Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 3100 chip will finally make Google’s Wear OS competitive

Qualcomm has taken some lumps over the past year about not updating the aging Snapdragon 2100 chipset, which has powered many smartwatches over the past couple of years. It has now answered those criticisms with the new Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform, and it has definitely come out fighting, as it packs a variety of new technology to power the next generation of wearable technology.

The Snapdragon Wear 3100, unlike the 2100, is a new low-power chipset designed for smartwatches, rather than being adapted from a chip designed for smartphones. To understand what makes it special, think back to how many multi-core phone chips were described as having “big” cores and “little” cores, which helped manage power and reduce battery consumption. The Snapdragon Wear 3100 is made up of 4 A7 “big” cores, a little DSP, and a new tiny co-processor.

5 years of research

It has taken five years of research to create the 28nm QCC1100, ultra-low power co-processor, and it’s going to fix many of the things that frustrate us about wearable tech at the moment. Crucially it will be responsible for keeping the lights on when you’re not interacting with the watch, removing strain from the main processor. Two new display architectures kick in depending on activity, further reducing power consumption. How much lower? Qualcomm said the Snapdragon Wear 3100 reduces active power by 20 times over current products.

The introduction of the new chip will make future Google Wear OS smartwatches more versatile, and is designed to power both fashion and sports-focused watches. Qualcomm told Digital Trends we will see more sports manufacturers introduce smartwatches with the Snapdragon Wear 3100 inside, due to the platform now able to run GPS and a heart rate sensor for 15 hours on a single charge, rather than the three that’s possible now.

How about battery life overall? Depending on the capacity of the battery, new smartwatches with this chip will operate for between 36 and 60 hours before a recharge. Snapdragon Wear 3100-powered watches will also have a power-saving traditional watch mode, similar to what we’ve seen on the Mobvoi Ticwatch Pro and the Huawei Watch 2, except here it’s a combined hardware and software system that will see the watch run in ambient mode for 30 days on one charge. You’ll get a week from 20-percent battery power too.

New Snapdragon Wear 3100 ambient mode, shown on reference hardware.

It’s not just power benefits either. The co-processor will run a brand new ambient mode, which elevates the current boring Wear OS ambient mode look to something much more watch-like. It will display 16 different colors, a moving second hand, and complications too. We saw a beta version running, which you can see in the image above, and it looks great. With ambient mode on, the A7 cores are asleep, and everything operates using the co-processor. Interestingly, the co-processor doesn’t run Wear OS like the A7 cores, but an RTOS operating system, which again increases efficiency.

Do more, for longer

The co-processor isn’t the only new aspect of the Snapdragon Wear 3100. There is a new PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuit) for improved battery life, a next generation NFC chip for better contactless payments, a more efficient modem designed for use in wearable products, and custom SRAM. Additionally, the Digital Signal Processors are built on an open framework for manufacturers to add more sensors based on product requirements, rather than being limited to what Qualcomm provides.

Qualcomm describes the Snapdragon Wear 3100 as a platform, not simply a chip, and it will be supporting it through updates in the future. These will being new features and improve the battery life too. We should expect a Monday-to-Friday battery life extension first, followed by Monday-to-Sunday life in the future. Boiled down to the basics, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform will let us do more with our smartwatches, for longer, and become less reliant on charging. It’s exactly what we’ve been waiting for.

For all the new features in the Snapdragon Wear 3100 to work, it will require a new version of Google’s Wear OS on the watch. Google unveiled a new way to interact with Wear OS, but we haven’t seen these new power-saving modes in action. Plus, some manufacturers may decide to use a smaller battery due to the power efficiency enhancements, so a thinner watch case can be introduced, potentially negating the bulk of the battery life improvements.

The first smartwatches with the Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform inside will be from the Fossil Group, Montblanc, and Louis Vuitton, which shows the high level of interest from fashion brands in continuing to churn out these watches. The Fossil Group contains brands such as Michael Kors, Misfit, Marc Jacobs, Emporio Armani, and Skagen. The Montblanc watch already has a name — the Summit 2. These first watches with the Wear 3100 will be available before the end of 2018.

