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What to know about HP's newest, lightest Aero laptop
What to know about HP's newest, lightest Aero laptop
Back in the 2010s, we saw computer manufacturers clambering to flatten their laptops and clinch the superlative of "thinnest and lightest." (See: CNET's YouTube compilation of "Every time Apple says 'This is the thinnest and lightest MacBook ever'" spanning the past 15 years.) But as laptops have bottomed out at under half an inch, it looks like the race to "the thinnest" has run its course: A computer can't get much skinnier without being, well, a sheet of paper. So, companies have pivoted the focus of their hot pursuit -- and now they're just vying to produce a laptop they can call "the lightest."
HP doesn't say its upcoming 13.3-inch Pavilion Aero 13, announced Tuesday, is the lightest laptop on the market. Instead the claim is that this is the lightest consumer laptop HP has ever produced, weighing less than 1 kilogram, or about 2 pounds. That's about 1 pound lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Starting at $749 on HP.com, the Pavilion Aero 13 will likely make its US debut in July. (HP predicts availability in the UK and Australia in August, starting at £750 and AU$1,599, respectively.) HP says it's expected to be compatible with Windows 11, which could roll out as early as October.
In a press briefing, HP touted how this lightweight laptop caters specifically to the post-pandemic mobility needs of younger people, who shuttle their computers between school, work, coffee shops and home. The Pavilion Aero 13 should last 10.5 hours on a full charge, and its display is visible even in outdoor sunlight. It comes in trendy color options like pale rose gold and ceramic white.
For a featherweight device, this laptop seems to pack a punch: The AMD Ryzen 5000 processors provide speed, the 2.5K resolution enables crisp visuals and a unique 16:10 aspect ratio offers 10% more size than 16:9 competitors. Plus, HP says the design prioritizes sustainability, incorporating materials you can recycle and plastics that would have otherwise hit the oceans.
The HP Pavilion Aero 13 is reasonably priced, and it seems as if it should suit those who need a smooth-running laptop that they can plunk into a backpack and carry from place to place. Once we grab one to review, we'll see if it's stricken with the same plasticky feel as the similar-weight Lenovo LaVie Z, or if it successfully balances portability with durability.
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DJI Osmo Action cam has two big features your GoPro doesn't
DJI Osmo Action cam has two big features your GoPro doesn't
DJI enters the action cam market with the Osmo Action.
Sarah Tew/CNET
DJI makes cameras for the sky, cameras for the land and now, with the Osmo Action, a camera for the water. And land. And air if you're jumping out of a plane or off a cliff.
Instead of the camera-on-a-motorized-gimbal design of past Osmo cameras, such as last year's palm-sized Osmo Pocket, the Action is a rugged little GoPro-like model that's shockproof, dustproof and waterproof down to 11 meters (down to 60 meters with a housing). I didn't get a chance to do any diving with it, but it worked just fine in a downpour.
The camera also has some of the best electronic image stabilization (EIS) you're going to find outside of GoPro's Hero 7 Black, which is good news for a company that's built a reputation on dreamy smooth aerial video. You'll actually find several feature similarities between the two competing cameras including recording 4K video at up to 60 frames per second and slow-motion in full HD at 240fps. But DJI gives potential GoPro buyers at least two reasons to look its way instead.
Are you ready to RockSteady?
Sarah Tew/CNET
HDR FTW
There's limited need for a tiny camera that cranks out 8K-resolution video. The same could be said about 4K-resolution video at frame rates faster than 60fps. But small cameras have small image sensors that struggle with extreme lighting conditions, so the option for high dynamic range to improve highlight and shadow detail in video would actually be pretty useful.
The Osmo Action can shoot HDR video in 4K at 30fps and the results are good. You can definitely see an improvement, though it's tricky to make HDR look natural and in some of my clips it made the subjects look flat. Also, since the camera's RockSteady stabilization isn't available with HDR, you can't really do anything too "action-y" without shaky results. Still, it's a good first step for those times when your exposure needs some help. And it can likely be improved down the road with a firmware update.
My, what big screens you have
On the back of the camera is a 2.25-inch wide touchscreen. Tap on it twice with two fingers and the 1.4-inch screen on front kicks on to show you what the camera sees. You'll also see some shooting info and the battery life. Another double tap on the rear touchscreen turns the front display off again and the rear on.
This might not seem like much, but for a camera style that's regularly used to capture the person using it, the front display often comes in handy. And since you can shoot with the camera horizontally and vertically, it's helpful to have for framing up your shots for social.
You don't need to tap on the screen to switch between them either. A long press on the camera's Quick Switch button on the left side will flip them as well as saying "screen switch," which is one of a handful of voice controls.
The Quick Switch button lets you jump right to your favorite shooting modes.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Quick Switch and the UI disconnect
One of the features I liked most about the Osmo Action is the Quick Switch button. As the name implies, it lets you quickly switch to other shooting modes of your choosing. Only care about HDR and slow-motion video and burst shooting stills? Just select those in the QS settings and those are what you'll see on screen when you press the button.
