Android Auto’s latest updates let you take Zoom and WebEx calls on the road

Today, Google unveiled a range of software updates for Android Auto and vehicles equipped with Google integration. At the forefront, Google says its drivers will now be able to join WebEx or Zoom meetings, a feature it previously announced at I/O 2023. The apps will only work in an audio-only capability, which Google says will make it “easy and safe” for drivers to quickly join scheduled meetings from car displays.

Beyond enhancing productivity, Google is also attempting to expand its audio and visual entertainment offerings with its rollout of Prime Video on the Google Play app. This feature, which will appear on the display for “parked entertainment,” will only be available for select vehicles — namely Renault, Polestar and Volvo Cars. Eventually, Google says this will appear in other brands. In addition to streaming, Chrome-based internet browsing will be available starting today. Internet browsing is already available in some cars on Google Play through the standalone app, Vivaldi.

Google

While keeping drivers productive and entertained, Google is also expanding the functionality of the display by making the Weather Channel app available for hourly forecasts, and a follow-me alert safety feature that allows third parties to track your vehicle. A “Trip View” radar will also display live maps — mainly for severe weather events.

Lastly, Google’s digital car key — which allows drivers to use their phones to lock and unlock their vehicles — will finally be available in select Hyundai, Genesis, and Kia models in the US and Canada for those with compatible Pixel and Samsung devices. The tech will also allow drivers to share digital keys with family and friends wirelessly. Digital keys will have already been available in several European countries.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/android-autos-latest-updates-let-you-take-zoom-and-webex-calls-on-the-road-180048081.html?src=rss 

For All Mankind returns to Apple TV+ on November 10

Apple TV+ has some intriguing TV series on hand to keep you occupied this fall. Along with the return of The Morning Show and the debut of a show that features Godzilla, the captivating For All Mankind is about to set sail on its fourth season. New episodes of the drama, which offers an alternate perspective on the space race, will start streaming on November 10.

Apple also released a teaser for the 10-episode season, which jumps forward eight years from the events of season three to 2003. Much of the action will take place on Mars, where astronauts stay busy by mining for resources. The teaser is in the form of a recruitment ad narrated by Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman) that encourages people to sign up to work on the Red Planet.

As it happens, Apple just announced new iPhones that will soon be available to pre-order. If you snap up one of those — or another new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch — you’ll get three months of Apple TV+ access at no extra cost.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/for-all-mankind-returns-to-apple-tv-on-november-10-171532673.html?src=rss 

LG 49 UltraGear gaming monitor review: Ultrawide nirvana

When I saw one of the first 49-inch ultrawide monitors from Samsung five years ago, I found it to be a curious creation. I was no stranger to the world of ultrawides, but that screen was a bit much. It was too unwieldy, and its odd resolution wasn’t tall enough for my tastes. Since then, though, the 49-inch category has evolved: They’re cheaper, have newer display technology and are better equipped for gaming. Sure, you’ll still need to have a lot of room on your desk (or a very sturdy mounting arm), but these days they could actually be considered practical.

LG’s 49-inch Curved UltraGear is a prime example of how much things have changed. Starting at $1,300, it offers 49-inches of glorious screen space with a sharp 5,120 by 1,440 resolution; an ultra-fast 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time; and AMD FreeSync Premium support. It’s LG’s largest and most immersive gaming monitor yet. And after spending several weeks with the UltraGear 49, it has finally made me a convert of for the 49-inch ultrawide life.

Of course, one does not simply decide to buy the 49-inch UltraGear. You need to have the space to fit its bulky frame, which measures 46-inches across. You need to make sure all of your accessories can still fit on your desk (it’s particularly annoying if you regularly use cameras and large microphones). And, last but not least, you also need to ensure the games you play the most can take full advantage of the UltraGear’s wide 32:9 aspect ratio.

That any game can run at 5,120 by 1,440 pixels is a testament to just how far the ultrawide monitor movement has grown over the last decade. A typical widescreen TV has a 16:9 aspect ratio with a 1,920 by 1080 (1080p), 2,560 by 1,440 (1,440p) or 4K resolution. Ultrawide displays stretch those proportions a bit with a 21:9 aspect ratio, typically running at either 2,560 by 1080, or 3,440 by 1,440 pixels. These days, it’s rare to find a new PC title that doesn’t support those ultrawide resolutions. And when they don’t, as in the case of Elden Ring, developers often argue it’s done to avoid giving ultrawide players any advantage. (Of course, as is often the case with PC gaming, modders will find a way.)

