Twenty years ago, Apple CEO Steve Jobs poached Ron Okamoto away from Adobe to become vice president of developer relations and later help build the App Store. Now, we’re learning he has retired — less than a couple months before Apple’s App Store is set to go on trial.
The eagle-eyed Mark Gurman at Bloomberg spotted that not only was Okamoto listed as a potential witness in that trial, but that court documents describe him as the former VP of worldwide developer relations, not the current one. Bloomberg is now reporting that he’s been replaced by Susan Prescott, a product marketing exec who started becoming one of the public faces of the company in 2015.
Okamoto’s still set to be deposed in the trial, but perhaps for less than an hour. He’ll seemingly be testifying about the App Store’s policies, business model, how it compares to developing for macOS, and the “transformation of the application software business.”
Epic Games is reviving its in-game Fortnite concert series with a virtual performance by electronic artist Kaskadeover the course of the March 26th weekend. The concert will take place inside Fortnite’s Party Royale game mode, and it will also feature tie-ins with Rocket League’s upcoming season, as the popular competitive car soccer game is developed by Epic-owned studio Psyonix.
There’s a lot of, shall we say, corporate synergy going on here. Psyonix has a longstanding partnership with electronic music label Monstercat to bring leading producers of house, bass, and other genres into Rocket League’s in-game soundtrack. And Kaskade just last fall released his Monstercat debut, an EP called Reset.
Now, Kaskade will be performing Reset in its entirety within Fortnite, while his performance will be followed up by the debut of the Rocket League season’s new trailer. The producer and DJ will also apparently “drive Rocket League cars” around to various in-game stages and “arrive at the new Neon Fields for a festival-style performance.” Oh yeah, and the concert can also be viewed with friends from the social video app Houseparty, another of Epic’s acquisitions from the last few years.
Fortnite’s concert series, which started in 2019 with a record-breaking in-game performance by electronic artist Marshmello, became a surprising hit during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to experience the kind of live events that all but disappeared last year. Travis Scott’s Fortnite performance last April attracted more than 12 million people, and the company’s Party Royale mode it launched around the same time has become an avenue for all sorts of in-game events and the kinds of cross-cultural spectacles that have transformed Fortnite into a kind of hybrid media destination.
Epic has since expanded the technology setup that makes these live events possible with a new studio space in Los Angeles, which it began using for a three-week concert series in September. Now, it looks like the developer is ready to get back to hosting boundary-pushing live events with what sounds like a truly transmedia experience covering its many apps, games, and music connections.
The Kaskade concert will run inside Party Royale on March 26th at 8PM ET, and then on March 27th at 9AM ET and 2PM ET. It will be part of the next“Llama-rama” event, where players can earn in-game items and other rewards for playing both Rocket League and Fortnite, starting March 25th and running until April 9th.
I can’t imagine there are many people out there clamoring for the ability to create a custom profile image on their favorite video streaming service, but HBO Max wants you to know that it’s giving customers just that option starting today. Subscribers can now choose from a range of preselected avatars — featuring over 120 characters from HBO Max’s library of content — or upload their own photo. The presets come from shows like Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and many others.
Uploading a custom photo isn’t something you can do on Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, or most of the other video streaming apps. (Netflix used to let you link to a social media account and show an image from there, but this is no longer available.) And it could help HBO Max feel just that extra bit personalized to you and other people in your home. If you’ve got kids, maybe they’ll get a kick out of seeing themselves on the profile select screen.
Image: WarnerMedia
“This new feature, which launches today and rolls out across all supported partners by March 26th, allows users to express their identity through a creative lens and further connect with the stories and characters they love on the platform,” WarnerMedia said in a press release.
You’ll be able to pick an avatar or take / upload your own photo using the HBO Max mobile or tablet app. That image will then appear across HBO Max on all of your devices. A WarnerMedia spokesperson told me that “uploaded photos are encrypted and hard deleted once a user removes or changes their profile photo.” And if you’ve got parental controls enabled, a PIN is required before the profile image on a kid’s account can be changed.
I guess HBO Max gets the win on this one versus its streaming rivals — even if WarnerMedia took its sweet time on other, more important things like adding 4K support.
A new partnership between Fitbit and Tile will now let users of Fitbit’s Inspire 2 locate their devices with Tile’s Bluetooth tracking, the companies announced Monday.
The free update is available starting Monday. Users will just have to update their device software in the Fitbit app to add Bluetooth tracking, then download and activate the Tile app. Once the Tile app is enabled, Inspire 2 users should be able to locate their misplaced device (it happens to the best of us) via its most recent location, or they can use Tile’s global crowdsourced network to try to find it.
Fitbit Inspire 2 users can also sign up for Tile Premium to get smart alerts and other premium content at a price of $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year.
It’s the first official partnership between Tile and a wearable device company (although Tile does count headphone manufacturers like Bose, Skullcandy, and Sennheiser among its partners). The lost-item-tracking field is growing crowded as more companies develop products to compete with Tile. Samsung unveiled its Galaxy SmartTag earlier this year, and Apple’s AirTags have been expected for some time. Both are expected to have both Bluetooth and ultra-wideband (UWB) versions.
