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An underwater war story: See ships sunk by Hitler’s U-boats just off Bell Island

Go beneath the waves and back in time to explore the incredible story of the German attack on Bell Island. In 1942, four merchant ships were sunk by Hitler’s U-boats, coming to a final rest on the ocean floor. Now, we’ve teamed up with historians and divers to take you on an underwater tour of the shipwrecks.




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Volcanic eruption in Indonesia leaves at least 10 people dead

Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency said Monday that at least 10 people have died as a series of volcanic eruptions widens on the remote island of Flores.




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Mystery of blobs washing up on Newfoundland's beaches solved, as scientists pinpoint chemical

Throughout the fall, unusual white blobs have been washing ashore on beaches in eastern Newfoundland. A Memorial University chemist says the substance is a type of pollution that shouldn't have been in the ocean in the first place.



  • News/Canada/Nfld. & Labrador

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Iceland looking to add space solar power to its sources of renewable energy by 2030

The U.K. based aerospace company, Space Solar, plans to launch its space-based solar power plant by 2030 to deliver clean energy to Iceland, which is already a renewable-energy powerhouse.



  • Radio/Quirks & Quarks

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'We basically lost everything': Bats force Sask. family to abandon house

Rachelle and Kelly Swan bought their house in Spiritwood two years ago. They gave up their keys to the bank voluntarily in May, closing the door on the bat-infested house.  



  • News/Canada/Saskatchewan

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2024 ‘virtually certain’ to be warmest year on record

Scientists warn that this year could end 1.5 C hotter than pre-industrial times, surpassing the current record of 1.48 C set just last year. Some experts now fear Donald Trump’s less-than-friendly stance on climate change could make the crisis even worse.




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RFK Jr. wants to stop putting fluoride in drinking water. Here's what scientists say

On day one of Donald Trump's presidency, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he'll be advising Trump to take fluoride out of public water. The former presidential hopeful — and prominent proponent of debunked public health claims — has described fluoride as "industrial waste."




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Those strange clouds over Vancouver are called 'asperitas,' and they are very rare

The rare type of cloud, whose name is Latin for "roughness," was first observed in 2006 by an amateur cloudspotter in Iowa.



  • News/Canada/British Columbia

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Contest invites teams to design a 'generation starship' for a 250-year journey

A voyage in this kind of spacecraft — while still conceptual — would take multiple lifetimes, crossing unimaginable gulfs of interstellar space. The theoretical exercise puts aside technical problems, including the propulsion system, and focusses on the design of the habitat and society.



  • Radio/Quirks & Quarks

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Cuba hit by 6.8 magnitude earthquake after being battered by hurricanes and blackouts

After weeks of hurricanes and blackouts have left many in Cuba reeling, an earthquake has left people shaken as rumbling was felt across the eastern stretch of the island, including in bigger cities like Santiago de Cuba, as well as Holguin and Guantanamo.




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Is bilingualism good for your brain? Montreal researchers are seeing tangible results

Researchers in Montreal are pointing to the benefits of bilingualism for the brain's health and efficiency — suggesting it could even help prevent diseases associated with aging, including Alzheimer's.



  • News/Canada/Montreal

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Hikers rescue baby goat stranded on Hawaii cliff for 4 days

After seeing a social media call out for help rescuing a baby goat trapped on a cliff face near Honolulu, a group of hikers climbed to the rescue. The goat, nicknamed Bala, is now at a local animal sanctuary.




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Dalhousie researchers design low-cost device that can help fight water scarcity

A dome-shaped device floating in Halifax’s Northwest Arm could easily be confused with a buoy, but it is actually a contraption meant to turn ocean water into fresh water. Two Dalhousie University researchers hope it can help with water scarcity in the real world.



  • News/Canada/Nova Scotia

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Dream Interpretation: Teeth Falling Out and Its Hidden Messages

Dream about teeth falling out meaning often symbolizes anxiety, personal change, or fear of loss. Discover the deeper psychological and spiritual interpretations.