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Official support for extreme ultrawides like the 49-inch UltraGear is more rare, but it’s not unheard of. I was able to play several hours of Halo Infinite, Cyberpunk 2077, No Man’s Sky, Armored Core VI and the recently released FPS Sprawl at the LG’s full 5,120 by 1,440 resolution. You’ll still need the GPU horsepower to actually get decent framerates, of course, but the UltraGear’s native resolution is still less demanding than 4K. (For the record, I tested the UltraGear 49 on my personal PC equipped with a Ryzen 8700K and an NVIDIA RTX 4090 Ti.)

Starfield (below) was the first new game to spoil my extreme ultrawide fun. It supports 3,440 by 1,440 , but it can’t stretch out to 32:9 resolutions. That meant I spent my first 10 hours of the game with black bars on the sides of the screen. It was still playable, but I think anyone who buys a monitor this size will be disappointed with the restrictions. You could easily hack Starfield to support wider resolutions, but there’s no guarantee those solutions will work forever.

In many ways, the 49-inch Ultragear is emblematic of PC gaming itself: Owning one puts you right on the bleeding edge, but the experience isn’t always perfect. Incompatibility risks and other issues are simply a fact of life if you want a screen that can completely consume your peripheral vision. And to its credit, the Ultragear still looks and feels like a typical gaming display. Setting it up was just a matter of assembling the sturdy stand and slapping the screen on the rear mount. The stand also supports vertical, swiveling and tilting adjustments, letting you dial in just the right viewing angle.

Compared to Samsung’s monstrous 55-inch Odyssey Ark, the 49-inch UltraGear is far easier to use for both gaming and regular productivity tasks. Sure, it can’t rotate to be completely vertical, but that feature always felt like a gimmick on Samsung’s screen. Instead, I appreciated the simple things, like being able to have two browser windows opened up alongside Slack while I was doing research. While recording podcasts, I could simultaneously keep an eye on my audio timeline, as well as have windows dedicated to a video chat with my cohosts, a Google Doc with shownotes and a browser for research.

For the multitasker who demands as much usable screen space as possible, the 49-inch UltraGear is heaven. Just be prepared to stretch your neck more than usual to see the extreme edges. You could always push the monitor back a bit to avoid that, but that also hurts immersion, which is the whole point of buying this thing.

Based on several hours of gameplay, as well as watching clips from 4K HDR films and plenty of other video content, the 49-inch UltraGear was just as bright and bold as I’d expect from a modern monitor. It can reach up to 1,000 nits of peak HDR brightness, and it covers 95 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut. While the images didn’t exactly leap off the screen as they did with Alienware’s phenomenal QD-OLED display, a more expensive 34-inch screen, the sheer size of the 49-inch UltraGear made me feel like I was actually driving around Night City in Cyberpunk 2077, or exploring alien planets in No Man’s Sky

While the screen doesn’t really give you an advantage in FPS titles like Halo Infinite, since your view is basically cropped from what 16:9 players see, I still enjoyed having an extra wide view of every match. You may have to tweak field-of-view settings in some titles though, as the monitor’s large 1000R curve can lead to distortions along the edges of the frame. (This could also be a problem when it comes to photo editing, or any task requires exact measurements.)

While I reveled in having such a vast amount of screen space available, using the 49-inchUltraGear led to some awkward adjustments outside of the screen. To record podcasts, I had to push it down to its lowest position and maneuver my rear desk-mounted microphone over the display. With my own 34-inch ultrawide monitor, there was enough room for the microphone to fit along the right side of the screen. I also had to push my large desktop speakers even further away to fit the 49-inch UltraGear on my desk. If you’re actually considering this screen, it’s worth thinking seriously about how it will fit in your space and alongside your other accessories. (You could also attach it to a wall or a monitor arm that fits a 100 x 100 mm VESA mount.)

The 49-inch UltraGear is clearly a gaming focused monitor: it includes features like a built-in crosshair, FPS counter and requisite RGB LED lighting. There aren’t any speakers attached (because really, who uses those?) but you can plug in headphones for DTS HP:X virtual surround sound. (That sounded fine in my testing, but I stuck with Windows’ Dolby Atmos upmixing while playing with the Arctis Nova Pro headset.) There are also 2 USB 3.0 ports along the rear for accessories, but for a monitor in this price range I expected even more connectivity.