Also starting Monday, Fitbit’s Charge 4 devices will get an update that adds SpO2 blood oxygen saturation tracking, skin temperature tracking, and Fitbit’s health metrics dashboard.
There’s a new iPad on the way. Or, rather, four to be exact.
Apple is said to be about to launch a new iPad Pro next month. While most range refreshes include minor tweaks, this one should bring some major new screen technology into play – and it’s tech that could really improve the user experience.
Not only that, but Apple is also thought to be working on a new iPad Mini that’s bigger than the current model, as well as a refresh to the standard iPad; both of those should launch this year. Add them to the two different-sized Pro models, and that makes four new iPads in the pipeline.
Excited? You should be. Here’s why.
Check out the current range: Best iPads: big, small, budget and premium
Apple iPad Pro 2021: release date
The next iPad Pro refresh could happen very soon indeed. That’s according to Bloomberg, which carried a report recently detailing the new models.
Its sources say that the new Pro models will launch in April. There’s no firm date set, and Apple is yet to announce any events for the coming weeks. But it usually gives at least two weeks’ notice, so expect a mid-April launch at the earliest.
Once they have been announced, however, the new iPads could go on sale just days later, or even immediately.
This would be the fifth generation of iPad Pro. The current model launched last March, a year ago almost to the day. But a spring launch isn’t a given for iPad Pros. The third generation launched in October 2018, while the second gen landed in June 2017. The first model was announced in September 2015 and launched in November of the same year. Fingers crossed it becomes a new spring regular.
OS agnostic? Read our guide to the best tablets covering both iOS and Android
iPad Pro 2021: price
(Image credit: Apple)
The iPad Pro is the daddy of the iPad family, a stylus-equipped tablet that’s superpowered for work and play. Want the best games? The crispest movies? Need it for work, be it illustrating, animating, video editing or music production? It’s the tablet for you.
Of course, all this power doesn’t come cheap. Here’s how the current Pro models stack up.
iPad Pro 11in: from £769 ($799, AU$1329)
iPad Pro 12.9in: from £969 ($999, AU$1649)
With all that natty new screen tech at hand to go with all the usual improvements, we can’t see Apple dropping the price of the new models. Expect them to be in keeping with the current price tags.
iPad Pro 2021: screen
(Image credit: Apple)
We’re expecting two new models of iPad Pro, in the same sizes as the current models (11in and 12.9in). And it’s the bigger of the two that’s really got our attention.
That’s because it is said to boast a Mini LED screen. Like OLED, this technology is used in TVs, but it has better contrast ratios than the current Pro’s OLED panel. It is also less susceptible to burn-in, so if you accidentally leave your tablet on YouTube over the weekend you won’t have to worry about the logo being forever etched in the screen.
We don’t have only Bloomberg‘s word for it. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said back in 2019 that he expected Apple to start using Mini LED screens in its tablets and laptops. He even predicted that Apple would launch the tech in the 12.9in iPad Pro. When two such reputable sources say the same thing, the odds are that it’s true.
Mini LED has a lot going for it. It’s pitched as a more affordable version of OLED, though it works similarly to LCD tech. Essentially, the LEDs on a Mini LED panel’s backlight are much, much smaller than those used on a traditional LCD screen – and therefore there are a great many more of them; we’re talking tens of thousands rather than tens of hundreds. The idea is that the more LEDs used, the greater control the device has over over local dimming – i.e. how bright or dim parts of the screen can go. Theoretically as a result, Mini LEDs can produce pictures with better contrast, pictures with more precise shading and, in turn, better colour reproduction than your average LCD screen.
With a backlight, Mini LED TVs can reach a higher peak brightness than an OLED screen is capable of, and as there is greater control over what portions of the screen are dark it’s easier to achieve deeper blacks. That said, as there is still a backlight in the mix and the LEDs can’t turn completely off, as the self-emissive diodes in OLEDs can, it’s doubtful they’ll be able to produce quite the lights-off blacks that OLEDs can.
Still, we can’t wait to see the technology in action on an iPad. And it sounds as though we won’t have to, for long.
iPad Pro 2021: design
While the screen may be all new, it doesn’t sound as if the design of the device will change much, if at all. According to Bloomberg‘s report, the new Pro models will look similar to the current models. But that’s no bad thing.
The current iPad Pro, after all, is about as sleek as tablets come. Thanks to its narrow bezel, it’s basically all screen, making movies, games and TV shows all the more immersive. Sticking to this design will only serve to better show off the new screen tech, too – when the device is all screen, it really enhances those popping colours and sharply defined edges.
The current models are super slim and light, too. The 11in model sizes up at 24.7 x 17.8 x 0.6cm, while the 12.9in version comes in at 28 x 21.5 x 0.6cm. The smaller model weighs 473g, while the larger tips the scales at 643g – that’s lighter than a squeezy bottle of ketchup.
Unlike some other tablets, the Pro features speakers on both its top and bottom. This means that, when watching a film with the tablet in landscape orientation, you benefit from stereo sound, in contrast to those tablets with speakers in only one place.