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Moss Agate: Meaning, Metaphysical Properties, and Healing Uses

Moss Agate meaning revolves around growth, emotional healing, and nature's balance. Discover its grounding energy and how it fosters abundance and inner peace.




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Are Libra and Capricorn Compatible? Exploring Their Relationship Dynamic

Libra and Capricorn compatibility blends charm and ambition. Discover how this air-earth duo balances romance and practicality in love, friendship, and relationships.




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Generational Curses: What Are They and How to Break the Cycle

Generational curses impact family patterns and behaviors. Learn how to identify, break, and heal from ancestral trauma to free yourself and future generations.




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10 Dirtiest Cities in the U.S. (L.A. Shockingly Isn't One of Them)

Living in a city offers a lot of excitement and opportunity on a daily basis, but it also comes with some downsides like pollution, trash and health risks. So, which cities have it worst? LawnStarter did a deep dive on this very topic to uncover the dirtiest cities in the U.S.




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Worry Stones 101: Everything You Need to Know About This Anxiety Reliever

Discover the calming power of a worry stone! Learn how this ancient tool relieves stress, boosts mindfulness, and promotes emotional balance through touch.




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What Was the Strongest Earthquake Ever Recorded?

Earthquakes are among the most powerful natural forces on Earth, often causing widespread devastation, triggering tsunamis and altering the landscape of a region. But how strong was the strongest earthquake of all time?




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The Tallest Mountain in the U.S. and 7 Close Contenders

Although most of the highest mountains in the world are in Asia (looking at you, Mount Everest and Himalayas), the United States is home to some of the most breathtaking and impressive mountain ranges in the world.




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Apophyllite Crystal: Meaning, Healing Properties, and Benefits

Apophyllite: Discover the healing powers of apophyllite crystals, known for enhancing clarity, intuition, and spiritual growth. Perfect for meditation and relaxation.




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Where Is the Coldest City in the World?

If you're looking for a place to live and you don't mind some seriously frosty winters, you have plenty of options to choose from. But some places endure more than a few blustery months, and no parka or insulated mittens will feel like enough. Those are contenders for the title of coldest city in the world.




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Adjacent Angles: Types and Examples

Adjacent angles are one of the earliest and most important concepts to learn in basic geometry, as they have applications in further subjects like trigonometry, physics, and engineering. Effective students of geometry should be able to identify adjacent angles on sight and calculate them to a great degree of accuracy without a protractor.




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Agate Stone: Meaning, Uses, and How to Benefit from Its Energy

Discover agate meaning: learn how this beautiful crystal supports emotional healing, balance, and grounding energy, making it a must-have for spiritual wellness.




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The Coldest State in the U.S. Is Below Freezing on Average

The United States has a wide range of climate zones, from the subtropical to the arctic. On the low end of the thermometer, there are plenty of options for a deep winter chill. Here, we look at a couple different ways to determine the coldest state in the U.S. — and by both definitions, there's one winner.




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Ascaris Lumbricoides: The Stomach Worm Nobody Wants

We're about to dive into the world of parasitology, taking a close look at one of the most common parasitic worms infecting humans: Ascaris lumbricoides. This large roundworm is responsible for a type of intestinal nematode infection that affects millions of people worldwide, especially in areas with poor sanitation.




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The Most Beautiful Countries in the World, Sorted by Region

Any avid traveler knows there are far too many gorgeous landscapes and jaw-dropping views to make one all-encompassing list of the most beautiful countries in the world. We're lucky to have such a diverse world, and beauty is subjective.




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cancer and aquarius compatibility

Discover if Cancer and Aquarius can make a love match! Learn about their compatibility, strengths, challenges, and what to expect in a relationship.




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How Compatible Are Libra and Aquarius? Relationship Insights

Discover the compatibility between Libra and Aquarius in love, friendship, and more. Explore their strengths, challenges, and what makes this zodiac pairing unique.




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Congruent Angles: Definition, Symbol and Key Theorems

Two congruent angles are simply pairs of angles with equal measures. You can find congruent angles examples in hundreds of everyday objects.