Given that 27-inch 5K screens like Apple’s Studio Display sell for $1,599, the 49-inch UltraGear’s $1,300 retail pricedoesn’t seem so bad. But with great 16:9 gaming monitors going for around $300, it’s still a hefty price to stomach. And if you’re ready to pay more than $1,000 for a monitor, it may be worth holding out for an OLED screen that can deliver better contrast. (The Alienware 34-inch QD-OLED is now available for $900 with AMD’s FreeSync Pro, while LG’s UltraGear 45 ultrawide OLED goes for a whopping $1,700.)

Few people actually need a 49-inch monitor. But LG has built one that’s laser-targeted at the people who demand that much screen. It does everything you want a gaming monitor to do: It’s bright, colorful and can play titles at incredibly high frame rates. And it does it all while consuming your entire field of view. When it comes to sheer immersion, the UltraGear 49 is the next best thing to putting on a VR headset.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lg-49-ultragear-gaming-monitor-review-ultrawide-nirvana-171512885.html?src=rss 

Cadillac put a 33-inch 9K touchscreen in its new CT5 luxury sedan

Cadillac just unveiled the 2025 CT5 luxury sedan and it ships with a tech-forward feature that’s certain to annoy the “back in my day, cars were for driving” crowd, a 33-inch 9K touchscreen display. The dashboard-based LED screen curves toward the driver in a “single, continuous screen” that spans the entire viewing area.

Like most in-car displays, this is a customizable user interface that you can access in a number of different ways. Cadillac has partnered up with Google, so many of the company’s apps are built-in to the display, like Google Assistant and Google Maps. This allows for live traffic updates, podcasts, music streaming, hands-free communication and more. The inclusion of Google Play lets you shop around for all kinds of apps to help pass the time during that annoying commute.

Cadillac has been teasing this display for a while, after it first showed up at CES in 2021 as part of the Lyriq EV concept car. However, the 2025 CT5 is far from a concept vehicle, as it likely releases next year. It seems as though automobile manufacturers are in a race to push out the widest and more versatile screen, with BMW recently introducing full-width displays on windscreens that are also set to launch with 2025 models.

Of course, the Cadillac CT5 is also a car, and not just a big metal house for a touchscreen display. The CT5 refresh boasts a 2.0L turbo engine, upgradeable to 3.0L, with 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, along with dual exhaust tips. The company promises a “quiet, smooth and effortless” ride, thanks to all-wheel drive, Super Cruise drive assistance technology, and something called the Drive Mode Selector that uses a full range of sensors to automatically adjust responses depending on the surface and weather conditions.

Cadillac says the 2025 CT5 will be manufactured at GM’s assembly facility in Michigan, with production beginning in the spring. We’ll have to wait for pricing and availability details, however, as the company says more news will be announced in the future. In the meantime, we can all live in terror at the prospect of a child accidentally breaking that touchscreen during a particularly grueling and anxiety-inducing road trip.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cadillac-put-a-33-inch-9k-touchscreen-in-its-new-ct5-luxury-sedan-173057311.html?src=rss 

Marvel Studios VFX workers have unanimously voted to unionize

Visual effects workers at Marvel Studios have unanimously voted to unionize in an election held by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). It’s the first unit composed entirely of VFX workers to unionize with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), according to the union, which represents those who work in behind-the-scenes aspects of the entertainment industry. There were 41 eligible voters and all 32 who participated voted in favor of the union.

“Today, VFX workers at Marvel Studios spoke with a unanimous, collective voice, demanding fair pay for the hours they work, healthcare, a safe and sustainable working environment, and respect for the work they do,” Mark Patch, a VFX organizer for IATSE said in a statement. “There could be no stronger statement highlighting the overwhelming need for us to continue our work and bring union protections and standards to all VFX workers across the industry.”

Recent reports have suggested that Marvel demands a lot from its visual effects workers, especially after expanding its slate from a few movies a year to include several Disney+ TV shows. One person who was offered a short-term contract at the company told Vulture in January that Marvel expected 3,000 feature-quality VFX shots to be completed for a 10-hour TV series on a much shorter timeline than would be typical for one of its superhero movies (which tend to have around 1,600 VFX shots). The worker was reportedly told that he’d have to work 18 hours a day, seven days a week for three months solid and declined the offer.

