September 17, 2024 | View in browser 

 

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IN THIS ISSUE

 

🧠 Brain implant lets you control Alexa with thoughts 
📱 The iPad Pro is about to get some tough competition 
👂🏼 Apple AirPods 4 with ANC hands-on review 
📺 Apple ends Time Bandits' hope of more adventures

🕹️ Intel almost designed the chip for PlayStation 6

 

Image: Synchron

 

COMPUTING

 

Brain implant lets you control Amazon Alexa with thoughts 

 

The firm’s technology is similar to that being created by Elon Musk's Neuralink brain implant startup

 

A brain implant created by neurotech firm Synchron lets you interact with Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant simply through thoughts, Wired reported.

A 64-year-old man with ALS — a neurodegenerative disorder — has become the first person to demonstrate the technology. The man, who has limited mobility as a result of his condition, received a brain-computer interface, or BCI, made by New York-based Synchron last year.

The BCI decodes brain signals to allow people with paralysis the ability to control digital devices just by thinking about it. Synchron has implanted its BCI in10 people as part of early-stage studies and is preparing for a new trial involving more participants ...

 
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MORE COMPUTING

 
  • Copilot Wave 2: Here are all the new AI features to try out
  • Runway’s latest update is already producing mind-blowing results
  • The macOS Sequoia update just launched. Here’s why you should install it 
 
 

SPONSORED BY BEST BUY

 

The My Best Buy Plus membership essentially pays for itself after a few buys

 

One of the biggest benefits of shopping at Best Buy is that you have access to an exclusive membership, called My Best Buy Plus. With it, you not only get free two-day shipping, which is excellent because you get your gear faster, but also access to member-only pricing and discounts. You even get early access to hard-to-find or new products, giving you a headstart over anyone else shopping for the same things. But the benefits don’t end there. At $50 per year for Plus, the membership essentially pays for itself after you buy a few items, with members getting an extra 25% off ...

 
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Image: Huawei

 

MOBILE

 

The iPad Pro is about to get some tough competition 

 

 An upcoming tablet from Huawei looks impressive

 

Apple's iPad lineup currently dominates the tablet market but a new device from Huawei that launches globally this week could prove attention-grabbing for some shoppers, Digital Trends reported.

The MatePad Pro 12.2 is designed to compete with the 13-inch iPad Pro (M4) and iPad Air (M2) and offers some excellent specs, starting with its 12.2-inch dual-layer OLED display, which has a 144Hz refresh rate and 2000 nits of peak brightness.

With a 3:2 ratio, the MatePad Pro 12.2 has a resolution of 2800 by 1840 pixels (275 PPI). It also offers a 13-megapixel wide camera and 8MP ultrawide on the rear, and has support for up to 100W wired charging ...

 
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MORE MOBILE

 
  • Sleep apnea detection is now available for these two Apple Watches
  • Will my iPhone get iOS 18? Here’s every supported model 
  • Shopper’s videos of himself trying to beat ‘insanely speedy’ cashiers go viral
 

Image: Apple

 

AUDIO / VIDEO

 

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC review: Noise cancellation for the masses 

 

‘The Apple AirPods 4 with ANC offer the best ANC on the market for folks who hate eartips’

 

Apple recently announced the new AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation (ANC), and Digital Trends has gone hands-on to find out if they’re any good.

Besides ANC, the new $179 buds also offer transparency mode, adaptive audio, and conversation awareness — all available with the pricier AirPods Pro. Battery life is about 5 hours with the ANC off, and 4 hours with it on. With the case you’ll get about 30 hours of listening time without ANC, or 20 hours with ANC.

The review praises the new AirPods’ “surprisingly effective” ANC considering the more open design, and also offers a thumbs-up for comfort, sound quality, and voice/call quality ...

 
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MORE AUDIO / VIDEO

 
  • New RBH soundbar 'adapts effortlessly to any home theater setup'
  • You can now play Wordle in virtual reality
  • Every TV type, explained
 
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ENTERTAINMENT

 

Apple ends Time Bandits' hope of more time-traveling adventures

 

The news comes less than a month after the first season completed its run on Apple TV+

 

Time Bandits will not be renewed for a second season, Variety reported.

Deadline described the development as “not entirely surprising,” as despite mostly favorable reviews (78% on Rotten Tomatoes), the fantasy drama series failed to attract a large audience and was unable to make it into Nielsen’s Top 10 streaming rankings.

Starring Lisa Kudrow, the adaptation of Terry Gilliam’s 1981 cult classic follows an 11-year-old history buff named Kevin (Kal-El Tuck) and an eccentric crew of bandits as they embark on epic adventures, traveling through time to fascinating worlds of the distant past while seeking out treasure ...

 
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MORE ENTERTAINMENT

 
  • James Cameron’s next movie after his Avatar sequels may surprise you
  • Tom Cruise didn't take a dime for his Paris Olympics stunt
  • The best thrillers on Netflix right now 
 

Image: Intel

 

GAMING

 

Intel almost designed the chip for the PlayStation 6

 

It looks like AMD will be designing the PlayStation 6 after rival firm Intel reportedly lost a contract to design the console two years ago

 

AMD has been at the heart of Sony's consoles for the last two generations, but Intel apparently came close to designing the chip for the unannounced PlayStation 6, Reuters reported after speaking to sources with knowledge of the matter.

Intel and AMD are believed to have entered a bidding war for the right to design and manufacture the chip for the upcoming console, with AMD coming out on top.

“A dispute over how much profit Intel stood to take from each chip sold to the Japanese electronics giant blocked Intel from settling on the price with Sony,” Reuters claimed ... 

 
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MORE GAMING

 
  • Unknown 9: Awakening is already a thrilling superhero spectacle
  • Don’t ignore this underrated game in the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection
  • Flappy Bird creator denounces remake
 

ABOUT OUR SPONSOR

 

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