Apple’s most expensive Watch yet (if we ignore the Hermes and ceramic distractions of yesteryear) has landed. The Apple Watch Ultra is surprisingly comfortable for its size, and costs less than expected. Not only does it offer many impressive specialized features for outdoor adventurers but it also lasts longer than other Apple Watches. People who don’t dive, hike, bike or run outside regularly might not need to spend the extra cash on the Ultra — the Series 8 is more than capable.
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Reviews Editor Cherlynn Low was frustrated by the new button layout but came away thinking that the Apple Watch Ultra may be the ultimate smartwatch. Check out the full review.
– Mat Smith
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These may be the affordable midrange GPUs you’ve been waiting for.
The notion of Intel getting into the world of discrete graphics cards once seemed ludicrous. This is the company that killed its last major GPU project in 2009 and spent the 2010s focusing on weak integrated graphics. However, the Arc A750 offers plenty of power for under $300. It can best NVIDIA’s RTX 3060 Ti in some benchmarks and games, making it one of the best deals in the GPU market today. Meanwhile, the Arc 770 excels at 1440p performance and has a decent amount of ray tracing support for a $329 card. We have reservations about long-term support from Intel, however.
And not all of them will break the bank.
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When it comes to wireless headphones, the best combine stellar audio with powerful active noise cancellation (ANC) and other handy tools. For this guide, we’ve focused primarily on the over-ear style and offer a range of prices, so you can decide how much you’re comfortable spending.
It has a pointer!
NES OS
Inkbox Software has released a graphical operating system, NESOS, for Nintendo’s first home console. The mid-’80s technology restricts the OS to two apps (a word processor and settings – as dull as many personal computers were back then) and eight 832-byte files. There is a pointer, movable icons and customizable interface colors. NESOS fits into just 48K, and the files sit inside the 2K of NVRAM.
It’s no longer available for purchase.
It’s only been a year since Amazon launched Glow, its kid-focused video calling device that can also be used for interactive gaming. And the company has already discontinued it, most likely due to lackluster sales. As Bloomberg notes, Glow, while highly rated on Amazon, only has a bit over 500 reviews on the website. The device was launched during the peak of the recent pandemic. There’s likely less demand for a specialized video calling device for kids. And maybe they could just use a phone?
It says Kinzen will help ‘identify emerging threats on the platform.’
Spotify has bought Kinzen, a company that uses machine learning to detect harmful content online. Spotify said that Kinzen will “help us more effectively deliver a safe, enjoyable experience on our platform around the world” and that the company’s tech is especially suited to podcasts and other audio formats. Looking for signs of harmful audio content is tricky, particularly since there may be nuances that certain systems and non-native speakers may not pick up on. As such, Spotify says Kinzen will help it to “better understand the abuse landscape and identify emerging threats on the platform.”
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