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No, Harris Did Not Run a ‘Flawless’ Campaign

Media figures making that claim are blaming everyone but the bad candidate herself.




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It’s Leftism, Stupid

Democrats will come up with all sorts of explanations for Kamala Harris’s defeat just to avoid the obvious one.




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The Latino Swing to the Right Shouldn’t Be a Surprise

The signs were all there for Latinos to break for Republicans.




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Help Us Fight Antisemitism — and Defend Israel

Someone has to speak out against the pro-Hamas factions.




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Germany: Decline and ‘Fool’

The week beginning Monday, November 4, 2024: Germany’s economic woes, fiscal policy, deregulation, and more.




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The Last Stand of Anti-Trump Lawfare

What will Judge Merchan do this week?




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Honor Veterans by Improving the Benefits of Military Service — and Reducing the Risks

Private ownership, consumer choice, and competition would deliver better benefits to veterans — and force policy-makers to confront the costs of military engagements.




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J. D. Vance Is Walking a Historically Unusual Path

There are not many usable precedents for what J. D. Vance can do with a one-term vice presidency.




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Donald Trump Doesn’t Need Recess Appointments

And the Senate shouldn’t abandon its ‘advice and consent’ role.




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Students Lose, Teachers’ Unions Win in Massachusetts Election

The state’s vote to abolish its high-school exit exam keeps us from knowing how well they’re educating students — which is just how teachers’ unions like it.




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Fracking Is Key in the Keystone State — in 2024 and Beyond

It has fundamentally transformed the United States, and it influenced this election cycle.




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Trump Might Not Lead a U.S. Retreat from the World Stage After All

His early personnel choices indicate his incoming administration would be willing to use sticks as well as carrots to deal with Russia.




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It’s Time for Bob Casey Jr. to Concede to Reality

The Pennsylvania Senate race is over.




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Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones are $100 off in this Black Friday deal

There is already a bunch of early Black Friday deals to check out, but if you're on the lookout for a great set of wireless headphones for yourself or a loved one, here's one that's absolutely worth your attention. Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones have dropped to $298. That's a $102 discount.

This isn't quite the lowest price we've seen for the over-ear XM5s. They dropped to $280 at one point earlier this year. However, the headphones haven't gone back down to that point since, and this is still a great deal.

The XM5s are our pick for the best wireless headphones overall. We've long been recommending Sony's 1000X line and this is the best iteration to date. They earned a score of 95 in our review.

The redesigned headphones are much more comfortable to wear for extended periods than previous models. Sony has improved the active noise cancellation (ANC) feature as well, thanks to the addition of a new chip and four more microphones. We feel that the company's current flagship headphones do a better job of blocking out high frequencies and background noise (and even human voices) than the XM4s.

The XM5s can switch between noise modes depending on your location or activity, and they can pause audio automatically when you start speaking. They deliver better call quality than rival models and, in general, you'll get clear, crisp sound, including punchy bass. You won't need to charge the XM5s too often either, as they have a 30-hour battery life.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/sonys-wh-1000xm5-headphones-are-100-off-in-this-black-friday-deal-192016343.html?src=rss




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The Morning After: Nintendo sues pirated software streamer for millions

Nintendo has filed a lawsuit against a streamer called EveryGameGuru, accused of streaming gameplays of pirated games before they were even released — and of providing viewers access to piracy tools and illegal copies of the games.

EveryGameGuru allegedly streamed Mario & Luigi: Brothership across five days, weeks before its official release on November 7. After Nintendo had the videos taken down from various platforms, including YouTube, they continued live streaming on Loco and even included a QR code for their CashApp handle.

Nintendo said EveryGameGuru sent the company an email, saying it has “a thousand burner channels” and “can do this all day.”

Don’t anger the house of Mario! The company is asking for $150,000 in damages per violation of its copyright. 404media did the math: That could add up to millions, seeing as the suit cites at least 10 games, streamed on at least 50 occasions.

