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The sheer variety of streaming services can make it difficult to know just where and how to tune into sports, but Roku thinks it can help. The company has debuted a revised sports “experience” that puts live and upcoming matches in one place. You can tune into a live NCAA football showdown, or see when your favorite NBA team plays next. While you can browse a carousel of apps, the emphasis is on the games — select a match and you’ll know which service you need to tune in.

The new hub also includes zones specific to certain leagues and sports, and there are rows of free content if you’re not ready to subscribe. The initial service roster includes Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, DirecTV, Fox Sports, FuboTV, Paramount+, Sling, TBS, TNT, truTV and The Roku Channel. More options are due in the “coming months,” Roku says. You won’t get heavyweights like ESPN+ as a result, but you will have access to at least some major leagues.

The addition doesn’t come as a shock. Sports coverage increasingly serves as a hook for streaming platforms, with services like Apple TV+ and Prime Video even offering a handful of matchups for free. A central location might persuade you to stick with Roku hardware if you love live games, especially if you’re used to the simplicity of watching sports on conventional TV.

 

It’s the season to cozy up in front of your monitor with a big blanket, a cup of hot cocoa, a great game and all of your best friends in the Twitch chat. But before going live on Twitch or YouTube, there are dozens of factors to consider, such as lighting, audio quality, video output and software organization — and that’s just to get on-air. If you want to succeed as a streamer, it also takes practice, charisma, luck and, of course, the proper equipment.

While we can’t help with the patience, natural talent or social factors that determine who becomes a streaming star, we can recommend the tools to make a channel look as professional as possible from day one. If anyone on your gift list is serious about diving into the business of video game streaming, these are the gadgets they’ll be ecstatic to unwrap (and show off on-camera).

Elgato Wave:3

The Wave:3 is solid. This mic plugs into a PC via USB and delivers high-quality audio in a sleek black package. The Wave:3 is a cardioid mic, meaning it’s designed to isolate background noise and pick up just one speaker at a time, making it ideal for streamers. It’s simple to plug in and go live with this baby, and a mute button at the top of the mic also makes it easy to cut off your audio at the source. If you’re looking for broadcast-quality sound at a reasonable price point, the Wave:3 is the mic for you.

Buy Elgato Wave:3 at Amazon – $150

BEACN Mic

Now you’re just showing off. The BEACN Mic delivers incredibly high-quality audio, complete with noise cancellation so precise you’ll be able to ditch your headset, even with a game raging through your speakers. This alone makes it great for Twitch and YouTube streams, but the BEACN also looks fantastic on-camera in either black or white, with a customizable strip of RGB lighting running around its midsection. The BEACN is a dynamic mic that connects to a PC via USB-C, but its kit comes with a USB adapter as well. BEACN is a great choice for anyone who wants the best or prettiest mic around.

Buy BEACN Mic at Amazon – $280

Astro A10 Gen 2

Astro’s A10 Gen 2 will get the job done and look cute while doing so, no matter what your personal style is. The Gen 2 comes in a variety of colors and patterns, from deep black with neon details to pastel purple or teal, meaning there’s something for every kind of live streaming vibe. It has a flip-to-mute boom mic, an incredibly flexible body, and replaceable ear pads and headband cushion. This headset is compatible with PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch, so have at it, no matter how you play.

Buy Astro A10 Gen 2 at Amazon – $60

Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro

This one is especially great for PC streamers with serious live-streaming intentions. The Arctis Nova Pro is a top-of-the-line headset that delivers the most crisp sound possible, including 360 degree spatial audio. Meanwhile, the mic has AI-powered noise cancellation abilities, and the whole thing comes with a 10-band equalizer for swapping settings on the fly. The Arctis Nova Pro uses a USB connection and it’s compatible with PC, Mac, PS4, PS5 and Switch.

Buy Arctis Nova Pro at Amazon – $239

Elgato Stream Deck

Elgato’s Stream Deck makes live streaming easier, while also making users feel like they’re the captain of a 1970s spaceship. The Stream Deck is a customizable desktop controller with 15 LCD keys that can be set to launch and manage apps like Twitch, YouTube, OBS, Spotify and XSplit. Not only does this allow streamers to swap among programs with ease, but the buttons themselves are a lot of fun to press. This baby looks cute, feels good and it’s extremely useful in streaming situations – what more do you need?

