There are some great keyboard attachments for Apple's iPad but, sometimes, you just want to physically write things down with a "pencil." While the Apple Pencil lineup can be confusing (see our helpful guide here), there are two great options currently on sale.
Take the 23 percent discount on the Apple Pencil Pro, for instance. The markdown drops its cost to $99 from $129, only $10 more than its all-time low price. Apple released this top-end model last year and it's certainly the best of the bunch.
It offers features such as squeeze gesture to see menu options and a built-in gyroscope that improves the process of changing your pen's orientation and brush tools. Plus, it works with Apple's Find My network, so you can easily locate the tool at any time. However, it's only compatible with select iPads, including the iPad Pro with an M4 chip, iPad Air with M2 or M3 chips and the iPad mini with A17 Pro.
If you don't want to spend close to $100, the Apple Pencil with a USB-C port is also on sale. The 2023 model is available for $66, down from $79 a 16 percent sale. The big benefit (other than the reduced price) is that it works with a lot more iPads than the Pencil Pro. The Apple Pencil with a USB-C port also has all the basics, like tilt sensitivity, magnetic attachment and supporting Apple Pencil hover when using an iPad Pro.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-apple-pencil-pro-drops-back-down-to-99-134027919.html?src=rss
Potential PS5 buyers in Europe, the UK, Australia and more will now need to fork over up to 100 more AUD, EUR and other local currencies for a console. Sony has announced a series of price hikes for the PS5, blaming "a backdrop of a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates." The company last raised PS5 prices across these markets in 2022.
Only the PS5 Digital Edition's cost changes in Europe and the UK. It will increase to 500 ($570) from 450 ($513) in Europe and to 430 ($567) from 390 ($514) in the UK.
Prices for the Digital Edition and PS5 with disc drive are rising significantly across the board. The Digital Edition is increasing to AUD $750 (USD $475) from AUD $650 (USD $412) in Australia. Meanwhile, in New Zealand, the PS5 with disc drive is now NZD $950 (USD $558), up from NZD $900. Those new prices go into effect immediately, so hopefully, you did some shopping over the weekend if you wanted a new PS5.
In contrast, Sony is reducing the cost of purchasing the add-on disc drive. Buyers will pay 80 in Europe (down from 120) and 70 in the UK, down from 100.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/ps5-prices-are-increasing-across-europe-uk-and-australia-123025793.html?src=rss
For anyone who misses the way smartphones used to work, Samsung has announced two new "rugged" Galaxy devices, the Galaxy XCover 7 Pro and the Galaxy Tab Active 5 Pro, that feature removable backplates and user-replaceable batteries.
The Galaxy XCover 7 Pro is designed for enterprise customers, but it comes packed with some of the same Galaxy AI features Samsung has been pushing on its flagship smartphones, including Google's Circle to Search and Object Eraser. The phone uses a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip, has a brighter screen and comes with a 4,350mAh battery, but the reason to buy it are all the ways Samsung's made it tougher and more customizable than the average phone. That includes IP68 water and dust resistance, MIL-STD-810H certification for drops, programmable buttons, built-in pogo pins as another charging option and a battery you can replace yourself just by popping off the back of the phone.
Samsung
The Galaxy Tab Active 5 Pro has a 10.1-inch screen and uses the same Snapdragon chip as the XCover 7 Pro, but the tablet offers even more options when it comes to charging. Samsung says the Galaxy Tab Active 5 Pro can be used without a battery inside if it's connected to a dock and you can also hot-swap batteries on the tablet without turning it off. You'll get to enjoy many of the same durability benefits as the XCover 7 Pro, and the IP68 water and dust resistance extends to the Galaxy Tab Active 5 Pro's S-Pen stylus, too.
Samsung
Neither of these devices are for normal people by any means, but they are good illustration of how formerly common-sense features like batteries you can replace yourself have become niche. We got lighter and sleeker flagship phones in the process, but one has to wonder whether XCover owners are the ones actually living the good life.
