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Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max drops to $40 in new streaming sale

If you’re looking for a new streaming device for your home, or for your college-aged kid who’s heading back to campus soon, a bunch of Amazon’s Fire TV sticks are on sale right now. You’ll find the best deal on the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, the company’s most powerful streaming dongle, which is $15 off and down to $40. That’s only $5 more than it was on Prime Day last month. Also $15 off is the Fire TV Stick, which is down to $25, and you can get $10 off the Fire TV Stick Lite and pick it up for only $20.

Buy Fire TV Stick 4K Max at Amazon – $40 Buy Fire TV Stick at Amazon – $25 Buy Fire TV Stick Lite at Amazon – $20

Aside from the Fire TV Cube set-top box, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the most capable of Amazon’s streaming devices. It supports 4K HDR content with Dolby Vision and Atmos, plus WiFi 6 and voice commands using the included Alexa remote. The remote also has a few preset buttons for Netflix, Prime Video and other services, making it easy to access the platforms you use the most. And for those that have compatible security cameras around their home, the Fire TV stick 4K Max also supports live picture-in-picture view, so you can see your video camera’s feed right on your TV without pausing what you’re watching.

Both the Fire TV Stick and the TV Stick Lite are more basic models that provide streaming essentials at low prices. The standard dongle supports HD content and Dolby Atmos audio, while the Lite version lacks Dolby Atmos capabilities. Also, the standard stick has buttons on its voice remote to control your TV’s power and volume, whereas the Lite model does not. We’d recommend springing for the Fire TV Stick since those few extra features go a long way in daily use, but the Fire TV Stick Lite will still be a good choice for those on tight budgets.

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How To Delete the Data Your Smartwatch or Fitness Tracker Has on You

The smartwatches and fitness trackers that we strap to our wrists are intended to log our activity in minute detail — but there might also be times when you’d rather records weren’t collected. Whether you want a fresh start with your fitness regimen, you’re apprehensive about your watch having too much data on you, or for any other reason, deleting data from your wearable isn’t difficult to do.

Apple Watch

If you’ve got an Apple Watch strapped to your wrist, then all of the data that it logs gets synced to the Health app on your iPhone. Most synced data and activity can be deleted in part or entirely; it’s just a question of digging deep enough. Open up the Health app and pick Browseselect the data you want to work with, then choose Show All Data.

Up in the top right corner, you’ll see an Edit button: Tap on this and you can delete individual entries in the list by tapping the red icons on the left-hand side. You can also get rid of everything in one go by tapping Edit and then the Delete All button. Whether you’re erasing individual entries or the whole lot, you’ll be shown a confirmation prompt to make sure that’s what you want to do.

Editing data logged by an Apple Watch.  (Screenshot: Apple Health)Editing data logged by an Apple Watch. (Screenshot: Apple Health)

It’s also possible to control the data that’s synced from your Apple Watch, so certain information — like your heart rate, for example — won’t be logged by the wearable. To manage this from the Health app, tap Summarythen your profile picture (top right), then devices. Choose your Apple Watch from the list and select Privacy Settings.

You also have the option of resetting your Apple Watch and returning it to the condition it was in when you got it. This will wipe everything logged on the device, but it won’t affect any data that’s already been synced to your iPhone. From the Apple Watch, open the Settings app and choose General, Resetand Erase All Content and Settings.

Fitbit

Fitbit makes a multitude of trackers and smartwatches, but they’re all managed via the Fitbit app for Android or iOS; and you can also get at your data dashboard on the web. A whole host of different types of information is gathered up, and you can edit and remove a lot of it if you tap (or click) around.

From the mobile app, for example, open the Today tab and tap on any exercise tile that you see (such as the one for daily walks). If you then tap through to an individual activity, you can tap the three dots (top right) and choose Delete to remove it from the record. It’s very much the same for sleep tiles: Pick an individual sleep record, tap the three dots, then Delete Log.

Erasing step data from the Fitbit dashboard on the web.  (Screenshot: Fitbit)Erasing step data from the Fitbit dashboard on the web. (Screenshot: Fitbit)

On the Fitbit website, you can choose Log and then food, Activities, Weight or sleeping. Every item will come with a trash can icon next to it that lets you erase it, though in some cases you might have to click through to the individual record. Use the time navigation tool up in the top right corner to look back through time.