The Pro also features a USB-C connection, but the new models have reportedly been tested with Apple’s Thunderbolt connectors. It’s not clear at this point whether they will ship with Thunderbolt or USB-C.
Apple is also reportedly testing its MagSafe connector for laptops. MagSafe is a magnetic connector – because it connects using magnets, the connection breaks if the cable is yanked out, and your device won’t tumble to the floor (say if someone trips over the cable). It was first used in Apple’s laptops, but recently made a return in the iPhone 12 as a way of snapping on accessories. With Apple mulling over MagSafe for MacBooks, could the next iPads also use it?
iPad Pro 2021: specs
(Image credit: Apple)
While the new iPad Pros might look almost identical to the current models, they should be much more powerful. So powerful, in fact, that performance should reportedly be “on a par” with Apple’s M1 MacBook Airs, MacBook Pros and Max Mini.
These M1 devices are the first to feature Apple’s own processors. That’s because last year the firm stopped using Intel chips in favour of its own, homegrown ones, known as Apple silicon. With Apple making both the hardware and software, it is able to optimise performance – these chips are made specifically for Apple devices, after all, as opposed to off-the-shelf processors that power all manner of desktops, laptops and tablets.
Reviews have praised Apple silicon devices, due to their notably improved performance. They have also shown big improvements in battery life.
For example, the latest Apple MacBook Air boasts up to 15 hours of wireless web performance, and up to 18 hours of movie streaming via the Apple TV app. The current iPad Pros manage only about 10 hours of power before needing a recharge, so it’s quite possible that the new models will see a significant battery bump.
The new Pros are also said to have new cameras, but here details are a bit thin on the ground.
Tablets’ cameras are usually a bit of an afterthought; but not on the Pro. This is a device built for creative professionals, after all, and imaging technology is likely to be high on their priority list. It has two rear cameras (a 12MP wide-angle lens, and a 10MP ultra-wide), with 2x optical zoom and 5x digital zoom. It also allows for 4K video recording at 24fps, 30fps or 60fps, 1080p HD video recording at 30fps or 60fps, and 720p HD video recording at 30fps.
The 7MP front-facing camera also has 1080p HD video recording at 30fps or 60fps.
Any upgrade on these would be most welcome, especially to the filmmakers eyeing up a new tablet to help make their movies.
Other new iPads for 2021
(Image credit: Apple)
As we said, the new Pros aren’t the only iPads in the Apple pipeline. The firm is also reportedly working on a new iPad Mini and a refresh of the standard iPad.
The Mini should have a slightly larger screen than the current 7.9in iPad Mini. This follows the trend in mobiles, which has been for bigger screens in recent years. Though it would still carry the Mini moniker, so don’t expect it to supersize anytime soon.
The standard iPad will reportedly be slimmer and lighter than the current model. The current iPad measures 25 x 17 x 0.7cm, so cutting down these dimensions will be no mean feat.
Expect minor spec bumps for these two devices, too.
Both of these iPads are expected to launch later in the year, possibly around September. That would be a year on from the last iPad range refresh. It’s also when we’re expecting the new iPhone 13. Could be a busy month.
MORE:
Read our in-depth Apple iPad (2020) review
Find the perfect Apple tablet for you: the best iPads 2021
Apple’s first over-ear headphones rated: read our AirPods Max review
Everything we know so far about the rumoured AirPods 3
We ask The Verge staff what they like to work with, play with, and cook with
We all have our favorite stuff. It could be a laptop that you’ve used for several years or the snazzy new one that just arrived last week. It could be the headphones that deliver your favorite music and podcasts, the controller that helps you win your games, or the app that puts a weird background on your Zoom calls.
Of course, we’re not just talking tech. We’re also talking about your favorite coffee maker, the TV shows that you binged through the pandemic, the hiking boots that have never given you a blister, and the immersion blender that your friend gave you for your birthday.
We’ve talked to the people who work at The Verge and asked them to tell us about their favorite stuff, whether it be for working at home, cooking, or playing. Some of these things may be what you already like to use; others may give you ideas of the kind of items you could use for yourself. Either way, we hope you enjoy reading about the things we use and enjoy.
DoorDash has partnered with two US-based digital health companies, Vault Health and Everlywell, to help distribute at-home COVID-19 test kits across the country, the company announced on Monday. The partnerships will allow DoorDash customers to order the testing kits directly from the company’s app in 12 markets or, conversely, to order the kits from Vault Health’s website in 20 markets with same-day delivery from DoorDash.
Both kits contain polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which is a molecular test and considered the most accurate of the testing varieties on the market. Both kits have also received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for at-home testing. The Everlywell testing kit ($109) is a self-administered nasal swab that can be done unsupervised, while the Vault Health kit ($119) is a saliva test that involves supervision from a staffer over Zoom. Both companies promise to return results within 24 to 48 hours.
Image: DoorDash
The markets supported by the DoorDash app include Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis, and Phoenix, with more cities to be added soon, the company says. Vault Health’s direct online order option will be supported in Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and San Diego, among other markets.
