Subaru just screwed up our SEO with the launch of the Uncharted, an electric crossover with up to 300 miles of range that probably has nothing to do with the video game. It uses the same E-TNGA platform as Toyota's CH-R EV and strongly resembles that model.
Due to arrive next year, the 2026 Uncharted will come in two versions, both with 74.7kWh batteries. The first is a front-wheel drive version with 228 horsepower and 300 miles of range, while the second is a much grunt-ier dual-motor four wheel drive version with 338 horsepower and a sub-five-second 0-60mph time in either Sport or GT trims, but slightly less range (290 miles). The latter specs are identical to the CH-R EV, by the way.
Subaru
The Uncharted will come standard with a Tesla-style NACS charging port to give drivers Supercharger access. Fast charging speeds are limited to 150kW but Subaru claims it'll charge from 10-80 percent in under 30 minutes with the use of battery preconditioning.
It's definitely a spitting image of the CH-R EV right down to the side cladding, though it has slightly different headlights and a restyled front end. Even the interior has a substantially similar center console that can wirelessly charge two phones plus the same 14-inch infotainment screen with Android Auto/CarPlay support. It has a generous complement of manual controls, unlike Tesla's EVs.
Subaru
Subaru hasn't released pricing yet for the 2026 Uncharted, but it might be similar to the CH-R EV which starts at $35,000. It's just the company's third electric vehicle, following the three-year-old Solterra and Outback-like Trailseeker, also set to arrive next year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/subarus-third-ev-is-the-uncharted-yep-with-300-miles-of-range-and-338-horsepower-130015496.html?src=rss
TikTok has proven to be a powerful platform to help tunes go viral and now the company is making it easier for songwriters to benefit from that reach. The social media site has rolled out a pair of new features in beta: a Songwriter label that identifies users as such under their profile, and a Songwriter Music Tab that lets them spotlight tracks they've written or co-written.
So far, only a limited number of publishers and songwriters can apply to get the new label and tab. TikTok noted that several established songwriters including Lauren Christy (Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears), Toby Gad (Fergie, John Legend) and Justin Tranter (Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande) are among the first to gain access. Others who want to join can put their names on a waitlist.
TikTok and its parent ByteDance developed the Songwriter Features after surveying 871 songwriters and doing 18 in-depth interviews. Those findings informed the design of the feature with the aim of improving discovery and monetization opportunities while raising songwriters' profiles on TikTok. The platform noted that 53 percent of full-time songwriters who post content on social media do so on TikTok.
When it comes to royalties and copyright, TikTok has taken a similar tack to YouTube and other social media sites. All the music available on TikTok can be used in videos and the platform has deals in place with distributors and labels to license music. Artists then receive royalties whenever creators use their music on TikTok, the amount of which depends on the individual distributor.
TikTok is following belatedly in the heels of Spotify, which has offered a similar songwriter spotlight feature since 2020. Last month, ByteDance introduced the TikTok for Artists music insight platform designed to help musicians gain access to "data and insights about their music, posts and followers."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktoks-latest-feature-will-help-songwriters-show-off-their-work-131512204.html?src=rss
Sony just surprised the photography world by unveiling the RX1R III, a fixed-lens 35mm full-frame compact camera. Coming nearly ten years after the RX1R II, it has a 61MP Exmor R sensor along with Sony's latest image processing technology that promises low noise and high dynamic range.
Apart from all the new tech, the RX1R III is smaller and more streamlined than before and considerably lighter at 17 ounces than its main competition, Leica's Q3 and the Fujifilm GFX100RF. With that, it's designed to be a "carrying around" camera for street photographers, serious amateurs and others.
That small size is due in part to the Zeiss Sonnar T 35mm f2 lens that sits partly inside the body. While more compact than before, it has the same optics as the last model and offers high levels of sharpness and color rendering, according to Sony. It comes with a macro ring that enables users to get as close as 20cm to subjects and feature's Sony's new "Step Crop Shooting" function that allows 35mm, 50mm and 70mm focal lengths by cropping into the sensor, just like the GFX100RF can do with a similar button.
Sony
The RX1R II has up to 15 stops of dynamic range thanks to the high-res sensor and image processing engine. It also features an anti-reflection coating and no optical low-pass filter to boost image quality, though that can cause some moire and other artifacts. Shooting speeds aren't quick at just 5 fps, though it's obviously not designed for sports.
The electronic viewfinder is middling with 2.36 million dots and 0.7x magnification, though the rear display offers a decent 2.4 million dots of resolution. However, unlike the one on the previous model that tilted out and up, it's fixed in order to save weight and size. It also lacks any in-body or optical stabilization, relying solely on electronic shake reduction.
With Sony's latest Bionz XR and AI processors, it promises accurate tracking of "subjects, human bodies, heads and the position of eyes," Sony said, even if their faces aren't visible. It uses 693 phase-detection AF points covering around 78 percent of the image, just like Sony's A7R V.
It's not nearly as powerful as the A7R V for video, but can still handle 4K 30 fps video with 10-bit 4:2:2 color sampling, along with 1080p video at up to 120 fps. No log mode is available, but you do get the log-like S-Cinetone that boosts dynamic range a bit. Other features include a single SDXC UHS II slot, a mic input (but not headphone jack), a microHDMI port and a USB-C input.
