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Lucid EV owners will soon have full access to Tesla’s Supercharger network, which is something that’s been in the works since 2023. This goes live on July 31, allowing folks to juice up at more than 12,000 Supercharger stations throughout North America. Some of the company’s vehicles can already use these charging stations, with the Gravity SUV gaining access earlier this year.

That leaves the Air line of luxury EV sedans. These vehicles will be able to roll up to a Tesla Supercharger for a top-off at the end of the month, but there are some major caveats. First of all, Lucid Air EVs will require an official adapter that costs $220, as they don’t ship with a built-in NACS ports. This adapter won’t work with V1 or V2 charging stations, which whittles down the convenience factor a bit.

There’s another problem for Air owners. The adapter is limited to a 50kW peak charge rate, which provides around 200 miles of range per hour of charging. The Air can typically achieve a 300kW peak charge rate. Not only is this hobbled charge rate bad for Lucid Air devotees, it’s also annoying for people that own other EVs. Remember, the Air will have to sit at the charger for an entire hour, which will increase traffic at the station.

Luckily, there are other charging stations available that make use of that 300kW peak rate. Air owners can use stations by Electrify America, EVgo and ChargePoint for a quick jolt. It’s good to know that the Tesla Superchargers will be there in a pinch, which could come in handy during a road trip.

The company also recently unveiled the 2026 lineup of Air EVs. There’s the Lucid Air Pure, which is a relatively streamlined option. Prices for this one start at $70,900. The Lucid Air Touring boasts an estimated range of 431 miles per charge, which is a decent metric. It starts at $79,900. Finally, the Lucid Air Grand Touring is the baddest of the bunch, with an estimated range of 512 miles per charge. Prices start at $114,900, but the seats offer a massage feature.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/lucid-owners-will-get-full-access-to-teslas-supercharger-network-on-july-31-184020050.html?src=rss 

Elgato’s latest capture card supports 4K at 60 fps to capture rich in‑game imagery in all its glory. The Game Capture 4K S works with just about any modern console, PC or handheld gaming device, including the Switch 2. Retailing for $160, this is the CORSAIR subsidiary’s best value yet for capturing in 4K. Elgato’s higher-end 4K X supports 4K capture at 144 fps but costs quite a bit more.

Though a more affordable model, the 4K S doesn’t skimp where it matters. The new capture card features zero-latency passthrough to your main display, and Elgato says latency in software previews can be as low as 30 milliseconds. Short of the most competitive FPS games, this is fast enough to play on a single screen if you must. If you are trying to capture a game like Valorant or CS2 and care more about frame rate than raw resolution, the 4K S can record at 1440p120 or 1080p240.

The 4K S also supports HDR10 passthrough up to 4K60, HDR10 capture to 1080p60 on Windows, VRR support and it has an analog audio jack for native team chat. The device is plug-and-play over USB-C for Windows 11, macOS and iPadOS. For those whose creative workflow lives on iPad, the 4K S can capture directly to iPad models with a USB-C port. Thanks to UVC compliance, the device is compatible with OBS Studio, Streamlabs, Zoom, TikTok Live Studio and other major broadcast apps.

Elgato is also releasing its newest capture application, Elgato Studio, which will replace 4KCU in the coming months. The software auto-detects the 4K S and offers ultra-low latency on previews. It will also include features like a snapshot tool for social media clips and allow creators to try out beta features through the software.

The Game Capture 4K S is available now for $159.99.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/elgatos-new-game-capture-4k-s-is-switch-2-compatible-164745527.html?src=rss 

Supermassive Games, the developer behind story-driven games like Until Dawn, The Quarry and The Dark Pictures Anthology, is cutting its workforce due to the ongoing “challenging” state of the games industry. The studio says it’s having to adapt its team structure and as a consequence expects to lose up to 36 employees.

The current size of the Supermassive’s staff is unclear, but in February last year it cut somewhere in the region of 90 jobs, at which time Bloomberg estimated the studio had more than 300 employees.

