Technology - Kalakshar US

Bang & Olufsen’s new earbuds with ‘replaceable batteries’ don’t seem to be very repairable

Bang & Olufsen announced its new $499 premium earbuds, the Beoplay Eleven, back in November, touting among other things their replaceable batteries “for sustainability” and alignment with the EU’s impending device repairability requirements. But an iFixit teardown tells a more complicated story about actually replacing those batteries, describing the process of just getting the case open as “a very onerous and labor intensive task… even for a trained technician.” And inside, the battery is affixed to other components in ways that require heat to remove it, which in itself wouldn’t comply with the EU’s upcoming rules. Given all the work involved, the earbuds scored an abysmal 1/10 on iFixit’s repairability scorecard.

Bang & Olufsen said the earbuds’ design “allows for battery replacement by service,” which, as iFixit notes, suggests that this isn’t meant to be a repair you can do yourself at home. It did ultimately turn out to be possible to take one of the earbuds apart without damaging any of the electronics inside, but the laborious teardown calls into question how feasible — and sustainable — battery replacement would be even when carried out at a B&O service center. After opening up the case and finding “a plastic weld mark barring access to the battery,” iFixit’s Shahram Mokhtari notes in the video that, “at a minimum, any battery replacement service would need to dispose of the plastic housing completely.”

“I’d love to see B&O’s process for changing these batteries out,” Mokhtari wrote in the blog post. “I’m willing to bet it’s neither cheap nor waste-free but I would love to be proven wrong.” The teardown also revealed the Beoplay Eleven to be a “carbon copy” of the 2022 Beoplay EX internally. “Even the peel-away film on the rear of each earbud says ‘Beoplay EX’ — not ‘Beoplay Eleven,’” Mokhtari wrote. Yikes.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/bang-and-olufsens-new-earbuds-with-replaceable-batteries-dont-seem-to-be-very-repairable-174949894.html?src=rss

Amazon puts its drone deliveries on hold following two crash incidents

Amazon’s drones won’t be making any deliveries in the foreseeable future. According to Bloomberg, the company has paused all commercial drone deliveries in Texas and Arizona after a previously undisclosed event in which two of Amazon’s MK30 drones had crashed at the Pendleton, Oregon airport it uses for testing. MK30 is the company’s next-gen drone model, which is lighter and has a longer range than its predecessor, the MK27. The incidents took place in December, with one of the drones even catching fire after it fell. Amazon reportedly determined that its drones crashed due a software issue that’s linked to the light rain drizzling at the time the tests were being conducted.

The company said, however, that the crashes weren’t the “primary reason” why it’s putting its drone deliveries on hold. Amazon spokesperson Sam Stephenson told Bloomberg that it’s “currently in the process of making software changes to the drone” and that the operational pause is voluntary. After the updates are completed, Amazon still has to secure an approval from the Federal Aviation Administration before it can resume its operations. “Employees at the drone sites, who were told of the action Friday, will continue to be paid during the pause,” Stephenson added.

In addition to the crashes in December, two MK30 drones collided during another test a few months earlier. Stephenson explained that Amazon expects to see incidents like these during testing and that they help the company improve the service’s safety. Amazon has been sending out non-medical shipments via drones in Texas since 2022 before adding prescription medication a year later. In 2024, Amazon halted drone deliveries in California, but it also launched the service in Phoenix, Arizona.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-puts-its-drone-deliveries-on-hold-following-two-crash-incidents-140026835.html?src=rss

Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg want you to know they’re still friends and definitely not mad at each other

On Thursday, The New York Times published a lengthy story about the rise in power of Stephen Miller, a longtime loyalist of Donald Trump known for his hardline views on immigration. Normally, a story like that wouldn’t get much attention in the tech press. But the piece opened with an anecdote about Mark Zuckerberg that immediately raised eyebrows.

The story detailed a recent meeting Miller had with Zuckerberg when the Meta CEO traveled to Mar-a-Lago last year. According to The Times, Zuckerberg — who would soon renounce Meta’s prior fact checking efforts and ditch corporate diversity programs — “blamed his former chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, for an inclusivity initiative at Facebook that encouraged employees’ self-expression in the workplace.”