The R1XR III is much more expensive than the RX1R II was at launch. It'll go on pre-order soon for $5,100, with shipping set to start on July 31st. Sony is also offering a handful of accessories (also expensive), including a $300 (!) thumb grip, $250 body case and $200 lens hood (!!).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/sonys-61mp-rx1r-iii-fixed-lens-compact-camera-is-finally-here-after-a-ten-year-wait-152707087.html?src=rss
Insta360 has launched a firmware upgrade and new accessories for its X5 360-degree camera as part of what it calls the Insta360 Summer Update. Key new features include "AdaptiveTone" to improve dual camera exposure, a new "Ultra Battery" for longer recording times, an ND filter set and custom-designed lenses.
"It can be a struggle for dual-lens cameras like X5 to balance the exposure across both lenses," the company explained. To fix this issue it came up with AdaptiveTone, which independently records light data for both lenses in order to preserve highlight and shadow detail across the entire spherical image. Then, in automatically adjusts the exposure based on the perspective you choose, supposedly resulting in more natural-looking footage. It works with both 360 video at 8K 30 fps and 5.7K 30fps along with flat PureVideo.
Another key update is for PureVideo, allowing it work single lens mode rather than just in 360 mode as before. That will allow creators to capture low-light footage with reduced noise and improved color fidelity in both flat and spherical modes.
Battery life was another key target. The X5 now supports Endurance Mode in 8K, allowing nearly two hours of continuous recording while improving endurance mode at 5.7K 24 fps with a boost from 185 to 208 minutes. Should you need even more performance in that regard, Insta360 is selling a new $50 Ultra Battery that boosts runtime by up to 17 percent to just under four hours max.
Mat Smith for Engadget
Another new accessory is X5 ND filters that give creators more options in bright lighting conditions. The kit includes ND16, ND32 and ND64 filters, letting you reduce shutter speeds to create natural motion blur for activities like mountain biking and motorcycle footage. Plus, Insta360 is offering an X5 custom replacement lens kit with pre-made patterns, AI artwork or your own images, to swap out with the standard lenses.
Motorcycle creators are getting some extra love, too. Enhancements include immersive stabilization that preserves some natural shake to enhance the feeling of speed, along with Sena headset integration that allows start/stop recording and voice commands for hands-free operation. It also introduced a GPS preview remote with a built-in mic that combines camera control, live preview, GPS data recording and a noise canceling mic. Finally, the Plate Blur feature automatically obscures your license plate in footage, saving you the trouble of doing that manually.
Other updates include new diving accessories and software updates with a new Invisible Dive Case Pro and buoyancy control accessory, along with an updated AquaVision 3.0 algorithm that analyzes underwater footage and provides a selection of color adjustments to best match the shot. You can also connect the X5 to a Suunto dive computer so you can bake your diving data right into the footage.
Finally, Insta360 introduced updates to its Studio editing software like improved export speeds, background exports and improvements to the AI Stitching algorithm. And now, you can preview video files in their folder on your computer without the need to open them in Studio, saving time. The software updates, along with all the new accessories, are now available on Insta360's website.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/insta360s-x5-cam-update-brings-nd-filters-a-giant-battery-and-improved-exposure-150007247.html?src=rss
NVIDIA will be able to start selling its H20 AI GPU to China again soon after gaining approval to do so from the US government, the company announced in a blog post. Earlier this year, the company was blocked from selling the H20 to China over concerns it could aid the nation's military.
"NVIDIA is filing applications to sell the H20 GPU again. The US government has assured NVIDIA that licenses will be granted and NVIDIA hopes to start deliveries soon," the article states. The company also announced the NVIDIA RTX Pro GPU that's "fully compliant" for the Chinese market, designed for smart factories and logistics.
The US government starting blocking sales of NVIDIA's most powerful AI graphics processors, like the A100 and H200, to China back in 2022. The company subsequently developed the A800 and H800 chips for the Chinese market, but those were subsequently banned as well by the Biden administration back in 2023. NVIDIA then came up with the HGX H20 and two other chips that conformed to export rules.
Sales of that chip were blocked too in April, but the US department of commerce has apparently reversed course again. That could be a tremendous help for NVIDIA financially as it's currently holding $8 billion in unshipped orders and expects up to $5 billion in additional revenue for 2025, Bloomberg reported.
Yesterday, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang dismissed concerns that China's military would use the company's chips to develop AI. "They don't need NVIDIA's chips, certainly, or American tech stacks in order to build their military," he said, adding that it would be foolish of them to do so because "they simply can't rely on it." Huang has previously said that NVIDIA export bans didn't stop China from developing AI and allowed its competitors, especially Huawei, to gain ground on US technology.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/nvidia-says-it-can-resume-selling-key-ai-chips-to-china-120015817.html?src=rss
FILE - President and CEO of Nvidia Corporation Jensen Huang delivers a speech during the Computex 2025 exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying, File)
Canon has released 20 cameras since launching the RF mount in 2018, but it had one gaping hole in a key market: vlogging. Now, the company has patched that with the launch of the $700 R50 V that’s aimed at creators on a budget and designed to take on Sony’s ZV-E10 II.
