HALLOWEEN 🎃 Gadgets You Must Buy This Year ! | Best Tech Gadgets
HALLOWEEN Gadgets You Must Buy This Year ! | Best Tech Gadgets Welcome Back To WorldWide Tech! The traditional pagan ...
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Sunday, October 23, 2022
Saturday, October 22, 2022
Meta threatens to block news content in Canada over media revenue-sharing legislation
Facebook parent company Meta says it may stop Canadians from sharing news content in response to the country’s proposed Bill C-18 legislation. Introduced by the ruling Liberal government earlier this year, The Online News Act seeks to force platforms like Facebook into revenue-sharing partnerships with local news organizations. The legislation is modeled after Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code, which the country successfully passed in early 2021 after considerable resistance from Google and Meta.
In a blog post published late Friday, Meta said it wanted to be “transparent about the possibility that we may be forced to consider whether we continue to allow the sharing of news content in Canada.” The threat came after the House of Commons Heritage Committee did not invite Meta to a meeting about the legislation earlier in the week. The panel did hear testimony from Google, though only after the company asked to be included in the proceedings.
“We have always approached our engagement with Canadian public authorities on this legislation in the spirit of honest and fair debate, and so were surprised not to receive an invitation to participate, particularly given public comments by lawmakers that this law is targeted at Facebook,” Meta said following the snub. The Canadian government and social media giant have had an acrimonious relationship ever since CEO Mark Zuckerberg and former COO Sheryl Sandberg ignored subpoenas from the parliament’s ethics committee in 2019.
The bill’s sponsor, Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, accused Meta of using the same playbook the company employed in Australia. “All we’re asking the tech giants like Facebook to do is negotiate fair deals with news outlets when they profit from their work,” he told The National Post. Among other objections, Meta claims news content is not a significant source of revenue for the company. When Australia enacted its News Media Bargaining Code, Meta briefly cut access to all news content within the country. However, the company eventually signed agreements with organizations like News Crop to carry their coverage.
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Microsoft is making it easier for Xbox users to join Discord voice chats
Microsoft and Discord plan to make joining a voice channel from an Xbox console easier. If you’re a frequent Discord user, you may recall the companies recently launched Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S integration. Following a beta test in July, Discord started rolling out the feature to all Xbox users in September. Unfortunately, in its current iteration, the integration isn’t as straightforward as one would hope; joining a voice chat involves a transfer process that requires the Xbox mobile app.
That’s about to change. In a blog post spotted by The Verge, Microsoft announced it was removing the need to use a phone to join Discord voice chats as part of a beta update Xbox Insiders can try out right now. The new software adds a server browser that allows you to join a voice channel directly from your console. You’ll still need your phone handy if you want to call a specific friend over Discord, but the update otherwise simplifies what was an overly complicated process previously. While the feature is currently in beta, Microsoft will likely roll it out to all Xbox users sometime over the next few weeks.
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The Republican National Committee is suing Google over Gmail's spam filters
The Republican National Committee is suing Google. According to Axios (via The Verge), the organization filed a lawsuit with California’s Eastern District Court on Friday. The complaint accuses Google of sending “millions” of RNC campaign emails to Gmail spam folders in an extension of the company’s “discriminatory” filtering practices.
“At approximately the same time at the end of each month, Google sends to spam nearly all of the RNC’s emails,” the complaint claims. “Critically, and suspiciously, this end of the month period is historically when the RNC’s fundraising is most successful.”
The lawsuit comes after Google launched a controversial program to appease GOP lawmakers concerned about its filtering practices. In June, after a study found that Gmail was more likely than competing email clients to filter emails from Republican campaigns, the company said it would work with the Federal Election Commission to pilot a system designed to prevent political messages from ending up in spam folders. The concession came after Republican lawmakers introduced a bill that sought to ban email platforms from using algorithms to route campaign messages automatically.
According to a recent report from The Verge, the Republican National Committee is not taking advantage of the program Google built to address the party’s concerns. The organization’s complaint doesn’t explicitly mention the pilot. Instead, it points to a training session the RNC attended on August 11th, the same day the FEC approved Google’s program.
