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No, Apple isn't stuffing an M4 chip into the MacBook Air lineup just yet, but it is giving the ultraportables a healthy memory bump. Starting today, every M2 and M3-equipped MacBook Air will come with 16GB of RAM by default, making them better equipped for multitasking and memory-hungry Apple Intelligence features. Thankfully, Apple isn't changing its pricing: The M2 model still starts at $999, while the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air goes for $1,099 and the 15-inch variant runs for $1,299. (It's no wonder we've seen the 8GB systems drop as low as $700.) You'll still have to live with a paltry 256GB of storage on all of the base MacBook Air systems, but hey, at least Apple is finally listening to our demands. We've long argued that it's worth bumping up to 16GB of RAM for most laptops. That's particularly true for Apple Silicon systems, which have memory directly built into their SoCs (system on a chip) and can't expand their RAM down the line. You can thank AI as the main reason Apple and Microsoft (with Copilot+ AI PCs) are now pushing for 16GB of RAM. While Apple Intelligence requires 8GB of RAM to function, the company previously admitted it may not be enough to run the AI features in Xcode 16. As AI models grow and become more complex, their memory demands will only increase. More than ever, it pays to invest in as much RAM as you can up front. You can order the refreshed MacBook Airs with 16GB of RAM online today, and they should be available in stores soon. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/every-macbook-air-now-starts-with-16gb-of-ram-at-no-extra-cost-150041320.html?src=rss
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DJI is a major player in the camera market with its drones and gimbals, so why hasnt it had the same success with action cams? The answer is simple: GoPro. The companys Hero lineup has offered superior image quality and stabilization. The same goes for Insta360s action cams, which have caught the publics imagination. Now, DJIs taking another shot at its rivals with the $350 Osmo Action 5 Pro, which is perhaps the biggest upgrade yet in this series. Nearly everything on the inside has changed, from the sensor to battery life and storage. However, it looks very similar to its predecessor, the Osmo Action 4. Video quality only goes up to 4K on the new model though, compared to 5.3K for the latest GoPro Hero 13 and 8K for the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 released last week. Still, the Action 5 Pro surpasses its competitors in several key areas and its easily DJIs best action camera yet. Long battery life and internal storage The Action 5 Pro now boasts the longest battery life of any action cam and its not even close. Thanks to the higher-capacity 1,950 mAh battery (up from 1,770 mAh), it can shoot 4K 60p video for well over two hours and 1080p for four hours. By comparison, the GoPro Hero 13 can only go 88 minutes at 4K 60p with a similar-sized battery. Another rival, the Insta360 Ace Pro 2, can run a bit more than 90 minutes at the same resolution. With the optional charger (available in the $400 Adventure Combo with two extra batteries), it takes about 30 minutes to fully replenish a battery. Three batteries should be enough for most people to shoot an entire day at 4K 60p without recharging quite impressive for an action camera. Steve Dent for Engadget Another big upgrade on the Action 5 Pro is the 47GB of internal storage, compared to zero before, on top of a microSD slot. This allows you to still capture an additional hour or so of 4K 60p footage when you fill up your memory card. Neither the Hero 13 nor Insta360s Ace Pro 2 have any internal storage. At 5.15 ounces, the Action 5 Pro is a bit smaller and lighter than the Hero 23, which weighs 5.6 ounces. On top of that, the Action 5 Pro is waterproof down to 66 feet by itself, which is double the Hero 13s limit. If you really need to go deeper, DJIs waterproof case extends the maximum depth for this device to nearly 200 feet. DJI increased the rear OLED displays size from 2.25 to 2.5 inches by shrinking the bezels a small change that makes the touchscreen menus easier to use. The 1.4-inch front OLED panel is also slightly bigger than before. Both screens are sharp and easy to see in sunlight with up to 800 nits of maximum brightness. Steve Dent for Engadget The Action 5 Pros textured body provides a firm grip, and the record and power buttons are larger and less stiff than on the Action 4. Settings can be changed from the rear display by swiping up and down or side to side, though it can be hard to remember where settings are. You can also connect your smartphone using