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Why Apple’s new line-up will be its biggest ever — literally

Why Apple's new line-up will be its biggest ever — literally

Credit: Dreamtime

In just a few weeks, Apple’s annual fall cavalcade of new products will begin with the iPhone 14 event. And you’re going to notice a trend among this year’s big announcements: They’re going to be, well, big.

Alongside the usual spec bumps and refreshes of existing models we’ll reportedly be getting two new large-screen devices: a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max and a 50mm Apple Watch Pro.

These represent the largest iPhone and Apple Watch, respectively, that the company has ever made. There are rumors of a 14-inch iPad Pro and 15-inch MacBook Air in the works as well, although they probably won’t arrive this year.

As a general rule Apple has tried to resist the trend towards big; it took the company until 2018 to deliver a 6.5-inch iPhone in the XS Max. But this year all four models will be larger than six inches for the first time. And the Apple Watch Series 3’s tiny 38mm screen, which is likely going away once and for all, is a whopping 12mm smaller than the rumored Apple Watch Pro.

So like it or not, Apple is going big in 2022. The pace of innovation is outrunning the ability to shrink batteries and engineer smaller devices, and even Apple has to give in and accept the truth: if you want devices that last longer, they ‘re going to have to be bigger.

Credit: IDG

Larger than (battery) life

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Oppo’s ready to launch ColorOS 13, showing us how it totally isn’t like OxygenOS 13

Oppo Find X5 Pro photos 4

The Reno 8 series will be one of the first handsets to run it

It’s fair to say that ColorOS is a lot more important to a lot more people now since it not only powers Oppo phones, but also shares its code base with OnePlus’s OxygenOS skin. What started off as subtle changes on OnePlus devices, as we saw on the Nord 2, went on to become a much more homogenous software experience between the two sister brands with the current latest versions of ColorOS and OxygenOS sharing more elements than ever. While this means that the OxygenOS 13 launch from last week may have unintentionally provided clues as to what to expect with ColorOS 13 already, you won’t have to wait to see the full thing for much longer now that Oppo has a game plan.

ANDROID POLICE VIDEO OF THE DAY

According to 91mobiles, the Android 13-based ColorOS 13 update will launch globally this month. This will be followed by a rollout to the Reno 8 series in September. It may seem outlandishly quick since that’s the very same month Google’s Pixel phones might see Android 13 go stable, but considering that Oppo already has a ColorOS 13 beta program up and running, the company might just pull it off.

For folks who want to skip the wait and check out all of what Oppo has in store with its latest update, that beta program is live for the Find N, Find X5, and Find X5 Pro (presumably any of these will get the stable ColorOS 13 update this month). It’s limited to Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, UAE, France, and Australia, though, and only a thousand users will be selected for it. If you haven’t signed up yet, then chances are that you’ve missed the opportunity already since recruitment days are officially over. Still, there’s no harm in checking for any remaining slots: simply navigate to Settings > About device > Trial versions all so


Just keep in mind before proceeding that beta software like this can be a bug-fest. Oppo has already warned of problems like NFC issues, janky auto-brightness, “display malfunction” after sending messages on WhatsApp, and there’s a good chance that there are many more waiting to be encountered.

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The Morning After: Netflix’s slow start in gaming

The Morning After

Netflix’s entry into the gaming market has been quiet. According to analysis by Apptopia, Netflix games have been downloaded 23.3 million times and have an average 1.7 million daily users. Framed against the 221 million customers paying for the streaming service, it’s not a great number — just one percent of them. The company indicated it didn’t expect its gaming division to be profitable immediately. “We’re going to be experimental and try a bunch of things,” Netflix COO Greg Peters told investors during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings calls last year.

But given that Netflix is ​​not afraid to cut well-regarded shows after a few seasons, how long will it be willing to run a gaming arm before it’s successful? And what does success look like for Netflix? Earlier this year, the company paid $72 million to acquire Next Games, the studio behind Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales. More recently, it secured exclusive mobile rights to beloved indie titles like Spiritfarer and Into The Breach.

For what it’s worth, poinpy is a pretty wonderful game worthy of your smartphone gaming time.

— Matt Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Tornado Cash helped North Korea, according to the Treasury.

The Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Tornado Cash, a mixer that allegedly helped launder more than $7 billion in stolen crypto funds since its inception in 2019. Like a previous sanctions target, Blender, Tornado Cash is accused of “indiscriminately” helping thieves by hiding transaction details while failing to institute meaningful anti-laundering safeguards. Tornado Cash runs on the Ethereum blockchain. North Korea’s state-sponsored Lazarus Group hackers are believed to have funneled $455 million through the mixer so far.