The Galaxy XCover 7 Pro will be available to order on May 8, 2025. The Galaxy Tab Active 5 Pro is schedule to be released in "early June," according to Samsung.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsungs-latest-rugged-devices-are-keeping-old-school-mobile-traditions-alive-120056640.html?src=rss
Spoilers follow for The Last of Us season two, episode one
The heart of all things The Last of Us, whether its the games or the first season of the HBO adaptation, is the relationship between Joel and Ellie. It was brought to life in remarkable fashion by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in season one; the pairs chemistry was the shows undeniable high point. So its a bit of a shock that they only share a few minutes of screen time together in the season two premiere Future Days and that their time together is strained to say the very least.
That all comes near the end of the episode, though. Backing up a bit, the show resumes exactly where we left off, with Ellie saying okay to Joels lies about what happened in the season one finale. That episode saw him decimate the Fireflies to save the immune Ellie. The Fireflies were hoping to make a cure for the cordyceps infection that devastated the world, but it would have killed her in the process. Okay meant that she was accepting his story, even if she didnt quite believe it. Fast forward five years, and things are tense so tense that our hardened Joel is in therapy.
We get to eavesdrop on a session with Joels therapist Gail, played by the always-wonderful Catherine OHara. Ive been looking forward to seeing how shed be used since Gail was revealed in an early trailer, and both her and Joel are having a day when they get together. Joels relationship with Ellie is apparently what drove him to meet with Gail, and hes going on about the distance in their relationship she barely talks to him, sulks and acts distant, and Gail isnt exactly impressed. She notes that Ellie is acting like every other 19-year-old acts towards their father, and also says it's clear theres a lot more going on between them.
Pedro Pascal and Catherine O'Hara in HBO's The Last of Us season twoPhotograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO
Gail then opens up to Joel in an effort to get him to be honest (and because shes a few drinks in) and drops a bit of a bomb in the process: Joel shot her husband Eugene (a character from The Last of Us Part II who we never met in the game). She says she understood that he had to do it an implication but not confirmation that Eugene had been infected but cant forgive him for the way she found out and cant help but hate him for what he did. Not the kind of thing you usually hear from your therapist, but thats The Last of Us for you. She then gets Joel to tearfully admit he did something to Ellie, but when she asks if he hurt her, he responds by saying he saved her and then gets the hell out of her house. Season one showed Joel as a more vulnerable person than his game counterpart, a change that benefitted him given the expanded drama and depth of the show, and Im glad season two is emphasizing that in a way thats pretty unconventional for the post-apocalypse world.
We also get a hint at the discord between Joel and Ellie via Dina, a new character introduced as Ellies best friend through a conversation she has with Joel. The two of them are getting along just fine; Joel even calls her kiddo, showing a similar dad-like affection for Dina that he usually does with Ellie. After a little chat she asks him point blank why Ellies angry with him, and he responds with more vagaries about the two of them figuring out what its like being a father and daughter at her age while asking Dina to keep the therapy sessions hes having a secret his therapy-speak when discussing how hes dealing with everything was just too on the nose for her to miss.
Isabela Merced and Bella Ramsey in The Last of Us season twoPhotograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO
But the most pivotal scene in this exposition-heavy episode is the New Years Eve party where Dina and Ellie share a dance, share a kiss and get shouted at by the drunk town bigot. Just as Ellie is about to treat him like a clicker, Joel intercedes, shoves Seth to the ground and asks if shes okay which gets him a disgusted look and verbal smackdown from Ellie, after which he slinks away in decidedly un-Joel fashion.
Things are decidedly unwell between the pair, and while its an intriguing note to start the story on, its also hard not to be disappointed about the lack of time together for Pascal and Ramsey. Having them at odds is a totally reasonable story beat even if she was a normal 19-year-old, theyd be having their share of challenges. But the loss of their connection and the lack of interactions between the two put a subdued mood over everything, something that episode writer / director and showrunner Craig Mazin certainly intended and will exploit throughout the season.
Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO
Mazin also paid tribute to the game in some lovely ways in this episode, particularly with the town party scene. Right from the start of season one, I expected to see more scenes from the game done nearly note-for-note in the show, and my expectations have been largely defied throughout, right from the start of the series first episode. Its been clear that the goal of the show is not to reproduce all of the games iconic scenes but expand on it while still picking the right moments to deploy some tributes to the source material. The party scene is a perfect example, starting off with a shot of Ellies back as she looks over the merriment in front of her; what follows is nearly identical to the pivotal game scene in dialog, set design and framing. What is different, though, is the timing were getting this right off the bat rather than much later in the story as youd find in the game.
Similarly, the episodes other most significant scene takes place right at the beginning. After that quick flashback, were immediately introduced to Abby, one of the second games playable characters. We learn that she and her friends are survivors of Joels Firefly massacre at the hospital in Utah, and that Abby in particular is keen on revenge. Mazin and co-showrunner Neil Druckmann have already discussed how they wanted to introduce Abby and get into her motivations quicker in the show than in the game, largely because playrs build a relationship with her through gameplay. In this case, though, we already know that Abby is after Joel, and the episode ends with her crew reaching Jackson. While Future Days focused more on scene-setting than action (with the exception of some pretty tense scenes of Ellie and Dina against some Infected), things are clearly going to ratchet up next week and not just with Abby, as the show also teased a major Infected threat as well. Lets get those flamethrowers ready for next Sunday.
Infected score: 6/10
One of the main complaints from fans of the video games during season one was a relative lack of Infected. The showrunners say theyve changed things up in season two lets see if theyre sticking to their word.
Episode one was mostly an exposition episode without a ton of action, but we did see Ellie and Dina stealthily take down a pair of Clickers. But the most exciting bit was seeing a Stalker in action for the first time in the show. It had Ellie completely fooled, even giving her another bite that she had to hide from Dina. Heres hoping we see more of these creepers as the season goes on. And, of course, the threat of tendrils lurking in the pipe in the middle of Jackson promises bigger problems soon, but were not there yet. Im giving this episode a 6 of 10 there wasnt all that much action, but the stalker reveal was intense enough to up this episodes rating.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-last-of-us-season-two-premiere-future-days-highlights-the-fracture-between-ellie-and-joel-020029565.html?src=rss
Bungie finally took the wraps off its upcoming team-based extraction shooter, Marathon, sharing a look at gameplay and a cinematic short during its showcase this weekend. We also now know the release date: September 23. Marathon will be available on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, and support full cross play and cross save.
Marathon, a reboot of Bungies 30-year-old FPS series, was first announced back in 2023, and weve heard little more about it until now. Now, Bungie says:
In Marathon, players inhabit a Runner, a cybernetic mercenary scouring the remains of a lost colony of Tau Ceti IV for fortune and power. Players team up in crews of three as they battle rival Runner teams and hostile security forces for weapons and upgrades. Survive and everything theyve scavenged is theirs to keep for future runs on Tau Ceti IV or if theyre brave enough, a journey to the derelict Marathon ship that hangs above.
If you missed the live Gameplay Reveal Showcase on Saturday, you can catch up on all the highlights now on Bungies website and the official Discord. The team says there will be a fairly small Closed Alpha Test from April 23 to May 4, ahead of bigger tests leading up to the release in September.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/bungie-shares-first-looks-at-gameplay-from-its-new-shooter-marathon-alongside-a-release-date-213530509.html?src=rss
Apple is said to be readying some big improvements for iPadOS that could bring it more in line with macOS. According to Mark Gurman in the Power On newsletter, Apples iPadOS 19 will focus on productivity, multitasking and app window management with an eye on the device operating more like a Mac. It wont quite be macOS for iPad, but Gurman notes that the changes will likely go far enough to please those users who are looking to get more out of the tablets software.
