The Indian Space Research Organisation or ISRO is all set to launch three passenger satellites from Singapore in a big mission on June 30. The PSLV or Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle that ISRO will be using for the launch will lift off at 6:02 Pm from the Second Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
NewSpace India Limited or NSIL is the corporate arm of the Department of Space or DOS and is responsible for establishing India’s space sector as a viable and budget-friendly space logistics organisation. ISRO is launching the mission under NSIL’s agreement with Singapore in what is the second commercial mission for the body. This bodes well for India, as the demand for safe, secure and affordable space travel and logistics solutions go up in the future
The spacecraft, a PSLV-C53 rocket will deploy the three satellites or missions in Low Earth Orbit or LEO, at an altitude of 570 kms, measured from the equator. This is the 55th mission of India’s PSLV and the 15th mission using the PSLV-Core Alone variant. It is the 16th PSLV launch from the second launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
The countdown for the launch began on Wednesday, nearly 25 hours before the mission, indicating a healthy system and a launch vehicle on the pad.
The PSLV in its launch fairing is carrying three satellites, the DS-EO satellite and the NeuSAR, Singapore's first small commercial satellite carrying a SAR payload, which is capable of providing images day and night and under all weather conditions.
Isro in a statement said that the DS-EO weighs about 365 kgs and NeuSAR weighs 155 kgs. While both the spacecraft belong to Singapore, they have been built by Starec Initiative in South Korea. The Third satellite is a 2.8 kg Scoob-1 of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.
A major experiment headed onboard is the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM), which will perform in-orbit scientific experiments using the spent PS4 stage as an orbital platform. It is the first time that the PS4 stage would orbit the earth as a stabilized platform.
POEM carries six payloads including two from Indian Space Start-ups M/s Digantara and M/s Dhruva Space, enabled through IN-SPACe and NSIL
To stabilize the stage after deployment, it will use a dedicated NGC system. The system will derive the power from the solar panels mounted around the PS4 tank and a Li-Ion battery and navigate using four sun sensors, a magnetometer, gyros & NavIC. It carries dedicated control thrusters using Helium gas storage. It is enabled with the telecommand feature.
Marvel's plans to finally introduce Doctor Doom to its cinematic universe appear to have been leaked – by none other than US radio host Howard Stern.
Speaking during a post-show meeting for his SiriusXM radio show (as caught by Twitter user WashedUpTweeter), Stern all-but-confirmed his involvement in an upcoming Doctor Doom project. It's unclear, though, if Stern was specifically referencing a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project at the time.
Stern's mic was accidentally left on during an ad break – a term known as a hot mic in the broadcasting industry – which led to the veteran radio and TV host seemingly spilling the details on a forthcoming Marvel Studios production.
"They're going over the schedule today and it's going to suck," Stern can be heard saying, before co-host Robin Quivers asks him "Are you working this summer?"
"I told you I'm gonna do Doctor Doom," Sterns surprisingly replies. "That's the thing. But, believe me, I'm f*****g miserable about it... because I'm an a*****e. That's what I did on America's Got Talent."
"Are you excited about it?" Quivers inquires, before Stern responds: "Yeah, I called Robert Downey Jr. [and] I was asking him acting techniques. Gary [Dell'Abate, radio producer], do you have the number for [Iron Man director] Jon Favreau?"
Unsurprisingly, Stern's Doctor Doom comments have set pulses racing on the internet. Multiple Marvel fans have taken to social media sites, including Reddit and Twitter, to offer their opinion on Stern's apparent leak, with a number of fans stating that – if Stern is set to play Doom himself – he clearly wouldn't be the right candidate to do so. Meanwhile, others simply enjoyed the fact that Stern may be trolling his listeners in a bid to whip MCU fans and the media into a frenzy over a potential Doctor Doom film or show.
There are a number of possibilities about what this Doctor Doom project could relate to (more on these in a bit). For now, though, we'd advise you not to read too much into Stern's comments and simply bask in the fact that Doom will be coming to the MCU soon. After all, Marvel is developing a Fantastic Four MCU movie – why wouldn't Doom make an appearance in that?
For more Marvel-based content, check out our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order. Alternatively, read up on every upcoming superhero film and Disney Plus show that's part of Marvel's Phase 4 slate and beyond.
As we suggested, there are numerous reasons why Stern claims he'll be part of a Doctor Doom project. The first would be the character's likely appearance in Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four flick. But, as many MCU fans have said, Stern wouldn't be the right fit for the supervillain's latest live-action interpretation – and we agree. We couldn't see Stern portraying Victor von Doom in the MCU, especially if the iconic antagonist sticks around for a number of years.
So, what are the other potential projects? There are a few we can think of but, before we discuss them, we should say we're merely speculating from this point on. We have no insider knowledge on forthcoming MCU productions, so don't take anything below as gospel.
One suggestion is that a Doctor Doom spin-off may be in the works. It's unlikely that we'd get a film or Disney Plus TV series charting the origins of Victor von Doom. But, given how popular Doom is as a villain in the comics, he'd certainly be one of the few Marvel villains deserving of an origin story-style project. And, if Marvel is developing such a project, Stern could simply appear in a supporting role – hence his comments on "doing Doctor Doom" sometime this summer.
Another possibility is Stern lending his vocal talents to voice Doctor Doom in Marvel's What If...? TV series. It would be a strange move, though, for Marvel to introduce Doom in its animated anthology show before he makes his live-action debut. Every character who appeared in What If...? season 1 had already been introduced to audiences in a live-action project first, so viewers knew who these characters were. If Doom is established in the MCU via What If...? first, some general MCU fans may not know who he is, which could lead to confusion among some audience members. File this one under 'very unlikely' for now.
Finally, and this seems like the most likely option, Stern might voice Doom (or act as a narrator) for one of SiriusXM's Marvel podcasts. The radio station's app is one of multiple homes for Marvel's in-house selection of original podcasts, such as the studio's Wastelanders series, Women of Marvel program, and more. It's plausible, then, that Stern will lend his voice to a Doctor Doom Wastelanders production. Given he's already employed by SiriusXM, this is the most logical fit in our view.
