Valve updates its shipping windows for Steam Decks again

Valve has been doing an excellent job of getting its Steam Deck console into the hands of more people. If you’ve been patiently waiting, there could be some good news. The company announced changes through its OnDeck Twitter account, letting everyone know that deliveries that were previously estimated for Q4 might now be fulfilled in Q3.

This means that if you were previously scheduled to get your Steam Deck from October through December, you could now potentially expect it to arrive by the end of next month. With that said, there is a small catch with the newly updated timeline. Unfortunately, not everyone will be bumped up to the Q3 timeframe. It will be completely dependent on when you reserved your console.

Great news! We are making more Steam Decks than ever, and have just updated shipping window estimates for reservation holders. If you were previously in the Q4 (Oct-Dec) window, take a look – you might be in Q3 now!https://t.co/AcuGmUy8LN pic.twitter.com/KinXBnFMSb

— Steam Deck (@OnDeck) August 24, 2022

Valve has continued to impress, continuously pushing up reservation windows for those patiently waiting. While shipments felt like they were being delivered at a snail’s pace at one point, Valve seemed to really turn the corner in June, announcing that it had completed its order for Q2 and was moving on to reservations in Q3. The company would add that it would be more than doubling shipments for the next round.

Last month, Valve issued a new update, stating that it was ramping up production and that it would be able to fulfill orders sooner due to improvements in the supply chain. It even boldly claimed that it would fulfill all existing pre-orders by the end of the year. Because of this, many folks who were previously in the “Q4 or later” category were bumped up to Q3. Those in the “later” part were bumped up to Q4.

While it has done an impressive job with shipments, it has also done an excellent job of improving the console through software. The firm has released several updates, improving the console’s performance and reliability. It has even managed to offer proper support for Windows through updated drivers, despite stating that it wouldn’t. If you are curious about the status of your order, you can head to the Steam Store to check to see whether your position in the queue has been changed.

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Source: Steam Deck (Twitter)

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Will there be a Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Ultra?

Samsung recently unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 along with a new lineup of Wear OS smartwatches during its mid-year Galaxy Unpacked event. Ahead of the launch, we saw various leaks about the new smartwatches, suggesting that the Galaxy Watch 5 lineup would include a new top-of-the-line variant with a titanium case and sapphire glass. Some speculated that this could be the Galaxy Watch 5 Ultra, but that wasn’t the case. Although the Galaxy Watch 5 lineup includes a new flagship model with a titanium case and sapphire glass, Samsung did not go with the ‘Ultra’ moniker for this variant.

The all-new Wear OS smartwatch lineup from Samsung includes three models — the Galaxy Watch 5 (40mm), the Galaxy Watch 5 (44mm), and the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro (45mm). Since we haven’t seen any leaks about a fourth Galaxy Watch for this year, it’s safe to say that there won’t be a Galaxy Watch 5 Ultra. If you eagerly waited for one, you can go with the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro instead. It’s a rugged version of the regular Galaxy Watch 5, featuring a larger 1.4-inch display and a bigger 590mAh battery pack.

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is the top-of-the-line Wear OS smartwatch from Samsung for this year.

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro also features an improved D-Buckle Sports Band, which is more durable than the silicone strap on the non-Pro variant. In terms of features, the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro offers everything you get with the regular model, along with GPX support that allows you to record and share your hikes with fellow-trail lovers on the Samsung Health app. If you’re into hiking or cycling, you can also use the smartwatch to track download hiking and cycling routes for offline use and utilize its Track Back feature to get back home safely.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is the latest flagship Wear OS smartwatch from Samsung and, while it doesn't have the 'Ultra' moniker, it still offers some improvement over the regular Galaxy Watch 5.

Pre-order at Samsung.com

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro will go on sale in the U.S. starting August 26. It will be available in two standard colorways — Gray Titanium and Black Titanium. The Gray Titanium variant features a matching gray strap, while the Black Titanium model comes with a black band. Samsung is also offering the watch in a special Golf Edition model, which has a black case and a white strap. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro comes in Bluetooth and LTE variants priced at $449.99 and $499.99, respectively.