The initiative is part of DoorDash’s DashMart convenience store platform, a new type of virtual marketplace the company launched last summer as the pandemic was in full swing. DashMarts act similar to a CVS or 7-Eleven but they’re available at all hours of the day from the DoorDash app for ordering convenience store items, light food and groceries, and other products you’d typically find at a corner store or pharmacy. The stores also source from a variety of different vendors, so there’s just not one list of limited inventory to choose from. In some cases, DoorDash even sources local restaurants’ products to give DashMart the feel of a boutique store.
Now, in addition to buying supplies, food, and other items, you’ll also be able to start buying COVID-19 testing kits in what DoorDash is positioning as a push into health products. “Amidst the pandemic, one of our priorities has been to make health and wellness essentials more accessible for customers, with the goal of helping businesses leverage our last-mile logistics infrastructure to provide more convenient and timely access to their health supplies,” Anna Katherine Barnett-Hart, director of new verticals at DoorDash, said in a statement.
(Pocket-lint) – The big ol’ beast upon which your eyes are affixed is the Poco X3 Pro: the Xiaomi offshoot’s sub-flagship device, here to tempt you with massive screen, massive battery, and not-so-massive price point.
Just a year after the Poco X2 launched, the X3 Pro isn’t exactly an unexpected surprise. But it does cut its own path: its the first device to feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 processor, which is all-powerful (basically an 855+ rebadged) but, crucially, drops any 5G modem – and, with that, any battery/cost implication that such connectivity could cause.
As such, the Poco X3 Pro is a fairly unique prospect. It’s not quite as flagship grade as the smaller Poco F3 – which was announced the same day, here’s how the two compare – but as 4G/LTE handsets on a big scale go, it’s got a lot of weight behind it (both figuratively and literally speaking).
As you’ve no doubt already figured out by now: the Poco X3 Pro is a big and weighty phone – even more so than its spec sheet might have you think. No, 215g is hardly a lot when you’re weighing out pasta for dinner or something, but in a phone that you handle constantly it’s noticeably chonky. It’s far more than the Redmi Note 10 Pro, for example, which has almost exactly the same footprint.
Pocket-lint
The big scale comes, in part, from this Poco’s big screen. This 6.67-inch ‘DotDisplay’ panel is sourced from Samsung, complete with many of the current nice-to-haves in a phone – namely the 120Hz refresh rate to keep the visual experience smoother. The Full HD+ resolution – that’s 2400 x 1080 pixles – might not sound top of the line, but it’s really as much as you’ll need and doesn’t negatively affect fidelity.
Flip the phone around and the rear design has a kind-of retro look about it. Phone design moves on so rapidly year on year that, for whatever reason, the Poco X3 Pro just looks a bit ‘last year’. Maybe it’s the raised camera unit, housed within a black circle, that’s behind the times. The big look-at-me Poco logo emblazoned on the back is way bigger than necessary, too.
There are some nice touches though. A 3.5mm headphone jack is on board, if you’re still using wired headphones. And the side-mounted fingerprint scanner – which doubles-up as the power button – is well placed for rapid login. Or, by the wonders of face unlock, you can feed the X3 Pro your face and get a speedy unlock that way too.
Pocket-lint
In summary: the Poco X3 Pro is massive, in a kind of gawky way that’s not at the forefront of phone design. But then it’s also practical, if you’re looking for a large phone, thanks to that massive screen and massive battery combination. And, really, that’s the most important take-away factor.
Performance & Battery
Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 platform, 6GB/8GB RAM
5,160mAh battery, 33W charging
4G/LTE only, no 5G
There’s been heaps of chat about 5G over the last few years. For good reason, too, as it enables super-fast connectivity with low-latency. Except, it doesn’t if you can’t get a 5G singal – which, in majority of places around the world, is often the case. Not to mention the elevated asking price of your monthly mobile subscription.
Pocket-lint
The Poco X3 Pro bypasses any 5G problem by, well, shunning the connectivity entirely. That, it seems, is much the point of using the all-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 processor – there’s no X50/X55 series modem attached within the platform, thus no 5G. But 4G/LTE connectivity is perfectly good enough and, without the concern over elevated costs or battery consumption, we think it’ll be lapped up by many consumers.
Not to mention that the Snapdragon 860 is really rather powerful. It’s a lot like a rebaged Snapdragon 855+ from two years back – same eight cores, same clock speed (2.96GHz), same graphics chip – just minus the faster modem, as we said. In terms of performance, though, that means there’s little to nothing that’s going to bother this phone at all.
We’ve been living with the Poco X3 Pro as our own for a working week, digging into Zwift sessions (and Companion ones), playing South Park: Phone Destroyer, and generally milling about our suite of apps to browse, mail and watch videos. None of that has caused so much as a hiccup. It’s all a very smooth experience – often literally, thanks to the 120Hz display.
Pocket-lint
Having this double-speed refresh rate here makes a lot of sense as a more powerful processor can handle decent frame-rates in a variety of situations, from the user interface and software through to a myriad of apps, including games. Some makers have pushed faster refresh screens but then not paired a quite good enough processor to always make good on that hardware – the cheaper Moto G30 being one such example – but the Poco always delivers.