“This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be an incredibly difficult time for everyone,” the UK-based developer said in a statement published today. “Our absolute priority will be to offer full support to all those affected.”

Supermassive is currently working on Little Nightmares III and the sci-fi horror adventure Directive 8020, which is the fifth entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology. It said the layoffs will have no impact on the development of the former, which is still due out October 10. Directive 8020 has been delayed to the first half of 2026, which it says will allow it to “deliver the very best experience for our fans.” The game had been scheduled to release on October 2.

Supermassive is the latest developer to be hit with job losses, following Candy Crush studio King reportedly laying off at least 200 employees as part of the wide-ranging cuts at Microsoft. Virtuos, the studio behind Oblivion Remastered, also shed around seven percent of its staff last week, while Yooka-Laylee developer Playtonic let an unspecified number of its team go at the beginning of the summer.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/supermassive-games-is-delaying-directive-8020-and-laying-off-staff-165815343.html?src=rss 

We knew that Aardman, the animation studio behind Wallace & Gromit, was prepping a Pokémon show, but now we have some juicy details and actual footage. Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d and Pichu, as the name suggests, follows the sword-wielding Sirfetch’d and the baby pre-evolution of Pikachu.

It looks extremely charming, as one would expect from Aardman. The trailer is on the shorter side, but shows the dynamic duo getting involved in some cutesy shenanigans as an oblivious Wooloo relaxes in a field. It makes sense that the footage would highlight a sheep-inspired Pokémon, given that this studio also made Shaun the Sheep.

The show takes place in the Galar region, which is the UK-inspired land first introduced in Pokémon Sword & Shield. Aardman is a British studio, so this is a nice match. The program looks to focus entirely on pocket monsters, and not humans. This contrasts with the Netflix hit Pokémon Concierge, which follows a human protagonist.

Now for some bad news. Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d and Pichu isn’t coming until 2027 and there’s no streaming platform attached just yet. The trailer dropped during today’s Pokémon Presents livestream which also gave us footage of the second batch of Pokémon Concierge episodes and a full hour of Pikachu DJing for some reason.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/aardmans-pokemon-show-is-a-delightful-looking-romp-that-follows-sirfetchd-and-pichu-165907651.html?src=rss 

Microsoft has unveiled a new Surface Laptop 5G as part of its computing collection for business customers. The company said that a 5G option was in the works for its business line back in January when it unveiled other updates to the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop for Business, and this requested feature is intended to make the laptop an option that’s both portable and connected. With a system of six internal antennas, the Surface 5G should be able to transition smoothly between WiFi and cellular networks, as well as acting as a mobile hotspot for other devices.

As for the additional specs, the Surface 5G is a 13.8-inch machine kitted out with Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) processors. It promises a Neural Processing Unit of more than 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS) as required to be part of Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC program. Pricing information was not shared at this stage, but the Surface Laptop 5G is slated to begin shipments on August 26.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/microsoft-announces-surface-laptop-5g-for-business-170051146.html?src=rss 

Calling all gamers with a love of horror films: Hellraiser is getting a video game adaptation. Saber Interactive is turning the cult franchise into a game called Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival. Clive Baker’s 1986 novella, The Hellbound Heart, served as the basis for the Hellraiser films. He also wrote and directed the first instalment, which premiered in 1987. 

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival is a single-player game that has you play as Aidan while fighting your way through an “action survival horror experience.” You also must deal with Pinhead, who’s known for harvesting human souls — yeah, this is a creepy game. As Saber Interactive states, “The Hellraiser universe is defined by its unflinching exploration of pain, pleasure, and the thin and terrifying line that separates the two. That essence is at the heart of our game.” You can see for yourself in the announcement trailer.

The team at Saber Interactive took an additional step to ensure fans of the movie franchise are happy. They spoke with Clive Barker, himself, to maintain an “authentic” storyline. There’s no word yet on exactly when Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival will launch, but more announcements should come this year. It will be available on theXbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and the PC through Steam.   

