Best laptop deals: Save $200 on Lenovo Yoga 6, $250 on MSI Prestige 14 and more - CNET

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Now might not be the best time to buy a MacBook. The current discounts on Apple's M1 MacBook Air and Pro are smaller than they were last week, and we expect Apple to announce new MacBook Pros later this month. Still, there are some sweet deals right now on Windows laptops. There are big discounts on pretty solid budget Gateway laptops at Walmart, and you can save $200 on a two-in-one convertible from Lenovo or LG at Best Buy. And check out the price break at Newegg on MSI's MacBook clone; the Prestige 14's price is slashed by $250, and you can save another $100 via a mail-in rebate.

We've rounded up the best laptop deals from Amazon, Best Buy, Newegg and Walmart. If you're due for a laptop upgrade, check out these deals, which are regularly updated as sales expire and new deals emerge.

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Walmart

If you're of a certain age, you may recall the Gateway name and its computers that shipped in black-and-white cow print boxes. Gateway now has a line of low-cost laptops and tablets at Walmart. This 14-inch Gateway laptop features a 10th-gen Intel Core i5 CPU and 16GB of RAM. You get a 256GB solid-state drive for storage -- average capacity for the price, but the amount of memory is double what is usually on offer. And you get a full HD (1,920x1,080-pixel) display, which is better than the 1,366x768-pixel panels found on other budget laptops. There's also a fingerprint reader for easy, secure logins. If you don't mind a bright blue or pink laptop, you can save a whopping $249.

Walmart

Take the above model, expand the screen from 14.1 inches to 15.6 inches and get a massive $270 in savings. If you're working or learning from home and commuting less, the added screen real estate outweighs the added heft and bulk. Each of the four color choices except blue feature the discount.

Lenovo

This midrange laptop is currently on sale at a budget laptop price. It features a 15.6-inch full-HD touchscreen powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 3700U CPU, 12GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The CPU is a generation behind AMD's current line but a member of the leading Ryzen 7 series -- it should power through general tasks with its above-average memory allotment.

Best Buy

This 13-inch two-in-one convertible offers a dash of style with an all-metal body and a lid wrapped in blue stain-resistant fabric. This discounted model features an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The 13.3-inch touchscreen has full-HD resolution and can rotate 360 degrees into tablet mode.

MSI

MSI's version of the MacBook boasts a thin, sleek, all-aluminum enclosure and Intel's Evo platform. This discounted model features an 11th-gen Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. You also get a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports. In addition to the $250 discount, you can save another $100 via mail-in rebate to drop the price to $749.

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The new 13-inch MacBook Pro uses Apple's new M1 processor, which is an eight-core CPU with four performance cores and four efficiency cores, an eight-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine. The step-up model with a 512GB SSD is currently $100 at Amazon, and nearly every MacBook Pro buyer will appreciate the added storage capacity over the baseline model that features a 256GB SSD. While a $100 discount is not insignificant, it's smaller than the $150 discount we saw for this model last month. And with new MacBook Pros expected later in October, it might be worthwhile to wait.

LG

The LG Gram 14 two-in-one laptop delivers incredible battery life and strong performance at a lighter weight than the competition. This 14-inch model features an 11th-gen  Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD while weighing a scant 2.76 pounds. The 14-inch touch display features a 16:10 aspect ratio to provide more vertical space than a 16:9 panel and can rotate 360 degrees into tablet mode.

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2021 smartphone production being hit hard by chip shortage – Counterpoint - 9to5Mac

A new market intelligence report says that 2021 smartphone production is being hit hard by the global chip shortage, and that means growth will be significantly slower than expected.

iPhone production is faring better than other brands, but is still being slowed – with iPhone 13 cameras a particular issue …

Background

A global chip shortage has been brought about by a combination of three factors. First, a steep increase in demand for chips as a result of increasing use within the automotive sector. Second, production disruption caused by the pandemic. Third, the long lead time involved in bringing new chip fabrication capacity online, meaning that chipmakers cannot quickly boost production to meet demand.

Apple’s buying power and supply chain expertise means that the company is able to negotiate priority supplies a long way in advance, insulating itself from much of the disruption. However, the company warned investors that its own production is not immune, and that Mac and iPad would be hit first, followed by iPhone.