Marvel, which also outsources much of its VFX work, will now have to sit down and negotiate a contract with the union’s bargaining committee in good faith. IATSE notes that no negotiation dates have been scheduled as yet.

Another unit of VFX workers under the Disney umbrella could soon join the Marvel employees in having IATSE representation. Walt Disney Pictures VFX workers are currently voting in their own NLRB election. The results are expected on October 2.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/marvel-studios-vfx-workers-have-unanimously-voted-to-unionize-155557679.html?src=rss 

Garmin fitness smartwatches are up to 33 percent off via Amazon

Garmin has been pumping out high-quality fitness-based smartwatches for years and now’s your chance to score one on the cheap. The company’s selling a bunch of its most popular models on Amazon at a steep discount of 25 to 33 percent, depending on which device you go with. For instance, this brings the price of the well-reviewed Garmin Forerunner 745 down from $400 to $300.

The sale extends from budget-friendly releases like the Garmin Approach S10 GPS golf watch, now $100 instead of $150, to flagship products like the Garmin Epix Gen 2, which costs $700 instead of $900. The deals even apply to off-the-beaten-path products like the Garmin GPSMAP 66i handheld communicator, which is basically a really fancy walkie-talkie.

Other watches involved in the sale include the Forerunner 945 and the Vivoactive 4S, among others, so you can take your pick from the company’s many offerings. Garmin has long been known as a manufacturer of well-regarded smartwatches that specialize in fitness tracking and data metrics. We praised the Forerunner 745, for instance, as having accurate distance tracking, advanced training feedback, integration with Garmin’s payment module, a long battery life and internal storage that can fit up to 500 songs.

There’s no telling when Garmin and Amazon will turn off the discount spigot, so you may want to act fast, as many of these discounts nearly match record low prices for the company’s line of smartwatches.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/garmin-fitness-smartwatches-are-up-to-33-percent-off-via-amazon-160043982.html?src=rss 

Adobe Premiere Pro is getting an AI tool to cut your hems and haws

Creating smooth, high-quality is a challenge, with car horns and accidental pauses two of the many obstacles necessary to overcome. Adobe Premiere Pro is attempting to make these points less of a nuisance with the automatic removal of any background noise or accidental “ums” that get muttered.

Adobe Premiere Pro should get rid of your “ums” and “hmms” with an update called filler word detection — an AI-based tool that does exactly what it says before deleting them from both the audio and any transcription. It can also identify and cut any long pauses you want out of the final version. Filler word detection works through Adobe’s Text-Based Editing tool, which launched earlier in the year. 

Background noise is processed through an AI-powered tool called Enhance Speech that Adobe touts as turning any audio into the quality of being “recorded in a professional studio.” Adobe claims it will automatically remove background noise while providing you with a mix slider if you want to keep any of it. 

These new features are launching in conjunction with the commercial release of Adobe’s Firefly for Enterprise generative AI across Photoshop, Adobe Express and Illustrator —it beta launched this past March. Using the AI tool requires a “generative credits” subscription plan that should “enable customers to turn a text-based prompt into image and vector creations.” It’s also available as a web application with Creative Cloud paid plans.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/adobe-premiere-pro-is-getting-an-ai-tool-to-cut-your-hems-and-haws-145019681.html?src=rss 

Microsoft reveals the first 36 titles in the Xbox Game Pass Core library

Xbox Live Gold will be no more as of tomorrow, September 14. Replacing it is a new tier of Game Pass called Xbox Game Pass Core. It’s a different offering to Games with Gold in that there will be a rotating library of a few dozen games, rather than you being able to claim some titles for your collection each month. Xbox has now revealed the initial list of Game Pass Core titles, but the choices may leave some players hoping for more.

The 36 titles you’ll be able to play through Game Pass Core on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S at the jump are:

Among Us

Astroneer

Celeste

Dead Cells

Descenders

Dishonored 2

Doom Eternal Standard Edition

Fable Anniversary

Fallout 4

Fallout 76

Firewatch

Forza Horizon 4 Standard Edition

Gang Beasts

Gears 5 Game of the Year Edition

Golf with your Friends

Grounded

Halo 5: Guardians

Halo Wars 2

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Human Fall Flat

Inside

Limbo

Ori & the Will of the Wisps

Overcooked! 2

Payday 2: Crimewave Edition

Powerwash Simulator

Psychonauts 2

Slay the Spire

Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition

Stardew Valley

State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition

Superliminal

The Elder Scrolls Online

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

Unpacking

Vampire Survivors

There are more than a few great games on that list, from Vampire Survivors and Celeste to Doom Eternal and Dishonored 2. Game Pass Core might be worth $60 per year for those who haven’t played many of those before. But it’s hard to make the case that this is the most exciting selection Microsoft could have come up with for this base version of Game Pass. The company says it plans to update the list two or three times per year, so there may be a three- to six month wait until Microsoft refreshes the library. 