The R50 V has the same 24-megapixel APS-C sensor as the R50, but adds vlogging-friendly features like 4K 60p video, C-Log3 for extra dynamic range, a livestreaming button and a side tripod socket for vertical video. It’s cheaper than the $1,100 ZV-E10 II and even costs a bit less than the older ZV-E10. After some lengthy testing, however, I found that it was missing some key features compared to its Sony rivals, particularly those that make vlogging easier for beginners.
Design and handling
Like other vlogging cameras, the R50 V is stripped down both in terms of size and controls. It has a polycarbonate body rather than metal, which reduces toughness and weatherproofing but helps keep it light at just 323 grams. The grip is also smaller than the R50’s, so it’s not ideal to use with large lenses.
One key feature missing from the R50 is an electronic viewfinder. That’s also the case with the ZV-E10 II, but the lack of one can make it challenging to shoot in bright sunlight. On top of that, the rear display is low-res and isn’t particularly bright. However, it fully articulates and flips around for vloggers.
The R50 V is designed to be controlled via the touchscreen, so it has fewer manual controls than other Canon mirrorless models. It does have top, rear and back dials to set primary functions like iris and shutter speed. However, you need to use your thumb to control both of those which makes operation a bit awkward.
The front rocker is designed to control zoom on supported Canon lenses like the new 14-30mm f/4-6.4 IS STM PZ, which was released at the same time as this camera. It also has livestream and color buttons dedicated to creators, plus there’s a mode dial with six different video settings.
Canon's EOS R50 V has decent handling designed for creators but it lacks manual controls for photography
Steve Dent for Engadget
The menu system is typically Canon with color-coded pages for each category (video settings, autofocus and more). However, key settings can also be adjusted from the Quick (Q) menu using the touchscreen when vlogging. Functions in that menu can of course be reprogrammed to your preferences.
The R50 V has both microphone and headphone inputs along with microHDMI and USB-C ports. It uses Canon’s smaller EP-17 battery that delivers an hour of video shooting or 300 shots to a charge, both far less than the ZV-E10 II (113 minutes and 600 shots). It has just a single SD card slot, but fortunately it’s the faster UHS-II type. Finally, there’s a very handy feature for content creators: a tripod socket on the side to make it easier for solo vloggers to shoot vertical video.
Video
Video and vlogging is the R50 V’s primary strength compared to R50. It can shoot both supersampled 4K 30 fps and 4K 60 fps video, with C-Log3 and 10-bit quality. However, the 4K 60 fps setting requires a fat 1.56x crop, which reduces quality as well as bokeh. Sony’s ZV-E10 II, by contrast, only requires a 1.1x crop for 4K 60 fps video.
The Z50 V also lacks in-body stabilization. That means the R50 V relies strictly on optical lens shake reduction or electronic stabilization. To be fair, that’s to be expected in this price range and the ZV-E10 II is also missing in-body stabilization. The electronic system does a good job removing jolts from handheld video and can even smooth out walking if you try to move fluidly, but it can make footage look soft if movements are excessive. The “Enhanced” electronic mode, which applies a small crop, is designed to make handheld shots look “locked off” like you’re using a tripod.
The R50 V offers good image quality and key creator features like a fully articulating screen.
Steve Dent for Engadget
Background blur and product showcase-type buttons are also noticeably missing compared to the ZV E10 II. That’s too bad, because creators use those features often to quickly focus on objects or blur the background behind a subject — without them, you’re forced to set those things manually.
Rolling shutter distortion is fairly noticeable on this camera with a scan rate around 30ms, compared to just 16ms for the ZV-E10 II. This means sudden pans or jolts can result in “jello effect” video. Meanwhile, video autofocus is rapid and reliable, even if your subject moves around. The AI-powered face and eye detection locks on firmly, and can also reliably track animals and vehicles.
Canon took a page from Panasonic and Fujifilm with the addition of a color button on the R50 V. It lets you quickly select shooting modes like standard BT.709, C-Log, HLG and PQ. Another setting offers filmic looks with modes like Portrait, Fine Detail, Faithful and Monochrome. And the last “color filter” mode allows for tinted video with shades like teal and peach, though the results looked a bit cheesy to me.
With a built-in cooling fan, the R50 V is more resistant to overheating than most small cameras. When recording standard 4K at 30 fps, I was able to shoot for 60 straight minutes with no sign of overheating. The issue doesn’t, er, crop up at 4K 60p either since that mode uses a reduced portion of the sensor.
Overall, video quality is a strong point, with sharp detail when using the 4K 30 fps oversampled mode. Colors are rich and accurate, and skin tones pleasing with a hint of warmness that Canon is known for. The 10-bit C-Log3 footage retains extra detail in shadow and highlight areas, providing outstanding dynamic range for such an inexpensive camera. However, 4K 60p video is considerably softer, and the 1080p 120 fps ultra slo-mo setting lacks sharpness even by HD standards. Low-light capability is average for an APS-C camera, with noise clearly visible starting at ISO 3,200 or 6,400. Beyond that, it becomes intrusive and harder to get rid of using noise reduction tools.
Photography
Though photography isn’t this camera’s raison d’etre, the R50 V performs decently in that regard. It can shoot fairly quickly for a small camera, with burst speeds of 15 fps with the electronic shutter or 12 fps with mechanical shutter. However, it can’t sustain those speeds for very long due to the small buffer that holds just 36 RAW images.