We saw examples of the two sides of the equation just yesterday, with Taiwanese camera component suppliers prioritizing Apple, while camera module assembly was slowed in Vietnam. Camera components appear to proving a particular challenge.

2021 smartphone production being hit hard

Counterpoint says that things were looking good earlier in the year, but not so much now.

The smartphone industry was set for a strong rebound this year after COVID-19 had hit the market hard in 2020. Smartphone vendors placed large component orders from the end of last year, and consumer demand coming from delayed replacement purchases buoyed the market in the first quarter.

However, some smartphone OEMs and vendors are reporting they had only received 80% of their requested volumes on key components during Q2 2021, and the situation seems to be getting worse as we move through Q3 2021. Some smartphone makers are now saying they are only receiving 70% of their requests, creating multiple problems.

Counterpoint Research believes 90% of the industry is affected and this will impact the second half forecast for 2021.

The company says the market is still growing, but has downgraded its 2021 smartphone shipment forecast.

According to Counterpoint Research’s latest Global Smartphone Quarterly Shipment Forecasts, total units shipped for 2021 are expected to grow by only 6% annually to 1.41bn units; Counterpoint had previously called for 9% annual growth to 1.45bn units.

The hit to Apple is likely to be less severe than most of its competitors, however.

Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:

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Samsung develops a 5G VoNR solution for smartphone brands, network carriers - SamMobile

Samsung has announced that it has developed a VoNR (Voice over New Radio) solution for 5G voice calls. The company said that its new solution can be used by all mobile phone brands and network carriers worldwide. With this new 5G VoNR solution, Samsung plans to offer a streamlined 5G SoC development and the deployment of VoNR services.

Usually, even when devices are connected to 5G networks, they drop to 4G signals during voice calls. However, with Samsung’s new solution, devices can stay on the 5G network for a truly next-generation experience and faster call connection times. Users can also stay on voice calls while playing online games or while streaming high-resolution videos.

The South Korean firm’s VoNR solution includes the IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), Quality of Service (QoS), and a handover mechanism. IMS is the critical technology in VoNR, and it handles all multimedia tasks such as audio, video, and data services over a single IP network. Samsung’s IMS stack is designed for stable compatibility between 5G VoNR and 4G VoLTE services.

Samsung has also developed a QoS system that assists uninterrupted handover between nearby network base stations. It analyzes the flow of data in real-time and then prioritizes services for stable voice calls. The company is focused on localization and automation tests for 5G VoNR deployment with network carriers for improved reliability and performance.

Jonghan Kim, Vice President of System LSI Business at Samsung Electronics, said, “With a surge in the number of 5G smartphone users, there is a higher demand for various 5G technologies and services. We will continue to deliver next-generation mobile communication technologies, including VoNR service support, that will bring users together, faster.”

Join SamMobile’s Telegram group and subscribe to our YouTube channel to get instant news updates and in-depth reviews of Samsung devices. You can also subscribe to get updates from us on Google News.

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Exposure X7 announced: All-in-one photo editor includes improved masking, workspaces and more - imaging resource

by Jeremy Gray

posted Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 10:30 AM EDT

 

 

Exposure Software, previously known as Alien Skin, has announced the newest release of its flagship photo editing software, Exposure X7.

Exposure X7 can be used as a standalone application or as a plug-in for Photoshop and Lightroom Classic. When used as a standalone app, it's a full one-stop solution for your photography workflow, with organization, editing, watermarking and printing tools. Unlike Lightroom, Exposure X7 doesn't include a catalog, however. You simply point the software at where your photos are stored, and you can begin editing.

The software includes full non-destructive RAW editing, with included presets, masking tools, one-click automatic adjustments, non-destructive layers, portrait retouching and more. You can also organize your photos by keywords, create collections and use smart collections.

 

Image credit: Darla Winn / Exposure Software

Let's take a closer look at what's new in Exposure X7. This year's release includes a new polygon masking tool that makes separating a subject from the background easier. You draw a rough border in a few clicks, and then the software's 'intelligent algorithm creates a precise mask.'

The user experience is improved thanks to selectable workspaces. You can use built-in layouts for culling, editing and retouching your photos, or create your own customized workspaces. Another improvement is that the crop and transform panels are unified in a single interface. Further, the software includes new composition guides for the golden ratio, golden spiral, golden triangle and diagonal.