Editors’ Recommendations

• New Wear OS smartwatches have arrived! Here’s why you shouldn’t buy them
• Skagen’s new Falster 2 smartwatch comes with built-in GPS, heart-rate tracking
• Diesel’s neon-soaked On Full Guard 2.5 is a Vegas marquee on your wrist
• Fossil adds Noonlight’s emergency feature to its latest lineup of smartwatches
• Qualcomm’s newest smartwatch chips are made just for kids

Google’s Pixelbook 2 ads reveal bezel-less design ahead of October launch

Image credit: Bill H via Chrome Unboxed

With Google slated to announce its updated Pixel hardware lineup next month, there has been a number of leaks over the past few days of what Google’s latest hardware designs for its Chromebook could look like. Google is widely expected to take the wraps off of what appears to be two distinct Pixelbook 2 models at its October media event, and the latest images of show what appears to be a convertible Chromebook design with a virtually bezel-less display.

Given that the ad depicts what appears to be a Chrome OS device with a similar convertible form factor to the Pixelbook, this design may be for the Pixelbook 2 model with a code name of Atlas. Like the current generation model, this design allows the Pixelbook 2 to convert between laptop and tablet modes with its 360-degree hinge. What’s interesting is that the images for this device come by way of official Google ads on Facebook and not from leaks.

Images of what is believed to be the Pixelbook 2 Atlas were posted by Chrome Unboxed. At this time, it’s unclear if this will be the final design of the device or if Google is merely trolling the internet. The narrow bezels could be the result of photo manipulation, a practice that’s not uncommon for rendering images in advertisements. However, if the design is accurate, the practicality of having virtually no bezels is questionable, as it would make this device hard to hold while being used as a tablet.

But this could still be a trend that Google will pursue for its next generation of Pixelbook designs — just not to this extreme. In an earlier leak, a developer build of Chrome OS revealed an animation of a tablet with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and slimmed down bezels. If Google does indeed choose this design route for the Nocturne, as its ad would lead us to believe, it would need a new placement for the webcam since the screen extends fully to the top, sides, and bottom edges.

Over the weekend, a short Pixelbook 2 video was leaked, showing a device with slim bezels and a keyboard design with rounded keys. The video’s close-up view of the device doesn’t reveal too much about the overall design, but it’s believed that the Pixelbook 2 shown is a tablet with a detachable keyboard design. This would make this second Pixelbook 2 model more competitive against tablets, like Microsoft’s Surface Go and Surface Pro models as well as Apple’s iPad tablets. If the convertible model is referenced as Atlas, then the Pixelbook 2 tablet with its detachable design could be the Nocturne model.

Despite the number of leaks in recent days, it’s still unclear whether Google plans on unveiling both or either Pixelbook 2 models or designs at its October event.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Google’s Pixelbook 2 tablet could debut with fingerprint security
• 5 features we want in Google’s Pixelbook 2
• Google Pixelbook review
• Google may launch two Pixelbook 2 laptops in October
• Samsung Chromebook Pro review

Yi-One smart mug will cool your coffee just enough for you to drink it

In today’s busy 24/7 world, who has time to wait for a hot cup of coffee to cool down? Certainly not the folks backing an unusual, but exciting new Kickstarter campaign for an innovative mug called the Yi-One. Updating the thermos for the new millennium, the Yi-One promises to keep your freshly brewed hot coffee at a scalding 200-degree Fahrenheit temperature, until you want to take a sip, at which point it will cool it to a drinkable 150 degrees in just three seconds flat.

“The technology is well proven and simple,” Yanming Wen, CEO of International Patent Acquisition, the company behind the technology, told Digital Trends. “The double-walled vacuum cavity and the cavity of the temperature equaling heat exchanger are partitioned by an insulated layer — with a centered hole for inserting of a solid and long-lasting drinking straw and a few communicating holes serving as coffee flowing passage. The temperature-equalizing metal of the cavity quickly and simply equalizes 20 to 30 cubic centimeters of scalding hot coffee that flows into the cavity by [50°F] within 3 seconds.”

In terms of the project’s origins, Wen tells a familiar story: That of the caffeine connoisseur forced to undergo an agonizing wait each day for their coffee to cool down.

“There was no way I could resist the alluring aroma of coffee that I needed so badly to kick-start my day,” he explained. “I often took a few sips of the hot coffee that ended scorching my lips and often spilled on me and my car seat. Sipping hot coffee kept in a mug on the go was always an inevitable trouble.”

