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Razer updates its DeathAdder gaming mouse for greater accuracy
Razer announced a major update to its DeathAdder mouse today, and while it looks pretty much the same on the outside, the inside has some noteworthy upgrades. This biggest change is that the DeathAdder V2 uses the Razer Focus+ Optical Sensor, which tracks 20,000 dots per inch, as opposed to V1's 16,000 DPI. The sensor also features Razer's Smart Tracking, Asymmetric Cut-off and Motion Sync features, all of which make for the highest sensor specs on the market, according to the company.
'Resident Evil 3' remake trailer shows more Nemesis
It didn't take long for Capcom to offer a closer look at its Resident Evil 3: Nemesis remake. The developer has posted a trailer that explores the main characters of the survival horror title, most notably its namesake Nemesis. Even moreso than in the original version, Nemesis comes across as a nigh-on unstoppable freight train -- he's determined to hunt down "stars" like Jill Valentine, and he'll break through anything to get to them. You also get better looks at how Jill and her unexpected ally Carlos deal with the sheer chaos Umbrella's zombie infection has wrought upon the city.
'Marvel's Avengers' game is delayed until September 4th
Final Fantasy VII Remake isn't the only Square Enix game facing delays. Crystal Dynamics has pushed the release of Marvel's Avengers from May 15th to September 4th. The extra months will allow more time for "fine tuning and polishing the game so that it's actually fun to play," studio heads Scot Amos and Ron Rosenberg said in a notice both on Crystal Dynamics' site (which, ominously, went down as we wrote this) and on Twitter. If you have worries about the game, you might get to rest a little easier.
Epic Games Store will keep offering free games throughout 2020
The Epic Games Store has faced something of a challenge in capturing the hearts and minds of gamers since its launch in 2018. Its continued insistence on exclusives, plus its relative immaturity compared to the likes of Steam, has seen complaints from all sides. But its hard graft is paying off, and the platform is sharing its good fortune with its fans. Today, it announced it will be continuing its weekly free game program throughout 2020 -- claim a game for free, and it's yours to keep forever.
Microsoft ends support for Windows 7 today
It's the end of the road for Windows 7. After 10 years of support, Microsoft is ending security updates for the operating system today. This means that if you're still using it you'll be vulnerable to bugs, and any problems that arise won't be fixed (unless you're part of a company that's paid for extended support, in which case you're good until 2023).
PC sales experienced annual growth for the first time in years
2019 was the first good year for the PC industry in a long while, according to both Gartner and IDC. It's the first time in seven years that the global PC market has experienced growth for the full year, Gartner says. IDC reported a similar finding, specifying that 2019's results show the first full year of PC growth since the market grew by 1.7 percent way back in 2011.
Apple might be developing a 'Pro Mode' to speed up Macbooks
Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro was a return to form for the company, especially when it came to portable power. (We did call it the "ultimate MacBook," after all.) Now, Apple might be developing another way to speed up its notebooks: a new "Pro Mode" that users can manually turn on and off. As 9to5Mac reports, the new mode is referenced in the Catalina 10.15.3 beta build, though it doesn't appear as a working feature just yet.
Apple's next MacBook upgrades could be coming soon
Last year's 16-inch MacBook Pro felt a bit like a return to form. While the latest iteration of Apple's flagship laptop didn't address the love-it-or-hate-it (but mostly hate-it) Touch Bar and an obnoxious lack of connectivity, it did have a much better keyboard compared to previous models. The new MacBook Pro replaced finicky butterfly switch keys with new mechanisms that make typing feel more natural and are more resilient to dust and debris. Naturally, one question on Mac users' minds was when Apple would bring the new scissor-switch-equipped keyboard to the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air lineup. According to 9to5Mac, a new filing with the Eurasian Economic Commission (the ECC) indicates that we could see the more ergonomic notebooks sooner rather than later.
Fans are creating a Harry Potter role-playing game inside 'Minecraft'
There have been some ambitious Minecraft projects before, but this one may win for sheer sophistication. The modding team Floo Network is creating Minecraft School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a Harry Potter-themed role-playing experience inside a Minecraft map. You're not just there to admire the accurate (if blocky) renditions of Hogwarts and its environs, although those are meticulous in their own right. You can solve puzzles, undertake quests, shop at Diagon Alley and fly over the Quidditch pitch -- this is more of a game than a sightseeing trip.
Pro audio giant Solid State Logic makes a play for bedroom producers
Solid State Logic is a big name in the pro audio space, but it's entering a new category by serving a very different customer: the bedroom producer with a tight budget. Its first dedicated audio interfaces, the USB-based SSL 2 and 2+, aim to translate the company's technology and retro styling to personal recording scenarios where it's often down to just you and your devices. They both include two "class-leading" mic preamps with 24-bit/192kHz conversion, balanced monitor outputs, a simple monitor mix control and a "Legacy 4K" mode that adds the analog sound of the company's 4000-series consoles to your inputs. There's not much more than you likely need, but what's there may be above-board.
