Technology

FIFA 22 will see a test of cross-play functionality in the “near future” between players on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Google’s cloud-gaming service Stadia, EA has announced. Cross-play will be limited to Online Seasons and Online Friendlies game modes, the developer says, letting you play against friends on other platforms, or climb Online Seasons Divisions against a cross-platform playerbase. EA says it’s limiting cross-play to these two modes in an attempt to limit the chance of the feature “introducing new issues into the game.” Cross-play can be enabled or disabled from a menu available in the bottom-right corner of the game’s main menu, and there’s also the option to opt in or out of it in the Matchmaking Options menu. Indicators will appear during online matches when a ...

The Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G gets some significant upgrades in this year’s model, taking it firmly into midrange territory. If you’re looking for a well-performing stylus phone but the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra feels like overkill, then the G Stylus 5G is what you want. Don’t confuse the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022 edition) with last year’s Moto G Stylus 5G or this year’s non-5G Moto G Stylus (2022). Somehow, these are all distinctly different phones. While the previous Moto G Stylus 5G wasn’t much of a step up spec-wise from last year’s 4G-only G Stylus, it’s a different story this year. This time around, the G Stylus 5G includes an upgraded Qualcomm chipset, a stabilized main camera, and more RAM. That doesn’t sound like much, but those improvements help to really set the G Stylus 5G apart fr...

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has announced new PC hardware offerings with the popular anime series Evangelion. The duo’s first collaboration will include a special-edition ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO motherboard and a ROG STRIX RTX 3090 graphics card. Drawing from the aesthetics and color patterns of the Evangelion Unit-01 piloted by the series’ main protagonist Shinji Ikari, the limited-edition hardware features purple and green patterns, red under glows, and themed decals and graphics. Details include bolted and grooved horizontal lines appearing across the graphics card with NERV, EVA-01, and ROG emblems printed on the fans, while the motherboard appears to display a dynamic glowing image of the Unit-01 mecha. Take an official look at the ASUS ROG x Evangelion collaboration above, and stay t...

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has announced new PC hardware offerings with the popular anime series Evangelion. The duo’s first collaboration will include a special-edition ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO motherboard and a ROG STRIX RTX 3090 graphics card. Drawing from the aesthetics and color patterns of the Evangelion Unit-01 piloted by the series’ main protagonist Shinji Ikari, the limited-edition hardware features purple and green patterns, red under glows, and themed decals and graphics. Details include bolted and grooved horizontal lines appearing across the graphics card with NERV, EVA-01, and ROG emblems printed on the fans, while the motherboard appears to display a dynamic glowing image of the Unit-01 mecha. Take an official look at the ASUS ROG x Evangelion collaboration above, and stay t...

Xbox has teamed up with Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers and Lochcarron of Scotland to celebrate twenty years since its Scottish launch by releasing a limited-edition commemorative tartan-covered controller. The design — which was woven by Lochcarron, the oldest weaving mill in Scotland, out of the Scottish Borders town of Selkirk — includes Xbox’s archetypal colors of “RV Green”, “Viv Green”, “Apple 13” and has been endorsed by the Scottish Tartans Authority and entered into The Scottish Register of Tartans. “It’s an honor to work in partnership with one of the biggest technology brands in the world,” said Gordon Nicolson, Leading Tartan Designer. “It’s certainly a collaboration that hadn’t sprung to mind for us, connecting kilts and games consoles, but we actually have many shared values. Comi...

Meta has offered a first look at its new high-end Project Cambria virtual reality headset. Likened internally as a “laptop for the face,” Cambria is set to arrive as Meta’s most powerful headset to date with specs similar to that of its Chromebook. The major difference between the Cambria and existing Quest wearables is its new mixed-reality feature dubbed full-collar passthrough, which provides a filtered high-resolution view of surroundings via outward-facing cameras. Facial recognition and eye-tracking capabilities will also reflect users’ real-life expressions onto their virtual avatars. Reportedly pitched as a work device, Cambria will be compatible with a wide range of web tools and Quest apps which will allow wearers to easily send emails or write code while wearing the device. Proj...

After internal discussions among editors, Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation have now decided not to accept cryptocurrency donations anymore. In a new update posted by the foundation, Wikipedia said that it will no longer accept payments through Bitpay after taking into account feedback from its community. “The Wikimedia Foundation has decided to discontinue direct acceptance of cryptocurrency as a means of donating,” it wrote. “We began our direct acceptance of cryptocurrency in 2014 based on requests from our volunteers and donor communities. We are making this decision based on recent feedback from those same communities. Specifically, we will be closing our Bitpay account, which will remove our ability to directly accept cryptocurrency as a method of donating.” The organization add...

Michael Mignano, co-founder of Anchor and Spotify’s podcasting tech chief for the past three years, submitted his resignation last week, the company confirmed Monday. He will depart at the end of June. The shakeup follows two other high-profile departures in Spotify’s podcasting business. Last month, news broke that head of studios and video Courtney Holt, who cut blockbuster deals with Joe Rogan and the Obamas, will be leaving the company. Also in April, Gimlet Media director Lydia Polgreen announced her departure for The New York Times. Mignano co-founded DIY podcast distributor Anchor in 2015. Spotify snapped up the company in 2019 for more than $150 million and brought Mignano in as its top podcast tech czar, overseeing the company’s explosive podcast growth and expansion into live aud...

The Department of Energy (DOE) opened up billions of dollars in funding today to build up domestic supply chains for batteries. Batteries will be crucial in the Biden administration’s plans to transition the nation to electric vehicles and clean energy. The DOE says in its announcement that it will give $3.1 billion to companies to boost “the creation of new, retrofitted, and expanded commercial facilities” to process materials, make batteries, and recycle them at the end of their lives. Another $60 million in grants from the DOE will fund efforts to find second uses for old EV batteries. The money comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that passed last year. The bigger picture: the Biden administration has set pretty big goals for clean energy and transportation in the US. He commit...

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (or ACM) has reportedly rejected Apple’s proposed App Store changes that would let dating app developers use third-party payment systems, according to 9to5Mac and the Coalition for App Fairness. The Dutch regulator ordered the change in December and has been going back and forth with the company over how it should be implemented — and charging Apple millions in fines along the way. Now, Apple could face further penalties. According to a journalist’s tweet translated by 9to5Mac, the regulator says Apple’s most recent proposal for letting developers use third-party payment systems is an “improvement” over its previous ideas, but it’s still “not sufficient to comply with European and Dutch regulations.” Apple and the ACM did not immediately ...

Last month we took a deep dive into Mark Zuckerberg’s grand metaverse plan, and some of the hardware Meta is working on to deliver it, in the form of Project Nazare augmented reality glasses. Now The Information reports on a roadmap for virtual reality hardware that runs through 2024 with four headsets on the schedule, starting with the previously-teased Project Cambria VR headset we expect to see later this year. According to its sources, The Information says that Meta plans to release Project Cambria, which is a higher-end device than its current Quest hardware and known internally by the name Arcata, in September, followed by an updated version, currently codenamed Funston, following in 2024. The sources also indicate that the first Project Cambria will cost around $799, well above the ...