Or perhaps you have a favorite set of manual video settings for low-light conditions. You can save those as a custom set and add them to the QS menu. It's basically like having the mode selection dial from a bigger camera, but it's only got the stuff you want on it.
The rest of the camera's interface is not as straightforward. The resolution menu is separate from the camera settings menu and they don't look the same. Then there's a separate shooting mode menu that you tap on while most other menus are reached with swipes. What's worse is the experience is completely different in the mobile app. Oh, and for some reason DJI put the power and QS buttons on the left side of the camera, which was annoying for right-handed use unless I had the camera pointed at myself.
Great start, but better later?
DJI has put together an action cam that can certainly compete with GoPro's top camera. The Osmo's video quality isn't quite as good as the Hero 7 Black, which retained more detail and had less noise in its 4K video with EIS in my testing. However, it's possible DJI could change its image processing to improve the results, making it tougher to decide between the two.
There are a couple other features absent: It's missing a discrete video output and the USB-C port it has doesn't support video either. There's also no support for live streaming from the camera as of yet. And while the HDR video is certainly cool, there's no HDR photo option, only exposure bracketing.
But again, unless there's a hardware roadblock, there's possibly more potential here for DJI to unlock with a firmware update -- something it has regularly done with its drones. Speaking of hardware, DJI used a camera frame with a standard two-prong GoPro mount. So you've got lots of accessories immediately available and the company will have some of its own, including an external mic adapter and lens filters.
The Osmo Action is shipping now for $350, which falls below the $400 Hero 7 Black. GoPro currently offers a $100 off if you send in an old GoPro or other digital camera regardless of condition, however, dropping the price to $300. Decisions, decisions.
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How to calm social anxiety
How to calm social anxiety
Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time, but for most people, it's situational. For example, you may experience anxiety when you have an important presentation coming up at work. For others, however, generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder can seriously interfere with everyday activities. Situations as simple as getting lunch with coworkers or meeting a new person can trigger intense feelings of self-doubt, embarrassment, inhibition and more. Calming anxiety in social settings can feel impossible, but with the right tactics, you'll be well on your way to fully enjoying social atmospheres.
What is social anxiety?
Social anxiety, also called social phobia, is a type of anxiety disorder that involves the fear of interaction with other people. People with social anxiety may fear being negatively judged or overanalyzed by other people, and they may come across as shy, quiet, nervous or even aloof.
Some people who are diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder may also feel anxiety in social settings. The main difference between these two disorders is that people with social anxiety don't typically have anxiety about other things, while people with generalized anxiety may feel anxious about many different things.
However, having one of these conditions isn't necessarily a prerequisite to have anxiety in social settings -- people without either disorder may experience occasional social anxiety in situations that are particularly uncomfortable for them, such as speaking in front of a large audience.
In any case, it's important to understand whether the anxiety is situational or persistent.
Rachel Wright, licensed psychotherapist and co-owner of Wright Wellness Center, told CNET that it's normal to experience anxiety in unfamiliar situations, but if it's interfering with the things you want to do on a day-to-day basis (such as meet friends for happy hour or go for a group run), it's important to seek help from a mental health professional.
How to calm anxiety in social settings
Laura Rhodes-Levin, a licensed marriage and family therapist and Founder of The Missing Peace Center, told CNET that calming social anxiety is all about pulling yourself away from your thoughts.
"The key is to lure yourself out of your frontal cortex, the thinking part of the brain that's telling you to be uncomfortable, and soothe your body to become present," Rhodes-Levin said. "...Try to focus in on what others are talking about to help distract you. Breathe calmly and remember, nobody else knows what's going on in your head."
Her tips for calming anxiety in social settings include wearing an aromatherapy necklace that can casually be lifted with your hand to trigger calming neurotransmitters; holding something cold in your hand or putting your hands around a cold glass; and playing counting games, such as testing yourself to see how many shades of blue you can see.
Social anxiety can be overwhelming and encourage you to avoid all social interaction. Knowing how to calm yourself down in social settings can help.
Getty Images
Wright's top three tips for calming social anxiety involve knowing yourself well and understanding your anxiety:
1. Take a few moments to get some air and breathe
Whether that is outside or in the bathroom, give yourself the grace of being able to step out of the social situation itself to breathe. 2 minutes of breath work can reset your nervous system.
2. Plan ahead
Decide if you want a non-negotiable leave time or if you want to play it by ear. When it comes to social anxiety, sometimes it can be helpful to know when and how you're leaving a party or gathering. If you can decide this before entering into the situation it will help to limit the amount of overthinking and anxiety in the moment itself.
3. Get clear on what your anxiety is about
Explore the potential causes of your anxiety, especially if it has a specific trigger, and work through them with a therapist, coach, friend or someone else who can help.
Additionally, you can try these other tactics for calming anxiety in social settings:
When possible, attend events with a trusted friend or family member. This should be someone who you feel very comfortable around and someone who knows
Recognize that no one is perfect. Social anxiety and perfectionism often coexist, and letting go of perfectionism can be the key to overcoming social anxiety.
