of modding support for DLSS into games that don’t officially offer Nvidia’s upscaling technology, and his NexusMods profile lists mods for previous Bethesda games like Fallout 4 and Skyrim. The modder previously added DRM to their DLSS 3 mod for Red Dead Redemption 2.

Although Starfield only officially supports AMD’s FSR 2 at launch, AMD has suggested that there’s nothing stopping the game from also supporting Nvidia’s DLSS. Despite AMD marketing itself as Starfield’s “exclusive PC partner,” its gaming chief Frank Azor has said that if Bethesda wants to add DLSS, then it’ll “have AMD’s full support.”

A $700 Million Bonanza for the Winners of Crypto’s Collapse: Lawyers

A $700 Million Bonanza for the Winners of Crypto’s Collapse: Lawyers Bankruptcy lawyers and other corporate turnaround specialists have reaped major fees from the bankruptcies of five cryptocurrency companies, including FTX.

The new Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 gives me serious mouse envy

A hand holds up a jet black sculpted plastic mouse with a white scroll wheel and white words “Superlight” printed on the side. — *The Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 mouse.* | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge

I called it the real magic mouse, but I can no longer look at my award-winning Logitech G502 Lightspeed quite the same way — because I’ve just been spoiled by a new mouse that’s roughly half its weight.

Logitech has just announced the G Pro X Superlight 2, the fastest and lightest mouse the company’s ever made, and after spending a very long Labor Day weekend blasting baddies and clicking desktop files, I’m already finding it hard to go back.

*It’s not quite ambidextrous; you still only get your Mouse 4 and Mouse 5 buttons on the left.*

The $159 Superlight 2 weighs just 60 grams (2.1 ounces), down from the original 63-gram mouse and way lighter than my 114 gram G502 Lightspeed, all with no ugly holes punched in its simplistic sculpted black plastic frame. But unlike the original, which presented as a cut-down G Pro Wireless, the new Superlight 2 is actually Logitech’s most advanced mouse yet.

*This included Pro X2 USB dongle gives you a 2,000Hz polling rate. (You only get 1,000 if using wired or with Logitech’s Powerplay mousepad.)*

It’s the first with a 2kHz wireless report rate, and the first with a new Hero 2 sensor that tracks at 500 inches per second (and up to 32,000 DPI), with a “unique dual array design that increases working range and maintains tracking performance, even when lifting or tilting the mouse.” It also boasts 95 hours of battery life, up from 70 hours with the original Superlight. (That’s if you’re using its power-saving modes; the company’s G Hub software estimates I’ll get 51 hours without.)

I’m happy to say it’s still compatible with my beloved Logitech Powerplay wireless charging mousepad so you never run out of juice — only now I can more easily take it on the go because any old USB-C cable can let me charge and play!

*Logitech includes this USB-C to USB-A charge-and-play cable in the box.*

Yes, Logitech has done away with its annoyingly proprietary micro-USB connector heads, just like it did with the G502 X last year, in favor of USB-C.

Here’s the part where I admit I’m not an esports player who can readily feel the difference between 1kHz and 2kHz polling. But I will tell you this: I expected a learning curve, and what I got was simply a mouse I can fling around at high speed with way less effort. I don’t need to be as deliberate. I don’t know how much of it is the Superlight’s PTFE mouse skates and how much is the weight, but my G502 feels like a chore by comparison.

*So much glorious grey Teflon to glide on.*

Still, I don’t quite feel the same way about Logitech’s Lightforce Hybrid Switches, which sit underneath the mouse buttons. They’re a hybrid of optical switches for high speed, and mechanical switches for tactile feedback and power savings — the mechanical switches wake up the optical ones by default.

But they are also very tactile and require a stronger click compared to the microswitches on my G502. I think they’re making me a tad slower in rapid-fire scenarios, but I also think I could get used to them after a while.

I don’t miss my G502’s sniper button, or its canted design with sharp edges, or the mouse wheel horizontal scroll buttons I never really used anyhow. As of today, there are only two features Logitech would need to add to make this mouse a definite purchase for me: the company’s trademark dual-mode hyperscroll wheel for blazing through documents and websites with a flick, and some DPI adjust buttons so I can change sensitivity on the fly.

I doubt those features will make it into a Superlight, because Logitech’s targeting this mouse to tournament gamers above all — but personally, I want to buy just one mouse for work and play.

The G502 X weighs 102 grams, I suppose... but would that be enough of a difference from my G502’s 114g? Meanwhile, the Razer mouse atop our best gaming mouse guide weighs 112g. So much for my mouse endgame.

The Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 goes on sale today, alongside a new wireless RGB keyboard, the TKL Lightspeed.

lundi 4 septembre 2023

Douglas Lenat, Who Tried to Make Computers More Human, Dies at 72

Douglas Lenat, Who Tried to Make Computers More Human, Dies at 72 He spent decades working on artificial intelligence, striving to create machines that could replicate common sense.

The Audi Q6 E-tron has three screens lighting up the entire dashboard

The interior of the Audi Q6 e-tron — *The “Digital Stage” stretches across the entire dashboard.* | Image: Audi

The Audi Q6 E-tron comes with not one, but three screens tacked on its dashboard. As you can see in the first images of the electric vehicle’s interior, the three-screen setup — dubbed the “Digital Stage”— stretches from the driver’s side to the front passenger, with each display sporting different sizes and features.

The driver gets two displays nestled within a free-standing hub that gently curves on both sides. While the 11.9-inch screen dedicated to the gauge cluster and other vehicle information sits directly in front of the driver, it connects to a 14.5-inch touch infotainment display that extends beyond the right side of the steering wheel. Audi says “special ambient lighting” makes the setup “appear to float” at night.

*Passengers gete a 10.9-inch screens for movies and infotainment controls.*

In addition to those two displays, the front passenger gets a 10.9-inch screen for audio and navigation controls, along with the ability to watch movies during a drive. The passenger’s display also comes with a privacy mode that shields the screen from the driver to avoid distracting them.

But Audi isn’t the only EV maker that’s putting giant touchscreens across their vehicle’s entire dashboard. Mercedes stuck a 56-inch touchscreen inside its EQS SUV, and it even showed off a giant digital dashboard for its 2024 E-Class vehicles. There’s also a pretty sizeable 34-inch display in the Lucid Air, and the circular display that’s front-and-center on this all-electric Mini Cooper’s dash.

*Here’s the outside of the Audi Q6 E-tron.*

Some other high-tech features coming to the Q6 E-tron include 22 speakers powered by a Bang & Olufsen sound system. There’s even an augmented reality heads-up display (HUD) on the windshield that shows things such as speed, traffic signs, and navigation information.

The Q6 E-tron also features a “self learning” voice assistant that you can trigger by saying “Hey Audi.” Over time, Audi says its assistant will learn your behavior, allowing it to make automatic suggestions or adjustments to certain controls, like seat temperature. We don’t know much about what’s powering the Audi Q6 E-tron just yet, but we’ll likely hear more soon, as it’s expected to hit the road sometime next year.

New Godzilla Minus One trailer takes the kaiju king back to his metaphorical roots

Though many of Godzilla’s recent appearances in Western-produced projects have framed him as something of a misunderstood hero, Toho’s upcoming Godzilla Minus One from writer / director Takashi Yamazaki is going to take the king of the monsters back to his roots as a horrific metaphor for nuclear devastation.

Set in the immediate aftermath of World War II at a time when Japan had been left hobbled by the atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Godzilla Minus One tells the story of how the country plunged even further into turmoil and chaos when the titular kaiju is awakened for the very first time. Between ongoing efforts to rebuild destroyed neighborhoods and tend to the countless people left injured by the war, resources are already stretched in the new trailer as Godzilla emerges from the sea, and starts trampling people while rampaging through a city center. Interestingly, there’s a brief flash of a document from the US Department of War that likely contains intelligence about Godzilla and his origins.

But the trailer makes it seem as if the Japanese government’s going to be left on its own to deal with the creature, and with the country’s military forces so depleted, it makes it that much more of a one-sided battle when Godzilla starts to unleash his fury. As terrifying as shots of flying train cars are, what really stands out in the trailer is just how much of an emphasis Godzilla Minus One is going to put on the iconography of nuclear destruction with sprawling mushroom clouds and closeups of Godzilla’s mutilated flesh.

It’s chilling, gruesome, and anything but subtle, which will probably make Godzilla Minus One one of the franchise’s more memorable entries when it hits Japanese theaters on November 3rd and US theaters on December 1st.

A first look at Atmos FlexConnect, Dolby’s latest attempt to fix bad TV audio

A stylized graph of FlexConnect in action. — *A Dolby graphic showing a TV connecting to two asymmetrical speakers.* | Image: Dolby

The best bit of attending Berlin’s IFA trade show is when companies use it to offer an early look at tech that’ll get a “proper” launch later. That’s what I experienced with a demonstration of Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, a new technology to let you wirelessly connect compatible external speakers to your TV and create an Atmos-enabled spatial audio setup.

