Kalakshar US

Roland may be a mainstay in the electronic music world, but it also dabbles in the occasional creator product, too. This year at CES the company has unveiled an audio interface aimed squarely at streamers and it’s called the Bridge Cast ($299).

Like rival products such as the GoXLR or Rode’s Rodcaster Pro II, the Bridge Cast offers a way to pipe different audio feeds (chat, music, game audio, browser sounds and so on) to different destinations – usually your local mix and the one your audience hears.

As you’d expect, there’s an input for an XLR mic and options for dual/submixes along with a selection of vocal effects. There are four channels with rotary controls for mic, aux, chat and game. Each channel also gets a mute button for quickly removing unwanted audio without diving into settings. An intersting touch is the ability to customize the faceplate so if your channel, stream or team has a logo you could add some branding into your Twitch or YouTube feed.

Deeper control will apparently be available via the companion software to fine tune the mic sound or even the EQ of your game audio.

The streaming space has become a massive opportunity for legacy audio companies, and it’s good to see Roland furthering its commitment to this space. How it stacks up to its rivals though, remains to be seen, but if your new year’s resolution was to finally get that stream off the ground then it looks like you have one more option to consider.

 

As someone who bought an electric toothbrush far too late in life, I appreciate any product that promises to save me from expensive dental care. After debuting a few years ago in Europe, the Y-Brush, a sonic toothbrush that can clean your teeth in 10 seconds flat, is now available in the US through Amazon. Unlike a traditional toothbrush, the Y-Brush features a mouthguard-shaped head with 35,000 nylon bristles designed to clean all your teeth simultaneously. Rather than moving the brush around your mouth for two minutes, you position one side of your mouth inside the Y-Brush, turn on the device and then gently chew on the brush head while rotating it around your teeth. Once you’re done with one set of teeth, you repeat the process on the other half. At most, you can expect to spend 30 seconds brushing your teeth.

Y-Brush doesn’t promise better cleaning performance so much as claiming you’ll do a better job of taking care of your teeth with its products. Since most adults spend about 45 seconds to a minute brushing when they go clean their teeth, most traditional and electric toothbrushes aren’t as effective as they could be if people spent the two minutes they’re supposed to commit to maintaining their pearly whites. Most modern electric toothbrushes try to get around that problem by including timers designed to remind you to move the brush around your gumline and hit different parts. The Y-Brush instead attempts to make the process as fast as possible.

At $80 for the base NylonStart model, which doesn’t include a timer setting (you can count to 10, right?), the Y-Brush is more expensive than your average electric toothbrush. Popular models like Sonicare 4100 will set you back about $50 – though you’ll curse Philips for its pricey and proprietary brush heads. Y-Brush also offers a kids model suitable for children between the ages of four and 12, and a $130 NylonBlack variant that features multiple timer settings and ships with an accessory you can attach to your toothpaste tube to make it easier to use it with the Y-Brush.

 

Meta isn’t the only tech heavyweight making tools to help root out terrorist content. The Financial Times has learned Google’s Jigsaw is developing a free tool to help smaller websites detect and remove extremist material. The project, built with the help of the UN-supported Tech Against Terrorism, makes it easier for moderator teams to deal with potentially illegal content. The effort has the assistance of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (founded by Google, Meta, Microsoft and Twitter), which offers a cross-service database of terrorist items. Two unnamed sites will test the code later this year.

As with Meta’s open source utility, Google’s tool is meant to assist sites that can’t afford to develop AI detection algorithms or hire a large moderation staff. That may be critical when the European Union’s Digital Services Act and the UK’s looming Online Safety bill will both require that site operators pull extremist content to avoid penalties.

Both Google and Tech Against Terrorism see their project as necessary to close a gap in countering online terrorist activity. Extremists and misinformation peddlers kicked off mainstream platforms frequently turn to smaller outlets that can’t always adequately police users. Ideally, this reduces the chances of terrorists finding safe havens.