It's expected to arrive later this year. Chances are we'll hear all about it at WWDC 2025, which Apple has set for the second week of June. This year is rumored to be bringing some major changes to iOS and macOS as well, as Gurman previously reported. It all reportedly comes as part of Apples push to make its software look more consistent across its devices.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/ipad-software-will-reportedly-get-more-mac-like-with-the-ipados-19-redesign-200759136.html?src=rss
Apple hasnt abandoned its previously rumored plans to release a less expensive Vision Pro, according to Bloomberg. Mark Gurman reports in the Power On newsletter this weekend that the company has two new models in development: one thats lighter and cheaper than the first generation headset, and one that would tether to a Mac. While Apple had once considered the latter setup for AR glasses, it shifted the idea over to the Vision Pro so it can create an ultra-low-latency system for streaming a users Mac display or for connecting to high-end enterprise applications, according to Gurman.
Apples ultimate goal, though, is reportedly to create AR glasses that are practical and comfortable enough to be worn like regular glasses, and the next iterations of the Vision Pro are seen as steps toward getting there. Gurman reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook is hell-bent on creating an industry-leading product before Meta can.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/apple-is-reportedly-working-on-two-new-versions-of-the-vision-pro-153536984.html?src=rss
Spoilers for The Robot Revolution.
The start of any season of Doctor Who is important, doubly so when theres a new co-star to introduce. The Robot Revolution has to get us to fall in love with Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), ensnare new fans and keep existing ones hooked. Especially since its the second of two series that Disney paid for, meaning its got to do well enough to keep the money flowing.
We open 17 years ago with Belinda Chandra staring at the stars next to her boyfriend, Alan Budd (Jonny Green). Its an awkward teenage date, with Alan clearly trying to win the heart of his beau by buying her one of those star adoption certificates. In 2025, Belinda is now a nurse at a busy London hospital where, in the background, the Doctor is searching for her.
Belinda goes home to bed, and we see that shes got the star ownership certificate framed on her wall. But shes rudely awoken by a squad of retro-futuristic 50s robots in a Tintin rocket who have come to abduct both her and the certificate. The Doctor reaches her home just in time to see the rocket take off, and cue the opening credits.
The certificate wasnt a gag present, and she is actually queen of the planet BelindaChandra, populated by BelindaChandrians (Im calling them humans from now on). The Doctor gives chase in the TARDIS but both the rocket and TARDIS get caught in a vaguely-defined time fissure. When Belinda arrives, shes greeted by the human Sasha55, who tells her the robots are in charge, having overthrown and subjugated the people in a bloody uprising a decade prior.
Oh, this is a bit like Jupiter Ascending, I wrote in my notes.
Belinda is taken to a throne room where shes told that she must merge with the planets evil ruling supercomputer, the AI Generator. AI Generator, all skull shapes and Tesla coils, intends to bond with Belinda. She is shown an animated demonstration of her fate, as she is wrapped in machine parts and made into an unthinking cyborg.
Oh, that's like the scary bit from Superman III, I wrote in my notes.
Whos been lurking in the background of the scene all along? The Doctor, who has adopted the title of Planetary Historian. (Thanks to the time fissure, he arrived here six months ahead of the rocket, the Robots seized the TARDIS and hes been working with the rebellion. Hes even got a new companion, Sasha55, who hes promised to take to the stars when this is all over.) He tells Belinda the robots cant, for some reason, hear every ninth word spoken, and gives her a coded message telling her he, and the rebellion, are here to rescue her. In the ensuing fight, Sasha55 is vaporized, much to the Doctors admittedly brief horror and grief.
The surviving rebels, along with a little Roomba bot assigned to clean Queen Belindas pathway
Oh, like the floor-cleaning robot M-O from Wall-E, I wrote in my notes.
escape to a teleporter, after which the Doctor disables the Roomba to ensure the robots cant track them down, then kisses the bot by way of apology. Then comes time for the episode to stop while we see the Doctor and Belinda interact properly for the first time. The Doctor was told about Belindas plight by someone from their future, and he cant say more lest he muddle the timelines.
Alistair Heap / BBC Studios / Disney / Bad Wolf
The time fracture both vessels passed through has caused plenty of time-bending issues, like the fact the robots have their own copy of Belindas star certificate. But its not a copy, its the same object from another point in time, and nobody knows how or why they have it. Belinda, like Ruby Sunday before her, is trope-aware enough to know that two of the same object from different points in time cannot occupy the same space, lest it cause an explosion.
