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Tiny MEMS ultrasonic drivers have already made a huge difference in sound quality for true wireless earbuds. Now, the company behind those "sound from ultrasound" speakers, xMEMS Labs, is taking aim at open-fit earbuds, smart glasses and smart watches with its new Sycamore micro driver. xMEMS says that this is the first full-range, all-silicon, near-field micro speaker that offers full-range audio for open-air devices. Sycamore is based on the same platform as xMEMS' Cypress driver for active noise cancellation (ANC) earbuds. This means the component uses ultrasonic waves to create full-frequency sound from a 1mm thin chip. The company explains that Sycamore can match the mid-bass performance of current drivers while pushing up to 11dB more of sub-bass. This new speaker-on-a-chip also has improved treble, clocking up to 15dB above 5KHz when compared to drivers that are currently in use. And, of course, there's the clarity and detail MEMS units offer. "Everything that you get out of our in-ear speakers translates to Sycamore," xMEMS vice president of marketing and business development Mike Housholder told Engadget. "In these early products that we benchmarked, our clarity continues to come through in Sycamore, so you'll get that benefit as well." xMEMS SycamorexMEMS In addition to improved audio performance, another key advantage of Sycamore drivers is their ultra-compact size. xMEMS says these micro speakers are one-seventh the size of conventional dynamic driver and one-third of their thickness. They also weigh 70 percent less. This reduced size would give product designers more flexibility, which could lead to sleeker, more attractive products. One of my key gripes with smart glasses is how thick the ear pieces are, so if companies can make something that's more akin to real glasses and still improve the audio, that's a win in my book. "Because these are fashion forward products, you need something that is really thin and really light, and that's where Sycamore comes in," Housholder continued. "The benefit that Sycamore brings to these categories of products is next level thinness and weight." Since Sycamore is based on the same platform as Cypress and xMEMS' XMC-2400 micro-cooling fan on a chip, this new driver will use the same manufacturing setup. This means that xMEMS will be able to deliver it faster, but also expedite the industrial process for future micro products. Samples of the open-air Sycamore drivers are expected to be available in Q1 2025 with mass production beginning next October. Given this timeline, we're likely to see the first products with Sycamore drivers in 2026. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/mems-drivers-are-coming-to-open-wear-devices-like-xr-glasses-smart-watches-and-earbuds-150429131.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Bluesky has passed the 20 million user mark as the app continues its recent surge in growth. The decentralized service, which reached 15 million users less than a week ago, has just about tripled its user base in the last three months. Though its still far smaller than its rivals Threads and X, Blueskys current momentum is notable. The app has had several days over the last week where it added a million new users in a single 24-hour period. Thats similar to the growth rate of Threads, which has been getting a million new sign-ups a day for going on three months, according to an update last week from Metas Adam Mosseri. Threads reached 275 million monthly users earlier this month and has added at least 15 million since the start of November. And while Bluesky remains the underdog, there are other signs its gaining momentum. Bluesky has been the top app in Apples App Store for the last six days and has been the top non-gaming app in Google Play for four days, according to data provided by analytics firm App Figures. Metas Threads is currently in the number two spot on the App Store. Though Bluesky has experienced other periods of significant growth over the last year, the recent surge is far bigger than what the open-source service has previously seen. The latest growth for Bluesky seems to be at least partially furled by mounting frustration from some X users. There was a significant spike in traffic to Bluesky on November 7, the day after the presidential election, according to a report from analytics company SimilarWeb. That spike seemed to coincide with a surge in users trying to deactivate their accounts on X. Bluesky has also been keen to differentiate its policies from its larger rivals. Last week, the company pledged that it would not use its users content to train generative AI. Xs new privacy policy allows it to work with third-parties to train AI models on users past tweets. Blueskys CEO Jay Graber has also said that she doesnt want to enshittify the network with ads. Threads, meanwhile, reportedly plans to start experimenting with its first ads in January.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/bluesky-hits-20-million-users-143920955.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Adobe is making it more affordable to access its apps if you pay for a subscription until Black Friday this year. You can get the 100GB Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps plan for $30 a month instead of $60 if you sign up for a subscription until November 29. If you're a student, you can get it even cheaper at $16 per month, or 70 percent less than its usual price. Take note that the offer is only available if you're a first time subscriber, and it requires a one year commitment. You will be paying the discounted rate for the entirety of those 12 months, though, and it's not until your subscription is renewed after the year is over that you'll have to pay for its regular $60-a-month pricing. Creative Cloud for Teams is also discounted until November 29 and will cost businesses $45 per month per license, down 50 percent from $90. Meanwhile, Adobe Express for teams will set businesses back $5 per month per license instead of $8. Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps gives you access to 20 of the company's creative apps. They include Photoshop, which is probably the Adobe app you're most familiar with, as well as Illustrator, Premiere Pro, After Effects, InDesign and Acrobat. In addition, you'll also get cloud storage space, social media templates and thousands of fonts with a subscription. If you want to make a website, you can use the plan's access to Adobe Portfolio create it, and you can also use the included access to Adobe Behance if you want to showcase your creative work. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/adobes-black-friday-deal-slashes-50-percent-off-creative-cloud-plans-143039647.