Autofocus is again a strong point, tracking subjects with ease and keeping photos sharp. As with video, AI-powered face and eye detection is quick and reliable for people, animals and vehicles. Rolling shutter is an issue with photos as it is with video, but since the R50 V has a mechanical first-curtain shutter, you only need the electronic mode for photos when silence is required. The lack of in-body stabilization means you’ll need to have a steady hand to take sharp shots at low shutter speeds, or you’ll want to shop for lenses with optical stabilization if that’s an issue.
Photo quality is identical to the R50 since it shares the same sensor. For normal shooting, I saw color-accurate photos with skin tones leaning on the warm side, as is typical with Canon’s color science. JPEGs strike a good balance between sharpening and noise reduction, while RAW files allow a decent amount of room to tweak images. As with video, low-light performance isn’t amazing, so I wouldn’t go past ISO 6,400 unless it’s too dark to film otherwise.
Wrap-up
With a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor, the R50 V squares off against Sony's ZV-E10 II
Steve Dent for Engadget
Canon’s R50 V is a pretty good first try for a vlogging camera, hitting the mark in key areas like video quality and usability. However, its rival, Sony’s ZV-E10 II, beats it in nearly every area, offering even better video quality, higher photo resolution, faster autofocus, smoother electronic stabilization and neat features missing on the R50 V — like the product showcase.
That said, Canon is targeting a more budget-minded buyer as the R50 V costs just $700 (body only) compared to $1,100 for the ZV-E10 II. Vloggers constrained to that budget will still get a great camera that easily beats a smartphone when it comes to the final product. If you do have an extra $400 to spend, though, I’d recommend the ZV-E10 II instead.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/canon-r50-v-review-an-affordable-vlogging-camera-that-lags-behind-its-rivals-173028892.html?src=rss
Amazon Prime Day is always a key period for camera buyers as any discount on such a major purchase is always helpful. Despite the tariffs, this year's sale is particularly strong for photography buffs, with big discounts on most of the major brands including some that don't normally offer deals.
Some key deals include discounts on DJI drones, along with sales on models from Sony, Canon, GoPro and Nikon. Many of those cameras are ranked highly in our most recent camera guide, like Nikon's Z6 III, Canon EOS R5 Mark III and the GoPro Hero 13 Black — so feel free to check that out as you add items to your cart. Without further delay, here are the best Prime Day camera deals you can get for the last day of the sale.
Best Prime Day camera deals
Canon EOS R100 with RT-S18-45mm lens for $549 (15 percent off): Canon's EOS R100 is the only modern mirrorless camera you can get with a kit lens for under $600. It comes with a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor that delivers great picture quality with Canon's pleasing skin tones.
Canon EOS R50 with RF-S18-45mm lens for $749 (15 percent off): Canon's 24-megapixel APS-C EOS R50 is great for travel, parties, street photography and more thanks to the portable size and built-in flash. It offers nice image quality with warm, human friendly photos and is capable for creators as well with 4K 30fps supersampled video, with 10-bit and HDR capability.
OM System OM-5 for $899 (25 percent off): For creators on a budget, the 20-megapixel, Micro Four Thirds OM-5 from OM System (formerly Olympic) is a great option at this price. It lets you shoot 4K video and 20MP stills at up to 10 fps. The design is nice with a full complement of manual controls, a fully articulating display and 7.5 stops of built-in stabilization.
Panasonic Lumix S9 for $1,298 (13 percent off): The S9 may be Panasonic's smallest full-frame camera but it comes with the same 24MP sensor and similar video features to the popular S5 II. To that end, it offers up to 6.2K video, in-body stabilization and reliable autofocus. The key feature though is a special LUT button that lets you easily choose a custom cinematic look designed by professional creators.
Canon EOS R6 Mark II for $1,899 (5 percent off): Canon's R6 Mark II offers a great mix of video and photography features. You can now shoot RAW stills at up to 40 fps and video specs are equally solid with sharp full-sensor 4K at up to 60 fps. It comes with in-body stabilization that's great for video and photos and autofocus is quicker and more versatile than ever.
Nikon Z6 III for $2,197 (12 percent off): Nikon's Z6 III is the best hybrid mirrorless camera for the money, thanks to the incredible performance of the 24-megapixel partially stacked sensor. You can shoot RAW bursts at up to 20 fps in electronic shutter mode while nailing sharp shots thanks to the much-improved autofocus. On the video side, it supports 6K RAW at up to 60 fps, or 4K 120p. All of that makes it ideal for creators and photographers alike, with the only drawback being the reduced resolution.
Sony A7 IV for $2,198 (19 percent off): It beats many rivals with 33 megapixels of resolution rather than 24, with image quality much improved overall. Video is now up to par with rivals with 4K at up to 60p with 10 bit 4:2:2 quality. Autofocus is incredible for both video and stills, and the in-body stabilization does a good job. The biggest drawback is rolling shutter that limits the use of the electronic shutter.
Canon EOS R5 Mark II for $3,999 ($300 off): It's company’s best camera in years thanks to improvements in areas like autofocus and video. It comes with a high-resolution 45-megapixel stacked sensor, but still lets you shoot blackout-free bursts at up to 30 fps — and most of the shots will be sharp thanks to the updated autofocus with AI tracking. Video is also strong with up to 8K 60p RAW and 4K 120 fps shooting.