The most interesting part of Dolby’s pitch for the technology is that it’s supposedly far more forgiving about where you can place these specialized external speakers. They don’t need to be perfectly symmetrical, like the press shots show DTS’s similar wireless Play-Fi Home Theater standard. With Atmos FlexConnect, the idea is you can place your external speakers anywhere in the room with your TV, making them fit into your existing living space rather than asking you to move your furniture or mount speakers onto walls. Maybe one speaker goes on a bookshelf to the left of your TV, while a second sits on a side table to the right of your couch — the system is designed to be able to handle the asymmetry.

My demonstration of the technology took place at TCL’s booth at IFA. TCL is serving as Dolby’s launch partner for Atmos FlexConnect, and will be first to offer the technology on its 2024 TV lineup (so expect more mentions of the technology at CES next year). Dolby’s ambition is to eventually offer the technology on a wider range of TVs and speakers, but initially it’ll just be TCL.

The demo started with a calibration process, during which the two Atmos FlexConnect speakers being paired played a series of test tones that the TV’s microphones picked up and used to determine the speakers’ locations, as well as the acoustics of the demo room itself. From a technical perspective, the Atmos FlexConnect standard can simultaneously connect to dozens of speakers, but manufacturers will be more limited by the specific hardware inside their TVs. TCL is currently planning for two to be the maximum number of speakers that you’ll be able to pair with its 2024 TV lineup, though more affordable midrange models may be limited to just a single external Atmos FlexConnect speaker.

TV on left, single speaker shown on right. — *The calibration screen, showing that it’s identified the two speakers.*

Close up of Tutti Choral Speaker. — *One of the speakers used in the demonstration, though TCL says it’s a prototype and that specs may change.*

For our first demonstration, TCL and Dolby showed off the system working with a more-or-less stereo arrangement of speakers. One was placed front-left and one was front-right, although they weren’t placed with the exact symmetry you’d normally want for a stereo setup. The calibration process took a little over 12 seconds, and afterwards the TV showed off the locations of the two speakers in the room. These two “Tutti Choral Speakers” were equipped with five drivers apiece, including two that are upfiring to create the impression of sounds coming from overhead. But everything about these prototype speakers, from their branding to their design and driver configuration, is still in flux ahead of their release next year.

To show off what the system is capable of, we were played one of Dolby’s standard Atmos demo reels featuring plenty of height noise, including forest sounds, rain, and of course some rumbling thunder. As you’d expect, the addition of a pair of dedicated speakers resulted in a big step up over what you’d get out of a TV alone, particularly when it comes to bass. The audio sounded a lot more spacious than what you’d expect from a standard stereo arrangement.

Unlike a traditional soundbar setup, where a TV turns off its inbuilt drivers and relies entirely on the external speakers for sound, Dolby’s Atmos FlexConnect is designed for internal and external speakers to work together. That could explain why the setup didn’t sound off-center despite the slightly asymmetrical speaker arrangement, because the TV’s speakers were still handling the audio that’s supposed to sound like it’s coming from in front of you. Meanwhile the two external speakers added the most impact in the lower frequencies, which are both less directional (ie, it’s harder to tell where sound is coming from), and also exactly the kind of sound that’s most challenging for a TV’s diminutive in-built speakers to create.

Speaker on side table to left of sofa. — *The second speaker, placed to the back-left of the room.*

TV showing calibration process, with speaker on the right. — After calibration, the interface shows where it thinks the two speakers are. One speaker can be seen on the right of the frame, the second was placed behind me. I was standing between the two speakers when I took the photo.

Next, one of the external speakers was moved from the front-left of the room to the back-left, to show off how the system would handle a totally asymmetrical setup. Once again the calibration process was run, and the TV’s interface updated to show that one of the speakers was behind us and to the left.

In practice, however, the spatial audio presentation was very similar, despite us now using a speaker arrangement that would cause a traditional 5.1 speaker installer to break out in hives. Listening for the midrange and treble frequencies specifically and it becomes more obvious where the speakers in the room are located, but the virtualization technology smoothed over the roughest edges.

My time with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect was far too limited to give any conclusive thoughts on how it performs versus more traditional alternatives like a home cinema amplifier wired into five or more separate speakers placed symmetrically around the listener, an Atmos soundbar equipped with upward firing drivers, or even an Atmos soundbar that relies entirely on virtualization to create height. But the sense I get is that Atmos FlexConnect isn’t really in direct competition with these other options. It’s a solution for people who have to (or want to) make compromises about how much they let their TV setup take over their living room. TCL and Dolby’s pitch is that you can just place your extra speakers where you have space for them, and let their virtualization technology work out the rest.

TCL wasn’t ready to talk pricing for its Atmos FlexConnect-enabled TVs or speakers at IFA, but expect more information to be announced when it details its 2024 TV lineup.