There are other features of Game Pass Core that could prompt people to subscribe or remain a member, most notably the fact the service is required to play many multiplayer games on Xbox. For instance, you won’t be able to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III with friends on your Xbox without at least a Game Pass Core membership.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-reveals-the-first-36-titles-in-the-xbox-game-pass-core-library-150519932.html?src=rss 

How to build a custom keyboard in 2023

Building your first custom mechanical keyboard can be intimidating. Between all the parts and terminology involved, it’s hard to know where to start. Thankfully, it’s also never been easier to jump into the hobby. For this guide, I interviewed two YouTube creators — Brian Philips of BadSeed Tech fame and Alexander ‘Alexotos’ Medeot. Between them, Philips and Medeot have built and reviewed hundreds of custom keyboards. Note that this guide isn’t meant to be exhaustive; instead, it’s designed to highlight features newbies should look for when shopping for their first custom keyboard.

The basics

At its most basic, building a custom keyboard involves buying a case, printed circuit board (PCB), plate, mechanical switches and keycaps, and then assembling all those parts together to make something you can type on. Depending on how ambitious you want to get, you can source all those components separately or purchase bundles that include almost everything you need. One of our recommendations even allows you to skip the entire build process and get right into experimentation.

This guide won’t go into the subject of modding too much, but that’s another way to further customize a new board to your liking. To make things as easy as possible, I’ve structured this article in order of the parts you need to buy, with relevant suggestions for each.

Pick a layout that works for you

Every keyboard build starts with a case. Your decision will determine the most important features of your future board, including its size, layout and mounting style. From a usability perspective, the layout of a keyboard is probably the most important decision one can make when buying a case.

“You have to find a layout that is serviceable for you,” says Philips. If your professional life depends on owning a keyboard with a set of function keys, then your search should start and end with a tenkeyless (TKL) or 75 percent model. Both layouts come with a set of function and navigation keys, making them practical for coding and other productivity tasks. If you need to frequently input numbers, a full-sized keyboard with a numpad will be the best option.

The point here is that keyboards are tools. They should reflect your needs, not what’s popular at the moment. This is something Philips returned to a few times in our conversation. “Don’t listen to public opinion,” he told me. “Public opinion is worthless in the pursuit of what is important to you and what you’re going to interact with on your desk every day.”

Aluminum keyboards aren’t necessarily better

Photo by Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

When most people start shopping for their first custom keyboard, they tend to gravitate to an aluminum chassis, equating the material – and its higher price point – with superior quality. So it might come as a surprise that the creators Engadget spoke to both say a plastic or polycarbonate case is often a better starting point.

There are two reasons for this. The first, and more obvious, reason is that plastic cases are usually much cheaper than their aluminum counterparts. As you will see below, the most affordable aluminum case on our recommendation list will set you back at least $150. By contrast, one of the best plastic kits costs a more modest $135. The price difference between plastic and aluminum cases becomes more dramatic when comparing larger TKL and full-sized keyboards since those designs require more complex milling if the case is made from aluminum.

The second reason is less obvious, but no less important: plastic cases are far more forgiving than aluminum ones. If you’re set on building a keyboard that produces a deep “thock” sound when you type on it, it’s easier to achieve that result with a plastic case and you won’t need to do much tinkering.

“I’ve had aluminum boards that required extensive modification to sound good, at price points that would shock you,” Philips says. “I think it’s easier to tune an aluminum case, but not all aluminum cases sound good,” Medeot adds. “If it’s not built well, an aluminum case can sound like a bell. It really resonates.”

The last thing to consider when buying a case is how it was designed to keep the other components that make up a keyboard in place. That’s because the ‘mounting style” of a case can make a dramatic difference in how a keyboard feels and sounds. Unfortunately, like most things in this hobby, the style that’s right for you will depend on personal preference. The one piece of advice I can give is to avoid keyboards that feature integrated plates like the Drop CTRL. Typing on them tends to feel stiff and it can be tricky to make them produce a consistent sound. For most beginners, a gasket-mounted keyboard is a good starting place. “Gasket I think is the most newcomer-friendly,” Medeot tells me. “They’re just soft and firm enough in most cases.”

