Technology - Google News

Apple MacBook Air review - TechCrunch
Playing Doom Eternal Is Actually Self-Care - Kotaku
The Nokia 8.3 5G is the first truly global 5G phone, with support for bands in every country (Update: Android One after all) - Android Police

Posted: 20 Mar 2020 05:44 AM PDT

Let's address the elephant in the room. There's an undeniable irony reviewing an ultraportable laptop when you're not allowed to leave your house. Of course, Apple didn't see this coming. None of us did, with the possible exception of Bill Gates, I suppose.

I bring this up not as a reminder of everything that's wrong with the world at the present moment — you certainly didn't need a reminder of that. Instead, I just figured it was important to note here that the testing situation is less than ideal for the MacBook Air. I haven't left my one-bedroom New York City apartment with the thing since it arrived this morning.

In fact, I've mostly been working with the laptop sitting directly in front of a larger computer. One that's big and not designed to be moved. I was feeling adventurous, however, so now I'm sitting on my bed, writing this with the Air on my lap. Damn, it feels good to live again.

There's not a lot I can tell you about the MacBook Air that you don't already know. One of the mainstays of the MacBook line, the Air turned 12 in January. It's a testament to the original that the design still feels fresh well over a decade into its existence. There have been important updates to the device over the years, of course, but the laptop that hit the market nearly a year to the day before Barack Obama's first inauguration still very much forms the foundation of the device.

"Thin" and "light" are still very much the qualities that define the Air. It's a product that trades the processing power of the rest of the MacBook family in favor of a design that slips comfortably into the seat-back pocket in front of you on the plane. Indeed, the device has never been the one you want for heavy video processing or other resource-intensive applications. And while the 2020 model gets some important internal updates, that remains the case here.

If, however, you're worried about lower-back pain, this is probably the MacBook for you.

The familiar wedge shape is in tact, of course. A few generations ago, that design was married with the prevailing aesthetic of the rest of the MacBook line, with a unibody design and reflective Apple logo up top.

There are still just the two Thunderbolt 3/USB C ports onboard. Once again, they're both on the same side. This has always been one of the bigger complaints since the redesign. Two on either side would be the best-case scenario, but until then, I'd settle for one on either, so as to avoid blocking the other one and to make it easier to plug the power cable into either side, depending on where you're sitting relative to the outlet.

The biggest design change to the 2020 is much more subtle, however. After a rough couple of years for MacBook keyboards that culminated with a couple of consumer suits and countless jammed keys, Apple introduced a new design on last year's 16-inch MacBook Pro. Mercifully, that upgrade has also come to the Air.

The system has returned to a scissor-switch design, which, among other things, results in more key travel, meaning the keys actually retract as you type, like a traditional keyboard. It's like night and day, honestly. The butterfly mechanisms were a clear misstep for the company. In addition to lacking the tactile feedback, the fact that they were more or less flush with the laptop meant that if any debris got stuck in there, the key might just stop working. I had at least one instance of requiring some emergency compressed air at an event after the S key jammed. That's an important key, mind.

Unlike other iterative attempts to update the butterfly mechanism, the move back to a scissor switch is a marked improvement. The keys are still relatively soft compared to other systems, but the feel is much improved — not to mention not as loud while typing. The feeling here is pretty similar to what you get with Apple's Bluetooth Magic Keyboard peripheral. Honestly, that makes it a valuable upgrade in and of itself. There's no Touchbar up top, instead opting for the standard function keys. The best part of the Touchbar setup — TouchID — is present, however.

A lot about the Air remains unchanged from the big 2018 overhaul. That was, of course, the first major update in some time, bringing, most notably, the Retina display to the model for the first time ever. That's a 2560 x 1600 IPS. It's higher res and much better viewing angles than previous models — a big update for a model that many thought had been largely abandoned by Apple.

That's still here. What is new, however, are some key upgrades to the inside. The default configuration ships with a tenth-generation 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i3. While the device has evolved over last year's eighth-generation chip, that model shipped with the Core i5 standard. Apple's clearly made some calculations to drop the base price of the system from $1,099 to $999. Apple likely wants to further differentiate the device from the rest of the line.

For even basic users, however, I'd recommend adding $100 back onto the system price in order to upgrade to an i5. That's the chip ours came with. The system scored 5244 and 14672 on Geekbench 4's single and multi-core tests, respectively, presenting a marked upgrade over the last model we tested, back in 2018.