Talk yourself up. Social anxiety is often accompanied by self-shaming thoughts, such as "They think I'm dumb" or "Nobody here likes me." Push those thoughts out and give yourself compliments instead. Try "That story I just told was really funny" or "I look and feel fantastic in this outfit."
Some people experience social anxiety in the simplest of scenarios, such as ordering coffee, but others experience it at parties, in crowds, when meeting new people or when speaking publicly.
Getty Images
Recognizing social anxiety and getting treatment
If you have social anxiety or generalized anxiety that's triggered by social interaction, even the best tactics may not feel like enough. If you're not sure if you have social anxiety, look for the following signs:
Avoidance behavior: You avoid social events and interactions as much as possible.
Escape behaviors: You often leave events, such as parties, dinners or concerts, shortly after arriving due to anxious feelings.
Safety behaviors: You feel like you always need a distraction during social events. For example, you may always have a drink or plate of food at a party, or you feel the need to always play on your phone during casual events.
Physical symptoms: In social settings, you start to sweat, feel dizzy or light-headed, get a stomach ache, or experience other physical symptoms alongside feelings of anxiousness.
Premeditated anxiety: You make yourself nervous before even arriving at an event by thinking things like "I'm going to mess up" or "I don't have anything to talk about."
According to the Social Anxiety Association, only cognitive behavioral therapy is proven to effectively and permanently treat social anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy involves changing the thought and behavior patterns behind your difficulties. If you already have a therapist, you can also discuss medication if you think it might help.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
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Google Pixel: 5 New Features to Look Out For This Week
Google Pixel: 5 New Features to Look Out For This Week
Google on Monday announced new features rolling out to Pixel 4, Pixel 5 and Pixel 6 devices. The Pixel Feature Drop will include new ways store your vaccination card, find information faster, a way to silence background noise, make music and use new wallpaper for Pride month.
Here's what you to know about the updates:
Easy access to your vaccination card
No more carrying your physical vaccination card around or struggling to remember where a digital copy is in your phone. Pixel users in the US, Canada and Australia can now take a screenshot of their digital vaccine card and add a home screen shortcut.
More information on the fly
Google's update adds three new features to the Pixel's At a Glance feature. If you use a Google Nest doorbell, you'll now be able to see when someone rings your doorbell without opening the app. The update will also remind you if you're flashlight is on, as well as show you air quality alerts in your area.
The new Pixel Feature Drop includes Pride-themed wallpaper.
Google
Silence background noise
Conversation mode is now available to the Sound Amplifier app on the Pixel 3 and newer. The feature lets you amplify specific voices and block out background noise while using your phone's camera. The noise reduction will also apply to Google Meet calls.
Make music on the go
You can now make music anywhere with Pocket Operator for Pixel. The app lets you layer sounds, add visual effects to video, as well as create beats and patterns to mix together. You can find the app, compatible with Pixel 5 device and newer, in the Play Store.
New wallpaper
In honor of Pride month, Pixel users can find new Pride-themed wallpaper designed by artist Yan Bastard in the Curated Culture collection.
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Xiaomi 12S Ultra Has the World's Largest Smartphone Camera Sensor
Xiaomi 12S Ultra Has the World's Largest Smartphone Camera Sensor
Xiaomi's new 12S smartphone lineup consists of the Xiaomi 12S, Xiaomi 12S Pro, and 12 Ultra. All three phones will have camera modules developed in partnership with Leica. This partnership, announced in a virtual event Monday, is a first for the Chinese phone-maker, which called it a "strategic upgrade."
Of the trio, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is the most high-end model. It has a distinct design that aims to mimic the larger-lens aesthetic of DSLR cameras, and packs a formidable camera module to boot. There's a 48-megapixel periscope-style telephoto lens, a 48-megapixel ultra-wide lens and a 50-megapixel wide lens.
Xiaomi 12S Ultra
Xiaomi
But the headline feature is the one-inch sensor, the Sony IMX 989, for the main camera (wide lens), which Xiaomi managed to cram inside the chassis of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra. For context, that's the same sensor found in Sony's $1,200 point-and-shoot camera, the RX100 VII, and it means the Xiaomi 12S Ultra houses the largest image sensor found on any phone.
However, a word of caution: The phone's history-making camera hardware isn't a guarantee of best-in-class photos. As with any other phone, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra's software will play a crucial role as well in determining the image quality of the final photo, though Xiaomi has a solid track record. CNET is working to get hold of a device so we can put this phone through its paces, and perhaps compare it with the iPhone 13.
Other specs for the Xiaomi 12S Ultra include a top-of-the line processor in the form of the first-gen Snapdragon 8 Plus, which Xiaomi says will mean reduced power consumption as well as lower heat emissions. There's a 4,680-mAh battery powering the phone, which relies on 67W fast charging for replenishment. There are also two custom Surge chips for battery management.
As usual with Xiaomi gadgets, it is extremely unlikely the Xiaomi 12S will receive a release in the United States.