That line set off a fresh round of speculation (and some outrage) in tech circles. Sandberg, who left Meta in 2022 and rose to fame after authoring her women in the workplace manifesto Lean In, was known for her once close partnership with Zuckerberg at the top of Facebook. That Zuckerberg would blame his former top lieutenant for fostering “inclusivity” at his company, raised eyebrows even among longtime observers of the company.

“She always knew who Mark Zuckerberg and covered for him,” New York Times reporter Sheera Frankel, who co-wrote a book about Facebook’s dominance, observed on Bluesky. “ The question is whether she will continue to do so when he so blatantly throws her under the (Trump) bus.” Journalist and longtime tech pundit Kara Swisher likewise noted that “folks I talked to tonight from the Mark/Sheryl Facebook era are shocked but not surprised by his blaming her.”

I also weighed in on my Threads account, sharing a link to a Business Insider story from February that quoted an interview in which Zuckerberg said that Sandberg had raised him “like a parent.” I joked that the comment hadn’t aged well.

But on Friday, Zuckerberg decided to let me (and I guess everyone else) know that he and Sandberg are still cool, after all. “Sheryl did amazing work at Meta and will forever be a legend in the industry,” he wrote in a reply to my post. “She built one of the greatest businesses of all time and taught me much of what I know.”

Threads

Zuckerberg did not respond when I asked if Sandberg was too focused on DEI initiatives at Meta or whether she took away from the “masculine energy” he recently told Joe Rogan corporations should embody. (Notably, he has not denied The Times’ reporting about his comments on Sandberg.)

But, a few minutes later, Sandberg jumped in to helpfully let me know there are no hard feelings on her side, either. “Thank you, @zuck. I will always be grateful for the many years we spent building a great business together – and for your friendship that got me through some of the hardest times of my life and continues to this day.”

Zuckerberg responded with a single heart emoji.

So, I guess that settles it. Nothing to see here, folks. Mark and Sheryl are definitely still friends. They may not work at the same company anymore, but they are still able to come together to head off a potential PR crisis. What could be more inspiring than that?

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/mark-zuckerberg-and-sheryl-sandberg-want-you-to-know-theyre-still-friends-and-definitely-not-mad-at-each-other-222145203.html?src=rss

The FAA is grounding SpaceX’s Starship after its latest explosion

The Federal Aviation Administration is ordering SpaceX to conduct a mishap investigation into what caused the company’s Starship rocket to explode mid-flight on January 16. Until the FAA approves SpaceX’s investigation reported, the company won’t be allowed to proceed with future Starship missions.

SpaceX’s launch seemed to be going as planned prior to the explosion. Starship successfully made it off the launch pad and SpaceX was even able to catch the ship’s boosters. But then, only eight and a half minutes after taking off, the Starship spacecraft exploded, according to SpaceX’s post-launch blog post. In response to the sudden explosion, the FAA activated a “Debris Response Area” and slowed or diverted nearby flights to prevent further accidents, severely delaying flights from multiple airlines, according to CNBC.

Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed! ✨
pic.twitter.com/nn3PiP8XwG

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 16, 2025

The FAA’s statement says that no one was injured by the falling debris but that its working “to confirm reports of public property damage on Turks and Caicos.” The mishap investigation SpaceX performs will have to determine not only what caused the explosion, but also what corrective actions the company needs to take to prevent it from happening again. “Initial data indicates a fire developed in the aft section of the ship,” SpaceX says.

This isn’t the first time Starship has met an explosive end. Multiple Starship launches have ended with either SpaceX’s boosters, the Starship spacecraft or both exploding. The company does appear to be getting better at catching and reusing its Super Heavy boosters, however. The successful catch that preceded the January 16 explosion is only the second time SpaceX has pulled it off. Its first successful Super Heavy catch was in October 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/the-faa-is-grounding-spacexs-starship-after-its-latest-explosion-223535001.html?src=rss

Everything we’re still dying to know about the Nintendo Switch 2

The seven-year wait is finally over. Nintendo has officially revealed its next console, the Switch 2. Now that the reveal has actually happened, after months of speculation, we can all move onto something else, right? Not so fast. The short introduction video actually created more questions than answers. There’s a whole lot we don’t know about Nintendo’s forthcoming hybrid console, so let’s get into it.

When will it come out?

We don’t know! Nintendo has a Direct livestream planned for April 2, in which we’ll probably get that information. It’ll be sometime after that, but during 2025. Maybe they’ll do a quick turnaround and have it ready for sale by the end of April, but a summer release is far more likely. It’s also possible the company will wait until the beginning of the lucrative holiday season. Folks will be able to play it in the near future, however, as Nintendo is holding in-person events throughout the world in April through June.