If you still can’t figure out how to delete something, Fitbit has a comprehensive guide: You can’t delete steps, for example, but you can override them by manually logging a non-walking activity over the same time. You also have the option to delete your account completely, which you can get to from the Today tab in the app by tapping your profile picture, then Account Settings and Delete Account.

Samsung galaxy

When it comes to Samsung Galaxy smartwatches, all of your synced data is going to be in the Samsung Health app for Android or iOS. You can control which information gets sent back to the Samsung Health app from the Galaxy Wearable app on your phone: From the main device screen, choose watchsettings, then Samsung Healthcare.

Certain bits of information can be deleted from Samsung Health while others can’t. In the case of specific exercises, for example, you need to select exercise from the home tab, then pick the exercise you want to remove. Tap the three dots (top right), then choose Delete and confirm your choice to wipe it from the record.

Deleting sleep logs in Samsung Health.  (Screenshot: Samsung Health)Deleting sleep logs in Samsung Health. (Screenshot: Samsung Health)

It’s a similar process when it comes to blocks of sleep. If you tap sleeping from the home tab, you can then navigate to the individual night that you want to work with. Select it, tap on the three dots in the top-right corner, then choose Delete and Delete again to erase it. Data on food and water intake can be wiped like this as well.

There are a couple of more drastic actions you can take. You can factory reset your watch, which is done from the Settings app on the wearable itself: Tap General, then Reset. You can also wipe everything in Samsung Health from inside that app on your mobile, by tapping the three lines (top right), the cog icon, and then Erase personal dates.

Garmin

If you own a Garmin smartwatch, then you’ll be making use of the Connect app on your phone, and you can also get at the same data on the web. Starting with timed activities on the mobile app, open up the menu (it’s top left on Android and bottom right on iOS), then select Activities and All Activities. Pick the activity to delete, tap the three dots, then choose Delete Activity.

It’s a similar process if you want to erase custom workouts (choose Training, then workouts from the app menu) or weigh-ins (choose Health Stats, then Weight from the app menu). When you’ve got to whatever it is you want to delete, you can again tap the three dots in the top right corner and choose Delete. Some of these records can be edited if that works better than deleting them completely.

Wiping data inside the Garmin Connect app.  (Screenshot: Garmin Connect)Wiping data inside the Garmin Connect app. (Screenshot: Garmin Connect)

Other bits of your Garmin data log have to be deleted on the website, including full days of wellness data and training segments. For the former, pick Activities and steps on the left, navigate to the day to delete, click the cog icon and choose Delete. For the latter, pick Training and Segments from the menu on the left, choose a segment, then click the trash can icon and Delete.

That’s about as much as Garmin enables you to do in terms of deleting data — there’s not much in the way of granular control. If you want to remove everything (and perhaps start again from scratch), you can delete your entire Garmin account: Head to this webpage, sign in, click the Delete Your Data option and follow the instructions on the screen.

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Sony Xperia PRO/PRO-I Update – Live Streaming, Monitoring Tools and Camera Control

Sony Xperia PRO/PRO-I Update – Live Streaming, Monitoring Tools and Camera Control

A new update for the Sony Xperia PRO and PRO-I smartphones is out of the oven. the externalmonitor app now comes with interesting new features for Sony Alpha series camera users. These include live-streaming, image monitoring tools, as well as camera control capabilities for the Alpha series of cameras.

First announced in January last year, the Sony Xperia PRO was the company’s first smartphone to feature a Micro HDMI port that allows for professional monitoring with Sony mirrorless cameras. My colleague Nino put the phone thought its peace to test out its monitoring and live-streaming capabilities. Make sure to check out his review of it here.

The PRO model was followed shortly after by the PRO-I, which is equipped with a 1-inch image sensor, but lacks the HDMI input connector. Now, both smartphones are getting a fresh update that introduces support for some of those features that Nino was missing during his experience with the Xperia PRO. Let’s take a closer look.

Sony Xperia PRO and PRO-I External monitor app: new features

With this update, users can take advantage of the 5G network capabilities of their Xperia PRO, PRO-I, or Xperia 1 IV to set up a direct live stream from their Alpha camera to YouTube or other popular platforms. The camera must be connected to the smart device using HDMI on the Xperia PRO or USB-C on the PRO-I and Xperia 1 IV. The list of Sony cameras that support UVC (USB Video Capture) technology includes the a7 IV, a7C, RX-0 II, ZV-1, and ZV-E10.