Continue reading.

The $6,000 theme gives the EV a ‘darker and overtly sporting personality.’

TMA

lucid

Lucid is adding a new trim option to its Air electric vehicle. The idea behind Stealth Look is to give the car a “darker and overtly sporting personality,” according to the automaker. Lucid is swapping out 35 exterior components that have a platinum finish for versions with a darker appearance, with black gloss and satin graphite accents. Lucid plans to introduce the $6,000 option early next year, though whether you’ll actually be able to get your hands on an Air at all anytime soon is another matter. Earlier this month, Lucid once again revised its production target for 2022, this time from 20,000 to between 6,000 and 7,000 units.

Continue reading.

Not Adam Sandler though.

Bandai Namco is developing a live-action Pac-Man film, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Japanese gaming giant has reportedly tapped Wayfarer Studios, best known for its work on 2019’s Five Feet Apart, to produce the project. The film was reportedly pitched by sonic the hedgehog Producer Chuck Williams. In 2020, sonic the hedgehog broke the record for a US video game movie debut. So it’s all Sonic’s fault.

Continue reading.

Just in time for Discovery to make it obsolete.

TMA

HBO

Warner Bros. Discovery has finished rolling out its redesigned app on desktop, Android and iOS, delivering a more intuitive interface, a performance boost and some overdue features. You’ll also find a dedicated video download page, split-screen support and SharePlay — at least for Apple devices in the US. The timing isn’t great. Warner Bros. recently confirmed it’s merging HBO Max and Discovery+ into one service next summer. The app you see today won’t last long.

Continue reading.

The event happens on August 10 at 9 AM ET.

Splatoon 3 will arrive on September 9th, and Nintendo is setting the table with a dedicated Direct showcase. The stream will get underway at 9 AM ET on August 10th and have around 30 minutes of updates. Expect a deep dive into one of Nintendo’s tentpole Switch releases of the year, encompassing multiplayer changes and in-game mechanics.

Continue reading.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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How to Create Synthetic AI Art With Midjourney

How to Create Synthetic AI Art With Midjourney

A wizard in a hall of computers.
Midjourney / Benj Edwards

AI-based image generators like DALL-E 2 have boomed in popularity. People love to enter bizarre prompts and see what gets spit out. Midjourney is one of the more advanced tools for this, and you can try it now.

What Is Midjourney?

Before we talk about Midjourney, let’s start with DALL-E 2, the one you may have heard about. DALL-E 2 sits at the high end of these AI-based image generator tools. It can create completely brand new images from a simple text prompt. You enter “a robot eating a taco,” and it creates an image depicting a robot eating a taco.

At the more basic level is Craiyon, formerly known as “DALL-E mini.” This is a free web tool that anyone can use, but it’s not nearly as sophisticated as DALL-E 2. The results are often strange and somewhat creepy, but it’s still very fun to play with.

Midjourney sits somewhere in the middle of DALL-E 2 and Craiyon. It also uses AI and machine learning to generate images based on text prompts. The results are usually quite good, but not as mind-blowing as DALL-E 2. The important thing is anyone can try the beta version of Midjourney right now (as of August 2022,) unlike DALL-E 2. No waiting period required .

RELATED: OpenAI’s DALL-E 2 AI Is Only Bad News for Some Artists

How to Use Midjourney Beta

The only thing you need to use the Midjourney Beta is a Discord account. That’s where you will give text prompts to the Midjourney bot. You can sign up for a free account on Discord’s website. After that, you can use Discord in a web browser or download the app for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iPhone.

Once you’re all set up with Discord, we’ll head over to the Midjourney website and select “Join the Beta.”

This will take you to Discord, where we can select “Accept Invite.”

We’re in. There are a couple of things to know about the beta. You start with a free trial that includes around 25 prompts. After that, you can buy a full membership if you’d like it.

To get started, go to one of the “Newcomer Rooms” channels in the sidebar. We’ll be using “#newbies-42,” but there are a number of others.

Enter one of the newbie channels.

In the text box, enter /imagine and then type your prompt and submit it.

Enter "/imagine" and your prompt.

You can watch the progress as the four images are created.

Images being created.

When the images are finished, they’ll be displayed in a new message. Now you have some additional options.

