Established in 2003, Sharkoon is a hardware and peripherals company based in Germany. With the ambidextrous Light² 180, Sharkoon further expands their Light² series. Based on the Zowie S2 shape, the Light² 180 comes with PixArt’s PMW3360 sensor capable of 12,000 CPI, Omron switches for the main buttons, and a soft, braided cable. By default, a honeycomb back cover is installed, but can be swapped for a solid one. Aside from the back cover, the Light² 180 doesn’t have any visible holes, yet weighs just 66 g. A replacement set for the high-quality PTFE feet is included in the box. Lastly, full RGB lighting and software customizability are on board as well. Variants in matte black or white are available.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney was asking Apple to open its phones to other app stores as early as 2015, according to new emails made public as part of the companies’ antitrust trial. Under the subject line “iOS as an open platform,” Sweeney emailed Apple CEO Tim Cook directly to make the case for allowing other app stores to distribute software on iOS.
“The App Store has done much good for the industry,” Sweeney wrote to Cook, “but it doesn’t seem tenable for Apple to be the sole arbiter of expression and commerce over an app platform approaching a billion users.”
In particular, Sweeney asked to “separate iOS App Store curation from compliance review and app distribution,” essentially suggesting that Apple could maintain its security features across the platform without routing all downloads through the central App Store.
It’s a powerful distinction for the ongoing trial, in which Apple is arguing that App Store exclusivity is necessary to maintain the existing security and privacy features on iOS. These are part of the compliance process referenced by Sweeney in the email, and other ecosystems have been successful in implementing them across multiple app stores. Most recently, Google introduced a similar system on Android under the name Play Protect, guarding against malicious downloads even from side-loaded software.
Cook responded by forwarding the message to Phil Schiller with a question: “Is this the guy that was at one of our rehearsals?”
It’s likely that he was: a few weeks earlier, Epic Games had made an appearance at Apple’s WWDC event, touting the company’s work using Apple’s Metal API, although Sweeney did not appear onstage.
Other emails show Sweeney continuing to push Apple behind the scenes, asking Epic co-founder Mark Rein to push for a meeting with Greg Joswiak in January 2018. “If the App Store [were] merely the premier way for consumers to install software and not the sole way, then Apple could curate higher quality software overall, without acting as a censor on free expression,” Sweeney argued.
Rein was ultimately able to arrange a hearing for the idea through Apple’s Tim Kirby and expressed enthusiasm. “He was definitely receptive to the idea,” Rein wrote, “which doesn’t mean it will go anywhere, but does mean he’ll line up people who will listen and not shoot it down like Phil Schiller would…. so maybe there’s a smallest little crack on the very outer surface of the many feet of ice covering the frozen lake that is the Apple store.”
When you spend so much time building PCs and picking the best gaming monitor, gaming keyboard and gaming mouse, it’s easy to overlook the importance of the chair you use to navigate that setup. For PC gamers, sitting in the best gaming chair can add some personality to your gaming den and, more importantly, provide support to key areas, like your back and shoulders, that are often neglected by cheaper furniture . When you’re sitting for large chunks of the day, your body needs just as much attention as your next CPU buy, so you can focus on gaming and working, rather than scheduling your next chiropractor visit.
But the best gaming chair may not necessarily be a gaming chair per se. When you’re using your computer to work or study, you need to ensure that you’re sitting on something that’s comfortable, even when you’re not fragging with your friends or listening to Johnny Silverhand. . Whether that means a bright gamer aesthetic, a more subdued look fit for conference calls or a range of adjustments for when you need to lay back and regroup is all up to you.
Below we break down the best gaming chairs to hit the Tom’s Hardware lab (whether they’re explicitly targeted at gamers or not), but first, here are some things to consider when shopping for a new gaming chair.
What’s the chair’s maximum supported height and weight? If you don’t fit the chair’s recommendations or if you’re a smaller person and notice the chair is geared toward the big and tall crowd, look elsewhere.
Shoulder and lumbar support are key. Chairs without enough backrest height and width to support your shoulders and lumbar region via a dedicated mechanism or pillow may feel fine for a quick sit but won’t provide enough support for frequent hours of gaming or work.
Mind your seat too. Some chairs provide measurements for the whole seat, which may be smaller than the measurement for the actual sittable area of the seat. Make sure the seat’s point of contact is wide enough for your hips and how you like to sit.
Which adjustments do you need? Height adjustment is pretty standard, but you may also want to recline forward and/or backward, move the armrests in multiple directions or have the ability to rock.
What material and look do you want? There are a lot of gaming chairs that look like racecar bucket seats and use faux leather and are often easy to clean. Real leather will be pricier, and mesh chairs can be harder to clean. If you want something that looks more subdued, remember to also consider chairs that may not claim “gaming” in their title.
Can it fit under your desk? If pairing your chair with a certain desk, make sure the chair’s height and armrests will be able to fit under the desk, so you can push it in when not in use.
Best Gaming Chairs 2021
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
1. Secretlab Omega
Best Gaming Chair
Upholstery: PU faux leather (tested), leather or fabric | Maximum Weight: Maximum Height: Backrest Length: 31.5 inches | Backrest Width (Shoulder Level): 21 inches | Seat Width (Point of Contact): 14 inches
Padding is supportive but not stiff
Backrest has good range
Hard armrests
Backrest lever occasionally gets jammed
With a complete range of adjustments, including a backrest that can sit from 85-165 degrees, premium-feeling faux leather and some of the coziest extra pillows we’ve ever laid our heads and lumbars on, the Secretlab Omega is the best gaming chair. Secretlab’s homemade take on memory foam has just the right amount of hardness to support the whole body for hours without being overly rigid and stiff. In fact, I used this as my primary work chair for about a year and never got sore.
One of the Omega’s most standout features is the foam neck and lumbar foam pillows that use cooling gel to fight heat and are covered in a deliciously soft fabric. They’re not just decoration; the pillows conform to your body when in use and revert back to their original shape after. Plus, the armrests move up/down, in/out and toward/away the body and forward/back. It’s not perfect: these armrests could be softer for resting on, and the recline lever’s quality has room for improvement. However, with all of these advantages and a helpful tilt function , the Secret Labs Omega offers a comfortable position for most body types.
Note that the Omega also comes in different upholsteries and finishes. We tested the fabric upholstery in our Secretlab Titan SoftWeave review, as well one of the more colorful design options, the Secretlab League of Legends K/DA Edition.
At under $300, the AndaSeat Jungle is the best gaming chair for gamers who don’t want to break their back or the bank. A 1.5-inch-thick layer of memory foam prevents your body from sagging into the chair, and the foam lumbar support and neck pillows make it even harder to slouch.
Despite its more budget pricing, the Jungle offers breathable vinyl faux leather and the necessary adjustments for gaming and work. You get height adjustment, a rocking feature, recline from 90-160 degrees and height-adjustable armrests.
Those with wider hips or who just like to spread out, however, will lament the seat’s narrowness. Make sure the 14.2-inch width is enough room for you, otherwise you won’t last very long in the chair.
Supporting gamers up to 440 pounds — or 330.7 pounds if you want to use the rocking feature — and 6 feet 11 inches with a wider seat that’s 22.4 inches across, the AndaSeat Spider-Man Edition is the best gaming chair for big and tall gamers. In fact, taller gamers would fare better in this particular throne, as even our reviewer at 5 feet 8 inches found the neck pillow and headrest hard to access. The shoulder area could be a bit wider, but you do get a wide lumbar foam support pillow that covers the backrest well.
The molded foam proved hard enough to prevent fatigue during long gaming shifts while still offering some flexibility. Another bonus was that we didn’t find our skin sticking to the chair’s surface, as is the case with our vinyl faux leather chairs we’ve tested.
AndaSeat’s Spider-Man-themed seat also offers a solid range of adjustments, such as the ability to tilt and recline from 90-160 degrees. The armrests are nicely covered in PU faux leather and can move up/down, forward/backward, left/right and tilt inward/outward.
And, if Spider-Man isn’t the kind of hero you’d sit on, AndaSeat also makes this chair in Iron Man, Captain America and Ant Man styles.
More: AndaSeat Spider-Man Edition review
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
4. X-Chair X3 ATR Mgmt
Best Gaming Chair Splurge
Upholstery: Knit polymer mesh | Maximum Weight: 340 pounds | Maximum Height: Not disclosed | Backrest Length: 24 inches | Backrest Width (Shoulder Level): 26.5 inches | Seat Width (Point of Contact): 20.5 inches
Extremely customizable and adjustable
Heat and massage option
Expensive
Warranty not as robust as some competitors
Yes, the X-Chair X3 ATR Mgmt is expensive, but with configurable options that let you build a chair that fits your body type, it’s an investment in comfort. Primarily, the X3 ATR Mgmt blows most other gaming chairs’ approaches to lumbar support away by ditching the clunky pillow or adjustable firmness with a tension mechanism that properly adjusts to your size and lower back shape.
The X3 ATR Mgmt comes with a lot of optional features that can add to its price, from the massage/heat features we tested to the headrest and your choice of foam. The configuration we tested lets us work and play for hours without any back or body aches; although, the armrests could be a little softer. Those armrests can move up/down, forward/back and twist in/out. The seat’s also movable, as is the height, and the backrest and recline from 90-130 degrees.
Most people don’t need the $100 heat and massage feature add-on, which you can power it via your PC or a battery pack. It feels nice on the lower back but isn’t very strong.