“This discrimination has been ongoing for about ten months — despite the RNC’s best efforts to work with Google,” the organization claims. Google did not immediately respond to Engadget’s request for comment. “As we have repeatedly said, we simply don't filter emails based on political affiliation," the company told Axios, adding that Gmail’s spam filters reflect user actions.
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Apple’s App Store will display more ads starting next week
The next time you want to download an app on your iPhone, prepare to see more ads. Starting on October 25th, Apple will begin rolling out two additional ad categories to the App Store, according to an email seen by MacRumors. In all countries outside China, the company plans to begin selling ad space within the “Today” tab and at the bottom of individual app listings. Once they arrive, the ads will feature an icon with a blue background to distinguish them from other recommendations.
While Apple has sold search ads through the App Store since 2016, the Today tab was previously reserved for recommendations from the company’s editorial team. “With a Today tab ad, your app can appear prominently on the front page of the App Store — making it some of the first content users see when they begin their App Store visit,” the company states on a support page.
Apple first announced it was bringing ads to the Today tab in July. The expansion is part of a broader push by the company to expand its advertising business. According to a recent report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company hopes to nearly triple its advertising revenue to $10 billion annually over the next few years. In addition to more App Store ads, the company reportedly plans to introduce search ads to Maps in the near future.
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Published on YouTube: 20 Cool Gadgets You Can Just Buy On Amazon! | Best Tech Gadgets
20 Cool Gadgets You Can Just Buy On Amazon! | Best Tech Gadgets
20 Cool Gadgets You Can Just Buy On Amazon! | Best Tech Gadgets Welcome Back To WorldWide Tech! It's hard to stay up to ...
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20 Cool Gadgets You Can Just Buy On Amazon! | Best Tech Gadgets Welcome Back To WorldWide Tech! It's hard to stay up to ...
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A hacker who stole and sold Ed Sheeran songs for crypto gets prison time
Adrian Kwiatkowski, a hacker from Ipswich in England who stole two unreleased songs by Ed Sheeran, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, according to the BBC. Kwiatkowski sold Sheeran's tracks, along with 12 other songs by American rapper Lil Uzi Vert, for cryptocurrency worth £131,000 (US$148,000) on the dark web. UK prosecutors said Kwiatkowski got his hands on the unreleased tracks by hacking into their cloud-based accounts. They didn't specify which cloud services those were, but he stole from a lot more artists, because authorities found 1,263 unreleased songs in his possession.
American authorities launched an investigation back in 2019 after several musicians reported to the New York District Attorney's office that someone using the name Spirdark had hacked their accounts and was selling their content online. Investigators eventually linked Kwiatkowski to the email address Spirdark used with the cryptocurrency account involved in the case. Further, his UK address was linked to an IP address that was found in relation to one of the hacked devices.
When he was arrested, London police found seven devices that contained 1,263 unreleased songs by 89 different artists. Authorities found more incriminating files in his hard drive, including a document where he detailed the method he used to hack into the victims' accounts. They also found his Bitcoins, which he admitted to receiving in return for the songs. In all, he pled guilty to 19 charges that included copyright infringement and possessing criminal property, enough to put him away for a year-and-a-half.
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Friday, October 21, 2022
The 2021 Apple TV 4K is cheaper than ever right now
Apple has just launched a new Apple TV 4K that's powered by an A15 chip, but it won't start shipping until November 4th. If you absolutely must get Apple's digital player right now, though, you may want to check out Amazon. The 32GB version of the 2021 model is currently on sale for $100, which is the lowest we've seen it go for on the website. That's 44 percent or $79 less than its original price. The 2021 Apple TV 4K is powered by the tech giant's A12 Bionic chip and supports Dolby Vision HDR imaging technology.