Buy Elgato Stream Deck at Amazon – $180

8bitdo Pro 2 Bluetooth controller

8bitdo knows its way around a wireless gamepad, and the Pro 2 Bluetooth controller is no exception. Whether in the transparent-body special edition or the classic black, white or gray, the Pro 2 delivers precise inputs, support for up to three custom profiles, and two extra back buttons. The Pro 2 looks like an old-school controller but it has advanced, modern capabilities, and it works with PC, Mac, Android and Switch.

Buy 8BitDo Pro 2 at Amazon – $50

Razer Ripsaw HD

Capture cards ensure your gameplay and streaming antics are preserved in their best possible form, and Razer’s Ripsaw HD is a fantastic option for any player. It’s a pluggable device that records and streams gameplay at 1080p and 60fps, while allowing the game itself to hit 4K and 60fps. This is professional-level streaming with a plug-and-play interface.

Buy Razer Ripsaw HD at Amazon – $219

Logitech StreamCam

Logitech is one of the oldest desktop camera brands around and its expertise is apparent in the StreamCam. The Logitech StreamCam records in full HD – 1080p and 60fps – with a 78 degree field of view, auto-focus and dynamic auto-framing that keeps you centered as you shift around in the shot. The whole thing connects to a PC or Mac via USB-C, and it works out of the box with popular streaming software including OBS and Streamlabs.

Buy Streamcam at Amazon – $170

Logitech Litra Glow

The best thing you can do for your live-streaming setup is to get some good lighting, and Logitech’s Litra Glow has you covered. This is a small, mountable LED square that delivers a diffuse, soft glow without any harsh shadows or defined edges, and it’s designed to make its subjects look their best. It comes with an extendable three-way monitor mount and is USB-powered.

Buy Litra Glow at Amazon – $60

Nanoleaf Hexagon Smarter Kit

Every stream needs a little flair, and that’s where Nanoleaf comes in. The company has a line of light panels in various shapes and configurations, but the Hexagon Smarter Kit is a great place to start. The kit comes with seven light-up hexagon panels, and all the things you’ll need to install and customize them. You’re able to sync the lights to your gameplay or music, and they connect to Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple Homekit, Samsung SmartThings and Razer Chroma.

Buy Nanoleaf starter kit at Amazon – $200

Wanxing neon signs

Nanoleaf may be the premier brand when it comes to live-stream lighting, but there are plenty of other, cheaper options in the realm of on-screen glow. Wanxing, for instance, has a line of neon signs that’ll make any streaming space pop, at prices that won’t bust your budget. There are plenty of designs to choose from, including skulls, hearts, ghosts, game controllers and cute text, each available for less than $40.

Shop Wanxing neon signs

 

Waymo is considerably nearer to offering fully driverless rides to California residents. The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles has greenlit an amended deployment permit that lets Waymo charge the general population for completely autonomous rides on public roads. The update clears the way for Waymo One to charge for passenger-only service in San Francisco, much like it does in Phoenix. This also allows for paid delivery services.

The company isn’t opening Waymo One’s San Francisco operations to the public “at this time,” a spokesperson told Engadget. Waymo has so far limited these rides to employees and “Trusted Testers” covered under existing deployment and testing permits. The firm already had permission to charge for self-driving taxi rides with a safety driver aboard.

Waymo is catching up to a degree. Its GM-owned rival Cruise already has clearance for commercial driverless service in parts of San Francisco, albeit with restrictions on hours, speed and weather. Nuro also has a deployment permit, although it’s using its approval for autonomous deliveries through partners like Uber Eats.

Any future Waymo One service in San Francisco will still be relatively modest compared to what’s available in China. Baidu’s robotaxi service is available to the public in larger Chinese cities, albeit with limitations on driver-free cars. It will still represent a major milestone, though — one of the most influential cities in the US could soon offer robotic cars for your next trip home.

