The One series smartphone will come with a dedicated 2MP macro camera.
What you need to know
Motorola One Macro was briefly listed online by a major Saudi online retailer.
The smartphone's key feature will be a 2MP macro camera at the back.
It is expected to be powered by a MediaTek Helio P60 chipset, paired with 2GB of RAM.
At its IFA 2019 press conference in Berlin last month, Motorola unveiled the One Zoom, its first smartphone to feature a quad camera setup at the back and 3x optical zoom support. The company is now expected to soon introduce another new One series smartphone, called the Motorola One Macro. While Motorola is yet to confirm a launch date for the One Macro, a Saudi Arabian online retailer listed the unannounced smartphone on its website earlier today (Via: GSMArena), revealing its design as well as key tech specs.
The Motorola One Macro press render reveals the smartphone will have a waterdrop-shaped cutout at the top of the display, similar to the Motorola One Zoom. At the back, the phone will have a triple camera setup along with a fingerprint sensor embedded within the Motorola logo.
The retailer listing, which has now been removed, also revealed some of the key tech specs of the upcoming Motorola smartphone. Its headline feature, as suggested by its name, will be a 2MP macro camera. In addition to the macro camera, it will also have a 13MP primary sensor and a 2MP depth sensor.
Motorola's upcoming One series smartphone was recently spotted on Geekbench as well, running on a MediaTek Helio P60 chipset, paired with 2GB of RAM. When it comes to software, the phone will debut with Android 9 Pie out of the box. However, it remains to be seen if the One Macro will be part of the Android One program. As for the pricing, Motorola One Macro was listed by the Saudi Arabian retailer for SAR 899 ($240).
Motorola One Zoom is the company's latest camera-focused mid-range smartphone. It uses a 48MP primary sensor with optical image stabilization, an 8MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, 16MP ultra-wide angle lens, and a 5MP depth sensor. The smartphone also features a 6.4-inch OLED panel with an in-display fingerprint sensor, 25MP selfie camera, powerful Snapdragon 675 chipset, and a 4,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging.
That's nearly half off its launch price of ₹83,000 ($1,170), and an absolute steal when you consider the fact that the Pixel 3a XL retails at ₹44,999 ($635). The Pixel 3 XL continues to be a great phone in 2019, and while the Pixel 4 is on the horizon, at this price you wouldn't want to miss out on last year's flagship. It still has one of the best cameras on Android — and the best selfie camera by some margin — and the hardware holds up pretty well.
The Pixel 3a series is also on sale, with the Pixel 3a available for ₹29,999 ($425) and the Pixel 3a XL selling for ₹34,999 ($495). This is what the pricing should have been for the Pixel 3a series in India, and it makes Google's latest phones that much more enticing.
The Pixel 3 XL is one of the best phones in the market today, and the fact that you're getting at for just ₹47,999 makes it one of the standout deals this festive season. The deal is valid for a limited time, so make sure you act fast if you're in the market for a new phone.
Vader Immortal II was announced during Oculus Connect 6 and is available now for the Oculus Quest.
Minor spoilers ahead for Vader Immortal: Episode II.
When ILMxLAB released Vader Immortal: Episode I on the Oculus headset, fans of the Star Wars franchise and VR fans celebrated by downloading the experience. The game quickly became one of the top-selling games for both the Quest and Rift S, and remains there at the time of this writing.
During Oculus Connect 6, Mark Zuckerberg brought up the ILMxLAB team to the stage to announce that the next chapter of Vader Immortal was available now for the Quest and Rift S.
Vader Immortal: Episode II picks up where Episode I left off. You're still training with the powerful Sith Lord, Darth Vader, as he guides you through a series of caverns below his castle located on the tiny, fiery planet Mustafar. Being immersed into the Star Wars universe where you are playing a role in the story is as incredible as you would think it would be.
Because VR can hack your brain, I truly felt like I was in Star Wars and the characters were real. Standing face-to-face with Vader is as intimidating as you'd think it would be. His iconic breathing was menacing and hypnotic, and with Vader being 6'2", I actually found myself stepping backwards every time he took a step towards me.