Buy 2021 Apple TV 4K (32GB) at Amazon - $100It also comes with a Siri Remote that has a touch-enabled clickpad, so you can issue voice commands while watching, such as "Pause this" or "Turn on closed captioning." The device can pair with up to two sets of AirPods for private listening, and it can display photos and videos from your other Apple devices via AirPlay. Plus, it can show you a live view of your HomeKit-enabled cameras, as well as let you control your smart home accessories. If you need a bigger storage space, the 64GB version is also on sale for 40 percent off at $120.
However, that's just a bit lower than the 2022 Apple TV 4K, which you can pre-order right now. The 64GB WiFi-only version will set you back $130, while the 128GB version with WiFi and an Ethernet port will cost you $150.
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Pokémon Scarlet and Violet hands-on: Monster catching remixed
Over the course of Pokémon’s first eight generations, the number of catchable monsters is nearing 1,000. And yet in that same time, the basic formula for the series’ gameplay has largely stayed the same (aside from some small tweaks or offshoots like Legends: Arceus). But after getting the chance to preview Pokémon Scarlet ahead of its official release in November, it feels like GameFreak has remixed a ton of longstanding tropes in a way that brings a new spark to its next release.
Starting off with the Paldea region (which draws inspiration from the real-world Iberian peninsula), Pokémon Scarlet and Violet expands on previous games (most notably Legends Arceus and the Wild Area in Sword and Shield) by offering a fully open-world design. This means there’s no set path when it comes to taking down gyms, which gives you much more freedom to choose where you want to go and in what order. On top of that, to help traverse the world, you get access to the game’s legendary Pokémon (either Koraidon or Miraidon, depending on which version of the game you choose) very early on, instead of having to wait until endgame to catch them like in previous titles.
Nintendo
Even the gyms themselves have gotten an update, with the trials that you need to pass in order to battle Brassius (the leader of the Artazon gym) taking place around town instead in a single room or building. The impact of this is that the world of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet just feels more vibrant and lived in, which adds a new dimension to how you experience the game.
Of course, there’s much more to Pokémon than just gym battles, as riding your legendary Pokémon lets you literally run, jump and fly across the landscape. As you explore Paldea, you’ll encounter wild monsters roaming the region, which you can choose to battle or avoid as you see fit, though you’ll run into some random battles as well. There are even rare Titan Pokémon that you need to battle multiple times to best as you try to complete your Path of Legends, which is a separate story branch from your gym battles and run-ins with Team Star. And while you’re out exploring the world, if you don’t feel like directing combat yourself, you can bring out your lead Pokémon to find items or auto-battle other nearby monsters (with the fight taking place off-screen).
Nintendo
Scarlet and Violet’s open-world design also means there are more places to run into Team Star (this generation’s Team Rocket equivalent). During one event, I had to break my way into a barricaded compound while using the new auto-battle system to take down 30 different monsters before my team ran out of HP. After that, I had to battle one of Team Star’s leaders while she rode a huge vehicle, which had a massive health bar to match. Meanwhile, standard combat still consists of turn-based battles with each monster having access to four different moves. And when it comes to catching wild Pokémon, your best bet is still to whittle down their health with attacks and status ailments before tossing a Pokéball at them. There’s no need to aim your throw like in Legends: Arceus.
Nintendo
But for Scarlet and Violet Gamefreak has added a new twist called Terastallizing, which allows a Pokémon to change their normal type to its hidden Tera Type. Take for example Tyranitar, which is normally a rock/dark type but changes to ghost type when Terastallized. This unlocks new ways to punish your enemy’s weaknesses while also giving you access to the new Tera Blast TM so you can take full advantage of your Pokémon’s more powerful altered state.
Alternatively, for people who like more cooperative fights, there are four-player Tera raid battles that allow you to team up with friends to catch Pokémon with rare Tera types. And unlike traditional combat, there’s no turn order to follow. You can spam moves to your heart’s content and if you get knocked out, you can cheer on your fellow trainers while you wait to be automatically revived. As someone who has long thought Pokémon’s core combat system has needed an update, raid battles are a lot of fun as a break from the main story, even if they do feel a little button mashy.