Dimensions: 163.17 by 74.92 by 9.06mm Resolution: 3,200 by 1,440 pixels, 522ppi Camera: 50-megapixel wide lens, 48-megapixel ultrawide lens, 48-megapixel telephoto lens Weight: 225 grams Battery: 4,860 mAh Charging: 67W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, 10W reverse wireless charging
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iPad Mini review: An excellent 2021 upgrade, but still a niche tablet
iPad Mini review: An excellent 2021 upgrade, but still a niche tablet
What's the most improved product in Apple's lineup this year? It might be the sixth-gen iPad Mini. The company's smallest tablet got the makeover I thought it needed years ago: Now it has the iPad Air's better display, a USB-C port instead of Lightning, a much better processor and better cameras too. You can also magnetically snap an Apple Pencil right onto the side now. Pretty great, huh?
iPad 9th gen vs. iPad Mini 9th gen
iPad 9th gen 2021
iPad Mini 2021
Screen size
10.2 inches
8.3 inches
CPU
A13 Bionic
A15
Starting storage
64GB
64GB
Rear camera
8MP Wide camera
12MP Wide camera
Connector
Lightening
USB-C
Broadband option
4G LTE
5G
Apple Pencil support
1st gen
2nd gen
Weight
1.07 pounds
0.65 pound
Starting price
$329
$499
The only problem is, the iPad Mini isn't a must-have gadget. Far from it; as much as the iPad is usually a secondary device for many people, the iPad Mini is often a second iPad. Which makes this a luxury for most. But the 8.3-inch screen, A15 Bionic processor (same as the iPhone 13) and excellent overall performance could make it a first choice for some, and the $499 (£479, AU$49) starting price, while high, isn't as absurdly high as other Apple products.
iPad Minis aren't as necessary with large phones nearby. And the Mini can't do the one thing larger iPads do very well: connect with keyboard cases easily to become sort-of laptops.
But if you think you'll want an iPad that can be an e-reader and gaming device and casual TV screen and sketch pad and notebook and smart home screen, with some email and social media stuff thrown in, this is a pretty lovely choice. If you're OK with its higher-than-basic-iPad but lower-than-iPad-Pro price, that is.
The Mini has grown on me the more I've used it. And really, all of its features seem upgraded, making for a lovely, speedy little tablet. But I won't be doing any serious writing on it. And with iPhones, more affordable iPads and flashy but still-evolving foldable devices all doing what this Mini does (and possibly better), you have to consider this Mini an overdue revamp that's unnecessary for most. Some will absolutely love it, though.
I'm going to stop trying to type on this Mini, and go back to my laptop to continue this review.
iPad Mini, iPad Air, iPad Pro 12.9-inch: a progression of sizes.
Scott Stein/CNET
It's really small... and growing on me
As I take the iPad Mini out of its box, I think to myself, Oh, this really is small. I'm not sure I like that. After using a larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro recently, this iPad feels extremely tiny. Too tiny. I get used to it, though.
The size of this iPad lines up much more with the folding-phone-phablet-Kindle-Switch landscape. It's more of a relaxed handheld. It feels fine held in one hand, and it's easy to carry around in a pinch. It's got a smaller footprint than the 2019 iPad Mini, in fact, but it's also a bit thicker. The Mini comes in new colors now, but they're very very subtle. Mine is purple, but the matte aluminum finish looks more like a slight variation of gray.
And while that small size could be appealing to some people as a bigger-than-a-phone-smaller-than-most-iPads thing, it also makes using it as a laptop replacement really hard.
The iPad Mini next to the iPhone 12 Pro. The iPad Mini is definitely bigger than that.
Scott Stein/CNET
You can pair a keyboard with Bluetooth, but there's no dedicated keyboard case (maybe Logitech or others will make one). And the usable screen space gets even smaller when you use the onscreen keyboard to type.
You'll also need a brand-new cover, since no older Mini ones fit. The Mini uses magnets on the back so that a wraparound folio cover snaps right on, but like the iPad Pro and iPad Air cases, that won't provide any drop protection.
But yes, this is bigger than an iPhone. It's still significantly bigger than an iPhone 12 Pro (more than twice the size), and I have to admit, I'm carrying it around for reading and games a lot more than I was expecting. But these days, I'm still mostly carrying it around the house.
I stood it up (using the sold-separately smart cover) on my back porch table while putting together a Weber charcoal grill, and called up the instruction manual. It was better than using a phone, but I also thought… hmm, a regular-size iPad would be easier to read.
In the last few days, I've started taking it everywhere. I took it to the doctor's office even though I have a phone. Why? I like the extra screen. I guess it's why people like big folding phones, too.
The iPad Mini's squared-off corners and USB-C port, next to the ninth-gen iPad's older Lightning port.
Scott Stein/CNET
USB-C and a new design, at last
The design of this iPad is completely revamped, much like the iPad Air last year. The flat edges, the sharper screen, the better stereo speakers, a USB-C port, a side magnetic charge strip where second-gen Pencils can snap onto and a side Touch ID home button… this is the total makeover I wanted in the 2019 iPad Mini. I love the look, and it makes me want to use the iPad, even if I'm not interested in using a Mini. It woos me. It all looks great.