Oh, like in Timecop!, I wrote in my notes.
There are wounded at the base, and Belinda instantly kicks into nurse mode, grabbing IVs and treating patients. Shes quick to take charge and has no patience for nonsense, quick to defend herself from any hint of condescension when the Doctor suggests something timey-wimey is going on. She refuses to allow anyone to fight her battles for her and is determined to grab the narrative and shape it her way, no matter the cost. So, she sneaks off, reactivates the Roomba and offers herself to the robots in exchange for them sparing the lives of the rebels.
Belinda and the Doctor are taken to meet the AI Generator which turns out to be the AL Generator. When Belinda was kidnapped by the robots, she mentioned her ex Alan had bought the certificate, and so they went to kidnap him as well. But the time fracture meant Alan arrived a decade earlier, fused with the machine (becoming a creepy cyborg) and started the robot uprising.
Even so, Belindas happy to sacrifice herself to him until she spots Alan holding his copy of the star certificate. She opts to Timecop the two pieces of paper together, causing a big timey-wimey explosion that only the Doctor can pull her out of. Belinda is safe, but the Doctor mentions that hes now intertwined with Belindas timestream. Alan, meanwhile, has been regressed to a sperm on the floor that the Roomba bot quickly mops away.
Reunited with the TARDIS, the Doctor scans Belinda and reveals hes already met her descendant Mundy Flynn (also Varada Sethu) from last seasons Boom. Belinda may be curious as to how someone that far removed from her may be identical, but shes not embracing the mystery. Shes angry with the Doctor for scanning her without consent and that hes treating her like a puzzle to be solved.
Having seen Sasha55 die, she knows trekking around with the Doctor is dangerous, and wants to get back to May 24, 2025. But the TARDIS wont land on present-day Earth, and even the Cloister Bell begins ringing a warning. They open the TARDIS doors to see empty space before the Doctor decides to take her back home the long way round.
Once the ship disappears, a series of objects start to float in front of the camera: A smashed up black cab, the twisted wreckage of the Eiffel Tower, Belindas star adoption certificate and a calendar with all the days in May but the 25th ticked off. Uh-oh.
It's a lot to get through in such a short episode
Alistair Heap /BBC Studios / Bad Wolf
Like a lot of Disney-era Who, The Robot Revolution feels overstuffed to the point of bursting. On one hand, nothing overstays its welcome. On the other, it feels like the show is burning through a movies worth of plot on fast-forward. Its hard to get a tangible sense of the stakes given how rushed everything is, and theres a lot of telling, rather than showing. Were told the planet is under the brutal thumb of an evil overlord but it plays out as little red ships firing at buildings in the digital matte paintings. Were told Alan is a creep but we never really get any sense of that until after hes revealed as the villain. Were told the Doctor is operating on instructions from a figure from his own future, but itd be nice if some of this was depicted.
Davies was pivotal in reviving Doctor Who and building the cultural juggernaut it became under his leadership. His role in the shows history is secure but, even so, his Disney-era series seem to be in thrall to the work of his own successor, Steven Moffat. The Robot Revolution features a macguffin found inside a mundane trinket, a split narrative and time-bending shenanigans. Its not that Moffat owns these ideas but you can almost feel Davies trying to bend his less formal, more character-driven style into something else. A cynic might suggest Davies is reacting to the slight of not having a single credited episode in Doctor Who Magazines most recent poll of the series greatest, while Moffat has five.
In fact, I wouldnt be surprised if the slightly frantic, gappy nature of this script is a deliberate ploy to lay the framework for the rest of the season. But, even so, you can feel a degree of straining for a storytelling model that doesnt quite work.
If the script is the weakest part of the episode, then the production design has to take the crown for strongest. The retro-futuristic robots call to mind a bright red Ford Thunderbird or Chevy Bel Air while the cleaning robot is clearly styled on a VW Beetle. Its a rather humanistic design I wish the robovac makers of today would emulate.