Nintendo
And these are just some of the bigger changes. Gamefreak has tweaked a lot of other mechanics in a way that makes the whole franchise feel fresh again. So let me list a bunch here rapid-fire style. Instead of the standard eight gym badges to collect, now there are 18. Character customization is way deeper and can be changed at any time from the standard menu screen. Also, other trainers won’t initiate a battle on sight as they have in the past, you actually have to walk up and engage them on purpose. There’s even a new auto-heal feature that uses potions from your inventory to recover HP after battle, which saves you time sifting through menus over and over again. And what could have the biggest impact on Pokémon battles in Scarlet and Violet is that now you can now craft your own TMs.
Nintendo
So while I only had a little more than an hour to play Pokémon Scarlet during my preview, I’m really happy to see Gamefreak mess around with its traditional format. The world is big and beautiful, there are now three main storylines that you can complete as you choose and there are a lot of other remixes and quality-of-life changes that make the series feel like it’s gotten a reno and a fresh coat of paint. And we haven’t even talked about all the new Pokémon yet.
I normally always go with the plant-type starter, but this time around I already know I’m choosing Fuecoco. There’s something about his goofy toothy grin I just can’t ignore. Then there’s Lechonk, which is a masterful play on words, and one of your rival’s main Pokémon Pawni is so cute and fluffy that I almost can’t handle it.
Nintendo
Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I was this excited for a new mainline Pokémon game. My only small concern is that I did notice a bit of frame-rate choppiness in some areas, which could indicate that Scarlet and Violet’s new open-world design is really taxing the Switch’s horsepower. However, since my time with the game was in a development build created for this preview and not a full retail version, it’s difficult to say if we should expect similar performance upon release. Regardless, I can’t wait to play more when Pokémon Scarlet and Violet officially go on sale for the Nintendo Switch on November 18th.
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Google's Pixel Buds Pro are down to a new low of $150 right now
Google's Pixel Buds Pro remain one of our preferred sets of true wireless earbuds, having earned a review score of 87 earlier this year for offering effective active noise cancellation (ANC), responsive on-ear controls, a solid seven-ish hours of continuous playback time with ANC on (and up to 11 or so hours with it off), and a powerful bass-forward sound that works especially well with hip-hop and modern pop tracks. A recent firmware update also added a more robust EQ tool. That said, in an increasingly crowded market, they're a tougher sell at their typical going rate of $200.
Today, though, Wellbots has a deal that brings the earbuds down to $150 when you use the code ENGN50 at checkout. We've seen a few deals on the Pixel Buds Pro in recent weeks, but this deal marks the lowest price we've tracked for them to date, beating the previous low we saw during Amazon's Prime Early Access sale earlier this month by $2.
Buy Google Pixel Buds Pro at Wellbots - $150We're fans of the Pixel Buds Pro on the whole, but the earbuds do have some caveats worth noting. Call quality is just okay, for instance, and we found the included transparency mode to sound overly muffled. Its IPX4 water-resistance rating is basic, there's no aptX support, and we had a few more issues with pairing than we'd have liked in testing.
Plus, again, it's a crowded market: Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds II are a better choice if you prioritize ANC, while Apple's second-gen AirPods Pro play much nicer with iPhones. Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless 3 offer altogether superior sound, and pairs like Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, Beats' Fit Pro, and Sony's WF-1000XM4 have their share of unique perks as well.
All of those cost a fair bit more than the Pixel Buds Pro as of this writing, though. Upcoming Black Friday sales could always bring lower prices, but for Android users in particular who want a well-rounded pair of wireless earbuds in the $150 range today, this deal should provide good value.
Beyond the Pixel Buds Pro, Wellbots has a few discounts on additional Google devices we like. The Nest Audio smart home speaker, which we gave a score of 87 upon its launch in late 2020, is down to $50 with the code ENGN50. That matches the lowest price we've tracked. On the smart display side, the 10-inch Nest Hub Max is down to $159 with the code ENGN70, while the seven-inch Nest Hub is available for $50 with the code ENGN50. Those displays earned scores of 86 and 89, respectively, and both offers come in about $5-15 lower than the typical deal prices we've seen in recent months. Finally, the diminutive Nest Mini speaker is down to $20 with the code ENGN29—not the lowest price we've tracked, but still a decent price for those looking to hop on the smart speaker bandwagon.