Regardless of what potential Doctor Doom project Stern may be involved in, we know Doom is coming to the MCU. We've already seen a Doom Easter egg appear in Doctor Strange 2 (via The Direct), while multiple MCU insiders – including MyTimetoShineHello and KC Walsh – have teased his impending arrival. Here's hoping they're right.
When Windows 11 launched, the Home version of the update required users to have created or logged in with a Microsoft account in order to finish the installation, but utility software Rufus can finally remove this need for all users.
It's been a frustrating decision from Microsoft, as there's really no need for all users to have an account. You can use Windows 11's apps and services perfectly fine without one, but we suspect it's more to do with its Office and OneDrive packages.
Sun Valley 2, Windows 11's first major update launching later this year, will force Windows 11 Pro users to comply with this requirement as well, so Rufus 3.19 has come just in time to alleviate the frustration with users of both editions.
Using the utility is a simple affair, where you can use an installation image of Windows 11 to make a bootable USB drive. So you can insert the stick into a PC, and it will install the operating system without needing an associated Microsoft account.
However, it doesn't just get rid of this frustration - it also removes the TPM requirement for PCs that don't have this chip installed.
If you're unaware, TPM is a chip inside your PC that monitors whether any unsavory code is trying to latch onto your computer. If there is, this chip lets the PC know, and it's essentially quarantined and deleted.
But the majority of PCs don't have the required version of this chip, and coupled with Microsoft's less than stellar messaging about it in 2021, users have been holding off from upgrading to Windows 11.
However, this tool looks to remove a lot of frustrations, and if you've been holding off, Rufus 3.19 looks to be a great opportunity to upgrade your PC from Windows 10.
Carl Pei-led Nothing Company is currently taking pre-orders for their first smartphone, the Nothing Phone (1). Although the priority, for the time being, is to cater to online orders for now, Nothing also plans to sell their smartphone through offline channels.
In India, the offline sale of the Nothing Phone (1) is likely to take place through Reliance Digital stores. The Nothing Company is planning to collaborate with Reliance Digital to sell the Nothing Phone (1) in India.
Talking about the pre-booking, the customers will have to pay Rs 2,000 as a deposit while registering themselves for the pre-order pass. Once the registration is done, Nothing will share the invite on the registered email ID and the customers will be able to track their order as well.
The Phone (1) will officially be launched on July 12. The launch event is scheduled to be live streamed on Nothing Company’s YouTube channel and other social media platforms.
The Phone (1) will be delivered to the consumers on an invite-only basis which means that they will have to pay Rs 2,000 in advance to book the device which will be adjusted in the final bill.
The Nothing Phone (1) will apparently be offered in three variants. There is an 8GB + 128GB unit, an 8GB + 256GB unit, and a12GB + 256GB unit.
Pricing for the upcoming smartphone has also leaked online. Apparently, the base variant 8GB + 128GB variant will be be priced at $397 which is approximately about Rs 31,300. Next up, the 8GB + 256GB unit will be priced at $419 or roughly Rs 33,000. Finally, the top tier 12GB + 256GB variant will be priced at $456 or Rs 35,900.
In global markets like Middle East and Europe, the Nothing Phone (1) is tipped to go on sale two weeks after its launch date. Consumers in India, however, will be getting their hands on the Nothing Phone (1) before people from other regions.
The Nothing Phone (1) has apparently been equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC and will come with a 6.55-inch OLED display with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. On the back, the phone will be getting a 50MP sensor as the main shooter along with a 16 MP sensor as the secondary camera.
While Google has already revealed some details about the Pixel 7, there’s plenty that hasn’t yet been confirmed – and the camera specs are among those things. However, thanks to code found in a new version of the Google camera app we now have a clearer idea of what the Pixel 7’s front-facing camera might be capable of.
9to5Google went digging in the recently released Google Camera 8.5 and found code for both the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro. This code reveals that both models should be able to record 4K video using the front-facing camera.
That would only actually be an upgrade for the Google Pixel 7 though, as the Google Pixel 6 Pro is already capable of this, while the Pixel 6 isn’t.
While that would be a handy upgrade, it could point to an even bigger change, as it might mean that the Pixel 7 has the same sensor as the Pixel 7 Pro. We’re not sure what sensor that would be yet, but it could be the 11.1MP one found on the Pixel 6 Pro – which is distinctly better than the 8MP one from the Pixel 6.
However, that’s all just speculation for now, as the camera code doesn’t reveal which sensor is used. But it’s likely to be a different sensor to the Pixel 6 anyway, as slightly more megapixels are typically needed for 4K recordings.
All that said, we’d take these findings with a pinch of salt. Their presence in Google Camera code suggests this is likely accurate, but it’s possible that Google is simply experimenting with features, and that 4K recording may not ultimately be supported on the Pixel 7.
While it looks like the Google Pixel 7 could have a big selfie camera upgrade, this isn’t the aspect of the camera hardware that’s most in need of improvement.
In our Pixel 6 review we were fairly happy with the performance of the front-facing camera for photos – even though it didn’t quite match the Pixel 6 Pro’s, which also benefitted from a wider field of view.
The 4K upgrade for video would be nice, but it’s not something that many users will probably find overly important.
What we really want to see is the addition of a telephoto lens on the back, as the Google Pixel 6 only has wide and ultrawide cameras. The lack of a telephoto camera helps keep the cost down of course and gives the Pixel 6 Pro an additional selling point, since that phone does have one.
But even the standard Pixel 6 is expensive enough that it’s a feature we’d like to see, so hopefully one will be added to the Pixel 7 to help it rank among the best camera phones.
Microsoft is making the finishing touches to Sun Valley 2, Windows 11's first major update since its release back in 2021, but users have been unsure of whether their PC would be able to support it.
According to Windows Latest, there's a way of going into the Registry Editor, and checking if your PC can update to 22H2 once it's available (supposedly later this year).
Called Sun Valley 2 internally by the company, there still hasn't been a clear indication of what the update will involve, but there have been announcements of tabs in File Explorer, and further updates in the look of Windows Media Player and Paint for example.
We're expecting these to come to the major update, but of course, it's no use to you if your PC can't update to it. With this in mind, here's how you can check.