Best Prime Day action cam and drone deals
DJI Osmo Mobile 7P gimbal for $125 (15 percent off): This three-axis gimbal keeps your smartphone video as smooth as can be with DJI's ActiveTrack 7.0, and includes a magnetic snapping mechanism so you can install your mobile device in seconds. The latest feature is native tracking that follows you around, thanks to the included Multifunctional Module.
DJI Osmo Action 4 for $209 (30 percent off): DJI's Osmo Action 4 is a tremendous deal at this price, as you're not giving up much in comparison to the most recent model, the Action 5. It has the same big 1/1.3-inch sensor that delivers excellent video quality, especially in low light. It also features a D-LogM profile to boost dynamic range, DJI's excellent clip-on mount and high-quality 4K 120p video.
GoPro Hero 13 Black for $329 (23 percent off): GoPro’s Hero 13 Black is now available with a new family of modular lenses called the HB series (ultra-wide, anamorphic and macro), making it far more versatile for action creators. It also has a slightly bigger battery that allows longer capture times, up to 90 minutes for 4K 30fps video. Other specs remain the same, including up to 5.3K at 60fps in 10-bit color, along with the excellent Hypersmooth stabilization.
Insta360 X4 for $349 (30 percent): Insta360 simply dominates the 360-degree category, thanks to its ability to capture action at up to 8K 30fps or 5.7K at 60fps — providing more detail when you reframe it to 16:9. At the same time, the Me Mode that produces flat video (with automatic selfie stick removal) has been upgraded from a maximum 2.7K 30fps to 4K 30fps. It also offers solid battery life, waterproofing to 10m and a free editing app.
Best Prime Day deals on camera accessories
K&F Concept 25L backpack for $50 (17 percent off): A large 25L three-tiered camera bag that can hold multiple cameras, lenses and drones. It has quick side access and features durable materials with a rain cover, making it great for outdoor travel, weddings or vlogging.
Elgato Key Light 2800 lumens for $133 (26 percent off): For presentations or simple studio shoots, you get a silent, low-heat studio light with high output and a 2900-7000K temperature range. It's controllable by WiFi and has an opal glass face for glare-free diffusion.
DJI Mini 4K drone for $309 (21 percent off): The Mini 4 weighs less than 249 grams so it doesn't require a permit, but can still shoot 4K video at up to 30 fps or 2.7K at 60 fps with three-axis stabilization. It can fly up to 31 minutes on a charge and has one-tap movements like dronie, helix and panoramic shooting.
Elgato Prompter for $190 (37 percent off): Whether you're a creator on YouTube or present on Zoom, the Elgato Prompter is an elegant and popular choice thanks to the built-in display that allows you to read scripts while looking at the camera. Support more cameras than ever, even with wide lenses and features an easy setup.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/the-best-amazon-prime-day-camera-deals-you-can-still-get-during-the-last-day-of-the-sale-104502374.html?src=rss
Alienware has just released a pair of gaming monitors that offer affordability with very few compromises while using Dell's new AW30 design language. Announced earlier this year, the key model is the 27-inch AW2725D 280Hz QD-OLED QHD (2,560 x 1,440) monitor with one of the lowest prices we've seen to date. On top of the relatively high refresh rate and rapid 0.03ms response time, it promises stutter-free visuals with both NVIDIA G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and VESA AdaptiveSync certification.
The QD-OLED panel also offers faithful color reproduction with 99.3 percent DCI-P3 coverage and Delta E < 2 accuracy, along with DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400 certification. It's highly ergonomic as well with height, tilt, pivot and swivel adjustability along with a low-profile base. You get a DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.1 ports, along with a 5Gbps USB-C port with 15W charging capability. It's now on sale at Dell's online store for $550.
Alienware
The other new model now available is the Alienware 25 320Hz gaming monitor (AW2525HM). This one has a 320Hz IPS panel with FHD (1,920 x 1080) resolution and a 0.5ms response time. It also supports NVIDIA G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium and VESA AdaptiveSync to minimize stutter and tearing. It comes with two HDMI 2.1 ports while offering 99 percent sRGB color accuracy along with height, tilt, swivel and pivot adjustment. The AW2525HM is now available at Dell.com for $250.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/alienwares-27-inch-280hz-qd-oled-monitor-is-now-available-for-550-120028938.html?src=rss
In January Samsung teased an all new Galaxy Z trifold device, but no mention of it was made during its Unpacked event yesterday. However, the company now says that does indeed plan to release a smartphone with three displays by the end of 2025, acting head of device experience TM Roh told The Korea Times.
"We are working hard on a trifold smartphone with the goal of launching it at the end of this year," said Roh. "We are now focusing on perfecting the product and its usability, but we have not decided its name. As the product nears completion, we are planning to make a final decision soon." Along with that confirmation, an unnamed executive told Android Authority much the same thing.
Last month, Samsung teased the Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultra, but the smartphone shown in the image appeared to have two screens like other Z Fold models. That made us wonder what would be "Ultra" with the device, as the new Galaxy Z Fold 7 has most of the Galaxy S25 Ultra's key features. Other rumors have it that the trifold device could be called the Galaxy G Fold due to the hinge's shape.
Samsung wouldn't be first to market with a trifold phone. Huawei has that, er, honor with the Mate XT, an accordion-style device that starts at an eye-watering $2,800.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-plans-to-launch-its-trifold-smartphone-by-the-end-of-2025-122358763.html?src=rss
OpenAI has condemned online brokerage firm Robinhood's sale of "OpenAI tokens," saying they will not give consumers stock in the company. "We did not partner with Robinhood, were not involved in this, and do not endorse it," the company said in a post on X, adding that the tokens are not equity and that it did not give approval for any transfer.