the Mimo app to operate the camera and gain access to editing features. An interesting addition is the new pressure sensor that shows how deep youre diving or your altitude when climbing a useful feature that rival cameras lack. One thing Ive loved about DJIs last few action cameras is the magnetic mounting system. It lets you instantly clip the Action 5 Pro to nearly any accessory, including car, bike, helmet and chest mounts, without the need to fiddle with screws or clumsy brackets. That said, GoPro finally implemented its own magnetic mount on the Hero 13 and the Ace Pro 2 has a similar system as well. DJI has fallen behind its main rival in the area of optics, though. GoPros Hero 13 now supports optional removable lenses, letting you change from a typical wide angle field of view to ultra-wide, macro and more. While theyre fairly expensive, its a nice option if you want something other than the usual action camera look. Sharper video and subject tracking Steve Dent for Engadget With a new 1/1.3-inch 40-megapixel sensor, the Action 5 Pro has a sensor that is the same size as its predecessor but is nearly four times sharper. Its much larger than the GoPro Hero 13s sensor with more than double the area. That extra size helps the Action 5 Pro produce clearer shots with more detail, especially in lower light. You can shoot 4K at up to 120 fps, or 1080p at 240 fps for super slow-mo. Theres a new twist, though, with open gate 4:3 capture at 3,840 x 2,880 resolution, also up to 120 fps. That squarish frame makes it easier to crop vertically for social media while still retaining full 4K width. Another new feature is 10-bit support for regular video instead of just D-LogM as before. However, the GoPro Hero 13 supports sharper 5.3K video that allows for even more cropping options in post. And the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 can shoot up to 8K 30p video or 4K open gate like the Action 5 Pro. As with other DJI products, the Action 5 Pro shoots bright and colorful video straight out of the camera. However, to my eye the colors look less natural than on the GoPro Hero 13. Skin tones arent as warm, and the colors are too intense for my taste. The ability to shoot 10-bit color in regular mode is a big help, providing extra room to edit without shooting D-LogM, which can be tricky for beginners. My preference is still to shoot D-LogM then apply DJIs LUT in post. That yields more natural, less saturated colors and gives you up to 13.5 stops of dynamic range in challenging lighting conditions, like shooting in a forest on a sunny day. Thanks to the bigger sensor, the Action 5 Pro is superior to the GoPro Hero 13 in low light, with far less noise and artifacts. If things really get dark, the new Super Night Mode further brightens video, but the aggressive noise reduction applied can create an artificial look and reduce sharpness. Low-light quality is similar to the Insta360, as both have similar 1/1.3-inch sensors. And while its not primarily a photo camera, the Action 5 Pro can shoot 40-megapixel photos compared to 27-megapixel stills for the GoPro Hero 13. Video stabilization is paramount for action cameras and a big reason why GoPro has dominated for so long. However, the Action 5 Pro is finally up to that level with its latest RockSteady 3.0+ stabilization. I tried it through a mix of sports, including biking, swimming and kayaking and it delivered stable shots with none of the minor weaving or jolting that Ive seen before. As before, it also offers HorizonBalancing to keep the image level even when the camera tilts up to 45 degrees. Another mode, HorizonSteady, keeps the image level even if you rotate the camera 360 degrees. A key new feature on the Action 5 Pro is subject centering and tracking that lets creators shoot without a gimbal. As with other DJI products (like ActiveTrack on drones), it detects a subject's position and dynamically adjusts the composition to keep them centered in the frame. Though its limited to 2.7K resolution, it worked well to frame me near the middle of the shot during activities like cycling and swimming. Finally, lets talk about audio. On top of the built-in microphones that offer decent quality, the Action 5 Pro connects directly to DJIs Mic 2 transmitters over Bluetooth (up to two at a time). Those mics allow high quality audio capture and automatically reduce noise, even if youre filming action like a mountain biker on a gnarly descent. Its easy to set up and should be a hit with creators, given the popularity of the Mic 2. Wrap-up Steve Dent for Engadget The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro costs $350, while the Hero 13 Pro and Insta360s Ace Pro 2 are priced at $400. The DJI beats both in terms of battery life and is on par with its rivals when it comes to stabilization. The Action 5 Pro also offers superior low-light and log footage, though I prefer the GoPro Hero 13s video straight out of the camera. Taking price into account, the Action 5 Pro is a very attractive option. Its one of the best action cameras Ive used, with battery life well above rivals, a solid waterproof construction and full support for DJIs Mic 2. If you feel you might benefit from the extra sharpness, then the GoPro or Insta360 might be a better choice. But, if low-light performance is key, head straight for DJIs Action 5 Pro.