The Registry is the backbone of Windows, and has been for decades. It's a series of values that will determine the settings for every app and every aspect of the operating system.
Based on a certain value, the PC will follow that command from the Registry. But due to its design, there's always a danger of mistaking the wrong registry, making parts of your PC show errors, or simply not working as it's intended to.
However, when it comes to this short guide, it's only a matter of finding a registry value, not changing anything.
While this won't give the reason as to why your PC won't be able to update to 22H2, you can quickly check a few things and see if your eligibility changes. Not installing the most recent Windows updates, or having low storage could cause you to be ineligible, so changing these could be all you need to get your PC ready for 2H22.
If all of these are all in order then it could be, unfortunately, due to the fact that your PC is too old to update itself.
We still don't know when this update will arrive, but with Microsoft's aim to release these big updates every year, we suspect it will be around November, to line up with Windows 11's original release around that time in 2021. If you want to use the latest Windows release at launch then you likely have until around then to upgrade your PC.
We’re just a few weeks away from Amazon Prime Day 2022 – the online retailer’s yearly discount event – but it might not be the only one it hosts in 2022.
Usually, the Prime member-exclusive sale takes place around the middle of the year, this year falling on July 12 and 13. But according to leaked notices sent to Amazon retailers, we might see another happen in “Q4" later this year.
The notice (via Insider) sees Amazon asking retailers to submit lightning deals by July 22 for what it’s calling 'Prime Fall'. Lightning deals are limited-time savings on items that appear throughout Prime Day, encouraging shoppers to hang around on Amazon in hopes of benefitting from one of these high-demand deals.
Amazon has yet to announce anything publicly about Prime Fall, but you can be sure we'll be on the lookout for any and all of the best tech deals as they materialize. That being said, Prime Day 2 might not be a bargain.
Events like Prime Day are a pretty great time to find deals on items that you need and to feel less guilty about indulging in the purchases you just want. This writer used Prime Day to kit out their home office with a new desk and gaming chair, but also nabbed a waterproof Bluetooth speaker to liven up a pool party.
Right now, with the cost of living going up and up, sales are feeling even more vital – allowing us to pinch as many pennies as possible. But, that doesn’t mean we should celebrate this second Prime Day quite yet.
There’s already a major sales event in fall (September, October, November) each year: Black Friday. It falls in November, just after Thanksgiving, and now serves as our collective annual chance to snatch up deals on any gifts and items we need to buy for the holiday season.
Amazon hosts its own Black Friday sale, so it would be odd for it to also host a second Prime Day just before or after. If customers know that another deals event is just around the corner, they might hold off in the hope that they’ll get better discounts if they can wait a month or so.
As such, 'Prime Fall' could turn Amazon’s Black Friday event into a Prime member-exclusive affair – where the best deals are locked behind its subscription’s paywall.
Hopefully this won't be the case, and we’ve reached out to Amazon to find out more about its plans for Prime Day 2, but until we hear anything more it might be worth preparing for Black Friday to be a bit less impressive this year. Unless you're a Prime member that is.
Hulu has canceled political comedy Woke after two seasons.
Launched in the fall of 2020, Woke was loosely based on the life of its co-creator, Keith Knight, an American cartoonist and musician known for his accessible yet subversive comic strips The K Chronicles.
It starred Lamorne Morris – best known for his long-running role as Winston Bishop on beloved comedy New Girl – as Keef, a black cartoonist on the verge of mainstream success via his Toast & Butter comic series. Keef takes pride in his comics being light touch and avoiding controversy or political content like the plague.
On the verge of signing a huge new publishing deal, Keef is then the victim of racial profiling by overly aggressive policemen and, unsurprisingly, left traumatized. In the wake of the incident, Keef finds that he's able to see and hear inanimate objects talking to him, plus he's now more sensitive to racism, with everyday microaggressions that he has spent his life trying to avoid acknowledging in every situation, suddenly pronounced. Now, quite literally 'Woke', Keef must live with his new reality.
The show, which was a mixture of live-action and animation, ran for two eight-episode runs on Hulu, one in 2020 and a second which debuted in April of this year.
Starring alongside Morris were Blake Anderson, T. Murph, Rose McIver and Sasheer Zamata, with Eddie Griffin, Tony Hale, Sam Richardson, Jack McBrayer and Cedric the Entertainer appearing in voice-only roles.
Woke, which was a co-production for Hulu between Sony Pictures Television and ABC, was axed on Friday.
No statement for its cancelation has been given yet, with Morris only issuing a tongue-in-cheek tweet over the weekend, but the show's second season was a troubled production with filming forced to shut down three times due to positive Covid-19 cases. That will have undoubtedly seen production costs shoot up, and, it seems like they got too much for a third season to be greenlit. Which is a shame, because critics rather liked it.
The show's first season enjoyed lukewarm ratings, with a Rotten Tomatoes' score of 74%, but the show's second was a tour de force, with a 97% rating on the same website.
Audiences enjoyed the first run, too, giving it 87%, which is seems like Woke ran into the trap that falls a great many shows. Those who liked it really enjoyed what was on offer, but no-one else stuck around.
Hulu spends big on comedy as it is, with The Orville, Only Murders In The Building and How I Met Your Father, while they've recently forked out on acquiring Schitt's Creek back catalog. They're also not shy about canceling things, with hit comedies Shrill and Dollface axed recently. Again, both had passionate fanbases and critics liked them, but they clearly didn't win the audiences Hulu demands.
Chris Hemsworth has suggested that Thor: Love and Thunder might not be his final Marvel movie outing after all.
Speculation has been rife that Hemsworth will call time on his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) after Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters in July. The upcoming Marvel movie will be the eighth time Hemsworth has played the character, while Thor will become the first MCU superhero to star in four solo adventures.
It stands to reason, then, that Hemsworth may have given serious thought to calling time on his MCU journey once Thor 4 is released. And, with Hemsworth previously telling Wired that Love and Thunder "may be my last [Marvel movie]" earlier in June, the actor hasn't exactly played down reports that he might walk away after the forthcoming MCU Phase 4 flick.
However, speaking to ExtraTV before Thor 4's world premiere, Hemsworth appeared to walk back on those claims, suggesting that he would certainly be open to reprising the role in the future.