If Wen has managed to crack this problem (which, as he noted, is one shared by millions of coffee drinkers), Yi-One will be onto a winner. We’ll wait until we’ve gotten the chance to test it for ourselves before proclaiming it a savior for coffee-drinkers everywhere, but it certainly sounds intriguing. As ever, we offer our usual warnings about the potential risks inherent in crowdfunding campaigns. However, if you’re keen to get involved, head over to the project’s Kickstarter page, where a Yi-One cup starts at $79. Shipping is set for early 2019.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Beat the heat with this super-cool personal air conditioning unit
• The best PS1 games of all time
• How to wall mount a TV: Tips and tricks to cut down on frustration
• ‘Fortnite: Battle Royale’ tips and tricks
• The best coffee makers of 2018

Yi-One smart mug will cool your coffee just enough for you to drink it

In today’s busy 24/7 world, who has time to wait for a hot cup of coffee to cool down? Certainly not the folks backing an unusual, but exciting new Kickstarter campaign for an innovative mug called the Yi-One. Updating the thermos for the new millennium, the Yi-One promises to keep your freshly brewed hot coffee at a scalding 200-degree Fahrenheit temperature, until you want to take a sip, at which point it will cool it to a drinkable 150 degrees in just three seconds flat.

“The technology is well proven and simple,” Yanming Wen, CEO of International Patent Acquisition, the company behind the technology, told Digital Trends. “The double-walled vacuum cavity and the cavity of the temperature equaling heat exchanger are partitioned by an insulated layer — with a centered hole for inserting of a solid and long-lasting drinking straw and a few communicating holes serving as coffee flowing passage. The temperature-equalizing metal of the cavity quickly and simply equalizes 20 to 30 cubic centimeters of scalding hot coffee that flows into the cavity by [50°F] within 3 seconds.”

In terms of the project’s origins, Wen tells a familiar story: That of the caffeine connoisseur forced to undergo an agonizing wait each day for their coffee to cool down.

“There was no way I could resist the alluring aroma of coffee that I needed so badly to kick-start my day,” he explained. “I often took a few sips of the hot coffee that ended scorching my lips and often spilled on me and my car seat. Sipping hot coffee kept in a mug on the go was always an inevitable trouble.”

If Wen has managed to crack this problem (which, as he noted, is one shared by millions of coffee drinkers), Yi-One will be onto a winner. We’ll wait until we’ve gotten the chance to test it for ourselves before proclaiming it a savior for coffee-drinkers everywhere, but it certainly sounds intriguing. As ever, we offer our usual warnings about the potential risks inherent in crowdfunding campaigns. However, if you’re keen to get involved, head over to the project’s Kickstarter page, where a Yi-One cup starts at $79. Shipping is set for early 2019.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Beat the heat with this super-cool personal air conditioning unit
• The best PS1 games of all time
• How to wall mount a TV: Tips and tricks to cut down on frustration
• ‘Fortnite: Battle Royale’ tips and tricks
• The best coffee makers of 2018

Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2060 might launch next year without ray tracing

Gamers looking to pick up Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX series graphics card for its ray tracing capabilities may want to steer away from the low-end variants. There’s speculation that because of the taxing hardware demands of ray tracing, Nvidia may limit the new ray tracing capability to its higher-end cards.

“The cards will come out; we’ll start with the ray tracing cards,” Nvidia CFO Colette Kress answered during a Q&A session at the Citi 2018 Global Technology Conference. “We have the 2080 Ti, the 2080, and the 2070 overall coming to market. This is a major leap in terms of something that people probably weren’t expecting for another 10 years to 15 years.”

Kress’ statement about how Nvidia will start with the ray tracing cards and subsequent listing of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, 2080, and 2070 cards led Hot Hardware to theorize that the entry level RTX 2060 card may not support ray tracing, a hallmark feature of Nvidia’s RTX series. The reason is that ray tracing is GPU-intensive, and there’s an inverse correlation between frame rates and resolution when ray tracing is enabled.

“In a game like Battlefield V, with NVIDIA RTX enabled, the game runs at just over 60fps at 1,080p and between 40 to 50fps at 1,440p (in pre-release form with unfinished GPU drivers),” the site said. “When you crank the resolution to 4K, you’re looking at below 30fps with a GeForce RTX 2080 Ti.”

On lower end RTX chips where gaming performance would suffer with ray tracing enabled, Nvidia may choose instead to drop support for the feature, Hot Hardware speculated. If this is true, Nvidia’s ray tracing feature would only be found on a RTX 2070 card or higher, which would raise the cost of entry for gamers and enthusiasts looking to try out the feature. Nvidia announced that the RTX 2070 will retail for $500, and pricing goes as high as $1,199 for the RTX 2080 Ti Founder’s Edition.