Sony Xperia PRO. Source: CineD

Moreover, the PRO and PRO-I models finally get some of the most popular image monitoring tools that videographers are used to. These include two fundamental tools for evaluating exposure – a waveform monitor and a false color function. The former can display luminance data, individual RGB channels, or both at the same time. On the other hand, the latter assigns a color to each area of ​​the image, depending on its exposure level.

Sony Xperia PRO/PRO-I’s new RGB parade function. Source: Sony

Lastly, the Xperia PRO now gains camera control capabilities over a selected range of Sony mirrorless cameras, including the a1, a7S III, and a7 IV. Both the HDMI and USB cables must be connected to both devices, thus allowing users to start/stop recording with a simple tap on the smartphone’s touchscreen. Also, this setup allows for a larger full-screen view of the image with camera settings overlaid.

Sony Xperia PRO-I. Source: Sony

Price and availability

All Sony Xperia PRO and PRO-I users should now be able to update their smartphones for free. Both devices are available for purchase from B&H and currently retail for $1,998 and $1,598 (512GB) respectively.

Are you a Sony Xperia user? How do you like using your smartphone as an external on-camera monitor? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Microsoft Reveals Xbox One Console Sales Were Awful Compared to PS4

Microsoft’s attempts to finalize its Activision Blizzard acquisition have inadvertently revealed how poorly the Xbox One console in all its forms sold.

As Game Luster reports, Microsoft needs to get the sign-off for its $68.7 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition from competition authorities around the world. One of those is Brazil’s CADE competition authority.

An official court document (in Portuguese) submitted by Microsoft includes the claim that (Google translated), “Sony has surpassed Microsoft in terms of console sales and install base, having sold more than twice as many [than] Xbox in the last generation.”

Sony no longer reports PS4 console sales, but the last official total reported earlier this month was 117.2 million units. It means that Microsoft didn’t manage to sell more than 58 million Xbox One consoles over its lifetime. And if Ampere Analysis’ data is accurate, Microsoft sold a grand total of just 51 million consoles. For reference, the Xbox 360 achieved 85.8 million units over its lifetime.

Ampere also believes that Sony will have a substantial lead this generation by the time we reach 2024. PS5 console sales are expected to top 67.3 million, while Xbox Series X and Series S combined will manage 44.3 million.

Microsoft is taking a different approach this generation, with the emphasis shifting to hardware sales combined with subscription gaming through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. We won’t know how well that works until much later in this generation of hardware, and just as importantly, if it works even with a much smaller installed user base then your main competitor if Ampere’s predictions are to be believed.

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2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS Spied For The Last Time Ahead Of Debut

The Great Wall of China, the cooling pond of Chernobyl, Bingham Canyon Mine, and the Greenhouses of Almería are some of the few things on Earth you can see from space. Well, prepare to add the Porsche 911 GT3 RS’ rear wing to the list as the track-focused machine has been spotted at the Nürburgring with a hardcore aerodynamic package. It looks as though the prototype had little to no camouflage on its aggressive coupe body.

The lack of disguise doesn’t come as a big surprise since we are days away from the car’s official reveal. Porsche has already announced the 992-generation 911 GT3 RS will break cover on August 17 when we’ll see the track monster in full. It’ll serve as the range-topping model for a while considering a potential GT2 RS is typically launched near the end of the generation.

When it comes to outright top speed, the Turbo S should still reign supreme, while the 911 hybrid could become the most powerful of them all. Porsche will also explore the sports car’s adventurous side by introducing a high-riding variant believed to be called Dakar or Safari. A purely electric 911 won’t arrive before the end of the decade.

Since we mentioned power, Porsche has said the new 911 GT3 RS will have “approximately 500 PS,” which is 493 horsepower. However, chances are it’ll pack more punch since the non-RS derivative is already at 502 hp. No word about torque, but we’ll remind you the regular GT3 boasts 469 Newton-meters (346 pound-feet) from its six-cylinder boxer engine.

An educated guess tells us Porsche has found ways to shave off even more weight while increasing downforce at the rear axle judging by the colossal wing. The naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six will send power to the rear axle probably only through a seven-speed PDK, so look elsewhere in the vast 911 lineup if you want a manual transmission.

The peeps from Zuffenhausen have set up a livestream for the world premiere on Wednesday, so watch this space to discover the 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS.

