Category: Tech News

Connections is the new puzzle game from the New York Times, and it can be quite difficult. If you need a hand with solving today’s puzzle, we’re here to help.

Trying to solve the Wordle today? If you’re stuck, we’ve got a few hints that will help you keep your Wordle streak alive.

Swimming is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Cleaning a pool, however, is an absolute drag. For my money, pool-cleaning robots are much handier than even standard robovacs. If you have access to a pool, the forthcoming Wybot S3 could ensure you never have to walk around like a doofus with an oversized net ever again.

Announced at CES, the Wybot S3 is an improvement over the S2 in nearly every way. The company says it’s the “first self-docking, self-emptying automatic charging pool cleaning robot.” It includes an automated self-emptying system, which is standard with land-based robovacs but new to water-adjacent models. The unit transfers debris from its body to a 10-liter above ground base station. This bin is big enough to go 30 days without having to be manually emptied. 

Wybot

Another first? The robot charges itself automatically via integrated solar panels. Under optimal sunlight, it’ll suck up around 1.5 hours of runtime per day. If the weather is less than ideal, the unit can also be charged by plugging into a traditional power outlet.

As for the actual cleaning, the unit includes a whole bunch of sensors that help it create a 3D map of the entire “underwater environment.” This lets it plan the most efficient cleaning route and minimizes the chances of blind spots. The company says this is particularly important for irregularly shaped pools. It also comes with a camera that susses out the largest amounts of debris, for improved efficiency and accuracy.

Wybot

The Wybot S3 can be monitored and controlled in real-time via a proprietary app, with a connection that combines Wi-Fi and sonar. The aquatic robovac is available for preorder right now, with shipments going out in the second quarter of the year. However, all of that waterproof tech is gonna cost you. The robot will be priced between $2,500 and $3,000, depending on which options are selected.

Pool cleaning robots have been popping up all over the place lately. A company called Aiper brought an impressive model to CES back in 2023 and the Beatbot Aquasense Pro has been receiving rave reviews.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/the-wybot-s3-just-might-be-the-pool-cleaning-robot-of-your-dreams-140100715.html?src=rss

Sum is expected to cover tens of millions of Apple users affected over a ten-year period.

Brisk It debuted its first AI-enabled smart grill concept at CES last year, and now the company is back with a new, low-cost model for 2025. Dubbed the Zelos 450, this compact unit joins the Origin series machines in the company’s lineup. Despite the dramatically lower price of $399, Brisk It still managed to pack in its AI cooking tech to assist in all areas of backyard grilling.

The company says its Zelos line of pellet grills were designed to offer its advanced features at a more affordable price. Although the company has only announced the 450-square-inch version at CES 2025, it sounds like a larger option could be on the way. Like Brisk It’s other models, the main selling point is the company’s Vera generative AI platform.

Now in version 2.0, Vera offers image recognition on your phone to construct personalized recipes, replicate completed dishes, make a meal based on photographed ingredients or provide inspiration based on what’s in your shopping cart at the store. Every recipe is automated with the grill, which the company says will reduce stress and ensure consistent results. Brisk It says the tech makes BBQ and grilling as easy as asking a question and pressing a button. In fact, the company claims the combination of Vera and the Zelos 450 can even compensate for mistakes like forgetting to baste a prime rib roast.

Like most smart pellet grills, the Zelos 450 has Wi-Fi connectivity that allows you to control the grill and monitor progress from anywhere via your phone. The grill also can smoke as low at 180 degrees Fahrenheit and sear at 500 degrees, or anything in between like baking and roasting. The Zelos 450 has a simpler design than Brisk It’s Origin series, with a more basic onboard controller and display than those first two models. This makes sense given the much lower price tag.

The Zelos 450 will be available in Q1 2025 at Amazon, Home Depot, Walmart, Lowes and directly from the company for $399.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/brisk-its-latest-ai-infused-smart-grill-only-costs-399-140035250.html?src=rss

If you’ve been toting around a separate mixer to record two audio sources, Shure’s latest USB-C microphone will lighten your load. Following the MV7+, the company has introduced the MV7i, which it says is the first microphone with a built-in, two-channel audio interface. To achieve this, Shure swapped the XLR output for a combination XLR and 1/4-inch input. All of the mixing can be done inside the company’s MOTIV apps, or with your go-to recording software, thus eliminating the need for a mixer to connect two mics, or a mic and an instrument. 

Like the MV7+, the MV7i is inspired by the popular SM7B microphone. If you’ve watched a video podcast recently, you’ve likely seen the SM7B, or a variant of it, in action. The overall shape of that more robust model is carried over to the MV7 line once again, complete with a durable metal frame. This new version also keeps the customizable LED touch panel that shows levels and acts as a mute button. 