Asked if this would be his last outing as Thor, Hemsworth said: "Every time I play Thor, I'm like 'this is the last time they'll let me do it', so I don't know."
When the interviewer indicated that Hemsworth's use of the phrase 'let me' suggested that the actor would be open to returning, Hemsworth added: "I love it. I'd come back for more and more until someone kicks me off the stage. My whole career has been based around playing this character. Coming back and play him again with different directors and cast members has been an absolute joy. We'll see what the fans want. I'm down for whatever."
This isn't the first time that Hemsworth has seemingly retracted his answer from his Wired interview either. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Hemsworth said he'd "absolutely" love to return as the god of thunder. Meanwhile, chatting to Den of Geek, he reiterated his stance on reprising the role, saying: "If the opportunity comes up and presents itself, I’m just open to whatever creative exploration can happen."
It won't be long until we find out if Thor is even able to return (more on this in a moment) for future MCU movies. Thor: Love and Thunder will exclusively bolt its way into theaters on July 8 (US and most international territories), while it lands on July 7 in the UK.
With four solo superhero movies under his mighty belt, Thor has stuck around longer than most of those who featured in the Avengers' original line-up.
Sure, Hawkeye and Hulk will claim that they share equal billing with the Norse god – you know, as they're still alive (unlike Iron Man and Black Widow) or active as superheroes (unlike Captain America). However, with Hawkeye starring in his own Disney Plus show and Hulk set to play a prominent role in another MCU TV series – She-Hulk: Attorney at Law – it seems that their time on the silver screen is at an end.
Thor, then, is the only original Avenger whose MCU film journey has continued post-Avengers: Endgame. Clearly, there's been more story to tell in his Marvel movie arc. But, with a new batch of superheroes emerging with Phase 4's arrival, now might be the right time for Hemsworth's Thor to take a backseat in proceedings.
Truth be told, he's deserved it. Thor has endured his fair share of grief and trauma over the past 11 years and, while he's bounced back from that pain time and time again, he deserves to finally put his feet up and enjoy a well-earned rest. You know, just like Nick Fury was doing during Spider-Man: Far From Home's post-credits scene.
Of course, this isn't to say that we don't want to see Hemsworth play Thor again. The MCU's next generation of heroes will need mentors, so Thor could always pop up in a co-starring capacity. Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye and Mark Ruffalo's Hulk have (or will have, in Hulk's case) performed similar roles with Kate Bishop and Jennifer Walters, so whose to say Hemsworth's Thor won't do likewise to a kindred spirit? If Jane Foster's Mighty Thor survives the events of Love and Thunder, we suspect she could use a mentor in her former flame.
Alternatively, Hemsworth could make surprise cameo roles in other Marvel projects. He's already voiced Frog Thor in Loki season 1, plus an animated version of Thor in Marvel's What If...? anthology series. Hemsworth could lend his talents to other animated versions of Thor in the future, then, or even make a hugely surprising cameo in Loki season 2 as a live-action, alternate universe version of the Norse god. We'd love to see that if nobody else would.
Thor's MCU future will ultimately depend on how well Love and Thunder performs at the box office – after all, Marvel Studios would be silly to put a cap on Thor's MCU series if Love and Thunder powers its way past the $1 billion mark globally. Even so, Thor: Love and Thunder seems like the perfect time for the god of thunder to finally find that inner peace he's searching for, pour himself a giant glass of Asgardian ale, and retire from the superhero business. He's certainly earned a rest, in our view.
For more MCU-based content, check out our ranking of every Marvel movie to date before Thor 4 lands in theaters.
Apple usually has a bunch of new products launch at the end of each year, but it sounds like the iPhone 14 might get more than its fair share of gadget companions, according to a big name in Apple leaks.
This comes from Mark Gurman, in his weekly Power On newsletter about upcoming Apple news and rumors. Gurman mentions loads of products expected to launch "between the fall of 2022 and first half of 2023" - or peak Apple period.
The main one of these is the iPhone 14, with Gurman saying there will be four models - we've heard this many times before from leakers, with the expected line consisting of the standard model as well as an iPhone 14 Max, Pro and Pro Max.
Much of the other information provided about the upcoming iPhone Pro models are things we've already heard about like its always-on display, high-res rear camera and improved front camera - but the non-Pro versions are supposedly weaker.
Next up is the AirPods Pro 2, though all Gurman says is "I’m also still expecting new AirPods Pro earbuds with an updated chip and support for higher-quality audio", so there's not much information on these.
Apple is said to be releasing new iPad Pros for 2022 that are packed with the new M2 chipsets - Gurman says there will be 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions, but does address the rumors of a larger 14-inch one by saying this could come in the next year or so.
That's not all in the iPad party though, as a new entry-level iPad (2022) is tipped with 5G, a new chipset and a USB-C port - this is all stuff we've heard before.
As the headline says, more smartwatches are expected too, and it's not just the top-end Apple Watch 8 (though not many changes are expected for that device).
No, a new Apple Watch SE 2 has been tipped, as well as a ruggedized version of the standard model intended for extreme sports users.
Gurman also lists plenty of new Macs coming up using multiple versions of the M2 chipsets, with MacBooks and Mac Minis expected.
Finally, Gurman points to a 'mixed-reality' headset using the M2 chip and 16GB of RAM, something that fans expected to hear about at WWDC 2022 (an annual Apple tech launch in the middle of the year) that never actually debuted.
Let's recap what we've just heard about:
Apple usually has one big launch event at the end of each year - usually around September - and normally, we'd see loads of products all show up at the same time.
But given how long that list is, there's no way they're all showing up at one event - not unless they get five seconds of screen time each and Eminem has to do the announcing - so they'll likely show up at multiple events.
This isn't something that's a total surprise - in 2020, the company had two launch events, one for iPads and Apple Watches, and the other for iPhones. Apple will likely have to repeat that in 2022 for all the aforementioned products - or even have a third launch. Gurman does say that some of the devices could come in early 2023.
Either way, if there is a launch event for the iPhone 14 and Gurman's projections don't all come true, that doesn't necessarily mean these devices aren't coming.