— Mat Smith

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Sure, it’s not for most of us. The Vive Focus Vision isn’t for the same people as the PSVR2 or Meta Quest 3. This is meant to be high-end VR for businesses and creators: a cross between the Focus 3 and last year’s goggle-like XR Elite. The build quality is excellent, but it’s running on aging hardware. Worse, it’s riddled with software issues and is rather expensive compared to the Meta Quest 3.

Continue reading.

If you’re aged 30 and up, you know the voice of Elwood Edwards, realize it or not. He recorded the phrase, “You’ve got mail!” and three other lines for Quantum Computer Services in 1989. That company became America Online (AOL), Meg Ryan made the movie with Tom Hanks and everything else. (AOL is currently owned by Yahoo, Engadget’s parent company.)

Continue reading.

Sony

The latest patch for the PS5 version of God of War Ragnarok adds the option first seen in the PC port to tone down the boy’s excessive and unsolicited hints when Kratos is contemplating the game’s many puzzles. Enough, Atreus! (The patch also includes PS5 Pro upgrades, for smooth 60 fps and better visuals. But that’s not as funny.)

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-nintendo-sues-pirated-software-streamer-for-millions-121630229.html?src=rss




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Sonos Arc Ultra review: New tech powers a big audio upgrade

2024 has been a rough year for Sonos. The company’s would-be triumphant entry into the crowded headphones market was overshadowed by a disastrous app redesign. In the fallout of the botched software update, the company decided to delay products that were ready to be shipped to give itself more time to right the course. Consumer trust eroded, and people who already owned Sonos gear were living in a cycle of constant frustration.

Thanks to a number of rumors, we already knew that one of the pending product releases was the Arc Ultra ($999). A few weeks ago the company decided not to wait any longer to reveal it. While the design is mostly unchanged from the Arc that debuted in 2020, there are several key changes on the inside that make this a better all-in-one solution for people who don’t want to add more speakers to their living room setup. Sonos is promising better bass performance thanks to new speaker tech that’s debuting in the Arc Ultra, but just how good can it be?

The refined design of the original Arc was a massive upgrade from that of the Playbar, and showed a progression from Sonos’ compact Beam soundbar. Honestly, the aesthetic is pretty timeless, in my opinion, and it’s a look that should age well for years to come. That said, it makes sense that Sonos would keep the design for the Arc Ultra, only making some minor changes to the exterior.

The Arc Ultra still comes in both black and white options, allowing you to choose what looks best in your living room or home theater. Sonos updated the controls to mirror what’s available on the newer Era 100 and Era 300 speakers, moving them to a top-facing bar at the back. There’s a volume slider on the right with play/pause and skip controls in the center. On the left side, Sonos gives you a microphone control so you can mute the built-in mics as needed.

And that’s really it in terms of design changes that you can see. The Arc Ultra is slightly shorter height-wise than the Arc, and it’s a little wider than its predecessor. Neither of which make a huge difference, and they won’t drastically change how you position the speaker beneath your TV.

Sonos' new sound motion woofer is situated on the right side of the soundbar
Sonos

Inside, Sonos has re-engineered the Arc Ultra to improve audio performance. The biggest piece of this overhaul is the new Sound Motion woofer that enables better bass performance before you add a standalone wireless sub. The achievement here, thanks to the acquisition of audio company Mayht, is that the new component lays flat, taking up less room than a traditional cone-shaped woofer. The Sound Motion driver also helps deliver increased clarity and depth, on top of doubling the bass output of the original Arc.

Sonos redesigned the entire acoustic architecture of the Arc Ultra during the process of adding the Sound Motion woofer. The soundbar now houses three more drivers than the arc, a list that includes seven tweeters (two of which are upfiring), six mid-range drivers (midwoofers, as Sonos calls them) and the aforementioned woofer for a total of 14. The company also employs 15 Class-D digital amplifiers along with far-field mics for tuning and voice control.

There’s still only a single HDMI (eARC) port, which allows most modern TVs the ability to control the soundbar’s volume and mute options from your TV remote. Moreover, the Arc Ultra is compatible with Wi-Fi 6 and newly-added Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity allows you to stream from any device. And of course, AirPlay 2 is still on the spec sheet. One last thing I’ll mention here is that the Arc Ultra doesn’t ship with an optical adapter if you prefer that connection. The company will sell you one for $25.