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Blizzard's first real-time strategy games had a profound impact on me as a young immigrant to Canada in 1994 and 95. Warcraft: Orcs & Humans and Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness helped me learn how to read and write in English, and formed the basis for some of my oldest friendships in a brand-new country. Suffice to say, I have a lot of love for these old RTS games maybe more than Blizzard itself. So you can imagine my excitement at remaster rumors for Warcraft II and its expansion, Beyond the Dark Portal. When Blizzard aired its Warcraft Direct last week, not only were those rumors confirmed, but it announced that the original Warcraft would receive the same treatment, and both would be sold alongside Warcraft III: Reforged (itself a remaster) as part of a new battle chest. Of course, I immediately booted up Battle.net and bought the bundle. I was just as quickly disappointed. Where to start? The most obvious place is the new hand-drawn graphics. Some fans have accused Blizzard of using AI to upscale the art in Warcraft and Warcraft II. I dont think thats what happened here, but what is clear is that the new assets dont live up to the companys usual quality. The unit sprites are completely missing the charm of their original counterparts. They also dont look properly proportioned, and many of them have new stilted animations. Additionally, the extensive use of black outlining makes everything look a bit too stark. At best, the remasters resemble poorly made mobile games. Both games feature a toggle to switch between their original and remastered graphics seamlessly, but here again, Blizzard missed the mark. Theres a great YouTube video explaining the issue, but the short of it is the company didn't accurately represent the tall pixels that the original graphics were designed around, so every asset appear stretched horizontally. Like every game from that era, Warcraft was designed to be played on a 4:3 CRT monitor. However, the original art assets were made to scale within a 320 x 200 frame, which is a 16:10 resolution. As a result, UI elements and units look taller in the 1994 release than in the remaster. GOG correctly accounted for this when it rereleased Warcraft and Warcraft II in 2019, and theres no reason Blizzard couldnt do the same in 2024. Without these nods to the games original visuals, Warcraft: Remastered just doesnt look right. What gameplay enhancements the remasters include are minimal, and while theyre all appreciated, Blizzard could and should have done more. In Warcraft, for instance, its now possible to select up to 12 units simultaneously, up from four, and bind buildings to hotkeys for more efficient macro play. Oh, and you can finally issue attack move commands, something you couldnt do in the original release. However, any features you might find in a modern RTS are notably missing. For example, neither game allows you to queue commands or tab between different types of units in a control group. If this sounds familiar, its because Blizzard took the same approach with StarCraft: Remastered. StarCraft: Brood War still had a sizable professional scene when Blizzard released its remaster. Had Blizzard touched the balance or mechanics of that game, it would have caused an outcry. By contrast, Warcraft II is essentially moribund, and would have greatly benefited from modernization. At the very least, Blizzard could have done a balance pass and added a ladder mode to give the game a chance to attract a new multiplayer fanbase. Coming back from the dead is achievable for an old RTS. Age of Empires II managed to pull this trick off with flying colors: Since the release of its Definitive Edition in 2019, Microsofts genre-defining RTS has never been in a better place. A constant stream of support, including a substantial new expansion that was released just last week, has managed to grow the AoE2 community. At any time, there are as many a 30,000 people playing the Definitive Edition on Steam. If you ask me, thats pretty great for a game that was originally released in 1999, and it shows whats possible when a company cares and nurtures a beloved franchise. The fact Microsoft now owns Blizzard makes its treatment of Warcraft feel particularly unfair. Most disappointing is the lack of bonus content. Contrast this with Half-Life 2s free anniversary update, which Valve released just days after the Warcraft remasters. It includes three and a half hours of new commentary from Gabe Newell and the dev team. Valve also uploaded a two-hour documentary and announced a second edition of Raising the Bar, a behind-the-scenes look at Half-Life 2s turbulent development. If Newell could take time away from his yachts to talk about Valve's most important game, surely Chris Metzen could have done the same for Warcraft. The people who were vital to Warcraft and Warcraft IIs development arent getting any younger Blizzard should preserve their stories. If theres one thing Im hopeful for, its that Blizzard will eventually do the right thing. As I mentioned, the bundle I bought also came with Warcraft III: Reforged. Last week it received a free patch that does a lot to fix the disastrous issues with that remaster, albeit four years late. With more work, I can see the Warcraft and Warcraft II remasters becoming essential. But as things stand, the studio has done the bare minimum to honor its own legacy.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/i-wish-blizzard-loved-warcraft-as-much-as-i-do-141524674.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
There are tons of hot Black Friday deals worth checking out already, but here's one that can help you keep the temperature just right. Google's fourth-generation Nest Learning Thermostat can be yours for $225, which is a $55 discount. The deal is available at Wellbots and you'll need to use the code ENGBFNLT55 at checkout to receive the savings. Google unveiled the latest version of its Nest Thermostat back in August. This is a solid deal on a new product. The thermostat employs AI to deliver what Google claims are more accurate readings and to make suggestions on how to save energy and cut down on your utility bills. The thermostat will tweak settings by itself too, depending on factors such as the ambient temperature. To measure that, a wireless temperature sensor is bundled with the device. The sensor can run for up to three years before a battery replacement is needed, according to Google. You can buy more sensors ($40 each or three for $100) and connect up to six to the Nest Thermostat while dotting them around your home. This model's display is 60 percent larger than that of its predecessors. The display is more customizable too. You have a variety of faces to choose from, just like on a smartwatch. It's possible to make the thermostat appear like a clock or to change its colors. One neat feature is that the Nest Thermostat uses integrated Soli radar sensors to determine how far away you are from it. It will automatically tweak the UI based on how close you are. The more you move back, the larger the font size will be to improve the legibility. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/googles-latest-nest-learning-thermostat-is-55-off-ahead-of-black-friday-140053458.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
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