Still, it might be a while until we learn more about Nvidia’s plans for the RTX 2060 and details about capabilities and features of that GPU model. Segment Next speculates that the RTX 2060 may not launch until next year to give Nvidia time to clear out inventory of its existing chips. If you don’t need the performance gains and the ray tracing capabilities from the RTX series, you may be able to score a bargain on Nvidia’s existing GTX series graphics cards.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 20 Series starts at $500 and features real-time ray tracing
• ‘Tomb Raider’ devs respond to RTX 2080 Ti, ray tracing performance concerns
• Nvidia’s new GPUs look amazing, but that doesn’t mean you should buy one
• New 3DMark benchmark will support Nvidia’s RTX 20 Series possibly this October
• Leaked benchmark shows the RTX 2080 outperforming the GTX 1080 Ti

Moto G6 vs. Moto G6 Play: Which should you buy?

We’re a virtual company made up of tech experts from across the globe. We live and breathe Android phones, and use and compare nearly every one to find the best picks for you.

Moto G6

Budget champ

$220 at Amazon

Pros

• Clean Android build with Motorola add-ons
• Compatibility with all four major U.S. carriers
• Impressive dual cameras

Cons

• Smaller battery than the G6 Play

The Moto G6 has a reasonably fast processor, great display, and dual cameras. It offers everything you could ask for in a sub-$250 phone.

Moto G6 Play

Long-lasting

$190 at Amazon

Pros

• Same clean software
• Great battery life with a huge 4000mAh battery
• Rear-mounted fingerprint sensor

Cons

• Slower processor
• Lower resolution 720p display
• Uses micro-USB

The Moto G6 Play isn’t as powerful as the Moto G6, but it’s similar enough in performance, software, and design to be arguably a better value — especially with its larger 4000mAh battery.

While the Moto G6 is clearly the better phone of the two, its advantages are largely unimportant to the Moto G series’ core audience. Those shopping on a budget likely won’t be bothered by missing out on a secondary camera or a slightly faster processor — they just want a reliable phone that lasts them through the day. To that extent, the Moto G6 Play with its larger battery is arguably a better purchase.

What are the differences?

At first glance, the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play are hard to tell apart. Physically, the biggest difference is the placement of the fingerprint sensors; the Moto G6 displays it front and center below the display, which makes it ideal for gesture navigation, allowing you to replace the software-based navigation bar and take back the bottom of your display. You might prefer the G6 Play’s placement around back, integrated into the Motorola logo, but it’s hard to argue against the added functionality on the G6’s sensor.

The Moto G6 is no doubt the better overall phone, but there’s not much reason to spend the extra money on it over the Moto G6 Play.

Only the Moto G6 features a second rear camera, though — a 5MP RGB sensor that measures depth and aids in portrait mode shots. It’s also the only phone of the two to feature a USB-C port for charging, along with Motorola’s 15W TurboPower charging for quick top-ups. The Moto G6 Play does claim a victory with its massive 4000mAh battery — a 33% increase over the Moto G6. Combined with a more power-efficient 720p display, the Moto G6 Play has stellar battery life, though without TurboPower, it takes a bit longer to charge than the G6.

Even though the G6 has a faster processor, the Moto G6 Play still benefits from nearly all of the same features as the Moto G6. It runs the same clean Android experience, it features the same 8MP front-facing camera (though only the Moto G6 can use this camera for face unlock), and it’s protected with the same water-repellant nano-coating. Likewise, you’ll still benefit on the software side from Motorola’s excellent suite of Moto Actions and the Moto Display.

If you’re buying based on power and specs, the Moto G6 is the better choice — but most people considering one of these phones is instead after value, and in that regard, the Moto G6 Play is an attractive option. Not only will it last longer on a charge, but the $30 difference in price can go towards a nice case or your phone bill.

Moto G6

Budget champ

$220 at Amazon

The very best phone under $250.

The Moto G6 has a few nice add-ons, including dual rear cameras, face unlock, and a better display. Otherwise it’s largely the same as the Moto G6 Play.

Moto G6 Play

Long-lasting

$30 less for a mostly identical device.

$190 at Amazon

Though less impressive on paper, the Moto G6 Play offers the same overall experience with a much larger battery. This is the better value for most people.

NVIDIA Shield adds voice chat in Fortnite

NVIDIA Shield, which is receiving a new software update today, is even better than when it was released in 2015. ($179 at Amazon)

The venerable Android TV box gets its 20th update with Shield Software Experience 7.1.

There’s a reason why we say the NVIDIA Shield is one of the best streaming boxes you can buy (and definitely is the best if you’re all-in on Android) — and today NVIDIA reminds us why. The Android-based Shield, which launched in 2015, is receiving its 20th update, to Shield Software Experience 7.1.