Buy Google Nest Audio at Wellbots - $50Buy Google Nest Hub Max at Wellbots - $159Buy Google Nest Hub (2nd gen) at Wellbots - $50Buy Google Nest Mini (2nd gen) at Wellbots - $20Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
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Engadget Podcast: Apple's confusing new iPads
Apple just dropped several new devices on us this week, seemingly out of nowhere. In this episode, Cherlynn and Devindra break down Apple’s new base iPad and iPad Pro with M2. They chat about why the iPad lineup is now more confusing than ever, and what that means going forward. (At least the new Apple TV 4K seems likely a genuinely solid upgrade.)
Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
Subscribe!
Topics
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Apple announces updated base iPad, iPad Pro and Apple TV 4K – 1:36
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Microsoft lays off hundreds of workers – 20:22
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Netflix announces “extra user” fee to crack down on password sharing – 27:40
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Intel says the next generation of Thunderbolt is on the way – 35:47
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Silent Hill 2 remake and a movie are on the way – 41:29
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Working on – 47:37
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Pop culture picks – 53:21
Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien
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Formovie Theater review: A formidable $3,000 Dolby Vision UST projector
On the one hand, Ultra Short Throw (UST) projectors offer a top-notch home theater experience at a fraction the cost of a comparably sized TV. On the other, features like Dolby Vision that you expect on a good 4K TV are nowhere to be found on any projectors, UST or otherwise.
That just changed with the launch of the Formovie Theater home projector. At a street price of $3,000, you get up to a 150-inch picture, a triple-laser 4K DLP projector with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, speakers tuned by Bowers & Wilkins and Android TV. With Formovie’s color management system, it also promises color accuracy we’ve only seen on $5,000+ models like Samsung’s Premiere.
I’ve had a chance to test the Formovie Theater in a variety of scenarios, including Netflix, Prime, Disney+ and other streaming services along with a Blu-ray UltraHD player. Cutting to the chase, it was very impressive, apart from one or two issues.
Design and features
Steve Dent/Engadget
Though you may have never heard the name Formovie, it’s a joint venture between two better-known entities, Xiaomi and Appotronics. The latter makes the ALPD laser engines used in a number of projectors, including Barco commercial movie theater models. The Formovie Theater is based on the Fengmi T1 sold in China, but adds Dolby Vision and a color management system (CMS).
It has a nice-looking, discreet design that would fit into most living rooms. The rectangular dark-gray-and-black body is relatively small, with a pair of fabric-covered main speakers on the front and two tweeters on the side. As usual on UST projectors, the triple-laser light source and lens element are located in a trough at the top, with a sensor designed to shut off the powerful light should you poke your head in front of it (which I did, multiple times). It’s cooled by a fan that can be mildly distracting during very quiet passages.
It uses a 0.47-inch Texas Instruments XP DLP chip with a 1080p native resolution and 4X pixel shifting that effectively delivers a true 4K image. With 2,800 lumens of light power, it’s in the mid-to-upper-range of UST brightness levels. The triple laser allows it to cover 113 percent of the Rec 709 and 107 percent of the HDR BT.2020 color gamuts, while delivering an excellent 3,000:1 contrast ratio.
It also eliminates the rainbow effect that happens with single lasers and a color wheel. The $3,300 Hisense PX1-Pro and $3,500 Vava Chroma are some of the few other models in this price range with a triple laser engine – others (LG’s CineBeam HU915QB, the Samsung LSP9T and AWOL Vision LTV-3500) are $5,000 and up.
Steve Dent/Engadget
The Formovie Theater is also the only model for sale in the US with official Dolby Vision certification. As you probably know, Dolby Vision is an advanced form of HDR (high dynamic range) that uses dynamic metadata programmed by content creators on a frame-by-frame basis. To that end, brightness, color and contrast levels are generally superior to the HDR10 found on most projectors.