Since the Arc Ultra is a Sonos product, there are a lot of core features that are the same as they are on the company’s other devices. You can use the soundbar as part of a multiroom setup and Trueplay tuning is here to adjust the audio to the acoustics of the room. There’s still an adjustable EQ with options for bass, treble and loudness and a Night Sound mode makes things less boomy when someone in your house may be trying to work or sleep.

While Trueplay will give you the best sound customization for the sonic characteristics of your living room, Sonos is enabling a Quick Tune feature for the first time on the Arc Ultra. Here, the soundbar will use its internal mics, as opposed to your phone, to offer a certain degree of improvement. The company says it wanted to give people the option of something quicker than Trueplay, although the full-fledged tuning process doesn’t take very long at all.

Speech Enhancement has been a handy feature on Sonos soundbars for a while, giving you the ability to improve dialog clarity as needed. Before now, it was an all-or-nothing feature, but on the Arc Ultra, the company introduced three levels of speech boost to give you more options to better suit your needs. This means the soundbar can help you hear clearly over background noise or simply follow along better by elevating dialog above the rest of the soundtrack mix.

Sonos moved the controls to a bar along the back
Billy Steele for Engadget

The trademark feature of Sonos’ Ace headphones is the ability to beam the audio from a compatible soundbar to the cans for a private home theater. That TV Audio Swap tool is available on the Arc Ultra, so you can instantly send the sound to the headphones with the press of a button. In fact, Sonos bundles the Arc Ultra and Ace headphones in a $1,373 set. What’s more, the Ace supports spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, so you can count on immersive sound even when you’re employing it on an individual basis.

Despite all of the problems that Sonos has had with its app, some of which it's still working to resolve, I didn't encounter any issues during my testing. The software crashed on me once when the Trueplay tuning process completed, but everything had already run its course and I didn’t have to repeat it. Other than that, the app has worked reliably over the last week while I’ve been putting the Arc Ultra through its paces. Most importantly, the software is stable and the full suite of controls for the new soundbar is available at launch.

The original Arc already sounded great, so Sonos really had its work cut out for it to further improve the audio quality for the Arc Ultra. Thanks to the improved bass of the Sound Motion tech, a change that also takes up less space, the company says it had the ability to then overhaul the mid-range and high-frequency components as well. By using multiple sizes of mid-range drivers and tweeters, Sonos was able to tweak the speaker positioning inside of the soundbar for improved projection and more immersive sound.

In addition to the enhanced bass performance, the second thing that was immediately apparent on the Arc Ultra was those improvements to the dimensional sound. Whether it was a quidditch match in a Harry Potter movie or zooming F1 cars in Drive to Survive, the soundbar now has better directional, immersive sound than its predecessor. Sonos says the Arc Ultra now renders Dolby Atmos content in a 9.1.4-channel setup, versus 5.0.2 with the Arc, which further contributes to the enveloping audio. Interestingly, I haven’t seen any of the competition claim four up-firing channels from the soundbar like Sonos does here (those that do are usually accounting for up-firing drivers in the rear speakers). You can really hear the difference from the second you fire up the Arc Ultra, and the effect is consistent across content sources.

There's still just one HDMI port, but Bluetooth connectivity is now included
Billy Steele for Engadget

The increased bass performance makes the Arc Ultra a much better speaker for music without a separate subwoofer. You won’t get the bombastic low-end tone the newly updated Sonos Sub 4 can produce, but there’s enough from the soundbar to give Kaytranada’s Timeless, Phantogram’s Memory of a Day and Bilmuri’s American Motor Sports plenty of booming backbone when a track demands it. There’s also still the trademark Sonos clarity I’ve come to expect over the years, which means finer details like the texture of synths, layered guitars and the nuance of acoustic instruments cut through the mix cleanly.