 

Taking on something a bit more challenging than adding a USB-C port, Aesthetics of Science and Technology (AST) claims to have built a folding iPhone. The group pillaged the folding screen from a Motorola RAZR, added some 3D-printed parts and combined it all with a jailbroken iPhone X. It’s very much a proof of concept, with little-to-no durability and a whopping gap when it’s folded. Thanks to the iOS jailbreak, it also has a split-screen mode. We’re staying skeptical – and have questions. How much internal hardware reorganizing happened? Can you fit an entire iPhone battery in one half of the phone?

Like the USB-C mod, it’s a possible preview of things to come. Apple has already announced that USB-C iPhones are incoming, and rumors suggest the company might unveil an official folding iPhone as soon as 2023.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

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Twitter’s new official checkmarks get launched and killed in a few hours

Got $8?

Elon Musk claims he “just killed” Twitter’s “official” verification badges, mere hours after deployment. The gray checkmarks have vanished from accounts that only just got them, including Engadget’s and The New York Times’. Twitter VP Esther Crawford clarified you’ll still see the marks, but the social media giant is handing them out to “government and commercial entities” first.

In justifying the move, Musk reiterated his view that tying the original checkmark to a Twitter Blue subscription will democratize the service. It will take some time before it’s clear just who gets what checkmarks and what vetting will be necessary to get the “official” tag.

Continue reading.

Meta is laying off more than 11,000 employees

It’s the first mass layoffs in the company’s history.

Meta is reducing the size of its workforce by about 13 percent and letting more than 11,000 of its employees go. According to The Wall Street Journal, Meta’s recruiting and business teams are likely to be hit especially hard. Zuckerberg says he wants to take accountability for how Meta found itself in this position. Apparently, he decided to significantly increase Meta’s investments following an exceptionally large revenue growth at the height of the pandemic.

But Meta has been losing billions of dollars on its investments in the metaverse, with Reality Labs losing more than $10 billion in 2021. The company has said it expects to lose “significantly” more in 2023. Facebook’s ad revenue has also taken a hit due to Apple’s changes to apps’ ad tracking abilities.

Continue reading.

Google One’s VPN comes to Mac and Windows

You can finally secure your desktop connection using Google’s service.

Google has released One VPN apps for Mac and Windows systems. As on mobile, the VPN encrypts and otherwise masks your internet traffic. You can’t use it to access content from other regions like you can with some VPNs (this isn’t your magic bullet for international Netflix content), but it should help if you’re worried about exposing your IP address or using a public hotspot.

Continue reading.

Google’s Stadia refunds, explained

No refunds for your Pro sub.

If you’ve ever bought a game on Stadia, Google’s soon-to-be-defunct cloud gaming service, it’s worth keeping an eye on your bank balance and credit card statements. As of today, Google is starting to process refunds for Stadia purchases. The first wave of refunds will include those for purchases of games, add-on content and subscriptions made through the Stadia store. It expects to issue most of them (including those for hardware purchases) by the time it shuts down the Stadia servers on January 18th.

This won’t encompass Stadia Pro subscription fees, however. Google notes that players may be able to transfer their save data from Stadia to other platforms, but it’s up to developers and publishers to support that. Ubisoft, Bungie, I/O Interactive, CD Projekt Red, Rockstar Games and Bethesda are working on ways to help players move their game progress to other platforms.

Continue reading.

 

Elon Musk has banned Twitter employees from working remotely, saying they need to spend 40 hours a week in the office unless he gives his express permission otherwise. Bloomberg reported from the company’s first official all-hands communications from Musk since bought the platform. He said workers need to prepare for “difficult times ahead” for advertising-led business like Twitter, and that he wants to see subscription fees, account for half the company’s revenue.

Twitter fostered a remote work culture during the pandemic, allowing many employees to work from home. It also instituted regular additional rest days for employees, another initiative Musk has axed, saying that Twitter’s turnaround will require “intense work.” Musk ’s other companies, SpaceX and Tesla, also require mandatory in-office work unless management specifically approves it. When he wrote to both sets of workers, he said that visibility was key for senior leadership, who should be seen to be working alongside their subordinates.