The FuzeDrive P200 is a QLC-based hybrid SSD that defies the norm through clever tiering technology that delivers higher endurance, but the excessive pricing isn’t for everyone.
For
+ Large static and dynamic SLC caches
+ Competitive performance
+ Software package
+ 5-year warranty
+ High endurance ratings
Against
– High cost
– Capacity trade-off for SLC cache
– Low sustained write speed
– Initial software configuration
– Lacks AES 256-bit encryption
Features and Specifications
The Enmotus FuzeDrive P200 SSD takes an unconventional approach to increase SSD performance and extend lifespan by leveraging the power of AI to deliver up to 3.4 GBps and class-leading endurance. According to the company, artificial intelligence isn’t just about robots and decrypting future business trends — it can also enhance your SSD and tune it to your usage patterns, thus unlocking more performance and endurance.
Enmotus builds the FuzeDrive P200 using commodity hardware but says the drive delivers more than six times more endurance than most QLC-based SSDs through its sophisticated AI-boosted software and tiering techniques. In fact, a single 1.6 TB drive is guaranteed to absorb an amazing 3.6 petabytes of write data throughout its warranty. The company’s FusionX software also allows you to expand your storage volume up to 32TB by adding another SSD or HDD (just one). All of this will set you back the same cost of a new Samsung 980 Pro with a faster PCIe interface, though, ultimately making this drive attractive only for a niche audience.
Innovative AI Storage
(Image credit: Enmotus)
Traditional SSDs, like Sabrent’s Rocket Q, come with QLC flash that operates in a dynamic SLC mode. While this provides fast performance and high capacity, it has drawbacks that primarily manifest as low endurance.
However, QLC flash can operate in the full 16-level, low-endurance QLC mode or operate in a high-endurance SLC mode, which is advantageous for Enmotus’s FuzeDrive P200 SSD. By operating Micron’s flash solely in high endurance SLC mode, the flash’s endurance multiplies – its program-erase cycle rating increases from roughly 600-1,000 cycles to 30,000 cycles. The main reason being that in SLC mode, the flash can be programmed in just one pass, whereas QLC takes 3+ cycles to fine-tune the cell charge.
The 1.6TB FuzeDrive P200 comes with 2TB of raw flash, but not all of it is available to the user. This is somewhat similar to Intel’s Optane Memory H10 and soon-to-be-released H20, but instead of the complication of relying on two separate controllers and storage mediums, the P200 uses only one controller and one type of flash. The FuzeDrive leverages the advantages that both dynamic and high endurance SLC modes have to offer by splitting the device into two LBA zones. The first LBA range is the high endurance zone, and it sacrifices 512GB of the raw flash to provide 128GB of SLC goodness (4 bits QLC -> 1-bit SLC), but the user can’t access this area directly. The remaining QLC flash in the second LBA zone operates in dynamic SLC mode and is made available to the end user. The 900GB model comes with a smaller 24GB SLC cache.
The company’s intelligent AI NVMe driver virtualizes the zones into a single volume and relocates data to either portion after analyzing the I/O. In this tiering configuration, a large RAM-based table is set up in memory (roughly 100MB) to track I/O behavior across the whole storage device. Most active and write-intensive data is automatically directed to the SLC zone, and inactive data is moved to the QLC portion with minimal CPU overhead compared to caching techniques. Movements are done only in the background, and only one copy of the data exists. The NVMe driver manages the data placement, while the drive uses a special modified firmware to split it into two separate LBA zones.
Specifications
Product
FuzeDrive P200 900GB
FuzeDrive P200 1.6TB
Pricing
$199.99
$349.99
Form Factor
M.2 2280
M.2 2280
Interface / Protocol
PCIe 3.0 x4 / NVMe 1.3
PCIe 3.0 x4 / NVMe 1.3
Controller
Phison PS5012-E12S
Phison PS5012-E12S
DRAM
DDR3L
DDR3L
Memory
Micron 96L QLC
Micron 96L QLC
Sequential Read
3,470 MBps
3,470 MBps
Sequential Write
2,000 MBps
3,000 MBps
Random Read
193,000 IOPS
372,000 IOPS
Random Write
394,000 IOPS
402,000 IOPS
Endurance (TBW)
750 TB
3,600 TB
Part Number
P200-900/24
P200-1600/128
Warranty
5-Years
5-Years
Enmotus’s FuzeDrive P200 comes in 900GB and 1.6TB capacities. Both fetch a pretty penny, priced at $200 and $350, respectively, roughly matching the price of the fastest Gen4 SSDs on the market. The FuzeDrive P200 comes with a Gen3 NVMe SSD controller, so Enmotus rated it for up to 3,470 / 3,000 MBps of sequential read/write throughput and sustain up to 372,000 / 402,000 random read/write IOPS.
But, while Samsung’s 980 Pro may be faster, it only offers one-third the endurance of the P200. Enmotus rates the 900GB model to handle up to 750 TB of writes during its five-year warranty. The 1.6TB model is much more robust — It can handle up to 3.6 petabytes of writes within its warranty, meaning the P200 comes backed with the highest endurance rating we’ve seen for a QLC SSD of this capacity.
Software and Accessories
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Enmotus provides Fuzion, a utility that monitors the SSD and enables other maintenance tasks, like updating firmware or secure erasing the SSD. The software is available from the Microsoft Store and will automatically install and update the driver for the device. The company also provides the Enmotus-branded Macrium Reflect Cloning Software to help migrate data to the new SSD, as well as the FuzionX software for more complex tiering capability.
When adding a third device into the mix, such as a high-capacity SATA SSD or HDD (NVMe support under development), you can use FusionX software to integrate it into the P200’s virtual volume. The SLC portion of the P200 SSD will retain the volume’s hot data, the QLC portion will retain the warm data, while the HDD stores cold data.
A Closer Look
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Enmotus’s FuzeDrive P200 SSD comes in an M.2 2280 form factor, and the 2TB model is double-sided solely to place a second DRAM IC on the back of the PCB. The company uses a copper heat spreader label to aid with heat dissipation. The controller supports ASPM, ASPT, and the L1.2 sleep mode to reduce power when the drive isn’t busy.
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As mentioned, Enomotus builds the FuzeDrive P200 with commodity hardware – Phison’s mainstream E12S PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe 1.3-compliant SSD controller and Micron QLC flash, but the firmware is specifically designed to enable splitting the drive into two distinct zones – one high endurance, one low endurance. The controller has dual Arm Cortex R5 CPUs, clocked at 666MHz, and a DRAM cache. The controller interfaces with two Nanya 4Gb DDR3L DRAM ICs at 1600 MHz for fast access to the FTL mapping tables.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
There are four NAND packages on our 2TB sample, each containing four 1Tb Micron 96-Layer QLC packages. For responsive random performance and solid performance in mixed workloads, the flash has a four-plane architecture and interfaces with this eight-channel controller at speeds up to 667 MTps. To ensure reliable operation and maintain data integrity over time, the controller implements Phion’s third-generation LDPC ECC and RAID ECC along with a DDR ECC engine and end-to-end data path protection.
My first encounter with Ajazz was only recently in the form of the Kickstarter-backed K620T 2.0, which has been funded successfully and then some since, and the company has even taken my feedback to heart in allowing backers to choose the switch and keyboard color independently of each other. However, Epomaker had actually sent in another Ajazz keyboard prior to the K620T 2.0 which had been on the back burner owing to several embargo releases. Time to get back to it, and thanks again to Ajazz via Epomaker for sending a review sample to TechPowerUp!
The Ajazz Zinc is definitely more subtle-looking than the pastel pink or blue colors of the K620T 2.0, with a white color scheme up top that looks clean. It also adopts a slightly larger 65% form factor in adding arrow keys as well as some keys from the Ins-Pg Dn cluster, but all together in a single bank of keys to differentiate it from the 68% form factor that adds the extra keys separately to the right. Turn things around, however, and we see where the “Zinc” in the name comes in. The keyboard adopts a zinc alloy case, which in itself makes it different from pretty much everything else out there. Let’s dig deeper in this review that begins with a look at the keyboard specifications in the table below.
Specifications
Ajazz Zinc Bluetooth Mechanical Keyboard
Layout:
68-key, 65% form factor in a modified US ANSI layout
Material:
Aluminium alloy top frame, zinc alloy base case, and PBT plastic keycaps
Macro Support:
No
Weight:
0.6 kg / 1.3 lbs.
Wrist Rest:
No
Anti-ghosting:
6-key rollover Bluetooth, 6/NRKO USB
Media Keys:
Available via layers
Dimensions:
110 (L) x 315 (W) x 40 (H) mm
Cable Length:
5 ft / 1.5 m
Software:
No
Switch Type:
Choice of Cherry MX Red, Brown, Blue, or Black mechanical switch
An internal presentation at Epic Games showed ambitious promotional plans for the game, including a basketball mini-game and a planned “Party Royale” featuring Zion Williamson and LeBron James. Made public as part of the ongoing Epic v. Apple trial, the document comes from a quarterly business review performed in June 2020.
In addition to detailing the game’s revenue and promotional outlook, the presentation lays out a new kind of “experimental” venture to be built inside of Fortnite, including plans to implement a basketball mini-game as part of a broader NBA partnership.
One slide describes the project as “a Fortnite version of arcade basketball,” which would allow players to take to the courts as an alternative to the traditional Battle Royale. A subsequent slide teases the release of themed emotes, playoff events, and potential NBA post-game shows inside the game.