To help bring some lightness to the game, your robot sidekick ZO-E3 (voiced by Maya Rudolph) is with you to provide help and sometimes snarky comments as you continue your path to learning the ways of the Force.
It's down this path that you discover a secret about a powerful being who is trained in the ways of the Force, named Lady Corvax. She is responsible for the creation of an ancient relic that could possibly bring the dead back to life. Vader is seeking this device for his own purposes. Maybe to bring back the woman he loves, Padme Amidala, or maybe to exploit its powers to control the galaxy.
Vader Immortal II has you continue your journey deep under Darth Vaders cave as you explore your new found Force powers and discover new secrets.
Does this episode differ from the last one?
Controlling how you move and interact in the game is the same as Episode I but with one big difference: you now have Force powers that let you move objects such as rocks and levers. You can even grab your enemies and brutally throw them to the ground or into each other.
To access the Force, you use the Quest controller buttons that are located on the hilt where your middle fingers rests. Just hold the button down and point your hand at an object. Eventually you'll see the object begin to glow and shake, and the bigger the object, the longer it takes for you to gain control of it. Once you are in control, you can move it in any direction simply by moving your arm in any direction. To let go, you just release the button.
ILMxLAB did an excellent job bringing that feeling of Force power to Vader Immortal 2. You actually feel powerful when lifting a robot and slamming it into the ground, and the action of attempting to lift a heavy object will actually have you trying to focus your mind on the task. At one point when I failed to move an object, I actually found myself thinking about the wise words Yoda said to Luke in The Empire Strikes Back, "Do or do not, there is no try." This motivated me to focus harder, even though I don't actually have Force powers.
Another big update in Episode II is that you can now throw your lightsaber, and since you have Force powers, this means you can then summon your saber back into your hand for your next attack. To throw your lightsaber, or any object, you physically swing your arm in a throwing motion and then let go of the trigger.
Holding a lightsaber in VR doesn't feel like you're holding an actual lightsaber.
Where it gets really fun is when you combine your fighting talents with the Force to hold an enemy in the air with your free hand and then throw your lightsaber into your enemy's chest. You can use the force to pull your enemy close to you where you can then hold them and then strike them down with your lightsaber face to face, which feels really good.
Vader Immortal isn't perfect. Though the visuals all around you look absolutely amazing and the story is wonderfully engaging, holding a lightsaber in VR doesn't feel like you're holding an actual lightsaber. The Quest controllers won't let you hold the saber with two hands, and the lack of real weight can take you out of the experience. There was no extra feeling when an enemy's lightsaber clashed with yours, stopping the momentum of your swing, for example.
To be fair, I had the same issue with Episode I, so this problem isn't new. Of course, if you're pretty good with design, I'm sure you could come up with something that you could create and then 3D print that would fix this very small nit picky issue.
It's a small complaint and one I should get over because the emotional feeling you get from grabbing your lightsaber from your belt and igniting it looks and sounds really cool, even without the physical experience. On top of that, the story and the VR environment makes you forget about that small physical complaint. I even found myself yelling and grunting during battles with my enemies.
Types of gameplay
Vader Immortal: Episode II has two modes of gameplay. One is the story mode, where you can play each chapter of the story as it unfolds. It's in this mode that you'll meet new characters, battle a four-armed Rancor, and have the ability to build your own lightsaber by discovering kyber crystals, the crystal that powers a lightsaber. You'll also uncover a new ancient powerful weapon called a Lightsword that you can use during your quest.
The Lightsaber Dojo is arguably the best part of the first Vader Immortal.
Once you've completed a chapter, you're then able to revisit that chapter anytime you want to relive a battle or maybe look for something you might have missed the first time.
To ensure continuity, ILMxLAB brought back writer David S. Goyer to write the second installment of the story with both episodes being considered part of the Star Wars canon, and it's most likely that Goyer will return to pen the third and final installment of Vader Immortal.
