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8BitDo, once known exclusively as a purveyor of Nintendo-infused nostalgia, has expanded in recent years into all sorts of gaming controllers and accessories. The companys latest foray is into mobile gaming controllers. The 8Bitdo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller takes the highlights of its well-received Ultimate series Hall effect included! and brings them to an extendable accessory that latches onto your smartphone, a la Backbone and Razer Kishi. First, the bad news (for some). The 8Bitdo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller is Android only, so no love here for iPhone owners. Its also a Bluetooth accessory, rather than a plug-in one like Backbones, which means it has a 350mAh battery and weighs more than some rivals. (As The Verge notes, it tips the scales at 236g, making it 71 percent heavier than the BackBone One.) 8Bitdo says its battery lasts up to 15 hours from 1.5 hours of charging time. But for Android device owners, its a versatile controller. 8Bitdo says its compatible with mobile devices that are 100mm to 170mm in length. That can even include some small tablets, although not many these days are that small. (Even Amazons relatively small Fire HD 8 is about 32mm too wide.) However, it should fit just about any Android phone. 8Bitdo The controller has Hall effect triggers and joysticks, so you shouldnt have any drifting worries. It includes a standard four action buttons, a clicky, smooth and tactile D-Pad, a profile button and two paddle buttons on its back. The sticks have wear-resistant metal joystick rings. It works with 8BitDos Ultimate Software, letting you remap buttons, adjust stick and trigger sensitivity and create or edit profiles. The software is available on Windows and Android. The iOS version is installable on Macs from the App Store. You cant get the 8Bitdo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller quite yet, but you can pre-order it now from Amazon. It costs $50 (half the price of Backbone One!), comes in black and white options and will arrive on November 29, Black Friday. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/8bitdo-has-a-new-50-android-gaming-controller-with-hall-effect-sticks-and-triggers-192521405.html?src=rss
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Apples beta testing service Testflight just got a fairly substantial update, according to a report by TechCrunch. The software refresh gives developers much more control over who can join a beta and how new features are shared. It also allows beta testers to get more information about an app before they dive in. Developers will be able to set all kinds of criteria as to who can or cannot access the beta. This should help devs narrow the test groups to specific audiences, like those using a particular device or OS version. Testflight offers a maximum of 10,000 invitations by default, so this should help reserve spots for an intended audience. The developers can also now decrease this maximum number to whatever they want. The update allows for more control over the beta invites, as they can highlight new features and content. Apple says that beta builds of apps that have already been approved for publication can now include screenshots and the app category along with the invite. App creators will also be able to view metrics regarding the success of a beta invite, which includes information as to how many people viewed the invite, who opted in and why folks declined. As for users, beta invites can include a feedback field. This is for people to let the developer know why they chose not to download an app.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-updates-its-beta-testing-service-testflight-with-redesigned-invites-and-more-185002704.html?src=rss
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There are days where it feels like nothing will ever change and the best thing you can do is just learn to tolerate mediocrity. Today is not one of those days. Public Knowledge announced that the US Copyright Office granted an exemption request from the non-profit public interest group and the DIY repair site iFixit to allow McDonalds franchise owners to hire a third-party to repair their McFlurry and soft service ice cream machines. Franchise owners legally couldnt hire any outside business to work on the machine because of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). McDonalds soft serve ice cream machines have a digital lock and Section 1201 of the DMCA makes it illegal for anyone to bypass the lock on a copyrighted work even if no copyright infringement occurs. Only the original manufacturer of the machine can repair a copyrighted device with a digital lock. The recent exemption overrules the digital lock law. If youve ever pulled up to a McDonalds drive-thru window and couldnt get an ice cream treat like a McFlurry, it probably wasnt an anomaly. Franchises had to wait on the McDonalds corporation to send an approved repair person to fix the machines. The problem caught the attention of the Federal Trade Commission in 2021 under a directive by President Joe Biden to draft new regulations to allow consumers to legally repair their own devices and hire third-parties to fix them. The FTC contacted McDonalds franchise owners to learn more about the ice cream machines and the difficulties in repairing them. iFixit did a teardown of a McDonalds ice cream dispenser last year and found it had lots of easily replaceable parts but they couldnt be fixed without earning the wrath of federal copyright laws. The teardown prompted the companyto work with Public Knowledge to obtain a copyright exemption to repair them. The repair website also compiled a video explaining the machines innerworkings in more detail. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/mcdonalds-restaurants-can-finally-repair-their-own-mcflurry-machines-183006996.html?src=rss
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