A slide detailing the planned basketball mini-game.
Notably, rumors have circulated that Season 6 of the game might include a skin of LeBron James, beloved basketball player, driven by close analysis of recent update packages. Zion Williamson’s participation is less clear; the document makes no reference to him outside of the graphic above.
Epic Games declined to comment.
Many of the events detailed in the presentation have already taken place, including an extensive Marvel crossover and the skin partnerships with Brazilian soccer star Neymar and popular streamer LazarBeam.
The presentation also suggests Epic is working on a themed skin with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as part of the game’s Icon series, timed for the first quarter of 2021. No official partnership has been announced yet, but there have been significant rumors around some kind of crossover, driven by unusual visual similarities between Johnson and a mysterious Season 6 character, as well as a cryptic Instagram post from the star.
I would like to thank Zalman for supplying the review sample.
The Zalman Z3 Iceberg we are reviewing is a mid-tower chassis that aims to offer sensible features at a price point of around $90. That puts it up against a slew of options out there, so it will be interesting to see how it holds up. The Z3 Iceberg is available in either black or as a white version with a few little touches of black here and there. We got the white variant for review, so let’s dive right in.
Specifications
Zalman Z3 Iceberg
Case Type:
Mid-Tower
Material:
Steel, plastic, and tempered glass
Weight:
6.4 kg
Slots:
7
Drive Bays:
2x Internal 2.5/3.5″ 4x Internal 2.5″
Motherboard Form Factors:
Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, and ATX
Dimensions:
410 x 210 x 480 mm
Front Door/Cover:
N/A
Front Fans:
3x 120 or 140 mm (1x 120 mm ARGB fan pre-installed)
(Pocket-lint) – The Samsung HW-Q800A soundbar replaces the previous HW-Q800T, but offers an almost identical set of features. That includes a 3.1.2-channel speaker layout, a powerful subwoofer, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-based decoding, eARC, and built-in Amazon Alexa for voice control.
New this generation is the inclusion of Apple AirPlay 2, and optional wireless rear speakers with upward-firing drivers, allowing expansion to a 5.1.4-channel system. Owners of supporting Samsung TVs not only benefit from Q Symphony integration – which can use the TV’s speakers in addition to the soundbar for added immersion and height – but also SpaceFit Sound for optimised setup that automatically tunes sound profiles wherever your TV is setup in the room.
Are these small additional benefits reason enough to buy the HW-Q800A or would it make more sense to look at the HW-Q800T instead to save a few quid?
Controls: included remote; SmartThings app; four-button top-of-‘bar panel
Connectivity: Wi-Fi; Bluetooth; AirPlay 2; Alexa voice control integrated
Dimensions (soundbar): 980mm (W) x 60mm (H) x 115mm (D); 3.6kg
Dimensions (sub): 205mm (W) x 403mm (H) x 403mm (D); 9.8kg
The Samsung HW-Q800A uses exactly the same cabinet as the earlier Q800T, retaining a sleek form-factor designed to fit under your TV without blocking the screen. It’s a sensible width, but can still handle larger screen sizes up to 65 inches. The overall look is stylish, with solid construction and a matte black finish.
There’s a metal wrap-around grille, behind which you’ll find three speakers at the front, and the Acoustic Beam holes along the top front edge – these are used to output sound so it appears to come from where the action is happening on screen, made possible by clever processing.
There’s a display located at the front right, which provides basic information, and a choice of stand- or wall-mounting, with brackets provided for the latter included in the box.
The included wireless active subwoofer uses a rear-ported enclosure and a side-firing 8-inch driver that Samsung claims can go down to 35Hz. It’s well made, with similar styling and a matte black finish. The sub should pair automatically with the soundbar, but if not there are buttons on both units for manual setup.
Pocket-lint
The Samsung HW-Q800A sports an HDMI input and an HDMI output that supports eARC, allowing lossless audio to be sent back from a compatible TV. The HDMI connections also pass resolutions up to 4K/60p and every version of high dynamic range (HDR10, HLG, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision).
What is HDMI eARC? Why is it different to HDMI ARC?
The only other physical connection is an optical digital input, but there’s also Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and the newly added AirPlay 2, allowing for agnostic music streaming from your network or third-party services. Bluetooth is paired using the dedicated button on the remote, while the Wi-Fi setup uses the Samsung SmartThings app via your phone/tablet.
There are basic controls centrally located on the top of the soundbar for on/off, source select, volume up/down, and far-field mic on/off. The included remote is the same zapper from previous years, but remains well-designed, comfortable to hold, and easy to use, with all the necessary buttons laid out in a sensible fashion.
Pocket-lint
The SmartThings app isn’t just for setup, but also offers a degree of control. The slick and intuitive interface allows for changing inputs, adjusting the volume, choosing between sound modes, optimising the equaliser (EQ) and woofer, and selecting the advanced settings (voice enhancement, bass enhancement, and night mode).
Setup is straightforward, but a degree of tweaking is required when it comes to getting the centre and front height channels adjusted so the overall soundstage is balanced. The HW-Q800A doesn’t generate its own test tones, meaning you’ll need to find those yourself, and the levels work on the left and right channels simultaneously, which can be an issue in asymmetric rooms.
It would be better if you could set the left and right front heights independently, along with the surrounds and rear heights if you add the wireless rear speakers, and it would also be useful if you could set them using the SmartThings app rather than the remote and front display.
Pocket-lint
The sub is a powerful beast so you’ll need to dial the woofer setting back to ensure it doesn’t swamp the mid-range. As the driver fires sideways, avoid putting it in the right-hand corner of a room, or it’ll get boomy. Positioning towards the front, halfway between the ‘bar and wall works best, with this boom box generating more than enough low-end juice to handle sizeable rooms.
A built-in automated setup feature would be welcome at this price point, but if you own a compatible Samsung TV you can at least benefit from SoundFit. This uses the TV’s microphone and processor to analyse the sound reverberations in the room and adjust them accordingly to optimise the overall sonic performance of the soundbar.
The inclusion of Amazon Alexa makes this soundbar a fully-functioning smart assistant, allowing users to ask questions, listen to music or podcasts, and enjoy hands-free voice control. There’s a far-field microphone built into the soundbar itself, which can be muted for privacy, and thankfully Alexa interacts at a sensible volume (unlike in the Polk React, for example, where she’s very shouty).
Samsung-specific features: Q Symphony and Active Voice Amplifier
Expansion: Optional wireless rear speakers
Amplification: 330W of Class D
Hi-Res Audio: Up to 24-bit/192kHz
Decoding: Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
Sound Modes: Standard, Surround, Game Pro, Adaptive Sound, Night
The Samsung HW-Q800A decodes the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object-based audio formats, and delivers both with an actual 3.1.2-channel speaker layout. This means it doesn’t need to rely on psychoacoustic trickery to create a sense of immersion, and if you take the time to setup the system properly, the results are often spectacular.
Samsung
The effectiveness of the Acoustic Beam tech, which literally fires sound waves upwards to create the illusion of overhead channels, will depend on your type of ceiling – but the more reflective it is, the better the effect. Watching a dynamic object-based mix like the 4K disc of Midway reveals an expansive front soundstage, with precise placement of effects and plenty up top.
The subwoofer handles the low frequency effects with great skill, producing a foundation of bass on which the rest of the system is built. If you like plenty of subsonic impact in your movies, you’ll enjoy this particular woofer, which enthusiastically digs deep. It’s also well integrated with the ‘bar, smoothly crossing over with the mid-range drivers, and creating a cohesive overall soundstage.
The performance is energetic, with clear dialogue and a pleasing width to the delivery. The only limitation is that the soundstage is very front-heavy, due to the lack of actual surround speakers. However this can be addressed by buying the optional SWA-9500S wireless rear speakers that now include upward-firing drivers, allowing expansion to a full 5.1.4-channel configuration.
Samsung’s Q Symphony feature integrates the soundbar with compatible Samsung TVs, synchronising sound from both devices and utilising the additional speakers in the TV to create a more expansive and immersive front soundstage.
There’s also the Active Voice Amplifier which detects ambient noise, analyses the audio signal, and adjusts and amplifies the dialogue with respect to the other channels to improve intelligibility. So if you’re trying to watch TV while someone else is hoovering, for example, this could come in handy.
Best Bluetooth speakers 2021: Top portable speakers to buy today
By Dan Grabham
·
Our guide to the best Bluetooth wireless speakers available to buy today, including B&O, Denon, JBL, Marshall, Sonos and Ultimate Ears
There are five dedicated sound modes, with the default Standard making no changes to the incoming signal. The Surround mode up-mixes the audio to take advantage of the additional channels, while the Game Pro enhances effects to create a more immersive gaming experience. For general TV viewing the Adaptive Sound is a great choice, analysing the incoming signal and automatically optimising it. Finally, Night mode compresses the dynamic range, so you won’t disturb the rest of the household during a late-night bingeing session.
Samsung
There’s a pleasing musicality to this system’s delivery, with the width producing some excellent stereo imaging, and the sub giving drums a driving beat. You can stream from a number of services too, including Amazon Music, Spotify, Deezer, TuneIn and Samsung Music, plus Apple Music via AirPlay.
Verdict
The Samsung HW-Q800A is well-specified ‘bar-and-sub combo that has all the object-based decoding bells and whistles. It renders Dolby Atmos and DTS:X using sound waves rather than psychoacoustic trickery, resulting in a genuinely immersive experience, while the powerful woofer produces plenty of low-end slam.
