Author: News Room
Five years after Nikon released its entry-level and more affordable alternative to its original Z7 and Z6 full-frame cameras, the company is finally updating its Z5 with improved autofocus and image stabilization, and a much brighter electronic viewfinder. Nikon says the new Z5 II is also its first camera that can capture video in its proprietary 12-bit N-RAW video format directly to an SD memory card, instead of pricier CF Express type B cards.The Nikon Z5 II will be available sometime in April 2025 starting at $1,699.95 for the body alone – which is about $300 more expensive than the…
Nintendo Switch 2? Nintendo Switch 1.1, more like. During Nintendo Direct, Nintendo’s Wizard of Switchness (I’m pretty sure that was his actual job title) claimed the new console “isn’t simply an improved Nintendo Switch”. But it kind of is. As Nintendo reeled off a list of specs and features, my brain translated what was being said. We’re basically getting the original Switch, but a bit bigger and more powerful, with a few fancy new tricks by way of Joy-Cons that can pretend to be weird-looking mice, and a C button that unleashes the horrors of multiplayer voice chat. And you know…
As the US government launches investigations and threatens to pull federal funding, some elite universities have decided to take the path of least resistance. Colleges across the country have responded to the Trump administration’s attacks on diversity programs and student protesters by complying with these “anti-woke” witch hunts. In recent weeks, university administrators at Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, and other schools have let the government interfere with entire academic departments, fired professors over allegations of antisemitism lobbed by right-wing groups, and announced their refusal to intervene in immigration arrests on campus.The Trump administration has warned it will yank funding…
Verizon is announcing a new price lock policy today, and the timing is probably no coincidence. The company is extending a three-year price guarantee on certain plans, both for new and existing customers. The announcement comes a day after President Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs, and Verizon says it’s hoping to give customers more “predictability” in the current economic environment. But the fine print leaves Verizon plenty of wiggle room.The three-year guarantee covers the base charge for your rate plan, but not fees and taxes — and you have to be on one of Verizon’s newer myPlan subscriptions to qualify. That…
When you jump into a video on YouTube or Netflix, a lot happens very quickly behind the scenes. Video data is rapidly downloaded to your device, which then has to unpack and normalize that information into a smooth, hiccup-free stream. The process of encoding and decoding video data has changed greatly over the years, with H.264 (AVC) and its successor H.265 (HEVC) remaining two of the most widely used codecs for streaming.But in 2015, tech giants including Netflix, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta banded together to develop video compression’s latest evolution: AV1. The companies, which are part of the overarching…
Bowers & Wilkins has a phenomenal track record when it comes to wireless earbuds, as far as sound quality goes. To mirror this, I think they come with a matching premium design. But this new F1-inspired edition goes a step further in looking good. The Pi8 McLaren Edition buds are a snazzy remix of B&W’s flagship wireless earbuds, now dipped in McLaren’s signature Papaya orange and Galvanic Grey. Subtle? Not even a little bit. But they’re a must for every McLaren fan. In our five-stair review, we called the B&W Pi8s “an absolutely fantastic sounding pair of wireless earbuds.” They ditch…
The first batch of 27 Project Kuiper space internet satellites are scheduled to launch next week. Amazon has secured 80 such launch missions that will each deliver dozens of satellites into low earth orbit (LEO) to create a constellation capable of competing with Elon Musk’s Starlink juggernaut. Amazon says it expects to begin offering high-speed, low-latency internet service “later this year.”The KA-01 mission satellites — short for Kuiper Atlas 1 — will launch on an Atlas V rocket from United Launch Alliance. It’s currently scheduled for 12pm ET on Wednesday, April 9th, assuming weather and technology cooperate at the Cape…
Bang & Olufsen makes some of the top sound systems on the market. Not only do they sound great, but also look ridiculously sleek. But this new speaker looks like something that belongs in a museum. The audio brand has teamed up with Italian natural stone maestros Antolini to create the Beosound Balance Natura. It’s a super rarer speaker, and there’s never been an audio device I wish I could buy more. Unveiled at Milan Design Week, the Beosound Balance Natura is part of B&O’s Atelier Bespoke offering. It’s crafted from Antolini’s exquisite natural materials, including selections like Cristallo Iceberg quartz and…
I could practically hear the groans through my computer screen. The YouTube comments went nuclear as soon as the Nintendo Direct voiceover confirmed that no, the Switch 2 wouldn’t be landing with an OLED screen. The hybrid console sequel would instead be returning to LCD. “Kiss those perfect black levels and infinite contrast goodbye, gamers – it’s been fun.” Hear me out, though. While my colleague Dan Grabham argues otherwise, I’d say that OLED isn’t always the answer. And it’s not like Nintendo has cut corners on its choice of panel. The Switch 2’s screen is bigger (7.9in to the…
Smartphone apps that track our driving behavior may be the key to safer road conditions. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety just published a study that found that using smartphone apps to monitor driver behavior, and then providing summaries of that behavior via text message or a data dashboard, leads to safer driving. Researchers borrowed techniques from usage-based insurance (UBI) programs, in which insurance companies use smartphone apps to measure dangerous driving behaviors, like hard braking, sudden acceleration, and speeding. Rather than rely on actuarial data, like driving records and vehicle type, UBI programs use real-time data from app trackers…
Thunderbird’s developers are planning to compete with Gmail and other email providers by offering paid “pro” tier services, including @thundermail.com email addresses and new services such as an appointment scheduler, file sharing tools, and some “Thunderbird Assist” AI features. You can join a beta waitlist by going to thundermail.com, which is the domain for the email addresses, along with an option for @tb.pro.Thunderbird managing director Ryan Sipes announced that the services are in the works in a post on the Thunderbird Planning discussion group last Friday. However, it seems pretty early in development, and there are no announced tiers and…
At an event in the Rose Garden on Wednesday, Donald Trump unveiled a new set of planned tariffs that are being described as “short-sighted,” and having “no basis in logic,” and being compared to Great Depression-era policies. Holding a giant poster board blowing in the wind, Trump announced staggering new taxes on products coming into the US from abroad. Among the 60 countries listed, tariff rates ranged anywhere from 10 percent to nearly 50 percent: 34 percent for China, 46 percent for Vietnam, 20 percent for the EU, and 49 percent for Cambodia, among others.The US is the world’s biggest…