Keep in mind that projectors, even the latest UST models, generally aren’t as bright as 4K TVs – so you lose some impact of Dolby Vision. However, the Formovie can display more colors than any TV and even most monitors out there, so you do get the HDR benefit of a wide gamut and billions of colors. Other models like Samsung’s Premiere support HDR10+, which is similar to Dolby Vision but much less widely supported.
Another key feature is Android TV 11.0 support. Unlike with some other projectors, it supports 4K and Dolby Vision HDR streaming, so you can get the most out of Disney+, Apple TV+ and other supported services. It also comes with YouTube and numerous other apps, along with Google Assistant voice control. And you get a decent remote to access all that content, adjust picture settings and more.
You’ll notice that I didn’t mention Netflix there. As it stands, the Netflix app isn’t supported by Formovie’s Android TV implementation. “At this time we are negotiating with the Netflix team, however, we can't commit that Netflix will work on our device in the near future,” a spokesperson told me. Sure, you can use a $30-50 4K streaming stick, which I did, but it’s unfortunate that the world’s most popular streaming service isn’t available natively.
Steve Dent/Engadget
Other than that, however, the Android TV experience is good, with every other streaming app (Disney+, Prime Video, YouTube, etc.) working well. It has Chromecast built-in so you can cast from your phone, tablet or PC. The remote is basic but functional, with dedicated buttons for YouTube and Google Assistant. The latter can be activated by the usual “Hey, Google” command that’s picked up by the projector’s far-field microphone.
In any case, Formovie is still ahead of some rivals in terms of its smart TV implementation. Optoma’s latest UST projector, the CinemaX D2, only offers smart TV features through an external dongle, for which they charge a cool $200.
It comes with three HDMI inputs at the back, including one with eARC enhanced audio capabilities. It also offers SPDIF digital output, a 3.5mm line out, two USB-A ports and an ethernet input. The 42-millisecond lag time (according to Projector Central), is sufficient for light gaming, but not anything beyond that.
Finally, the Formovie Theater has a fairly impressive audio implementation. The built-in speakers are tuned by HiFi company Bower & Wilkins, and it supports Dolby Atmos surround sound if you have a compatible soundbar or 5.1 system.
Image and sound quality
Steve Dent/engadget
Setting up the Formovie Projector was fairly straightforward on my 100-inch ALR screen. At that size, the bottom of the screen sits 14.6 inches from the bottom of the projector at a distance of just nine inches away. Once the projector is roughly in place, you use the thumbwheel controls on the feet to level it front to back and side to side. It’s best to avoid keystone correction as it can distort the picture, but it’s there if needed. Some focus adjustment may be required the first time you use it, but it’s best to wait until the projector has warmed up.
I had high expectations for the Formovie Theater’s image quality, and I wasn’t disappointed. I started by testing it in an environment with daylight coming in to see how it would function as a TV substitute.
With just “Movie” mode selected in SDR (standard dynamic range) mode, I saw a vibrant 4K image with natural-looking colors and accurate skin tones. Sharpness was good, though not quite up to what I’ve seen with Samsung’s much more expensive Premiere models. It’s likely that the lens (a critical piece of gear on a UST projector) isn’t quite as good, though something obviously has to give on a projector costing less than half as much.
Color accuracy is lower “Sport” or “Vivid” modes, but they offer the most brightness and highest contrast levels, well over 3,000:1 – the best of any UST projector. So these are good settings for watching regular cable TV, sports and so on, even with a fair amount of ambient light coming in. Other settings include “Standard,” “Game” and “Child,” designed to work well for kids’ shows and cartoons.
Steve Dent/Engadget
Next, I switched over to Dolby Vision mode, with the projector displaying the Dolby Vision logo when it detects a source. I found it best to use this mode with the room as dark as possible.
I watched desaturated scenes of Netflix’s Queen’s Gambit, detailed segments in Prime Video’s LOTR: Rings of Power and the bright and punchy F1: Drive to Survive from Netflix. I also watched MIB International, Thor: Ragnarok, Loki, and other movies and series, along with Aquaman and Earth on Blu-ray UltraHD.