Without throttling battery saver features enabled, we’ve been cutting through 30 per cent of battery every 10 hours. That includes some casual gaming. It’s no surprise, really, as the Poco X3 Pro houses a 5,160mAh battery – which is massive by any measure. But a 30-hours-plus innings per charge would be no bother, making this one of those phones that’s close to being a two-dayer unless you’re really hammering out heavyweight apps a lot of the time.
There are some caveats to all this though. That comes down to Xiaomi’s MIUI software, which has a lot of detail when it comes to battery handling. By default every app is set to ‘Battery Saver’ – so you’re likely going to need to manually move your key apps to ‘No Restrictions’ to ensure they continue to function better than not.
That said, the Poco X3 Pro still hits some walls. It’s persistently exhibited problems with notifications – much like we found with the Xiaomi Mi 11, albeit worse here – such as, for example, hour-long delays in WhatsApp notifications, plus delays with various other apps. In theory the software will learn which apps are most important to you – by volume and repetition of use – and permit those more access, but that’s not helped our overall experience.
Customisation can be a great thing, but it can also be a hindrance. We would rather MIUI was a just more gentle with its approach to limiting with apps. Why certain Xiaomi phones on the same software versions run fine – the Redmi Note 10 Pro being one example – but others do not, such as this Poco, is rather perplexing. Each has its own launcher, sure, but these ongoing notification issues are a needless irritation.
Pocket-lint
Which is why this more laborious setup won’t be distracting those with a little more budget from buying into, say, a Google Pixel phone with stock Android software, or something like a Motorola handset instead (likely foregoing some power for the sake of user experience).
Whereas many are now pushing 108-megapixel cameras as the norm, Poco is a little further down the ladder with the X3 Pro, instead opting for a 48-megapixel main sensor. This functions by using four pixels in one, to produce 12-megapixel results. Which are fairly decent quality overall, including in a mix of conditions, with a usable Night Mode too.
Pocket-lint
Move away from that main sensor, however, and the X3 Pro isn’t especially ‘pro’ in its sell. There’s an 8-megapixel wide-angle that, while useful, is of limited quality – as is typical at this level, really.
But it’s the pair of other cameras – both 2-megapixel sensors – to cover depth readings and macro close-ups that are throwaway. They’re of limited use, don’t need to be here, and are on board to up the count and lure you in with the “quad camera” pitch. Macro is so hidden that you’ll never know to use it, which is a good job as the results are poor.
Pocket-lint
: Main camera – Night ModeMain camera – Night Mode
Pare the X3 Pro’s camera spec down and it’s got a perfectly fine main lens, then, but that’s about as far as things go. It’s fairly typical of this level, though, so isn’t a surprise – but consider that “quad camera” claim as and oversell and your expectations may be met.
Best smartphones 2021 rated: The top mobile phones available to buy today
By Chris Hall
·
Verdict
The Poco X3 Pro is all about going big. It’s got a big screen, big battery, and its anticipated low price point should have big appeal.
In some regards, however, it’s a bit too big for its own boots. The software doesn’t quite connect in this format – we’ve had notification problems which irk – while the sheer physical size and weight mean other devices may hold added appeal.
But as a pitch there’s sense here: if you want a long-lasting phone, don’t mind the physical bulk, and don’t care for 5G, then the Poco X3 Pro will hit the mark for certain users in certain markets.
Also consider
Pocket-lint
Redmi Note 10 Pro
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Still a large size, but the Redmi is lighter weight, feeling more balanced and accomplished compared to the big slice that is Poco. The battery isn’t quite as epic, though, if that’s your main want – but we found the software here wasn’t as marred by notification issues (despite it still running MIUI).
Apple has been ordered to pay $308.5 million to Personalized Media Communications after a federal jury in Texas found the company had infringed on a technology patent related to digital rights management, Bloomberg reported. PMC had sued Apple over its FairPlay technology, used to distribute encrypted content from iTunes, Apple Music, and its App Store.
PMC, which is a patent licensing firm, originally sued Apple in 2015, claiming the tech giant had infringed seven of its patents. Apple successfully challenged the case to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, but an appeals court reversed the patent board’s decision last March, and the case went to trial.
Apple did not immediately reply to a request for comment from The Verge on Sunday, but told Bloomberg it would appeal the ruling. “Cases like this, brought by companies that don’t make or sell any products, stifle innovation and ultimately harm consumers,” Apple’s statement reads.
Reuters notes that Sugarland, Texas-based PMC also has infringement cases pending against Netflix, Google, and Amazon.
If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
Apple’s AirPods Max just might have ushered in a new norm of $500-plus wireless headphones. My argument in support of this? V-Moda’s new M-200 ANC headphones, which sell for $499.99 and, as the name makes obvious, are the company’s first headphones to include active noise cancellation. V-Moda is a company that’s well-known in the DJ world, and prior headphones like the original M100s and Crossfade 2 Wireless have earned it some fans in the audiophile crowd. With the M-200 ANCs, V-Moda is trying to compete in a higher price bracket than ever before — but the results are a little uneven.