There’s a pleasing musicality to the delivery, dialogue remains clear, and effects are placed with precision, creating an enjoyable if front-heavy soundstage. Thankfully this can be addressed by picking up the optional wireless rear speakers, which turn the soundbar into a full 5.1.4-channel system.
There’s a host of other features – including HDMI eARC, AirPlay 2 and integrated Amazon Alexa – meaning, as a result, the Samsung HW-Q800A is a comprehensive and capable all-rounder that’s sure to please no matter what your viewing or listening habits.
Also consider
Samsung
Samsung HW-Q800T
It’s more or less the same soundbar, with the same sound quality. Buy if you want to save a few quid and don’t care about AirPlay 2. Don’t buy if you want future expandability – as it’s the Q800A’s optional speaker add-ons that help to set it apart from this older model.
Read our full review
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Sonos
Sonos Arc
This highly-accomplished soundbar is worth considering not only because it brings the Sonos ecosystem to the party, but because it has Dolby Atmos, eARC, and AirPlay 2 as well. Like the Samsung there’s integrated Alexa, plus Google Assistant for completists. It’s not cheap, doesn’t support DTS:X, and has no HDMI inputs or a separate subwoofer, but if you’re already invested in Sonos this compelling ‘bar can elevate your sonic experience.
Read our full review
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JBL
JBL BAR 9.1
This awesome 5.1.4-channel ‘bar-and-sub combo includes detachable and rechargeable rear speakers, resulting in a genuinely immersive Dolby Atmos and DTS:X experience with the minimum of fuss. There’s an automated audio calibration feature, eARC support, Chromecast, AirPlay 2 and Dolby Vision passthrough. There’s no dedicated remote app, nor can it pass HDR10+, but in most other respects this impressive soundbar system is hard to fault.
A production keyboard that feels like a custom build, the Ducky Mecha SF Radiant offers an excellent experience for both typing and gaming. It features sterling build quality and a gorgeous aesthetic you won’t find anywhere else, but the lack of software and hot-swappable switches are disappointing.
For
+ Unique aesthetic
+ Sturdy aluminum case
+ High-quality PBT keycaps
+ Compact design for portability and desk space
Against
– Lack of software can be limiting
– No hot-swappable key switches
With its beautifully iridescent aluminum case, custom-themed PBT keycaps and excellent typing experience, the Ducky Mecha SF Radiant combines the worlds of custom and production keyboards in a unique marriage of style and substance. At $159, it’s on the expensive side but is one of the top compact keyboards available today, competing nicely with the best gaming keyboards and offering a strong productivity experience. Assuming, that is, that you jive with the two available color ways and lack of software.
Ducky has been popular among enthusiasts for a number of years, but it wasn’t until the launch of the One 2 Mini back in 2018 that it really made it to the mainstream. Since then, it’s released a number of revisions and collaborations with major gaming brands like Razer and HyperX, but the 60% form factor can be difficult to adjust to with its lack of arrows, function keys and navigation buttons.
The One 2 SF, released in 2019, answered these challenges, adding back the arrow keys and a miniaturized nav-cluster, but was quickly overshadowed by the Mecha Mini, Ducky’s widely acclaimed aluminum-chassis take on the One 2 Mini. I was lucky enough to review each of those boards, but the Mecha Mini reigned supreme with its heavy aluminum build that made typing feel so much more satisfying.
The wait for an SF version is finally over with the Mecha SF Radiant. This new keyboard one-ups the Mini version with a brand new finish and themed keycap set for a package that is unlike anything else in the mainstream market today. It isn’t without its limitations compared to the competition, but may just be the best compact keyboard Ducky has produced yet. You’ll have to move fast if you want one for yourself, though, as only 2021 will be made of this limited edition item.
The Ducky Mecha SF Radiant is a compact keyboard that aims to achieve the size benefits of a 60% keyboard while adding functionality closer to a tenkeyless. In fact, the “SF” in the name stands for “sixty-five” alluding to its 65% layout. This is a bit of a misnomer in actual size but signifies the overall design.
The Mecha SF Radiant follows the Mini by doing away with the numpad and function row, but instead of removing the nav cluster entirely, it shrinks it to a column of three keys on the right side of the board. The buttons to the right of the spacebar and the right shift have also been shrunk to make room for dedicated arrow keys, which is a boon to gamers.
The result is a keyboard that is only slightly wider than a 60% but feels much more usable. It measures 12.8 x 4.1 x 1.6 inches and looks downright small on a full-size desk. The design is ergonomically sound and allows your hands to be spaced at a much natural distance versus spread out with a full-size keyboard. It’s also helpful in first-person shooters where big mouse movements can leave you craving more space. For my part, I most enjoy the clean, minimalist aesthetic of a compact keyboard on my desk.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The layout here is slightly different than many 65% keyboards, however. Rather than featuring four buttons on the right side like the much more traditional Drop ALT, Ducky only includes three and replaces last with an embossed case badge below the bottom key. The amount of keys follows the Ducky One 2 SF, but the addition of a case badge is a direct nod to the custom keyboard community where they have become a staple. The included keys are Delete, Page Up, and Page Down. Like most other keys on the keyboard, Page Up and Page Down also carry secondary functions, in this case Home and End.
Through clever use of function commands, the Mecha SF Radiant manages to pack most of the functionality of a tenkeyless keyboard into its tiny frame. By holding the Fn button, you can access a second layer that provides access to most of the absent keys. With Fn held, the number row will send function commands. Likewise, Print Screen, Insert, and Scroll Lock all have their own dedicated combo buttons, in addition to volume control and even buttons to control the mouse pointer. Holding Fn+Alt opens up the third layer to choose lighting presets, set custom color schemes, and program macros. It’s an impressive array that adds more software-free customization than even programmable gaming keyboards from Razer and Logitech can provide, but since there are no side legends on the keycaps, it may take a while to memorize every keymap.
All of this was true of the original One 2 SF, so what really sets Mecha apart is its metal case and PBT keycaps. The case is solid aluminum and lends the keyboard weight and density which both enhance the typing experience. It’s not the heaviest keyboard I’ve used, even compared to some sixty-percents I’ve tried, but at 1.9 pounds, it’s heavier than it looks. The most striking aspect of it is the iridescent finish which shifts from teal to blue to purple depending on the angle. Ducky has dubbed this version “Ocean” but the Radiant is also available in a green “Emerald” colorway.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The shifting, transforming quality of the keyboard is striking but a bit of a double-edged sword. The keycaps have been carefully curated with three shades of blue and white, but they don’t always match the case perfectly depending on the angle you’re viewing it from. From a normal seated or standing position, it looks great. Viewed from another angle where it appears purple, it can look mismatched against the blue.
The keycaps themselves are excellent. Ducky used its usual PBT plastic, which is more durable and resistant to shine than ABS plastic. The legends are double-shot, which means they’re made of a second piece of plastic that’s bonded to the outer shell, preventing fading or chipping over time.
The walls of the caps are also delightfully thick which lends typing a solidity that’s often lacking from the thin-walled keycaps we see on most gaming keyboards. The legends aren’t shine-through, so the RGB backlight is relegated to an underglow effect that’s more for style than helping you type in the dark. As usual, Ducky includes a selection of alternate keycaps, this time all white. I was surprised to find that the alternate arrow keys actually are backlit, if only slightly. The shape of the arrow has been carved out of the second shot of plastic, allowing them to glow a dull blue in the dark.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Despite the occasional angle-based mismatch, the keycaps ultimately work to tie the look of the keyboard together. The mix of shades of blue definitely brings sea waves to mind. When installed, the injection of white along the right-hand side is reminiscent of a rolling wave. This focus on aesthetics is another quality borrowed from the enthusiast community where look and sound often rival the feel of typing itself.
Pulling back a touch, the Mecha SF Radiant features per-key RGB backlighting. As you might expect from an RGB-enabled board, it features the usual suspects in terms of lighting presets: rainbow wave mode, color cycling, breathing, reactive typing, and more totaling ten preset modes. Five can be color customized using a built-in RGB mixer on the Z, X and C keys or by activating a built-in color palette and tapping your color of choice. This is already fairly impressive, but you can also use the lighting to play a pair of games based on Minesweeper and roulette.
The lighting looks great. The Mecha SF Radiant uses a floating key design that exposes the switch housings. This creates a common but still appealing aesthetic that highlights the illumination from the sides. The LEDs are bright and the switches are mounted on a white plate which allows the colors to blend together into a seamless pool of light. Given the highly-themed keycaps and case, matching lighting is inherently more limited but I found white, tinged blue thanks to the reflection from the keycaps, to look best.
Despite the keyboard clearly targeting the middle ground between custom and production keyboards, it doesn’t offer hot-swap support to quickly change switches. This isn’t unusual for Ducky (it just released its first hot-swappable keyboard last year) but is still disappointing. One of the most fun parts of the hobby is trying out new switches and being able to quickly change the whole feel of your keyboard but that won’t be possible here.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Typing Experience on Ducky Mecha SF Radiant
The Ducky Mecha SF Radiant is available with a wide selection of Cherry MX RGB key switches. Clicky MX Blue, tactile MX Brown, and linear MX Red are all present and accounted for, but you’ll also have the choice of Cherry MX Black, MX Silver, or MX Silent Red. Each of these switches are the updated models from Cherry and are rated for 100 million actuations instead of the 50 million they were previously.
