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Garmin announces revamped Fenix 7 and Epix smartwatches - The Verge

Posted: 18 Jan 2022 04:00 AM PST

Despite being leaked to hell and back, the Garmin Fenix 7 series was a no-show at CES 2022. That's because Garmin decided to wait until today to separately announce its revamped multisport GPS smartwatches. On top of an updated flagship Fenix 7 lineup, Garmin is also launching the Epix — a rugged outdoors smartwatch with an always-on color display.

Some things with the new Fenix 7 smartwatches will be familiar to Garmin fans. There are still three sizes: the 42mm Fenix 7S, the 47mm Fenix 7, and the whopping 51mm Fenix 7X. The Fenix 7S and 7 will come in "regular" versions made of fiber-reinforced polymer, but there are also Solar Editions and Sapphire Solar Editions for all three models. Additionally, the Sapphire Solar Editions upgrade the materials to titanium and a sapphire display for extra durability.

As the names suggest, Garmin is also adding solar charging capabilities to all three sizes. Garmin says that compared to the Fenix 6X Pro, these watches have 54 percent more solar surface area — and that purportedly translates to longer battery life. With GPS enabled, Garmin says the max battery for the 7S is 90 hours and 162 hours with solar charging. The numbers jump up for the 7 from 136 hours to 289 hours with solar. For the 7X, Garmin says you'll get 213 hours or 578 hours with solar. Of course, these are all estimates, and what you actually get will heavily depend on your individual usage.

The Fenix 7 watches will all support every major satellite system but also add the L5 frequency range for better accuracy in "challenging GPS environments." L5 is one of three "modernized" GPS signals for civilian use that, according to the US government, have "higher power, greater bandwidth, and advanced signal design." The lineup also gets touchscreen capabilities — but don't worry, Garmin isn't getting rid of button controls. (In fact, it's actually adding button guards to the start and stop button to minimize accidental presses.) The idea is to offer multiple ways of navigating through menus, such as scrolling through your settings or zooming in on GPS maps.

The 7X also has a shiny new hands-free LED flashlight feature with adjustable red or white light to help multisport athletes see, and be seen, during nighttime activities. Garmin says it's activated via a double-tap and works for both left-handed and right-handed users. It has an optional strobe mode, where the flashlight matches a runner's cadence, too. Basically, it'll flash red when your arm swings down and white when it swings up. Garmin says it functions like head and tail lights on cars so that others have a better sense of which direction a person is headed.

For software, Garmin's adding a Real-Time Stamina tool to help you compare the potential stamina you'd have at moderate intensity versus your stamina at your current effort level. The company's also adding a new mapping feature called Up Ahead, which tells users the location of aid stations, elevation climbs, water, and other points of interest on a particular course.

Meanwhile, Garmin's finally refreshing its Epix smartwatch, seven years after it was first introduced in 2015. The new Epix is basically what you'd get if you took the Fenix 7 and asked, "What if I swapped out the transflective screen for a 1.3-inch always-on AMOLED display?" It comes in three 47mm models and includes many of the same features as the Fenix 7 like buttons, touchscreens, and Real-Time Stamina. The main difference between the two lineups is the Epix doesn't have the new LED flashlight or support solar charging. As for battery life, Garmin claims the Epix can last up to 16 days on a single charge — and an impressive six days with the always-on display enabled.

Both smartwatch lineups also support push notifications, Garmin Pay, music storage, and safety features. They also come with the usual Garmin health features, like heart rate monitoring, respiration, stress tracking, body battery, fitness age, and sleep tracking.

The Fenix 7 series cost a pretty penny, but that's par for the course for Garmin's flagship GPS smartwatches. While it depends on which materials and models you opt for, the Garmin Fenix 7S and 7 start at $699.99 and go up to $899.99. Meanwhile, the 7X models range from $899.99 to $999.99. The Epix is similarly priced, as Garmin considers it a premium multisport GPS watch. It costs $899.99 for the slate and steel model and $999.99 for the white and black titanium models.

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Fortnite’s next update adds adorable monsters and brings back Tilted Towers - The Verge

Posted: 18 Jan 2022 02:43 AM PST

The next big update for Fortnite brings back something old and adds something new. As fans have long expected, the snow on the battle royale island has slowly melted, revealing the return of Tilted Towers, an iconic urban area that dates back to Fortnite's first island.

Elsewhere in the v19.10 update is the addition of a new kind of creature: a giant, adorable monster called a Klombo. It looks like something ripped out of How to Train Your Dragon, and developer Epic says that they're mostly gentle and they appear to add a new way of getting around the map. "Ascend their tails to get to the blowhole on their heads, then get launched a great distance upwards to escape a tricky situation," Epic wrote in a blog post. There's also a new item, a colorful kind of berry, that can be used to feed them and lure them around the map.

Between these monsters and other chapter 3 additions like sliding, swinging around like Spider-Man, and unpredictable weather including destructive tornadoes and lightning storms, this might be the most hectic Fortnite has ever been.

Aside from the gameplay additions, Epic also announced a new collaboration with street artist Kaws — who previously designed a character for the game — and London-based gallery Serpentine. The two are launching a virtual version of Kaws' "New Fiction" exhibition, which will also be featured at the IRL gallery. The virtual recreation was built by BeyondCreative and Alliance Studios inside of Fortnite Creative, and will be available to check out from January 18th at 10 AM ET until January 25th. (Players can access it using the island code 9441-7852-6686.)

This isn't the first time the art world has come to Fortnite Creative. In 2020 the Manchester International Festival debuted "Your Progress Will Be Saved," which featured interactive exhibits from artists like LaTurbo Avedon.

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