The other meaningful update to the silicon is the switch from Intel UHD 617 to Iris Plus graphics. Among other things, that will help with the ability to support external monitors. The Air is capable of supporting up to a 6K external monitor, with help from display compression. RAM is once again 8GB by default (as in our configuration), upgradable to 16GB. Much bigger news on the storage side, however, as that's been upgraded to 256GB on the base model (up from 128GB), and can be configured all the way up to a generous 2TB (from 1TB).

Interestingly, the stated battery life has actually contracted, from 12 down to 11 hours. That, of course, largely depends on usage. After several hours, I'm down to 35% left. I've had the brightness and everything else at default levels and have mostly been typing, using Chrome and Slack and listening to music on headphones via Spotify (along with the occasional benchmark).

All-day battery life seems like a fair enough description, when you're multitasking; 11 hours is probably a stretch. It's worth noting that this can vary quite a bit based on a number of factors. I've only really had a full day with the laptop, so I'll update retroactively.

There are some nice upgrades here. Between the keyboard, processor and the overhaul the model got back in 2018, it's nice to see Apple keeping the beloved line fresh a dozen years after it was first introduced.

I suspect that, for many, the fact that the laptop was introduced alongside the new iPad Pro (and its new keyboard) drove home how much the lines between the products are continuing to blur. The question comes up a lot when critics talk about Apple, as the company has traditionally taken a relatively minimalistic approach to product lines, versus, say, Samsung's tendency to provide a wide range of different products.

But as personal computing has become more complex, so have our needs. And so, in turn, has Apple's lineup. For a while there, it seemed like the MacBook Air was going to fade away, in favor of the standard MacBook. Ultimately, however, the Air won out, and understandably so. The focus on portability is a strong selling point, when coupled with the workflow versatility of MacOS (versus iPadOS). The Air looks like it's going to be sticking around for a bit, and that's something for Apple users to be thankful for.

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Playing Doom Eternal Is Actually Self-Care - Kotaku

Posted: 20 Mar 2020 08:56 AM PDT

Of the two hotly anticipated games released this week, most would assume Animal Crossing: New Horizons would better fit the bill as the self-care game. It's a peaceful, low-stakes game where the most taxing decision you make is what wallpaper you want. Perfect for these times right?

But have you considered the therapeutic benefits of Doom Eternal?

In Doom Eternal you rip and tear your way through the legions of Hell that are threatening Earth. You play as the Doom Slayer, a silent protagonist who can commit all kinds of ultra violence using a cartoonishly extravagant arsenal.

While I haven't been able to get into the guts of this game, watching early release footage on YouTube and Twitch has become a destressor for me.

I find it comforting to watch the Slayer chainsaw blade an imp to death or rip an eye out of a cacodemon. That feeling doesn't come from that 'fake violence as an outlet for real violence' kind of way Congress likes to scapegoat whenever there's a new mass shooting. But watching the Doom Slayer murder a demon in the most brutal way possible is comforting the way confidence and self-assuredness can also be comforting.

Before, it was difficult to connect with the Doom Guy as a separate character. In earlier games, he had been more of an extension of the player. Aside from a little avatar that displayed how much damage you had taken, you never saw his face, nor heard his voice. You were the Doom Slayer, and he was you.

In a move that might upset diehards, Doom Eternal allows us to take a step back from the Doom Slayer and stand apart from him. Instead of being the pilot of what's essentially a blank slate, we get to see him as a fully realized, fleshed out, armored up character with goals, motivation, and history. We aren't the Slayer anymore; instead we become companions in the Slayer's travels through a Hellish Earth and a stranger, arboreal Earthish Hell.

In a world of fear and anxiety, the Doom Slayer fears nothing. He is about his business of ridding Hell from Earth. He knows what he has to do and how to do it, and he moves with a kind of unshakeable confidence that's so satisfying to watch.

The Doom Slayer has his shit together and holy shit do we need a character like that right now. As each day passes, covid-19 whittles away bits and pieces of our normalcy, weakening a foundation that we knew was imperfect but could at least always count on being there.

People need an escape. With the ever-growing threat of the pandemic and its disruption of our lives, people need something that can divert their attention for a few hours. Killing demons with the Slayer proves to be one Hell of a distraction.

There are about fifty 'leven different ways to kill a demon varying by the demon's species and type of weapon used. You can punch them into a paste with your Blood Punch, or light them on fire with your shoulder mounted flamethrower (a personal favorite). Then there's the chainsaw, and the pulse rifle, and the oddly intimate way you can pull apart a demon with your own two hands.

The Doom Guy executes these moves not with the precision of a surgeon, but with the brutal efficiency of a guy who's done this shit thousands upon thousands of times and you are in my way, move I got shit to do! That's what I love about the Slayer. He's competent—a faculty that seems in short supply as people can't make up their minds about whether or not social distancing is something we need to be doing.