My unit was sent with Cherry MX Silent Red switches. Silent Reds are similar to standard MX Red switches in their linear travel but feature internal dampers to reduce typing noise and cushion bottom-outs. They also have a slightly reduced actuation distance of 1.9 mm and a total travel of 3.7 mm but this isn’t really perceptible in normal use. The actuation force is the same at 45 grams. Silent Reds are not my first choice of switch for this reason but are audibly quieter and a much better fit for typing or gaming at work or with a roommate nearby.
Typing on the Mecha SF Radiant is satisfying on multiple levels. The keycaps are lightly textured and felt nice against my fingers and their thick walls lent the experience a more solid, substantial feel. The pillowy bottom-outs were also very nice and allowed me to use the keyboard at work without disturbing my co-workers.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The aluminum case itself plays an important role in the typing experience. Typing on it feels solid and dense, without much empty space inside the shell. Spring ping, which can sometimes be an issue in reverberant alloy cases, was barely audible and disappeared entirely after I lubed the switches (see our article on how to lube switches, but note that I could not remove these so only lubed them through the top). The density of the case enhanced the switch’s silencing effects.
I only wish I could have tried other kinds of switches, but if experience is any indicator, the case should lend typing a higher pitch with other switch types, though I wasn’t able to test this due to the lack of hot-swap support.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Another high-point was the stabilizers. Like most production keyboards, Ducky used plate-mount stabilizers but they came factory lubed out with absolutely minimal rattle. Gaming companies are catching up in this regard (Corsair and Razer now factory lube their stabs), so it’s good to see Ducky keeping its game strong. Stabilizers can make or break the sound of a mechanical keyboard and the Mecha SF Radiant was very good without the need for additional mods.
Transitioning to the Radiant was easy, and I didn’t lose typing speed making the jump. I went through several rounds of tests at 10fastfingers and averaged 103 words per minute. With my Drop Carina keyboard outfitted with tactile Holy Panda switches, ostensibly better for typing due to their pronounced tactile feedback, I averaged 104 words per minute.
Gaming Experience on Ducky Mecha SF Radiant
While the Ducky Mecha SF Radiant isn’t marketed as a gaming keyboard, it offered a solid gaming experience nonetheless. The form factor seems best suited to high-sensitivity shooters like CS:GO but even playing more relaxed games like Valheim, it was just as responsive and reliable as the Corsair K100 RGB Optical Gaming Keyboard I had on hand to test against.
If you prefer to have the entire keyset available to press at once, the keyboard supports n-key rollover or can be limited to only six simultaneous inputs using a DIP switch on the back. You can also permanently disable the Windows key using a second DIP switch or just while in-game using an Fn+Alt combination. The keyboard also supports customizable debounce delay from 5 – 25 ms to balance key chattering with responsiveness.
My go-to genre is first-person shooters where responsiveness reigns supreme. Even though the Mecha SF Radiant doesn’t boast an 4,000 Hz response rate like the Corsair K100, — it’s a more standard 1,000 Hz — I was hard-pressed to feel any difference in responsiveness when comparing the two keyboards0. Playing Doom Eternal, I was able to double-dash through the air, glory kill, and generally rip and tear just as if I were using a keyboard marketed explicitly for gaming.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Competitive gamers may really appreciate the condensed nature of theMecha SF Radiant. I’m used to gaming on a compact keyboard, so I spent some time “resetting” with the Corsair K100 before this review. Swapping back to the Mecha SF Radiant made playing Battlefield 5 more comfortable. Having my arms closer together felt immediately more natural. The smaller size also made it easier to manage repositioning the keyboard at a comfortable angle. The Mecha SF Radiant is small enough to move with one hand and doing the same with the K100 was cumbersome at best.
The biggest limitation I found came with World of Warcraft. MMO players and macro fans may find the compact size doesn’t lend itself well to storing lots of macros. The lack of dedicated macro keys is expected on a keyboard designed to save space, but their absence is mitigated by the column of additional keys along the right side. For gaming, these can easily be set to macro commands and thanks to built-in memory support for up to six profiles, it’s possible to maintain different key sets for different games and productivity tasks.
Programming Ducky Mecha SF Radiant
One of the greatest strengths of the Ducky Mecha SF Radiant is also its greatest Achilles heel: the lack of dedicated software. It’s an asset to the keyboard because it can be programmed on any machine, regardless of security limitations, and function the same between devices. That means you won’t be missing features because you can’t install the software. At the same time, it means programming requires multiple steps, more time, and is more limited than competing keyboards with full software suites.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
With a few different key combinations, you’re able to record macros and remap keys and even set custom lighting schemes. The keyboard supports five programmable profiles in addition to another that’s locked to default settings, so there’s plenty of latitude to create unique layouts and color schemes to match your different use cases.
In the case of macros, holding Fn+Alt+Tab for three seconds puts the keyboard into recording mode. You press the key you want to remap, enter your string, and press Fn+Alt+Tab a second time to end recording. This can also be used to change the position of different keys, though the keyboard also supports swapping the location of popular remaps like Fn, Ctrl, and Alt using another Fn+Alt+K combination.
For lighting, presets can be selected using Fn+Alt+T. The first five are color locked but the second half all allow you to customize the hue using the built-in palette or RGB mixer. The mixer allows for greater control by tapping Red, Green, and Blue values up to 10 times but takes much longer to dial in. Alternatively, Fn+Alt+Spacebar illuminates all of the keys in a rainbow and you can simply tap the color you want. Creating a custom color scheme is also possible following this same process after holding Fn+Alt+Caps Lock and tapping each key you want to illuminate a given color.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
If that sounds like a lot, it is. In comparison to opening a simple app and hitting a “record” for macros or “painting” the keys your color of choice, it’s just not as simple or intuitive. I love that it’s possible to completely customize the board without installing anything, but it demands a level of memorization that is initially frustrating.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Bottom Line
The Ducky Mecha SF Radiant isn’t the perfect compact keyboard but it is a very good one. The combination of unique looks, excellent build quality, and sterling typing experience make this an excellent choice for users not ready to take the plunge into custom mechanical keyboards. At the same time, the lack of hot-swap support or optional software really are disappointing for flexibility and ease of use. Still, the pros far outweigh the cons here and this is an incredibly solid buy if you enjoy the look.
At $159, the Radiant doesn’t come cheap. If you’re looking for an aluminum keyboard and don’t mind it coming in a larger size, the HyperX Alloy FPS Origins might be a good fit. Alternatively, if you want something compact but that still has all the bells and whistles of a high-end gaming keyboard, the Corsair K70 RGB TKL is definitely worth a look.
If you want the best of both worlds and don’t mind sticking with the switches you start with, the Ducky Mecha SF Radiant is definitely worth considering.
As delectable as their name suggests, these talented, comfortable wired over-ears are appetising options
For
Clear, smooth and direct
Impressively deep bass
Luxury aesthetic
Against
Not the most energetic
Rivals are more transparent
Are we just hungry or do Meze Audio’s 99 Classics conjure up images of flatbread, falafel and baba ganoush, washed down with a chocolate-flaked ice cream cone? Whether or not there was any such intent behind the naming of these wired over-ear headphones, they are, for the most part, as delectable as they sound.
The launch of the 99 Classics mark a breakthrough for Meze Audio, a decade-old Romanian headphones brand created by a guitar-loving founder with a desire to make a pair of headphones he could feel as passionately about as his Fender Stratocaster.
Wired over-ears at this price point aren’t as common as they once were, due to the popularity and increasing quality of wireless headphones, but for anyone whose priority it is to get the best performance this amount of money can buy, a wired pair is still the only answer. So are these Mezes the answer?
Build and comfort
(Image credit: Meze Audio)
True to their name, the 99 Classics’ walnut-veneered earcups and gold or silver metal accents give off a strong aura of classic traditionalism.
Meze Audio 99 Classics tech specs
(Image credit: Meze Audio)
Type Wired, over-ears
Cables 3m, 1m
Mic/hands-free Yes
Weight 260g
In a market increasingly awash with minimalist, industrial-looking designs, they have a discerningly premium aesthetic, backed by a sturdy build and satisfying comfort.
The flimsy-looking skeletal frame is surprisingly rigid, while their large padded headband does well to prevent pressure from building on the head. With and without glasses on, we spend hours listening to the Mezes during testing, and their design is light and comfortable enough to do so without feeling burdened.
There is, however, slight evidence of the wood lacquer being worn on the bottom edge of the ear cups by the end of our time testing them – something you should perhaps expect to happen over time if they’re constantly placed on a desk.
A hardshell case will prevent the 99 Classics from being spoiled when they’re accompanying you outside the house, though, and there’s a handy pouch inside that’s large enough to store the supplied flight and 6.3mm adapters, plus both a 1m cable with in-line remote for portable use and a 3m cable for plugging into a home system. Both are double-ended at the earcup connectivity end, with ‘L’ and ‘R’ symbols on the cables denoting which strand goes where.
Sound
(Image credit: Meze Audio)
With a sonic character that’s easy to love at first listen, the 99 Classics are pleasingly even-handed and bask in full-bodied lusciousness and clarity from top to bottom. There’s a natural warmth to the midrange that laps up Chris Stapleton’s country crooning as we play Whiskey And You, with the Mezes keen to throw his vocal under the spotlight.
This isn’t the most spacious presentation we’ve encountered in a pair of closed-back headphones, but we like their determination to make things as clear and focused as possible. Their character invites you to listen, and it’s satisfying to do so.
