Wednesday, December 1, 2021

The Verge - Entertainments

The Verge - Entertainments

Nvidia’s new RTX 2060 12GB graphics card is coming to quell shortages

Posted: 01 Dec 2021 01:33 PM PST

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang unveiling the RTX 2060 graphics card in 2019. | Photo by Nvidia

In February 2021, Nvidia committed to reissuing some of its older GPUs — namely the RTX 2060 and GTX 1050 Ti — to give gamers a couple of low-cost options that scalpers or crypto miners (hopefully) won't see much use for during the chip shortage. The company is following through on at least part of that promise by releasing a new variant of the RTX 2060 that has 12GB of video RAM, doubling the memory of the standard configuration originally released in 2019.

Nvidia says that various models should become available starting Tuesday, December 7th. The specs for revised Founders Edition GPU are available right here. Note the slightly higher base clock speed and the slightly increased CUDA cores (2,176 versus 1,920 in the standard RTX 2060). Its specs looks similar to the RTX 2060 Super in some ways.

Nvidia didn't share a starting cost for the 12GB RTX 2060 Founders Edition, though it told The Verge that "it is a premium version of the RTX 2060 6GB and we expect the price to reflect that." The RTX 2060 6GB launched in 2019 for $349. It also shared that OEMs will be making their own custom versions of the 12GB RTX 2060. We'll update this post once we hear back about pricing info for various models.

Having this card is great for people who've felt the burn of GPU restocks not going their way and who don't want to give in to paying ridiculously high prices in the secondary market for cards that shouldn't cost that much in the first place. The RTX 2060 won't be great for running games with ray-traced graphics (despite it being capable of the feature), but with its power, most games should run well on medium graphical settings at 1080p resolution.

The PC market is one of many areas that has felt the sting of the chip shortage, spurred by the global pandemic. Things like graphics cards and consoles are still in high demand, despite no longer being new to market. And with many of the RTX 30-series GPUs already costing a premium at retail, it has become tough to buy what you want, and to do so at a normal price. Many retailers are zeroed out of stock completely, and bots and eagle-eyed shoppers (most of whom hope to flip the products for a profit) will likely beat you to it.

I'm skeptical that Nvidia releasing one entry-level (at this point) GPU can help to reverse the tide of the price-surged secondary market. But I'm definitely happy that it's trying.

Apple Music’s terrible year in review is giving me serious Spotify Wrapped FOMO

Posted: 01 Dec 2021 01:29 PM PST

It's December 1st, which for Spotify users, means the annual tradition of the music streaming service's Spotify Wrapped roundup: customized, flashy infographics of the top songs, playlists, artists, and podcast that you've listened to over the last year, chock-full of data, mood boards, and just a sprinkling of judgment.

I, unfortunately, do not use Spotify. Instead, I pay Apple $10 per month for Apple Music, Spotify's biggest competitor. And so while virtually everyone I know on Twitter and Instagram is spending the entirety of today putting their personal taste in music on blast, I get... a playlist of the songs that I listened to the most this year.

This is fine.

Spotify has been eating Apple's lunch for years now with Wrapped, which has practically become its own internet holiday each year. And yet, it took Apple four full years to even launch its bare-bones Replay feature, which debuted in 2019 and hasn't been meaningfully updated since. (I've been using kludged together Smart Playlists on iTunes for years to try to poorly replicate the Spotify experience.)

2021 is no exception, with Spotify offering what feels like its most lavish recaps yet. My wife (who is a Spotify user) spent the morning showing off her bespoke playlist to me, which included (among other things) specially curated songs for specific moods, rankings of where she placed among global Doja Cat listeners, a color-changing "audio aura," and an interactive quiz. All of it is designed to be shared and shown off on other social media platforms.

My wife's far cooler Spotify Wrapped recap.

And it's not just music listeners, either. Artists seem to love Spotify Wrapped, too, with their own customized recaps showing off how many millions of times their fans streamed their music around the globe.

It's not that Apple Music couldn't do its own version of Wrapped; Apple certainly has the data, and I find it extremely hard to believe that the $2.79 trillion company can't find the space in its budget to task a team of designers and engineers into building a similar tool. Or maybe it could try to buy Last.fm, which already does a whole bunch of music trends based on customers' listening habits, if it wanted to offload some of that work.

And there are plenty of reasons for Apple to do exactly that besides my annual dose of social media FOMO: Apple has made no secret of its ambitions for recurring service revenue to serve as a key part of its future going forward. And yet, instead of jumping on the easy marketing win and massive user goodwill that a more robust replay feature could offer, year after year after year, Apple just chooses to do the absolute bare minimum.

Look at it another way: Spotify, every year, manages to get millions of people to spend days posting algorithmically generated Spotify advertisements to every corner of their social media presences, without even offering any free giveaways or incentives. Why wouldn't Apple Music be trying to get a piece of that action?