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Google Play Games on Windows comes to more countries with lower system requirements

Google has announced that Google Play Games beta on Windows is available in a couple more countries starting today. The service originally launched back in March in South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and now it’s also expanding to everyone in Thailand and Australia. The service is still in beta, but Google has also made some improvements to make Play Games more accessible on Windows.

Now, the app has lower system requirements, so more hardware configurations should support it. For one thing, you no longer need a dedicated GPU in order to run Google Play Games, so devices with integrated GPUs should be just fine. Google recommends at least Intel UHD Graphics 630 (or equivalent), which is an integrated GPU that’s already a few years old, so most PCs should be fine.

Google has also changed the CPU requirements, so instead of eight logical cores, it now requires four physical cores. This will enable support for processors that only have one thread per processor, which could include some lower-end CPUs, and even some older mid-range processors like the AMD Ryzen 5 4500U, which has six physical cores but only one thread per core (thus, only six logical cores).

Finally, Google has also lowered the storage requirements, so you should be able to use Google Play Games with just 10GB of free internal storage, as opposed to the 20GB that were required previously.

As Google continues to work towards a full release of Google Play Games on Windows, this will ensure many more people are able to play these games on their PC, in addition to their phones. Since its initial launch, Google says it has more than doubled the catalog of Android games available on PC, with over 50 titles now supported. These include some popular games such as Summoners War, Cookie Run: Kingdom, and Last Fortress: Underground.

If you’re in any of the supported regions, you can sign up for the Google Play Games for Windows beta here. You can also register your interest for when the service launches in other markets in the future,

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Sony unveils DualSense Edge wireless controller for the PlayStation 5

During the Gamescom Opening Night Live event, Sony unveiled a new controller for the PlayStation 5 dubbed the DualSense Edge wireless controller. While it was a long time coming, Sony has finally created its own “pro” model controller for the PS5. As you might expect, it features the ability to customize the experience through hardware and software modifications.

Software

The DualSense Edge wireless controller can remap or deactivate specific buttons on the controller. The stick sensitivity can also be adjusted, and dead zones can be dialed in. Furthermore, the triggers are also adjustable, with users having the option to adjust travel distance and dead zones. Players can also save customized control settings and create profiles, making it easier to adjust the controller on the fly when hopping from game to game. A dedicated function (Fn) button also allows quick access to settings like controller profiles, game volume, chat, and more.

Hardware

It wouldn’t be a pro controller without the ability to modify the hardware. The DualSense Edge wireless controller has three different types of swappable caps for the left and right sticks. It will also have replaceable options for the back buttons. It takes things further with replaceable stick modules. Sony didn’t provide details but stated that they would be sold separately. It will also come with a braided USB Type-C cable that can lock into the controller, preventing it from coming loose during intense gameplay.

The DualSense Edge wireless controller will retain the standard DualSense controller’s native features like haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, built-in microphone, motion controls, and more. It will come with a carrying case to keep everything together in one nice package. It can even be charged through USB while stored in the case. Sony did not announce a launch date or a price but stated that it would have more to share in the coming months.

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Source: PlayStation Blog

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Can the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series detect a fall?

Following the solid success of the Galaxy Watch 4 series, Samsung is back again with a pair of new smartwatches: the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. Instead of reinventing the wheel, the new Galaxy Watch 5 series keeps the best features of the last lineup while bringing some much-needed improvements such as a bigger battery and a stronger design. Just like its predecessor, the new smartwatches offer a plethora of health and wellness features, allowing you to monitor your sleep, heart rate, stress level, post-workout recovery, and even your body temperature. What’s more, your Galaxy Watch 5 can also detect falls and provide emergency assistance.