That solidity extends to the bass frequencies too, with lows impressively deep and well defined, whether they’re anchoring the droning bassline underpinning Billie Eilish’s Therefore I Am or the sombre heaviness of James Blake’s Atmosphere cover. Those who like their bass fat but not overbearing will be pleased with the Mezes’ low-frequency handling.
The 99 Classics are no slouches either, their crispness up top helping them sound balanced and snappy. We would, however, trade some of their smoothness and fluidity for a touch more bite. They tend to gloss over the rhythmic punch and enthusiasm of more upbeat tracks, stopping just short of a wholeheartedly good time. While these headphones are hugely listenable due to their pleasant tonality and comfort, they aren’t exactly natural-born entertainers.
Compared to the class leaders at this level, they aren’t as crystal clear or technically precise as the leaner-sounding Austrian Audio Hi-X55, which are more analytical in the way they surface detail and express themselves dynamically.
Verdict
The dwindling number of wired over-ears compared to a decade ago means there aren’t many models around today that we’d recommend at this price point. But the 99 Classics are one of them.
While we ultimately prefer the greater transparency and liveliness of the aforementioned Austrian Audios or our long-time favourites, the open-backed Grado SR325e, these Mezes are easy to find favour with. Their appealing combination of natural warmth and good insight, all-day comfort and classic looks make them an appetising option.
Just started watching season four of The Handmaid’s Tale and I remember why I prefer the weekly release schedule for this show: Bingeing it is utterly draining (Monica Hesse makes this point much more eloquently in her mostly spoiler-free review in the Washington Post). The show has a conundrum: it can’t kill off its main character (which would be an incredible plot twist) and it can’t take her out of Gilead because that’s where the action is. So June has to keep suffering over and over. And over. After the first three episodes, June’s done plenty of suffering already. Over the rest of the season I’m really hoping to see A) much more of Alexis Bledel and Samira Wiley and B) something good happen to June. Anything.
Here’s the roundup of this week’s trailers:
West Side Story
Steven Spielberg’s remake of the classic musical looks a lot like the original 1961 film at first glance (this side-by-side comparison from YouTuber Matt Skuta shows the many differences). But while the earlier film included white actors in makeup to play some of the Puerto Rican characters, Spielberg sought performers of Puerto Rican descent for his updated version. The spectacular Rita Moreno, who starred in the original as Anita appears in the Spielberg version, and is also an executive producer on the film. West Side Story hits theaters (after a lengthy COVID-related delay) in December.
Castlevania
The latest 10-episode season of Castlevania is going back to “where it all started,” according to the new trailer. The official synopsis from Netflix says “Wallachia collapses into chaos as factions clash” and mentions attempts to bring Dracula back from the dead (!!). “These are the end times.” This is the final season with this cast of characters (Deadline has reported Netflix may launch a new series in the Castlevania-verse but with different characters), so expect plenty of blood. Season four of Castlevania drops on Netflix May 13th.
Luca
OK so as a parent, I am always a bit wary of Disney/Pixar movies, because they are typically emotionally devastating for parents to watch (see: Finding Nemo, or perhaps Inside Out, or maybe the final scene of Toy Story 3) (aaand I just cried all over again dammit). Luca is the story of two young sea monsters who become human when they’re not in the water as they explore the surface world in a seaside town on the Italian Riviera. Seems safe enough and the trailer looks beautiful but Pixar always gets you, so don’t say I didn’t warn you. Luca hits Disney Plus on June 18th.
Sweet Tooth
Sweet Tooth is a post-apocalyptic fairytale based on a DC Comic, with Robert Downey, Jr. as executive producer (is that the most Verge-y sentence I have ever written? Possibly.). Our hero is a very cute hybrid deer-boy played by Christian Convery, who’s searching for a new beginning after society has been upended by something called The Great Crumble. Sweet Tooth arrives on Netflix June 4th.
Rick and Morty Season 5
The second trailer for season 5 of Rick and Morty picks up where the first trailer left off, which is to say, in the middle of a chaotic space battle? with cyberpunk birds? that is a parody of the Power Rangers? Sure, why not. Rick and Morty returns to Adult Swim on June 20th.
The team over at iFixit has done its teardown thing again, this time examining Apple’s AirTag trackers. Part one of its two-part review digs into the guts of the little trackers, and for those lamenting the lack of a key ring loop on the AirTag, iFixit (carefully) drilled a hole into one without damaging any of its parts.
After some reconnaissance inside our first AirTag, we grabbed a 1/16” drill bit and carefully punched a hole through the second tracker in our four-pack—after removing the battery, of course. We miraculously managed to avoid all chips, boards, and antennas, only drilling through plastic and glue. The best part? The AirTag survived the operation like a champ and works as if nothing happened.
The team cautioned that you have to remove the battery before drilling, and warned that drilling in the wrong place can cause serious damage. So try this at home only if you have skill with a drill.
iFixit drilled a hole into an AirTag for a keyring, and it survivediFixit
iFixit compared its AirTags to the Tile Mate and the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag. AirTags are the smallest of the bunch, with its 3-volt coin cell removable battery— type CR2032, same as the one SmartTags use—taking up most of the internal space. “All three trackers open up with finger power—no other tools required,” according to iFixit, but they found the AirTag’s was the most difficult to remove.
From left: Tile Mate, Galaxy SmartTag, and Apple AirTagiFixit
An X-ray of the three tags shows Apple made efficient use of its internal space, nothing that “the relative darkness of the AirTag [in the X-ray image] is due to a hefty central speaker magnet and its steel battery cover. iFixit tweeted a 360-video of the X-ray image:
Check out the full iFixit tear down of Apple’s AirTags here. And coming soon, they’ll have detailed board shots and a look at the onboard silicon, presumably in part two.
An expert witness for Epic Games testified that Apple’s App Store had operating margins above 70 percent in fiscal years 2018 and 2019, new court documents show. Eric Barnes testified that information from Apple’s Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis group show the App Store had a 77.8 percent operating margin in 2019, and 74.9 percent in 2018.
The figures are close to Barnes’ calculations of the App Store’s profits, he testified, and “also refute criticisms of my report proffered by certain Apple expert witnesses that it is not possible to calculate reliably or usefully the operating margins of the App Store.” Barnes also testified that Apple has been tracking its App Store profits for several years.
Apple has hotly contested that interpretation of the data. As Bloomberg notes, Apple’s chief compliance officer said at a congressional hearing last month that “we don’t have a separate profit and loss statement for the App Store,” and that Cook has made similar statements about the App Store and how it’s structured.
An Apple spokesperson said in an email to The Verge on Saturday that Barnes’ figures were incorrect: “Epic’s experts calculations of the operating margins for the App Store are simply wrong and we look forward to refuting them in court.”
The question of how much profit Apple makes from the app store is at the center of the ongoing court case between Apple and Epic Games. Epic argues that the App Store provides no real service, but simply serves as a way for Apple to extract money from developers. Epic is suing Apple for antitrust violations on those grounds, after launching an unauthorized in-app payments system for Fortnite earlier this year. But Apple insists the App Store review process is a pivotal part of the broader platform safety efforts around iOS.
Court documents show Apple’s expert witness Richard Schmalensee also disputed Barnes/Epic’s figures. “Mr. Barnes’ estimate of the App Store’s operating margin is unreliable because it looks in isolation at one segment of the iOS ecosystem in a way that artificially boosts the apparent operating margin of that segment,” Schmalensee said in his written direct testimony. “When one looks at Apple’s device and services ecosystem as a whole, the operating margin falls to an unremarkable level.”
Schmalensee further testified that “it makes no sense” to try to measure the App Store’s profitability in isolation since it’s part of the iOS platform and relies on all of Apple’s intellectual property. “As top Apple executives will testify, Apple does not calculate P&Ls by products and services because they view it as an unproductive exercise,” according to Schmalensee.
Court proceedings for the trial are due to begin on Monday.
ASRock’s Z590 PG Velocita is a full-featured Z590 motherboard that includes three M.2 sockets, Killer based networking (including Wi-Fi 6E), capable power delivery, premium audio, and more. It’s a well-rounded mid-ranger for Intel’s Z590 platform.
For
Killer based 2.5 GbE and Wi-Fi 6E Networking
10 USB ports on rearIO
Capable power delivery
Against
Last gen audio codec
No USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C on rearIO
Features and Specifications
Next up out of the ASRock stable is the Z590 PG Velocita. The Z590 version of this board comes with an improved appearance, enhanced power delivery, PCIe 4.0 capability for your GPU and M.2 device, fast Killer-based networking and more. Priced around $300, the PG Velocita lands as a feature-rich mid-range option in the Z590 landscape.
ASRock’s Z590 lineup is similar to the previous-generation Z490 product stack. At the time we wrote this, ASRock has 12 Z590 motherboards listed. At the top is Z590 Taichi, followed by the PG Velocita we’re looking at here, and three Phantom Gaming boards, including a Micro-ATX option. Additionally, there are two professional boards in the Z590 Pro4 and Z590M Pro4, two Steel Legend boards, two Extreme boards (also more on the budget end), and a Mini-ITX board round out the product stack. Between price, size, looks, and features, ASRock should have a board that works for everyone looking to dive headlong into Rocket Lake.