Musk added in his remarks that the company’s first priority — after completing the rollout of Twitter Blue — is to address his concern around automated accounts. A key pillar of Musk and the company’s fight, prior to acquisition, was the billionaire’s belief that the company was under reporting the amount of fake accounts running on its platform. 

 

Eventide declared the H9 the “one pedal to rule them all.” But that was over eight years ago. It was the definition of cutting edge digital effects 2013. Things change though, and in 2022 the company is finally introducing a proper successor — the H90 Harmonizer. 

The H90 is built on the same high-end ARM architecture as Eventide’s $8,000 rack mount H9000. While the company doesn’t get any more specific about the tech specs than that, it’s safe to assume it’s not the same exact setup in this $900 stompbox. There are 62 effects algorithms built-in to the H90 and, unlike the H9 (which has only 52 algorithms) you can run two of them simultaneously for more exotic and extreme effects. 

You’ll still find all the sounds from Eventide’s TimeFactor, ModFactor, PitchFactor, and Space pedals, as well classics from the company’s older rack mount units like the SP2016 Reverb. Headlining the new effects is probably Polyphonic Pitch Shifting, which uses Eventide’s SIFT (Spectral Instantaneous Frequency Tracking) tech. This isn’t the first effects processor to do polyphonic pitch shifting, but it’s not super common (and it’s quite difficult from a technical perspective). 

The six other new algorithms exclusive to the H90 include Prism Shift, which turns chords into arpeggiated synth delays; Even-Vibe, a Uni-vibe emulation with envelope followers; and Wormhole, a massive modulated reverb with pitch warping.

The other huge upgrade over the H9 is that the 90 has actual on board controls and a much cleaner UI. The original had one large knob and basically required you to use the companion app for anything beyond switching presets. The H90 on the other hand has five knobs, a trio of foot switches and a handful of buttons that should make it not just feasible, but simple to customize and tweak effects settings. But, there is still a companion app for macOS and Windows.

There’s connectivity galore here too. Four mono audio ins and outs, two expression control ports, 5-pin MIDI in and outs, plus USB for MIDI and software updates. Those audio jacks offer a lot of flexibility too. You can process two audio signals independently, or set them up as sends and returns to put other effects pedals in between two algorithms on the H90. 

Oh, and it has a tuner. 

The Eventide H90 is available now for $899.

 

Google Search can help ensure that you don’t miss any FIFA World Cup match you want to see when the even takes place from November 20th through December 18th. If you search “World Cup” on Google, you’ll now see a dedicated section at the top with the list of upcoming matches, along with their dates and your local time. 

On mobile, either on a browser or on the Google app, you’ll have the option to set up notifications for specific teams by tapping the “bell” icon at the top right corner of the screen and then choosing the squad you want to follow. You’ll also be able to keep up with the score in real time anywhere you are by tapping on the match you want to track and then dragging and dropping it anywhere on your screen. 

Notifications don’t seem to be available for desktop, but the dedicated Google panel for the World Cup will show you in-depth stats and win probabilities across devices. When the games begin, you’ll also be able to watch recap videos from FIFA+, the association’s streaming service, and official broadcasters that include the BBC directly on the results page. Plus, you’ll be able to play with or against fellow fans in a multiplayer game, wherein you can pick your side for a real match and score virtual goals for them. 

Google is also launching a label for businesses that can help you find a venue showing the games. For the upcoming matches, you simply have to type in “Where to watch the world cup near me?” Rather watch alone? You can also do that via YouTube TV, which will give you access to the live matches on FOX and FS1, or on Telemundo for Spanish-language broadcasts. If you have a Wear OS device, you can ask Google through your wearable to set match reminders for you and then view them all in the Agenda app. And in case you can’t get enough of everything football, the tech giant is also launching a new row on Google TV’s For You tab that showcases FIFA content and highlights.