 

 

In terms of editing improvements, Exposure X7 includes a tool to remove defective (dead) pixels from images. When using custom DCP color profiles, the software promises more faithful color reproduction. There's improved color fidelity when working with DNG files in Exposure X7. Finally, fine texture noise can be added to recover detail with aggressive noise reduction.

 

Image credit: David Mecey / Exposure Software

Exposure X7 is available starting at $129 for new users. Existing users can upgrade to the base version of Exposure X7 for $89. There's also an Exposure X7 Bundle available for $149 ($99 upgrade). This bundle includes Exposure X7, plus Snap Art natural media and Blow Up photo enlargement plug-ins for Lightroom and Photoshop. In both cases, no subscription is required. You can download a free trial and learn more about purchasing options by clicking here. You can also view the list of supported cameras and lenses before purchase. Exposure X7 supports Canon, Fujifilm, Hasselblad, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Samsung and Sony RAW files.

Update: If you purchased Exposure X6 on or after July 15, 2021, Exposure Software will be sending you a free upgrade to Exposure X7. 

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Lightroom is getting these powerful Photoshop tools on desktop and mobile - Techradar

If you regularly use Lightroom to polish your photos, you'll likely have been equal parts impressed and frustrated by its editing tools – but Adobe is promising to make selective tweaking a lot easier with a big update that's coming soon.

From October 26th, Lightroom will be getting some long overdue masking tools that will bring some of the AI-powered tricks we've recently seen added to Photoshop (like Sky Replacement) to its popular photo editor and organizer. These upgrades will come to Lightroom, Lightroom Classic and Adobe Camera Raw.

The changes promise to make choosing specific parts of your photo – like a person, or the sky – a one-click affair, which should make it far easier to, for example, fix overexposed parts of a photo or make more granular tweaks.

The new changes will be found in the panel below Lightroom's histogram. Instead of the brush and gradient buttons, there will be a new 'masking' button – this contains all of Lightroom's masking options, including the new 'select subject' and 'select sky' options.

What's particularly interesting about Lightroom's new approach, which Adobe says is the biggest upgrade to its selective enhancements since Lightroom 2 in 2008, is that you can effectively layer extra masks on top of ones you've chosen. This isn't a full Photoshop-style layers approach, but it's a welcome taste of it.

The example given by Adobe below shows how quickly it now is to choose the background (by inverting the 'select subject' mask), then remove the sky from that selection. This means you can quickly adjust the exposure, shadows and contrast in the ground and background, without affecting other parts of the image.

While this may sound like a relatively minor boost to Lightroom's editing options, Adobe says it involved overhauling the program's image processing engine over a year-and-a-half. This process has apparently meant that Adobe has "some fun new tech brewing" that it'll be releasing sometime next year. For now, though, its new tools will help it keep pace with its more nimble rivals like Luminar and Affinity Photo.

For a long time, Lightroom has lacked the traditional masking tools that we've seen in Photoshop. Instead, photographers have tended to use a combination of local adjustment tools and range masks to choose particular parts of a photo to edit.

The previous existence of those tools mean that Lightroom's new features will feel more like an added convenience than a revolution to keen users of the program. 

For example, Lightroom's 'auto mask' tool has been on hand to help you choose particular parts of a photo, while the very useful luminance range mask is a popular way to choose specific areas to adjust based on a defined level of brightness.

But there's no doubt that the one-click selection of subjects and the sky, if they do indeed work as flawlessly as Adobe's demo, will help speed up many photographers' editing workflows.

Even better, Adobe has said that many users have requested that the Lightroom experience is consistent across desktop and the mobile app, which has apparently meant that the "AI-powered tools work on mobile devices equally as well as on desktop". This includes the color range masks that were previously only available on the desktop app.

We're looking forward to taking all of the new tools for a spin from October 26th to see if Lightroom can move up the pecking order of our guide to the best photo editing apps.

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Samsung Moves Ahead in Mobile SoC Technologies With Its Comprehensive 5G VoNR Solution - Samsung Global Newsroom

Samsung Electronics announced that it has developed its comprehensive VoNR (Voice over New Radio) solution for 5G voice call service, available for global mobile device manufacturers and network providers. With the comprehensive solution for VoNR, Samsung offers more streamlined SoC development and 5G VoNR service deployment.

VoNR technology supports both voice call and data service using the 5G network while the current 5G network approach switches into 4G network when making voice calls. Without the need for switching between networks, VoNR provides a higher chance of maintaining connection in voice call as well as faster call connection times. Users can also enjoy true 5G speeds when playing high-performance games or streaming high-quality videos even while staying on a call.