But it's not perfect. The repositioned volume buttons on the top edge of the iPad feel weird, though maybe they make more sense when watching videos in landscape mode. And the bezels, while smaller, are still very noticeable to me. They become even more noticeable when using certain apps (see below).
The iPad Mini 2019 (left) versus iPad Mini 2021: Videos look bigger with less bezel.
Scott Stein/CNET
A new aspect ratio means larger videos, but some apps don't benefit
Playing a few games from Apple Arcade, comparing side by side with the 2019 iPad Mini, I think: Wait, does this new iPad display look smaller?
The 8.3-inch, 2,266x1,488-pixel display is a longer display than the 2019 iPad Mini's. It also has slightly rounded corners like the rest of the iPad Pro and Air line. Apple says in the fine print that "actual viewable area is less" than the diagonal measurement. Also, apps that haven't been updated for this new screen size will be pillar boxed with subtle black bars, making the bezels seem bigger and the display seem effectively the same (or even slightly smaller) than the 2019 Mini's. Since this is a prerelease of the Mini, Apple Arcade games currently have black bars, for instance. Safari and Notes and other core apps don't. Some apps will autoadjust, and others will need developers to adapt them (as for previous iPads with different screen sizes).
Documents and things like comics don't always end up looking bigger (iPad Mini 2021 on the left, iPad Mini 2019 on the right).
Scott Stein/CNET
PDFs, graphic books and digital magazines, which often have 4:3 document layouts, also don't take advantage of the larger screen area. It's just a reminder that the "bigger screen" isn't really what it seems to be here.
But it helps for videos, which play in a wider aspect ratio already. There's a bit less letterboxing, and videos fills a larger area of the screen.
A15 performance: Very good
The A15 processor in the Mini is like the one in the new iPhones. Think of it as a hybrid of older iPad Pros and more recent iPhones. The single-core Geekbench 5 benchmark score average I got was 1,598, which is similar to the iPhone 12 models' scores last year. But the multicore score is 4,548, which is close to what Apple's pre-M1 iPad Pros could handle with the more graphics-boosted A12Z chip. Like pretty much every current-gen Apple device, the 2021 iPad Mini is fast enough that you won't have to worry about taxing the system, at least with currently available apps.
Two apps at once can feel small sometimes, but it's almost like two phone screens glued together, too.
Scott Stein/CNET
Multitasking: Mostly works
Holding the Mini sideways with two apps open, it first feels cramped. Then I realize this is close to the two-app split view that the Microsoft Surface Duo has, or that folding phones like the Fold can do. It's kind of like two phone screens side by side, except you can't fold the Mini.
I wanted to hate how small the Mini is, but I'm starting to find multitasking on an 8-inch screen kind of addictive. It's exactly what the iPhone can't do. iPadOS 15 makes swapping apps in and out of multitasking mode a bit easier, but the tiny triple-dot icon on the top of the screen is also easy to accidentally press in some apps, since it's near a lot of top menu bars and icons.
The iPad Mini camera with flash (middle) compared with the iPad 9th gen (left) and the lidar/dual-camera iPad Pro (right).
Scott Stein/CNET
Rear camera with flash, and digital-zoom wide-angle front camera
The Mini's cameras are good: not recent iPhone-level, but more than good enough. A rear flash and 4K video recording will make it good enough for documentation or on-the-spot videos and photos, though it doesn't have multiple rear cameras, and doesn't have lidar scanning like the iPad Pro models do. The front camera has a wider-angle mode that taps into Apple's digital-zooming Center Stage tech, which debuted on the iPad Pro in the spring. It's helpful for face-following while on video chats using FaceTime, Zoom and other supported apps, and is a feature that all Apple devices should add.
So many devices, and the Mini feels a bit like so many of them.
Scott Stein/CNET
Game console? E-reader? Sketchpad? Sure. But… pricey
The size of this Mini sets it up as a gaming tablet, or a Kindle alternative, or a very nice superportable sketchpad. This is what Apple is clearly leaning into with the Mini. There's also a business audience for a revamped and faster mini tablet for point-of-sale or field work.
But add up what this will cost: $499 only gets you 64GB of storage and a USB charger in the box. Buy a case, which you'll absolutely need ($60) and that nice Pencil ($130), and upgrade the storage to 256GB ($150) and you're at $840. Not cheap!
The Microsoft Surface Duo (left) and the new iPad Mini (right). A future glimpse, perhaps, at where the iPad's size could go next...
Scott Stein/CNET
Could this be a phone? Not really
It's tempting. The new Mini has 5G (but read the fine print on that one). It's small. It's sort of lower-priced than iPhones. But there are clear downsides. It's not water-resistant or drop-resistant like an iPhone. It's large, like really large -- you'd need a big jacket pocket or a bag. It doesn't have GPS. There's no actual phone call app. And I don't know why it took me so long to realize, but iPads have no haptics, which is weird. No buzzing for silent notifications, and no subtle feedback in games and in apps.