Like every year, Apple will be launching their latest iPhone in autumn or fall as the Americans like to call it. The launch event is scheduled to take place sometime in September or early October. However, Apple won’t be only launching the iPhone. Instead, they will be launching a hoard of devices.
To be precise, Apple is planning to launch four new iPhone 14s, a set of new iPads, three Apple Watches, several M2 / M3-upgraded Macs, and a pair of refreshed AirPods Pro buds, a new HomePod, and an upgraded Apple TV model.
Although Apple has already announced 2 new Macs that will feature its latest flagship M2 processor at the WWDC, it also plans to launch several new Macs with a number of variations of the M2 processor.
This includes an M2 Mac Mini, an M2 Pro Mac Mini, an M2 Pro or an M2 Max 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros, as well as an M2 Ultra or an M2 Extreme Mac Pro.
And then there are the rumours surrounding Apple’s mixed reality headset, which is all but certain for an Autumn release this year. And if things weren’t heated enough for Apple fans already, rumours suggest that Apple is almost ready with their M3 SoC, and will launch something or the other by the end of the year, or by early 2023.
For the iPhone 14, there are rumours that only the Pro and Pro Max models are reportedly set to receive the new and more powerful A16 chip, as well as support for an always-on display. The Pro models are also going to get a whole new 48MP camera sensor, and a new notch design, which features a pill and a hole-shaped cutout for Face ID and the front-facing camera, respectively.
The standard, non-Pro models of the iPhone 14, will have the same A15 chip that comes with the iPhone 13. Also, instead of a Mini model, this year, we will have the iPhone 14 Max, with a 6.7-inch display.
Apple’s also expected to release three new models of the Apple Watch Series 8 this fall. There will be the standard Watch Series 8, a new SE Watch, and a more ‘rugged’ version of the Watch Series 8 aimed at people into extreme sports.
While the S8 chip present in the upcoming Watch Series 8 will offer the same level of performance as the preceding S7 and S6 chips, the Watch coming next year will reportedly feature an upgraded processor.
Apple is also likely to discontinue their best-selling smartwatch, the Series 3 Watch this fall, in favour of the new SE, which could also come with the S8 processor.
As for the upcoming iPads, rumours indicate that Apple will launch M2-equipped 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models later this year, in addition to a larger iPad between 14 and 15 inches coming in the next year. There is also a new entry-level iPad that will come with an A14 chip, 5G, and USB-C connectivity.
Motorola is launching their flagship device, aptly called “The Frontier” sometime next month. Having focused on budget and mid-range phones for years now, Motorola is hoping that their upcoming flagship, the Frontier will go a long way to help re-establish the brand as a player with serious chops.
We had earlier reported that the upcoming Motorola Frontier would feature the world’s first smartphone camera sensor with 200MP, and actually beat Samsung. Motorola Frontier is reportedly using Samsung’s ISOCELL HP1 sensor for its main camera. It will also feature the 50MP ISOCELL JN1 and 12MP Sony IMX663 as secondary and tertiary sensors.
Samsung ISOCELL HP1 uses the ChameleconCell pixel-binning tech that effectively turns a block of 16 pixels into one pixel when shooting in low light conditions. This means that when utilising the tech, the 200-megapixel sensor will actually create 12.5-megapixel images. Shooting in daylight or in well-lit conditions should give you full 200MPs to play with.
Another major improvement that we will see in the Motorola Frontier, would be the charging speeds. Up until now, Motorola has often lagged behind others in terms of charging speeds, having managed a high of 68W in its current Edge 30-series flagship while others such as OPPO forged right ahead with 80W or more. Some upcoming devices from Realme & iQOO are working on fast charging speeds that are near about 200W. With the Frontier, Motorola will be providing users with 125W fast charging and wireless charging with 50W.
As for the other specs, a leak from a Chinese regulatory body named 3C or the China Compulsory Certification, suggests that the Motorola Frontier will have a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 SoC, and will support a refresh rate of up to 144Hz. The leaks also suggest that the Motorola Frontier will have a 60MP front-facing camera.
Just to be clear, Motorola won’t be selling the device with the moniker Frontier, that is just the codename. In all likelihood, Motorola will be going for something like the Edge 30 Ultra instead. This is because it is expected to improve vastly on its immediate Edge X30/30 Pro/Plus predecessor.
AMD is going to be ramping up power levels with its RDNA 3 graphics cards, according to an interview with an exec from Team Red.
Tom’s Hardware spoke to Sam Naffziger, Senior VP, Corporate Fellow and Product Technology Architect at AMD, about the next-gen (presumably RX 7000) GPUs on topics which included power consumption.
Naffziger observed that the demand for better gaming (and compute) performance is accelerating, while process technology improvements are slowing down ‘dramatically’ at the same time, and that this meant: “Power levels are just going to keep going up. Now, we’ve got a multi-year roadmap of very significant efficiency improvements to offset that curve, but the trend is there.”
The exec again confirmed that with RDNA 3, AMD is expected to make a big leap in terms of performance-per-watt to the tune of 50% (or more) compared to current RDNA 2 graphics cards – a huge efficiency gain and one comparable to the progress made from RDNA to RDNA 2.
Naffziger elaborated: “Performance is king, but even if our designs are more power-efficient, that doesn’t mean you don’t push power levels up if the competition is doing the same thing. It’s just that they’ll have to push them a lot higher than we will.”
In other words, Nvidia pushing hard with power consumption to get more raw performance means AMD has to do the same to play catch-up – so we can expect more power-hungry cards this time round with the RX 7000 range, for sure. But the key point Naffziger is of course making is that Nvidia will have to go a lot higher power-wise, with less achieved on the efficiency front with its next-gen Lovelace (RTX 4000) cards (or that’s the expectation – and not just here).
So, it seems higher power usage levels (or TBPs) can be expected from both AMD and Nvidia with their respective next-gen graphics cards, and that’s something the rumor mill has long held.
For AMD, we’ve seen various bits of speculation on power consumption, including that the RDNA 3 flagship (Navi 31) could hit around 375W, or maybe higher, possibly running up to 450W. Although more recent leakage has suggested that we’re looking at the lower end of that scale.
Meanwhile, regarding Nvidia’s power usage, the grapevine has been carrying some more worrying theories for some time, including speculation around the RTX 4090 pushing to 600W – although 450W has been another more palatable suggested figure.