It's not even like Apple has to worry about angering Spotify by shamelessly ripping off one of its most popular features: Spotify already thinks Apple is a "ruthless bully" that monopolizes the App Store to favor its own services and has filed an antitrust complaint in the EU to that end. It's not like there's a good, healthy corporate relationship to ruin here. If Instagram could shamelessly copy stories from Snapchat, Apple can figure out how to replicate its own version of Wrapped.

In fact, it's increasingly surprising year after year that seemingly no one is copying Spotify's absurdly popular data visualizations. With a few exceptions like Microsoft's recent 20th anniversary Xbox retrospective, there are still virtually no takers on following Spotify's lead here. Where's Netflix's flashy look back at the shows you binged over the year, or PlayStation's deep dive into how many hours you spent trying to beat Pride and Joy Prototype in Final Fantasy VII Remake? The closest comparison I can think of is Goodreads' "Your Year In Books," which also functions more as a straight list than the comprehensive experience that Spotify has created here.

But for now, I'm once again spending December filled with envy as my Spotify-using friends get to show off all their favorite songs, left hoping with increasingly futile optimism that maybe Apple Music will figure things out next.

Verizon teams up with B&O on pricey Android TV soundbars for cord-cutters

Posted: 01 Dec 2021 12:25 PM PST

closeup of right side of a soundbar shaped like a semicircle and focused on the Verizon checkmark logo pasted on
The Verizon logo can return to your living room and you're technically still a cord-cutter ($399 Verizon Stream TV Soundbar shown) | Image: Inside Verizon YouTube Channel

Verizon already sells accessories like phone cases and chargers, but in addition to electronics like digital picture frames and tablets, there are also... soundbars. Verizon announced today that it's releasing two new soundbars with a built-in Verizon Stream TV streaming box. The $399.99 Stream TV Soundbar and $999.99 Stream TV Soundbar Pro are both built by Bang & Olufsen, with the Pro model sporting a similar housing to the even more expensive Beosound Stage, but with nine drivers inside instead of 11.

The concept of a soundbar with streaming hardware hidden inside is nothing new, as Roku, JBL, and others have some options to reduce the clutter in your entertainment center.

Since Verizon's Stream TV system is a skinned Android TV that includes Verizon's services, it also touts Google Assistant and all the streaming services you can name: HBO Max, Netflix, Disney Plus, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime, and more. Verizon normally only allows TV subscribers access to the Stream TV box, but with these new soundbars, you don't need to be a Verizon subscriber to check it out — making it pretty cord-cutter friendly (though you will need to register with Verizon to use it).

Both of the soundbars stream 4K content, output virtual Dolby Atmos sound, and support HDMI 2.1 with multiple inputs — two on the cheaper model and three on the Pro. Both also feature Bluetooth 5, Wi-Fi 6, and Chromecast, but the Airplay 2 support that the Beosound Stage includes is not available here.

The soundbars can be discounted right now up to 40 percent if stacked with four "eligible" accessories that are $20 or more.

If you choose to accept the post-cable living room that Verizon is building, then you can order the new soundbars today. Verizon also has a promotion to save 30 to 40 percent off items like these soundbars if you purchase three, four, or five eligible accessories that are more than $20.

I added both of the new Verizon soundbars (other brands were ineligible for the promotion) and three Verizon phone charging accessories and got the prices of the Stream TV soundbars down to $239.99 for the cheaper one and $599.99 for the Pro. It's an unusual route to a home theater upgrade and still more expensive than the cheapest Atmos-compatible one-piece audio solutions. But it could be a way to add Dolby Atmos sound processing and reduce clutter in the living room while restocking on phone chargers all at once. It might also be a good deal for TV subscribers turning into cord-cutters... Verizon doesn't seem to mind.

Respawn stops selling the original Titanfall

Posted: 01 Dec 2021 11:03 AM PST

titanfall-560-art

Respawn Entertainment has decided to end sales of the original Titanfall game.

Starting today, players will no longer be able to purchase Titanfall and the game will be removed from subscription services like Xbox Game Pass on March 1st, 2022. Though Titanfall is no longer purchasable, players who already own the game will still be able to play.

"We will, however, be keeping servers live for the dedicated fanbase still playing," Respawn wrote. It is not known how long Respawn intends to keep those servers around.

Titanfall is no long available on Steam

The announcement goes on to say that the Titanfall universe is "core to Respawn's DNA" perhaps to reassure players that the studio will continue to support the series. Earlier this year, both Titanfall games were subject to numerous game-disrupting hacks and DDOS attacks with players accusing Respawn Entertainment and publisher EA of ignoring Titanfall's problems in favor of the more popular and more lucrative Apex Legends.

Xbox is letting more people test the very latest console features

Posted: 01 Dec 2021 10:22 AM PST

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Microsoft is opening up its invite-only Xbox testing rings for more console testers to get access to the very latest features. Xbox testing includes many levels, and the Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead rings typically include the bleeding edge of Xbox dashboard features that may not debut publicly for months.