That’s three years of updates on hardware that runs just as well as it did the day it was released. It’s not every day you can say that about a tech product, boys and girls.

Serious question: How many other three-year-old tech devices can you honestly recommend today? The longevity of @NVIDIASHIELD is kinda crazy. https://t.co/WOtCID9kDr

— Phil Nickinson (@mdrndad) August 14, 2018

Anyway. Here’s everything you have to look forward to in this new update:

• Support for in-game voice chat — including in games like Fortnite — with headsets through the 3.5mm jack on Shield controllers
• Better support for keyboards and mice when you’re in GeForce NOW, including smoother movements, keyboard shortcuts, and a new section of games that support a keyboard or mouse
• More day-and-date releases including Monster Hunter World and F1 2018, and the upcoming release of Shadow of the Tomb Raider
• A new NVIDIA Shield TV companion app that sports a virtual keyboard and mouse that makes entering user names, e-mail addresses and password simple
• The return of NVIDIA Share features (Broadcast to Twitch, recording and screenshots)
• 120Hz modes for supported TVs and monitors
• Quick settings for power off, restart and sleep

That’s it, folks. Get to updating!

More: How to update NVIDIA Shield

NVIDIA Shield Android TV

• Read our Shield Android TV review
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• Shield vs. Shield Pro: Which should I buy?
• Join the forum discussion
• Complete Shield Android TV specs

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Eight hours with Assassins Creed Odyssey wasn’t enough

No stilettos, no cloaks, and no clue what is happening in the modern world right now.

Kassandra is one hit from death, her third in my attempt to defeat the Athenian hero sent to defeat the Spartan incursion on Megaris. As my sweaty hands tighten around the controller she dodges left, parries an incoming attack, and delivers a devastating kick which sends a man flat onto his back. This moment I’ve earned for us gets spent running towards the nearest fight, where three Spartans attempt to bring down a giant of a man wielding a massive halberd. With his back to me I deliver a fatal blow, earning the points necessary to restore my own health and continue the fight. Another dodge, another parry, but this time I end the combo by spearing this Athenian hero into the dirt with my sword.

His death marks both the end of the skirmish and the end of my eight hour demo with Assassins Creed: Odyssey, the latest in the franchise due out on October 5th. I learned a lot from my time as Kassandra, about the massive world this game is set in and the consequences of all the choices I had made throughout the day. That fight was more difficult than it needed to be thanks to shortcuts I took hours before and combat decision I had been making from the beginning. My actions had direct gameplay consequences, in many ways affecting the entire world around Kassandra.

And I can’t wait to see more.

Pre-order at Amazon

See Gold Edition Steelbook at Amazon

The life of a humble Misthios

Forget what you know about Assasins Creed games up to this point. You are not some guild member accepting kill contracts while you murder your way through some shadowy organization. There’s no greater cause for you to fight for, no ultimate worldview you are trying to build or destroy. You are, more or less, alone in the world. A Greek misthios (mercenary) who works to survive.

What kind of misthios is Kassandra (or Alexios, if you choose to play as a guy instead)? It’s entirely up to you. You can complete your contracts honestly and earn the gratitude of those around you, or steal and murder your way across the world. You can flirt with guys or gals you’re to seduce information out of them, or you can treat every objective like a strict assignment and never get to know anybody. Everything about this world is built on the choices you make, which is unlike any other Assasins Creed game before it.

As for how permanent or lasting the consequences of your actions are, I sat down briefly with Narrative Director Mel MacCoubrey and she explained quite a bit for me.

With the relationships you establish in the game, it can get to a point where you’ve crossed a line. As a generic example, if you are mean to someone constantly and then one day decide you regret being mean they may not forgive you because you’ve done it so many times. But in most cases we’ve been fairly fair in giving you a couple of chances if you need to turn something around. We don’t make it so the first choice is the only choice that matters, we wanted it to be a fairly open experience.

And it works really well, both as a way to ensure every gameplay experience is a little different and give reasons to play through more than once. I’m already going to play this game very differently at launch than I did at this demo, because I want to see these new consequences.

I started off with lethal archery accuracy for Kassandra instead of brutal up-front combat skills, which made individual kills way easier but complicated group fights by quite a bit. I also killed an entire island of people I cared about, because I let someone go when I thought it was the right thing to do. It’s genuinely fascinating to see these choices have long term consequences, and according to Ubisoft it’s the kind of thing you can expect to totally shape your gameplay experience.