 

Twitter has altered the rules for its $8 Blue subscription service to prevent new accounts from getting a blue checkmark. Yesterday evening, the company edited the service’s help page to add that accounts created on or after November 9th, 2022 “will be unable to subscribe to Twitter Blue at this time.” The website also added that Twitter Blue is only available on iOS for users in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, with plans to expand in the future. 

While Twitter didn’t explain why it’s putting the restriction on new accounts, the move came after an influx of impersonators got verified by paying for the service. “Twitter’s current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bullshit,” the website’s new owner, Elon Musk, tweeted earlier this month before details about the revamped subscription service were revealed. Yesterday marked the launch of the new Twitter Blue, and it allowed people to get the formerly elusive blue checkmark by paying for its perks that include instant verification. 

The internet being the internet, people quickly realized that they can pretend to be someone else and that the checkmark could help them fool unsuspecting users. A bunch of impersonators popped up on the website, including one claiming to be LeBron James who tweeted that the basketball star was requesting a trade. A fake Nintendo of America account tweeted a photo of Mario giving Twitter the middle finger, while a fake Valve account tweeted about a new competitive platform. Twitter started banning them after a few hours. The new rule could help curb the number of fake accounts, but it’s unclear how Twitter plans to address the issue going forward — it can’t lock new users out of Blue forever. 

While Twitter’s blue checkmarks are now for sale, it has another smaller, gray checkmark reserved for public figures. It started rolling out these “official” checkmarks yesterday, but it quickly pulled them back down and will hand them out to “government and commercial entities” first. 

 

The iOS 16.1.1 update Apple rolled out in China came with something extra that wasn’t included in the release for other regions. According to Bloomberg, it limits the window of time a user can receive files via AirDrop from non-contacts to 10 minutes. Prior to this change, people can choose to get AirDrops from everyone indefinitely. 

As the news organization notes, activists and protesters in China have been using AirDrop as a way to circumvent the country’s online censorship measures. It was widely used during Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests to share images of police brutality. More recently, protesters have been using it to spread messages opposing the Chinese government and denouncing Xi Jinping’s rule. By limiting the “everyone” option, users are less likely to receive messages from random protesters. They will, after all, have to reactivate the option after every few minutes. 

This isn’t the first the time Apple has introduced a feature — or, in this case, a restriction — exclusive to a certain region. That said, the tech giant has been criticized in the past for complying with rules meant to limit dissent in China and for implementing changes that would ensure it stays in the Chinese government’s good graces. Apple was previously accused of handing over some of its data centers in the country to Chinese authorities. More recently, the company reportedly told Taiwanese suppliers to ensure that parts bound for the mainland don’t come with “Made in Taiwan” labels. Instead, their source should be noted down as “Chinese Taipei” or “Taiwan, China.” 

While Apple didn’t tell Bloomberg why the limitation was introduced in the country, it told the organization that it won’t remain a Chinese exclusive. It reportedly plans to roll out the new setting to all users around the world next year to “mitigate unwanted file sharing.”

 

With the holidays around the corner, Signify, the company formerly known as Philips Lighting, is finally introducing a set of festive fairy lights. Measuring 20 meters (or just a touch over 65 feet), the Festavia string lights feature 250 mini LEDs. Naturally, they’re fully compatible with the company’s recently redesigned Philips Hue app. 

Thanks to that software support, the Festavia lights possess a few advantages over their conventional counterparts. For one, you don’t need to duck under your Christmas tree to turn them on and off. You can also use the app to dim and brighten the LEDs, change their color and set timers and schedules. You can even sync the lights to music with built-in Spotify and Samsung SmartThings integration.

Additionally, Signify is introducing two new features within the Philips Hue app. The first is a new “Sparkle” effect that gives each LED on the string a twinkle to make the lights look more festive. There’s also a new lighting style called Scattered included. It allows you to choose up to five colors, which the software will then randomly assign to each light. As with most Philips Hue products, you’ll pay a premium for all Festavia’s smart features. The lights are slated to cost a cool $160 when they arrive on November 15th. For that price, you’re probably better off buying a smart plug to use with your existing Christmas lights. You might not get all the features the Festavia lights offer, but you can still do things like set schedules.