If there’s one thing that V-Moda has never wavered on, it’s durability. Like past models, the M-200 ANC headphones feel phenomenally strong and reassuring no matter how harshly you handle them. These things are built like tanks. My old pair of M100s must be at least seven or eight years old at this point, but the folding joints and other core hardware have never given out — even long after the headband material has started to wear and show its age. I still use ‘em as a gaming headset with V-Moda’s add-on boom mic.
I think it’s fair to question whether this is the same V-Moda that it used to be; before the company was sold to Roland, I’d regularly sit down with founder Val Kolton, who seemed to hold the brand to an obsessive level of quality assurance. But so far, I don’t see any reason to question the robustness of these new headphones.
The M-200 ANCs stick with the usual V-Moda aesthetic: it’s mostly a mix of metal and artificial leather. They also still fold down into the company’s signature carrying case. However, the size of the shield plates on each ear cup has changed. So if you’ve got old, customized plates, those will no longer fit. The ear pads (filled with memory foam) now attach magnetically and feel nice and cushiony. It used to be that you had to buy V-Moda’s aftermarket “XL” earpads for the best extended comfort, but not so this time around. I’m also glad they’re so easy to replace. Magnets!
There are buttons at the top of the right ear cup for play / pause and volume controls, and this is where the M-200 ANCs start to betray their asking price. The buttons are mushy, which I can understand since that means they don’t click loudly as you’re listening to music. It can still feel a bit cheap. Aside from this, their location so far at the top can make them awkward to reach when you’re actually wearing the headphones. Maybe it’s just my enormous head, but I struggled at times. The buttons at the bottom for power and noise cancellation are much simpler to reach (and for some reason, they’re clickier, too).
Out of the box with EQ settings left untouched, the M-200 ANCs have an extremely neutral sound profile. I don’t know that I’d call them reference studio monitors, but they’re very flat. This can make for a jarring change if you’re switching over from other headphones like the AirPods Max or Sennheiser’s Momentum Wireless cans, which try to show you everything they’re sonically worth right off the bat without any adjustments. In this case, you’ll want to immediately explore the EQ presets (V-Moda’s app lets you take full manual control) to find something that sounds the best to you. Even if you crank the low-frequency sliders, the M-200 ANCs won’t rattle your brain. But you can get them to a point where EDM and hip-hop don’t underwhelm, which they can if you stick with the default, balanced EQ.
When you do take the time to nail the EQ, the M-200 ANCs sound very good. V-Moda downsized to 40-millimeter drivers (from 50mm in the original M-200), but these headphones do a terrific job of preserving the mids through all sorts of EQ adjustments. “$500 noise-canceling headphones with neutral sound” strikes me as an odd zone to be playing in, but V-Moda can certainly paint itself as a standout here. They support aptX HD, aptX, AAC, and SBC Bluetooth codecs, so they’re well-rounded for wireless audio. I also tested them wired with my Apple Lossless files and streaming Amazon Music HD, and the M-200 ANCs proved wonderfully layered and rich. (They don’t seem to pass audio over USB-C, unfortunately, so that port is just for charging.)
I’ve noticed that V-Moda’s app can be buggy; sometimes it’ll display a spinning loading indicator that never goes anywhere. The M-200 ANCs have also given me “iPhone can no longer connect to this device” errors, which required me to pair the headphones all over again. Roland needs to put more work into its software. Most frustrating of all is that the M-200 ANCs can only store two paired devices in memory. If you add a third, the first one will be overwritten. Want to switch between a phone, tablet, and PC without much fuss? Sorry.
The M-200 ANC ear pads attach to the headphones magnetically. Underneath them are these 40mm drivers.
These headphones don’t have a dedicated transparency mode that you can toggle on for hearing outside noise. But V-Moda did blatantly steal a trick from Sony: you can hold a hand on the left ear cup, the music will drop in volume, and ambient noise will be piped in using the built-in microphones. Once you remove your hand, your music volume and ANC return to normal. That’s a useful feature for quick interactions or listening to an announcement at an airport or on a train, but at $500, I would’ve liked to see some way of keeping transparency mode enabled for as long as desired — no arm-lifting required.
The M-200 ANCs lack sensors for detecting when they’ve been removed from your ears, so they won’t pause audio automatically like other premium noise-canceling headphones. Again, for $500, those extra convenience tricks should be part of the experience. Another would be multipoint Bluetooth pairing, which these headphones don’t give you either. Battery life is rated at 20 hours, which is on par with Bose and Apple but short of Sony.
V-Moda is new to noise cancellation, and it shows. The M-200 ANCs can’t rise to the level of the AirPods Max or even lower-priced options like Sony’s 1000XM4s or the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700. They’ll cut out a lot of lower-frequency noise, but the overall effect isn’t quite on the level of competitors. The V-Moda app lets you choose between 10 levels of noise cancellation, but even fully dialed up, I never quite felt like I was in that personal bubble of silence that the best ANC headphones provide. On the positive side, V-Moda’s noise cancellation didn’t result in any discomfort, nor did it noticeably alter the sound, which can happen with some headphones.
