Technology

Clubhouse began rolling out a iOS app update on Sunday that enables spatial audio support. The Android update is “coming soon,” according to the company. The feature works by introducing subtle spatial cues that position speakers on Clubhouse calls into three-dimensional space around your head, making the remote listening experience a better approximation of being in a room full of people. It works best with headphones, either Bluetooth or wired. Clubhouse tweeted out a video allowing you to hear for yourself how it sounds. Hear ye, hear ye spAAaAaAatial audio on Clubhouse! It’s like surround sound, but w/ your own headphones. A more vibrant, human experience! Plus makes it much easier to tell who’s talking. thanks to @juberti for this one rolling out now on iOS, Android coming...

You might have heard that Neon Genesis Evangelion, the seminal 1995 anime series seemingly about giant mech battles but far deeper and more disturbing than that, is coming to Blu-ray for the very first time in the US, UK, and beyond. What you might not have heard: when that news was first announced nearly two weeks ago, it was just for a $275 limited-edition Neon Genesis Evangelion’s Ultimate Edition whose stateside release of just 5,000 copies sold out in the blink of an eye. Today, GKids is rectifying that with a five-disc Standard Edition that costs just $60 and will actually ship a month earlier than those $275 copies, technically making it the actual first official Blu-ray release in the United States when it arrives November 9th. And if you’re still bummed you couldn’t get the 11-dis...

New leaks are now suggesting that Apple‘s upcoming iPhone 13 and AirPods 3 will arrive this September. According to MacRumors, a Chinese e-commerce page discovered by IT Home revealed images of listings for both the iPhone 13 and AirPods 3 with release dates both targeted in the coming month. All four models of the smartphone are scheduled to drop on September 17 while the third generation of Apple’s flagship ear pods will arrive on September 30. While the screenshots do show these dates, MacRumors also points out that IT Home hasn’t provided any additional information regarding the news, and the website has released leaks before that proved to be ultimately inaccurate. Apple has also yet to announce any official release date for either product, so those interested should de...

New leaks of the upcoming GoPro Hero 10 Black suggests that the camera will receive a larger sensor and upgraded processor to enhance both photo-capturing and video recording. According to WinFuture, leaked images and specifications of the new GoPro action camera show that while most of the external elements of of the company’s Hero 9 Black have been retained — including the dual displays on the front and rear as well as the logos albeit now in GoPro’s signature blue — the internals has received two major upgrades. The first comes in the form of a larger 23-megapixel sensor as opposed to the 20-megapixel option in its predecessor, meaning the Hero 10 Black will allow for even higher resolution still images. The second and more important upgrade is the company’s long-rumored GP2 proces...

Apple‘s Tim Cook has reportedly cashed in on a $750 million USD bonus to commemorate his tenth anniversary as CEO. In a recent SEC filing, it was revealed that Cook acquired more than five million Apple stock shares in the compensation package when he took over Steve Jobs’ role over a decade ago. The incentives were expected to be tied to Apple’s performance in the S&P 500 in the past three years. Apple, which is currently the world’s most valuable company and valued at $2.4 trillion USD, has consistently been one of the top-performing companies on the index. CNN Business has reported that between 2018 and 2019, Apple generated nearly 192 percent for shareholder returns. The announcement arrives just a little over a year after Cook earned his billionaire status. His current net worth t...

Earlier this month, rumors surfaced suggesting that the Apple Watch Series 7 will be receiving an all-new form factor, and now more leaks seemingly confirm the news along with the revelation that the screens will also be larger. Previously available in 40mm or 44mm case sizes, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman has now suggested that the upcoming update will see the Apple Watch grow to 41mm and 45mm options, with larger displays and new watch faces to accompany the revamped form factor. The increased case sizes were hinted at previously by other sources, but details were scarce at the time. Gurman and YouTube Apple analyst Jon Prosser both also confirmed a new design for the upcoming smartwatch, shifting from curved to flatter edges with thinner bezels and additional colorways. As usual, Apple has ye...