Hot-swap PCBs are the ultimate beginner-friendly component

Once the case is sorted, the next component on the list is the PCB where you will install your switches (more on those in a moment). Thankfully, finding the right PCB for a new keyboard isn’t too complicated. Most boards can only fit circuit boards specifically designed to accommodate the quirks of their mounting style and layout. Most of the boards in our recommendations come with a PCB bundled.

The one complication to this is that some keyboards offer a choice of ‘hot-swap’ or ‘solder’ PCB. You may not know how to use a soldering iron, and even if you do, both Phillips and Medeot recommend beginners buy a hot-swap keyboard. It will make putting together your first keyboard a lot easier, and more importantly, it will let you try out new switches more easily.

Plate material is important, but don’t overcomplicate it

After the case and circuit board, you’ll have to make a decision about the plate that will sit between your keyboard’s PCB and whatever switches you decide to buy. Not all mounting styles incorporate plates, but the majority do. The amount of choice here can be intimidating, with different materials producing different sound profiles, some offering more or less flexibility and others changing how it feels to bottom out a switch.

To simplify things, Philips recommends going with an aluminum plate. It’s not the most exciting option, but aluminum plates tend to work well with most switches and they’re not too expensive. Another option is an FR4 plate. Since they’re made from a fiberglass material, FR4 plates tend to produce more high-pitched sounds and they’re more flexible.

One switch type will not work for everyone

Photo by Igor Bonifacic / Engadget

Switches are the defining component of any mechanical keyboard and will play a major role in how your keyboard will sound and feel. To overly simplify things, mechanical keyboard switches generally fall into one of three categories: linear, tactile or clicky. Linear variants are known for their smooth action. Tactiles, meanwhile, produce a smooth bump right before they bottom out. Clicky switches add an audible “click” to the tactile bump, making them great for irritating roommates and significant others.

As a general rule of thumb, linears are considered the best for gaming, while tactiles and clicky switches are thought to be better for typing. That said, since buying my first mechanical keyboard in 2020, I’ve exclusively used tactile switches, so don’t feel like you need to stick to those guidelines. If you’re completely new to the world of mechanical keyboards, your best bet is to buy a few dozen of each type to determine the kind you like the most. Once you’ve settled on a favorite switch type, you can then experiment with different models to find the one you enjoy the most.

Since most switches on the market today reference Cherry MX switches in one way or another, start with those. They’re relatively affordable and will provide you with a frame of reference for everything to follow. Companies like Drop and Keychron sell packs of 35 Cherry switches for about $22. Cherry Red, Brown and Blue switches will give you a good sense of what other linear, tactile and clicky switches offer.

After that, it’s all about experimentation. As you try new switches, pay attention to the materials they’re made from, as that will give you a sense of what to expect from models you have yet to try. “Believe it or not, a lot of switches are not full recolors of one another, but there’s also not a huge amount of variance between some stuff,” says Medeot. If in doubt, start small before you spend too much money on too many switches. “If you’re not in a position where you can drop $70, $80 or $90 every time you want to buy a set of switches, buy a few,” Philips says.

One thing I would advise against is turning to YouTube in search of switch “reviews.” There are some creators who attempt to objectively test and compare different switches, but the reality is how a specific switch will sound and feel in your new keyboard will depend on all the other factors I outline above.

One last note on the subject of switches: the larger keys on a keyboard require stabilizers. These, too, come in a few different forms, but as a beginner, don’t worry about them too much. Some of our recommendations come with a set of stabs in the box. If not, and the PCB supports “screw-in” stabilizers, it’s hard to go wrong with Durock V2s. I’ve also had success with Zeal’s plate and screw-in stabilizers.

Keycaps should be fun

The final piece of kit every new keyboard build requires is a set of keycaps. The majority of keycaps sold online are made from either ABS or PBT plastic. According to Medeot, ABS keys tend to produce a higher-pitched sound, while PBT can come off as a bit duller. One disadvantage of ABS plastic is that it is prone to developing an unsightly shine over time. Another thing to look out for is if a set of keycaps are “double shot” or “dye-sublimated.” The former is preferable as the legends, the symbols etched onto the keycap, tend to be more durable and resistant to wear. Most newcomers will want to stick to “Cherry Profile” keycaps as they’re the most readily available and represent a good midpoint in terms of height.