It really makes me think about using a 5G-enabled iPad Mini as a phone replacement. Apple has a clear gap in its product lineup. The Mini feels like the sort of device that folding phone makers are aiming toward. The Mini is the best option Apple has in that space. But a future iteration could end up being the candidate for a folding display, like the Microsoft Surface Duo or the Samsung Galaxy Fold 3 (which, by the way, both cost a lot more than an iPad Mini).
About that 5G: The Mini's flavor of 5G doesn't support the limited-availability but sometimes very fast millimeter-wave frequency like the iPhone 12 and 13 and the spring iPad Pro do. If you don't know what I'm talking about, 5G signals come in several types, and mmWave (where available) is like a very fast local hotspot. This means, effectively, that this Mini's 5G won't reach superhigh speeds. In suburban Montclair, New Jersey, my Verizon 5G test SIM speeds ranged from 270Mbps to 170Mbps, which is basically similar to LTE. The $150 cellular modem add-on plus monthly fee isn't worth it to me (but maybe your business will foot the bill?)
Using it while putting together a charcoal grill. Second grill, second iPad.
Scott Stein/CNET
It's nice, but niche
I just bought a charcoal grill, a Weber. I already have a gas grill. Why did I do this? I wanted an affordable one that could do charcoal, too. Sometimes people buy second grills. It's a luxury, and a niche. People buy second things. Or specialized things. The Mini is a great total revision, but I wouldn't say it's a must-have… and it's far too expensive (and limited) for kids. (Or my kids, anyway.) For your family, maybe, it might be worth the upgrade if you're in love with the design and don't mind the mini size. But it's the best iPad Mini, if you ever craved one and have the cash to spend. It's a lovely little luxury.
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Beyond Axie Infinity: 'Web3 Games' Hope to Convert Crypto Skeptics
Beyond Axie Infinity: 'Web3 Games' Hope to Convert Crypto Skeptics
The moment Chris saw Axie Infinity, he was hooked. He was once an avid gamer, playing hours of League of Legends every day, but stopped after deciding he was sinking too much time into an unproductive hobby. Axie Infinity promised something different. Inspired by Pokemon, it's a video game about training and battling monsters. That sounds like hundreds of other games, but one element distinguishes Axie Infinity. It's built on the blockchain.
Axies are the Pokemon of Axie Infinity, but they're owned as nonfungible tokens, or NFTs. A cryptocurrency called Smooth Love Potion is earned by battling these Axies. Players can also breed Axies, then either sell or battle with them. Chris, who declined to give his real name and goes only by the pseudonym Cryptobarbarian, felt he could justify playing video games again -- as long as it paid.
"It was fun for the first few weeks, but it gets boring really fast," the 28-year-old said. From there, he said, Axie Infinity became purely about making money.
Axie Infinity is a browser game. Accessing it is free, but you need to buy a team of three Axies to play. At its peak of popularity, bottom-tier Axies cost around $350 each, meaning playing the game once required a four-figure investment. The game allows Axie owners to lease out their monsters to other players, however. A longtime crypto investor, Cryptobarbarian told me he bought $30,000 worth of Axies and loaned them out in return for 40% to 70% of the profits. (CNET wasn't able to verify his purchases.)
The strategy paid off at first. Axie Infinity was a hot ticket in CryptoTown, generating over $15 million a day last August. But thanks to a combination of poor in-game economics, inflation threatening the real world's economy and a $600 million hack reportedly caused by a fake job posting, the price of Axies and the game's Smooth Love Potion cryptocurrency collapsed. The same monsters that cost hundreds of dollars last year now fetch under $10.
"I got around 100 players playing for me with high-end Axies," Cryptobarbarian said to me over Twitter, "which overall cost around $100,000 at the height and are now worth nothing."
To gamers, stories like this provide ample reason to reject "Web3 gaming," a term referring to the integration of NFTs and cryptocurrency into games. The significant carbon footprint of ethereum and bitcoin adds to the resentment. Be it Ubisoft bringing NFTs into Ghost Recon or Square Enix launching Final Fantasy 7 NFTs, gamers have fiercely resisted the blockchain coming anywhere near their industry.
Three Axies in Axie Infinity.
Sky Mavis
The fear is that crypto and NFTs will deform gaming into a side hustle, transforming its purpose from entertainment to moneymaking. Play-to-earn titles such as Axie Infinity prove the point; they're not games as much as they are financial speculation with the veneer of a game.
"I've never met anyone that played it just for fun," Cryptobarbarian said of Axie Infinity, "only to make money."
But Axie Infinity doesn't represent the future that many Web3 developers envision for gaming. Video game firms, both small and large, are developing titles they hope will clean the slate of Web3 gaming. All are on carbon-neutral blockchains such as polygon or solana, which are far more efficient than ethereum. (Whether they're as secure is an open question.) The goal isn't to make titles that entertain crypto speculators, but rather to make games fun enough that people can justify playing them regardless of whether they earn crypto.