It’s clear enough that the rumor mill broadly paints the same picture as Naffziger does in this interview, then, but the concern is that the hint dropped here might point to something slightly more power-hungry from Team Red in an effort to keep up with Nvidia’s pedal-to-the-metal stance on power and performance.
In the end, if AMD does manage to achieve considerably better efficiency, which is how Team Red is already firmly pitching RDNA 3 against RTX 4000, this could be more of a sway on a GPU buying decision than it has been in the past – given the cost of electricity these days, and generally spiraling power bills.
The other possible upsides for those looking at higher-end graphics cards are a potentially better chance of avoiding the danger of a PSU upgrade with an RDNA 3 model, or even calming fears around a smaller or not-so-well-cooled case failing to cope on the thermals front. But let’s not go jumping to any conclusions just yet, of course...
Via VideoCardz
OnePlus first made its name as a phone maker, but now it has plenty of other devices on sale as well – and according to a fresh leak, it would seem a lot of those other devices are going to be getting upgraded before the end of the year.
This is according to the usually reliable Mukul Sharma, who says that two pairs of true wireless earbuds (one with the Nord branding), the OnePlus Watch 2, the OnePlus Band 2 and a couple of smartphones are due to launch in the third quarter of 2022 (so that's July, August or September).
Most of the accessories that OnePlus has made in the past, like the OnePlus Nord Buds, have been reasonably well received by consumers. If more hardware is on the way, OnePlus must be confident that there's enough of a market out there for it.
OnePlus currently sells three different types of wireless earbuds, with a variety of features and a choice of price points. You can also pick up these audio devices in bundles with OnePlus smartphones in some parts of the world.
As for the OnePlus Watch, it was unveiled in March 2021, so it's already been a year since we saw it first appear. It runs its own bespoke operating system, so presumably the OnePlus Watch 2 will follow suit when it makes its debut.
The OnePlus Band fitness tracker, meanwhile, is currently only available in India – it remains to be seen whether the OnePlus Band 2 follow-up device, if it is indeed on the way, is going to be available in more regions when it goes on sale.
The path that OnePlus is taking is one that most other smartphone manufacturers are also following, and it makes sense: having earbuds, smartwatches and fitness trackers that can be bundled with phones means more in the way of sales and profit.
Take a look at Apple for example. We know all about the iPhone, but then we've also got the AirPods, the Apple Watch and much more besides (though it's perhaps unlikely that OnePlus will move into laptops and streaming boxes too).
Samsung and Google are two more companies that offer plenty of accessories around their flagship smartphones, and new products continue to be added all the time – with the Google Pixel Watch now finally official and going on sale soon.
With that sort of competition, OnePlus knows it needs to keep up. While the sales figures that OnePlus sees for these accessories may not match those of its rivals, it's important to have these products available to go head to head against other companies.
The rumors around the Samsung Galaxy S23 are starting to pick up pace, and the latest to come to our attention concerns the selfie camera: it sounds as though Samsung isn't going to move to an under-display camera on the front of the phone just yet.
This comes from supply chain sources in South Korea (via Wccftech), and it means the Galaxy S23 phones will still have punch hole notches in the display like their predecessors. We may have to wait for the Galaxy S24 for this particular component to be changed.
There's no reason given for Samsung holding off on introducing a selfie camera under the screen, but there are plenty of possibilities: maybe Samsung isn't happy with the photo quality, or maybe it would push the price of the phone up too much.
What makes this rumor slightly surprising is that there's a 4MP under-display camera embedded in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. Samsung knows how to make the technology and to make it work, even if the resulting photos and videos are relatively low resolution.
And that's probably the key consideration here. While we wouldn't take this as confirmation just yet, it makes sense that Samsung wouldn't want to sacrifice camera quality to be able to have a phone display that's free from any kind of cut out.
A few days ago we heard that the standard S23 and the S23 Plus models would be getting a selfie camera resolution bump to 12MP, so there are changes in the pipeline for this particular spec – even if Samsung is sticking with a conventional approach.
We've seen under-display cameras on several handsets now, including the aforementioned Galaxy Z Fold 3 and other phones such as the Xiaomi Mix 4, but it's also fair to say that the technology isn't quite ready for primetime just yet.
While these selfie cameras hidden under the screen do work, the engineering challenges mean that the image quality isn't on a par with a conventional selfie camera – one that doesn't have to peer through pixels in order to snap a photo or capture a video.
Of course, over time there will be progress, just as there is in every other smartphone component. However, if Samsung decides to hold off on an under-display selfie camera on the Galaxy S23, it's another sign that more improvement needs to be made.
The Galaxy S23 is expected to launch in early 2023, but other phones launched next year may well feature the technology. It's actually rumored to be appearing in the Google Pixel foldable phone, which should make an appearance this year or next.
This year’s Wimbledon tennis championships are set to be the smartest and most data-heavy ever thanks its continued partnership with IBM.
The computing giant has unveiled its latest range of upgrades and smart features as part of its work alongside tournament organizer, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC).
Among this year’s new additions are a boosted fan predictions feature, an upgraded IBM Power Index that can help uncover the next generation of champions, and improved match insights powered by IBM’s Watson AI system.
“We're very excited about this year,” noted the AELTC’s Communications & Marketing Director Alexandra Willis, “But naturally we can't just be thinking about the past - we need to be looking forwards at the same time…the world is changing around us and the ways that people consume and continue to change.”
“We have this program of innovation that we're very proud to deliver in partnership with IBM and we often talk about the role of innovation as being all about preserving the traditions of Wimbledon and making sure that they remain relevant for the future. It's not about putting tradition and innovation in conflict with each other - it’s actually about making them work in partnership.”
As one of the most iconic events not just in tennis but perhaps all sport, Wimbledon attracts many different kinds of fans, with differing knowledge levels, so providing an entry point via the Wimbledon.com website and the official mobile app is vital.
Offering a fan experience that caters to everyone from the casual observer who only watches Wimbledon right up to data-hungry expert die-hards has posed a challenge, but one that the AELTC and IBM now feels it can conquer.