  • U = Upscale: Creates a larger version of the image.
  • V = Variation: Creates a new image based on the one you selected.
  • Refresh: Get four new images from the same prompt.

Image options.

The results will be delivered in a new message just like before, and you’ll have some new options to make more variations or upscale it to the max.

Options after upscale.

If at any time you’d like to save the images, simply select the image and tap the download icon on mobile or “Open Original” on desktop to see the full-size image to save.

Save the results.

That’s pretty much all there is to the Midjourney Beta! Simply type /imagine and you can follow it with a prompt. Keep in mind certain words aren’t allowed, but it’s mostly fair game, and you can see what others are creating. There’s some pretty crazy AI out there these days, go have fun!

RELATED: What Is Google’s LaMDA AI, and Why Does a Google Engineer Believe It’s Sentient?

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TeamGroup announces a new edition of a DDR5-6000, 2x16GB-bundled with Intel and AMD Systems

TEAMGROUP continues to evolve and strive to provide a complete and accurate solution for users around the world. The company is releasing memory ELITE PLUS DDR5 with a completely new heatsink design. It was designed to improve reliability. Similarly, the TEAMGROUP will announce a new frequency of 6000 MHz for ELITE.

TEAMGROUP is a world’s leading memory engineer and continues to become a leader in technology. With the help of a new DDR5, it gives users better performance.

The company has released the memory ELITE PLUS DDR5 with the full-new heatsink design, thus enhancing its reliability. In addition, TEAMGROUP announces a new frequency of 6000 MHz for ELITE DDR5 to improve the performance and deliver a quality-high-energy design.

ELITE PLUS DDR5 Memory has a sleek, simple aluminum heatsink, designed for corrosion and safety. The battery is fully removable so the module can be safely built. The ELITE PLUS DDR5 memory is equipped with a current operating voltage 1.1 V which further reduces the power consumption per unit of bandwidth by up to one-sided V per unit of bandwidth, giving more efficient power consumption.

This module consists of MICs for efficient power distribution, reliable power supply and noise reduction. The chip supports an ECC unit that works with a self-corrected DRAM cells to improve stability and reliability, but also reduces the risk of a failure of information.

To be perfect compatible with Intel and AMD systems, ELITE PLUS DDR5 modules come in three frequencies: 4800MHz, 5600MHz and 6000MHz, in single/dual channel options from 8 GB to 32 GB.

In November 20, 2010 ELITE PLUS DDR5 will be released in September, 2022, and in August 20, 2019, the 6000MHz latest memory of the ELITE DDR5 will go to Amazon and Newegg store shelves.

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New Audi RS 3 Sedan and RS 3 Sportback arrive in Australia

The next generation Audi RS 3 Sedan and RS 3 Sportback have arrived in Australia, bringing more torque, heightened driving dynamics, a striking new design and a raft of innovative features that set it apart from its predecessor, and its competitors.

With its five-cylinder, high-performance engine, the Audi RS 3 is one-of-a-kind in the segment; the 2.5-litre TFSI engine delivering 500Nm of torque and boasting 294kW of power. It sprints to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds, thanks to launch control.

The RS 3 Sedan and RS 3 Sportback consume 8.2 and 8.3-litres/100km respectively. For the first time, the RS 3 also features an exhaust system with a fully variable flap control system that supports intermediate positions.

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The differences can be experienced in the various modes offered by the Audi drive select dynamic handling system. In the dynamic and RS Performance modes, for example, the flaps open much earlier – the emotional elements of the sound are even more pronounced.

The standard RS sports exhaust system brings out the unmistakable sound of the five-cylinder engine even more clearly. An RS torque splitter, installed for the first time in an Audi, makes the driving experience even more exhilarating too.

It replaces the previous rear axle differential with an upstream multiple disc clutch package to distribute torque between the rear wheels in a fully variable manner. This results in even greater stability and agility.

During dynamic driving, the torque splitter increases torque delivered to the outer rear wheel with the higher wheel load, which significantly reduces the tendency to understeer. In left-hand corners, it transmits the drive torque to the right rear wheel, and vice versa.

The difference in propulsive forces means that the new RS 3 turns into curves even better and follows the steering angle more precisely – especially at high speeds. Its RS Performance track and RS Torque Rear drift mode take advantage of this system.

Pirelli P Zero “Trofeo R” semi-slick tires, which are optionally available. Adaptive damper control supersedes the magnetic ride control of its predecessor. With adaptive dampers, sensors measure the movements of the vehicle body.

