review - CybAI news

17 Aug

Engadget review recap: Dyson’s non-weird headphones and Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon

stp2y0 CommentsNewsdyson, gear, google, lenovo, news, review

What a week to kick off a new review recap series on Engadget. Google held its Made By Google event on Tuesday, launching the Pixel 9 lineup and the Pixel Watch 3. Since then, though, it's already had to admit to a mistake in one of the forms it had members of Team Pixel sign for access to devices. Coincidentally, that brought up a lot of discourse on social media around what reviewers do, and how they gain access to products.I'll take this opportunity to point you to our document on our reviews process, which details how and what we…

16 Aug

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 review: Still the king of business laptops

stp2y0 CommentsNewsgear, laptop, lenovo, review, thinkpad

Don’t rock the boat. That’s Lenovo’s strategy for its 12th iteration of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. Instead of messing with a winning formula, the company employed small tweaks throughout the laptop, delivering a system that’s even thinner and lighter than its predecessor. The keyboard has undergone a few updates with a larger touchpad.However, the biggest changes are under the hood with the X1 Carbon rocking the latest 14th Gen Intel processors and integrated graphics. The notebook also offers expanded display options. The changes, in short, are pretty incremental. But sometimes a few tweaks and refinements are all that’s needed to…

15 Aug

Dyson OnTrac headphones review: When the basics aren’t enough

stp2y0 CommentsNewsaudio, dyson, gear, headphones, ontrac, review

When you hear the words "Dyson headphones," the first thing that comes to mind is likely the Bane-like Zone. The company debuted its air-purifying wearable in 2022, but woefully short battery life kept the product from being useful on a daily basis. Now Dyson is back with another version, and its sole purpose is to provide audio and active noise cancellation (ANC) for “normal” use. The OnTrac headphones ($500) have a classic Dyson color scheme and build with long battery life, but the lack of advanced features keep this premium set of cans from competing with the best.DysonAn almost infinitely…

12 Aug

Taskmaster VR doesn’t quite deliver on the promise of the TV show

stp2y0 CommentsNewsgaming, review, taskmaster, vr

I’m a huge Taskmaster fan. The UK TV show pits five comedians (or funny-adjacent celebrities) against ridiculous tasks that are then arbitrarily scored by the titular taskmaster.Given that the tasks involve lateral thinking and physical movement, on paper, the TV show was ripe for a VR spin-off. Think Job Simulator with added jeopardy, in-jokes and British whimsy. Unfortunately, Taskmaster VR doesn’t deliver on the fun and charm of the show. Two points.After being teased (and available to wishlist) earlier this year, the game launched last week across Steam, Meta Quest 2 and 3, and Pro. I played the game briefly…

09 Aug

ASUS ROG Ally X review: A fully armed and operational handheld battle station

stp2y0 CommentsNewsASUS, gaming, gaming handheld, gear, pc gaming, review, ROG, windows

Despite being one of the first gaming handhelds from a major PC maker, ASUS got a lot right with the original ROG Ally. It offers better performance in a smaller chassis than Valve’s Steam Deck, but without a huge increase in price. And because it’s based on Windows instead of Linux, it delivers almost universal game compatibility. That said, issues like weak battery life and faulty SD card slots left plenty of room for improvement. So on the new Ally X, ASUS tweaked almost everything aside from its chip and display. But this time, what we’re getting is the fully…

09 Aug

The Borderlands movie is an astounding waste of potential

stp2y0 CommentsNewsborderlands, Cate Blanchett, eli roth, entertainment, gear, review

On paper, Eli Roth's Borderlands adaptation sounds like a recipe for a solid sci-fi romp: Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett as the wise-cracking gunslinger Lilith; Jack Black, fresh off of voicing Bowser, as the quippy/annoying Claptrap; and freaking Jamie Lee Curtis back in the genre fray after Everything Everywhere, All At Once. And yet the film is a lifeless slog better suited to an episode of Mystery Science Theater, completely squandering the potential of those elements.Like the original game, Borderlands is mostly set on the wild alien planet of Pandora — a name that clearly should have been changed since audiences now…

08 Aug

Fujifilm X-T50 review: A big improvement (for a lot more money)

stp2y0 CommentsNewsAPS-C, Cameras, Fujifilm, gear, mirrorless, review, X-T50

Fujifilm’s X-T30 II is one of my favorite cameras, as it offers many of the capabilities of the higher-end models for a lot less money. So I was particularly excited when the company launched the X-T50, which is like a miniature version of the $1,700 X-T5.It shares many features, including a 40.2-megapixel sensor, 6K 30P video support and, in a first for the series, in-body stabilization. At the same time, it retains the small size and retro-cute styling of past models.FujifilmFujifilm’s X-T50 is a big improvement over the X-T30 II, thanks to its higher resolution sensor, in-body stabilization and upgraded…

01 Aug

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT review: A thrilling mix of pedigree and electricity

stp2y0 CommentsNewsev, EVs, Ford, gear, mustang, review, transportation

When the Mustang Mach-E first hit the streets at the end of 2021, people were so up in arms about its name that it felt like you couldn’t have a serious discussion about the vehicle itself. How dare Ford tarnish the legacy of its iconic pony car with *gasp* a crossover SUV?! And an all-electric one at that. But now that Ford has had a few years to refine the platform, it’s a great time to take another look at what is still the company’s most engaging EV to date. What’s new for 2024 Ford has made several tweaks and…

30 Jul

I really want to like Star Wars Outlaws

stp2y0 CommentsNewsgaming, pc gaming, playstation, review, xbox

When I attended the first hands-off briefing for Star Wars Outlaws at Summer Game Fest 2023, I left Ubisoft’s demo room on a high, thinking this could be the piece of media that finally pulls me into the Star Wars universe. I loved the focus on a solo protagonist, Kay Vess, and her cute merqaal pet, Nix. I adored the fact that developers said the game would tell a cohesive, linear story, rather than throwing players into an unfocused open world and calling it AAA. I was eager to get my hands on it.Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to…

29 Jul

Samsung Galaxy Flip 6 review: A slightly better foldable aimed at everyone

stp2y0 CommentsNewsfoldables, galaxy z flip 6, gear, review, Samsung, smartphones

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip series has always tempted me more than the Z Fold. Maybe it’s the flip-phone nostalgia taking hold; maybe it's the fact that I don’t want to watch video inside a square; maybe it's simply the Z Flip’s more palatable price.The Z Flip series has launched in tandem with the Z Fold for several years, but often with specifications that put it around the bottom of each flagship family, including the traditionally shaped Galaxy S family. That changes this year, with Samsung addressing some of the Z Flip 5’s biggest shortcomings: battery life and middling cameras.It’s a…