What are the internal specs?

This is another mystery. The introduction video merely showed the exterior of the console, along with the updated controllers. There was no mention of internal specs. Of course, there are plenty of rumors regarding the power of Nintendo’s next console, but nothing concrete. Some analysts predict the console will include an eight-core Cortex-A78AE processor, 8GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal eMMC storage, while others say it’ll be powered by an NVIDIA-produced Tegra239 SoC (system on a chip). Most people seem to agree that the system will include some version of NVIDIA’s DLSS “deep learning supersampling” upscaling tech.

What about the screen?

Nintendo

We’ve seen the screen in action, likely running some version of an upcoming Mario Kart game. The video gave us some insight into the size of the display, as it looks to be around 30 percent larger than the current model. This tracks with rumors indicating an 8-inch screen. However, we don’t know the type of display that accompanies the console. Rumors vary here. Some analysts predict a Mini-LED screen, while others expect a traditional LCD. It probably won’t be an OLED, as the company will likely save that for a future upgrade.

What’s the battery life?

There aren’t even any credible rumors on this one, but there was some speculation last year regarding the company’s adoption of a performance mode feature with the Switch 2. Nintendo likes to hit that mass market sweet spot, so I’d be very surprised if the battery life didn’t match the Switch OLED’s 4.5 to nine hours of playtime per charge. The console will be more powerful than the OG Switch, certainly, but it’s also bigger. That extra room can house a beefy battery.

How much will it cost?

This is yet another unknown. Nintendo will likely reveal pricing information on April 2. The original Switch launched at $300, as did the Wii U. However, inflation is real and supply chains are rickety. Rumors have been circulating that the price could shoot up to $400, or even higher. Nintendo does tend to increase base level console prices every couple of generations. The GameCube originally cost $200 and the Wii was $250.

Do the controllers feature optical sensors?

Nintendo

There’s been a long-standing rumor that the Switch 2 will incorporate mouse-like functionality via optical sensors on the Joy-Cons. We don’t have exact confirmation on that, but the introduction video sure seems to imply it. Eagle-eyed viewers probably spotted a segment that featured the Pixar-like controllers moving around a table like, well, two computer mice. If true, Nintendo will likely develop some wacky software that combines mouse and controller inputs. In any event, this addition will certainly make stuff like Civilization VI easier to play. It could also hint at a new Mario Paint.

What’s that unmarked button on the right side?

Nintendo

Viewers also likely spotted a new button on the bottom of the right Joy-Con. This was previously rumored to be a “C” button, but it’s unmarked in the introduction video. We don’t know what it does, so your guess is as good as ours. Maybe it calibrates controllers or initiates voice chat. We’ll probably find out on April 2.

What’s the deal with backwards compatibility?

Nintendo

Yes, the Switch 2 is backwards compatible with original Switch games. This is fantastic news, but the intro video did note that “certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.” We don’t exactly know what that means or how many titles it will impact. It’s a fair bet that it refers to some of the wackier stuff from the previous generation, like Nintendo Labo or Mario Kart: Home Circuit.

Will stick drift be a problem?

We’ll have to wait and see on that one, but the reveal video did take some time out to show a joystick doing cute little full circles. Previous leaks have indicated that Nintendo has learned its lesson regarding stick-drift and the new console will include Hall effect joysticks. We sure hope so.

What will the UI be like?

The Switch’s user interface, for better or worse, is extremely minimal and bare-bones. This carries over to the online shopping experience. We don’t know if the Switch 2 will incorporate some Nintendo-grade wackiness when it comes to the UI. My hope is that it brings back its long-forgotten social network Miiverse. It was silly and fun. Modern social media apps are a lot of things, but I wouldn’t exactly call them silly or fun.

Will there be any Nintendo weirdness?

From the headache-inducing 3DS to the, well, equally headache-inducing Virtual Boy, Nintendo has always marched to the beat of its own drum. The Switch 2, however, seems to be an extremely conservative release for the company. It’s a more powerful and slightly bigger Switch.

Will there be any of that Nintendo weirdness that saved the company in the age of the Wii and nearly ruined it during the Wii U era? We don’t know yet. It’s entirely possible the aforementioned optical sensors or “C” button could lead to wild and wacky gameplay experiences. It’s also possible that there are features yet to be announced. This is Nintendo we are talking about here.