Who will be next to join the $500 noise-canceling headphones squad?
Along with the headphones and case, V-Moda includes a 3.5-millimeter cable, USB-C charging cable, and an airplane adapter. I really wish the company had bundled its BoomPro microphone — sold separately for $35 — right in the box with the M-200 ANCs. It feels like a missed opportunity, as the BoomPro is truly a great accessory for gaming and Zoom calls. Keep in mind that Apple didn’t even include a headphone cable with the AirPods Max, so I can’t knock V-Moda too hard, but this would’ve been a prime moment to give customers that bonus. It also would’ve helped boost the M-200 ANCs at voice call performance. As is, the built-in microphones are nothing special, and callers might find it difficult to hear you in loud or windy environments.
I genuinely wonder if V-Moda would have priced these things at $500 in a world without the AirPods Max. With Apple’s cans set aside, you’d be looking at an upper echelon of Bluetooth headphones with options like the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 and Sennheiser Momentum 3 that tops out around $400. (No, I haven’t forgotten about those $800 Beoplay H95s, but come on.) The M-200 ANCs are a solid pair of wireless headphones, and they maintain V-Moda’s fantastic build quality. But it’s impossible to overlook what’s missing when a company is asking for this much cash. The balanced sound signature will be a definite win for people who are explicitly looking for that. But these really needed to have a true transparency mode and better ANC to keep up with the pack and to warrant the significant investment.
Amazon-backed electric vehicle startup Rivian will install more than 10,000 fast chargers across the US and Canada by 2023, the company announced. The Rivian Adventure Network is designed to allow quick recharges along highways and also includes Level 2 charges at more remote locations near parks and other destinations.
Rivian described the network in a blog post:
Each site will have multiple chargers and will be conveniently located on highways and main roads, often by cafes and shops. These DC fast chargers will be for Rivian owners only, with details on pricing and associated programs coming soon.
The company also is installing waypoint Level 2 AC chargers, each with a 11.5 kW charging speed, to add about 25 miles of range every hour for Rivian’s R1T pickup and R1S SUV. These chargers will be located along routes that Rivian thinks its drivers will take. The first such waypoint chargers are being installed in Colorado’s state parks beginning in July, and will be accessible to any electric vehicle with a J1772 plug.
A map of the 3,500 fast chargers Rivian is planning at 600 sitesRivian
Rivian says drivers can locate the waypoints and fast chargers in their vehicles’ navigation systems and the Rivian app. The network will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy, the company says.
It’s an ambitious plan to be sure, and Rivian is still a relatively new player in the EV market, with its pickup truck and SUV debuting late in 2018 (it began operating in stealth mode in 2009). But the company has managed to raise several huge funding rounds, with Amazon leading a $700 million round in February 2019, and Ford adding $500 million in April 2019. In January, Rivian raised $2.65 billion from T. Rowe Price and Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund.
It’s hard to believe it’s only been seven months since Apple booted Fortnite off the App Store and Epic Games sprung its antitrust trap, but you won’t have to wait much longer before the behind-the-scenes legal machinations give way to courtroom drama — and, it seems, until Apple and Epic’s top executives take the stand.
In a legal filing Friday evening, Apple revealed that CEO Tim Cook, SVP Craig Federighi, and former marketing chief and current App Store boss Phil Schiller intend to testify live and in person in the courtroom, among many other tentative witnesses. Epic Games’ CEO Tim Sweeney and VP Mark Rein should be there as well, plus Facebook’s VP of gaming, a Microsoft VP of Xbox business development, and quite a number of directors on both sides.
Schiller is expected to spend the most time on the witness stand by far at an estimated 11 hours of examination and cross-examination, which makes sense. Not only has he been in charge of the App Store that’s at the center of the case, but some of his emails and the emails of his subordinates have been under scrutiny — both for this case and in the big tech antitrust hearing last year, one which ended with the House Judiciary Committee concluding that “Apple exerts monopoly power in the mobile app store market.”
Apple says its executives “look forward to sharing with the court”:
Our senior executives look forward to sharing with the court the very positive impact the App Store has had on innovation, economies across the world and the customer experience over the last 12 years. We feel confident the case will prove that Epic purposefully breached its agreement solely to increase its revenues, which is what resulted in their removal from the App Store. By doing that, Epic circumvented the security features of the App Store in a way that would lead to reduced competition and put consumers’ privacy and data security at tremendous risk.
The trial should tentatively begin May 3rd, and is expected to run several weeks.
You can find the full list of tentative witnesses and those who’ll be tentatively deposed below.
The evidence is mounting that Twitter will be adding an “undo tweet” feature, but that those who want it will have to pay: app researcher Jane Manchun Wong has discovered a subscription screen tied to the feature. The ability to take back tweets has also shown up on a survey asking Twitter users about features they’d be willing to pay for, as well as in the code for the app, and CNET received confirmation today from Twitter that it is, in fact, being tested.