Thermaltake's latest gaming headset works with Alexa and Razer Chroma
Thermaltake just introduced a gaming headset that's as much about showing off as it chatting with your gaming buddies. The Riing Pro RGB 7.1 steps up the competition against rival headsets with two-zone lighting you can control with both Alexa and Razer's Chroma system. You'll need a separate Alexa-ready device or Razer's Synapse software to make those respective features work, but this lets you color-coordinate without having to delve into settings between matches. You can even have Alexa match the headset color with the local weather conditions, in case you'd like your headset to be as blue as the sky.
The future of foldable tablets got clearer at CES 2020
Déjà vu hit me in a big way at CES 2020. As one of Engadget's PC-beat reporters, I had been taking briefings with laptop makers to check out their news for the conference. From Lenovo and Dell to Intel, companies showed off devices with folding screens that were bigger than the Galaxy Fold's 7.3-inch panel. As it turns out, a bigger foldable actually makes a lot more sense, and at CES we saw the industry begin to work out the broad strokes of what a foldable PC would do.
Engadget Podcast: CES 2020 and a chat with technologist John Maeda
It's that time of the year again, CES! This week, Devindra and Cherlynn discuss some of the best (and worst) things they've seen at the show, including ultraportables, cars and a variety of truly weird stuff. Plus, you'll hear about a strange Westworld dinner that freaked them both out. And be sure to stay tuned for our chat with the noted designer and technologist John Maeda, who gave his thoughts on CES, the bad design choices companies like Samsung make, and discussed his new book, How to Speak Machine: Computational Thinking for the Rest of Us.
MSI's GS66 is a more tasteful thin and light gaming laptop
With the GS65 Stealth Thin, MSI delivered one of the most attractive gaming ultraportables we've ever seen. But with the follow-up GS66, it's going for a more subdued look. The new model features a matte-black case and no prominent lights (aside from the RGB keyboard) or gold accents. It's a powerful machine you can take to work or school while also hiding your gaming identity.
Playing 'NBA Jam' on a 16-foot cabinet at CES 2020
I know I'm not tall enough to dunk in real life, but I never thought I'd be too short to pull off the move in NBA Jam. That is, until Arcade1Up brought a 16-foot NBA Jam arcade cabinet to CES 2020 and proved me dead wrong.
'Doom' re-releases now support add-ons, quick saves and 60FPS
Bethesda's re-releases of the first two Doom games are about catch up to the originals in key areas -- and in a few ways, surpass them. The id Software titles are receiving updates that, among other things, introduce support for add-ons -- yes, even on mobile. This doesn't mean you can load in any old WAD file on consoles, but it will work for Android and PC players -- and everyone will get a mix of official and unofficial add-ons. The initial selection includes the two Final Doom mods (The Plutonia Experiment and TNT: Evilution), No Rest for the Living and John Romero's Sigil. Other packs will be available on a "regular basis."
Intel's first discrete GPU is built for developers
At its CES 2020 keynote, Intel showed off its upcoming Xe discrete graphics chip and today, we're seeing exactly how that's going to be implemented. First off, Intel unveiled a standalone DG1 "software development vehicle" card that will allow developers to optimize apps for the new graphics system. It didn't reveal any performance details for the card, but did show it running the Warframe game. It also noted that it's now "sampling to ISVs (independent software vendors) worldwide... enabling developers to optimize for Xe."
CES 2020 recap: Day three
CES 2020 isn't a PC show per se, but recently manufacturers have used it to show off their most out-there prototypes. Take Intel's Horseshoe Bend, a 17-inch PC that's entirely covered by a flexible display to show off the potential of huge foldable devices. Dell, meanwhile, took another approach with the Concept Duet laptop that has two screens rather than one big flexible display. Just to show that it can do folding too, Dell also unveiled the Concept Ori tablet that supersizes bendy smartphones to tablet size. Lenovo went the farthest, however, with its ThinkPad X1 Fold, a folding tablet that it actually plans to sell. All of this shows that manufacturers are trying to make bendable devices happen, even if consumers aren't sure yet. For more, follow along with Engadget's complete CES 2020 coverage.
AMD vs Intel: CPUs at CES
Aside from a few laptop launches, recently CES hasn't brought much computer news. AMD seems intent on changing that, launching the Radeon VII last year, and this year announcing a slate of new mobile processors. While AMD's chips may be changing the desktop landscape, bringing eight, twelve, and now sixteen cores processors within reach of the average desktop user, they've struggled in the mobile space. Put simply, AMD's current desktop chips are too slow, use too much power, and were a generation behind the minute they launched. But now at CES AMD CEO Lisa Su announced their 4000 line of mobile processors, which promise double the performance per watt of its current lineup (critical for mobile chips). AMD's own benchmarks, which admittedly must represent a best-case scenario, show its 15-watt low-power chips trading blows with Intel's 1065G7 laptop chip -- which currently powers the Dell XPS 13. AMD says its new 4800U should be 4% faster in single-core performance, but a staggering 90% faster in multicore benchmarks.
Hands-on with Intel's Ghost Canyon NUC and Tiger Lake Xe laptops
The year 2020 is clearly going to be big for Intel's gaming presence. The chipmaker is gearing up to introduce its first dedicated graphics hardware, dubbed Intel Xe. But at CES it also made some surprising announcements, like its new NUC Ghost Canyon that can fit desktop graphics cards as well as the fact that it's breaking the 5GHz barrier with upcoming H-series 10th gen chips. For gamers, this all means one thing: It's going to be a very interesting year.