What are the launch games?

Nintendo

This is a total unknown, though fans hoping for a new Mario Kart certainly got a jolt by that reveal video. It included a fair amount of footage from what looked to be a brand-new Mario Kart, complete with revamped character designs and the potential for 24-person races.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/everything-were-still-dying-to-know-about-the-nintendo-switch-2-195606756.html?src=rss

Greta Gerwig’s Narnia movie will get up to four weeks in theaters

Greta Gerwig’s follow-up to Barbie, an adaptation of one of C.S Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia books, will be exclusively viewable in theaters for four weeks before it hits Netflix on Christmas, according to a new report from Puck. Netflix is historically anti-theater, but it seems like it can set that aside for the right filmmaker.

Theaters will have a four-week exclusive window on the film globally — longer than the week Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery got — but it will only be available to watch on IMAX screens to start. IMAX is guaranteeing the film will be shown in the format for two weeks, according to Puck, and is willing to add another week if there’s demand. After that, the film could come to non-IMAX theaters, too.

Netflix, while owning a few theaters itself, is philosophically-opposed to theatrical exclusivity. It’ll put Netflix movies in theaters for the amount of time required to qualify for awards season, but otherwise avoids them like the plague. That might be nice for subscribers who’ve become accustomed to watching everything at home, but most filmmakers want their films to be seen on the big screen. For example, Netflix reportedly lost the chance to distribute Saltburn director Emerald Fennel’s next film, an adaptation of Wuthering Heights, because it refused to give the film time in theaters, according to The New York Times.

Rumors circulated that IMAX, Gerwig, and Netflix were discussing a deal in October 2024, and it seems the director got her way. It’s strange to have to fight tooth and nail for what could be a blockbuster movie to be seen by a paying audience. There’s plenty of evidence that putting films in theaters makes money, but it’s a lesson that even company’s like Disney have had to relearn after the streaming boom. Moana 2 started as a Disney+ filler before it was tweaked and turned into a theatrical release that made over $200 million in December 2024.

It’s impossible to say if this decision signals a longterm change at Netflix, but future filmmakers working with the company now have interesting precedent to point to for their own theatrical deals.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/greta-gerwigs-narnia-movie-will-get-up-to-four-weeks-in-theaters-203920581.html?src=rss

The Anker Prime battery with a charging base is 40 percent off, plus the rest of this week’s best tech deals

With CES behind us and Samsung’s Unpacked ahead, the Engadget crew had a quick chance this week to catch its collective breath. But we still kept one eye on the deals machine to see what tech sales are worth your dollars. Right now, we’re seeing a few good Apple deals — one on the latest iPad mini and another on the new 15-inch MacBook Air — as well as a first-time discount on the Kindle Colorsoft ereader. There’s a couple of Bluetooth tracker discounts to help you keep tabs on your keys and bags. And Best Buy is still running a promotion for three free months of Apple TV+ so you can start watching the just-dropped season two of Severance. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.

Anker Prime Power Bank 20,000mAh Portable Charger with charging base for $110 ($75 off): This matches the price this set hit for Black Friday. This is our current favorite premium power bank thanks to the sleek design, easy-to-read display and fast charging capabilities. But what really sets it apart is the charging base. Magnets align the base with the battery so it’s easy to plonk down and recharge. The base also provides extra USB ports so you can charge other stuff at the same time.

Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (2024, M3, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM) for $1,249 ($250 off): All four colors are currently on sale at Amazon for the latest MacBook Air. We gave the laptop a positive review last year, with plenty of performance for both productive work and casual play. The keyboard and trackpad are great, making the laptop a joy to use. We currently recommend the M3 MacBook Air as the best MacBook for most people.

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (32 GB) $230 ($50 off with Prime): If you’re a Prime member, you can save $50 on the recently released Colorsoft Kindle, aka the first Kindle with color. This is the first discount we’ve seen since this model’s debut. We experienced the “yellow band” issue with our review unit, but subsequently received an updated reader, to which Amazon made the “appropriate adjustments” to resolve the issue. The software and display adjustments the company implemented worked — and we actually liked the overall effect better. Check out our review for the full story.

Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

Chipolo One Point (4-pack) for $63 ($49 off): The Chipolo One point came out shortly after Google launched its Find My Device feature, the crowd-sourced finding network that relies on other Android phones to track down your missing stuff (sort of like Apple’s Find My function). This is currently our favorite Bluetooth tracker for Android. We liked how easy it was to set up and how loud it rings. Plus, unlike AirTags, it comes with a hole in it so attaching the tracker to a key ring is simple. Also at Amazon. Chipolo is also selling a pack combining its wallet and two standard One trackers for $52.

Apple AirTag (4-pack) for $70 ($29 off): A new model of AirTags may arrive later this year, but as it stands, we consider Apple’s current AirTag to be the best Bluetooth tracker for iPhone owners. This isn’t quite an all-time low, but it beats the going rate of $73 the four-pack has hit over the last few months. Also at Best Buy.

EcoFlow Delta Ultra inverter and battery set for $5,199 ($899 off): It’s no casual investment, but if you’re in the market for an all-in-one home battery, you can save around $900 on a 6.1kWh single battery and inverter set. We checked out the EcoFlow Delta Ultra at last year’s CES (this year we checked out the brand’s dapper solar hat). The battery can fill up from solar panels or the grid and feed power back to your house on demand or when there’s an outage.

JBL Clip 5 for $50 ($30 off): Those in the market for a decent-sounding but highly portable music box may want to check out this sale on the JBL Clip 5. This model isn’t on our list of the best Bluetooth speakers, but many other JBL options are. This waterproof unit has an integrated carabiner, goes for 12 hours on a charge and can pair with other Clip speakers via the Auracast feature in the JBL app.

Xbox Elite Series 2 Core Wireless Gaming Controller for $98 ($32 off): The Core version of the Elite Series 2 controller is one of our top picks for Xbox accessories. It gives you some of the key features of the $180 Xbox Elite Series 2 controller for a more approachable price. The Core has a rubberized grip and sturdier triggers, joysticks and directional pad. It also has up to 40 hours of battery life on a charge. It doesn’t come with the different joysticks, directional pads and back paddles that the full-priced Elite controller does, but you can buy those separately later down the road.

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

Meta Quest 3S 256G for $349 ($51 off): Here’s the lowest price yet on our favorite cheap VR headset. It also comes with a copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow and a three-month free trial of Meta Quest+. Both freebies have a combined value of $70. A Meta Quest+ subscription grants access to around 25 games, as well as multiplayer support for some titles. Also at Walmart

Apple iPad Mini (7th generation) for $399 ($100 off): The iPad mini got a refresh last October with upgraded internals and support for the Apple Pencil Pro. This configuration has 128GB of storage, 8GB of RAM and Apple’s A17 Pro chip. It’s our pick for the best compact iPad — of course it’s the only compact iPad but we found it to be an excellent way to play lots and lots of Balatro. We gave it a score of 83 in our review. Also at Best Buy.

Anker Nano Power Bank with Built-in USB-C for $20 ($10 off): This super small battery has a built-in USB-C so you don’t need to remember a cable to give your phone an emergency refill. We named it the best portable charger for Android devices (though it’s also great for the USB-C-enabled iPhone 15 and 16). In our tests, the 5,000mAh battery had enough juice to charge a Galaxy S23 Ultra to 65 percent in about an hour.

Jeff Dunn for Engadget

Soundcore by Anker Space A40 earbuds for $45 ($35 off): These earbuds are our top pick for the best budget wireless earbuds you can buy. You can customize the sound via the Soundcore app and the buds can swap between connect to two devices. The active noise cancellation (ANC) blocks out background noises and is surprisingly effective, particularly for headphones in this at this price range.

Dyson Digital Slim Cordless Vacuum for $250 ($250 off): In our guide to the best cordless vacuums, we recommend a number of Dyson vacs. The Digital Slim isn’t on the list, but it’s still worth considering, particularly since it’s half price (that’s not a record low, it went for $230 over Black Friday). It has a 40 minute run time and is 30 percent lighter than the Dyson V11, which should make it easy to move around your floors. Also at Amazon and Dyson directly.

Audible Premium Plus (3-month) for $3 at Amazon ($30 off, new and returning users only): From now through January 21, new and returning customers can get three months of Audible Premium Plus for a dollar a month, or $3 total. After that, it will automatically renew at the standard $15 per month. This is Audible’s highest tier that lets you listen to anything in the Audible Plus library and lets you keep one title from a curated selection of audiobooks each month.