The combo XLR and 1/4-inch input around back offers 60dB of gain and 48 volts of phantom power, so you can employ dynamic and condenser microphones with the MV7i. If you connect an instrument, the microphone automatically detects the input type and applies the correct DSP for recording. The USB-C output is compatible with Mac, Windows and select mobiles devices. It’s MFi certified for use with iPhone and iPad as well. 

Billy Steele for Engadget

With Shure’s tech, the MV7i and the MOTIV app automate a lot of the production steps for you. There’s an Auto Level mode with SmartGate that calibrates gain based on several factors and reduces the volume of a channel when no one is talking. That latter item should minimize crosstalk during recording, Shure explains. There’s also a real-time denoiser for ambient sounds, a digital pop filter and three different types of reverb. 

Inside the MOTIV Mix desktop app, you can capture multi-track recordings and tweak settings like sound signature and gain. There are also three output options — Mixdown, Multi-track and Stereo — that give you the ability to combine everything into one mono output for quick uploads, keep the two inputs separate (mono) for edits or combine the two inputs into a stereo track. The MV7i also works with MOTIV Audio and MOTIV Video mobile apps, complete with direct recording to supported devices. 

I’ve been testing the MV7i over the last few weeks as part of a full review coming later this month. So far, the microphone has offered the same great sound quality at its predecessor. I continue to be amazed at how well the MV7 series mics block out background noise and the options inside the MOTIV desktop app provide some room for customization. I’m also very glad you can alter the level meter LED on the MV7i like you could on the MV7+. I find the active lighting to be a distraction during recording, especially when you’re on video for a podcast. 

The MV7i was made for me. I’m getting ready to launch a podcast in a few weeks and I’ve been dreading having to buy a mixer for a two-mic setup. With this device, I can plug in the MV7+ to the MV7i via XLR and do all of the levels and settings in an app. And when I need to record remotely, all I need to pack up is two microphones and two cables. 

The MV7i is available now for $349 with a 3-meter USB-C to USB-C cable in the box. You’ll want to make plans to buy a stand though, since the microphone doesn’t come with one. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/shure-put-a-two-channel-audio-interface-inside-its-latest-mv7-microphone-140016646.html?src=rss

Intel is revving up its AI chip lineup at CES 2025. Today, the company unveiled the Core Ultra 200H chips for “performance thin and light” notebooks, alongside the Core Ultra 200HX chips for mobile gamers who demand powerful discrete GPUs. There aren’t any big surprises with these chips, but if you were eyeing the Core Ultra 200V AI chips, but wanted something with a bit more horsepower, the 200H and 200HX are exactly what you’re looking for.

Intel

The Core Ultra 200H family tops out with the Core Ultra 9 285H processor, which offers 16 cores (six performance, eight efficient and two low-power) and a top speed of 5.4GHz. It also sports 8 Intel Arc GPU cores, which is enough to play some smaller titles. The Core Ultra 200HX family adds more cores to make them better suited to games and high-intensity workloads. The high-end Core Ultra 9 285HX has 24 cores (eight performance and 16 efficient) and a maximum speed of 5.5GHz. While it offers only 4 Intel GPU cores, it’s not meant much to game much on its own. Instead, it’ll be paired up with discrete GPUs from NVIDIA or AMD in gaming laptops.

Intel

Intel didn’t have many other details to share on these chips, other than the fact that we can expect to see systems featuring them sometime in the first quarter. That’s also when desktops powered by the Core Ultra 200S chips start shipping. But hey, it’s CES, and AMD almost certainly has its own chip refresh in tow. Intel had to announce something, otherwise all we’d be talking about is how much trouble the company is in following the ouster of former CEO Pat Gelsinger.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/intel-unveils-arrow-lake-ai-chips-for-gaming-laptops-at-ces-2025-140010111.html?src=rss

Every year at CES, Stern Pinball has a new game to show off. They’re one of the oldest and most well-known pinball manufacturers (not to mention one of the few left standing in 2025) so it’s always fun for me, a pinball nerd, to check out what they have to show off. This year, it’s a new machine meant to celebrate 50 years of Dungeons & Dragons called Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye. And like many pinball games, you can just walk up and play without knowing the intricacies of the game, but there’s a lot here to uncover over time.

The thing that caught my eye was the fact that you can pick a character and level them up over time, provided you use Stern’s Insider Connected app. That app already lets you create a profile and keep track of achievements, games in your area, your top scores and other features (you “log in” by scanning a QR code from the app). But with Dungeons & Dragons, you can actually improve your character over time and save your progress through the game’s many modes. When you first start, you choose a character and location, and those choices will affect the goals you need to achieve. Stern specifically say that its new “PinSave” system will let you save character experience points, inventory items and game campaign progress across multiple games. 