The pistons within the dampers contain solenoid valves that offer very energy-efficient control, allowing hydraulic fluid to flow faster or slower as required. The damping characteristics are adjusted accordingly to the road surface conditions and driving situation.

Audi drive select has an effect on the engine and transmission characteristics, the torque splitter, steering assistance, the adaptive dampers, and the exhaust flaps. This creates a broad range of driving experiences – from comfort, to highly dynamic.

On the outside, the Audi RS 3 features a wide RS bumper, redesigned Singleframe grille, and large air intakes. Behind the flared fenders, a slightly protruding air outlet creates a motorsport look. The front and rear (Sportback only) axle track have been widened.

The RS 3 comes standard-equipped with flat, V-shaped Matrix LED headlights, with dynamic turning lights and darkened bezels that feature digital daytime running lights around their outer downturned angles.

When the vehicle is opened, the RS 3 lettering appears on the driver’s side and a checkered flag appears in the pixel field of the other headlight, creating a dynamic scene. When driving, the checkered flag lights up on both sides.

Audi Sport delivers the RS 3 with 19-inch cast alloy wheels in a 5-spoke Y-style design, with RS branding. The motorsports-inspired finishing touches include the redesigned RS-specific rear bumper with built-in diffuser and the RS exhaust system.

Some exterior peripherals, such as the mirror caps, the inserts in the rocker panels, and the tailgate and roof edge spoilers, are available as an option in carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic for an even sportier look.

A total of eight exterior colors are available for the models, including the RS-specific Kyalami Green and Kemora Gray finishes. In the interior, too, many elements specific to the RS accentuate its sportiness.

The standard-equipped 12.3-inch Audi virtual cockpit plus displays the revolutions per minute in the ‘RS Runway’ design. In addition, there’s displays for G-forces, lap times, and acceleration from 0–100km/h, 0–200km/h, quarter mile, and eighth of a mile.

The RS-specific blinking shift indicator in manual transmission mode changes the rpm display from green to yellow to red, blinking in a manner identical to that used in motorsports, to indicate the ideal time to change gears.

It is also integrated into the head-up display, which is available for the first time in an A3 model, that projects relevant information onto the windshield in the driver’s direct line of sight.

The 10.1-inch touch display in the instrument panel also displays the coolant, engine, and transmission oil temperatures, as well as the G-forces and the tire pressures.

Carbon-fibre trim on the instrument panel and RS sport seats with RS embossing and contrast stitching (in Nappa leather) enhance the look. The latter are available with glossy black, Express red, or, for the first time, Micrommata green contrast stitching.

The optional RS design package plus adds seat shoulders and accents around the air vents in matching red or green, special floor mats with contrast stitching and RS embroidery, Alcantara steering wheel, and seatbelts with matching colored edges.

Standard specifications including an electronically opening and closing boot (Sportback), heated, folding and dimming exterior mirrors with memory, wireless Apple CarPlay, the head-up display, and electric front seats with 4-way lumbar support and memory function.

Color ambient lighting provides a sophisticated cabin character. The folding rear seat backrest (40:20:40) ensures that the new RS 3 is as fit for domestic duties too, and there’s a load of safety features as well.

In addition to the standard equipment of its predecessor, the new RS 3 Sedan and RS 3 Sportback gain exit warning with rear cross traffic alert, and Audi pre sense basic (seat belt pre-tensioning, window and sunroof closure in emergency situations).

Audi park assist and 360 degree cameras make the most intricate of urban environments a breeze too. Bundled with a 5-year unlimited kilometer warranty, there’s also the option of service plans, and an extended warranty.

These packages can be purchased back-to-back, and allows buyers to include the cost of warranty, servicing and roadside assistance for up to nine years, at the time of purchase. Four option packages will be available at launch.

These include the Carbon package, Matte aluminum styling package, RS design package plus and RS dynamic package plus. Priced at $91,391 for the Sportback and $93,891 for the Sedan (both plus on-roads), the new Audi RS 3 is available now.

If you’re keen on one and need finance, visit CreditOne.

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Open beta for MultiVersus attracts 10 million players and breaks records

Open beta for MultiVersus attracts 10 million players and breaks records

MultiVersus, the platform fighter from Warner Bros. and Player First Games, has broken record after record, jumping from five million players to 10 million in only a few weeks.

The game is still in open beta and has only been available for a few weeks.

Fighting games tend to get a fair amount of love from fans and newcomers alike, but no fighting game has ever come close to the numbers MultiVersus is pulling.

In the span of only a handful of weeks, the game where you can fight LeBron James as Batman has shattered player count records yet again, as spotted by GamesRadar.

While there are plenty of fighting games that have enjoyed immense success, such as Tekken 7, Brawlhalla, and Guilty Gear -Strive-, none of those games had opening numbers like MultiVersus.

It’s plain to see that going free-to-play with such large IPs is paying off dividends. With a 24-average of more than 53,000 players, people seem to really enjoy the Smash Bros.-style of fighting game.

Future characters are already in the works, with Morty from Rick and Morty confirmed first.

Rumors of other characters, such as the Joker, Scooby-doo, Godzilla, and even Ted Lasso are most likely making their way to the game.

There are even more unconfirmed (and less likely) rumors of characters like the Powerpuff Girls, Scorpion, and Ben 10 floating around the internet, as well.

Despite the success, or perhaps as a result of it, director Tony Huynh stated that Season One of the game would be getting delayed to address some issues, including a “big overhaul” of characters’ hitboxes.

The game doesn’t have a new release date as of this writing, but the open beta has been extended indefinitely, so players can give the game a try.

Multiverse had a good showing at Evo, the largest fighting game tournament in the world, last weekend. Evo drew a massive crowd throughout the event, but especially during the MultiVersus tournament.

The event was so popular, that developers even teased new projects during the event.

Written by Junior Miyai on behalf of GLHF

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Melbourne-made game set to go global

Melbourne-made game set to go global

But more than half of the country’s game development companies are based in Victoria, as well as 57 per cent of the workforce.

Wilton’s game was among six games backed by Victorian agency VicScreen previewed to the media that are set to launch in the next 12 months either on mobile, PC, or Xbox and Playstation.

The game <i>Wood & Weather</i> by Paper House Studio.” loading=”lazy” src=”https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.35%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_70%2C$y_1/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/b71d4c361d9637396fb081eadcead7baea26d92a” height=”390″ width=”584″ srcset=”https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.35%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_70%2C$y_1/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/b71d4c361d9637396fb081eadcead7baea26d92a, https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.35%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_70%2C$y_1/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/b71d4c361d9637396fb081eadcead7baea26d92a 2x”/></picture></div><figcaption class=

The game Wood & Weather by Paper House Studio.

Many of Melbourne’s most anticipated games previewed on Wednesday are left-of-field, exploratory games that aren’t necessarily pitched at typical male video gamers.

Future Folklore, set for concept release next year, will be Australia’s first ever Indigenous-led mobile game, set in a fantasy world inspired by the Australian bush where players can explore and care for Country.

A Silicon Valley venture capital firm has just pumped $9.76 million into a Melbourne mobile-based app called Kinder World by female-led Melbourne studio Lumi Interactive. Dreamt up during the dark days of COVID lockdowns, the cozy game is all about tending to virtual houseplants and spreading kindness to help people unwind.

Climate change and environmental themes are explored in Onepixel.com’s Studio Ghibli-like game Way to the Woods as well as Paper House studio’s Wood & Weatherwhich depicts a “toy world” undergoing the impacts of climate change.

Melbourne outfit Ghost Pattern also previewed wayward strand, a game set in the 1970s that explores the world of 14-year-old Casey, who tags along on summer holidays to her mum’s job at an aged care hospital in regional Victoria (which is also suspended in the sky).

Wednesday also marked the official opening of applications for the next round of Victoria’s Games Development Internship program, which aims to foster more game creators from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds in the screen industry.

Melbourne’s status as a video game powerhouse was cemented in 2019 after game smash hit Untitled Goose Game, which lets players take control of a rampaging, mischievous goose.

The game, created by Fitzroy-based studio House House, was recently acquired by ACMI in Melbourne, the Powerhouse in Sydney and the National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra, which are preserving the game and its early drafts for posterity.

VicScreen chief executive Caroline Pitcher said the Victorian digital games industry had just had a record year, with VicScreen-supported games injecting $9.7 million into the state economy – a 46 per cent increase on the previous year.

“The digital games industry is growing exponentially, and we are championing that by backing local IP and career development,” she said.

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Wondershare UniConverter 14: the complete video toolbox for your needs

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Wondershare launched UniConverter 14 recently, with greatly improved conversion speeds, compressing speeds, and other features and functions that are super-powered in the UniConverter 14 update.

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VIEW GALLERY – 16 PICTURES

The new Wondershare UniConverter 14 ushers in up to a huge 50% improvement in video converter speeds, as well as up to 50% speed bumps in 4K + 8K HDR video full-process GPU acceleration. Video editors will be happy with those upgrades, especially given that those improvements are just the beginning.

Wondershare also makes it easy for someone without video editing skills to be able to do things that someone with a much larger skill set does: we’re talking about converting and compressing video, editing, recording, saving, and merging videos, as well as burning videos to permanent media like DVD, and so much more.

We all know there are competing video editing suites on the market, but Wondershare makes complicated jobs like video editing, so much easier for end users. Wondershare also makes having power video editing tools at your fingertips cheaper than the competition, too.

Wondershare UniConverter 14 supports Apple Mac M1 native acceleration, for the new M1-powered Apple products in the wild, while there’s also multi-threaded GPU acceleration for Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA GPUs. UniConverter 14 has support for VP9, ​​AV1, HEVC (H.265) encoder. Wondershare also provides support for WEBM, MP4 format video with alpha channel output which is good news for video editors.

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Wondershare UniConverter 14: the complete video toolbox for your needs 201 | TweakTown.com

Wondershare UniConverter 14 supports popular web formats including YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, Instagram, TikTok, Amazon, eBay, are all included. There’s support for a variety of 4K, 8K, and HDR video formats including MP4, AVI, MOV, MKV, and more. Wondershare has also added MP4 (CFHD)/MOV (HEVC)/MKV (AV1)Webm (VP9/AV1).

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UniConverter 14 uses lossless conversion technology which is powered by “APEXTRANS” technology, which Wondershare says converts videos with zero quality loss or video compression. GPU acceleration helps speed things along, with 4K + 8K + HDR and other HD video full-process GPU acceleration.

Wondershare says its new UniConverter 14 is 50% faster than its predecessor, and 120x faster than “other video converters”.

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You can convert multiple videos in batches, all with GPU acceleration speeding things along with a single click of your mouse. Depending on your system and the settings you’ve got for the video and its conversion process, it’ll be super-speeded by Wondershare UniConverter 14.

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Wondershare’s new UniConverter 14 has no size limits in the video compression department, where if you are looking for the ultimate software toolkit to compress video then you’re safe here.

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No size limits and custom compression ready to go in UniConverter 14, with new features inside of the update including support for lossless compression of audio files, Wondershare has bumped compression quality by 80% while the compression time is reduced 90% without losing quality. There are multiple compression modes in UniConverter 14, which were added to meet the compression requirements of various scenarios.

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You can watch videos in all formats through the Wondershare HD Video Player, which is capable of playing HD, Full HD, 4K + 8K video smoothly. The video player is an independent process to UniConverter 14, which is capable of playing 1000+ formats of video in the wild.

Wondershare HD Video Player has the playback effects that you’d get out of the VLC professional player, not too damn bad at all, huh?

Powerful AI features in UniConverter 14 make everything easier

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Wondershare bakes in some new AI features that make UniConverter 14 even easier, with the Noise Remover function taking care of audio recordings and video that feature a lot of noise. This is perfect for post-processing tasks like recording meetings, editing videos, and recording audio for podcasts.

  • Noise Remover: Remove background noise from video/audio batch.
  • vowel remover: Automatically separate vocals from music.
  • Watermark Editor: Add or remove watermarks from your video.
  • SubtitleEditor: A powerful subtitle editing tool.
  • Smart Trim: Automatically trim your videos and make video editing easy.
  • Auto Crop: Automatically resize videos for different social networks.
  • AI Portrait: Change video background with AI.
  • Background remover: Automatically remove the background from images.

There’s also the vowel removewhich will separate your vocals from music… again: perfect for video editors.

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Wondershare keeps things on the cheap with its UniConverter 14 pricing: things start at $39.99 per year on an annual plan, while you’ll get “forever to use” UniConverter and all of its features for a $79.99 one-time fee. This means a single purchase can unlock it all, where you get access to 6 add-on features: Smart Trimmer, Watermark

Editor, Subtitle Editor, Auto Reframe, AI Portrait, Intro & Outro (Standard Subscription).

If you are flexing between Windows and Mac operating systems, then you could look at buying UniConverter in a bundle. Wondershare offers UniConverter on an annual plan for $71.98 per year, where you’ll get WonderShare UniConverter for Windows, and Wondershare UniConverter for Mac.