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/dji-osmo-action-5-pro-review-finally-a-worthy-gopro-rival-143027778.html?src=rss
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In 2016, I dragged my Engadget colleagues to preview Star Trek: Bridge Crew, a VR title letting you live out your fantasies of sitting on the bridge of a starship. Sadly, despite having two fans in the team, we failed miserably at the game, a wound Ive been nursing ever since. When Bridge Command, Londons latest attraction, asked me if I wanted to try out its real world equivalent, I leapt at the chance. After all, this wasnt just me testing out a new sci-fi themed event, it was a shot at redemption. Bridge Command sits in the space between an escape room, team-building exercise, live-action roleplay and immersive theater. Its essentially a paid-for LARP taking place on a custom-built starship set which cost 3 million (around $4 million) to play space captain. In order to survive and succeed, each player must work with their team, communicate and solve problems on the fly for the better part of two hours. ASIDE: Theres plenty of existing bridge simulator roleplaying games and a small, but vibrant community that supports it. Digital platforms like Thorium Nova, Artemis and EmptyEpsilon are all platforms that enable folks to gather around to play in teams. Bridge Command itself is built on top of EmptyEpsilons platform, albeit with some degree of customization on top. Effort has been taken to ensure Bridge Command isnt a one-and-done experience, and creator Parabolic Theatre hopes to build a base of recurring fans. There are two different ships players can crew, the smaller UCS Havock and the far larger UCS Takanami, which do two different jobs in the fleet. In terms of capacity, both vessels can take up to 14 players at a time but the ideal figure is around nine. There are four different mission types, too: Exploration: Involving discovery and adversity. Military: Space dogfighting. Intrigue: Espionage and more subtle action. Diplomacy: Making nice with alien races. With two ships and four missions, you can play the game eight times and theoretically get a new experience every time. But creators Parabolic Theatre will look to develop the games running story over time, like a long-running D&D campaign. The game even tracks your performance as your career progresses, and can receive promotions after a particularly successful mission. I dragged a Trek-loving friend along to one of the previews, which set us on a Military mission on the UCS Havock. We were tasked with escorting a resupply mission to a large warship on assignment, a rather mundane assignment. Its not much of a spoiler to suggest our gang of plucky underdogs might wind up in over their heads on a far grander mission. Or that theyll need to take the under-equipped ship to go toe-to-toe with the baddies and win out against impossible odds. Both ships are fully-realized starship sets, which are probably better-assembled than what youll see on most sci-fi series. Theyre designed to withstand the regular punishment that can only occur when crews of friends come to play spaceships. But once youre onboard, youre essentially in a self-contained environment for the duration of the mission. And its a pretty impressive piece of set design. The vibe is distinctly Star Voyage (Not Infringing Any Copyright, Promise!), with the Havock laid out like the USS Defiant, but with the paint job from Red Dwarfs first two seasons. A trio of terminals line each side wall, with the captains chair on a raised dais in the middle. Theres a helm console up front thats pointed directly at the imposing viewscreen that dominates the room. Theres a ready room off to one side of the bridge and a toilet on the other, while the corridor behind the bridge is the ships engineering bay, bunkroom and brig. Everything from the terminals and the set is linked up, so if a subsystem takes damage youll not just have it grayed out on your screen. Built-in dry ice machines will emit smoke when something goes wrong or you take a nasty hit from an enemy vessel. If the