The statement addresses a recent move by Robinhood to provide European investors access to what it calls a limited stock token on OpenAI and SpaceX. "These tokens give retail investors indirect exposure to private markets, opening up access, and are enabled by Robinhood’s ownership stake in a special purpose vehicle," Robinhood said in its own X missive.
So what is a special purpose vehicle (SPV)? Robinhood is suggesting that it owns private shares in OpenAI that it keeps in a separate company, the SPV, to isolate risk. So it's offering investors a chance to buy tokens (shares basically) in that private SPV and thus indirectly gain access to OpenAI's private shares that aren't available to retail investors.
"They aren’t technically 'equity'... [but]the tokens effectively give retail investors exposure to these private assets," Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev wrote in a post on X. "Our giveaway plants a seed for something much bigger and since our announcement we’ve been hearing from many private companies that are eager to join us in the tokenization revolution."
Such SPVs are fairly common as TechCruch points out, but OpenAI still isn't happy with Robinhood's tokens. If you're an eligible investor thinking of jumping in, keep in mind that SPVs can be overpriced compared to the underlying private stock. In addition OpenAI has an outrageous valuation compared to its earnings and has yet to show how it will achieve its sky-high $125 billion revenue forecast by 2029.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-disavows-online-broker-robinhoods-sale-of-openai-tokens-120033084.html?src=rss
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 02: Open AI CEO Sam Altman speaks during Snowflake Summit 2025 at Moscone Center on June 02, 2025 in San Francisco, California. Snowflake Summit 2025 runs through June 5th. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Google Labs is making virtual outfit try ons available to all with a new experimental AI app called Doppl, the company announced in a blog post. You can upload a photo of yourself and any outfit to see how it will look on you and can even create an AI-generated video of yourself and the clothing in motion.
To use it, first upload a full-body photo of yourself, then choose photos or screen shots of outfits. For instance, you can screenshot or download photos from sources like Pinterest or clothing websites, or take photos of clothing from locations like thrift stores. You could even snap a photo of a friend wearing a desired outfit.
Once the outfit is selected, Doppl (short for doppelgänger one imagines) will create an AI-generated image of you wearing it even and convert the static image into a moving video. You can continue to browse through outfits, save your favorites and share different looks. It may not work perfectly for you — Google pointed out that "Doppl is in its early days and... fit, appearance and clothing details may not always be accurate."
Google recently unveiled a similar try-on feature for its Shopping experience, but Doppl works strictly as a standalone app. It looks like the kind of thing people could have some fun with, particularly on social media, but it may also aid Google in gathering data on users' buying and shopping habits. The app is now available on iOS and Android, but only in the US for now.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-new-ai-app-doppl-lets-you-try-on-outfits-virtually-120014003.html?src=rss
After a six-year wait, Panasonic's S1 II is finally here and there's a lot to unpack. As you’d expect from this company, it’s creator-centric with up to 5.8K ProRes RAW internal video recording. At the same time, it’s Panasonic’s fastest full-frame photo camera ever with 70 fps burst speeds and reduced rolling shutter distortion thanks to the new partially stacked 24-megapixel sensor. And with an AI-powered hybrid phase detect system, autofocus is no longer a weak point as it was with the original S1.
There is one issue though, and a surprising one for Panasonic: the price. The $3,200 S1 II is similar to Nikon’s Z6 III, right down to the partially stacked sensor and internal RAW video. However, the latter is some $700 cheaper and can often be found on sale for even less. Since Panasonic often undercuts rivals, that puts the S1 II in the unusual position of being overpriced next to the competition. After testing it for the last month, I’ve found that whether it's worth it depends on your priorities.
Handling and design
The S1 II shares its excellent body design with the higher-resolution S1R II and the cheaper, non-stacked S1 IIe. It’s considerably lighter than the original S1 at 1.76 pounds and much smaller as well, both of which make it less burdensome. It’s also easy to hold thanks to the big ridged grip. However, it’s more angular and has a harder rubber skin than Canon’s rival EOS R6 II, so it’s not quite as comfortable over long shooting sessions.
The excellent control layout makes the S1 II a breeze to use. It has all the buttons and dials you need and they’re well located — particularly the joystick and control dials. There’s a dedicated switch for photos, video and slow and quick (S&Q) modes, and each has separate adjustments so you won’t mix them up. It also has a dedicated autofocus switch, two video record buttons (top and front), 10 other programmable buttons and a tally light.
I rarely needed to search for settings thanks to the logical color-coded tabs and easy-to-use quick menu, both accessible by touch or the joystick. Panasonic also made it simple to program buttons, dials and the quick menu to your personal preferences and it allows you to save them to a memory card as a backup.
The S1 II’s electronic viewfinder is bright and sharp, matching the Z6 III with a resolution of 5.76 million dots and 0.78x magnification. The rear display not only swivels out but also tilts up and down for overhead or hip-level photography. In comparison, Nikon’s Z6 III screen doesn’t tilt, so it’s not as versatile.