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Your guide to Gran Turismo 7’s Daily Races, w/c 15th August: Blue Monday

Your guide to Gran Turismo 7's Daily Races, w/c 15th August: Blue Monday

This week’s Gran Turismo 7 Daily Races feature an open choice at Blue Moon Speedway, Gr.2s at Fuji and Gr.3 racing at Maggiore.

In a welcome continuation, Race A of Gran Turismo 7’s Daily Races gives players the chance to tune and set up a car. And even better – following on from last week’s chance to customize the performance of an E46 BMW M3, this week the car choice is completely open (within certain criteria, naturally).

As a reminder, we are now using GT7’s new Balance of Performance (BoP) system, introduced in the v1.19 July update. BoP is now split into three categories depending on the type of track used: High-speed (H), Mid-speed (M) and Low-speed (L).

Your guide to Gran Turismo 7's Daily Races, w/c 15th August: Blue Monday

The BoP has been fairly unsuccessful at equalizing performance, however – especially in the Gr.4 class, where four-wheel-drive cars reign supreme – but the more popular Gr.3 cars do seem to be on the right track at least.

As of the 30th of May, Race A will not affect players’ Driver Rating (DR) and Sportsmanship Rating (SR). This means it’s ideal for newcomers to online racing, or those simply unwilling to risk their hard-fought DR and SR

RACE A

Your guide to Gran Turismo 7's Daily Races, w/c 15th August: Blue Monday

As mentioned previously, GT7 players can flex their tuning muscles in Race A this week. As long as you have a road car with less than 246bhp, weighing at least 1,100kg, anything goes.

These power and weight figures place your car choice slap bang in the heart of front-wheel-drive hot hatch territory. And our recommended car is one of the best-looking examples of the past two decades: the Volkswagen Scirocco R.

Although based on VW Golf underpinnings, the Scirocco had coupe looks which made it a desirable option for people craving a practical performance car without sacrificing design. I liked them so much I bought a 2.0l TSI version a few years back… (although VW technicians thought that losing over a liter of oil every thousand miles was acceptable – long story)

The R version produced slightly more power than the TSI (from the same engine) and the DSG-gearbox version could do the 0-62mph run in just 5.6s – impressive considering its front-engined, front-wheel-drive layout.

As far as tuning goes, you will have to fit a power restrictor to get under the 246bhp limit, as the R comes with 252bhp as standard. The next step is to reduce its weight by purchasing Weight Reduction in the Tuning Shop, with any shortfall supplemented by the addition of ballast.

After improving the car’s suspension, braking and transmission why not have a look at our GT7 front-wheel-drive set-up guide for set-up tips? Try lowering the car’s ride heights and adding more negative camber for starters, they’re sure-fire ways to improve lap times. Obviously, adding a ridiculous-looking wing and over-sized alloy wheels has the same effect.

Race A takes place at Blue Moon Speedway’s Infield A Reverse course. It’s a fairly uninspiring track, but at the very least the oval’s banking gives you a chance to stretch your car’s legs.

Recommended car: Volkswagen Scirocco R ’10 – (Brand Central, 51,500 Credits)

Race B

Your guide to Gran Turismo 7's Daily Races, w/c 15th August: Blue Monday

We return to Gr.2 cars for Race B this time, with Japanese Super GT and 24 Hours of Le Mans GT1 cars available to choose from. The track is Japan’s Fuji International Speedway, which should give you a hint as to the type of car you need to pick…

That’s right, the GT500 cars of the Super GT series are head and shoulders above the Le Mans cars in Race B, and we recommend using the 2016 Nissan GT-R Nismo. Powered by a 2.0l, turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the GT-R has been the most successful GT500 model in Super GT history, winning titles in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015.

It has won races in the top class of Japanese touring car racing every year until the model was retired at the end of 2021, much to the dismay of racing fans who loved its aggressive looks.

Fuji is a track that suits the GT-R – Ronnie Quintarelli and Tsugio Matsuda piloted this very car to win in the second round of the Super GT championship in 2016.

Race B uses the Mid-speed (H) BoP format.

Recommended car: Nissan GT-R Nismo GT500 ’16 (Brand Central 800,000 Credits or free rental)

Race C

Your guide to Gran Turismo 7's Daily Races, w/c 15th August: Blue Monday

Race C adds an element of strategy to this week’s Daily Races, as tire wear is set to 10x. The Mazda RX-VISION GT3 CONCEPT is an excellent choice in Gr.3 this week, however, the Porsche 911 RSR (991) is equally as powerful, and with its flat-six soundtrack, you’d be mad not to pick it.