And speaking of clarity, the company’s new Speech Enhancement settings are also a big improvement. Being able to select how much of a boost this feature offered depending on either my needs right then or based on the overall tuning of the content is really nice. It allowed me to max out the dialog when watching movies after my toddler was asleep so that speech didn’t suffer when sound effects were louder during intense scenes of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

There’s no doubt the Arc Ultra packs in deeper, more immersive sound than its predecessor, but some people will still want a more robust setup to wring every ounce of audio out of a Sonos living room setup. The high-end choice for this is what Sonos calls the Ultimate Immersive Set, which includes the Arc Ultra, two Era 300s and the Sub 4. Right now, that will cost you $2,561. For something less expensive, you can get the Arc Ultra and the new Sub 4 (normally $799) for $1,708 (Premium Entertainment Set). And therein lies the biggest problem with Sonos soundbars: expanding your living room setup to get the most immersive experience gets very pricey very quickly when the centerpiece is already $999.

If you can live without all the conveniences of Sonos products, you can get an all-in-one package from Samsung for $1,500. With the Q990D, you’ll get the soundbar, two rear speakers and a wireless subwoofer in the same box. The setup offers 11.1.4 audio for excellent Atmos sound, thanks in part to up-firing drivers in the rear speakers. Samsung offers a host of handy features, from Q-Symphony audio with TV speakers, SpaceFit Sound Pro room calibration, Adaptive Sound audio enhancement, a dedicated gaming mode and more. The Q990D remains my top pick for the best soundbars for a lot of reasons, a key one being everything you could need comes in one all-inclusive package.

The Arc Ultra is an obvious improvement over the Arc in the sonic department. New technology delivers on its promise to boost bass, clarity and immersive before you start adding extra components. Expanded features like Speech Enhancements and a quick-tune option offer new tools for dialing in the sound, while the stock Sonos experience remains intact. And thankfully, that includes an app that’s more stable than it was a few months ago. The Arc Ultra is still pricey at $999, but it exhibits a lot more sonic prowess than its predecessor for only $100 more.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/sonos-arc-ultra-review-new-tech-powers-a-big-audio-upgrade-130011149.html?src=rss




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Nintendo will show off 'Donkey Kong Country' theme park expansion at live event today

Nintendo is set to show off the Donkey Kong Country expansion of its Super Nintendo World theme park today (Monday, November 11) at 5PM ET, the company revealed in a post on X. That means the new Universal Studios Japan area might finally open soon, after being delayed from the previously announced launch window of Spring 2024. 

The new park attraction featuring Mario's barrel-throwing nemesis was first revealed in 2021. The centerpiece is a ride called Mine Cart Madness, named after the best level in the 1994 SNES game Donkey Kong Country. After being blasted out of a barrel cannon, you'll take a mine cart ride through the jungle that includes a "leap across a collapsed track" as Nintendo showed in a render earlier this year.  

The direct livestream appears to be focused on Donkey Kong world alone, and Nintendo specifically pointed out that "no game information will be featured" — so don't expect any news on the next-gen Switch 2 console either. 

Donkey Kong Country will expand the park size by up to 70 percent, Nintendo said when it was announced. Current attractions at the Japan park are the Mario Kart: Kuppa's Challenge rollercoaster and Yoshi Adventure. Nintendo recently announced that it would open a Super Nintendo World attraction at Universal Studios Orlando on May 22nd, 2025 with the same attractions as the park in Osaka. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-will-show-off-donkey-kong-country-theme-park-expansion-at-live-event-today-130015655.html?src=rss




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Nintendo Switch 2: Everything we know about the coming release

As the world turns, so do the console generations. The Nintendo Switch is over seven years old, so it’s due for a refresh. Nintendo Switch 2 rumors have been swirling for years, but now they are really heating up. A sequel to Nintendo's most successful home console ever is coming and it’s likely coming sooner rather than later.

Will it be a straight up sequel to the Switch with updated specs while retaining the same hybrid functionality or will Nintendo get weird with it? Will it even be called the Switch 2, or will the company go with something like the Super Switch or even the New Nintendo Switch? You can never tell with Nintendo. Heck, maybe it’ll call the thing the Switch U.