When it will become widely available is unknown, but it’s understandable why Twitter could be considering reserving the feature for its potential subscription service: what’s a better lure than a “keep yourself out of trouble” button?
For its part, Twitter hasn’t said if the feature will be limited to paying customers — it’s possible it’s not far enough along in development for that decision to have been made yet.
It’s also worth noting that the button’s design suggests that it works similarly to the “undo send” button in Gmail, where the site simply waits a few seconds before actually sending the message. In other words, it’s not really the edit button that people clamor for, but it could at least get you some of the way to that functionality (albeit minus the part where someone else can tell you that you’ve made a mistake).
If Twitter is open to suggestions for the undo button, here’s one: have it pop up if someone blasts through the offensive tweet warning, giving them a few more seconds to reconsider. Whether that would fix the general atmosphere on Twitter is hard to say, but it’s probably at least worth a shot, right?
Sourdough bread is a tricky thing to get right. But Breadwinner, a new smart gadget in development from hardware designers (and bread lovers) Fred Benenson and Sarah Pavis, is looking to try to take a little bit of the mystery out of the yeast by offering an app-connected gadget that can track the volume and temperature of your starter and notify you when it’s ready to bake, via LaughingSquid.
If you’ve never baked with a starter before, it’s very different from store-bought yeast. Your starter (mine, in case you were curious, is named Lancelot) needs to be fed frequently and rises and falls throughout the day as the yeast feeds on the sugars in the flour and creates bubbles of carbon dioxide — the same bubbles that help make your finished loaf of sourdough so fluffy and delicious.
But figuring out when to use your starter after a feeding is a tricky balance of art and science. What Breadwinner aims to do is take the guesswork out of the equation by letting you track the growth of your starter after a feeding and letting you know precisely when the peak point is to start mixing your doughs. It also logs previous feedings, allowing you to track the performance of your starter over time and tweak variables to get that perfect loaf.
The Breadwinner unit itself is designed to fit on top of a 16oz Ball Mason jar, and it works by using an infrared sensor to measure starter height. It also can take temperature readings of the surrounding air to make sure that it’s not too hot (or too cold), and it includes Wi-Fi connectivity to connect to your smartphone. A button on the top lets you easily log when you’ve fed your starter.
The current model — which costs $140 — is in the middle of a public prototyping phase. Buying a Breadwinner today is emphatically not buying a finished product. The hardware is extremely unfinished, and the current version charges via Micro USB, which I am fervently hoping will be swapped to USB-C for the finished product.
Obviously, that’s a lot to spend on any gadget, much less one that’s still extremely unfinished and as limited in function as this one — but if you’re someone who really likes baking bread, gadgets, and data analysis, it could be a fun addition to your kitchen.
The Breadwinner team is also planning to use feedback from early users — and the valuable data from the different types of starters, flour mixes, and feeding schedules from more users — to further refine the product before a commercially produced version arrives in the future. That might be worth waiting for if you’d prefer a more refined (or cheaper) product. To sweeten the pot, the prototype also comes with access to a Breadwinner Discord and a $50 discount of the final model when it’s released.
Breadwinner isn’t just about the single gadget, though. The site is pitched as an online community for bread enthusiasts, a self-described “social network for yeast” that aims to be a place for bakers to post recipes, share bread pictures, and get advice from fellow bakers, too.
Gucci is diving into virtual luxury footwear with a new exclusively digital pair of sneakers called The Gucci Virtual 25 that can be “worn” in augmented reality (AR) or used in partnered apps like Roblox and VRChat. Surprisingly, the shoes are a lot less expensive than a typical Gucci piece: you can buy the Virtual 25s from Gucci’s app for $12.99, or $8.99 in the Wanna Kicks AR sneaker app.
The Gucci Virtual 25 sneakers are designed by Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele and feature a chunky, neon green and pink look that might not be for everyone. But they feel appropriately over-the-top for something that will never exist in real life. Like all Gucci clothing, the shoes also bear the iconic “GC” logo; in this case, it’s on the sole of the shoe and the inflatable (again, totally virtual) tongue.
The virtual sneakers are available in the “Gucci Sneaker Garage” section of the fashion house’s app.
Image: Gucci
The Virtual 25s are Gucci’s first digital-only shoe, though they can be “worn” in other apps.
Image: Gucci
The sneakers are bold, colorful, and more than a little garish.
Image: Gucci
The shoes were created in partnership with Wanna, a company that specializes in providing AR technology for marketing (“ARketing,” sigh) and already has its own app for trying on sneakers virtually. The Virtual 25s are sold in Wanna’s app for that less-expensive $8.99 price, but if you want to receive the downloadable assets to show off the shoes in other apps like Roblox or VRChat, you’ll have to purchase them for $12.99 in Gucci’s app.
To be completely honest, after “trying” them on, I don’t think these sneakers are for me. But I can see some of the logic that Gucci and Wanna are playing with. The desire for digital collectibles is only increasing with the growing popularity of NFTs, and while there’s no blockchain involved, Gucci’s shoes have one over on most NFTs: they’re not just a token representing ownership; they can actually be used (well, at least virtually).
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