That’s a subtly wild move for a pinball game — usually you get three balls and that’s it. It’s a nod to how complex newer games can get these days, and Stern already experimented with something similar on its Venom game from 2023. The same lead designer built both Venom and Dungeons & Dragons, and a representative from Stern said he looked at the saved progress in Venom as a way to experiment and trial for the bigger system in place for the latest game. 

I got to take Dungeons & Dragons for a spin (the Stern rep told me I was the first person who wasn’t an employee to play the game), and while there’s only so much you can glean from a couple plays, it feels much like other modern Stern machines. That’s not a bad thing — the playfield is lovely, and the large dragon on the left side presents some interesting challenges. Stern told me that it can try and block shots and also it enables a wild eight-ball multiball mode, with the dragon actively trying to bounce your balls into the drain. I didn’t get to try this, but I’m looking forward to seeing it sooner or later. There’s also a gelatinous cube that can freeze your ball in place via magnets. 

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Finally, there’s an impressive voice cast on this game, including Michael Dorn (Worf from Star Trek) and Kevin Smith, as well as Matthew Mercer, Marisha Ray and Laura Bailey from Critical Role. That’s just a handful of those participating in the game; you can check out the full list here. 

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

I’ve never bothered using Stern’s Insider Connected app before, mostly because I’m lazy — but if there’s a Dungeons & Dragons machine near me I’ll probably give it a shot. While you can easily enjoy the game and play your three balls without making an account, more hardcore players will probably enjoy the process of leveling up over time, and it’s a feature that makes perfect sense given D&D’s focus on progression over time. 

As usual, this machine is not cheap — Stern is only making 740 total, with prices ranging from $6,999 for the Pro edition up to $12,999 for the limited edition. Start saving those quarters, D&D / pinball fans. Or, on a more reasonable note, start keeping an eye out at your local arcades. Stern’s app will help you find games near you, too, if you want to go the more modern route. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/sterns-latest-pinball-machine-is-a-loving-tribute-to-dungeons–dragons-131053243.html?src=rss

This is not a phone. The Comet by Mecha Systems is a modular, Linux-based handheld computer built for hobbyists, engineers, students, artists and roboticists of all kinds. The Comet is a chunky palm-sized device, and it has a 1.8 GHz ARM64 Quad-core processor, 4 GB of memory and 32 GB of on-board storage, though this space is expandable. Most of the Comet’s features are customizable, in fact.

The Comet’s magnetic snap interface allows users to clip on a variety of control panels, called extensions, transforming the handheld into whatever device you need. For now, Mecha offers three standard extensions: a gamepad with a soft-press D-pad and four input buttons, a GPIO panel with access to 40 pins, and a keyboard with ABS keys.

The whole thing runs on Mechanix OS, a custom Debian-based Linux distro, and its graphical user interface is powered by Mecha’s open-source Mechanix Shell, “making it among the few small-screen touch interfaces available today for Linux,” according to developers. The Comet’s screen is an IPS LED display with capacitive touch and it’s 3.4 inches on the diagonal. The handheld has a 5MP camera with auto focus, a mic, speaker, two USB-A ports and an ethernet port, plus Bluetooth 5.0 and 2.4 GHz wireless slash 5 GHz 802.11ac capabilities.

The Comet can take any Raspberry Pi-based HAT and any mikroBUS Click board. It’s designed for people to play with every part, especially its internals. The back of the Comet pops off for easy tinkering and there’s even an Allen wrench embedded in the device to encourage exploration. The screen also comes off with a few quick screw turns — basically, if you see something on or inside the Comet, it’s customizable. All of its housing parts and extensions are available as 3D-printable files.

“Comet was built over the past 3 years with a vision to create a versatile computing platform for building in the real-world,” Mecha Systems said on its website. “Our target audience includes students, hobbyists, creatives and engineers.”

At CES 2025, Mecha Systems developers demonstrated a handful of apps running on the Comet, including a Chrome browser, notes page and camera reel, and they also showed off a video of the handheld being used to power a little wheeled robot, which was very cute. Other potential uses include a drone launcher or remote, car communicator, nano satellite, AI assistant or long-range radio transceiver, but those are just the ideas that Mecha has offered up. The truly unexpected innovations should come from users themselves.

The Comet is coming to Kickstarter any moment now.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/mecha-comet-is-a-modular-handheld-linux-computer-with-snap-on-extensions-131057589.html?src=rss