There are limitations. Some social platforms have been reluctant to moderate content even when app store operators say it incites violence — Google’s tool won’t be very useful on websites that don’t want it. It also won’t stop terrorists from sharing material over well-encrypted messaging services or the Dark Web, where providers can’t easily snoop on data traffic. This might, however, make it harder to jump to online alternatives.

 

A new hands-on video was posted today of the alleged Google Pixel 7a. The 49-second clip shows a device that reflects previous leaks and rumors about Google’s next mid-ranged Pixel.

The device in question, posted on Slashleaks (first spotted by 9to5Google), looks similar to the Pixel 6a and Google’s 2022 flagships. The device name in Android 13 settings says “Pixel 7a,” and the handset runs internal pre-release (“design validation test”) software. The phone’s language is also set to Vietnamese, where Google manufactures its A-series phones. 

The phone in question has a “Smooth Display” that can adjust its refresh rate from 60Hz to 90Hz — which would be a first in the A-series line. (The Pixel 6a’s 60Hz display is one of its most griped-about features.) Previous leaks suggested that the upcoming model uses a Samsung display and an upgraded primary camera sensor from Sony. Although today’s video leak doesn’t address it, previous rumors suggest the 7a will be the first A-series Pixel with wireless charging.

If history is any indication, Google will announce the new phone at Google I/O 2023 in May. Other rumors include 10.1mm depth, a SIM tray on its left side (suggesting Google won’t follow Apple in going all-in on eSim this year) and no headphone jack.

 

ASUS is refreshing its gaming laptops with HDR Mini LED displays, better cooling and updated processors and graphics. However, since the company hasn’t yet announced pricing, it’s harder to discern the latest models’ value.

The Nebula display is found in more models than ever this year. That company branding denotes screens with high frame rates (120Hz for 4K and QHD screens and 240Hz or higher for 1080p), bright backlights and vivid colors. Meanwhile, the new Nebula HDR variant is like an ultra-premium version highlighting Mini LED panels. For example, the Nebula HDR display in the Strix SCAR 16 is a Mini LED with 1,024 dimming zones (double last year’s model) and a 240Hz refresh rate. Although we don’t yet know the pricing, it’s a safe bet those models will fetch top dollar.

The new laptops, which launch in Q2, also have updated 13th-gen Intel or AMD Ryzen Zen 4 processors, depending on your configuration. NVIDIA’s new GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop GPUs power the graphics in maxed-out variants of the new machines.

ASUS added “intelligent cooling” to several new models, including the Zephyrus M16 and Strix models in 16-inch and 18-inch variants. The company accomplished this using a full-width heatsink spanning the device’s rear. ASUS also added a third cooling fan to more models. (It was first seen in the Flow X16 from 2022.) That extra fan improves airflow to the GPU and other internal hardware.

The Strix SCAR line, which ASUS calls the “performance flagships,” have bigger 16- and 18-inch screens than their 15- and 17-inch predecessors (including Nebula HDR in the most expensive tiers). In addition, ASUS says this year’s cooling improvements let these models push higher frame rates. Meanwhile, the Strix G16 and G18 are slightly less high-end (likely cheaper) equivalents to the Strix 16 and 18 with the same CPU and GPU options.

ASUS is also updating its light-and-thin Zephyrus line. The ROG Zephyrus M16 has a Nebula HDR display. Like several other models, top-shelf models include a MUX Switch and NVIDIA Advanced Optimus. They bypass the machine’s integrated graphics, using discrete graphics almost instantaneously. The full-width heatsink and tri-fan tech also let it run 25 watts higher than the 2022 version.


Meanwhile, the Zephyrus G16 has the same processor and graphics options with a QHD Nebula display that supports 240Hz. Its smaller sibling, the Zephyrus G14, gets a Nebula HDR panel with 504 dimming zones and 600 nits of peak brightness.

ASUS’ Duo 16 is the latest iteration of its quirky, dual-screen laptop line. Like the 2022 model, the updated version has a 16-inch Mini LED panel as its main screen with a smaller 4K display below for multitasking. It also joins other models in offering the new NVIDIA graphics and MUX Switch in the highest-end models.

The company also updated the ROG Flow, its 2-in-1 tablet PCs for gamers. The Flow X13, which has a 360-degree rotating hinge, has a 13-inch Nebula display supporting a 165Hz refresh rate. Additionally, ASUS redesigned its chassis, making it 10mm smaller and increasing its battery capacity (from 62 to 75 Wh) while maintaining the same keyboard layout. The company also made its touchpad bigger and redesigned the 2-in-1 hinge with better ventilation and an easier grip.

The X13’s larger companion, the Flow X16, has an HDR Mini LED touchscreen with a 240Hz refresh rate and 1,100 nits peak brightness. In addition, all ASUS’ 2023 Flow devices use Corning’s Gorilla Glass DXC, which can increase hardness by 40 percent and reduce glare. Meanwhile, the Flow Z13, a detachable that’s like a Microsoft Surface for gamers, is updated with the new Intel and NVIDIA components and a QHD Nebula display with a 165Hz refresh rate.

 

We often see a bunch of healthcare-oriented gadgets coming out of CES, but Vivoo’s latest offering isn’t exactly a fitness tracker. The company has unveiled a smart toilet device that can test your urine and send the results to your phone.

The tech is built into a device that can clip onto existing toilets. Vivoo, which has offered at-home urine tests for the last few years, designed the system with residential care, the elderly and healthcare service providers in mind. It could give those who simply want to know more about what’s going on with their body some additional data. 

The device will automatically align a testing strip with a person’s urine stream, according to Vivoo, which says this approach should reduce the risk of mess involved with a handheld strip. An optical reader akin to those used in hospitals analyzes the urine sample for four wellness parameters and delivers the results to the Vivoo app within 90 seconds. The company suggests that the results can offer “indications of certain deficiencies or abnormalities” and help with early detection of some conditions.

Vivoo says its app can provide data on your body’s water, magnesium, pH, protein and sodium levels, among others, though disclaimers on its website say these measurements are not intended for medical use. It offers nutrition advice based on the results and Vivoo may suggest personalized supplements.

The company claims it’s easy to clean the smart toilet device. It adds that the system has an ergonomic design. However, based on images Vivoo provided, the device is positioned at the front of the toilet seat and it looks fairly cumbersome. Folks who need to sit to pee may find it difficult to position their legs around it, such as the elderly and those with mobility issues.

 

Quality assurance workers at ZeniMax Studios have voted in favor of forming a union with Communications Workers of America — and ZeniMax’s parent company, Microsoft, didn’t stand in the way. Microsoft formally recognized ZeniMax Workers United/CWA alongside today’s vote results, making this the largest union in the video game industry and the first US union at Microsoft overall.

About 300 ZeniMax staff members were involved in the unionization effort, which was brewing for months before going public in early December. This was around the time QA testers at another major video game studio, Blizzard Albany, voted to unionize with CWA. The Blizzard Albany union is the second at parent company Activision Blizzard, after QA staff at Raven Software voted to organize in May 2022.

The employees behind ZeniMax Workers United/CWA argue that the union will help put an end to sudden periods of crunch, make pay more equitable, and improve communication with management, among other workplace benefits. ZeniMax Studios specializes in online experiences and is responsible for Elder Scrolls Online. The studio was absorbed by Microsoft in March 2021 as part of the broader ZeniMax Media acquisition, a $7.5 billion deal that brought Bethesda and other prominent development houses under the Xbox banner.

Microsoft is currently attempting to acquire — emphasis on attempting — Activision Blizzard, which would tie all of these unionization campaigns together. Activision Blizzard has actively tried to quell organization efforts, while Microsoft in June said it would respect all unionization efforts at Activision Blizzard. The ZeniMax vote was the first big test of Microsoft’s neutrality when facing internal unionization.

 

If you were hoping to spend your lunch break watching your favorite streamer play, you might be forced to change your plans. Twitch is currently experiencing an issue that is preventing parts of the platform, including channels and streams, from loading properly. According to Downdetector, the outage began around 1PM ET. Since then, the website has logged more than 21,000 complaints that the streaming platform isn’t working properly. 