The car was a massive success in its GTE guise, claiming 10 FIA World Endurance Championship class wins from 15 starts, as well as 10 wins from 33 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship starts.

We return to the well-worn Autodrome Lago Maggiore track for Race C, this time visiting its East layout. It’s a low-speed, technical track that will test the tire-saving abilities of GT7 players.

Race C uses the Lew-speed (L) BoP format.

Recommended car: Porsche 911 RSR (991) ’17 (Brand Central 450,000 Credits or free rental)

Lap Time Challenge

Your guide to Gran Turismo 7's Lap Time Challenge, 4th-18th August: Super Skyline!

The current Lap Time Challenge takes place at the Red Bull Ring using the Nissan Skyline Super Silhouette Group 5 ’84 car.

A new Lap Time Challenge will begin on the 18th of August.

Recommended car: Nissan Skyline Super Silhouette ’84 (Legend Car dealership, 1,150,000 Credits or free rental)


Race A

Race Information

Car: Road Car

track: Blue Moon Bay Speedway – Infield A Reverse

laps: Six

No. Of Cars: 12

Start Type: Grid Start with False Start Check

Duration: 15 Minutes

fuel consumption: 1x

Tire Wear: 1x

regulations

Wide Body: allowed

nitrous: Prohibited

Tire Choice: Comfort: Soft

Power: 246bhp or less

Weight: At least 1,100kg

Car restrictions

BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Off

car used: Garage Car

Car Settings: allowed

Race Settings

DR Updates: Off

SR Updates: Off

Mechanical Damage: Light

Minimum No. of Pit Stops: None

Track Limit: Normal

Penalty Settings

Shortcut Penalty: Light

Penalty for collisions with other cars: On

Pit Lane Line Cutting Penalty: On


Race B

Race Information

Car: Gr.2

trackFuji International Speedway

laps: Six

No. Of Cars: 16

StartType: rolling start

Duration: 15 Minutes

fuel consumption: 1x

Tire Wear: 1x

regulations

Categories: Gr.2

Wide Body: Prohibited

nitrous: Prohibited

Tire Choice: Racing: Soft, Intermediate, Wet

Car restrictions

BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Mid-speed

car used: Garage Car, Event-Specified Car

Car Settings: specified

Race Settings

DR Updateyes: yes

SR Updates: And it is

Mechanical Damage: Light

Minimum No. of Pit Stops: None

Track Limit: Normal

Penalty Settings

Shortcut Penalty: Light

Penalty for collisions with other cars: On

Pit Lane Line Cutting Penalty: On


Race C

Race Information

Car: Gr.3

laps: fifteen

track: Autodrome Lago Maggiore – East

No. Of Cars: 16

StartType: rolling start

Duration: 25 Minutes

fuel consumption: 1x

Tire Wear: 10x

regulations

Categories: Gr.3

Wide Body: Prohibited

nitrous: Prohibited

Tire Choice: Racing: Hard, Medium, Intermediate, Wet

Required Tire Type: Racing: Hard, Medium

Car restrictions

BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Low speed

car used: Garage Car, Event-Specified Car

Car Settings: specified

Race Settings

DR Updateyes: yes

SR Updates: And it is

Mechanical Damage: Light

Minimum No. of Pit Stops: None

Track Limit: Normal

Penalty Settings

Shortcut Penalty: Light

Penalty for collisions with other cars: On

Pit Lane Line Cutting Penalty: On


Lap Time Challenge

Race Information

Car: Nissan Skyline Super Silhouette Group 5 ’84

track: Red Bull Ring

Entry Period: 4th-18th August

regulations

Ccategories: Nissan Skyline Super Silhouette Group 5 ’84

Wide Body: Prohibited

nitrous: Prohibited

Tire Choice: Racing: Medium, Intermediate, Wet

car restrictions

BoP/Tuning Forbidden: Mid-speed

car used: Garage Car, Event-Specified Car

Car Settings: specified

RAce Settings

Track Limit: Normal

Penalty Settings

Shortcut Penalty: Light





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Samsung executive gives details of the Galaxy Watch 5’s advanced sleep monitoring

Sleep tracking is becoming a more prominent feature of smartwatches these days, and many companies are working on delivering better sleep tracking capabilities to their smartwatch lineups. Samsung has recently announced its newest smartwatches: the Galaxy Watch 5 and the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, and now a Samsung executive has shared how the sleep monitoring of the new watches has been improved, reports The Korea Herald.