Another mode in Vader Immortal is the Lightsaber Dojo. In this mode you can work on mastering your lightsaber and Force power skills through a series of exercises that will have you battling an onslaught of robots and training remotes that come at you in every direction. You need to be fast, on your toes, and always looking over your shoulders because you have no idea which direction the training robots will come from. It's here that you can practice using both the force and throwing your lightsaber, or learning how to defend yourself from a series of blaster attacks and lightsaber strikes.
The Lightsaber Dojo is arguably the best part of the first Vader Immortal, so it makes sense that ILMxLAB would take that success and carry it over into Episode II. There are improvements as well, such as bigger challenges that require you to use both the Force and throwing abilities.
Bottom line
Vader Immortal: Episode II is an incredible Star Wars experience. It's a ton of fun to play because you're not only watching a Star Wars story, but because you are part of the story. For any Star Wars fan, that is the ultimate dream.
The team behind Vader Immortal did everything they could do to ensure that Episode II had great storytelling and awesome VR action. Having Force powers and being able to throw your lightsaber is a much welcomed addition to this VR series, and Goyer's writing is stellar and really captures the true spirit of the Star Wars universe.
Everything combined not only shows how far VR has come with storytelling, but shows how we can take VR entertainment into a much deeper level where your actions bring the story to life. Vader Immortal does all of that, and like in true Star Wars form, ends on a great cliffhanger that will have you impatiently waiting for the final third chapter in this amazing Star Wars VR series.
Vader Immortal: Episode II is available now in the Oculus Store for the Rift S and the Quest.
Here's the times you should keep in mind if you're eager to hop into the Shadowkeep expansion for Destiny 2 on October 1.
What you need to know
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is the newest expansion for Destiny 2.
Ahead of the expansion's release, the official launch times have been revealed.
Players are expected to be able to access Shadowkeep on October 1 at 1:00 p.m. EST, though it could take a bit longer due to maintenance.
You can get the Destiny 2: Shadowkeep expansion for $35 at Amazon.
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is almost here and ahead of this expansion's release, eager players might be wondering just when they'll be able to hop in and head for the moon. According to the official status page that Bungie operates, Destiny 2 is currently offline for maintenance. Destiny 2 is expected to come back online at 1:00 p.m. EST on October 1, which is also when the update that is bringing the Shadowkeep expansion will begin rolling out.
Please note that it may take a little longer in order for the game services to come back online, as well as needing to allow for the expansion to roll out across different regions. If there's a significant change in the expected timeframe, we'll be sure to let you know. For now, get ready for the launch on October 1. Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is bringing tons of new content, changes to the way stats work and more.
Shadowkeep is the start of a whole new chapter for the team at Bungie. Expect huge new bosses, new raids, new moves, and oh so many new weapons and armor.
You can build a playlist entirely of podcasts or create a playlist featuring both music and podcasts.
While you can listen to the playlists on mobile and desktop, currently you cannot create playlists with podcasts on the computer.
Spotify and playlists go together like peanut butter and jelly. It is one of the most popular features of the music streaming service with over three billion user-created playlists. Now, it's about to get even better, because Spotify has announced the ability to add podcasts to playlists.
Not only will you be able to build a playlist full of podcasts, but you'll also be able to mix and match music and podcasts. So, no matter what you're in the mood for, you'll no longer be limited by your playlist.
Whether you like to binge your podcasts or you like a musical interlude in between episodes, you'll now have the freedom to create your playlist your way. To get started follow these steps on your mobile device.
Navigate to a podcast.
Tap the three dots to the right of the track or episode.
Tap "Add to playlist."
Select a playlist you've already created or tap new playlist to create a new one.
After you've finished building a playlist, you'll be able to access it from the "Playlists" tab in "Your Library" just like all of your music playlists.
One of the best parts of creating a new playlist is sharing it with your friends, and playlists with podcasts are no different. Now, you'll be able to collect all of your favorite podcast episodes together and share it out with your friends, because everything is better with friends.
There is one limitation though, currently adding podcasts to playlists only functions on mobile. If you're on a computer you'll still be able to listen to playlists that include podcasts, but you won't be able to add any.