Not everything can be altered by choice, of course. Like all of the games before it in this franchise, Odyssey is intentionally rooted in history. The recorded events which lead up to the Peloponnesian War, those things are fixed points. Your choices can impact which side you fight on, or what you do during those events but the larger facts of history will remain intact. And in this, the familiarity of an Assasins Creed game fall into place. The combat system, especially snaking around for murderin’ time and climbing all over every single thing you can find, feels exactly the way you think it should. But when it comes to how you get to an objective and what happens after, Ubisoft’s new choice and dialogue system is a satisfying breath of fresh air.

A truly massive, mostly open world

Being able to make choices and see those choices play out in front of you is fun, but the thing that really sells Odyssey for me is how truly huge it feels. At the start of the game you can choose your difficulty level, but you’re also able to choose between Guided and Exploration modes. Guided mode gives you specific directions to head around to specific missions, a little closer to your standard RPG. Exploration, on the other hand, feels more like an open world game. You still have the ability to mark specific objectives on the map and see them in your HUD, but you don’t get exact coordinates unless you’ve already been there. This encourages you to roam around, which inevitably puts you in the path of random encounters and side quests.

Exploration mode is absolutely my preferred way to play this game, because it encourages you to explore and interact with more. It also means you’re going to spend a lot more time fighting and finding better loot to level up your character. This could get you into trouble if you head somewhere outside your level, which is either bad or great depending on how you’ve set your combat skill tree up.

This mode isn’t entirely random, when you’re travelling between islands (ship to ship combat makes a return with a Greek twist in this part of the game, by the way) the map will give you basic level ranges to help you see how ready you are for an area. But even if you travel to an area well below your level, Odyssey will scale the difficulty some to make sure every fight is at least a little bit of a challenge.

In talking with Ubisoft Game Director Scott Phillips about how Odyssey came to life, he explained how this game scales difficulty for the player.

When you start out, the enemies are what we call Tier One. They have less fight moves and less variety, you’ll be able to predict more what’s coming next. When you’re around level 15 we move up to Tier Two enemies, they have more moves and abilities, they’re going to challenge you in different ways. Finally you get the Tier Three enemies that have the full move set, and you’re going to have to really understand what they’re going to do and how they’re going to do it, and they’re not going to have as many easier to deal with moves. It’s going to get harder and harder to find the right timing to deal with attacks to get good at the fight system.

Around the world you’ll see a starting level for an area, some level 10 some level 40. As you get close to that level the enemies will stay with you, so when you’re level 10 they’re level 10, 11 and 11, but maybe when you’re 13 it stays at 11 so it’s always a little bit behind you but still a challenge. This was even if you go into a lower level area its still a little bit of a challenge, but when you go to areas at or above your level it’s clearly a much harder challenge.

Every once in a while, there’s a world event you’re going to need to participate in. These massive battlefields are the result of conflicts you find across the world, and the combat is fairly straightforward. There needs to be more people on your side of the battle at the end, and you accomplish this by looking for hero characters and taking them on. One of those cool choice things in some areas is taking the time to hunt down a hero outside of these battlefield events, which could give you an edge in the fight. This combat mechanic is a lot of fun, the combat is constant but rarely overwhelming.

According to Scott, a big part of designing these battlefields is being careful about how many enemies you can attract at a time. That doesn’t mean you can’t be overwhelmed, in fact a hero warrior with a pair of warriors with shields you need to break can be quite a challenge, but it’s clear there’s a lot of effort put into balance in these fights.

It’s worth touching on the way you use your controller for all of this combat as well. Instead of mashing away on your X and A buttons for quick and power attacks, most of the fighting happens up on the shoulder and trigger buttons. I found it a little awkward at first, but after a couple of fights it actually made rapidly swapping between different combat types a lot easier. My first couple of skill tree points went toward some killer archery abilities, so I was regularly switching between sword and bow combination attacks with my fighting. Being able to rely on my index and middle fingers for these combinations is great when you really need speed. And, of course, skulking in the bushes and dropping an enemy is still deeply satisfying.

More than an Assasins Creed game

While I enjoyed the last couple of games in the Assasins Creed universe, they all fit a very specific mold. I found myself regularly telling people you’d enjoy these games if you enjoyed their predecessors, but if you didn’t there’s a pretty good chance you should look elsewhere for your fun. The same absolutely cannot be said of Odyssey. While it is definitely familiar, there’s so much room to be who you want to be in this game and that is incredibly exciting. I feel like I could play this game five times and have five different experiences, and have a lot of fun each time.