Fall Detection on the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

The Galaxy Watch 5 series offers a feature called Hard fall detection, which can be a lifesaver in emergencies. Once enabled, the Galaxy Watch 5 can detect hard falls and alert you if emergency assistance is needed. When a fall is detected, the Galaxy Watch 5 will display an alert for 60 seconds with a popup, sound, and vibration. If you fail to respond within the timeframe, the watch will automatically send out an SOS to the authorities and your emergency contacts.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

The Galaxy Watch 5 offers a plethora of health and safety features including sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, and fall detection

Buy from Samsung

How to set up the Fall Detection feature

Fall Detection is turned off by default. To set it up, open the Samsung Wearable app on your phone and navigate to Watch settings > Advanced features > SOS > When hard fall detected. Turn on the toggle to set up the feature. The Samsung Wearable app will need the Location, SMS, and Phone permissions. After that, choose which people from your phonebook you want to set as your emergency contacts.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro offers the largest battery in a Galaxy Watch, advanced sleep tracking, and fall detection

Buy from Samsung

The Fall Detection feature itself isn’t new. It was first introduced on the Galaxy Watch 3 and is also available on the Galaxy Watch 4 series. In particular, it can be of great help to the elderly and to those who regularly engage in dangerous outdoor activities such as mountain climbing and bungee jumping.

The Galaxy Watch 5 series was unveiled alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4. It’s now available for pre-order in multiple markets.

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Nothing Phone 1 Android 13 update slated for 2023

It’s tough launching a new smartphone company in 2022. The competition is fierce, and the stakes are high. While we don’t know the financials behind the business, from the outside looking in, Nothing has done an excellent job so far. The phone has been released, it’s getting into the hands of buyers, and the company has been releasing software updates at a feverish pace. But, it looks like one software update for the phone won’t be landing until much later, slated to arrive sometime in the first half of 2023.

The folks at Android Authority got word from Nothing’s PR team, explaining that Android 13 wouldn’t be ready until next year. This interaction was perhaps prompted by the fact that last week, Nothing CEO Carl Pei sidestepped the Android 13 question when asked about it through Twitter. Now, if you’re a Phone 1 owner, you might be asking yourself why it will take anywhere from four to ten months for the update to arrive. The company stated that it wanted to “fine tune the software upgrade with Nothing’s hardware.”

A product is more than just its specs, features, and version numbers

— Carl Pei (@getpeid) August 17, 2022

 

Currently, Android 13 is only available for Pixel devices. While it isn’t a significant update like Android 12, the refinements and minor enhancements are welcome. Some will also welcome the improved stability over Android 12. This year’s update comes sooner than anticipated, dropping much earlier than the release of the upcoming Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Last year, Android 12 was released just a few weeks before the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro releases.

Recently, Nothing delivered Nothing OS version 1.1.3. The update offered several improvements, most dedicated to the camera. The update also added support for Google’s Adaptive Battery, which should help further optimize battery life on the phone. If you are interested in the update, check your system update menu, as it is currently being rolled out over the air. You can download the image and sideload it if it hasn’t arrived. If that sounds intimidating, don’t worry, we have a guide just for beginners.

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Source: Android Authority

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Here’s our first look at the upcoming Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

Audio equipment manufacturer Bose is gearing up to launch an updated version of its premium noise-canceling QuietComfort Earbuds. Although the company hasn’t officially announced the QuietComfort Earbuds II, a new leak has revealed their updated design and highlighted a few key details.

The leak in question comes from trusted leaker Roland Quandt (via WinFuture) and includes official renders of the QuietComfort Earbuds II in two colorways. As you can see in the attached images, the upcoming earbuds feature the same general shape as their predecessors, but the leak claims that the newer model is much more compact. You’ll also notice some minor design changes, but these are purely aesthetic and won’t impact usability or performance.

Credit: Roland Quandt (via WinFuture)

The leak also highlights that the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II will offer up to six hours of battery life on a single charge, but it’s not clear if this battery life spec is with ANC or not. Based on the battery life rating for the previous model, we believe that the QuietComfort Earbuds II will last up to six hours with ANC off unless Bose offers significantly larger batteries in the earbuds. Like the older models, the QuietComfort Earbuds II will offer capacitive touch controls and a charging case with a USB Type-C port.

Credit: Roland Quandt (via WinFuture)

Quandt further reveals that the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II will retail for $299 in the U.S., making it $20 more expensive than the previous model. At the moment, we don’t have any further information about the upcoming earbuds. But Bose will likely announce the earbuds in the coming weeks and we’ll make sure to share more details as soon as they become available.

What do you think of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II based on this leak? Would you purchase it over premium TWS earbuds from Sony or Samsung? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Source: WinFuture

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