Pre-order the Galaxy Watch 5 or the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

The two newest smartwatches by Samsung are now up for pre-order:

Samsung executive says the Watch 5 has the world’s most advanced sleep-tracking tech

Samsung Electronics executive vice president Yang Tae-jong, who is the head of health research and development in Samsung’s mobile experience unit, stated the Watch 5 sports the world’s most advanced tech for sleep tracking, during a press conference in New York. He underlined that the new wearable device features various technologies, including an innovative Bioactive sensor, and that those technologies will help make the Watch 5 the best partner for keeping healthy habits and sleep patterns.

Yang also noted that Samsung has been developing technologies related to sleep tracking for a long time. The Watch 5 monitors different stages of sleep, detects snoring, and also measures blood oxygen levels to determine how well you sleep, and to transform that info into a score.

On top of that, the sleep coaching function will provide customized programs for better and healthier sleep habits. The sleep coaching program is offered for free and is in cooperation with Samsung Medical Center.

But Samsung has not stopped yet. Yang stated the company is working with the US National Sleep Foundation, as well as with laboratories at UC San Diego and UC San Francisco for research on sleep technology. It is also working with those entities to utilize relevant data for clinical trials.

The Watch 5 also has a new temperature sensor, which uses infrared tech for a more accurate reading. It could also be used to measure sleep. However, the executive did not mention when the new temperature-measuring services will begin (those are yet to receive the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s, formerly the Korea Food & Drug Administration’s official approval).

Yang also stated that he believes smartwatches in the future could become more medically-centered and could be used to monitor patients and for digital treatments as well.

He underlined three pillars as the direction of Samsung’s health business: innovation, connectivity, and cooperation.

Galaxy Watch 5: recap of the improvements it brings over the Galaxy Watch 4

The Galaxy Watch 5 is now in its pre-order period (you can pre-order yours from the section above), and come with some notable improvements over its predecessor. It features a bigger battery and a big improvement in charging. The smartwatch can now last around eight hours after just eight minutes on the charger, and it now supports 10W wireless WPC-based charging.

In terms of features, the mentioned above innovative Bioactive sensor combines a host of specialized health sensors for accurate health data and fitness and wellness insights. The Watch’s Biometric analysis has been upgraded, and it now not only performs a comprehensive body composition analysis but will also give you advice on how to attain your goals.

It will also remind you to re-hydrate after an intense cardio session, for example. And, in terms of sleep, it will feature notifications for recurring sleep disorders such as sleep apnea (a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts), if it detects something like that with its sleep monitoring capabilities. On top of that, the coaching plan the Watch 5 will provide for sleep will have individualized checkpoints, targets, and milestones, to help you build better sleep habits.

Stay tuned for our Galaxy Watch 5 review to see how we’ve found the smartwatch performs in all those categories mentioned above.

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This Small Computer Is A Great First Step Into PC Gaming For Families

I’m often on the look out for new computer solutions for the family. Whether it’s gaming, homework or socializing there’s always something to get tech ready for.

In particular my son has wanted to dip his toe into the world of PC gaming. More specifically, indie games. He likes the idea of ​​getting access to the big new thing all his friends are talking about in the playground (most recently Loop Hero and Vampire Survivors). I like the idea of ​​him playing a wider range of games, and also having a way to do his homework without tying up the main computer.

For the past couple of months we have been trying out the Geekom Mini IT8. It’s a small footprint device that promises to punch above its weight in terms of performance. Getting it out of the box and seeing how small it was, I was a little skeptical it would be up to the gaming spec he needed.

There are a few configurations. We went for the 16GB/256GB that comes in around $519. The device itself is, as I mentioned, pretty small. But it has all the ports and connectors a larger computer would have. We plugged in a keyboard, mouse, HDMI monitor and power, and were all set.

By the time my son had started to download some games I had read a few other reviews decrying the performance for gaming. This is true if you are going to be running a high spec game that is graphically intensive. But the games my son wanted to play were actually pretty light on the visuals.

Working through a range of games from a list he had compiled, most of them ran fine. It’s worth saying that it did mean the fan revved up to maximum and emitted a dull hum. I asked him about this and he said it wasn’t a problem as he played with a headset.

The most graphically intensive game we ran was Counter-Strike. We did need to fiddle with the settings a bit, but soon had it running smoothly. It was great to see him be able to give this a go. Not only on a machine that didn’t cost the earth, but also didn’t take up a huge amount of desk space.

