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If you've been toting around a separate mixer to record two audio sources, Shure's latest USB-C microphone will lighten your load. Following the MV7+, the company has introduced the MV7i, which it says is the first microphone with a built-in, two-channel audio interface. To achieve this, Shure swapped the XLR output for a combination XLR and 1/4-inch input. All of the mixing can be done inside the company's MOTIV apps, or with your go-to recording software, thus eliminating the need for a mixer to connect two mics, or a mic and an instrument. Like the MV7+, the MV7i is inspired by the popular SM7B microphone. If you've watched a video podcast recently, you've likely seen the SM7B, or a variant of it, in action. The overall shape of that more robust model is carried over to the MV7 line once again, complete with a durable metal frame. This new version also keeps the customizable LED touch panel that shows levels and acts as a mute button. The combo XLR and 1/4-inch input around back offers 60dB of gain and 48 volts of phantom power, so you can employ dynamic and condenser microphones with the MV7i. If you connect an instrument, the microphone automatically detects the input type and applies the correct DSP for recording. The USB-C output is compatible with Mac, Windows and select mobiles devices. It's MFi certified for use with iPhone and iPad as well. Billy Steele for Engadget With Shure's tech, the MV7i and the MOTIV app automate a lot of the production steps for you. There's an Auto Level mode with SmartGate that calibrates gain based on several factors and reduces the volume of a channel when no one is talking. That latter item should minimize crosstalk during recording, Shure explains. There's also a real-time denoiser for ambient sounds, a digital pop filter and three different types of reverb. Inside the MOTIV Mix desktop app, you can capture multi-track recordings and tweak settings like sound signature and gain. There are also three output options Mixdown, Multi-track and Stereo that give you the ability to combine everything into one mono output for quick uploads, keep the two inputs separate (mono) for edits or combine the two inputs into a stereo track. The MV7i also works with MOTIV Audio and MOTIV Video mobile apps, complete with direct recording to supported devices. I've been testing the MV7i over the last few weeks as part of a full review coming later this month. So far, the microphone has offered the same great sound quality at its predecessor. I continue to be amazed at how well the MV7 series mics block out background noise and the options inside the MOTIV desktop app provide some room for customization. I'm also very glad you can alter the level meter LED on the MV7i like you could on the MV7+. I find the active lighting to be a distraction during recording, especially when you're on video for a podcast. The MV7i was made for me. I'm getting ready to launch a podcast in a few weeks and I've been dreading having to buy a mixer for a two-mic setup. With this device, I can plug in the MV7+ to the MV7i via XLR and do all of the levels and settings in an app. And when I need to record remotely, all I need to pack up is two microphones and two cables. The MV7i is available now for $349 with a 3-meter USB-C to USB-C cable in the box. You'll want to make plans to buy a stand though, since the microphone doesn't come with one. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/shure-put-a-two-channel-audio-interface-inside-its-latest-mv7-microphone-140016646.html?src=rss
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Intel is revving up its AI chip lineup at CES 2025. Today, the company unveiled the Core Ultra 200H chips for "performance thin and light" notebooks, alongside the Core Ultra 200HX chips for mobile gamers who demand powerful discrete GPUs. There aren't any big surprises with these chips, but if you were eyeing the Core Ultra 200V AI chips, but wanted something with a bit more horsepower, the 200H and 200HX are exactly what you're looking for. Intel The Core Ultra 200H family tops out with the Core Ultra 9 285H processor, which offers 16 cores (six performance, eight efficient and two low-power) and a top speed of 5.4GHz. It also sports 8 Intel Arc GPU cores, which is enough to play some smaller titles. The Core Ultra 200HX family adds more cores to make them better suited to games and high-intensity workloads. The high-end Core Ultra 9 285HX has 24 cores (eight performance and 16 efficient) and a maximum speed of 5.5GHz. While it offers only 4 Intel GPU cores, it's not meant much to game much on its own. Instead, it'll be paired up with discrete GPUs from NVIDIA or AMD in gaming laptops. Intel Intel didn't have many other details to share on these chips, other than the fact that we can expect to see systems featuring them sometime in the first quarter. That's also when desktops powered by the Core Ultra 200S chips start shipping. But hey, it's CES, and AMD almost certainly has its own chip refresh in tow. Intel had to announce something, otherwise all we'd be talking about is how much trouble the company is in following the ouster of former CEO Pat Gelsinger.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/intel-unveils-arrow-lake-ai-chips-for-gaming-laptops-at-ces-2025-140010111.html?src=rss
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Every year at CES, Stern Pinball has a new game to show off. They're one of the oldest and most well-known pinball manufacturers (not to mention one of the few left standing in 2025) so it's always fun for me, a pinball nerd, to check out what they have to show off. This year, it's a new machine meant to celebrate 50 years of Dungeons & Dragons called Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye. And like many pinball games, you can just walk up and play without knowing the intricacies of the game, but there's a lot here to uncover over time. The thing that caught my eye was the fact that you can pick a character and level them up over time, provided you use Stern's Insider Connected app. That app already lets you create a profile and keep track of achievements, games in your area, your top scores and other features (you "log in" by scanning a QR code from the app). But with Dungeons & Dragons, you can actually improve your character over time and save your progress through the game's many modes. When you first start, you choose a character and location, and those choices will affect the goals you need to achieve. Stern specifically say that its new "PinSave" system will let you save character experience points, inventory items and game campaign progress across multiple games. That's a subtly wild move for a pinball game usually you get three balls and that's it. It's a nod to how complex newer games can get these days, and Stern already experimented with something similar on its Venom game from 2023. The same lead designer built both Venom and Dungeons & Dragons, and a representative from Stern said he looked at the saved progress in Venom as a way to experiment and trial for the bigger system in place for the latest game. I got to take Dungeons & Dragons for a spin (the Stern rep told me I was the first person who wasn't an employee to play the game), and while there's only so much you can glean from a couple plays, it feels much like other modern Stern machines. That's not a bad thing the playfield is lovely, and the large dragon on the left side presents some interesting challenges. Stern told me that it can try and block shots and also it enables a wild eight-ball multiball mode, with the dragon actively trying to bounce your balls into the drain. I didn't get to try this, but I'm looking forward to seeing it sooner or later. There's also a gelatinous cube that can freeze your ball in place via magnets. Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Finally, there's an impressive voice cast on this game, including Michael Dorn (Worf from Star Trek) and Kevin Smith, as well as Matthew Mercer, Marisha Ray and Laura Bailey from Critical Role. That's just a handful of those participating in the game; you can check out the full list here. Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget I've never bothered using Stern's Insider Connected app before, mostly because I'm lazy but if there's a Dungeons & Dragons machine near me I'll probably give it a shot. While you can easily enjoy the game and play your three balls without making an account, more hardcore players will probably enjoy the process of leveling up over time, and it's a feature that makes perfect sense given D&D's focus on progression over time. As usual, this machine is not cheap Stern is only making 740 total, with prices ranging from $6,999 for the Pro edition up to $12,999 for the limited edition. Start saving those quarters, D&D / pinball fans. Or, on a more reasonable note, start keeping an eye out at your local arcades. Stern's app will help you find games near you, too, if you want to go the more modern route. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/sterns-latest-pinball-machine-is-a-loving-tribute-to-dungeons--dragons-131053243.html?src=rss
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