The upcoming Apple Watch will feature its first new hardware design in years, according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman’s Power On newsletter. Gurman says the Apple Watch Series 7 will have “a flatter display and edges,” seemingly continuing Apple’s quest to flatten the sides of every product in its lineup. The display is said to be slightly larger than the current panels found in the Series 6, and the cases’ sizes will also be a little bigger than before, with each model getting a 1mm bump to 41mm and 45mm. Unverified leaked images last week suggested the same 41mm and 45mm sizing. Gurman says Apple will include multiple new watch faces to make the most of the extra screen real estate. Physical appearance aside, the Series 7 will also have a faster processor, according to Gurman. Howeve...

Astra’s first rocket launch since it the company went public wasn’t exactly the success the company hoped for. An engine failing to fire a second into the launch caused the rocket to hover sideways before attempting to reach orbit. The flight safety crew purposely stalled the engines 2 minutes and 28 seconds into the flight after a piece of the rocket appeared to break off. Before returning to earth it had reached an altitude of 31 miles. The two-stage Launch Vehicle 0006 (or LV0006) was originally scheduled to launch from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska on Friday, August 27. That launch was delayed until August 28 after the rocket’s guidance system called an abort. According to Space the initial abort was due to an engine configuration issue. It was obviously not successfu...

Finally a fun iPhone 13 rumor! If Apple holds to its traditional schedule we’re mere weeks away from a new iPhone, and until now the rumors have been slight and, dare I say boring. Yet noted Apple prognosticator and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is now claiming the iPhone 13 could have the ability to make satellite calls built right in, according to MacRumors. The X60 would likely be supporting another element of 5G In a note to investors, Kuo claims that the iPhone 13 will be able to connect directly to low earth orbit (or LEO) satellites thanks to a customized Qualcomm X60 baseband chip. LEO satellites are probably best known as the backbone of Elon Musks’ Starlink internet service which relies on satellites in a lower orbit to beam internet down to customers and avoid some of the common pitfalls...

A new PS5 model started appearing in Australia, Japan, and parts of the US earlier this month, with a new stand design and a mysterious reduction in weight. Thanks to a teardown video from YouTuber Austin Evans, the mystery has now been solved: Sony has changed the heatsink that helps cool the PS5. The new heatsink is significantly smaller than the original, and makes up for the entire weight reduction of 300 grams (0.6 pounds), according to Evans. It’s not clear why Sony has swapped out the heatsink so early on in the PS5’s lifecycle, but Evans does note that his particular unit ran hotter as a result — with rear exhaust temperatures around 3 to 5 degrees higher. That could be down to manufacturing variance, though. The old PS5 heat sink (left) vs. new PS5 heat sink (right).Image: Austin ...

There’s something to be said for cheap, simple gadgets. The BoomPro is a smart idea that’s executed almost perfectly. With a single cable, you get a microphone (with a flexible arm for easy repositioning), volume controls, and a mute switch. It can substitute for the 3.5mm audio cable that you’d normally plug into your favorite wireless headphones, immediately transforming them into a much better communication tool. For years now, I’ve been using V-Moda’s BoomPro microphone to chat with people while gaming. During the pandemic, I’ve also regularly used the $35 accessory to improve the audio quality on my end of conference calls — when I don’t want to bother with my desk-mounted Rode microphone, that is. This week, V-Moda announced a new evolution of that idea: the $45 BoomPro X has a tweak...

Suriyan Ramasami’s first date with the professor from Sacramento was special. After matching on Bumble and texting and FaceTiming for a week, Ramasami suggested they meet in person. He reserved a table at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, drove two hours from the Bay Area to Sacramento, and even bought her a rose. They hit it off and scheduled a second date of hiking and dinner by a lake. It was then that Ramasami disclosed his living situation: “I don’t stay in an apartment or anything. I’m nomadic, and I actually love it.” At first, the Sacramento professor was curious. But, soon after, she gave him the bad news: she wanted to just be friends. This wasn’t Ramasami’s first time in the “friend zone.” In fact, most of his experiences with online dating apps like Bumble, Hinge, and PlentyofFish play...