The Galaxy S8 offers 64GB of internal storage, which might be more than enough for some. But if your phone is close to capacity with all your music, video, or pictures, you should take advantage of Galaxy S8's expandable storage and grab a quality microSD card. Samsung doesn't let you use your mciroSD for adoptable storage which means you won't be able to use it as you do the phone's internal storage, but it's a great place to store your treasured photos and videos, or side-load your favorite music, media, and games.
The biggest and best from Samsung
Samsung EVO Select 256GB
Staff pick
With read speeds of up to 100MB/s and write speeds of up to 90MB/s, this is the fastest card from Samsung that's also U3 classified which makes it perfect for 4K video. If the 256GB card is too much or too expensive there are smaller and cheaper options available, too.
SanDisk's high-performance microSDHC UHS-I Card offers transfer speeds of up to 80MB/s and with its U3 rating, it is more than capable of handling 4K video. We'll highlight the 128GB card for just $46, but smaller storage sizes are available!
PNY's U3 Pro Elite 128GB card offers plenty of storage and the speeds you need. Classified at U3, it is great for video, and it is capable of up to 95MB/s read and 90MB/s write. Given the pricing of the other PNY cards, this is your best value for sure.
Samsung offers cards that are much bigger than 32GB, but you might not actually need much more extra storage storage than that. These are still fully capable microSD card that can easily play or record 1080p video with no issues. If you want a Samsung-branded storage upgrade for under $10, this will do the trick.
SanDisk Extreme cards are the top-end offerings that support capturing 4K video with up to 160MB/s read speeds, which means it'll work perfectly as a storage vessel for all your favorite movies and media. It's available in 128GB and 256GB sizes, too, but we'll recommend the 64GB option that gives you double the storage capacity for under $20.
SanDisk is a respected brand when it comes to memory cards and storage products, and cards like this show you why. The SanDisk Ultra 200GB is a Class 10 card that comes with a 10-year warranty and has quick transfer speeds (up to 100MB/s). If you want a bit more memory, you can get a 256GB card for just $38.
Give your phone some extra breathing room with a microSD
Chances are you've owned your Galaxy S8 for a while now, and you're nearing storage capacity. Whether you're constantly deleting photos or apps to clear up space on your phone or want to load up your phone with your favorite media, there's really no better time to buy a microSD card for your Galaxy S8 — although we must warn you that the popularity and small size of microSD have made them a prime target for counterfeiters.
Our best advice is to try and stick with trusted brands from trusted sellers, always check the cards when they first arrive, and immediately file a claim to return or exchange the card if you suspect you might have purchased a fake.
The absolute best card you should get is the Samsung EVO Select 256GB which is available for the best price we've seen. Samsung is a natural choice for a Samsung phone, but SanDisk also offers a pretty compelling option for both 200GB and 256GB cards.
This new Eero sets its target on the sub-$100 mesh router category. It stays focused on simplicity, beauty, and ease of use with great software and support for Amazon's Alexa assistant. This is a great start or expansion to an Eero mesh network.
The Eero Pro is more of the Eero. An extra 5.8Ghz Wi-Fi band helps achieve higher top speeds than the Eero in a slightly more compact housing. A simple flatter design will work better for many when it comes to blending in.
Technically speaking, the Eero Pro is the better product, but at double the price of the base Eero, it's not worth it for most people. With tri-band support and greater overall Wi-Fi capacity, the Pro is a good choice for people that need more than 1Gbps on their devices. Most people won't need that much internet speed. For most people, the Eero with be fast enough and the lower price leaves room for more units for better coverage.
An extra band
Comparing the specifications of these two routers shows how much they have in common. The main thing that stands out on the Pro is the tri-band Wi-Fi. This will mainly help the router keep speeds high, which helps it be consistent across multiple devices connected and active. Both routers use 2.4 and 5.2Ghz, with the Eero Pro adding in another channel at 5.8Ghz.
The standard Eero is no slouch, though. Both routers support 2x2 MU-MIMO, which can quickly manage traffic with multiple connections, as well as the same CPU and RAM figures. You can safely expect the software experience on the two devices to be very similar. This is nice since the software is one of the strongest parts of the Eero experience.