As with the S1R II, battery life isn’t a strong point here, with only 360 shots on a charge or 320 when using the EVF. To be fair, that matches the Z6 III exactly (and Panasonic’s non-stacked S1 II is only slightly better at 380 shots), but Canon’s cheaper R6 II has more than twice the battery life at 760 shots.
Steve Dent for Engadget
In order to capture RAW video, the S1 II has a CFexpress Type B card slot along with a slower SDXC UHS-II slot. Like the S5 IIx and GH7 (and several Fujifilm models), it also supports high-bandwidth RAW video capture to an SSD via the USB-C port.
The S1 II comes with a full-sized HDMI port that supports Blackmagic and ProRes RAW capture. You also get mic and headphone ports, and you can capture 32-bit float audio via the optional XLR2 accessory to reduce the possibility of clipping. Finally, the S1 II has a carbon fiber curtain that comes down to protect the sensor like recent Canon and Sony models.
Performance
The S1 II can fire bursts at a pedestrian 10 fps in mechanical shutter mode, but supports a superb 70 RAW images per second with the electronic shutter. And if you’re worried about skewed images, don’t fret. Distortion is minimal in electronic mode thanks to the partially-stacked sensor that has a rapid readout speed of around 12 milliseconds. That’s fast enough for sports or wildlife photography, unless the subject moves very rapidly.
Pre-burst capture, which starts when you half-press the shutter, is also available at the highest speeds. That lets you save up to 1.5 seconds of photos you might have otherwise missed once you fully press the shutter button. The buffer is a bit small, though, so you can only capture about three seconds (220 shots) at the 70 fps speed.
The hybrid phase-detect autofocus is the best of any Panasonic camera I’ve tested to date. However, it’s not yet up to Sony and Canon’s standards for speed and accuracy, and falls a bit short of Nikon’s Z6 III. If you’re shooting a fast-moving subject at the maximum burst rate of 70 fps, you may see more than a few out-of-focus photos.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The S1 II supports multiple AI modes — including animals, birds and vehicles — on top of human eye-tracking modes. I had mixed success with those as the camera had trouble locking onto the eyes of some birds and marine mammals I shot at the Vancouver Aquarium. However, it was better with more typical animal subjects like dogs, cats, horses and geese. Panasonic also introduced an AF mode called Urban Sports that improves tracking for breakdancing, skateboarding and parkour. I tested that mode with some skateboarders at the highest burst settings and saw a high percentage (90-plus) of in-focus shots.
One area where Panasonic tops its rivals is stabilization. That’s been boosted to eight stops (slightly short of the R6 II’s eight and a half stops), which allowed me to shoot at shutter speeds down to a half second and still get sharp shots. And as I’ll explain shortly, the S1 II is peerless when it comes to video stabilization.
Image quality
I’ve been impressed with Panasonic’s color science of late, finding that it matches Nikon in delivering some of the most color-accurate images of any system. By comparison, Canon’s images skew warmer, and I feel that Sony models like the A7 IV lack some accuracy, particularly with blue-green colors.
The S1 II delivers pleasing JPEGs with a nice balance between sharpness and noise reduction, though the latter can get overly aggressive at high ISO levels. RAW images offer plenty of detail in light and dark areas of the image, letting you tweak and correct to a fine degree. Keep in mind that using the electronic shutter in burst modes reduces RAW bit depth from 14 to 12.
The downside of any stacked sensor is additional noise, and the S1 II is no exception. This is most apparent at higher ISO levels where the camera exhibits a bit more grain than Panasonic’s S5, which has the same resolution but isn’t stacked. That said, the S1 II has about the same low-light prowess as the Z6 III and beats most fully stacked cameras.
If the native 24MP resolution isn’t enough, the S1 II offers a high-resolution mode that captures eight images with a slightly offset sensor position and composes them into a single 96-megapixel file (either RAW or JPEG). I was able to take sharp images in that mode without the use of a tripod thanks to the S1 II’s excellent in-body stabilization system.
Video
The S1 II doesn’t shoot 8K RAW like the 44MP S1R II due to its lower resolution. However, it does support 5.8K 30 fps ProRes RAW, open gate full sensor video and super slow-mo (4K 120p) — all with far less rolling shutter distortion. Because of that, I think this is a better camera overall for creators.
Of course, the S1 II offers 10-bit video in both MP4 and Quicktime formats on top of RAW. Panasonic’s V-Log is also on tap to boost dynamic range, and thanks to a recent firmware update, you can pay $200 to get ARRI LogC3 to match that company’s pro digital cinema cameras.
With that same firmware update, the S1 II now supports 17 frame aspect ratios (up from 10), and enables simultaneous display of up to three frames at once (unlike the LogC3 update, these are free). That will let you shoot open gate, for instance, while seeing how the image will look in both vertical and horizontal aspect ratios.
Overall, video quality is outstanding with sharp oversampling, excellent color accuracy and decent dynamic range. The latter can be increased using Panasonic’s dynamic range boost option, although that effectively doubles rolling shutter distortion. Without the setting enabled, skew from rolling shutter is only an issue with whip pans or very fast-moving subjects.
Video AF is solid, keeping subjects in focus as long as they don’t move too quickly. Face, eye, animal, urban sports and vehicle detection work well, though you’ll see a bit more accuracy and speed on Canon and Sony’s latest models.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The S1 II offers better video stabilization than its rivals, though. Optical stabilization provides good results for handheld video, while electronic stabilization (EIS) provides gimbal-like smoothness at the cost of a significant crop. As with other recent Panasonic models, the S1 II also offers “cropless” EIS that corrects corner distortion when using wide lenses, while also reducing rolling shutter.