In any event, recent weeks have brought feverish speculation regarding all aspects of the forthcoming gaming console. It’s important to note, however, that very little information has been confirmed by Nintendo. The company operates on its own timetable. With that said, here are all of the rumors that are most likely to come true, given industry analysis.

As previously mentioned, Nintendo marches to the beat of its own drum. We don’t exactly know when it’ll hold an event to reveal the console. It likely won't be in 2024, as the tech year is winding down and it's rare to get announcements of new harder in late November and December. 

Even Nintendo has trouble keeping the lid on a major console release, so we could learn something before the official reveal. There are parts that have to be sourced and shipments that have to be made. A senior analyst at MST Financial noted a spike in production equipment spending by Nintendo assembler Hosiden.

Once again, this is more or less a mystery. We aren’t totally in the dark, but it’s mostly rumor and speculation. One thing we know for sure is that Nintendo will announce the Nintendo Switch 2 (or whatever it chooses to call it) by March 2025, as the company confirmed back in May. Some are saying there will be a March release date, which makes sense given the OG Switch came out on March 17, 2017. However, other reports put the console’s release window later in 2025.

We can infer a lot from the announcement date. If the console is announced this year, March would be a safe bet, given that the original Switch was officially confirmed in October of 2016. However, the console likely won't be announced until next year, at this point, so expect a late 2025 release. 

Nintendo has a weird track record here. The baffling Wii U followed the massive success of the Wii. The Wii itself followed the more traditional GameCube. In other words, it’s possible it’ll be something out of left field and not exactly a true sequel to the Switch. However, this is unlikely this time around. As much as I would love to see wacky VR glasses or a completely bonkers console concept, all points indicate a more traditional approach.

Developers have already seen the hardware, though in a much earlier form, and it seems to be a regular old console. While Nintendo hasn't confirmed hybrid functionality, it’d be a weird omission given the absolute financial firestorm of the Switch. We’ve also heard rumors of a Mini-LED display, which would track for a hybrid console. It’s highly likely this will be a straight-up Switch 2, or something like it, calling to mind the Super Nintendo.

To that end, recent rumors suggest a design that recalls the original Switch. According to reporting by VGC, photos of the console have appeared online and they show an 8-inch screen and magnetic Joy-Con controllers. There looks to be SL/SR buttons and front-facing player LEDs on these controllers. 

If it’s a sequel to the Switch, the next question has to be about backwards compatibility. The Switch’s library is absolutely massive, and continues to grow, so gamers would be rightfully peeved if they couldn’t play Tears of the Kingdom on their new next-gen console. There’s good news on this front.

The company has officially announced in a recent earnings report that the console will be fully backwards compatible. It will also feature access to Nintendo Online, so users will be able to play all of those old retro titles. 

The rumors regarding specs are all over the place, so it’s tough to pin down. We know one thing for sure: It’ll be more powerful than the ancient Switch hardware, which was already antiquated back in 2017. One analyst allegedly got a hold of a spec sheet from the Korean United Daily News that said the Switch 2 would boast an eight-core Cortex-A78AE processor, 8GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal eMMC storage. This tracks for me, as these specs are about as underpowered in 2024 as the original Switch was in 2017. However, some reports do indicate that the console would include 12GB of RAM. 

Another source suggests that the eight-core CPU will be packaged inside an NVIDIA-produced Tegra239 SoC (system on a chip). Given the current Switch runs on an NVIDIA chip, that makes a lot of sense. The CPU will be more powerful, but it's the Switch 2's new GPU that will be a major differentiator. It's all-but-confirmed that the Switch 2 will support DLSS, NVIDIA's "deep learning supersampling" upscaling tech, which would allow the console to render games at a low resolution internally while outputting a high-resolution image. (Fun fact: We actually wrote about how perfect DLSS was for the Nintendo Switch 2 when the technology was announced alongside the RTX 20 series back in 2018.)