This year’s championships see an expansion to the IBM Power Index, the statistics and data platform powered by IBM Watson that fuels the website and app to offer a world of insight to fans.
Along with point-by-point analysis of every game across the tournament, its Match Insights tool has been boosted by “Win Factors”, a more accessible way of explaining to fans exactly why a player is doing well. Using IBM Watson Discovery and IBM Cloud, the tool can collect data such as form, head-to-head battles, ATP/WTA rankings and, thanks to natural language processing (NLP), even recent media coverage to offer more fan-friendly information to help spot the ones to watch or any potential upsets.
Fans will also now be able debate and discuss their new icons with the "Have Your Say" fan predictions feature on the official Wimbledon app. This will give fans the chance to predict the outcome of any match, and then compare this view with both other fans across the world, as well as the AI-powered “Likelihood to Win” predictions generated by IBM Watson.
Entering the 33rd year as partners, this year’s championships are more technologically advanced than ever, thanks largely to IBM’s “platform of innovation”, noted Kevin Farrar, Sports Partnership Leader, IBM UK & Ireland.
“It’s very much about collaborating and co-creating content to bring the beauty and the drama of the championships to life for tennis fans around the globe,” he said, adding that the “explainable AI” the company is engaging is key.
“It’s very much about taking massive amounts of data, creating insights that are captivating and engaging to bring new fans in, and ensure fans that are already engaged with the platform stay with us.”
“It’s a great showcase for IBM’s capabilities...data is at the heart of it.”
Only a few months after the launch of Elden Ring, it’s clear that FromSoftware is far from resting on its laurels, with director Hidetaka Miyazaki revealing that the studio has another game in the works that’s nearing the end of its development.
In a recent interview with 4Gamer (via VGC), Miyazaki was asked about a comment made during an interview back in 2018, in which he said that there were multiple games in development, two of which were unannounced.
The first of these, we now know, was Elden Ring but Miyazaki confirms in this recent interview that the second is now “in the final stages” of its development. It seems, then, that the game has been in development for a while – over four years, at the very least.
This announcement comes not long after a tweet from the official FromSoftware account, which stated that the studio is currently hiring “for a wide range of positions for multiple new projects".
With roles like “Game Planner” and “System Planner” being advertised, it's pretty clear that some of the titles are still in the early stages. Whether any of these roles is for the 'final stages' game mentioned by Miyazaki isn't known but it's certainly not impossible – ‘final stages’ is not ‘finished’, so there’s likely still plenty to be done.
Interestingly, Miyazaki notes later in the interview that, as a director, his “next title is already in motion” and that he would prefer to “avoid spoilers” in that area, which suggests it’s possibly in its early stages.
Miyazaki also confirms that Elden Ring will continue to receive updates even as work on new games gets underway. He wasn't willing to elaborate on what these updates will involve – though we have seen reports of DLC – but it’s clear that the studio has plenty of reasons to be hiring.
So, there’s a new FromSoftware game on the horizon. But what could it be? Well, earlier this year a new entry in the long-dormant Armored Core series was a popular topic in the rumor mill after a ResetEra user (via VGC) claimed to have received a survey on the game. In screenshots later leaked on social media it looked like it could be pretty well-along in terms of development.
However, the studio hasn’t confirmed these rumors and it could well be something else entirely. Regardless of whether or not this nearly-completed game is another Armored Core title, with Elden Ring not long released and Miyazaki seemingly at work on a new project, it's possible that he’s not at the directorial helm, though could be involved in another way.
Indeed, in the interview with 4Gamer he notes (translated using Google) that he is “developing multiple titles by directors who aren't me”. Only time will tell on this front, though.
As it is, with Elden Ring now out in the world and proving a big success for the studio, we hope we won’t have to wait too long for some official details on what this next game will be.
We all love an air fryer, right? They’ve become one of the fastest growing pieces of kitchen tech, with many households in the US and UK joining the low-fat frying fun.
Currys (in the UK) alone reported a 133% spike in air fryer sales earlier this year as we all seek quicker and healthier ways to bake and cook our favorite foods. But what if you are yet to jump onto the air frying bandwagon?
Since I've recently moved over to the TechRadar team to oversee our home appliance content, I can shamefully say I don't own an air fryer. In fact; I've never even tried one - and I'm getting some serious FOMO (fear of missing out) after reading up on some of our best air fryers.
As with anything, when trying to choose the best air fryer it can be tricky to know where to start. This appliance isn't for everyone so, regardless of the hype, in order to find an air fryer for your household, there are a few things that you'll want to consider first - some of which may surprise you more than others.
Then, once you've decided that an air fryer is for you, there are a few criteria to also consider to help narrow down your search before you find 'the one' - and this guide is here to help run you through all of the key factors to consider before making the leap into healthier frying. From price to function, we've got you covered.
Don't worry; we've got you covered. Here's where you can buy an air fryer right now if you want, or if you'd prefer to buy later that's fair enough, too.
Some of these may seem like obvious factors to consider when choosing an air fryer, but there is a method amongst the madness, especially when combining these key considerations. So if you work your way through this relatively common-sense approach, you'll have an air fryer in your life in no time.
Price
It goes without saying that this is where your search should begin, so make sure to set a budget and (try to) stick to it. Prices start from around $122 / £100, and you could spend up to a few hundred on a top-of-the-range option. There are usually some great deals to cash in on, but if you're holding out for a sales event such as Amazon Prime Day, then you best be quick off the mark because air fryers do not hang around for long - even if they've only been marked down a little.
Capacity
This is very much a thing to think about because it'll determine how much you can cook, and what you can cook. As a rule-of-thumb, you should aim for a 3 quarts / 5 liter (as a minimum) air fryer if you're cooking for a family of two and a 5 quarts / 4.73 liter (as a minimum) if you're a family of four. Some air fryers just have one large drawer, and others have multiple levels built-in - when buying online, I find that the product images are enough for me to go by to judge this. The spec and descriptions are also good giveaways, too, so a read of these would avoid disappointment.
Size
The bigger the capacity, generally the bigger the size, and air fryers aren't the smallest - or lightest - countertop device. Imagine it sat on your worktop, imagine using it to feed the kids, and most importantly imagine moving it around if you're short on countertop real estate. If it's not in the way and will be easy to get to at dinner time then you're getting ever closer to finding your air fryer.
