Tag: technews

Arc Search offers several cool tricks to help you with your web queries on iOS. But one tool in particular shines above the rest.

It is time we say goodbye to Microsoft’s trustworthy lightweight document editor WordPad.

The Palpagos Islands may seem inviting at first, but this is a cutthroat world. If you hope to survive in Palworld, you will need the best tips and tricks.

I’ve been testing out the Samsung Galaxy S24 for the past few days, and I’m already impressed with this lightweight powerhouse.

The empty cough drop tin sounds like a worthless item you would ignore while exploring Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but it’s quite valuable if you find it.

There’s one clear perk that Android has over iOS and that’s variety when it comes to the phones you have to choose from. Apple has made the iPhone is the only game in town for iOS, but with Google’s operating system, there are dozens of choices out there from manufacturers like Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus and others. But that also means it can be difficult to decide which device is best for you when it comes time to upgrade, or if you want to switch from iPhone to Android in the new year. If you’re looking for a new phone and don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered with a selection of the best Android phones for every budget.

What to look for in a new Android phone

Performance

When it comes to picking our favorite Android phones, the main things we look for are pretty straightforward: good performance (both compute and AI), a nice display, solid design, sharp cameras, long battery life and a significant commitment to ongoing software support. For performance, not only do we look at benchmarks and other metrics, but we also evaluate phones based on responsiveness. Regardless of whether you’re reading, text messaging, scrolling through social media or playing a game, no one wants a gadget that feels sluggish.

Display

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

When it comes to displays, we generally prefer OLED panels that can produce rich, saturated colors with at least 600 nits of brightness, though many of our top mid-range and high-end phones can hit 1,000 nits or more. And more recently, most of our favorite devices also support screens with fast refresh rates of 90Hz or 120Hz, which adds an extra level of smoothness and fluidity.

Design

Now we will admit there is a bit of subjectivity when deciding which phones look the best, but there are other design aspects like dust and water resistance or screen durability that can make a big difference to long-term survival. It’s also important to consider things like support for wireless charging, power sharing (aka reverse wireless charging) and UWB connectivity, which can have an impact on how your phone interacts with your other devices.

Cameras

Obviously, for photos we’re looking for sharp, colorful shots in both bright and low-light conditions. And we want video clips with high dynamic range, rich audio and smooth image stabilization. Extra cameras for ultra-wide and telephoto lenses are a plus. The best cameras should also include features like dedicated night modes, support for various video recording resolutions, and additional photo modes like timelapse, slow motion and more.

Battery and software

Finally, in terms of longevity, we’re looking for all-day battery life on devices that also delivered great results on our local video rundown test (at least 16 hours on a charge, but more is obviously better). Wireless charging capabilities have become almost ubiquitous over the past few years, and most of our top picks have this extra perk. Fast-charging is available on some Android phones, too. Finally, with people holding onto their phones longer than ever, we like to see companies commit to at least three years of software support, upgrades and regular security updates.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-android-phone-130030805.html?src=rss

Rocksteady’s new third-person action shooter Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has been pulled offline just one hour after launch when players encountered a bizarre bug that immediately beats the game. We’ve all heard of game-breaking bugs, but this may be the first game-beating bug. Obviously, players want more than three minutes of playtime out of their $70 purchase.

The issue immediately locks players out of all story missions, including tutorials, in a race to reach the end credits. This also makes it impossible to receive trophies and achievements, though most purchasers will probably get hung up on the whole “the game is basically unplayable” aspect. Still, if you’re looking for the easy mode to beat all easy modes, this is it. We could have used this bug for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice or Cuphead.

There’s one major caveat here that’s saving this from becoming a huge story comparable with the disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2099, and many other recent AAA launches. The game doesn’t officially release in most of the world until February 2. Some territories get it tomorrow, January 30, and that’s where the bug comes in. Due to the magic of global time zones, it’s already January 30 in New Zealand, which is where players encountered the issue. However, it’s not too hard to change your Xbox system clock to New Zealand time to snag the game early. Don’t do that. Give Rocksteady some time to fix the problem.

To that end, the developer says they are working on a fix, which involves performing maintenance on the servers. Rocksteady urges patience, writing that it could take “several hours” before being handled. Throughout this time, the game will remain offline. In any event, the ship should right itself before February 2.

Looking for a silver lining? Being as how the bug skips the vast majority of the game, the risk of story spoilers is really low for the next few days. So go ahead. Hit up your favorite social media sites and message boards.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/suicide-squad-kill-the-justice-league-pulled-offline-after-a-bizarre-game-beating-bug-161955046.html?src=rss

There’s never a bad reason to have extra storage on hand. One of the easiest ways to expand your device’s storage or to back up important data is with an SD or microSD card. Most of the time, these are plug-and-play doohickeys, though it shouldn’t take long for your device to reformat an SD card if need be. Some models are on sale at Amazon, including our pick for the best microSD card for most people. The 128GB Samsung Pro Plus microSD card has dropped to a record low of $11. It usually costs $20.

This microSD card is compatible with a slew of Android phones, as well as tablets, cameras, drones and the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. You certainly won’t need a faster microSD card than this for the two gaming devices given their maximum data transfer rates. However, you might be looking for an option with more storage.

And whaddya know? Our second-top pick for a microSD card is also on sale. The 256GB Samsung Pro Ultimate will run you $28, which is $7 off and just $3 more than the record low. With read and write speeds of up to 200 MB/s and 130 MB/s, respectively, this may be a smarter choice if you’re looking to capture 4K video on a microSD card.

The microSD cards aren’t the only Samsung storage options on sale over at Amazon at the minute. The company’s 1TB T9 portable solid state drive has dropped to a record low of $110. It usually costs $145.

The T9 is twice as fast as Samsung’s T7, which is still our pick for the best portable SSD. The T7 is on sale too, as it happens. The 1TB model will run you $90, which is $50 off the usual price.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/our-favorite-microsd-card-is-on-sale-for-only-11-right-now-154447073.html?src=rss

SPYxANYA: Operation Memories is coming to PlayStation 4, 5 and Nintendo Switch on June 28.