Samsung’s VoNR solution includes key technologies such as an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), Quality of Service (QoS), and handover.

The Exynos Chip, which applied the comprehensive VoNR solution

IMS is the key technology for VoNR that enables all multimedia services – such as audio, video, and extensive data services – within a single IP (internet protocol) network. Samsung’s 5G NR (New Radio) communication protocol stack for the IMS used in 4G voice calls (VoLTE) is designed for stable compatibility with VoNR services as well. The protocol stack is an aggregation of software layers that implement the communication protocols needed for different devices to communicate data with each other.

Samsung has also developed the QoS that provides stable support for 5G VoNR and the technology that assists uninterrupted handover between nearby network base stations. QoS analyzes the flow of data using the network and determines the priority of services in real-time. Additionally, Samsung’s protocol stack places the highest priority on voice calls anytime, anywhere, thereby enhancing the quality of VoNR.

“With a surge in the number of 5G smartphone users, there is a higher demand for various 5G technologies and services,” said Jonghan Kim, Vice President of System LSI Business at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue to deliver next-generation mobile communication technologies, including VoNR service support, that will bring users together, faster.”

Samsung’s prolific journey in 5G includes the launch of the Exynos Modem 5100 in 2018, which was the industry’s first multi-mode chip that is fully compliant with the 5G telecommunication standard (5G NR Release-15). The momentum continued in January this year, with the launch of the Exynos 2100, Samsung’s first premium mobile SoC with an integrated 5G modem.

Being a part of the industry’s first commercial VoNR deployment in Singapore back in July and building on that momentum, Samsung is currently providing its 5G VoNR-integrated solution to global mobile device manufacturers while conducting focused localization and automation tests for VoNR deployment with global network companies.

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Lightroom is getting these powerful Photoshop tools on desktop and mobile - Techradar

If you regularly use Lightroom to polish your photos, you'll likely have been equal parts impressed and frustrated by its editing tools – but Adobe is promising to make selective tweaking a lot easier with a big update that's coming soon.

From October 26th, Lightroom will be getting some long overdue masking tools that will bring some of the AI-powered tricks we've recently seen added to Photoshop (like Sky Replacement) to its popular photo editor and organizer. These upgrades will come to Lightroom, Lightroom Classic and Adobe Camera Raw.

The changes promise to make choosing specific parts of your photo – like a person, or the sky – a one-click affair, which should make it far easier to, for example, fix overexposed parts of a photo or make more granular tweaks.

The new changes will be found in the panel below Lightroom's histogram. Instead of the brush and gradient buttons, there will be a new 'masking' button – this contains all of Lightroom's masking options, including the new 'select subject' and 'select sky' options.

What's particularly interesting about Lightroom's new approach, which Adobe says is the biggest upgrade to its selective enhancements since Lightroom 2 in 2008, is that you can effectively layer extra masks on top of ones you've chosen. This isn't a full Photoshop-style layers approach, but it's a welcome taste of it.

The example given by Adobe below shows how quickly it now is to choose the background (by inverting the 'select subject' mask), then remove the sky from that selection. This means you can quickly adjust the exposure, shadows and contrast in the ground and background, without affecting other parts of the image.

While this may sound like a relatively minor boost to Lightroom's editing options, Adobe says it involved overhauling the program's image processing engine over a year-and-a-half. This process has apparently meant that Adobe has "some fun new tech brewing" that it'll be releasing sometime next year. For now, though, its new tools will help it keep pace with its more nimble rivals like Luminar and Affinity Photo.

For a long time, Lightroom has lacked the traditional masking tools that we've seen in Photoshop. Instead, photographers have tended to use a combination of local adjustment tools and range masks to choose particular parts of a photo to edit.

The previous existence of those tools mean that Lightroom's new features will feel more like an added convenience than a revolution to keen users of the program. 

For example, Lightroom's 'auto mask' tool has been on hand to help you choose particular parts of a photo, while the very useful luminance range mask is a popular way to choose specific areas to adjust based on a defined level of brightness.

But there's no doubt that the one-click selection of subjects and the sky, if they do indeed work as flawlessly as Adobe's demo, will help speed up many photographers' editing workflows.