lights had flashed at the same time, Id have been tempted to start jostling myself around in my seat to add to the immersion. The bridge of the (larger) UCS Takanami.Alex Brenner / Bridge Command There were seven of us in the party, including some other journalists and some regular players who were coming for a regular session. Your humble narrator took the helm, figuring that Id played enough Star Trek: Tactical Assault and Star Trek: Bridge Commander to be useful. We had an acting captain, and folks manning the radar, communications, engineering, laser and torpedo stations. If youve ever used a touchscreen in your life then you wont feel too unmoored from the role youve got to do here. Not to mention the first half hour of the game is little more than a tutorial to ensure that everyone is fluent with what theyve got to do. My helm station, for instance, offers you a picture of the ship with a 360-degree coordinate ring around it. There are two sliders, one for impulse power and one for warp, and a small square that lets you make some small evasive maneuvers. This is fine when the ocean-going liners you find in Star Trek are just heading from waypoint to waypoint, but pretty rubbish for combat. And Im still annoyed youre locked to a flat plain when space offers so much room for verticality. Spoiler warning: The following three paragraphs outline my mission in greater detail. The story begins while youre putting on your military-issue space boilersuit, with a fictional newsreel playing in the background setting the scene. Once youve transported from the entrance to the space station, youre then given a mission briefing and a send-off from the Earth president. Our mission, as outlined, was to escort a freighter on a resupply mission to a battle fleet which was dealing with pirates on the edge of the system. A member of the Bridge Command team starts as our captain, giving us a tour of the ship and assigning roles for us to play. After we all get used to the basics in what might as well be called the tutorial stage, the captain then departs to help elsewhere. Were then sent off to scout for incoming threats in nearby nebulas that, quelle surprise, are full of pirates. Naturally, the closer we get to the battle group, the harder the attacks we have to repel, forcing our chief engineer to race around repairing and repowering systems. We limped to the battle group, repairing and re-armoring before we hatched a plan to play Possum to lure out the pirates. That plan worked spectacularly well, and with our hull integrity at just three percent, we were able to take out the pirates command and control vessel. After being congratulated by the top brass we were escorted back to the space station for a debrief and a drink in the bar. End of Spoiler Warning: The following paragraphs do not contain any spoiler material. Its important to be aware of ones own privilege and prefereces when reviewing something like this. I found Bridge Command to be enormous fun, and if I lived in London, I suspect it would quickly become a hobby I indulged in with like-minded friends on a monthly basis. At 40 ($50) a session, the cost is a little steep but, even so, you could easily make this a long-running roleplaying game. And Im sorely tempted to go a few more times when I can just to try and gain those promotions. If theres a downside (and its not even really a downside per-se), its that there are phases of play where youre not doing anything. Or, at least, youre a present and useful member of the team waiting for your colleagues to fulfill their parts of the mission. I found, given the need for clear oral communication and cooperation, that there were plenty of times where the best thing I could do to help my team was shut up and wait. Given that focus on communication, I suspect it might be a turn-off if youre a little shy or quiet of voice. The game doesnt work unless everyones talking to share information between consoles and so its nearly-impossible to sit quietly in the corner. Thats not to say you need to bring any Big Theater Kid energy along, but I can imagine how this would feel like mandatory fun if you were dragged along by your friends or on a work team-building exercise. Its a damn sight more fun and less painful than paintball, so maybe count your blessings there. Bridge Command is located at St. Georges Wharf which is next to Vauxhall tube station in London. It is open for most of each day through to late evening, with ticket prices starting at 40 (around $50) at off-peak times for a single session.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/bridge-command-lets-you-live-out-your-starship-fantasies-140046532.html?src=rss
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