Thanks to a built-in fan, overheating is rarely an issue with the S1 II. The only time I ever saw a problem was with 5.8K at 60 fps and 5.1K open gate recording, when the camera shut down after 50 minutes and 40 minutes respectively. That’s still excellent for a small mirrorless camera. Those limits are eliminated, by the way, if you record to an SSD via the USB-C port.
Creators may wonder how the S1 II compares to Nikon’s Z6 III. The latter offers more RAW options, with the choice of 5.8K Nikon RAW (N-RAW) at up to 60 fps rather than just 30 fps. Both offer similar video quality as they use the same sensor. The Z6 III has slightly better autofocus, but the S5 II has superior stabilization and handling. Finally, the S1 II has some nice pro features like timecode, waveform monitoring and pro audio. I’d say the S1 II is slightly better for video shooters, but the Z6 III is significantly cheaper.
Wrap-up
Panasonic’s S1 II is a powerful hybrid camera, and if it wasn’t so expensive, it would be a no-brainer for creators. However, Nikon’s Z6 III has nearly the same video capabilities, is a better camera for photography and costs at least $600 less, so I’m inclined to recommend that model for most users.
Another option at a lower price is Panasonic’s new $2,500 S1 IIe, which was announced at the same time as the S1 II. It has the same body and mostly the same feature set, but uses the non-stacked sensor from the S5 II, so rolling shutter is more of an issue.
If you favor photography, the higher-resolution S1R II is a better option and costs just $100 more. However, if you’re a video pro who needs features like time code, ARRI LogC3 and advanced monitoring or audio features, the S1 II is a solid choice. Those folks might want to wait for a sale though.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/panasonic-s1-ii-review-a-near-perfect-creators-camera-if-money-is-no-object-174509182.html?src=rss
After going through a controversial branding change that eliminated the beloved XPS name, Dell has launched its replacement. The new Dell 14 Premium and Dell 16 Premium Windows 11 laptops represent the high end of Dell's business lineup and offer features like Intel Core Ultra 9 16-core CPUs, NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPUs and battery life up to 27 hours.
The XPS name may be gone but last year's design largely remains. Both models keep the simple and elegant wedge-like form from before, with slightly bigger (16.3 and 14.5 inches), largely bezel-free displays coated with Gorilla Glass 3. Dell promises top-notch craftsmanship and a new thermal design that allows for a thin and light design, maximal airflow and minimal noise. Just as it did with the branding, Dell has followed Apple with the two available colorways: Platinum and a darker Graphite.
New 3.2K and 4K 16:10 120Hz OLEDs are now available on the high-end models (14.5- and 16.3-inch, respectively) and 2K LCD 120Hz versions (1,920 x 1,200) in the base models. The OLEDs are certified DisplayHDR 500 with 400 nits of brightness and 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage, while the LED models average around 500 nits. Audio also looks solid with Dolby Atmos, "studio-quality tuning," quad speakers, a dual microphone array and a universal headphone jack with head tracking.
Dell 14 Premium laptop in Platinum
Dell
On the performance front, Dell is wedded to Intel's latest power-efficient Core Ultra 7 255H and 256H 16-core processors, along with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H 16-core version on the Premium 16 only. Those offer up to a 33 percent performance boost over the previous XPS models (18 percent on the 16 Premium), along with a 2.4x boost in AI performance.
However, the main benefit is much boosted battery life with up to 20 hours of Netflix streaming on the 14 Premium and 27 hours on the 16 Premium. Those figures are with the 2K LCD displays and drop to 11 and 9 hours on the higher resolution 3.2K OLED (14.5-inch model) and 4K OLED (16.3-inch model) respectively.
The Premium 14 and Premium 16 differ the most in terms of GPU options, with support for NVIDIA's new RTX 5050 GPU, along with the RTX 5060 and RTX 5070 on the 16.3-inch model, but just an NVIDIA RTX 4050 on the Premium 14. Opting for one of those, particularly the RTX 5070, should make them solid gaming and graphics machines but you'll be paying more and sacrificing some battery life. Otherwise, you'll be getting Intel's Arc 140T GPU on the 14 Premium and 16 Premium base models, designed mostly for business and entertainment.
Dell 16 Premium Graphite
Dell
Other key features include WiFi 7, extra security for business users, up to 64GB of LPDDR5x dual channel 8400 MT/s memory, encryption ready SSDs, up to 4TB storage and a FHD webcam. They're now on sale at Dell.com starting at $1,650 for the base 14 Premium (Core Ultra 7 255H CPU, 16GB memory, 2K LCD display, Intel Arc 140T graphics). The same model with an NVIDIA RTX 4050 GPU, 32GB of memory and the 3.2K OLED display is $2,350.
The Dell 16 Premium, meanwhile, starts at $2,700 with a Core Ultra 7 255H CPU, 32GB of memory, 2K LCD display and NVIDIA RTX 5060, while a version with the 4K OLED display and Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU is $3,050. Other options aren't yet available on Dell's online store.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/dell-announces-new-premium-replacement-for-the-xps-line-130018315.html?src=rss
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