Even better, Adobe has said that many users have requested that the Lightroom experience is consistent across desktop and the mobile app, which has apparently meant that the "AI-powered tools work on mobile devices equally as well as on desktop". This includes the color range masks that were previously only available on the desktop app.

We're looking forward to taking all of the new tools for a spin from October 26th to see if Lightroom can move up the pecking order of our guide to the best photo editing apps.

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Adobe shows off powerful new masking tools coming to Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw - DIYphotography

Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw have never really been all that good at masking. They’ve had some basic rudimentary masking features through the brush and gradient features, but not in the way that something like Adobe’s own Photoshop provides. Well, now, it looks like that’s about to change.

They’ve posted a sneak peek today of new masking features that will be coming soon to Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw and they look pretty impressive. If you’re already doing basic selections in Lightroom or ACR, this’ll speed up your workflow massively. And for portrait and wedding shooters, you might not even have to go into Photoshop at all anymore.

While the new masking features still don’t offer quite the versatility of masks found in Photoshop, they’re light years ahead of where they sit currently. They’ll allow you to quickly and easily select elements within your images to really target different areas, like subjects (human, animal or objects), the sky or the environment. You can also select by colour or luminance range – or depth, if the file format supports it.

Of course, you’ve still got the old brush, linear and radial gradient options, too, but the big difference now is that you can create multiple layer masks and even combine masks to really pinpoint what it is that you want to tweak.

This feature isn’t just coming to Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom on the desktop, either. It’s also going to be arriving on Lightroom for mobile devices as well, so you’ll get a consistent set of masking features regardless of the platform you’re using.

The new features will be landing on October 26th. Personally, I can’t wait to give it a spin and see how well it really handles with a variety of images. You can find out more about the new masking features on the Adobe blog.

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Gaming Industry’s Diversity and Inclusion Efforts Should Start With Kids, Experts Say (Video) - Yahoo Entertainment

Diversity and inclusion efforts in the video game industry shouldn’t begin at the hiring stage; they should start with high schoolers and even younger kids.

That’s what the industry experts who participated in the “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Gaming” panel, presented by Take-Two Interactive, all agreed upon. The discussion was part of TheWrap’s The Grill 2021 and moderated by Take-Two’s DEI director, Chanel Ward.

The average age of gamers may be 33, but it’s future generations of storytellers — particularly young women, gender non-conforming individuals and people of color — that will change the industry, the panelists said.

Laila Shabir, the founder of Girls Makes Games, runs gaming summer camps for kids, mostly girls, aged 8-18. And she’s consistently impressed by their out-of-the box ideas.

“The stories that we need to tell are the stories that these kids are telling… the stories these kids are coming up with, we haven’t imagined since we haven’t lived those lives,” Shabir explained. “The only way that we can get to those stories is to empower the next generation with the right tools to build the games and express themselves in that way.”

“At the end of camp, we read the game summaries the kids come up with … and [we’re like] ‘How are the kids thinking of this?'” she continued. “When I was 10, I was eating sand. How are these kids thinking about climate change at this young age, or the world I want to live in, empathy I want to build, in the player? They’re thinking about such complex topics that we only realize as adults because we face them… Here are kids who haven’t even stepped out of their homes trying to imagine what it’s like to be a different person, and I think that’s really exciting about giving kids the ownership to build their own games.”

Jim Huntley, professor and head of marketing at USC Games, deals with a slightly older age group: college students. But he, too, recognizes the need to target underrepresented populations (particularly Black and Indigenous people) early and provide access and support for them.

“A lot of the inequities in grade school begin to kick in because [students say] ‘Hey, I don’t have access to a computer lab. I don’t have access to computer science instruction,'” he explained. “How do we fill that gap so that we can make sure that those students way back in grade school have the option to even think about going down this path and then have opportunities to take that path and get into STEAM [science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics]?”

Susanna Pollack, president of Games for Change, echoed that need for education. Her organization works with Title I schools (those where students qualify for free lunch) to create similar opportunities.

“We’re focused on reaching those middle and high school students, trying to get them to understand that they can become creators and not just consumers” of video games, she said.

In addition to STEAM skills, Pollack said students who learn about gaming gain “21st century skills,” including “how to become critical thinkers and problem solvers and collaborate with one another and realize they can bring their own talents. Even if it’s designing characters or writing scripts or coming up with music or doing research on a social impact because they want to make a game about climate change. They have something to bring to the table.”