It’s also clear I’ve only seen a small part of this world and story, despite playing for nearly eight hours at this point. I still have no idea what is happening in modern times (you remember that over-arching story connecting all of these games, right?) or what Alexios and Kassandra are going to have to deal with as we move deeper into this game. There’s something special about a game which makes you want to sit down and play it through to the end while also making you think about what you might do differently when you play again. If that’s the kind of thing you’re excited about, I suggest pre-ordering this game immediately.

Pre-order at Amazon

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Jaybird X3 vs. Jaybird Freedom 2: How do these wireless headphones compare?

We’re a virtual company made up of tech experts from across the globe. While Android is our passion, we also know that a great pair of headphones is the perfect companion to any phone.

Jaybird X3

All-around champ

$95 – $119 at Amazon

Pros

• Marginally better sound quality
• 8-hour battery life
• Sweat-proof

Cons

• More expensive than Freedom 2
• Jaybird X4 are coming in September

The Jaybird X3 sound great, last eight hours on a single charge, and come with various ear and wing tips. The X3 are now more affordable than ever, but they’ll soon be replaced by the incoming X4.

Jaybird Freedom 2

Compact sibling

$91 – $99 at Amazon

Pros

• Super small, compact size
• Sweat-proof

Cons

• Only four hours of battery without charging adapter

The Jaybird Freedom 2 lacks some of the oomf of the X3 and doesn’t last as long on a single charge, but it’s the smallest pair of earbuds in Jaybird’s lineup while still retaining great comfort, sound, and customization.

The X3 are the best wireless earbuds Jaybird has to offer, but if you want a similar experience in a smaller footprint, the Freedom 2 is definitely worth a look.

What in the world is different about these earbuds?

That’s a really good question. At first glance, and even after a bit of research, it can be hard to tell the difference between the Jaybird X3 and Freedom 2. These headphones share a lot in common, and that’s honestly not a bad thing at all.

In regards to the design, the Freedom 2 is a bit more compact than the X3. The difference isn’t huge, but if you want your next pair of wireless earbuds to be as small as possible, the Freedom 2 does have an edge in this department. Aside from the size difference, though, both products have two earbuds on either end of the cable with inline controls for pausing/resuming playback, adjusting volume, etc.

When you’re actually listening to music, the Jaybird X3 and Freedom 2 sound fantastic. The amount of sound that comes out of both earbuds is a lot better than what you’d expect for their size, but because the X3 is marginally larger, we tend to prefer the audio coming from it just a tad more.

Lastly, when it comes to battery life, both earbuds technically offer eight hours of playback. However, the way they go about this is different.

With the Jaybird X3, you’ll be able to listen to your music for eight hours non-stop before needing to throw it on the charger. The Freedom 2 is only rated for four hours of listening on its own, but you can extend that by another four hours for a total of eight by snapping on its charging clip to the inline controls.

The charging clip isn’t huge, but it does add more weight to the Freedom 2 and makes it a little awkward to work out with. As such, we prefer the X3’s design of just packing in the full eight hours of use into the earbuds themselves rather than needing to mess with another accessory.

The X3 are Jaybird’s best wireless earbuds…at least for now

If you want the very best that Jaybird has to offer, the X3s are for you. The earbuds sound way better than they should, the battery life is great, and the sweat-proof / water-resistant design is perfect no matter how hard you’re working out.

The X3 is a great purchase at $95 – $119 depending on which color you choose, but with the Jaybird X4 coming out in September for just a little more at $130, you may want to hold off on the X3 for right now if you want the very latest and greatest.

Jaybird X3

All-around champ

$95 – $119 at Amazon

The best Jaybird earbuds you can buy.

With awesome sound and 8 hours of non-stop listening on a single charge, the Jaybird X3 are some of the best workout earbuds you can buy. The starting price of under $100 makes these a great value, but if you don’t mind waiting a little longer, the X4 will be here later this month.

Another great choice if portability is your main concern

The Jaybird Freedom 2 may have a more complicated charging system compared to the X3, but if size is your main concern, they pack a serious punch in a very tiny form factor.

We prefer the X3’s sound quality by just a hair and its ability to offer 8 hours of playback without a sperate charging clip, but if you don’t mind that extra piece of plastic, the Freedom 2 is absolutely worth a look.

Jaybird Freedom 2

Compact sibling

Packs a big punch in a tiny form factor.

$91 – $99 at Amazon

The charging clip isn’t the most elegant thing in the world, but if you need workout headphones that are as small as can be, the Freedom 2 earbuds deliver great sound, comfort, and more in a small footprint.