Spend enough time on this hobby and you will eventually come across GMK keycaps. With their crisp legends and playful colorways, GMK keycaps are highly sought after, and a single set can easily cost upwards of $135 to $150 and involve group buys or lengthy wait times. I love the two GMK sets I own but don’t feel the need to push your budget to obtain one for yourself. In 2023, there are plenty of brands that offer fun, well-made PBT keycaps that will cost you $100 or less. Retailers like NovelKeys, KBDFans and Drop offer a lot of different, high-quality keycaps.

A final note

For most people, the best keyboard is sitting right in front of them. If you’re unhappy with your current setup, it’s not that difficult to make it sound and feel better. Out of the box, most mechanical keyboards suffer from squeaky stabilizers that rattle when you press the Space, Shift, Enter and Backspace keys. Online retailers like Kinetic Labs sell syringes of industrial lubricant that cost less than $10. It might seem weird to use a syringe to tweak a keyboard, but what it allows you to do is smooth out the action on the stabilizers without taking them or your entire keyboard apart.

Custom keyboard recommendations

A great polycarbonate case: KDBFans Tiger Lite

For one of the most affordable entryways into the custom keyboard hobby, look no further than the Tiger Lite from KBDFans. For just $25, you get a gasket-mount TKL case that sounds great with minimal modding. Best of all, KBDFans offers the Tiger Lite in a series of cheerful colorways that are reminiscent of the Nintendo 64’s classic “funtastic” lineup. Although KBDFans has stopped selling Tiger Lite kits, retailers like Kinetic Labs still have stock.

A great polycarbonate case: NovelKeys 87 Entry Edition

Two more affordable options are the NovelKeys 87 Entry Edition and its 65 percent sibling. Availability of those keyboards is limited at the moment, but NovelKeys is promising a major restock in the coming weeks. At $135 for almost everything you need to build your first keyboard, the NK87 is a great value. It also features RGB lighting, and it comes with a bundled carrying case. Both the Tiger Lite and NK87 came highly recommended by Philips and Medeot. Of the former, Medeot says the Tiger Lite is “absolutely amazing for its price point.”

An affordable aluminum case: CannonKeys Bakeneko65

If you’re set on an aluminum keyboard, consider the Bakeneko. CannonKeys sells three different versions of the Bakeneko: a 60 percent model, and two different 65 variants differentiated by their construction. The cast aluminum variant is the more affordable of the two 65 models (and comes in more colors), but can feature some visual blemishes. By contrast, the CNC aluminum model is more expensive at $195, but it feels more premium.

Either way, all three versions of the Bakeneko come bundled with a hot-swap PCB, FR4 plate and clip-in stabilizers. All you need to provide are the switches and keycaps. The Bakenekos also feature a nifty “o-ring” gasket mounting system that simplifies assembly and maintenance. However, one feature you won’t find on them is RGB lighting.

A high-end aluminum case: Mode Designs Sonnet

The Mode Sonnet is for those who want a statement piece on their desk. I’ve been testing one for a few months now, and it’s easily the best keyboard I’ve ever used. The construction of the Sonnet is unmatched, and it feels great to type on thanks to a top mount design that makes the keys bounce. The Sonnet’s 75 percent layout also lends itself to a keyboard that is functional without taking up too much space. That said, be prepared to spend a lot to own a Sonnet, with pricing starting at about $300 (and going up from there depending on how you decide to customize it). All of that is before you factor in the cost of switches, stabilizers and keycaps.

I’ll note here Mode also produces the excellent Envoy. It’s a smaller 65 percent keyboard with a unique “lattice block” mounting system Mode claims gives the Envoy a bouncy typing feel. I haven’t had a chance to test it yet, but the Envoy has enjoyed a lot of positive coverage, and it’s more affordable than the Sonnet.

A no-fuss option for gamers: Razer BlackWidow V4 75%

I know what you’re thinking: how did a Razer product make it on this list? Well, the recently announced BlackWidow V4 75% is here because it’s truly a great keyboard. It has all the features I suggest beginners should look for in their first custom board, including a hot-swap PCB and gasket mounting system. It also sounds and feels great out of the box. Best of all, it costs $190 and comes with keycaps and tactile switches.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/build-custom-keyboard-130021619.html?src=rss 

Apple’s switch to USB-C on the iPhone 15 brings more cable confusion

This week Apple introduced the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro lines which include the long-awaited switch from the company’s proprietary Lightning Connector to USB-C. And while the move may have been motivated more by EU regulations than a desire to increase usability, having all the major smartphone makers finally using the same port for data and charging is a positive development. Unfortunately, Apple’s transition seems to be bringing some additional confusion to the standard.