The panel also discussed personal identity in gaming, and how video games allow players to break various societal rules and norms, including gender expression.

“When I was coming up, games — be they video games or board games or even television — were around a set of shared rules that were externally created,” Gordon Bellamy, founder of Gay Gaming Professionals, said. “And we would all choose to jump into those worlds together for a certain amount of time and follow those rules. Today, the ownership of that rule set and those identities has been democratized to where I and you bring so much of yourself to a game, whether it be through the character you create, the device you play it on, to the stories you tell through your play. And so today, especially for young people coming into games, it is as much a form of expression as it is a form of shared experience of play.”

“The thing that excites me about this little part of this conversation is that all of us are so old,” filmmaker, actor and gaming consultant Janina Gavankar said with a smile. “We are talking in such binary language right now. In about two minutes, all these kids are going to be like, ‘What are these girl/boy bulls—? Who cares?”

“It’s changing so quickly and it’s really exciting because it’s just going to grow the industry and give us more experiences,” she added.

Check out the full panel here.

For over a decade, TheWrap’s Grill event series has led the conversation on the convergence between entertainment, media and technology, bringing together newsmakers to debate the challenges and opportunities facing content in the digital age. Tailored to C-Suite and high-level attendees, TheGrill presented by WrapPRO, delivers a unique series of curated discussions, industry panels and virtual networking activations that explore the ever-changing media landscape. View the full panel and all Grill content here: www.thewrap.com/the-grill-2021-welcome/ 

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OnePlus Buds Z2 TWS Earphones Specifications Surface Online, Tipped to Get Active Noise Cancellation, Dol... - Gadgets 360

OnePlus Buds Z2 true wireless stereo (TWS) earphones are tipped to launch sometime in October. Ahead of their launch, some key specifications of the upcoming OnePlus wireless earphones have surfaced online. As per a tipster, the OnePlus Buds Z2 will feature active noise cancellation (ANC), IP55 rating for dust and water resistance, Bluetooth v5.2, and Dolby Atmos support. Earlier this month, official-looking renders of the OnePlus Buds Z2 were shared by a tipster and their design seems similar to that of the original OnePlus Buds Z.

According to tipster Max Jambor (@MaxJmb), the upcoming OnePlus Buds Z2 will have ANC and Dolby Atmos support. The OnePlus TWS earphones are also tipped to feature Bluetooth v5.2 and IP55 rating for water and dust resistance. The TWS earphones are said to have a total playback time of up to 38 hours with the charging case. The earbuds are tipped to last for 7 hours on a full charge.

The tipster also mentions that 10 minutes of charging will give the OnePlus Buds Z2 up to 5 hours of playback time. The earphones are also said to come in Black and White colour options. There is no information yet about the price or the availability of the OnePlus TWS earphones.

Earlier this month, tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer (@OnLeaks) shared multiple renders of the OnePlus Buds Z2. The renders show the earphones have slightly angled ear tips compared to their predecessor — the OnePlus Buds Z (Review). The upcoming earphones are shown to retain the long stem design and the shape of the charging case is also said to be similar to that of its predecessor.

The renders for the OnePlus Buds Z2 show several cutouts, possibly for ANC and effective working of the sensors for automatic wear detection. The renders show an in-ear design and silicone ear cushions. Other features on the charging case are said to include a USB Type-C port and an LED light that indicates battery life.

---

Can Nothing Ear 1 — the first product from OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei's new outfit — be an AirPods killer? We discussed this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on Twitter, Facebook, and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Satvik Khare is a sub-editor at Gadgets 360. His proficiency lies in educating how technology makes life easier for everyone. Gadgets have always been a passion with him and he's frequently found finding his way around new technologies. In his free time he loves tinkering with his car, participating in motorsports, and if the weather is bad, he can be found doing laps on Forza Horizon on his Xbox or reading a nice piece of fiction. He can be reached through his Twitter ...More

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'In Sound Mind': New Israeli video game released for PC, PS5, Xbox - The Jerusalem Post

In Sound Mind, a new video game developed by Israeli game studio We Create Stuff and published by Modus Games, was finally released on Tuesday, hitting digital distribution services Steam, GOG, the Epic Games Store, Sony's PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S. 

The game is in the psychological horror genre, and the influences of some of the past luminaries of its kind, such as Amnesia: The Dark Descent, are very visible.