Performance testing on the PG Velocita went well and produced scores that are as fast or faster than the other Z590 boards we’ve tested so far. The PG Velocita eschews Intel specifications, allowing the Intel Core i9-11900K to stretch its legs versus boards that more closely follow those specs. Overclocking went well, with the board able to run our CPU at both stock speeds and the 5.1 GHz overclock we’ve settled on. Memory overclocking also went well, with this board running our DDR4 3600 sticks at 1:1, and DDR4 4000 was nice and stable after a few tweaks to voltage to get it there.
The Z590 PG Velocita is an iterative update, just like most other Z590-based motherboards. The latest version uses a Killer-based 2.5 GbE and Wi-Fi 6E network stack, adds a front panel USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port, premium Realtek audio codec (though it is last generation’s flagship), three M.2 sockets and more. We’ll dig into these details and other features below. But first, here are the full specs from ASRock.
Along with the motherboard, the box includes several accessories ranging from cables to graphic card holders and an additional VRM fan. The included accessories should get you started without a trip to the store. Below is a complete list of all included extras.
Support DVD / Quick installation Guide
Graphics card holder
Wi-Fi Antenna
(4) SATA cables
(3) Screw package for M.2 sockets
(3) Standoffs for M.2 sockets
Wireless dongle USB bracket
3010 Cooling Fan with bracket
4010 Cooling Fan bracket
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(Image credit: ASRock)
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(Image credit: ASRock)
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(Image credit: ASRock)
Once you remove the Z590 PG Velocita from the box, one of the first things you’ll notice (if you’re familiar with the previous model) are the design changes. ASRock sticks with the black and red theme but forgoes the red stenciling on the black PCB from the last generation. The VRM heatsinks are large, connected via heatpipe and actively cooled out of the box by a small fan hidden in the left heatsink. ASRock includes an additional small fan and brackets for the top VRM heatsink (we did not use this in any test). The rear IO cover also sports the black and red Phantom Gaming design theme, along with the ASRock branding lit up with RGB lighting. The heatsinks on the bottom half of the board cover the three M.2 sockets and the chipset heatsink. The latter sports a PCB and chip under clear plastic for a unique look. Overall, I like the changes ASRock made to the appearance of this board, and it should fit in well with more build themes.
(Image credit: ASRock)
As we look closer at the top half of the board, we start by focusing on the VRM area. These aren’t the most robust parts below the heatsink, so additional cooling is welcomed. Just above the VRM heatsinks are two 8-pin EPS connectors (one required) to power the processor. To the right of the socket area are four unreinforced DRAM slots with latches on one side. ASRock lists supported speeds up to DDR4 4800(OC) with a maximum capacity of 128GB. As always, your mileage may vary as support depends on the CPU’s IMC and the kit you use to reach those speeds.
Located above the DRAM slots, we find the first two (of seven) 4-pin fan headers. The CPU/Water Pump and Chassis/Water Pump headers both support 24W/12A, with the remainder of the fan headers supporting 12W/1A. There are plenty of fan/pump headers on this board to support the motherboard running them all without a controller if you choose. A third 4-pin header is located in this area, while a fourth is in an odd spot, just below the left VRM heatsink. Outside of that, all headers auto-sense if a 3- or 4-pin connector is attached.
Just to the right of the fan headers up top are an ARGB (3-pin) and RGB header (4-pin). You’ll find the other two on the bottom edge of the board. The Polychrome Sync application controls these LEDs and any attached to the headers.
On the right edge are power and reset buttons, while just below those are the 24-pin ATX header for power to the board. Just below this is the first USB 3.2 Gen1 front panel header and the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C front panel header.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
ASRock uses a 12-phase configuration for the CPU. Power goes through the 8-pin EPS connector(s) and is sent to the Renesas ISL69269 (X+Y+Z=12) controller. The controller then sends power to six Renesas ISL6617A phase doublers and finally onto the 12 Vishay 50A SIC654 DrMOS power stages. This provides 600A total to the CPU. While not the highest value we’ve seen, the VRM’s easily handled our CPU at stock and overclocked, with some help from the active cooling fan. This board comes with another fan, however, we chose not to use it and after testing, found there wasn’t a need for it.
(Image credit: ASRock)
Moving down to the bottom half of the board, we’ll start on the left side with audio. Hidden below the plastic shroud is the premium Realtek ALC1220 codec. ASRock chose to go with the last generation’s flagship solution instead of jumping up to the latest 4000 series Realtek codec, likely to cut costs. We also spy a few Nichicon Fine Gold audio capacitors poking through the said shroud. This board doesn’t have a fancy DAC as more expensive boards tend to, but this solution will still be satisfactory for an overwhelming majority of users.
In the middle of the board, we see three full-length reinforced PCIe slots (and an x1 slot) as well as the heatsinks that cover the three M.2 sockets. Starting with the PCIe configuration, when using 11th gen CPU, the top two slots are PCIe 4.0 capable with the slot breakdown as follows: x16/x0, x8/x8, or x8/x8/x4 (PCIe 3.0). ASRock says the PG Velocita supports Quad CrossfireX, 3-Way CrossFireX and CrossfireX. As is increasingly common, there’s no mention of SLI support. The x1 slot is connected via the chipset and runs at PCIe 3.0 x1 speeds.
Looking at M.2 storage, the top socket, M2_1, is connected directly to the CPU and offers the fastest speeds (PCIe 4.0 x4 @ 64 Gbps), supporting up to 80mm devices. The second slot down, M2_2, is chipset connected, supporting PCIe 3.0 x4 speeds and accepting SATA-based modules. The bottom socket, M2_3, is also fed from the chipset and runs both SATA-based drives and PCIe, at 3.0 x4 speeds. If M2_2 is occupied, SATA ports 0/1 will be disabled. If M2_3 has a SATA-type drive installed, SATA 3 will be disabled. In the worst-case scenario, when all M.2 sockets are populated (one with a SATA drive), you’ll still have three SATA ports available as well. The top two sockets hold up to 80 mm modules while the bottom supports up to 110 mm drives.
To the right of the PCIe socket sits the chipset heatsink and its PCB-under-plexi look. Continuing to the right edge, we spot another 4-pin fan/pump header, the second USB 3.2 Gen1 header and six SATA ports. Below that is another 4-pin fan header and finally a clear CMOS button to reset your BIOS. Around the SATA ports are the mounting holes for the included GPU support bar. Including this in the box is a great value add, especially with graphics cards seemingly getting larger and heavier as time goes on.
Across the board’s bottom are several headers, including more USB ports, fan headers and more. Below is the complete list, from left to right:
Front-panel audio
Thunderbolt header
UART header
RGB and ARGB headers
USB 2.0 header
TPM header
(2) Chassis/WP headers
Dr. Debug LED
Temperature sensor, water flow headers
Speaker
Front panel header
(Image credit: ASRock)
Flipping the board around to the rear IO area, there’s the pre-installed IO plate which matches the colors and design of the rest of the board. There are 10 USB ports: You get two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (Type-A and Type-C), six USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and two USB 2.0 ports, all of which have ESD protection. Two of these ports, outlined in red, are the Lightning ports. The ports are sourced from two different controller interfaces, allowing gamers to connect their mice/keyboard with the lowest jitter latency–according to ASRock. On the video front, the PG Velocita includes an HDMI port and DisplayPort for use with the integrated video on the processor.
Also here are the Intel (black) and Killer (blue) Ethernet ports on the networking front. The Killer LAN can communicate directly with the CPU, yielding lower latency than chipset-connected LAN–again according to ASRock. Next up are the antenna ports for Wi-Fi 6E and, finally, the gold-plated 5-plug audio stack plus SPDIF.
Since its launch in 2015, Apple Music garnered 72 million subscribers by the end of 2020 and even more impressively (depending on who you ask) racked up a five-star review from us.
Five iOS updates and a couple of hefty interface refreshes later, the arrival of the splendid HomePod Mini (despite the discontinuation of the original HomePod) means there’s no better time to get fully acquainted with the ins and outs of Apple’s music streaming service. You won’t get far with Apple’s little smart speaker if you don’t, at any rate – and there’s so much to enjoy.
Whether you’re on the free three-month trial or already a subscriber and regular user, we’ve pulled together some key tips, tricks and features to make sure you get the utmost from Apple Music.
Read our Apple Music review
Set-up
1. How to unsubscribe
Sure, this is something of a negative note to start on – but if you’re signing up for the three-month Apple Music free trial and don’t want to commit to paying for the service afterwards, you can opt out straight away.
To do this, click on your profile icon in the top right corner of the screen in the For You tab, hit View Account, then View Apple ID and sign in to your iTunes account.
Next, tap Subscriptions halfway down the page. Here you can ‘cancel’ your free trial so it won’t automatically renew – don’t worry, you can still use it free for the three months. This is also how to select your subscription choice in future. Savvy.
2. Bulk unfollow artists
When you sign up to the Apple Music service, Apple will take the liberty of ‘following’ any artist already in your library as part of its Connect feature. This means your Connect section (now relegated to the Made For You tab) will be full of new and seemingly never-ending content from these artists. This may not be what you’re after, especially if you once bought Baby Shark (for a kid’s party or something. We don’t judge).
It’s on by default, but you can switch it off by tapping the profile icon, then clicking on ‘Notifications’ (to see the artists you supposedly ‘like’) and then sliding the ‘New Music’ and ‘Show in Library’ buttons to ‘off’. Now you can make sure you only hear from the artists you really like.
3. Sign in to iCloud Music for extra features…
You might want to enable iCloud Music Library to get the most from Apple Music if you’re using an iPhone or iPad. A number of features are only available with iCloud Music activated – most notably offline listening. In your iPhone/iPad, go to Settings > Music and toggle iCloud Music Library on.