Behind the scenes
James Pardon / BBC Studios / Disney / Bad Wolf
Doctor Who is a regular source of gossip, especially given the permanently tenuous nature of the star role. Its easy to say the lead is about to quit and for that to sound true, given they leave after three or four years in the role anyway. There are a number of recent reports suggesting Ncuti Gatwa has already quit the show, or is about to. Many of them also suggest the BBC and Disney are refusing to greenlight new episodes until they see how successful this season is. In addition, the BBC says funding cuts and inflation has seen its budget fall by 1 billion (around $1.3 billion) in real terms since 2010. It doesn't help that, when asked directly about the future of the series in an interview with (the BBC's youth-orientated news show) Newsround, Russell T. Davies opted to equivocate in a way that suggests the show is about to back on ice.
I mention this because of the sequence where Belinda defeats Alan with the certificate, and the Doctor pulls her out. He says she needed a Time Lord to absorb the enormous amount of energy kicked out when she touched the paper together. The Doctor then clutched at his back as if he was in a lot of pain, but shrugged it off and was fine for the rest of the episode. Fans with long memories, however, know that absorbing a lot of energy from the time vortex is what killed Christopher Ecclestons Doctor back in 2005. Well, that and Ecclestons decision to leave.
Mrs. Flood Corner
Lara Cornell / BBC Studios / Disney / Bad Wolf
It seems Mrs. Flood enjoys moving in next door to whoever is winding up as this years companion. While being abducted, she calls to her neighbor to call the police and tell her parents she loves them. As the rocket lifts off, she tells the audience that we havent seen her, and goes back indoors to avoid encountering the Doctor, who sprints out in pursuit.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/doctor-who-the-robot-revolution-review-meet-belinda-chandra-190054697.html?src=rss
Netflix has started testing a new search feature powered by OpenAI that can help customers find movies and shows to watch, according to Bloomberg. The streaming service has reportedly given select users in Australia and New Zealand the option to use the tool. It will allow users to search for terms other than a specific show's title, an actor's name or the genre they want to watch. Bloomberg says it will give them a way to search for content using more specific terms, like their mood. Presumably, that means the service can surface dramatic shows for a search query that says "sad," and seeing as it's powered by generative AI, users will most likely be able to use natural language in their search terms.
As the news organization notes, Netflix already uses artificial intelligence for some of its existing features, such as learning user's preferences based on their viewing history to recommend titles they're more likely to watch. And it's looking for more ways to use the technology. At the moment, OpenAI-powered searches are only being tested in the two countries, but Netflix reportedly has plans to expand its testing to more markets, including the United States. The company has history of rolling out features to Android users first before making them available on iOS. This time, however, the feature is currently accessible on iOS devices only, and it's unclear if the next test markets will be able to access it on Android.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/netflix-is-reportedly-testing-a-search-function-powered-by-openai-190025983.html?src=rss
On April 14, Waymo will start testing its robotaxi technology outside the US for the first time. As Yomiuri Shimbun reports, the company will deploy 25 of its electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles in Tokyo for the initial phase of its testing program. Waymo is taking it slow and will not be operating them without a driver behind the wheel yet, however. Drivers from Tokyo taxi company Nihon Kotsu Co. will be driving the cars around Chiyoda, Minato, Shinjuku and four other wards in the Japanese capital.
The cameras and radars equipped on the I-PACE vehicles will collect data on Tokyo's roads, which are typically narrower than roads in the US. They'll provide the company with information on local infrastructure, road conditions and the driving patterns of locals. "It's important for us to understand the difference in driving environment, what makes the driving here unique," said Nicole Gavel, Waymo Senior Director, during an event in the city. Waymo will have to adjust its software according to the driving conditions and the capital's rules, after all. Gavel said that Waymo is focused on the testing for now but "would love to have a business" in Tokyo in the future.
But that's probably a long ways away: After the initial mapping phase, Waymo will still have to conduct autonomous driving tests with a driver behind the wheel, and then tests without a driver on board. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-will-start-testing-its-self-driving-taxis-in-tokyo-next-week-163016736.html?src=rss