Like Amnesia, In Sound Mind is a game played in the first-person perspective with a heavy emphasis on puzzle-solving. However, it also shows its survival horror influences, with an additional focus on action and boss fights.

This is done through obtaining items through exploration, with new items opening up new gameplay avenues and progressing through the story.

In In Sound Mind, players take the role of psychologist Desmond Wales, who has woken up trapped in a strange building. In his journey, he encounters horrific monsters, strange visions, a mystery involving a series of victims and experimental chemicals, and a cat named Tonia.

The building itself serves as a sort of hub world, with a series of cassettes found serving as the game's levels, allowing the player to explore the minds of the victims and battle the various monsters within.

Battling a monster in the Israeli-made video game 'In Sound Mind.' (credit: We Create Stuff)

And it is this setup that allows the gameplay to feel fresh each time. A typical feature of horror games is the single set of mechanics. Amnesia, for example, focused on stealth and puzzle-solving. F.E.A.R. emphasized rapid high-intensity action with intense gunfights. 

But In Sound Mind doesn't lock itself into one particular set of mechanics. Rather, each tape brings its own set of mechanics and challenges for the player to overcome.

The game's atmosphere is also on full display, with haunting and mind-bending visuals and a soundtrack by The Living Tombstone giving each level its own distinct feel. 

And of course, there is Tonia the cat. And yes, you can pet her.

Protagonist Desmond Wales is seen petting Tonia the cat in the Israeli-made video game 'In Sound Mind.' (credit: We Create Stuff)

The game has only just come out but has already been met with praise in reviews, getting 4/5 stars from Screen Rant and, at the time of writing, 81% from Metacritic. User reviews on Steam have also been positive thus far.

The game is currently available on consoles and PC, with its current special promotion seeing it priced at 15% off at NIS 112.15 ($35). Though not out yet, it will also soon be available for the Nintendo Switch.

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'In Sound Mind': New Israeli video game released for PC, PS5, Xbox - The Jerusalem Post
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Starfish Space raises $7 million for constellation-managing space tugs - SpaceNews

TAMPA, Fla. — Starfish Space has raised $7 million to develop space tugs that aim to extend the lives of satellites, move them to different orbits and remove debris.

Early-stage investors NFX and MaC Venture Capital led the funding round, with participation from PSL Ventures, Boost VC, Liquid2 Ventures and Hypothesis.

Venture capital firm Boost VC had led an earlier investment round for Starfish Space.

The Kent, Washington-based startup said Sept. 28 it will use proceeds to accelerate the development of its all-electric Otter spacecraft, targeting an initial launch in 2023 or 2024.

Otter aims to be cheaper and smaller than the servicing spacecraft that Northrop Grumman and Astroscale currently have in orbit, co-founder and former Blue Origin engineer Trevor Bennett previously told SpaceNews.

As well as being designed to service spacecraft in multiple orbits, Starfish Space said Otter could later be integrated into autonomous robotics infrastructure, supporting manufacturing, assembling, mining and other upcoming capabilities in space.

The venture is currently flight testing its Cephalopod rendezvous, proximity operations and docking (RPOD) software on thrusters that are part of startup Orbit Fab’s spacecraft refueling demo mission in low Earth orbit.

Orbit Fab recently unveiled plans for an in-orbit refueling mission in late 2022 or early 2023 in geostationary orbit. 

“As space becomes more and more commercialized, we see huge opportunities to solve Earth’s problems in space,” said Adrian Fenty, MaC Venture Capital’s managing general partner.

“Additionally, as space becomes more crowded and more regulated, we see a massive need for companies like Starfish to provide satellite services and deorbiting.”

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Starfish Space raises $7 million for constellation-managing space tugs - SpaceNews
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Huawei Mate V clamshell scheduled to arrive this year - GSMArena.com news - GSMArena.com

The Huawei Mate X series delivers foldable devices that unfold into a tablet, but now the company is planning to introduce the Mate V which will be a clamshell akin to the Moto Razr and Galaxy Z Flip3.

Huawei Mate X2 4G

The Huawei Mate V (using the letter V which looks like a folded phone) will be powered by a Kirin 9000 chipset, which is hardly a surprise - it is the latest and most powerful SoC by HiSilicon, Huawei’s in-house chip division.