Microsoft keeps these Alpha rings invite-only, reserved for those who regularly provide feedback through other Xbox testing rings. Now, Microsoft is inviting Xbox testers to complete a survey to be considered for the Alpha or Alpha Skip-Ahead rings.

"You will receive a notice on your console if you are selected to participate," says Austin Olney, an Xbox program manager. "There are limited spots available, so completing the survey does not guarantee an invitation. You also might be selected for a different ring than what you indicated in the survey."

The survey is available in the Xbox Insider Hub app, and Microsoft says it doesn't matter what ring you're in for testing right now or how long you've been a part of its Xbox Insider program.

Microsoft has been testing a bunch of new Xbox dashboard features with Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead testers over the past 12 months, including the early release of the Edge Chromium browser. If you're interested in trying out the very latest features, then Skip-Ahead has the most updates, but be warned there are occasional bugs that often sneak into these builds that can affect games or apps.

Spotify Wrapped 2021 is here to take over your social media

Posted: 01 Dec 2021 09:48 AM PST

Spotify Wrapped 2021
Spotify Wrapped 2021 | Image: Spotify

Spotify has released its eagerly anticipated Wrapped experience revealing the most listened to artists and albums for (most of) 2021. This year, it's adding even more social media-friendly features that help you share your favorite music with a customized movie, aura, or playing cards. Naturally, you can share Spotify's auto-created images on your timeline and, for the first time, directly to TikTok. It's sure to spark discussions with friends and provide valuable marketing for Spotify that competitors like Apple and YouTube can't seem to match.

Here's how to find your Spotify 2021 Wrapped experience. To get all of the interactive features, you'll need to open the Spotify mobile app — it's not available on the desktop or web version. If you're on an iPhone or Android device, just click this link and it should open the correct page inside the app. If you're not seeing it yet, try refreshing the app.

If you don't have Spotify or aren't seeing it yet, these are some of the new features it's added in 2021 to promote sharing:

The Movie feature gives you selected songs for your biopic formatted for your opening credits theme, the moment of reflection, the dance-off, or the big game.

Three phones showing Spotify Wrapped's new feature 2021 the movie Image: Spotify
Spotify's new 2021: The Movie feature.

Spotify users can also get a visualization of their audio aura based on their top two music moods.

Three phones showing Spotify Wrapped's new feature audio aura Image: Spotify
Spotify's new audio aura feature.

Spotify also released a data-based game that you can play and share with your friends called Playing Cards. In the style of two truths and a lie, players can look at statements about another user's listening history and guess which one is a lie.

Three phones showing Spotify Wrapped's new feature playing cards Image: Spotify
Spotify's new Playing Cards feature.

Spotify is also using Wrapped to expand the blend feature that was released this year by letting users blend their Spotify Wrapped and share the results on social media. Also available is Spotify's 2021 Wrapped hub, which includes both personalized and editorially curated content and playlists.

Other than TikTok, Wrapped cards are directly shareable to Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

So what about people who don't use Spotify? Apple Music users like me can't enjoy Spotify Wrapped, but we have access to Apple Music Replay which includes a compilation of a user's most played songs and lists most listened to artists and albums, plus an option to listen to playlists dating back to 2015. Of course, if you're seeking your own unique version of today's Wrapped interactive experience, then 2021 is just another year reminding you of what you're missing.

Other music streaming services like YouTube Music and Tidal have released their own versions to commemorate a user's listening history. 9to5Google points out that some YouTube Music subscribers have spotted a 2021 Recap that includes playlists and stats. Tidal released its My 2020 Rewind feature last year on December 1st but has yet to release an updated 2021 version. As far as other streaming services, they might be waiting until the end of December to take a look back on the past year.

Hawkeye’s trick USB arrow is in desperate need of a dongle

Posted: 01 Dec 2021 08:33 AM PST

Photo: Marvel Studios

In the third episode of Hawkeye, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) does something very unexpected: she requests a USB dongle in the midst of a battle.

The highlight of the episode is a scene where Kate and her reluctant mentor, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), are fighting their way through the Tracksuit Mafia amidst some hectic New York City traffic. While Clint drives, Kate goes through his collection of trick arrows. Most are the kind of comic book goofiness you'd expect: one arrow creates a bubbling purple foam; another becomes destructively huge. Later, though, Clint hands Kate something much less useful in a fight: an arrow with a USB-A port on the end. "God, I hope he's got a dongle to make this useful," Kate quips afterward. (It turns out to not be very useful.)

This isn't the first time we've seen a trick arrow designed to interface with computers. In the original Avengers movie, Hawkeye had an arrow that could hack a very specific and proprietary port on a flying Helicarrier. But the new episode of the show makes it clear that there are much more mundane arrows as well. Unfortunately, given the surprising amount of characters who use a USB C-equipped Pixel phone in Hawkeye, the superhero is going to have to update his arsenal soon.
at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

End of Summer Sale ☀️😎

20% OFF Inside!🤯 ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏...