Inventor James Dyson has talked about the importance of embracing "failure" in work and life.
"I've always said mine is a life of failure," the British billionaire told The Wall Street Journal in an interview.
He's created thousands of prototypes over his career and also scrapped plans to enter the EV market.
Inventor James Dyson is famous for his namesake vacuums which use his patented cyclone technology. His net worth is $16.8 billion per Bloomberg's Billionaire Index.
But he says that, "mine is a life of failure."
In a video interview with The Wall Street Journal published Saturday. Dyson — who said he created 5,127 prototypes over five years before launching his bagless vacuum cleaner in 1993 — said that embracing failure was essential to life.
"It's true for writers and filmmakers and all sorts of people. It's a life of failure. It takes a long time before you find the one that works," he said. "You just have to get used to that."
Dyson, 77, said he enjoyed the misfires and struggles he's had across his career, saying that real wisdom comes from experience.
"At school, you're taught to get the answer right the first time," he said. While a clever student may get to the answer quickly, he said, they are at a disadvantage to those who take their time getting to an answer, as they haven't "viscerally experienced failure and overcoming failure."
For Dyson, resilience and adaptability are some of the most important skills someone can learn. "Life is about making things work," he said.
He continued: "That's what you have to do. It's trial and error. When something works, it's less challenging, it's less interesting."
Aside from the many prototypes it took him to invent the first vacuum with his namesake brand, Dyson famously abandoned plans to enter the electric car market in 2019 after spending more than $600 million on developing a vehicle that he came to realize was not commercially viable.
"The route to success is never linear. This is not the first project which has changed direction and it will not be the last," he wrote in a letter announcing the decision.
He said of his scrapped EV vehicle, "I could see that it was just too risky."
If you’ve performed a Google search lately, you’ve undoubtedly come across an AI Overview in your search results. This tool, powered by Google’s Gemini, tries to save you some clicks by aggregating information from the links populated in your search results and succinctly delivering what it believes to be the information you’re looking for. The accuracy of these overviews, however, often leaves a lot to be desired, and the tool has been plagued with hallucinations since its launch (with varying degrees of hilarity).
Now Google is bringing the tool to YouTube, testing a video version of AI overviews for a small number of YouTube Premium members in the US across limited English search queries. While Google search results show LLM-generated text summaries, YouTube’s AI overviews will function as something of a highlight reel for certain videos.
In a post on YouTube Community forums, Google said that, "This new feature will use AI to highlight clips from videos that will be most helpful for your search query…This is most likely to show when you search for more information about products you’re shopping for (such as 'best noise cancelling headphones'), or when you search for more information about locations or things to do in those locations (such as 'museums to visit in San Francisco')."
This raises some questions about the revenue model for creators on YouTube and how AI-generated clip reels would affect their incomes. A major concern with AI overview in search is Google’s own summary absorbing traffic that would otherwise have gone to the publications shown in the search results. Bringing these tools to YouTube is likely to raise the same concerns for video content creators.
Google will be collecting feedback on these overviews from Premium members, who can vote with a thumbs up or thumbs down on the AI-generated highlight clips. Google hasn’t said how long this pilot will run for, or whether Google intends to expand YouTube’s AI overview to anyone beyond Premium subscribers.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/youtube-is-testing-its-own-version-of-ai-overviews-145353147.html?src=rss
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are on sale right now for $179, which is a discount of $50. Just head on over to Wellbots and pop in the code ENGAD50 to score the deal.
This is Google’s latest and greatest audio product and easily made our list of the best wireless earbuds. They are smaller and more comfortable than the previous version, which is great. Despite the product shrinkage, the sound has also been improved. The bass is punchy and the highs are crisp.
The battery life is also slightly improved when compared to the original earbuds. You can expect eight hours of use with ANC on, but this increases to 30 hours when you consider the included charging case. These are the company’s first earbuds with a Tensor chip, which allows for ultra-low latency audio processing and multi-path signal handling.
Other perks include conversation detection, multipoint Bluetooth and the ability to customize what long-pressing the button does. These earbuds can also automatically switch between devices linked to a Google account, which is great for Android users but doesn’t do much for Apple fans.
For those on a serious budget, the Google Pixel Buds A-Series earbuds are also $50 off via Wellbots. Enter the same ENGAD50 code to bring the price down to just $49.
For earbuds in the $150 range, there’s usually not a lot to get excited about. Sure, those models typically offer the basics with decent sound quality, but very few have a stand-out feature that leaves a lasting impression. For its ATH-CKS50TW2 ($149), Audio-Technica sought to do this with extremely long battery life and a neat trick that will help you make the most of it. There’s a lot more to like on this set, including a list of tools that rival more expensive alternatives, but the ATH-CKS50TW2 is far from a complete package. The satisfying audio performance and ability to use them for over 20 hours on a charge might be enough to entice you to overlook those shortcomings.
The good: battery life, magnets and sound quality
When Audio-Technica announced the ATH-CKS50TW2 at CES, the first item on the spec sheet that struck me was the battery life. The company says you can expect up to 25 hours on a full charge without active noise cancellation (ANC) and up to 40 more hours from the charging case. With ANC enabled, you’ll still get a whopping 15 hours of listening time, which is about double what a lot of the competition offers these days. Importantly, those claims actually held true during my tests.
To maximize those numbers, the company equipped the ATH-CKS50TW2 with so-called Magnetic Switch technology. Specifically, the earbuds snap together with magnets to turn off before you put them in the case. Much of the competition doesn’t power down until the earbuds are inside of the case, but with the ATH-CKS50TW2, you don’t need to worry about that extra step. Simply take them off and snap them together, then you’ll know you’re no longer wasting precious battery power while the buds are resting on your desk. This also means the ATH-CKS50TW2 won’t always be charging in the case when you’re not using them, which should help extend battery longevity.
I’m also happy to report that Audio-Technica brought its trademark warm, inviting sound profile to the ATH-CKS50TW2. More specifically, the stock audio isn’t overly tuned, so bass remains pleasantly thumpy when needed and dialed down when it’s not. The bassline of Kendrick Lamar’s “tv off” booms while the hi-hats, claps and vocals cut through clear. When you switch over to something more mellow with less low-end bombast like Turnpike Troubadours’ “Be Here,” you get the full gamut of the acoustic instruments and light drums without bass overpowering the mix.
It doesn’t deliver the enhanced clarity and pristine detail that more expensive, flagship-level earbuds do, but the ATH-CKS50TW2 is plenty good for $150. In fact, this may be the best option in terms of sound quality in this price range. On Jason Isbell’s Foxes in the Snow, for example, the acoustic guitar — the lone instrument on the album — doesn’t have the expressive nuance as it does on Technics’ AZ100 or Bowers and Wilkins’ Pi8. But I’ll admit the ATH-CKS50TW2 holds its own against similarly priced competition. That, and the extended battery life alone make these earbuds a compelling package.
The not so good: design, controls and a missing feature
By 2025 standards, the ATH-CKS50TW2 earbuds are big and bulky. They also feel unbalanced, with much of the weight sitting well outside the curves of your ears. This means they’re not as comfortable as smaller models and feel unsteady. I never had issues with them falling out, but they feel like they could, which isn’t great. Perhaps Audio-Technica needed the extra space for bigger batteries, which I’m guessing will be an acceptable trade-off for users searching for longer listening times between charges.
Audio-Technica gave the ATH-CKS50TW2 physical controls, which is usually a good thing. Like some of the company’s previous models, the buttons are small, positioned along the top edge of the earbuds. Due to the design of the ATH-CKS50TW2 though, you have to hold the earbuds in place while pressing those buttons. It’s cumbersome, mostly due to the size and weight of each bud. The bulky, unbalanced construction has trickle-down effects on other aspects of the listening experience.
Billy Steele for Engadget
The ATH-CKS50TW2 is missing a crucial feature — wear detection. But the company has done well to include ANC, Hear-Through (ambient sound) mode, a five-band EQ, soundscapes, media controls and battery updates in its app. There’s also a “private timer” and low latency mode for games and video. You can even adjust how many steps volume adjustments will jump and test your microphone to see if optional noise reduction is needed during calls. Additionally, a quick-attention, Talk-Through mode that reduces volume and activates ambient sound for brief chats too. But you won’t find the simple, and handy, automatic pausing when you remove the earbuds from your ears.
The final verdict on the ATH-CKS50TW2
My initial assumption was correct: the main reason to buy the ATH-CKS50TW2 is the extremely long battery life. I don’t think the Magnetic Switch feature is necessary to hit the promised runtime, but it’s nice to know the earbuds are off without having to put them in the case where they’ll recharge even when you don’t need them to. Audio-Technica’s sonic prowess is on display here as well, albeit to a lesser degree than some of the company’s other earbuds and headphones.
The design isn’t the most comfortable and the controls are awkward to use, but the full list of the ATH-CKS50TW2’s features is quite long. Despite a few flaws, there’s plenty to like here, including the two most important things for a lot of users: sound and battery life.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/audio-technica-ath-cks50tw2-review-long-battery-life-and-satisfying-sound-for-150-130042531.html?src=rss
Bowers & Wilkins is back with another pair of high-end wireless headphones. The Px7 S3 looks like an improvement over the previous release in every major way. The company’s calling it the "most advanced wireless headphone" it has ever made.
To that end, this model features re-engineered drive units, dedicated headphones amplifiers and "greatly-upgraded" active noise cancellation technology. Bowers & Wilkins says that every aspect of these headphones have been redesigned, except for the cone. The new drive units should improve resolution and dynamics, all while delivering lower distortion. These units are powered by discrete headphones amplifiers, a first for the company’s over-ear headphone line.
The Px7 S3 integrates with both the aptX TM Adaptive 24/96 wireless platform and Qualcomm’s aptX Lossless technology. This optimizes sound quality for high-resolution streaming services like Tidal. Overall, the headphones offer 24-bit/96kHz high-resolution audio.
These cans feature eight microphones located around the periphery of each ear cup. They work together to deliver enhanced ANC and help eliminate unwanted noise while making phone calls. The company boasts that the battery life maxes out at around 30 hours per charge, but we’ll have to see how that works out in real life.
Bowers & Wilkins
The physical design has received an overhaul. The company promises a slimmer profile and an improved fit, thanks to memory foam ear cups. The included carry case is also more compact.
Bowers & Wilkins has redesigned its Music app to accompany this release. The app allows for instantaneous access to platforms like Tidal, but also includes a five-band EQ with preset memory. For the app-averse, there are physical controls on each ear cup. The company says that spatial audio is coming to this device, but not until later this year.
The Px7 S3 headphones will be available in three colors, including black, blue and white. Now onto the bad news. Bowers & Wilkins has yet to reveal pricing and availability. There’s a notification page that indicates they’re likely to be priced at $429 when they release. But that’s subject to change due to the ongoing uncertainty regarding Trump’s tariffs.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/bowers--wilkins-new-px7-s3-wireless-headphones-feature-updated-anc-tech-171653627.html?src=rss
The EU will be mandating new labels on smartphones and tablets that indicate how repairable the device is. These labels will also include ratings for energy efficiency and durability. They will start showing up on devices on June 20 and will be similar to pre-existing ones for home appliances and TVs.
The labels display a product’s energy efficiency rating on a scale from A to G and will also display battery life and the number of available charge cycles. There will be letter grades for durability and repairability, in addition to an IP rating for dust and water-resistance.
European Commission
Covered products also include cordless landline phones, but smartphones with rollable displays are exempted. This is fairly odd because, well, there aren’t any rollable phones available for consumers just yet. Windows-based tablets will be covered by a separate mandate for computers.
This isn’t the only change the EU has announced regarding device sales. Hardware will now have to meet new "ecodesign requirements" to be sold in the region. This includes a requirement to make any applicable spare parts available for repair.
Other ecodesign requirements include batteries that retain at least 80 percent of their capacity after 800 charging cycles and scratch and drop protections that exceed minimum standards. Finally, manufacturers must provide OS updates within six months of the source code becoming available.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/the-eu-is-putting-repairability-rating-labels-on-phones-and-tablets-in-june-154051517.html?src=rss
The Spacetop AR laptop made a splash when it debuted a few years ago with an intriguing pitch: What if you could have a notebook that works entirely through augmented reality glasses, without a built-in screen of its own? Unfortunately, we found the Spacetop experience to be underwhelming, and the hardware seemed like a tough sell for $1,900. Last Fall, Spacetop's creator Sightful told CNET that it was abandoning the screen-less laptop altogether and instead focusing on building AR software for Windows PCs. Now, we have a clearer sense of what Sightful is up to.
Today, Sightful is officially launching Spacetop for Intel-powered Windows AI PCs, following a short trial launch from January. For $899 you get a pair of XREAL's Air Ultra 2 glasses and a year of Spacetop's software. Afterwards, you'll have to pay $200 annually for a subscription. The software works just like the original Spacetop concept — it gives you a large 100-inch AR interface for doing all of your productivity work — except now you're not stuck with the company's middling keyboard and other hardware.
Spacetop might be compelling to AR fanatics who already own Intel AI PCs like the Surface Laptop Pro for Business, or a Dell XPS machine with the Core Ultra 7 chip. But if you don't have one of those computers, you'll have to add it to Spacetop's already high cost. And don't forget about prescription lenses: Those will run you $50 for single-vision and $150 for progressive.
Spacetop doesn't support Intel chips without NPUs, as its AR interface requires constant AI processing. It doesn't work AMD or Qualcomm's AI CPUs, either. The company partnered with Intel to optimize Spacetop for its platform, which included help with understanding Intel's NPU architecture as well as tweaking its chips to help the AR software run better. In a conversation with Engadget, Sightful CEO Tamir Berliner noted that the company might pay more attention to other chip platforms if it gets similar attention.
As for Mac support, Berliner said in a statement to Engadget: "Yes, we plan to create a version of Spacetop for Mac — the timing is still TBD based on a lot of different factors regarding laptops, silicon, compute power, glasses, and more. We will be excited to share more news when we are able.”
Given its price and the strict PC requirements for using it, Spacetop clearly isn't meant for a wide audience. But there are potential benefits for early adopters. Its large AR screen could make it easier to multitask without large monitors, and it's also easier to focus on your apps since Spacetop vastly simplifies the Windows 11 interface. There are some obvious privacy benefits, too, since no one else can see what you're looking at in AR.
The big downside, though, is that you'll have to get used to wearing Xreal's large Air 2 Ultra glasses. When we demoed it at CES, we found it to be an improvement over previous Xreal frames, thanks to their sharp 1080p micro-OLED displays and wider field of view. The Air 2 Ultra are also notable for having 6DoF tracking, which allows you to move around AR objects. While sleeker than the Vision Pro, the glasses are still pretty clunky, and you'll also have to snap in additional prescription frames if necessary.
I'll need to see this latest iteration of Spacetop in action before making any final judgments, but it's clearly a more viable concept as an app that can work on a variety of laptops. Nobody wants to buy bespoke hardware like the old Spacetop laptop, no matter how good of a party trick it may be.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/spacetop-ar-is-now-an-expensive-windows-app-instead-of-a-useless-screenless-laptop-140030911.html?src=rss
Slate, the EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos, has come out of stealth, introducing its first electric vehicle. Pricing will start at $20,000 after tax credits.
Slate Auto, the Jeff Bezos–backed electric-vehicle company, has unveiled its first vehicle, which will sell for as low as $20,000 after the U.S. tax credit (its actual price will be $27,500). That would make it, by far, the least expensive EV available to American drivers.
“The definition of what’s affordable is broken,” said Slate CEO Chris Barman in a statement. “Slate exists to put the power back in the hands of customers who have been ignored by the auto industry. Slate is a radical truck platform so customizable that it can transform from a two-seat pickup to a five-seat SUV.”
The vehicle is priced considerably less than Tesla's Cybertruck, which starts at $82,235. It also costs less than the Ford F-150 Lightning (which starts at $62,995), the Chevy Silverado EV ($87,300), GMC’s Hummer EV ($98,845), and the Rivian R1T ($69,900).
While inexpensive, the pickup doesn't have many features American buyers are used to being standard in vehicles, such as a stereo, paint jobs, power windows, or touchscreens. (The vehicles do have air conditioning included, though, as well as federally mandated features, such as automatic emergency braking and a backup camera (which shows on the dash).
The vehicle also has only a 150-mile range, making it more suited for errands around town than a long trip.
Features can be added to the vehicle, of course, for an extra charge, including the one that converts it into an SUV. More than 100 accessories are available, including wraps and decals, running boards, power windows, and a spare-tire carrier. Many of those are designed to be user-installed.
Uber and Volkswagen of America are teaming up to deploy Volkswagen’s ID. BUZZ microbus as a commercial robotaxi fleet, launching in Los Angeles in 2026 with human safety operators and transitioning to full autonomy in 2027. The partnership builds on Uber’s strategy of integrating others’ autonomous systems into its ride-hail network, adding to existing deals with Waymo, WeRide, Avride, and Nvidia.
Uber and Volkswagen of America are teaming up to launch a new commercial robotaxi network built around Volkswagen’s all-electric ID. BUZZ microbuses.
The companies plan to roll out the fleet in multiple U.S. cities over the next decade, starting with Los Angeles in 2026.
Before going fully driverless in 2027, each vehicle will carry a human safety operator as Volkswagen of America’s autonomous arm (VW ADMT) works through California’s regulatory process. Testing in Los Angeles is slated to begin later this year, as soon as VW ADMT’s initial permit arrives.
VW ADMT itself debuted publicly in July 2023 with a 10-van ID. BUZZ fleet in Austin, using technology from partner Mobileye.
“Volkswagen is not just a car manufacturer—we are shaping the future of mobility, and our collaboration with Uber accelerates that vision,” Christian Senger, CEO of Volkswagen Autonomous Mobility said in a statement. “What really sets us apart is our ability to combine the best of both worlds—high-volume manufacturing expertise with cutting-edge technology and a deep understanding of urban mobility needs.”
MOIA, a Volkswagen AG brand, will supply the complete hardware and software package, including the electric ID. Buzz AD vehicles and the back-end fleet-management system that powers the service on Uber’s platform.
“This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the advancement of autonomous mobility, and highlights both Volkswagen’s and Uber’s shared dedication to building the future of transportation,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. “We can’t wait to launch in Los Angeles late next year."
Uber's autonomous fleet
Uber has pursued a partnership-first strategy when it comes to autonomous driving, opting to integrate others’ autonomous systems into its ride-hail network rather than field its own robotaxi fleet.
The ride-hailing company already dispatches Waymo’s fully driverless Jaguar I-PACE vehicles in Austin—and will add Atlanta later this year—under a deal in which Uber handles charging, cleaning, and customer access, while Waymo remains responsible for the “Waymo Driver” technology and roadside assistance.
Beyond Waymo and VW, Uber has also inked deals with Avride, China’s WeRide, and technology provider Nvidia.
By partnering rather than competing directly, Uber leverages its platform to give its AV partners instant access to riders, while avoiding the regulatory complexity of developing self-driving systems in-house.
The company pulled back on efforts to develop its own autonomous driving tech, notably selling its Advanced Technologies Group to Aurora in 2020.
The ride-hailing giant is expecting some competition from Tesla, which recently announced plans to roll out its robotaxi or “Cybercab.” Tesla plans to begin trialing the Cybercab in Austin in June of this year.
Meta is cracking down on spam content on Facebook. The company said on Thursday it was taking "aggressive steps on Facebook to prevent" spam networks. The move is part of Zuckerberg's broader goal to restore the “OG Facebook” experience.
Meta is taking steps to reduce spammy content on Facebook as part of Mark Zuckerberg’s push to restore Facebook to its “OG” roots.
On Thursday, the company announced it was cracking down on spam content that was crowding out authentic creators and “hurting” the Facebook experience.
Meta said that accounts "gaming distribution and engagement" will see fewer views and monetization. This includes posts with unrelated captions and excessive hashtags.
Meta also said it was taking "aggressive steps on Facebook to prevent" spam networks that aim to generate fake engagement. The company said it was testing a comments feature so people can signal irrelevant comments that don’t fit the spirit of the conversation.
The company said it was part of an effort to make the Facebook Feed more relevant to users and help creators break through on the platform.
"We’ve heard you. Facebook Feed doesn’t always serve up fresh, engaging posts that you consistently enjoy. We’re working on it. We’re making a number of changes this year to improve Feed, help creators break through and give people more control over how content is personalized to them," the company said in a blog post.
The changes may also be an effort to crack down on AI slop, which refers to low-effort, mass-produced AI-generated content. The rise of this kind of AI content can clog feeds and degrade user experience as platforms driven by engagement algorithms end up prioritizing whatever content generates clicks and views, regardless of quality.
AI slop floods user feeds with repetitive or irrelevant posts, making it harder for authentic human voices or meaningful content to surface. This kind of “digital clutter” could pose an issue for social media companies by driving users away rather than keeping them engaged.
"OG Facebook"
The changes are part of Zuckerberg's broad aim to take Facebook back to its roots of authentic and meaningful content. In a January earnings call, he said returning the platform to "OG Facebook" was one of Meta's key goals for the year.
“I think there are a lot of opportunities to make [Facebook] way more culturally influential than it is today,” he said at the time.
The move follows Meta's introduction of a revamped "Friends" tab for Facebook that only showcases updates from accounts users are connected to.
Zuckerberg's fears over Facebook's cultural relevance
Emails made public as part of Meta's trial with the FTC show that Zuckerberg has been worried about Facebook's waning cultural relevance for some time.
“Option 1. Double down on Friending,” Zuckerberg wrote in a 2022 message to senior Meta executives. “One potentially crazy idea is to consider wiping everyone’s graphs and having them start again.”
Tom Alison, the head of Facebook at the time, cautioned that such a move could undermine critical platform functionality, particularly on Instagram.
Though the proposal was never implemented, as Zuckerberg noted in court, the email reveals how concerned Meta was with remaining competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Intel’s new CEO dispelled hope for a quick solution to his company’s problems that have turned the one-time chip making titan into a case study for what happens when a tech business fails to innovate.
“There are areas we need to improve and there are no quick fixes,” Lip-Bu Tan warned on Thursday during his first earnings call after his hiring last month to revive the company.
Succeeding with that mission, however, will be a huge challenge for Tan, who took over after his predecessor, Pat Gelsinger, was pushed out. Intel’s troubles are years in the making after its executives were slow to realize the importance of chips specialized for artificial intelligence. Once they did, rival Nvidia was already well on its way to dominating the market for the brains fueling the recent tech boom.
In the meantime, Intel’s annual revenue has cratered more than 30% from its peak in 2022. And, over the past five years, investors have sent the company's stock tumbling by nearly two-thirds to the same level it was all the way back in 2012.
Tan, once CEO of chipmaker Cadence Design Systems, didn’t come to the first quarter earnings call armed with a detailed plan for his would-be turnaround. But he did give some broad strokes of what he’s thinks will help get the ailing company back on track.
It includes some major changes—and some pain.
Tan said that he would slash operating expenses, including $500 million this year, to a total of $17 billion. Next year, the company expects reduce those expenses to $16 billion.
Capital spending, which includes any new factories, is slated to be cut by $2 billion this year, to $18 billion.
Meeting those goals will require job cuts, Tan said, part of what he called a push to eliminate bureaucracy and speed up decision making. Earlier this week, news reports said the company would cut 20% of its workforce, but at least on Thursday, there was no confirmation about the scope of the layoffs.
“We need to fundamentally transform our culture and the way we operate,” Tan said.
He also plans to kill or pause projects that he said have distracted Intel from its core business of making chips for PCs and data centers. And he promised to review the company’s worldwide portfolio of factories before committing to spending more on them, all but putting a stop to his predecessor’s building spree.
To complicate matters for Tan, the economy isn’t cooperating. President Donald Trump’s ongoing tariff war has created uncertainty across the corporate world, which inevitably translates into reduced spending on most products, including chips. Intel chief financial officer David Zisner acknowledged that it also almost certainly means Intel will have to pay more for any supplies it imports.
During the earnings call, tariffs came up frequently. Although Zisner said Intel had yet to see a meaningful change in customer behavior, it must prepare for it, citing the increasing likelihood of a recession caused by the economic standoff.
The actual financial performance Intel reported for its first quarter on Thursday didn’t exactly give Wall Street much to cheer about—not that it was expecting much to begin with. Revenue was flat at $12.7 billion, while losses reached $821 million, the fifth straight quarterly loss for the company.
Intel forecast revenue for the current quarter of $11.8 billion, or $1 billion less than Wall Street had expected.
Investors sent Intel's shares down 5% in after hours trading to $20.40.
Ultimately, one analyst on the earnings call tried to pin Tan down about how long he thought his turnaround would take. One year? Two years? More? But Tan deflected the question, responding “There is no quick fix as you describe,” without letting on whether even he knows if and when Intel's turnaround will finally be achieved.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on Tuesday he would turn his attention back to the electric vehicle maker but said he would likely still work in government as long as President Trump would have him. However, as a special government employee, Musk was only supposed to spend 130 days per year on government work. With about 36 weeks left in the year, Musk’s total time in the SGE role could potentially span 126 to 162 days.
Tesla investors have been begging Elon Musk to turn his focus back to the electric vehicle maker and execute on his lofty plans for self-driving fleets of taxis, humanoid robots, and unsupervised full-self driving technology. During an earnings call with analysts on Tuesday, Musk finally said he would oblige, and vowed to spend less time on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and more time at Tesla, where he is the CEO.
“Probably starting next month, in May, my time allocation at DOGE will drop significantly,” Musk said. “I'll have to continue doing it. I think we have the remainder of the President's term just to make sure that the waste and fraud that we stopped does not come roaring back, which it’ll do if it has the chance.”
Musk said he would spend “a day or two per week on government matters for as long as the President would like me to do so, as long as it is useful.”
“But starting next month, I will be allocating far more of my time to Tesla now that the major work of establishing the Department of Government Efficiency is done,” Musk declared.
The Tesla CEO did not address the time limit on his work as a special government employee (SGE), however, which limits him to serving no more than 130 days within a 365-day period. But he will have to be judicious about how he allocates his Trump days in order to stay within the rules. With roughly 36 weeks left in the year, spending one or two days per week could potentially see Musk spend a total of 126 days to 162 days, given that he’s already spent about 90 days as an SGE thus far.
That designation allows Musk to serve in outside roles and on boards without making the public disclosures about his finances that would be required of a typical government worker. In addition to Tesla, Musk is also closely involved with a collection of privately-held companies he has founded including SpaceX, X, the Boring Company, Neuralink, and xAI. Typically CEOs and board members of companies resign their roles in the private sector before taking on assignments in government positions.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Despite the lack of clarity over Musk’s time assisting Trump, Tesla investors took his decision as a balm on the troubled automaker. Following Musk’s remarks—which generated news headlines around the country—after-hours trading in Tesla stock shot up more than 5%.
The bump came even as Tesla announced another disappointing quarter for investors, with tumbling operating income, net income, and operating margins. Revenues were down 9% to $19 billion although energy revenues were up 67% to $2.73 billion. Tesla also had a cash position of about $37 billion, up 38% year over year.
Tesla’s concerned stockholders
With hordes of retail shareholders in its stock, Tesla’s investor relations team takes questions in advance of its quarterly calls. Among the 161 questions submitted about Elon Musk himself, the top three largest retail shareholders asked about his role in government and what Tesla was doing to mitigate harm to the company.
“Boycotts, protests, vandalism, negative headlines, and a stock slide have been sparked by Elon Musk’s participation in changes to U.S. gov’t services & employment,” wrote a stockholder with about 88,000 shares. “Is the Tesla board discussing whether their CEO should focus fully on Tesla and leave gov’t to elected politicians?”
Another investor with 365,000 shares asked, “How is the company planning to deal with the impact of Elon’s partnership with the current administration?”
The third question with the most shares represented, also the third most-upvoted by other investors, asked: “With Elon's involvement with the federal government the Tesla brand has been under attack, more so than usual. What steps are the company taking to alleviate these attacks and educate the public about the benefits of Tesla?”
The EU on Wednesday slapped Apple and Meta with 700 million euros in fines for breaking digital competition rules, risking the wrath of US President Donald Trump.
The penalties threaten to cause more tension in the already fraught relationship between the bloc and Trump, as the two sides discuss a deal to avoid his sweeping tariffs on the EU.
The European Commission fined Apple 500 million euros ($570 million) after concluding the company prevented developers from steering customers outside its App Store to access cheaper deals.
The EU also fined Meta 200 million euros over its "pay or consent" system after it violated rules on the use of personal data on Facebook and Instagram.
The fines are the first under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into effect last year, forcing the world's biggest tech firms to open up to competition in the EU.
They could rise further if Meta and Apple fail to comply within 60 days, the commission said, threatening the US giants with "periodic penalty payments".
The EU bolstered its legal arsenal over the past two years with major twin laws, the Digital Services Act and the DMA.
But since Trump's return to the White House, there have been concerns that the EU would shy away from enforcing them.
Trump frequently lashes out at the EU over its digital laws and taxes -- claiming they are "non-tariff barriers" to trade -- and many tech CEOs have aligned with his administration.
He has imposed 25-percent tariffs on steel, aluminium and auto imports from the EU, which Brussels hopes he will lift after an agreement.
Antitrust commissioner Teresa Ribera said in a statement the fines "send a strong and clear message", insisting the bloc had taken "firm but balanced enforcement action".
Apple appeal
The fines -- which come after the investigations began in March 2024 -- also appear to be more modest than past penalties against US Big Tech.
When Apple committed similar offences on its App Store, the commission slapped a 1.8-billion-euro fine in March 2024 under different EU rules.
Apple faces a litany of accusations. The EU also told Apple in preliminary findings it was in breach of the DMA -- and therefore at risk of another hefty fine -- for not making it easy for rivals to provide alternatives to its App Store.
Apple, however, slammed the decisions and said in a statement it would appeal the fine.
"Today's announcements are yet another example of the European Commission unfairly targeting Apple in a series of decisions that are bad for the privacy and security of our users, bad for products, and force us to give away our technology for free," the company said.
Meta accused the EU of "attempting to handicap successful American businesses while allowing Chinese and European companies to operate under different standards".
"This isn't just about a fine; the Commission forcing us to change our business model effectively imposes a multi-billion-dollar tariff on Meta while requiring us to offer an inferior service," said Meta's chief global affairs officer Joel Kaplan, a prominent Republican and Trump ally.
In a rare bit of good news for Apple, the EU closed its investigation over its user choice obligations after Apple complied with the DMA, and made it easy to select a default browser and for users to remove pre-installed apps such as Safari.
Meta's data use
The fine against Meta concerned its "pay for privacy" system, which has faced fierce criticism by rights defenders in Europe after its introduction in November 2023.
It means users have to pay to avoid data collection, or agree to share their data with Facebook and Instagram to keep using the platforms for free.
But the commission concluded Meta did not provide Facebook and Instagram users a less personalised but equivalent version of the platforms, and "did not allow users to exercise their right to freely consent to the combination of their personal data".
Meta in November last year proposed a new version, which the EU is currently assessing.
The European Commission fined Apple $570 million after concluding the company prevented developers from steering customers outside its App Store to access cheaper deals.
Google is telling some remote workers to return to the office three days a week or risk losing their jobs. The move aligns with a broader shift towards in-office work for productivity and collaboration in Silicon Valley.
Google has told some remote workers that their jobs could be at risk if they don't start attending the office three days per week.
Several Google units, including remote employees in Google Technical Services and People Operations, were told they needed to return to the nearest office on a hybrid schedule, according to internal documents obtained by CNBC.
Remote workers in Google Technical Services were told that they should switch to a hybrid office schedule or take a voluntary exit package, per a recent notice, while human resources workers were told they must choose to attend the office on a hybrid schedule or their roles will be eliminated, according to an internal memo.
Remote employees in the Google Technical Services are being offered a one-time paid relocation expense to move within 50 miles of an office, per CNBC.
The move is part of a wider shift toward in-person work within Silicon Valley.
Most major tech companies have reversed course on the fully remote schedules offered to employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring workers to be in the office at least three days per week.
Google has been cracking down on workers who try to dodge return-to-office mandates.
At the beginning of the year, some remote workers were told to take voluntary buyouts if they didn't return to the nearest office at least three days a week.
In February, Sergey Brin, a Google co-founder who has returned to help lead the company's AI efforts, urged workers to be in the office "at least" every weekday.
In an internal memo, he told employees working on Google's flagship AI model, Gemini, that “60 hours a week is the sweet spot of productivity."
Google representatives did not immediately respond to Fortune's request for comment. However, a Google spokesperson told CNBC: “As we’ve said before, in-person collaboration is an important part of how we innovate and solve complex problems."
“To support this, some teams have asked remote employees that live near an office to return to in-person work three days a week," Google representative Courtenay Mencini said.
Return-to-office push
Big Tech companies have been increasingly pushing to do more with less for the last year.
Efficiency has become the name of the game in Silicon Valley, with companies looking to downsize on headcount while increasingly incorporating AI into workflows.
At the same time, there's also been a push to get workers back into the office, with companies citing productivity gains and increased collaboration.
Some experts, however, have suggested that these RTO pushes may serve another purpose, which is to encourage employees to resign of their own accord.
Commercial real estate markets have also felt the impact of widespread remote work.
Office vacancy rates in major U.S. metros have climbed above 20%, driving landlords to cut rents and repurpose space for residential or mixed-use developments.
This downturn has also intensified pressure on companies to fill empty floors and justify costly leases.
While companies including Google and Meta operate a hybrid schedule, with most employees expected to attend the office three days per week, some tech companies have gone even further.
Both Amazon and X, formerly known as Twitter, require workers to be in the office five days per week.
Finnish telecoms equipment maker Nokia on Thursday reported a net loss of 60 million euros ($68 million) for the first quarter, citing the tariff wars and "rapidly evolving global trade landscape".
The company said tariffs imposed by the United States could result in "some short-term disruption".
"We are not immune to the rapidly evolving global trade landscape. However based on early customer feedback, I believe our markets should prove to be relatively resilient", Justin Hotard President and CEO of Nokia said in a statement.
"Based on what we see today, we currently expect a EUR 20 to 30 million impact to our comparable operating profit in the second quarter from the current tariffs", Hotard said.
US President Donald Trump implemented a tariff of 10 percent on global imports this month, but he paused plans for higher duties on dozens of countries, including a 20 percent duty for goods from EU nations.
Nokia also reported net sales of 4.4 billion euros ($4.9 billion), down one percent compared to a year ago.
It had posted a net profit of 438 million euros in the first quarter of last year.
The company said it expects its Network Infrastructure and Cloud and Network Services divisions to see sales growth this year, while Mobile Networks to hold steady.
Alongside its first quarter report, it announced a contract extension with US operator T-Mobile on Thursday, saying it continued "to see positive signs of stabilisation" in its Mobile Networks business.
"We are not immune to the rapidly evolving global trade landscape. However based on early customer feedback, I believe our markets should prove to be relatively resilient", Justin Hotard President and CEO of Nokia said
Google will not make any to changes to how third-party cookies work on the Chrome browser at all. Anthony Chavez, Google VP for Privacy Sandbox, has announced that the company has "made the decision to maintain [its] current approach to offering users third-party cookie choice in Chrome." It will also "not be rolling out a new standalone prompt for third-party cookies" that would have allowed users to opt out of being tracked by advertisers. Google has made the announced a few days after a federal judge ruled that it has an illegal monopoly on online advertising.
The company originally announced that it was going to phase out third-party tracking cookies in 2022 as part of its Privacy Sandbox initiative, which aims to make the web more secure and private to use. But due to a series of delays and regulatory hurdles — the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the US Department of Justice both looked into Google's initiative out of concerns that it could harm smaller advertisers — the planned deprecation got delayed to 2024 and then again to 2025.
Last year, Google ultimately decided that it wasn't going to kill third-party cookies and will instead introduce "a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing." That new experience isn't coming. In his new announcement, Chavez said that a lot has changed since the Privacy Sandbox initiative debuted, and Google has taken new developments in privacy-enhancing technologies that secure people's browsing into consideration when it made its decision.
Despite killing all its plans to remove third-party cookies from Chrome, Google will keep the Privacy Sandbox initiative alive. Chavez said it will continue enhancing tracking protections in Chrome's incognito mode, such as launching IP Protection later this year, and will continue working on features like Safe Browsing, Safety Check and built-in password protections.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-will-keep-third-party-tracking-cookies-on-chrome-as-they-are-130026362.html?src=rss
I liked Logitech's MX Creative Console when I tested it last year, but one of biggest issues was a lack of support for specific content creation and other apps. The company has rectified that with a major update now available on the company's Logi Marketplace. It expands the console's compatibility to several key apps including DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Lightroom and Figma.
As a reminder, the MX Creative Console is a control panel that connects to your Mac or PC and is designed to speed up creative chores for apps like Adobe Premiere and Photoshop. It's more compact than rival consoles and features a modern design and a pair of slick control dials, along with dynamic display keys that change depending on the app and page you’re looking at.
A key new addition is support for Adobe's Lightroom, rather than just Lightroom Classic as before. It lets you use the dial controller on the MX Creative Console to straighten images or adjust brightness, contrast and clarity. The buttons can also be set up to do things like rate and flag images for quicker processing.
Logitech also worked with Blackmagic Design to get the console working with DaVinci Resolve, a popular editing and effects app that's an alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro. You can now use the console to navigate the timeline, cut, trim and retime clips and navigate Fusion's effects nodes efficiently.
It added similar functionality for Apple's Final Cut Pro, while also letting you do precise color grading via the app's Color Wheels. For the interface design tool Figma, the MX Creative Console lets you quickly access essential tools and actions, manage assets, text alignments, spacing and layout adjustments and adjust text size, weight and height with the dial.
Logitech got into creative control surfaces in a big way when it purchased Steam Deck rival Loupedeck in 2023. The $200 MX Creative Console arrived a year later, and though it took Adobe nearly seven months to release a major update, support for the new apps makes the console far more versatile. "Adding these highly requested plugins will unlock the MX Creative Console’s potential for a broader range of creative professionals,” noted Logitech GM Anatoliy Polyanker.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/logitechs-mx-creative-console-editing-panel-now-supports-davinci-resolve-and-lightroom-120035406.html?src=rss
Google is under the microscope following a court ruling last year that it has a monopoly over online search, but the future of its vast suite of digital services is still uncertain at this stage. Last month, the Justice Department suggested that Google would need to sell off the Chrome browser; if the tech giant does make that move, there's already at least one interested buyer.
Bloomberg reports that Nick Turley, head of ChatGPT, spoke at a hearing today about the Google monopoly situation and was asked whether OpenAI would be interested in acquiring Chrome. “Yes, we would, as would many other parties,” he said. Users can currently use the ChatGPT AI assistant in Chrome through a plugin, but Turley said there could be deeper integrations if OpenAI owned the browser. Under OpenAI's hypothetical ownership, Chrome could "introduce users into what an AI first experience looks like."
Chrome isn't the only property Google may lose control over. A separate judge determined earlier this month that Google has also been engaged in anti-competitive behavior over online ad tech. It's no surprise that any other major tech operation would be interested in acquiring one of the many popular services Google has developed over the years. The real question is which one of them landing a purchase wouldn't create a new monopoly. For now, the DOJ is allowing Google to continue its AI investments amid the break-up talk, but adding the browser to OpenAI's holdings may raise new concerns. Since the wheels of justice often turn slowly, it may be a while before we learn the outcomes of the recent Google rulings.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/openai-says-it-would-buy-chrome-if-google-is-forced-to-sell-215239832.html?src=rss
The Washington Post is partnering with OpenAI to bring its reporting to ChatGPT. The two organizations did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement, but the deal will see ChatGPT display summaries, quotes and links to articles from The Post when users prompt the chatbot to search the web.
"We're all in on meeting our audiences where they are," said Peter Elkins-Williams, head of global partnerships at The Post. "Ensuring ChatGPT users have our impactful reporting at their fingertips builds on our commitment to provide access where, how and when our audiences want it."
The Post is no stranger to generative AI. In November, the publisher began using the technology to offer article summaries. Since the start of February, ChatGPT Search has been available to everyone, with no account or sign-in necessary.
Later that same month, Jeff Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post, announced a "significant shift" in the publisher's editorial strategy. As part of the overhaul, the paper has been publishing daily opinion stories "in defense of two pillars," personal liberties and free markets. Given that focus and Amazon's own investments in artificial intelligence, it's not surprising to see The Washington Post and OpenAI sign a strategic partnership.
More broadly, today's announcement sees yet another publisher partnering with OpenAI, following an early but brief period of resistance from some players in the news media industry — most notably The New York Times. According to OpenAI, it has signed similar agreements with more than 20 news publishers globally.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-washington-post-partners-with-openai-to-bring-its-content-to-chatgpt-141215314.html?src=rss
A good mouse can make a bigger difference than you might think — especially if you spend hours each day clicking through spreadsheets, editing documents or working across multiple tabs. Whether you’re looking to declutter your desk, ditch a worn-out clicker or finally upgrade from those old wired mice, the best wireless mice offer more flexibility, comfort, and features than ever before.
If you want to boost your workflow, finding the best productivity mouse is key. The right one can offer a smooth scroll wheel, customizable controls and an ergonomic design that won’t wreck your wrist during long sessions. Some models are made specifically with Mac users in mind, while others cater to different preferences like left-handed use, quiet clicks or a low-profile, sleek look that blends right into your setup. Whether you prefer a rechargeable model with USB-C or a more traditional one powered by an AA battery, the best productivity mouse for you can make your workflow even more convenient.
The obvious candidates
James Trew / Engadget
Google around for “the best PC mouse” or "the best productivity mouse" and you’ll find one answer: Logitech’s MX Master 3. You might see a few mentions of others — like the Razer Pro Click and Microsoft’s Surface Precision mouse — but the reviews are clear that this Logitech mouse is the one. Since we first published this guide, Logitech has released the MX Master 3S which improves on the already popular device with a sharper sensor and quiet clicks. We’ve updated this guide accordingly to consider this high-quality good mouse.
I looked at all three of these, and honestly, there’s not a lot in it. All of them cost $100 and all of them meet my basic requirements of decent ergonomics, configurable buttons and solid battery life. The latter is the hardest to quantify thanks to how each manufacturer likes to define “time.” For Logi’s MX Master 3S it’s “70 days.” Razer on the other hand touts the Pro Click as lasting between 200 and 400 hours depending on whether you use their USB receiver or Bluetooth respectively (that’s 8-16 “days” but it’s not clear if this is “in use”).
Microsoft’s Surface Precision is listed as “up to 3 months” which I somehow read with an implied shrug on their part. It’s hard to know whether those are active use or “the device is on and it’s on your mouse pad.” The better news is that all of them can be charged while you use them. In practice, I found the MX Master 3S to last the longest, but also needing a charge way sooner than its 70 days claim, in my experience it’s more like every 5-6 weeks.
Of this trio, the Pro Click offers the most configurable buttons (8). The MX Master 3S is a close second (7) but has the advantage of a second scroll wheel near the thumb. In reality, two of Razer’s “buttons” are side-clicks on the scroll wheel — typically these default to sideways scroll, the same as Logi’s thumb dial does. The net result is that I found the MX Master 3S slightly more configurable for my use cases. The thumbwheel is perfect for switching between desktops — something I do a lot, which would occupy two slots on the Razer meaning, effectively, the MX Master 3S has one more spare mouse button in this setup.
James Trew / Engadget
While we’re on the topic of buttons, the new MX Master 3S wireless mouse has almost no click sound at all. It makes almost every other mouse seem quite conspicuous by comparison. It also means the click motion feels a little smoother which all adds up to a much nicer experience — especially if you work in a shared space or just prefer quiet clicks.
Lastly, there’s a programmable button on the MX master 3S located just under where your thumb rests. This can be used for almost anything, but by default, it activates something called “gesture control,” which lets you assign certain tasks to, you guessed it, different gestures. I gave the gesture controls a spin and they seemed pretty helpful, but the usefulness soon dissolved when I found I wasn’t always able to ace the gesture on the first attempt.
For its part, Microsoft’s Surface Precision mouse offers six buttons and includes left/right clicks on the scroll wheel and three side buttons, putting it about on par with Razer and a shade under the MX Master 3S for configuration dorks like me. But it also makes for a good ergonomic mouse given the location of its controls and overall design.
All three companies offer companion software — Microsoft’s is built right-in to Windows. It’s worth noting that Logitech makes a distinction between its office mice and its gaming mice which I’ll get to later (basically, different software with different configuration options). The short version is each gets its own software and what you can do there differs which will be a key factor if considering a variety of their models..
I found Logitech’s Options software the most straightforward with a deep selection of Windows commands, media controls, shortcuts and navigation tools on offer. You can also assign keystroke combinations if something you need isn’t listed. On top of that there are options for app-specific buttons which means you can, for example, have right-click do one thing in Photoshop but something totally different in Chrome. Logitech doesn’t offer full macros in Options though, so more complex commands are off the table via the native software.
James Trew / Engadget
Razer’s Synapse also offers app-specific controls alongside a wealth of predefined media and OS shortcuts, but perhaps less comprehensive than those found in Options. That said, you do also have full macro support: Simply hit record and whatever you do next can be converted into a single click of the mouse. There’s even “HyperShift” which means you can add a second layer of commands while holding down an allocated button.
Microsoft’s Mouse and Keyboard Center is no slouch either with some decent shortcuts on offer and support for both macros and app-specific controls. Though, overall, it’s perhaps less in-depth than both Logitech and Razer’s companion apps.
On a more minor note. During my time with MacOS I joined the dark side of “natural scroll.” It’s not a deal-breaker for me, as I don’t mind regular scroll, but Logitech and Microsoft both offer reverse scrolling as a setting, Razer doesn’t appear to — though you can work around this in other ways of course.
All the above mice offer the flexibility of both Bluetooth and 2.4Ghz wireless connectivity, can be used while cabled and support multi-device (at the same time) modes, if that’s your thing.
Winner: MX Master 3S.
Gaming mice for everyday use
Just because a mouse has a gaming focus, it doesn’t mean it’s not the best mouse for productivity, too. That was my reasoning when I looked at things like the Logitech G502 Lightspeed and the G Pro X Superlight. From Razer, the Viper Ultimate looked like another strong option.
There are a few things that change once you go gamer it seems. First: Things get much much lighter. The heaviest I tried was the G502 which, at 114g is a hair heavier than the Razer Pro Click (106g). But 26g lighter than the MX Master 3S. The G Pro X Superlight and the Viper Ultra are much more svelte however, weighing in at 63g and 74g respectively. This puts the G Pro X at under half the weight of its Logitech productivity sibling.
James Trew / Engadget
The next thing to consider is the form factor. Gaming mice are much more likely to have either a neutral or ambidextrous design. This isn’t a no-no for my RSI concerns (especially when offset against the lighter weight) but it was something I was cautious about. Of the ones I am testing here, the G502 Lightspeed is the most “ergonomic.”
Lastly, gamers want speed and even 2.4GHz is a bit too laggy for some, so Bluetooth connectivity is rare to find in this category. Even the best wireless mice can struggle with latency issues. That’s not a deal-breaker for me, but worth knowing in case it is for you.
I actually had high hopes for the G502 Lightspeed. Not only is it lighter and a similar form factor to the MX Master 3S, it offers a whopping 11 configurable buttons. What’s more you’re able to assign full macros along with a slew of deep keyboard commands to those buttons. From a customization standpoint, it’s pretty comprehensive. The G502’s office-bound rival has most of what you need, but macros aren’t there and the keyboard commands on offer aren’t as extensive as in Logitech’s gamer-focused G Hub software.
I should mention the G Pro X Superlight here, too, given it uses the same software as the G502. The G Pro X is semi ambidextrous (you can palm it with either hand, but the extra buttons are only on one side). There are only five buttons total, too.
The issue for me was really all in the handling. I liked that both of these were lighter, that’s a solid plus. But the wealth of buttons on the G502 meant things were a little more cramped. For example, there are two right alongside the left-click button and then another two just above where your thumb rests. They aren’t hard to locate without looking, but overall not as naturally placed as those on the MX Master 3S, at least in my opinion. Also, the scroll wheel on both the G502 and the G Pro X protrudes more than any of the other mice on this list which, again, takes some getting used to. Neither was as fluid or comfortable to me as those in the MX Master 3S or Razer Pro click.
Moreover, the G502 has a button to switch between smooth and ratchet scroll (fast, free gliding versus clicky slow, basically). The MX Master 3S offers both types of scrolling but with a setting where ratchet mode will seamlessly become smooth mode which is much more apt for browsing and navigating lists. I found scrolling on the G502 a bit annoying. Much bigger “clicks” and finding the button to switch to smooth seemed to kill my flow. I am guessing it’s better for gamers though.
The G Pro X, for its part, is a really nice option if you want something light with a couple of extra buttons. But with just two additional ones over the standard two-plus-clickwheel it wasn’t quite up to my requirements.
James Trew / Engadget
Razer’s Viper Ultimate, literally on the other hand, is a surprisingly competent all-purpose mouse. For one, as alluded to, it’s truly ambidextrous. At 74g it glides across the desk making it a pleasure to use for extended periods. With a 70 hour battery life it was joint first with the G Pro X for longevity in this category (the G502 offers around 50 hours).
The main nitpick for me with the Viper is that the two buttons near your ring finger and pinkie take a little getting used to if you palm a mouse like I do. I had to train myself to click with the side of my finger rather than the tip. The net result is that I was surprised to find myself gravitating toward the Viper Ultimate most out of this category, despite the G502 being closer to what I had in mind when setting out on this test.
Thanks to gamery specs that I’m not going to make use of, such as 20,000+ DPI sensors and 1000Hz polling rates, all of the gaming mice do cost more than the “productivity” options. In fact all three cost the same: $150.
Winner: Razer Viper Ultimate
Mobile mice
Let’s be clear, there’s almost no chance any of the mobile mice on offer would make a great full-time desktop replacement. That said, it’s also one of the more interesting categories thanks to being free from the burden of having to do everything. A mobile mouse can get a little wackier and do one or two things really well.
There’s also the fact that many of us are working at home on the company laptop, so pairing that with a mouse can make the transition back to the office a little smoother (and not everyone is a fan of trackpads anyway). As such, a straight head-to-head feels less appropriate, but here’s a rundown of five contenders.
Logitech Pebble
Logitech’s Pebble is a mobile mouse in the purest form. At 100g it’s not the lightest on this list, but that does give it a reassuring feel in use. There are only three buttons: The standard left click, right click and click wheel. You also have the choice between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz dongle connectivity. A nice touch is that you can stow the USB dongle under the top plate as that’s also where you’ll change the (AA) battery ( this model is, unfortunately, not rechargeable).
The Pebble has a slight angle to it which felt like my hand was arching forward when in use. The ambidextrous design is welcome but I do have my concerns about how comfortable it is for extended use. The two aces up the Pebble’s sleeve, however, are its epic battery life: A claimed 18 months (though this will obviously depend on what batteries you use) and the $25 price tag, making it one of the best budget mice on this list.
Logitech MX Anywhere 3
As the name suggests, the MX Anywhere 3 is the mobile version of the MX Master 3S Bluetooth mouse. Unlike its bigger brother, the Anywhere has a semi-ambidextrous design. It’s perhaps a shade too small to cut it as desktop replacement, but in the mobile realm it feels premium, complete with the auto-switching between ratchet and free-flowing scroll wheel — which at $80, it should.
With six buttons, it’s pretty configurable for something so small and at 99g it won’t overstay its welcome under your palm. Though for the life of me I cannot understand why there is no option to stow the USB dongle inside the mouse somewhere. Given its mobile nature this seems like a no-brainer. You can, of course, just use Bluetooth if, like me, USB dongles seem to vanish into thin air unless they have a home.
Razer Orochi V2
The winner of the most forgettable-looking option in this nest of mice goes to the Orochi V2. Or maybe it’s just understated? Especially for a Razer product. Looks aside, the Orochi V2 is a very capable mobile mouse with six buttons, Bluetooth or dongle connectivity and it works with Razer’s Synapse software, so any macros you might already have can be assigned here (or make your own!).
At 425 (2.4Ghz) or 950 hours (BLE) you get a decent amount of time out of each battery and you can use either a single AA or AAA. It weighs just 60g, so it’s also pretty nimble. At $70, it’s edging into full-desktop mouse territory, but given that it’s big enough to actually use this full time, that seems less surprising. Especially given that you can stow the dongle under the top cover, which is more than can be said for the MX Anywhere 3 (or even the MX Master 3S).
Microsoft Surface Arc
Who was betting on Microsoft having the most stylish mouse on this list? The Surface Arc is a delight with a “transforming” design that pops into shape (an “arc” no less). Once you’re done simply snap it flat again for easy storage in a pocket of your laptop bag. You don’t even need to turn it on as “snapping” it also acts as a power switch. Oh, and did I mention that the touchpad area does double duty as left/right click and vertical or sideways scroll (Magic Mouse style)? There’s even the option for a “triple” click to give the Surface Arc an extra, assignable button. All that, and it’s only around $55.
As satisfying as it is to click into shape, the hollow area under the arc does mean that your thumb and little finger don’t have anywhere to naturally rest. I also found the curve of the arc led me more into a claw position over my usual palm, which might be okay for you but gave me pause about using this for longer periods. As a purely mobile mouse, though, it’s one of the more pleasing, especially if you like its semi-trackpad nature.
Microsoft Modern Mobile mouse
The Modern Mobile mouse is Microsoft’s answer to the Pebble. Streamlined, lightweight and with a focus on the basics. There’s no 2.4GHz option here though; it’s Bluetooth only. At $35, compared to the Pebble’s $25 it might seem a foregone conclusion but there’s a lot to like about Microsoft’s take on a portable mouse.
For one, its build quality feels far superior. It also looks more stylish (if that matters). More importantly, it has a more neutral position that feels really comfortable for a smaller mouse and doesn’t feel like it’s craning my hand forward. Throw in the fact that you can still assign app-specific controls via Microsoft’s Mouse and Keyboard center and you end up with something that’s smarter than it first seems.
Conclusion
James Trew / Engadget
If nothing else, I was surprised by the diversity of options despite my initial concern to the contrary. Who knew that Microsoft had such style, at least in the mobile category? Likewise, Razer, it turns out, makes surprisingly adept productivity mice despite its true-green gamer aesthetic. Logitech, on the other hand, is a steady hand across all categories.
Predictably, the MX Master 3S does seem to do most of the things I want. BUT, only really thanks to that thumbwheel. It is particularly suited for what I need. That said, I find myself quite taken by the Pro Click, and despite lacking a second scroll wheel, it pretty much matches the MX Master 3S in every other manner. It’s also lighter which is a small positive in its favor.
For those that prefer lightweight options (something that became more appealing to me the more I tested), then the Viper Ultimate from Razer impressed me with its balance of function and form. If you don’t need as many buttons then Logitech’s Pro X Superlight lives up to its name. I could happily live with either of these mice full time.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-wireless-mice-pc-gaming-mobile-150027822.html?src=rss
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