Eero
Eero Pro
Wi-Fi standard
802.11AC
802.11AC
Bands
Dual-band
Tri-band
LAN ports
2
2
Frequencies (Ghz)
2.4 and 5.2
2.4, 5.2, and 5.8
MU-MIMO
2x2
2x2
Dimensions
98mm x 98mm x 60mm
121mm x 121mm x 32mm
CPU
700Mhz quad-core
700Mhz quad-core
RAM
512MB
512MB
The software
The software experience is going to be largely the same no matter which Eero device you have. You absolutely need access to an Android or iOS device to set up and configure your Eero network. Make sure to grab the app on the Google Play Store or iOS App Store before you disconnect your old equipment.
Internally, the Eero routers will update themselves when new software is available, so you shouldn't need to worry about that aspect. As you would expect from an Amazon product, both of the Eero routers are Alexa compatible. Even the older Eeros can use Alexa.
Expansion
One nice thing about being part of the Eero ecosystem is that all of the Eero devices will be compatible with each other. If you want, you could buy both of these products and use them together. If you're looking at these devices for expansion, it's a good idea to put the most powerful device at the center connected to your modem. Your entire network will only ever be as good as the main router.
If you intend to upgrade an older model Eero or the current Eero to the Pro, keep in mind that the benefits will only be apparent when you are closest to the main router. If you want to simply add range, the Eero will be the best way to do so since it provides the same specifications as the Eero Beacon at a lower price.
Both the Eero and the Eero Pro have two gigabit RJ45 Ethernet ports as well. Keeping your wired devices connected will be easier than ever since you can just plug into the nearest router.
The housing
Lastly, the new Eero has a slightly smaller physical footprint than the Eero Pro, though the increased depth makes the total volume larger. Both Eero products are small enough to conceal nearly anywhere but with decreased length and width of the Eero, hiding it should be even easier.
What should you get?
For the needs of most consumers, the standard Eero with be the better fit. While the Eero Pro will be able to handle more devices, unless you have a full house with data hungry users, the standard Eero should be plenty.
If you are building a mesh to solve a speed and capacity problem, the Eero Pro is the better move but if you want Wi-Fi that's good enough for pretty much any standard usage, from streaming to gaming, the standard Eero is a better value. Plus you can get more units to further improve coverage for the same budget.
Eero is a great expansion option to your existing Eero mesh network or a good base for a new mesh. Dual-band Wi-Fi and Mu-MIMO keeps the mesh network fast.
The Eero Pro keeps things fast even with a lot of devices thanks to a tri-band connection and great software. It's also compatible with other Eero routers.
The feature works offline and all audio as well as captions are processed locally.
What you need to know
We have our first look at Android 10's upcoming Live Caption feature.
The feature can detect speech in media being played on a device and automatically generate captions.
Live Caption will be coming to select high-end Android smartphones, including Google's Pixel line this fall.
At I/O 2019, Google showcased a new feature called Live Caption, capable of adding real-time subtitles to any video or audio playing on a device. However, unlike features like Live Transcribe, which were made available soon after the event ended, the Live Caption feature hasn't been released yet. Thanks to the folks at XDA Developers, we finally have our first look at the new Android 10 accessibility feature in action.
As you can see in the screenshots below, the Live Caption settings page will allow users to choose the language, mask profanity, and have a Live Caption toggle show in the volume panel. To help users get an idea of how the feature works, a short demo video is included as well.
Users will see a dialog when the feature detects audio being played on the device. While captions will appear in the middle of the screen in portrait mode and right above the bottom when in landscape mode, you do get an option to tap and drag the captions to reposition it.
The XDA Developers report notes that the feature supports various popular apps such as YouTube, Google Podcasts, Google Photos, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video. However, Live Caption does not currently work for phone calls or video calls.
The Live Caption feature is aimed at making videos, podcasts, social media, as well as audio and video messages accessible to users with hearing loss or hearing impairment. It will likely debut on the Pixel 4 but will also be rolled out to select high-end devices running Android 10 this fall.