Since then the Geekom Mini IT8 has meant that we have explore loads of PC games. In fact it’s become a regular father-son thing. He’ll appear at the living room door clutching the little computer, ready to plug it into the TV for an hour of playing together.

If you don’t have a PC and are looking for a way to step into some light PC gaming, the Geekom Mini IT8 is a great way to do it. It’s also pretty good for homework too.

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Apple Patents Luxury Design For Next Gen Watch & iPhone – channelnews

Apple is looking to up the ante on the design of their Apple Watches and iPhones with a new high-end ceramic finish revealed in patents lodged in the USA.

The US based tech giant has a new patent called “Electronic Devices with Textured Zirconia-Based Components”, which outlines the potential for a new matte finish making use of Zirconia-based ceramic material, which could be found on future Apple Watch and iPhone models .

According to the patent, the design would give “a matte appearance to an exterior surface of an electronic device. The texture of the enclosure component may also be configured so that it has one or more tactile properties suitable for use as a wearable device and can be readily cleaned.”

Alongside improvements in appearance and feel, the new design “may be configured so that the zirconia-based component substantially retains its strength and impact resistance,” as stated in the patent document.

Images suggest that the new Zirconia-Based material would appear on Apple Watches as the side frame that encloses the display, while on an iPhone it might replace the toughened back glass.

In classic Apple fashion, they won’t be the first company to adopt ceramic components, with Samsung having used it in the past. It is usually only featured on high end devices too, which means it may be reserved for the Pro models, which are the only devices in Apple’s range to already have a matte finish on the back.

The patent does not guarantee that Apple will feature Zirconia-based components in new models, and it would be wrong to expect it on the upcoming iPhone 14, but it does prove that the company is at least thinking about implementing an additional touch of luxury to their most premium devices.

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Microsoft finally admits Xbox One sales were less than half of the PS4

Official Xbox One sales have largely been a mystery, but now Microsoft is finally admitting the obvious: the PS4 outsold the Xbox One — by a lot.

Microsoft stopped reporting its Xbox One sales figures at the beginning of its 2016 financial year, focusing instead on Xbox Live numbers. The change meant we’ve never officially known how well Xbox One was holding up compared to the PS4 after the Xbox One’s troubled launch. Analyst estimates have consistently put Microsoft in third place behind Sony and Nintendo, and now documents (Word doc) submitted to Brazil’s national competition regulator (spotted by Game Luster) finally shed some light on how the Xbox One generation went.

“Sony has surpassed Microsoft in terms of console sales and installed base, having sold more than twice as many Xbox in the last generation,” admits Microsoft, as translated from Portuguese.

Sony no longer report PS4 shipments, which means lifetime sales sit at 117.2 million as of March. While Microsoft hasn’t provided a specific sales number for Xbox One, its admission means the company must have sold less than approximately 58.5 million units. That lines up with market research from Ampere Analysis in 2020, which put the install base of Xbox One at 51 million units at the end of Q2 2020. Nintendo Switch currently sits at 111.08 million lifetime sales, and looks set to pass the PS4 later this year.

The Xbox Series S is helping bridge the PlayStation sales gap.
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Microsoft seems to be closing this giant gap with its Xbox Series S/X consoles, though. Ampere Analysis says “Sony ended 2021 with PS5 cumulative sell-through reaching 17 million units, around 1.6 times the performance of Xbox Series sales.” While Microsoft recoded a quarterly hardware revenue decline for Xbox recently, CEO Satya Nadella said Microsoft has “been the market leader in North America for three quarters in a row among next-gen consoles.” Microsoft still doesn’t reveal official Xbox sales figures.

The Xbox One might not have sold well, but Microsoft’s work on the Xbox One generation laid some important groundwork for the Xbox Series S / X. Microsoft transitioned into the Xbox Series X with 1440p support, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and lots of 120Hz games all at launch thanks to testing these features on previous Xbox One consoles.

Microsoft’s admission of weak Xbox One sales come as part of a broader debate between Sony and Microsoft over the Xbox maker’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. Sony and Microsoft are both arguing over Call of Duty, game subscriptions, and much more as Microsoft attempts to clear its acquisition in Brazil. Microsoft has also claimed in documents submitted to Brazil’s regulator that Sony pays for “blocking rights” to prevent developers adding their content to Xbox Game Pass.