Now for those of you familiar with the peculiarities of USB-C, a bit of extra complexity probably doesn’t come as a big surprise. That’s because the USB-C really only refers to the connector itself (as opposed to the traditional boxy USB-A plug or the smaller trapezoidal microUSB jack aka USB Micro-B), while other standards dictate things like data speeds, power delivery and more. The good news is that now that all the big OEMs are using the same port, hopefully the days of asking a friend to borrow an iPhone charging cable or an Android power cord will soon be a thing of the past.

The compare tool on Apple’s website really highlights the difference in data transfer speeds between the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max.

Apple

However, the way Apple is implementing USB-C on the new iPhone 15 and 15 Pro is making things trickier. The first issue is that data transfers on the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are capped at USB 2.0 speeds (480 Mbps), which is the same as what you get with a Lightning Connector. Meanwhile, Apple lists the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max with support for “USB 3” data transfer of up to 10 Gbps, or around 20 times faster.

That’s a huge difference and I’m not sure why Apple limited the iPhone 15s to this degree – especially when you consider all the similarly priced Android phones like the Pixel 7 that feature data speeds of up to 10Gbps. To make matters worse, Apple’s use of “USB 3” to describe transfer rates on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro max doesn’t seem quite right. USB 3.0 (which is not the same thing as USB 3) is supposed to top out at 5 Gbps, which suggests that Apple is actually using USB 3.1 Gen 2 or USB 3.2 Gen 2 on its new phones (both of which go up to 10Gbps) and just labeling it as USB 3 for the sake of simplicity. Confused yet? This is one reason why the USB-IF (the group that governs the USB spec) would prefer for companies to state the data speeds of their devices instead of citing a USB version number.

Apple

On a more practical level, trying to purchase the right cables or adapters for your device might present a challenge. Currently, if you go to Apple’s website, click on the Accessories tab, choose to browse by product (in this case iPhone) and select the section for Power & Cables, you won’t actually find any double-sided USB-C cords on that page. There is a listing for Apple’s new USB-C to Lightning Adapter, which feels a bit pricey at $29, but as for cables, you’re looking at a bunch of USB to Lightning cords which are about to be outdated.

In order to find a cable that you can actually use, you’ll need to head over to the iPad or Mac sections where you can choose between a one-meter double-side USB-C cable for $19 or a longer two-meter option for $29. But even with this cable, things are a bit weird. That’s because the one-meter cord delivers charging speeds at up to 60 watts while the two-meter cable can handle up to 240 watts. That’s plenty given that all versions of the iPhone 15 top out with 27-watt charging. But, both cables only support data transfers of up to “USB 2 rates” aka 480 Mbps. More annoyingly, Apple doesn’t offer specs for the wire that comes with the iPhone 15 Pro and it very well might be the same one-meter USB-C Charge Cable that’s capped to USB 2 speeds. That’s not great for anyone buying an iPhone 15 Pro who is basically hamstringing their very expensive handset with a slow bundled cord.

Apple

Furthermore, in the iPhone accessories section, the cheapest first-party USB-C power adapter tops out at 20 watts, which doesn’t take full advantage of the latest iPhone’s charging speeds. That’s a bit of a problem, because like a lot of phones these days, the iPhone 15 doesn’t come with a bundled charging brick. So unless you already have an adapter from a MacBook or iPad Pro, you’ll need to shell out extra for that while trying to figure out the wattage you actually need. It’s also unclear if the iPhone 15 supports USB Power Delivery with PPS (programmable power supply) that allows a device and charger to dynamically adjust voltage to achieve peak speeds and efficiency.

Granted, it’s still early and the iPhone 15 line hasn’t even gone on sale yet, so I’m sure Apple will be rolling out more options to support its latest devices. But for Apple – a company that long prided itself on making devices that just work – the debut of USB-C on the iPhone seems kind of messy.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-switch-to-usb-c-on-the-iphone-15-brings-more-cable-confusion-140030611.html?src=rss 

Generated by Feedzy
Exit mobile version