Right out of the box, colors in Dolby Vision HDR mode looked accurate through a variety of sources, with much better detail in the shadows and bright sections than in SDR mode. Colorful scenes in MIB International and Earth showed off the wide range of colors and gamut available. Skin tones were pleasing and colors generally looked accurate. However, contrast was slightly reduced compared to the SDR. Another very small issue is that very bright scenes lacked detail, possibly because the projector isn’t tone-mapping them correctly.
I also looked at HDR10 content from Prime Video (which mostly supports HDR10 and HDR10+, and offers just a few Dolby Vision shows), including Bosch and The Boys, along with some 4K HDR10 YouTube content from Mystery Box. Again, Everything looked very punchy and bright, with colors that seemed to pop out of the screen.
Steve Dent/Engadget
The Formovie Theater has a slight blue bias out of the box, but it has a wide array of controls to correct that (white balance, grayscale and a Color Management System). Using an Xrite i1 Display Pro, I was able to get a nearly perfect white level, but frankly, it was a tiny adjustment – something hard to see by eye. However, you should definitely turn on the “Color Space” mode (it’s off by default) or it won’t read the correct gamut from your source.
As for audio quality, the Formovie’s sound was crisp and free of any distortion, matching some soundbars I’ve heard. Dialogue was clear, whether from deep or high voices, so I never missed any key moments. It even offers good soundstage that projects out to fill out the large screen.
It lacked bass as you’d expect, but overall, sound was surprisingly good for built-in speakers. I’d imagine that most people springing for a product like this would also invest in a 5.1 home theater setup to get the best out of the projector’s Dolby Atmos support – but the Formovie’s speakers do the job very well if you don’t.
Wrap-up
Steve Dent/Engadget
The $3,000 Formovie Theater offers features and image quality not found in any other UST projector even remotely in this price range. With a triple-laser engine and Dolby Vision, it delivers a bright picture, high contrast and accurate colors. And if you’re not quite satisfied with the picture right out of the box, there are a wide range of controls to adjust and calibrate it.
When you’re not in movie purist mode, it’s also a great projector to use with some daylight streaming in for sports and regular TV. And the audio capabilities are a strong bonus, giving you a very minimalist setup if you don’t feel like splurging on a 5.1 surround sound system. The main disadvantages are the lack of Netflix support and a slightly noisy fan.
Best of all, the pricing is on the low end for a UST projector, and spending an extra couple of thousand dollars doesn’t give you a lot more. In fact, if you really want Dolby Vision, the Formovie Theater is the only UST projector option available.
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Two 'Mario Party' games are coming to Nintendo's Switch Online Expansion Pack
On November 2nd, the original Mario Party game and its sequel will be available on Nintendo's Switch Online service. The games were first released in the late 90's for the N64 and feature board games with various themes that you can play together with up to four friends. Like with every board game, you roll a dice to advance. At the end of each turn, you play a mini-game — some of them are are solo games, but others make you cooperate with or play against friends. Or CPU-powered bots... in case you don't have anybody to play with. The first Mario Party has 56 different mini-games you can play, while the second one has 65, including duel mini-games that weren't available in the debut title.
Although these two will be available on the service within a couple of weeks, Nintendo has lined up several more N64 games for addition. In 2023, the gaming giant will add Mario Party 3 to Switch Online's selection, along with Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2, which are strategy games that don't have storylines. Since all the titles we've mentioned so far were originally released for N64, that means you'll need a Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription to be able to access them. The tier will set you back $50 for an individual membership. That's just a bit more than $4 a month, which is also what the basic subscription costs, except you'll have to pay for a year-long membership at once.
Party like it’s the year 1999 (and 2000)! Hit some Dice Blocks and become a Super Star in #MarioParty and Mario Party 2, coming to #NintendoSwitch for #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack members on 11/2! #Nintendo64pic.twitter.com/gkoPmAPFUk
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) October 21, 2022
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