When nobody knows what to do and nobody knows what can happen next or just how bad it can get, the Doom Guy looks at it all and says "I have a job to do." That kind of resilience is priceless and damned hard to find.

While I would never model myself after the Doom Guy, I can take a bit of comfort in those qualities.

Millennials may look to Animal Crossing to fulfill the dream of being a homeowner with good credit and a comically low interest rate. Doom fulfills the fantasy of being someone confident in their purpose. Someone unshaken by the events of the world, able to look into the maw of despair and rip out its intestines with their bare damned hands.

The Venn diagram for Doom fans and Animal Crossing fans is closer to a circle than you might think. The memes are right, Isabel and the Doom Guy would be friends. They're two fiercely independent, competent, and confident people who pack one hell of a punch. And both of them, in their own way, are exactly what we need right now.

Ash Parrish is a freelance writer and a good mom to her dog and a bad mom to her plant. Read her rants about esports, video games, and her precious Shanghai Dragons on Twitter @adashtra.

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The Nokia 8.3 5G is the first truly global 5G phone, with support for bands in every country (Update: Android One after all) - Android Police

Posted: 20 Mar 2020 07:56 AM PDT

In today's livestreamed event that was supposed to take place as part of the canceled Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, HMD Global was finally able to unveil its latest Nokia-branded mobile phones. The Nokia 8.3 5G is the world's first global 5G phone, which means it supports bands in every country in which 5G is currently deployed — even the Samsung Galaxy S2o Ultra can't boast global roaming capabilities. At the same time, the Nokia 5.3, 1.3, and a new roaming data plan from HMD also made their debut.

Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G mobile platform, the Nokia 8.3 5G promised a future-proofed experience as it supports more 5G bands across the entire range (NSA/SA/DSS) than any handset currently on the market. It features a 6.8-inch FHD+ (2400x1080p) display with a hole-punch cutout for the 24MP selfie camera, but it's a shame to see the Nokia logo plastered on the chin.

Nokia 8.3 5G

On the rear, there are four cameras including a 64MP main sensor with Zeiss optics complemented by a 12MP ultra-wide lens, plus 2MP depth and macro sensors. The fingerprint scanner lies within the power button on the side, while a USB-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack, and dedicated Google Assistant button are all onboard. Battery capacity is rated at 4,500mAh, and NFC is also included for mobile payments.

Nokia 5.3

Next up, the Nokia 5.3 is a more mid-range affair powered by the Snapdragon 665. Its quad-cam system consists of a 13MP main sensor, a 5MP ultra-wide lens, plus the same 2MP depth sensor and macro lens. The 8MP front camera sits within a waterdrop notch on the 6.55-inch 720p display. Its 4,000mAh battery should be plenty, and it's also got a USB-C port, headphone jack, rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and Assistant button. As with all recent Nokia phones, both the 8.3 5G and 5.3 ship with Android 10 and will get a guaranteed two years of OS updates plus an extra year of security patches on top.

Nokia 1.3

HMD's budget phones have been very popular, and the Nokia 1.3 is sure to continue that success. It's the first phone to ship with Google's new Camera Go app, a lighter version of the photo-taking app usually found on Android phones. The Android 10 Go device uses a Snapdragon 215 chip and comes with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. There are only two cameras — an 8MP shooter on the back and a 5MP selfie cam — and the battery is 3,000mAh. Rounding out today's other announcements were the Nokia 5310 feature phone and the HMD Connect roaming data plan that offers 1GB of data across 180 different countries for just €9.95.

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The Nokia 8.3 5G starts at just €599 for the 6/64GB model, with an 8/128GB variant also available for €649 — it'll go on sale in the summer. Both available from April, the Nokia 5.3 will start at €189 for a 3/64GB model while the Nokia 1.3 will cost just €95. When the next James Bond film, No Time To Die, finally comes out, you'll see Daniel Craig running about with a Nokia 8.3 5G — isn't that exciting.

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No Android One for Nokia 8.3 5G and 5.3, but the same update promise

We reached out to HMD Global to ask why there was no Android One branding on the Nokia 8.3 5G and 5.3, and while they didn't give us a direct reason, they reiterated that both phones are still subject to the same promise of two years of OS updates and three years of security patches. We're not sure why the branding partnership has ended, but it doesn't look like it will negatively affect users, thankfully.

Nokia 8.3 5G and 5.3 are Android One devices after all

What a rollercoaster of emotions. After some confusion, we have clarification that the Nokia 8.3 5G and 5.3 are indeed part of the Android One program — they simply omit the branding from the back of the phones for aesthetic reasons. As you were, everyone.

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