"I've long been a believer that gaming is one of the consumer internet categories that is most likely to bring on mainstream adoption of crypto," said Amy Wu, head of gaming at FTX Ventures, the investment arm of the FTX crypto exchange. "But I also believe when you have a hit game with Web3 elements, it's very likely that the majority of players will never actually trade those tokens. They're just playing the game."
Free to play, play to own
The upcoming wave of Web3 games will range from free-to-play mobile titles to big-budget AAA games for PC and console. On the simpler end of the scale is Shatterpoint. With an art style inspired by Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it's an action RPG for Android and iOS that, on paper, looks like many top App Store games. There's a single-player campaign plus a PvP multiplayer mode. You earn new weapons and gear as you progress and, much like Fortnite and Call of Duty, the multiplayer is broken up into different "seasons."
But these seasons, segmented by "the shattering" in the game, is where the blockchain comes in. Players will be given a certain list of goals each season. If they complete one -- say, being one of the first 100 players to reach level 50, or staying atop of the PvP leaderboard for a certain amount of time -- their character will be converted into an NFT. Only a limited amount of NFTs will be minted per season.
There are two reasons why players might want to bother scoring an NFT. The shattering acts as an in-game reset, so any gear you've collected will vanish. NFT characters, of which there will be a limited amount each season, are permanent. However your character looks when it's minted into an NFT, with whatever combination of gear equipped, that's how it'll look in perpetuity. The second benefit is that these NFTs can be sold on a marketplace -- if there's a market for them.
A screenshot from Shatterpoint.
Estoty Games
There are three crucial elements that make this model sustainable, says Shatterpoint developer Benas Baltramiejunas. First, the game is free to play -- unlike P2E games like Axie Infinity, which requires the upfront cost of three Axie NFTs. Second, none of the items retained as an NFT can resemble "pay to win" mechanics. There can only be cosmetic benefits to owning it, not a competitive edge. Last, and most important, the game is designed with the assumption that most people playing won't be interested in minting their character as an NFT. It has to be fun for them too.
"We're using the NFT approach to create a bit of competitiveness, to incentivize players to play," he said. Shatterpoint is monetized by traditional microtransactions and from taking a small cut of NFT sales -- 2.5% is the traditional cut creators take. Baltramiejunas hopes that focusing on NFTs will result in both better game design and fairer prices. If developers can create a compelling game, revenue can theoretically be sorted out organically through whatever the player base sets as the value of the NFTs.
"In free-to-play games you have whales which account for 10% of the player base but 90% of the revenue," Baltramiejunas said. "If you only have those microtransactions for monetization, you are only focusing on those whales during the content creation, and you're leaving everybody behind. However, with NFT integration, you don't need to monetize that aggressively. The market decides."
NFT brands expand into gaming
While Shatterpoint is a mobile game that produces NFTs, the coming years will see many examples of the reverse: NFT collections turning into games. NFT drops, such as the famed Bored Ape Yacht Club, are doubling as crowdfunding platforms that produce games. Creators earn millions in royalties from sales, and use that money to expand the brand, theoretically boosting NFT prices in the process. Some brands are expanding into TV and film. Many are dabbling in gaming.
One such example is My Pet Hooligan. It's a product of AMGI Studios, an animation studio where former Pixar animator Colin Brady serves as chief creative and technology officer. The studio sees Unreal Engine 5 and blockchain technology as the next technologies that will drive entertainment, Brady told me at the recent NFT.NYC conference.
AMGI Studios' goal of 2021 was to use Unreal Engine 5 to create an animated film for Netflix at half of the traditional cost. While the film was being greenlit, Brady explained, AMGI technical lead Kevin Mack approached him about starting an NFT collection.
The result was My Pet Hooligan, a set of 8,888 3D rabbits. "We sold out in less than a minute, and all of a sudden people started saying, 'hey, when movie? When TV show? When video game?'" Brady said. The studio, filled with Unreal Engine programmers, already had a game in the works.
The result is Rabbit Hole, a sandbox game that looks like a mix of Grand Theft Auto and Ratchet and Clank. Rabbit Hole is currently in closed alpha, available only for My Pet Hooligan NFT holders with only one map functional. The build of the game I saw at NFT.NYC was intriguing. It was certainly incomplete, with noticeable frame-rate issues, but had the clear foundation of a fun sandbox game.
My Pet Hooligan NFTs on the OpenSea marketplace.
AMGI Studios/OpenSea
Rabbit Hole will eventually be available for PC and console. Brady says the goal is to reach 1 million players by the end of the year. To encourage the type of in-game socialization seen among players of Fortnite and Roblox, the studio developed a companion facial-recognition app for phones. If you perch your phone where a webcam typically is on a computer, it'll track your face and replicate all facial movements on your on-screen Hooligan.
Unlike Shatterpoint, which will integrate just NFTs, Rabbit Hole will use both NFTs and crypto. It will have a play-to-earn mechanic -- or play and earn, as technical lead Kevin Mack prefers to say -- in the form of in-game currency Karrots. These will be used to buy clothing, dances and more for the Hooligan avatars, but it doubles as a cryptocurrency that can be exchanged for ether or bitcoin. You can earn money playing Rabbit Hole, but Brady said it's not going to be life-changing cash.