Photography by Jon Porter / The Verge

A first look at the 1TB black Xbox Series S

The black 1TB Xbox Series S console — Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge

Microsoft has started selling a new black version of the Xbox Series S with 1TB of built-in storage. The only changes over the original white Xbox Series S are a black paint job on the exterior and more storage inside. Priced at $349, it’s still one of the most affordable ways to play Bethesda’s new Starfield game, which launches on Xbox Series S / X and PC this week.

The carbon black exterior now matches the larger Xbox Series X, with the $299 white Xbox Series S still available with its regular 512GB of storage. The increase to 1TB on this black model will allow you to install a modern Call of Duty game and not have to worry too much about how much storage is left over.

You’re essentially paying an extra $50 for 512GB of additional storage here, rather than the more than $100 pricing for the Seagate 512GB Xbox expansion card. This bump to storage is super important, as on the old Xbox Series S model you’d only get 364GB of usable storage. You now more than double that with 800GB of usable storage on the black model.

There are no changes to the ports on this model, so at the rear there are two USB ports, an Ethernet port, the storage expansion slot, and HDMI 2.1 out. At the front, there’s a single USB port and no disc drive. The black Xbox Series S also ships with a black controller, just like the Xbox Series X.

Microsoft has continued with the black coating on the speaker-like circle at the top, rather than swapping to a white coating. It’s the main fan for the Xbox Series S, where heat exhausts out of the console. It keeps the entire Xbox Series S uniformly black, unlike the black coating on this fan area found on the “robot white” 512GB model.

There could be some minor additional changes inside, but we’ll need to wait on a full teardown to see if that’s the case. The 1TB Xbox Series S in black is available now priced at $349.99.

Final Fantasy XVI is getting a PC port and two DLC expansions

Screenshot from Final Fantasy XVI showing Clive petting his faithful hound Torgal. — *Hopefully, it won’t be too long before PC gamers can also give Torgal a well-deserved scratch.* | Image: Square Enix

The weekend bore some good news for PC gamers wanting to get in on the Playstation 5 exclusive Final Fantasy XVI JRPG. During the “Voices From Valisthea” panel at PAX West on Sunday, Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida announced that a PC port is currently in development for the latest addition to the Final Fantasy video game franchise, alongside two paid DLC expansions.

No details have been provided regarding a potential release date for the port or DLC, though at least one of the planned expansions will seemingly be set in Valisthea — the regional setting for Final Fantasy XVI. “I hope to be able to give you more information on both the upcoming DLC and the PC version before the end of the year, so please stay tuned,” said Yoshida in a video message during the panel.

Here's a special video message from Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida. #FF16 pic.twitter.com/MjyKzQXHRN
— FINAL FANTASY XVI (@finalfantasyxvi) September 3, 2023

Yoshida also announced that a free update is now available to download that adds several new cosmetic items to game like character costumes and weapon skins, alongside some minor bug fixes. You can read the full release patch notes for the update here if you want further details.

With a PC port now confirmed to be in the works, there’s a chance that we could eventually see Final Fantasy XVI released for the Xbox Series X|S platform. Sure, it’s currently being pitched as a PS5 exclusive, but according to an ad for the console (seen via IGN), that deal may only be limited to six months. Older titles like Final Fantasy XV have already been released on Xbox consoles, with the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV finally expected to join them sometime in Spring 2024. Square Enix and Microsoft’s Phil Spencer have previously claimed they want to bring more Square Enix games to the Xbox platform, so there’s certainly a case for it — even if nothing official has been confirmed yet.

dimanche 3 septembre 2023

Disney blames Charter for the ESPN blackout

The Verge

Last week, Disney blocked Charter’s Spectrum cable from accessing channels like ABC and ESPN over a disagreement between the two companies over new financial terms. Today, Disney says in a blog post that although Charter “claims to value Disney’s direct-to-consumer services,” it is “demanding these different services for free.”

With cable gradually losing customers and Disney openly musing about selling ESPN on its own as a streaming channel, Charter wanted to include Disney’s streaming apps with its subscriptions. The blackout comes during a weekend when high-profile sports events like the US Open and big college football games are happening (not to mention the first NFL games start next weekend).

An image of a chart from Charter saying what’s wrong with the current video ecosystem. — *Charter says Disney only has itself to blame for a video ecosystem that doesn’t work, driving up the prices for streaming and pulling content from cable.*

In a document Charter published alongside its Friday investor call, it writes that it proposed “bundling ad-supported DTC apps with packaged linear products.” The company says that streaming is unsustainable, leading to pricier ad-free packages and new ad-supported ones — That’s just the thing streaming was supposed to save us from, but instead seems to be what we’re destined for.