Here’s everything we know about the Pixelbook 2!

Here’s everything you need to know about Google’s new Pixelbooks.

The Google Pixelbook is one helluva device. Its bezels might be big and the lack of a fingerprint sensor is a shame, but if you want a Chrome OS machine, it’s one of the very best you can get.

It’s no surprise that we’ll be getting a successor this year to accompany the Pixel 3, but according to everything we know, Google could be prepping to launch two Pixelbook 2 devices this year. What can we expect from this new hardware and when will we learn more?

Here’s everything we know about the Pixelbook 2 series!

The latest Pixelbook 2 News

September 10, 2018 —Leaked ad shows 2nd-gen Pixelbook with much slimmer bezels

Atlas has been rumored for some time as a marginal upgrade over the 1st-gen Pixelbook, and thanks to an online ad that was recently discovered, we now have our first look at the machine.

The ad is pretty similar to other Chromebook advertisements Google’s been running, but the product shown in it is a device we haven’t seen before. The underside has a two-tone design that looks identical to the original Pixelbook, but as you can see for yourself, the bezels surrounding the screen are much smaller.

Lastly, the ad also reveals that the Pixelbook Pen will continue to work just fine with the new hardware.

September 8, 2018 — Video reportedly shows detachable Pixelbook 2

Like we previously talked about, this year should see Google releasing two Pixelbook 2 models — Atlas and Nocturne. Today, a short video clip apparently gives us our first look at the latter of those two devices.

The video’s pretty short and only shows a small portion of Nocturne, but it reveals some key details.

First of all, the buttons on the keyboard are circular instead of the traditional square design of last year’s Pixelbook. Few laptops have these circular buttons, so it’s interesting to see Google feature them on what’s likely its flagship Chrome OS device of 2018.

The bezels surrounding the display also appear to be much slimmer than the Pixelbook.

How do we know this is Nocturne and not Atlas? While we can’t confirm this with 100% certainty, the black pad that separates the keyboard from the screen sure does look like something you’d find on a Surface Pro — suggesting that the keyboard can detach from the main computer and reinforcing the belief that this is, in fact, Nocturne.

August 10, 2018 — Commit suggests two Pixelbook 2 models are coming this year

The Pixelbook is still one of the best Chromebooks you can buy, and later this year, Google may treat us to not just one, but two new machines to succeed it.

Thanks to some hard work from the folks at Chrome Unboxed, various commits hint at two new Chrome OS devices that Google is working on. Referred to as Atlas and Nocturne, these are believed to both be new entries in the Pixelbook 2 series.

What evidence backs this up? According to the commits that were found:

• Atlas and Nocturne share the same board.
• Features have been enabled for both Atlas and Nocturne in the same commit — something that doesn’t happen that often.
• “Krabbylake” is mentioned in the commit for Atlas and Nocturne (maybe a new version of Intel’s Kabylake processors?).
• Another codename “Whiskers” is referred to as a keyboard accessory for Nocturne, indicating it’ll be a detachable 2-in-1 device.

How many models are we expecting?

While one new Pixelbook would be a big enough treat from Google, a lot of signs are pointing towards us getting two Pixelbook 2 models — Atlas and Nocturne.

Atlas is expected to retain the same general design as the first Pixelbook with the exception of slimmer bezels around its display. On the other hand, Nocturne should feature a detachable design (a la Microsoft’s Surface Pro) that allows the main computer to detach from the keyboard so it’s easier to use as a tablet.

Various commits have provided ample evidence that Atlas and Nocturne are in fact two unique Chrome OS machines that Google is working on, giving customers more choice to find the Pixelbook that’s right for them.

How much will it cost?

Last year, pricing for the Pixelbook started at $999 and went up to $1649 depending on the configuration you chose.

It’s still unclear how much Google will charge for the Pixelbook 2 series, but we believe that the Nocturne detachable model will be the more expensive option while the Atlas machine that keeps the traditional laptop design will cost less.

In one leaked ad that shows a familiar Pixelbook body with slimmer bezels, the tagline under “You Chromebook” says “Convertible, flexible, affordable.”

“Affordable” could mean just about anything, but it suggests that the Atlas Pixelbook 2 could cost less than the original Pixelbook’s base $999 price tag.

When will the Pixelbook 2 be released?

Google’s confirmed that it’ll be holding an event in New York City on October 9, 2018.

While the Pixel 3 and 3 XL will likely be the main focus, this is also where we can expect to learn all about the company’s latest Chrome OS efforts with its new Pixelbook 2 hardware.

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