Corsair MP600 Mini (1TB) M.2 2230 SSD for $80 at Amazon ($30 off): The MP600 Mini is a small-size SSD you can pop into gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck or devices like Microsoft’s Surface notebooks. It’s not that different from the M.2 2230 drive we recommend in our SSD buying guide, but this one is $20 cheaper right now, which matches its all-time low. Also at Corsair.

Apple TV+

Apple TV+ (3-month) for free at Best Buy ($30 off, new and select returning users only): Even if you just get this deal to watch the first season of Severance, followed by the first episodes of the just-released second season, it’ll be more than worth your time. Slow Horses, Ted Lasso and Silo are worth checking out too. The service usually goes for $10 monthly after a seven-day trial. And, as with all free subscriptions, this will auto-renew at full price so remember to cancel before then if you don’t want to get charged.

Samsung The Frame (2024) 55-inch QLED TV for $868 at Woot ($630 off): Looks like there’s still some time left to pick up the art-when-its-off Frame TV set. Samsung showed off a new “Frame Pro” model at CES last week with improved contrast and brightness, and support for a wireless connection. But that one isn’t likely to go on sale when it is launched. The picture quality isn’t the best you can get for the price, but if having a TV that looks like a framed piece of art is appealing, you may like what you get.

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/deals/the-anker-prime-battery-with-a-charging-base-is-40-percent-off-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-183037062.html?src=rss

How to sign up for the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience

The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally official, and while we still don’t know when anyone will be able to own the new console, we do know when some lucky people will get to try one for themselves. Nintendo is holding hands-on events starting on April 4 and running through June where you’ll be able to try the Switch 2 for yourself in select cities in North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia.

You can register for a “Nintendo Switch 2 Experience” event starting today, January 17 from 5PM ET / 2PM PT through January 26 at 11:59PM local time for each event location. If you’re planning on registering, you’ll need to be 18 years or older and have either a free Nintendo Account, or a Nintendo Account Family Group if you’re planning on going with a group. There’s no need for any kind of paid Nintendo Switch Online membership and you don’t have to worry about family members under six having an account as long as they’re accompanied by an adult that does.

It’s important to stress, heading to Nintendo’s website and registering for tickets doesn’t mean you’ll actually get to attend. Nintendo refers to the process as a drawing because attendees or groups of attendees will be chosen randomly. Signing up early doesn’t guarantee you’ll have a better chance of getting in.

Where Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events are being held

Nintendo is hosting its Switch 2 events for around three days in each city, though it’s only announced hands-on locations in the first three cities.

In North America, you’ll be able to register for a hands-on in:

New York, April 4-6, 2025 at Center415

Los Angeles, April 11-13, 2025 at Television City

Dallas, April 25-27, 2025 at Embarcadero Building at Fair Park

Toronto, April 25-27

For the events in Europe, you’ll be able to pick from:

Paris, April 4-6, 2025

London, April 11-13, 2025

Milan, April 25-27, 2025

Berlin, April 25-27, 2025

Madrid, May 9-11, 2025

Amsterdam, May 9-11, 2025

In Oceania, there’s only one event location:

Melbourne, May 10-11, 2025

Finally, in Asia, you’ll be able to choose from:

Tokyo (Makuhari), April 26-27, 2025

Seoul, May 31-June 1, 2025

Hong Kong, To be announced

Taipei, To be announced

How to sign up for a Nintendo Account

Nintendo

If you want to register to try the Switch 2, you’ll need to have an a Nintendo Account, and if you don’t already have one, they’re pretty easy to set up.

Head to the Nintendo Account website to get started. Then click on “Create a new Nintendo Account.” From there, enter in your date of birth and decide if you want to create your account using an existing Google or Apple account, or by entering in your information from scratch.

If you choose the latter, enter in a nickname, an email address, your date of birth, country of residence and timezone. Then agree to Nintendo’s User Agreement and Privacy Policy by checking their respective boxes and hit “Submit.” You’ll receive a verification code via email that you should then enter into the empty verification code field and click “Verify.” Once you do, you’ll be all set up.

The process is similar if you use an Apple or Google account. Nintendo will ask you to enter a nickname, date of birth, country of residence and timezone. You’ll also have to agree to the User Agreement and Privacy Policy, and submit a verification code. The key difference is once you do, you’ll be able to use your Apple or Google account to log in instead of an email.