Special features
There are design features such as viewing windows and pre-programmed settings which will catch your eye as your search develops, and these can really make a difference to your air fryer experience. A viewing window is useful for checking on the progress of the cooking, which will save you from opening up the air fryer and letting the heat out, too. Pre-programmed settings are useful for seamless cooking, and some models have alerts to let you know when it's time to shake your tray or the time in the air fryer is complete (handy!).
Removable inserts
All air fryers will make chips and cook frozen food, but if you also want to bake, roast, dehydrate and slow cook (yes, you can do that in an air fryer) then look for removable inserts. A rotisserie is one such example that would be perfect for cooking a chicken or another joint of meat. With the inserts being removable, you can chop and change what you cook in the air fryer on a daily basis which will add versatility to your kitchen setup.
Design
How it looks on my kitchen worktop is right up there as a key criterion for me because this does tend to give away how easy it is to use (the fewer dials, the easier), but also if it compliments the microwave and the toaster. There are some with retro styling like the Swan Retro 6L Manual Air Fryer and others with one-touch buttons and a sleek design like the Tower Xpress Pro Combo 2000W 11 Litre 10-in-1 Digital Air Fryer Oven with Rotisserie.
Choosing an air fryer needn't be a daunting task - it should be an exciting one. I'm certainly looking forward to trying out some recipes in mine, and although it probably won't be replacing our range cooker anytime soon, the air fryer will be a good piece of tech to have on the side.
If you're wanting to change your eating habits for the better, an air fryer can help make it happen. It cooks meals quickly and with less oil - or none at all - simply by circulating hot air around the foods and drying surface-level moisture to form a tasty crisp. For couples it's perfect, but families who need to cook more food may go hungry if they want to solely rely on an air fryer to sort meal times.
By circulating that hot air around the food, you can make foods you would have previously fried such as chips in a healthier way - plus, you can even roast a joint of meat or even bake a cake in an air fryer. There aren't many things which it can't cook. We've found that you can grill cheese in air fryer, for example. Yep.
There are, of course, considerations to be taken into account such as the thickness of bread and type of cheese, but the trick is to nail the method and the settings of the air fryer - we found, anyway. There are plenty of other neat tips and tricks that team TechRadar have learned since we started working with air fryers.
Other recipes you could try include cooking ice cream and perfecting a crunchy skin when cooking pork belly every time.
Aside from cooking various snacks and meals, an air fryer could also save up to 50% on your energy bill when compared to a conventional oven. It can do this because it simply uses less power than an oven, and it can cook food faster.
I've done some research into this and the key lesson that jumps out at me to not put in the air fryer and attempt to cook is anything with wet batter. This will just create a bit of a mess, because the batter won't have the chance to cook before sliding off what it's coating - which makes sense, I guess.
It's all a bit of trial and error by the looks of things - Team TechRadar has learned some valuable lessons in our time with air fryers so far. As you've read, we've tried (with success) to cook ice cream. Others on the internet have reporting frying eggs, cooking meats, baking cakes and bread... the list goes on.
They can cook foods at speed which is great, but this could come at a cost to your foods and burn it to a crisp if you're either not watching it or a timer is set incorrectly. Most of our own home testing hasn't experienced this, although I have read and heard that it can happen so it's something to consider.
The units themselves can also be bulky and obviously, the larger the air fryer you opt for, the more space they will ultimately take up.
Some air fryers have multiple layers and components which may not be suitable to pop in the dishwasher, so keeping it clean may be a little tricky - but no more so of a challenge than cleaning out and wiping down the microwave, if you have one that is.
Canon may be experiencing worldwide stock issues for its RF lenses, but it seems the camera giant is planning to launch two new ones for its mirrorless cameras soon – a wide-angle macro and an ultra wide-angle zoom lens.
According to the reliable Canon Rumors, we'll likely see the arrival of the Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 IS STM Macro and RF 15-30mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM "some time in the next week or three".
So what kind of lenses will they be? Fortunately for everyone's battered bank accounts, they should be relatively affordable ones. This would particularly be the case for the RF 15-30mm, as it'd be a relatively slow lens whose aperture is variable rather than remaining constant throughout its zoom range.
If so, this would make it substantially cheaper than the current RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM ($2,400 / £2,390 / AU£3,475), which is a professional L-series lens. Instead, its price should be more in line with a lens like the RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM ($400 / £480 / AU$600). For those on a budget, those two lenses would pair quite nicely for landscapes and general shooting.
The rumored Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 IS STM Macro would likely be a little more expensive, but not overly so. The closest current offering in Canon's line-up for its mirrorless cameras is the RF 35mm f/1.8 IS STM Macro ($450 / £530 / AU$679), so we could expect it to be around that mark or slightly more.
Like that current 35mm lens, Canon's rumored 24mm offering would likely offer close-up focusing for macro fans – for example, the RF 35mm f/1.8 lets you focus on subjects from as close as 17cm. But it'd also be a versatile lens that you could use for travel and street shooting. If you're a Canon fan whose been hankering after some more affordable lenses, it'll be worth looking out for both lenses in the next few weeks.
These two rumored lens won't thrill keen photographers who have the budgets for more exotic, professional glass. But they are much-needed affordable options that help broaden the appeal of Canon's mirrorless cameras.
It's no coincidence that Canon has just released two relatively cameras with the APS-C sensors – you can read our first impressions of both in our hands-on Canon EOS R7 review and Canon EOS R10 review.
Want the short versions? Both are shaping up to be two of the best hobbyist cameras around, and these rumored lenses could be fine companions for them, even though they aren't expected to be RF-S lenses that are specifically designed for smaller APS-C sensors.
How much stock will be available for these lenses, and the rest of the RF lens lineup, is another matter. Like all camera manufacturers and tech companies, Canon is still suffering from supply chain issues. In its Canon UK store, for example, only 16 of its 26 RF lenses are listed as 'in stock'.
Still, these issues should hopefully ease as we move towards 2023 – and by that point, it seems Canon will have also created a mirrorless photography lineup that finally caters for everyday photographers as well as professionals.