There are still questions about the Switch 2 and DLSS: Will the system support newer DLSS features like frame generation? Will existing games be automatically tidied up by NVIDIA's algorithm? Regardless of the exact implementation, DLSS upscaling will be a huge leap over the rudimentary techniques available to Nintendo Switch developers.

As for the display, there are many conflicting rumors. Early reports from solid sources suggested the Switch 2 would have an 8-inch display LCD display, but there have also been rumors about an 7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Some analysts have suggested this would be an OLED screen, while others have said it would be a Mini-LED display. A Mini-LED display is basically an LCD display that has a backlight made of (surprise!) mini-LEDs rather than edge lighting. This allows for local dimming, making the blacks more black. I’m hedging my bets here. I think it’ll be a standard LCD, to cut costs, with an OLED or Mini-LED model coming later down the line. However, Mini-LED screens are slightly cheaper than OLED displays, so that’s certainly a possibility at launch.

As for resolution, recent reporting suggests that the console will output 1080p in handheld and 4K when docked. That's much better than the OG Switch. 

We don't have too much information regarding price but we do have plenty of history to work with. The original Nintendo Switch launched at $300, which is pretty much the "magic number" when it comes to Nintendo console releases in recent years. The Wii U also came in at $300. 

However, there are plenty of rumors circulating that Nintendo could be upping the asking price for the Switch 2. Numerous outlets have reported it'll be $400, or potentially even more expensive. However, the same analysts who say the console will be $400 were also fairly certain it would be out by the end of 2024 and, well, it looks like that ain't happening. 

Dipping back into history, there is some precedence for a price uptick. The GameCube was $200 and the Wii was $250. The Wii U and Switch increased to $300 and, well, numbers like to go up. A $400 price tag would make it nearly as expensive as a PS5 and Xbox Series X. That would also put it at the same price as the 256GB LCD Steam Deck. 

Nope! But it’s certainly been a long time since we’ve gotten a proper 3D Mario adventure, right? That would be one heck of a system seller. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine. Past as prologue, we can expect something from Ubisoft and an off-the-wall title like 1-2-Switch

If there’s a gimmick or hook involved with the console, we’ll also get a game that takes advantage of that. A dual release of Metroid Prime 4, just like Breath of the Wild and Twilight Princess before that, is also a possibility.


That's everything we know about the Nintendo Switch 2 today. We'll update this article with rumors we trust and with information we gather directly from sources. Any changes made to the article after its initial publishing will be listed below.

Update, November 11, 2024, 9:00 AM ET: This story has been updated with details about the Switch 2's backwards compatibility as well as more details about the current expected announcement and release timeline.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-switch-2-everything-we-know-about-the-coming-release-110023903.html?src=rss




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The Beatles are nominated for two Grammys thanks to AI

While reading through the list of Grammy nominees earlier I came across quite a surprise. There, competing for record of the year alongside the likes of Beyoncé's Texas Hold 'Em and Chappell Roan's Good Luck Babe, was Now and Then by The Beatles. No, to my dismay, this isn't a time travel situation, but the result of AI. 

So, here's the story of how The Beatles got nominated for two Grammys — they also snagged a best rock performance nod — 50 years after formally breaking up. It starts with a demo John Lennon recorded in the 1970s that was given to Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison for inclusion on the The Beatles Anthology, released in 1995. While other tracks like Free as a Bird and Real Love made it on, technology wasn't advanced enough to separate Lennon's vocals and piano without reducing the recording's quality. 

But, last year McCartney and Starr used modern machine learning technology to pull Lennon's vocals for a new track. Now and Then, released in November 2023, includes McCartney on bass, Starr on the drums, Lennon's vocals and a guitar in Harrison's style (a 1995 recording of him makes up some of the background rhythm guitar. You can watch a documentary about making the track here

Unsurprisingly, the song is said to be the last from the Beatles. We'll have to wait until the awards show in February to see whether or not AI will help them win another Grammy. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-beatles-are-nominated-for-two-grammys-thanks-to-ai-150004467.html?src=rss