Новости за 21.11.2022

Ubisoft will start bringing its games to Steam again, nearly four years after it turned its attention to the Epic Games Store and its own Connect launcher. First up is one of the publisher's biggest games of the last few years, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which will be available on Steam on December 6th. City builder Anno 1800 and the free-to-play Roller Champions will hit Steam at a later date.

Code sleuths at Mysk are challenging Apple's vaunted focus on privacy. The developers claim Apple's anonymous usage data for some in-house apps includes a Directory Services Identifier (DSID) uniquely linked to your Apple ID and iCloud data. Apple could potentially use this DSID to pinpoint your App Store browsing habits, according to Mysk. This seemingly contradicts Apple's assertion that "none" of the data is personally identifying, and appears to extend to iOS 16.

NASA's Orion spacecraft has successfully completed one of the key maneuvers of its maiden journey: a flyby of the Moon during which it got as close as 81 miles to the lunar surface. This was important for a few reasons, not least because it marked a critical test for the propulsion system.

When you think of podcast recording, you probably picture someone sitting in a studio with a Neumann microphone that costs more than your rent. Spotify wants to change that, making podcast creation something you can do in noisy environments and without expensive gear. The company's one-button voice isolation feature, Podcast Audio Enhancement, debuts today in Spotify's Anchor app for podcast creators.

Tile has discounted a handful of its popular Bluetooth item trackers ahead of Black Friday. The deals include the latest Tile Mate tracker down to $18, which is about $7 off its usual going rate and tied for the lowest price we've seen. The diminutive Tile Sticker is on sale for $20, which is $1 more than its all-time low but still $10 off its typical street price. The credit-card-shaped Tile Slim, meanwhile, is discounted to $25, which is $2 above the all-time low but also roughly $10 below its average street price. Читать дальше...

Now is the time to splurge on a gift for a rookie podcaster or game streamer. Amazon is running a sale on many Blue microphones for Black Friday, with up to 35 percent off Yeti models. The Blue Yeti Nano is down to $70 (normally $100), while the regular Yeti has dipped to $90 (usually $130). You can also find deals for higher-end models and bundles.

If Samsung's foldable smartphones have caught your eye, perhaps for yourself or as a gift for someone else, now might be the right time to take the plunge. The 256GB model of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 has dropped to $760 at Amazon, which is an all-time low. That's a considerable $300 (or 28 percent) off the regular price. What's more, this variant is currently cheaper than the 128GB model. That's also on sale at the moment, but it's $800.

You may be focused on getting gifts for others right now, but the Black Friday and the holiday shopping period is one of the best times of the year to pick up an upgrade for your living room. This year is no different, with a bunch of TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony and others already dropping in price, and we're also already seeing discounts on things like streaming devices, soundbars and more. While you pick up things like the Chromecast with Google TV or a Fire TV Stick for friends and family, consider... Читать дальше...

The Federal Communications Commission has finally published new broadband maps after a protracted development process. The "pre-production draft" release, as the FCC describes it, promises much more accurate representations of fixed internet coverage across the US. Earlier maps would only show service at the census block level, sometimes ignoring large gaps in real-world connectivity. The new maps are accurate enough that you can search by address to see which carriers are available, including the maximum claimed speeds. Читать дальше...

Let’s face it, buying a gift for someone who loves gaming is tough. Almost every day brings with it a handful of new releases, and everyone has different tastes. Plus, if they’re a fan of a particular style or genre of game, there’s a good chance they’re already bought the new hotness. To save you that trouble, here are some gifts that are a bit different but should be appreciated all the same. You may also find something that will pique your interest.

The holiday shopping period is a great time to stock up on what might be some less-than-exciting gadgets like storage drives to keep your machines running smoothly. We typically see some of the best storage deals of the year around this time, and the brand Crucial has kicked off Black Friday early this year by discounting a number of its internal and external drives. A long-time favorite, the MX500, is on sale for only $68 for the 1TB version. That's 32 percent off and the lowest price we've seen, by far. Читать дальше...

Amazon has started its Black Friday sales on a number of watches including $60 off the Watch Ultra, its best discount yet. We're also still seeing nice discounts on Apple's other new models, including the Watch Series 8 and Watch SE 2nd-gen, with savings up to 13 percent. 

Meta is taking new steps to lock down teens’ privacy settings. The company is making changes to the default privacy settings for teens’ Facebook accounts, and further limiting the ability of “suspicious” adults to message teens on Instagram and Facebook.

While some thought Twitter would fall apart over the weekend, given the engineering constraints it's now under, it made it to Sunday. And it’s even got one of its most divisive users back. On Friday night, Musk tweeted a poll asking people to vote on whether Twitter should reinstate former President Donald Trump’s account. Trump recently announced he will run for the country's highest office again in 2024.

NASA's Artemis I mission will hit a key milestone today as the Orion capsule makes its "outbound powered flyby" of the Moon, getting as close as 80 miles to the surface. The burn is the first of two maneuvers required to enter what's known as a "distant retrograde orbit" (DRO) around the Moon. During the flyby, cameras inside and outside the spacecraft will document the view, with shots of the Moon, Earth and Orion itself. "It’s going to be spectacular," said lead flight director Rick LaBrode. 

Following its stretchy LCD panels, LG Display's latest gadget is a super-thin speaker designed to be installed in car interiors while remaining "invisible." The Thin Actuator Sound Solution was developed with a "global audio company" (LG didn't say which), as a replacement for traditional speakers in automobiles. 

Samsung's 32-inch Smart Monitor M8 plays dual roles, acting not only as a monitor with a webcam, but also a smart TV with built in speakers and support for cloud gaming and streaming. Now, with Black Friday week upon us, it's dropped back to its all-time low price of $500 (in white, pink, blue and green) at Amazon and Samsung.

Bob Iger is returning as Disney CEO in a shocking leadership shakeup, with current CEO Bob Chapek stepping down, the company announced in a press release. Iger is set to return temporarily for two years, with a mandate for "renewed growth" and to find and groom his successor. Iger said he's returning "with an incredible sensor of gratitude and humility — and, I must admit, a bit of amazement."

Following an Xbox Series X/S and PC release this past summer, Immortality, the latest project from Her Story creator Sam Barlow, is now available on Android and iOS via Netflix. Provided you subscribe to the streaming service, you can download the game at no additional charge and experience one of the most highly acclaimed titles of 2022.

Ahead of Black Friday, Amazon has discounted the Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 to $120. The 20 percent discount off the MK.2’s usual $150 price represents a new all-time low for the controller. Add to the fact that streaming hardware doesn’t frequently go on sale, and you have a promotion that budding content creators won’t want to miss.