What we don’t know is what kind of mobile networks it would support since the Mate X2 is currently available both in LTE-only and 5G variants.

We hope Huawei will give us a sneak peek of this new phone at the October 21 event, and it would be a great accomplishment to see the final product being launched. Although seeing how it's the first we hear of such phone we probably have more waiting to do.

Source (in Chinese) | Via

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Starfish Space Raises $7M to Develop the Otter Space Tug - PRNewswire

Up until now, missions to service existing satellites on-orbit, like the Hubble Space Telescope, have been too large and expensive to be commercially viable. But with the exciting and rapid evolution of the space industry increasing demand for on-orbit satellite servicing, missions such as debris removal and satellite life extension will become a necessity as we push toward on-orbit manufacturing and assembly.

Starfish Space is developing the Otter space tug, an efficient and versatile satellite servicing vehicle. The Otter is a small satellite capable of capturing and moving objects in orbit. It is targeted at two primary missions: extending the life of large geostationary spacecraft and disposing of space debris in low-earth orbit. These missions will allow satellites to maximize their time spent providing value to people on Earth. The Otter is also positioned to become autonomous robotics infrastructure for a future off-world economy that will someday include manufacturing, assembling, upgrading, recycling, mining, and more.

"I'm thrilled to be working with the Starfish Space team," says Morgan Beller, NFX General Partner. "They are the perfect example of what happens when you have a brilliant experienced team and a vision that goes well beyond the competition. I'm excited for what's next for Starfish."

Starfish Space has achieved significant traction so far on the company's CEPHALOPOD software to perform satellite Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking (RPOD). CEPHALOPOD was selected for funding during Space Force Pitch Day, and is currently undergoing testing on-orbit.

"As space becomes more and more commercialized, we see huge opportunities to solve Earth's problems in space," says Adrian Fenty, MaC Venture Capital Managing General Partner. "Additionally, as space becomes more crowded and more regulated, we see a massive need for companies like Starfish to provide satellite services and deorbiting. We believe the team at Starfish and their Otter space tug will be able to do this better than anyone else in the market thanks to their novel technology."

The funding raised this round will allow Starfish Space to expand the team and accelerate the development of technologies for Otter. The company has already opened up several positions in the Kent, WA area. With additional talent, the company will focus on increasing confidence in the operations around a client spacecraft, a critical step towards realizing the future off-world economy.

"At Starfish Space we're trying to change the way humans interact with the universe around us," says Austin Link, Co-Founder of Starfish Space. "There's still a lot to do, but we're now in a position to build on our early successes. It's an incredible joy to pursue this dream surrounded by the extraordinary people we have at Starfish, and we look forward to accelerating this pursuit."

About Starfish Space
Starfish Space is giving life to on-orbit services. Founded by former Blue Origin and NASA engineers, Starfish is developing the Otter, the first small and versatile space tug that will lower costs and increase availability for satellite servicing missions including life extension and active debris removal. Starfish technologies, including its proprietary CEPHALOPOD software, are key logistics, autonomy, and robotics infrastructure for the developing off-world economy and orbital industries like manufacturing, assembly, tourism, and mining. Additional details at www.starfishspace.com

About NFX:
NFX is a leading seed-stage venture firm based in San Francisco, CA, and Herzlia, Israel. Founded by entrepreneurs who built 10 companies with more than $10 billion in exits across multiple industries and regions, NFX is transforming how true innovators are funded. With expertise in platforms and network effects, NFX partners with the world's best founders to solve problems - at scale - with the power of technology.

About MaC Venture Capital:
MaC Venture Capital is a seed-stage venture capital firm based in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley that invests in technology startups leveraging shifts in cultural trends and behaviors. The general partners represent diverse backgrounds in technology, business, politics, entertainment, and finance, allowing them to accelerate entrepreneurs on the verge of their breakthrough moment. The firm provides hands-on support crucial for building and scaling category-leading companies, including operations strategy, brand building, recruiting, sales development, and mission-critical introductions. MaC Venture Capital is the result of a merger between Cross Culture Ventures, co-founded by Marlon Nichols, and M Ventures, co-founded by Adrian Fenty, Michael Palank, and Charles D. King. Find MaC Venture Capital online at www.macventurecapital.com and @MaCVentureCap.

SOURCE Starfish Space

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Starfish Space Raises $7M to Develop the Otter Space Tug - PRNewswire
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