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/a-hellraiser-game-is-in-development-145313443.html?src=rss 

CMF, the budget-friendly sub-brand from Nothing, has announced its latest smartwatch. Billed by its maker as the ideal entry-level fitness watch, the $99 Watch 3 Pro is the most advanced CMF wearable to date, promising updated health tracking and various built-in AI coaching features.

The Watch 3 Pro introduces dual-band GPS, which should make its route tracking more accurate, as well as a new four-channel heart rate sensor that Nothing says offers “improved accuracy across all skin tones and workout intensities.” You can choose from 131 sports modes, which is 11 more than its predecessor, with a personalized AI coach providing post-workout summaries and guidance. This includes long-distance running endurance predictions to help you train for that looming 10K.

In addition to the updated heart rate and sleep tracking, the Watch 3 Pro is also capable of blood oxygen (SpO₂) monitoring, stress tracking, guided breathing exercises, hydration and inactivity reminders, as well as women’s health tracking.

On-wrist ChatGPT integration allows you to ask questions and set reminders using “natural language” voice prompts, and there’s a voice recorder with autotranscription for when you want to quickly log a mid-run thought. You can also use AI to generate custom watch faces using the Watch Face Studio, in which you’ll find more than 120 styles premade out of the box. Widgets can be applied for fitness, weather, music or reminders, with a full-screen option available.

CMF’s latest wearable has a 1.43-inch AMOLED, always-on display, and you’re getting a 10 percent increase in screen-to-body ratio compared to the Watch Pro 2 before it. Battery life is 13 days with “typical” use, which Nothing says is a two-day improvement over its predecessor. If you’re hitting the tracking hard you can expect around 11 days of juice on a full charge. With the always-on display enabled, battery life unsurprisingly takes a significant hit to around 4.5 days.

Nothing says the Watch 3 Pro and all other smartwatches in the CMF lineup now use the Nothing X app, with the new control centre promising improved stability and a more intuitive UI. It also plays nice with Strava, Apple Health, and Google Health Connect

You’re getting a fair bit of bang for your buck, then, but we’ll have to wait and see how the Watch 3 Pro fares against pricier alternatives where everyday performance is concerned. When TechRadar reviewed the Watch 2 Pro earlier this year, it had lots of positive impressions of the watch, but noted some spotty fitness tracking and sensor detection. 9to5Google was even more critical, finding fault with the heart rate tracking and concluding that the product felt unfinished. And while the Watch 3 Pro covers a lot of the bases for fitness watches with its various sensors, it still lacks NFC for payments, which could be a deal-breaker for some people.

Available in Dark Grey, Light Grey, and Orange colorways, the CMF Watch 3 Pro costs $99 (a not insignificant $30 bump on the Watch Pro 2) is available to buy now.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/nothings-99-cmf-watch-3-pro-offers-better-battery-life-and-ai-fitness-coaching-151058055.html?src=rss 

Since last June, when DuckDuckGo introduced AI Chat, you’ve been able to use chat bots like Claude directly through the browser. Now the company is making it easier to tweak the system prompts of those AI models while retaining your privacy. For the uninitiated, system prompts are a set of instructions given to a chat bot at the start of a conversation to guide things along. Often they’ll set the tone of the dialogue, and can sometimes cause a chat bot to be overly sycophantic as was the case with GPT-4o this past March. 

Both Anthropic and OpenAI give users a way to customize the responses of their respective chat bots, but if you don’t know where to look for those settings, they can be tricky to find. DuckDuckGo’s new system setting is available directly through Duck.ai’s prompt bar and works a bit differently. Whatever customization you add is appended to the default system prompt for each model you chat with, meaning you don’t need to set them independently of one another. Moreover, your tweaks are stored locally on your device, with no data being sent to Anthropic, OpenAI or any other model provider. It’s a small addition, but if you use Duck.ai to compare the responses between different models, now you’ll get more consistency in tone.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/duckduckgo-now-lets-you-customize-the-responses-of-its-duckai-chatbots-151521930.html?src=rss