4. Or don’t…
This can present some problems to users with a big existing library, especially if you have your own playlists. Apple will match these with its own tracks so you can listen offline – but it may not always get the right version. So if you’re precious about your existing downloads (and rightly so), you may want to turn off iCloud. To do this, simply toggle the iCloud Music Library option off.
5. Or have iCloud Music on mobile only
If you have a big existing music library and you’re not sure about Apple matching it for access on your mobile, you can turn this feature off on your computer but leave it on for your mobile. This way your existing library is left alone but you can still have offline tracks on the Apple Music mobile app. Turn off iCloud Music Library on your Mac by going to Preferences > General, then unchecking iCloud Music Library.
6. Multiple devices
The Apple Music Individual Membership plan, yours for £9.99 per month, can be associated with up to ten devices, five of which can be computers. You can only stream on one device at a time, as is the case on Spotify, Tidal and other services.
7. Multiple devices at once
If you want to listen to multiple devices at the same time then you’ll need a Family Membership. This gives simultaneous streaming access for up to six different people for £14.99 per month.
Interface
8. View album information for now-playing track
One slightly hidden feature is viewing the album of the track that’s currently playing. You can do this in two ways. The easiest way is to tap on the artist and album name at the top of the now-playing window. A pop-up will appear asking if you want to ‘Go to Album’ or ‘Go to Artist’. Click on the Album option.
The second, slightly longer method is to tap the three-button icon in the bottom corner of the screen, then tap ‘Show Album’ on the pop-up menu. That’ll take you there.
9. View artist page
Same as above, but select ‘Go to Artist’.
Or, if you’ve used the longer method: once you’re transported to the album page, click the artist’s name (highlighted in that pinky-red text). For both methods, you’ll be taken to the artist’s landing page where you can see all their music and related content (such as new releases, playlists they’re featured in, bio, and similar artists).
10. Explicit tracks
If you were wondering what that little ‘E’ was next to certain tracks, it doesn’t stand for exclusive, it’s for explicit. So prepare your ears (or your child’s).
Organising your music
11. Optimise your storage
This one is a no-brainer. Because why fill up your phone’s storage space with music you’re not listening to? The Optimise Storage feature in Apple Music will automatically delete downloaded songs if storage is running low and you haven’t listened to them in a fair while.
It’s a neat, simple feature that keeps your phone free of music you don’t need. And once you’ve toggled a button, you’re all set. It works when you’re low on storage. To set it up, open the Settings menu on your iPhone, scroll to Music, then Optimise Storage. Boom.
12. Offline music
You can save tracks, albums and playlists to your phone for offline playback (when you don’t have an internet connection) if iCloud Music is enabled (see point 3).
You can only download music that’s been added to your library. If there’s a ‘+’ icon next to a song, that means it isn’t added to your library. Tap it to add. It’ll then transform into a cloud icon, meaning it’s not been downloaded yet. Tap the cloud to download.
You can identify the songs downloaded on your device as they won’t have any icon next to them.
13. Viewing offline music
No mobile or network coverage? Simply select the Downloaded Music category in the Library tab to only see the music stored on your phone for offline listening.
Remember: this is both downloaded songs and playlists from Apple Music, as well as your own music files physically stored on the phone.
14. Sort songs alphabetically by artist (or however you’d prefer)
Want to sort your music library alphabetically by title instead of by artists (the default setting)? In the Library tab, select Songs and tap ‘Sort’ in the top right corner. Then select Title, Recently Added or Artist in the pop-up menu. Hey presto.
15. Shuffle and repeat
Wondering where the shuffle and repeat icons have gone? On the Now Playing screen, you’ll see them right underneath the track and artist, next to ‘Playing Next’.
Music curation
16. Love tracks (or don’t)
Much of Apple Music’s draw is centred on the For You tab, where you’ll find recommended albums and artists based on the music you like. To give Apple’s algorithms a steer, you need to tap the Love (heart) icon on the pop-up menu for every song (or album) you like.
There’s now also a Dislike option right next to it (with a thumbs-down icon) to tell Apple songs you don’t want it to recommend. You can do this for whole playlists, too.
17. Adjust the EQ
You can use Apple Music to change the way music sounds on iPhone with EQ settings, volume limit options and Sound Check. Simply go to Settings > Music > EQ to choose from an exhaustive list of presets. To normalise the volume level of your audio: go to Settings > Music, and toggle on Sound Check.
18. New music
Need to find new music? Click on the Browse tab and you’ll find a section called New Music dedicated to the latest releases, albums, playlists, music videos and more.
In Browse’s Playlists section, you’ll find curated playlists from the likes of Pitchfork, NME and Sonos, as well as playlists for your every mood and activity.
19. Browse new music by genre
Tailor to your musical tastes even further by going to the Genres section and filtering music by, you guessed it, genre.
You can filter playlists by genre, too, in the Playlists section.
20. Use built-in Shazam
Here’s a bit of insider knowledge: Shazam is built right into iPhones, even without a download of the app. This nifty tool can help you figure out what songs are playing when you’re in the car and can’t scrutinise your screen (do not scroll and drive), or while watching shows or movies.
If you’re trying to put a name to a song, simply tap the Shazam button on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. And here’s the best bit: the app will identify the music you’ve captured and save it to your library.
To use this feature, open the Control Center in your device’s Settings and add the Music Recognition icon to your ‘Included Controls’ – if music recognition is enabled on your device, you’ll be able to swipe up and see the Shazam icon from your iPhone’s lock screen. Now, tap this Shazam music recognition button to swiftly identify what’s playing around you.
Radio and TV
21. Create your own radio station
You can play an Apple-curated selection of music based on a certain artist or track. Simply click on the three dots on an artist or a track and select Create Station from the pop-up menu to listen to related music. Tap the ‘love’ icon on subsequent songs to tell Apple to keep playing more songs like it.
22. Listen to live radio on Apple Music
Apple Music subscribers can now tune in to not one but three live radio stations: Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, and Apple Music Country. Click on the Radio icon at the bottom of the home screen, then scroll down to Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, or Apple Music Country to tune in live, see upcoming shows, and listen to previously aired shows on-demand.
23. Listen to broadcast radio
You can also tune in to your favorite broadcast radio stations, including your local ones. To do this, go to Search, search for the radio station by its name, call sign, frequency, or nickname, then tap or click the radio station to listen to it live. And don’t forget, you can also ask Siri to play a radio station by name.
24. Play music videos on Apple TV
Apple Music makes it easy to watch music videos on Apple TV. There’s actually a Videos screen in the Apple Music app that includes the hottest new music videos and video playlists, and it’s accessible right from the app on your Apple TV. To use it, open Music on Apple TV and swipe to Videos. Then, swipe down to see a menu of video categories. Depending on the video, you can add it to a playlist or your library or remove it from your library.
More features
25. Share your listening history with your friends
Fancy sharing new sonic discoveries with your friends? You can do it by creating an Apple Music profile within the app. Then, if your friends subscribe and create a profile, you can see what they are listening to, too.
To create a profile, tap Listen Now and, in the upper-right corner of this screen on your iPhone, tap the photo icon. (On an Android device, tap the More button, then tap Account). Now, tap See What Friends Are Listening To. Follow the onscreen prompts to create a username, find and follow friends, share playlists and more.
You can also control what you share (nobody needs to know all of your listening habits, right?) hide certain playlists, block or unblock users or follow your friends’ accounts.
26. Siri + Apple Music = clever
You can use voice control to play your music, whether you’re on your iPhone or Apple Watch ( for instance: “Hey Siri, play AC/DC”). But it’s actually even cleverer than that. You can start a radio station by saying “play AC/DC station”.
Apple Music can also play by date, popularity and release date, so “play the number one hit from April 1988”, “play the top songs by AC/DC” or “play the newest song by AC/DC*” all work. It can be a little hit and miss at times, but it’s worth experimenting with all sorts of commands.
(*other bands are available. They’re not as good, though)
(Image credit: Apple)
27. Siri + Apple Music + HomePod Mini = cleverer
Siri voice commands and Apple Music are the key ingredients to a great Apple HomePod Mini speaker experience, so if you’ve bought yourself a new HomePod Mini, you can ask it all sorts of questions to get your favourite tunes playing. Start off with “Hey Siri, play something I like” and it’ll use your Apple Music profile to create a personalised radio station of songs you know and like.
Amazon Echo vs Apple HomePod Mini: which is the best smart speaker?
28. Turn off Listening History for Apple HomePod Mini
If you have a HomePod Mini, you might not want your kids or that friend who only loves country music messing up your carefully curated For You recommendations when they start shouting out song requests.
Keep your Apple Music profile separate from what the Mini’s been playing by firing up the Home app (which you should’ve downloaded when setting it up), head to the Details section and switch ‘Use Listening History’ to off.
29. Wake and stream
Want to wake up to the sound of your favourite song? When setting an alarm in your iPhone’s Clock app, tap Sound > Pick a song (under the Songs section) and then choose a track from your Apple Music library.
30. Lyrics
You can karaoke! Scroll up from the now playing screen, and lyrics (where available) will appear. Alternatively, tap the Lyrics tab in the pop-up options menu.
Since iOS 12, searching for songs by lyrics is a thing, too. Just start typing lyrics in the search box and voila – you’ll get the song you’re looking for (or at least suggestions for what it could be).
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