How to add a child to your Nintendo Family Account Group

If you plan on checking out the Switch 2 with younger friends or family who aren’t old enough to have a Nintendo Account of their own, you can create one for them under a Nintendo Family Account Group.

To start, you’ll need to log in to your own Nintendo Account. Then click on “Family group” and then “Add a member.” From there you can select “Create an account for a child.” Enter the child’s date of birth, and then enter your Nintendo Account password and click on “OK.”

You’ll then have to enter a nickname, a child account sign-in ID (a username, essentially) and a sign-in password. Agree to the User Agreement and Privacy Policy, then click “Submit, and then “OK” to create the account.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-sign-up-for-the-nintendo-switch-2-experience-170052140.html?src=rss

Charge Cars rescued by private investors, so bring on that electric ‘67 Mustang replica

UK EV startup Charge Cars has been acquired by a group of private investors. The company will continue development of the ‘67, which is an all-electric replica of the iconic 1967 Ford Mustang.

CEO Paul Abercrombie said in a statement that the acquisition will allow “final development at our new global HQ” in the UK and that the company will be “rapidly delivering this exciting luxury vehicle to consumers.” He also noted that more details would be forthcoming.

The ‘67 is hand-crafted, with a body licensed by Ford. It will include central floor-mounted batteries, for an optimized center of gravity, with quad-motor technology that offers 400kW of peak power and 1,520 Nm of torque. The company promises the “highest standards of safety and vehicle dynamics.”

The car will boast an “all-new fully bespoke digital touchscreen interface,” which is the first time I’ve ever read the word “bespoke” in reference to a touchscreen. The infotainment system will offer Apple and Android compatibility.

Charge Cars started this project all the way back in 2016, but has run into a series of hiccups along the way. The company has long-been linked to the EV company Arrival, sharing a founder in Denis Sverdlov and certain technologies. Arrival had a promising start, inking a deal with UPS to supply delivery trucks throughout the US and Europe.

Unfortunately, Arrival went belly up. Charge Cars struggled on, but the reliance on Arrival’s tech and components became a real problem. It looks like this cash injection will solve that particular issue. Charge originally planned on making around 500 of the ‘67 replica EV, but we don’t know if it plans on sticking to that. The company says that further news will be “revealed imminently.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/charge-cars-rescued-by-private-investors-so-bring-on-that-electric-67-mustang-replica-171205211.html?src=rss

Prime members can now get $50 off the Kindle Colorsoft

Amazon expanded its ereader lineup a few months back with the Kindle Colorsoft, its first model with a color display. However, at $280, it was certainly on the pricier end — especially compared with similar devices from competitors. That equation has changed a bit, at least for Amazon Prime members. They’re currently able to pick up the Kindle Colorsoft for $230.

That equates to a discount of 18 percent. It’s the first time that Amazon has reduced the price of the Colorsoft, though you do need to be a Prime member to take advantage of the deal.

There were some teething issues with the Colorsoft, with reports that some customers were seeing a yellow band at the bottom of their display. That issue emerged on our review unit as well. Amazon offered refunds or replacements for affected devices.

The company sent us a second review unit on which the yellow band wasn’t present. The display seemed warmer in general too, which makes it look more like physical book pages. We have removed the score from our review until we’ve been able to test the replacement unit for a longer period and made sure the yellow-band problem doesn’t reoccur.

Page turns are swift on the seven-inch display, which has a 300 pixel-per-inch (ppi) density for black-and-white material and 150 ppi for color content. The device has 32GB of built-in storage and it supports Audible audiobooks. The Kindle Colorsoft will run for up to eight weeks on a single charge and you can top up the battery wirelessly or via USB-C.

The ereader has an IPX8 rating. That means it can withstand immersion in up to two meters of freshwater for up to 60 minutes and 0.25 meters of seawater for three minutes, according to Amazon. So, you can take the Kindle Colorsoft to the pool or beach without worrying too much about it getting wet.

There’s a pinch-to-zoom feature that should be helpful for those who read graphic novels on the Colorsoft. The auto-adjusting front light is handy too. Another major positive is that, unlike other Kindle models, the Colorsoft doesn’t feature lock screen ads by default.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-members-can-now-get-50-off-the-kindle-colorsoft-173501943.html?src=rss