Other cable companies have taken a different path in dealing with cable’s decline. Frontier and WOW!, for instance, both said to heck with it this year and essentially became YouTube TV vendors.

Qué son los deepfakes de voz, la nueva estafa bancaria

Qué son los deepfakes de voz, la nueva estafa bancaria Los estafadores tienen una nueva y potente arma de inteligencia artificial con la que intentan despojar a las personas de su dinero con engaños.

Roborock launches two midrange robovacs with high-end features

*The Q8 Max is one of two new robot vacuums from Roborock. It features dual roller brushes, obstacle avoidance, and smart mapping features.* | Image: Roborock

Robot vacuum manufacturer Roborock announced three new vacuum products at IFA 2023, the global tech show taking place in Berlin this week: the Q5 Pro robot vac; the Q8 Max robot vac; and the Dyad Pro Combo wet / dry stick vacuum. The new lidar-powered robot vacuums add more than double the suction power of previous models, a new and more advanced DuoRoller brush system, and more app features for a lower price. The Dyad Pro is a multifunctional upright vacuum that can convert to a stick vacuum.

Part of the company’s more affordable Q line, the Q5 Pro costs $429.99 standalone or $699.99 for the Q5 Pro Plus with an auto-empty charging dock. The Q8 Max costs $599.99 standalone or $819.99 for the Q8 Max Plus. Both are slated to go on sale in October.

*The Roborock Q5 Pro and Q5 Pro Plus have dual roller brushes, mopping, and smart mapping features but can’t avoid objects the way the Q8 Max can.*

The Q5 Pro is an upgrade to the Q5 and, along with the Q8 Max, is the first Roborock outside of the top-of-the-line S range to adopt the new DuoRoller brush system, which the company introduced earlier this year. This adds two rubber brushes that move in opposite directions to get dirt up more effectively.

The Q5 Pro adds mopping, plus 5,500pa of suction power and a 770ml extra-large onboard dustbin. It works with the Roborock app to schedule the robot’s cleaning, create a map of your home, and add no-go zones to help the robot clean more effectively. A new feature can also flag areas where it gets into trouble and auto-suggest you set up no-go zones in the map.

A new fast cleaning option in the app lets you run the robot 30 percent faster, and you can now set a specific direction to clean along the floor so your robot will head out in the direction of the floor seams on wood or floor tiles.

*Roborock introduced a new cleaning feature to its app that allows the vacuums to clean in line with the seams of hardwood or tile floors.*

The new Q8 Max is a step up from the Q5 Pro, adding Reactive Tech Obstacle Avoidance system, so it’s less likely to get stuck. It also has mopping, with a larger, 350ml water tank than the Q5 Pro (350ml), but without the advanced mopping features of some of Roborock’s models (such as the oscillating spinning mop heads on the Q Revo or the ability to lift its mops when it goes over carpet as found on the S8).

As someone who is less than sold on robot mops, I’m quite interested in this model. With 5,500pa suction power, dual roller brushes, and a basic mop, it’s the first midrange option with Roborock’s Reactivate Tech avoidance — which is not as good as its AI-powered avoidance but should help with avoiding socks and larger clutter.

Roborock’s S7 Max V has that more advanced obstacle avoidance — Reactive AI 2.0, which uses 3D structured light and a full-color (RGB) camera to navigate potential pathway problems. Roborock’s newer high-end models (the S8 series) use the Reactive Tech 3D system, which relies on 3D imaging instead of a full-color camera. An infrared sensor and a black-and-white camera help it navigate around things, and while it can see and avoid objects, it won’t know what obstacle it’s avoiding. Marcus Lai of Roborock tells me that this “performs as well as the Reactive AI 2.0.” I am skeptical.

*The Dyad Pro Combo is five vacuums in one.*

*The wet / dry vacuum converts to a stick vacuum for multisurface cleaning.*

The Dyad Pro Combo is a 5-in-1 wet / dry vacuum that can be converted into a stick vac. “It’s an all-in-one manual cleaning device for every surface,” says Lai. It features 17,000pa of suction, a multisurface brush, various attachments, and a pivotal head that makes it easy to maneuver. “It can suck up an entire bowl of cereal,” says Lai.

A smart sensor can detect how dirty the floor is and adjust the power level, and when you dock it, the vacuum will clean and dry itself. It has 60 minutes of runtime, costs $659.99, and also launches in October.

Correction, Sunday, September 3rd, 9:30AM: A previous version of this article gave the price of the Dyad Pro Combo as $550. Roborock reached out after publication to say the price is $659.99.