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There’s also UniConverter + DVD Creator, UniConverter + Filmora, and UniConverter + DemoCreator bundles that make things cheaper if you’re using multiple software suites from Wondershare.

Wrapping things up, if you’re editing or working with videos then Wondershare’s updated UniConverter 14 video editing suite could be for you. There’s so much here for under $100 it’s not funny, especially when competing software suites can’t do for much more money on the table.

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Wondershare provides super-easy everything-including-the-kitchen-sink features with video editing, converting, compression, recording, downloading, and more with UniConverter 14.

If you are working on multiple videos on the daily, then Wondershare’s batch utility in UniConverter 14 is a huge asset to you. This is highlighted if you’ve got the PC hardware to handle it all, with the GPU acceleration pumping speeds through the roof.

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HPM USB and Qi wireless charge hub D123WTC (review)

https://cybershack.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/HPM-Qi-USB.jpg

The HPM USB and Qi Wireless charging hub may solve more than a few desktop clutter and power problems if you work from home. It offers a USB-C, five USB-A and a Qi charging pad in a handy mains-powered pack.

OK, why do you need the HPM USB and Qi Wireless charging hub?

One 240V cable/device to charge up to six devices replacing six chargers and cables!

The wireless Qi pad outputs 5V/9V up to 2A for 10W charging – perfect for wireless charging iPhones, Samsung Galaxy and any other Qi-compatible device. Qi is gentler on batteries (leading to longer life) as it intelligently delivers what the battery needs. So, you can safely leave the phone on it all day to top up and don’t worry that it will fry your battery.

Then there is a USB-C 5V/2.4A/12W port (with a 1m USB-C to USB-C cable) that is perfect for PD 1.0 or 2.0 devices.

Four USB-A ports, each 5V/2.4A/12W, complete the package. Think smartwatches, headphones – whatever.

There is only one caveat – it provides 60W total power, so it shares this around. Don’t worry – It automatically detects the power required to charge each device quickly and safely, even when all ports are in use.

Australian Review: HPM USB and Wireless charging hub (D1235WTC)

website product page
Price $99 but shop around – seen at Bing Lee for $69
desde Bunnings, Mitre10 and most hardware stores as well as retail electrical stores and trade wholesale stores
Size 130 x 79 x 31mm x 290g
Warranty 12 months ACL warranty
Company HPM Is an Australian electrical industry icon. It was established in Sydney by Doris and Berthold Herrman in the 1920s. It grew from a button manufacturing company to plastic molding and electrical components. In 2007 it became part of the Legrand Group.
More CyberShack HPM news and reviews
Aussies trust HPM

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed.

You can click on most images for an enlargement.

https://cybershack.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/HPM-Qi-USB.jpg

First impression – Pass

There are two impressions. First, it solves multiple charging and USB power issues, including Qi wireless charging.

Second, it is a tad boring and industrial looking. It is time manufacturers realize that fashion colors and exciting design drives ‘Shallow Hal’ Gen X, Y, and Z purchasers. They miss so much of the work-from-home market because of traditional design. All that aside, its practicality far outweighs its plain Jane persona.

Quizzes-Pass+

We measure voltage and amperage from each USB port using our USB test rig. It is a rock-solid 5V/2.4A. We loaded the ports to maximum power draw, and it totaled 60W. It automatically detects the power for each device.

Qi charging: A Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (it can use Qi up to 15W) went from 0-100% in just under four hours – about typical for a 10W charger. An iPhone 12 took a little longer. It is not rapid charge but safe overnight, and you can leave your phone on it all day.

Safety-Exceed

It has over-current protection, short circuit protection and over-temperature protection. I like that it uses 240V and has an internal transformer versus an external brick power supply.

CyberShack’s view – unclutter your desk with the HPM USB and Qi Wireless charging hub.

It is well made with a tremendous electrical pedigree from an Australian company. It uses 240V power (1.5m standard two-pin cable) and has six charging ports.

HPM USB and Qi wireless charge hub D123WTC

$99 but seen for $69 at Bing Lee

HPM USB and Qi wireless charge hub D123WTC

pros

  • HPM Quality build and backing
  • Australian certified, so it is safe
  • 60W shared power to 5 USB ports and Qi pad
  • Comes with 240V mains power cord

Cons

  • A tad utilitarian looks-wise