At 1:24PM ET, Twitch acknowledged the outage. “We are investigating an issue preventing multiple areas of Twitch from loading,” the platform’s official support account said on Twitter. Less than an hour later, Twitch said it was working to deploy a fix. 

It’s unclear what started causing the issues, but one member of the Engadget team noticed they could continue watching a stream as long as they didn’t refresh their browser window. Some Twitch streamers took to Discord so members of their chat could still talk with one another. We’ll update this article once Twitch provides more information.      

 

If the RTX 4080’s $1,199 price point has stopped you from jumping on NVIDIA’s Ada Lovelace architecture, you can now access the power of one of the most powerful GPUs on the market through the company’s cloud gaming service. Alongside the RTX 4070 Ti (neé RTX 4080), NVIDIA is introducing a new GeForce Now tier. Set to replace the platform’s existing RTX 3080 plan, the new Ultimate tier grants access to servers with RTX 4080 GPUs.

You can expect a few upgrades thanks to the switch. To start, you can play games at up to 240 frames per second, with full support for hardware-based ray tracing and NVIDIA’s recently announced DLSS 3 frame generation technology. Provided you own a G Sync monitor and you’re playing a game that supports the company’s Reflex Low Latency Mode, you can also take advantage of GeForce Now’s new frame pacing technology. According to NVIDIA, the tech significantly reduces input lag over the cloud. We’ve reached out to NVIDIA to find out if those with G-Sync Compatible monitors can take advantage of the feature. NVIDIA is also adding support for ultrawide resolutions, and those with 4K displays can now play games at up to 120 frames per second.

If you’re already an RTX 3080 member, NVIDIA will automatically upgrade your account to the new tier at no additional cost. The company says RTX 4080 servers will start coming online later this month in North America and Europe, with availability in other regions to follow over the next few months. Pricing will remain at $20 per month or $100 for six months, as was the case with the past RTX 3080 plan. NVIDIA will also continue to offer $10 per month Priority memberships.

 

LG has new Gram laptops at CES 2023. The latest entrants in the company’s ultra-portable line include the “thinnest Gram model yet” and a glass laptop with a “hidden” LED-lit trackpad.

With a depth of 10.99 mm, LG says the new Gram Ultraslim is the company’s thinnest notebook. The device weighs a mere 998 g (about nine percent lighter than the model it’s replacing) and has a 15.6-inch OLED display with 1080p resolution. Of course, it gets a processor bump with 13th-gen Intel Raptor Lake chips.

The Gram Style is a new variant for this year with a glass design. Shipping in 16- and 14-inch variants, the Style has anti-glare OLED screens: 3,200 x 2,000 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate in the 16-inch model and a 2,880 x 1,800 OLED with 90Hz for the 14-inch variant. LG says the Style has a “hidden touchpad” with LED backlighting that illuminates when you touch it. Along with 13th-gen Intel Raptor Lake chips, the new machines include Gen4 NVMeTM solid-state drive in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB tiers.

LG has new variants of the standard Gram laptop line in 17-, 16-, 15- and 14-inch variants. These models have IPS displays, updated Raptor Lake Intel chips and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop graphics. LG is also updating its Gram 2-in-1 line with 360-degree rotating hinges. These updated models ships with 14- or 16-inch touchscreen IPS displays at 2,560 x 1,600 (16-inch) or 1,920 x 1,200 (14-inch) resolution. Additionally, they include pre-installed note-taking and drawing apps designed for the bundled LG Stylus Pen.

All new Gram laptops this year include Dolby Atmos audio for the first time, and LG touts the “ultra-compact” power adapter shipping with all new Gram models. In addition, their displays all have anti-glare coatings and support the LG Glance privacy tool. Unfortunately, we’ve run into build-quality issues with past Grams, so hopefully, the new models will fare better.

LG hasn’t yet announced pricing for the new laptops. They will launch globally starting in February. The company says it will announce US pricing and availability later.