Then there's the NFT element. This is primed towards holders of the 8,888 My Pet Hooligan NFTs. While players who download the game will start with a generic Hooligan, My Pet Hooligan owners will be able to use their NFT as an avatar in the game.
If the game gets popular enough, Mack said, there will be a certain prestige to owning one of these avatars. But he recognizes that to make that happen, the team has to make a game that people actually want to play.
"Superman No. 1 is valuable because Superman was a great comic," he said. "I think the NFT space for a while started to get that a little backward, where they thought the things were valuable just because they were collectable."
To infinity...
Of all the NFT brands expanding into games, Bored Ape Yacht Club is the biggest. BAYC creators Yuga Labs are developing Otherside, a "metaverse" MMORPG. The term "metaverse" is nebulous, but in this case it refers to an open world where items are owned as NFTs and in-game currency is crypto that can be exchanged for dollars. Details on Otherside are scant, but Yuga has a huge warchest for it. The game's map will be made up of 200,000 plots of land, which players can buy and own. Over $350 million was raised from selling land back in May.
Otherside may be the Web3 game with the highest budget, but perhaps the most ambitious is Star Atlas.
In development since 2020, the Eve Online-inspired Star Atlas is crafted like a traditional AAA game. Michael Wagner, CEO of Star Atlas development studio ATMTA, told me there are around 200 developers working on the game. It's scheduled for release in 2026.
Like Eve Online, Star Atlas is half game, half space simulator. Players ride spacecraft through the galaxy, socializing and battling with each other, exploring exoplanets, mining lands and meteors for resources and so on.
Games like Eve Online are giant, big enough for players to lose themselves in for years. Star Atlas hopes to mimic that feat. On the way to doing so, it uses almost every new tool Web3 offers.
It starts with funding. Wagner said $185 million in revenue was raised in 2021, through the sale of an Atlas token and NFT ships, with a "substantial margin" of that funding development. In the game, ships, items and land will be owned as NFTs. There will be a comprehensive crypto economy built atop the game, which Wagner says will allow for not just a market, but a labor economy too. The economy isn't just in the game; part of Star Atlas will be built on the blockchain, meaning elements will be open source. People will be able to develop apps on top of this data, for things like spacecraft maintenance or resource management.
Part of Star Atlas' economy will involve taxation. Just like in real life, a certain percentage of all sales will go to a treasury. There will be a DAO, or decentralized autonomous organization, in which token holders can vote on how these funds are used, be it to fund a new marketing campaign or a user engagement campaign. Then there will be another DAO specifically for the game itself, where token holders can vote on changes to the game, like additional features or ways to balance combat.
"We've structured the economics of the DAO such that we don't lose control in the near term," Wagner said. "But in the future, it would even be possible for them to vote us out as the principal developer of the game and bring in somebody new if they think they could deliver the product in a superior fashion to us."
Risks and rewards
The potential of Web3 gaming is tremendous, but its challenges are enormous. An examination of Star Atlas alone highlights many issues Web3 developers are likely to face.
First and foremost, making video games is hard. Making high-quality AAA games is harder still, even for veteran game studios, and the Star Atlas game alone is audacious in its ambition. The Web3 components offer additional opportunity for failure: An imbalanced economy, for instance, has the potential to completely break the game. Then there's security and regulation. Crypto has been a digital Wild West for years, with scams endemic. Regulators are slowly changing that. It's an open question whether Web3 gaming can survive in a regulated environment.
"In many countries, consumer protection is the No. 1 driver of regulations. Given gaming is so mainstream, it will be a topic," said FTX Ventures' Wu. "100%, these assets are going to be regulated."
The final issue is the very commodity that fuels crypto tokens and NFT projects: hype. Games are often promised on NFT project road maps before a single second of development has been undertaken. As Brady noted, it took less than a day for My Pet Hooligan holders to demand the announcement of a game, movie or TV show to sustain hype and lift the NFT value. Vaporware is sure to be common.
Games will need to be developed in a way that insulates players from the crypto-rich speculators. Speculators outbidding each other can artificially raise the value of in-game items, which blocks players who actually want to play the game from accessing them. Recall the speculative bubble that caused the cost of entry to Axie Infinity to inflate to over $1,000.
"I'm personally not interested in someone who's paying $100,000 for an NFT," said Brady. "That's a certain echelon. That's not normal society. I'm only interested if this helps every person."
Of all the developers I spoke to, a recurring theme was mistrust of any games company that promises a regular income, or dangles the possibility of earning enough money to quit the rat race. "Play-to-earn is not sustainable and is going to die off," said Baltramiejunas. Instead, the goal is for Web3 games to be more engaging than the games you play today, with the benefit of some pocket money on the side.
"If the game was good I would be satisfied with a little money as long as it's not totally a time waste," said Cryptobarbarian, reflecting on how much money he'd need to earn to justify playing games again.
"If I could earn some lunch money with it, that would be nice. But I think that will take at least a few more years before it happens."
