Using asoundbarfor immersive 3D formats likeDolby AtmosandDTS:Xis the way to go for anyone who doesn’t want the hassle of wiring up their TV rooms with seven or more speakers plus an A/V receiver and a subwoofer. But mostDolby Atmos soundbarsare pretty beefy, and the ones that come with dedicated surround speakers still require some juggling of wires, even if they’re just power cords. That’s what makesDefinitive Technology‘s new $899 Studio 3D Mini Sound Bar System intriguing....

“Hey Siri, find meBlack Friday dealson televisions under $500 that support….ahh, forget it. I’ll do it myself.” According tonew researchfrom the Consumer Technology Association, the trade group behind the enormous CES electronics show, one in five U.S. shoppers (19 percent!) will use a smart assistant like Amazon Echo or Google Home to purchase holiday gifts. That’s a huge number — but dig into the stats a bit and the claim sounds as hollow as a digital assistant’s soul....

While most Alaskans were tucked up in bed early on Wednesday morning, a number of home security cameras in and around Anchorage captured a natural phenomenon that would otherwise have gone largely unnoticed. At around 5:45 a.m. local time, a meteor hurtled across the sky, its speed as it hit Earth’s atmosphere causing a bright light that momentarily lit up a large portion of Southcentral Alaska. In footage captured by a resident’s door cam and shared by Reuters, we can clearly see the meteor blazing across the sky above Anchorage....

Breaking Badended its award-winning five-season run in 2013, butthe series finalewasn’t the end of the story. Not only does Walter White’s criminal lawyer Saul Goodman have his very own prequel series,Better Call Saul, but the filmEl Camino, a direct sequel toBreaking Bad, will air onNetflixthis fall. Written and directed byBreaking Badcreator Vince Gilligan,El Caminowill premiere October 11 and reveal what happened to Walter White’s assistant and partner-in-cooking Jesse Pinkman — portrayed by Aaron Paul — directly afterBreaking Bad‘s last episode....

Quick Links One of the coolest new weapons introduced inElden Ring’sShadow Of The ErdtreeDLC is the Sacred Dryleaf Arts, a fighting style that allows your character to use martial arts to defeat their enemies. From flying kicks to fast punches, this weapon has long combos that can break through an enemy’s defenses. By winning a fighting game-esque duel, you can claim the techniques of this martial art for yourself. Similar to otherHand-to-Hand weapons inElden Ring, such as theSpiked CaestusorHookclaws, the Dryleaf Arts act as a single tool automatically equipped to both hands....

Every Spiritborn nerf confirmed for Diablo Season 7 in PTR patch notes The 2.1 PTR Patch forSeason 7of Diablo 4 brings a whole lot of shaking up, both for your characters and your expectations. Spiritborn skills are seeing one or two buffs – Thorns damage is practically going off the rails, and Vigor generation is flying high, but also quite a few key nerfs to Legendary Aspects and Spirit Halls....

Hobbyist drone operators are being encouraged by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to check out its B4UFLY app, which, as its name cleverly suggests, offers owners important safety information prior to each flight. The free app officiallylaunched for Android userson Monday following several months in beta, though it’s beenavailable on iOSsince January. Using color- and shape-coded status indicators, B4UFLY informs model-aircraft owners of any flight restrictions at their current location, while notifications include messages such as, “Proceed with Caution,” “Warning – Action Required,” or “Flight Prohibited....

Fortnite players split on “overwhelming” number of available Battle Passes Fortnite players are divided on the need for Chapter 5 Season 2 hosting multiple Battle Passes at the same time, with some calling the game’s many offerings “overwhelming.” The v29.40 update on May 3 will introduce aStar Wars-themed Battle Passfor LEGO mode. TitledLEGO Pass: Rebel Adventure, the offerings will remain available for 80 days and allow players to unlock Chewbacca and other in-game rewards like the Tatooine Turret and Tanks Bundle....

Microsoft’s previously promised sign language support forForza Horizon 5is about to arrivein a huge step forward for accessibility in games. The Xbox giant partnered with Forza developer Playground Games and the Deaf and hard of hearing community to create video subtitles for players. The free updates arrives March 1 and includes American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL) support for over 300 in-game cinematics. While accessibility options and resources have become more common in AAA games in recent years, sign language support is still very rare....

Chromebooks aren’t typically the most powerful of computers, but Google turned that paradigm on its head with the launch of the original Pixelbook in 2017, and now it may be set to do it again. Rumors point to the release of a new Pixelbook before the end of 2018 and though we have no hard specifications to quote, it seems likely that a hardware refresh would see it become the most powerful Chromebook ever made....

Players won’t have everything available upon booting upGran Turismo 7.They’ll be restricted to buying cars from a used car lot, and most Word Races won’t be open. Slowly but surely, you’ll unlock new areas to explore in the JRPG-like overworld as you complete menus and increase your driver level. However, you may be looking for something more challenging than AI racers. Unfortunately, multiplayer is locked until you progress to a certain point....

December looks like a fun month for stargazers, with a spectacular meteor shower promised for the middle of the month — clear skies permitting, of course. Known as the Geminids, the meteor shower occurs annually as Earth moves through the trail of debris left behind by asteroid 3200 Phaethon. These thrilling “shooting star” events will be visible from Dec. 4 to Dec. 17, with activity peaking on the evening of Dec....

I think theGoogle Pixel 7ais all the phone I need. I’m not saying it’s the only phone I’ll everuse, seeing how my job and interest in mobile tech don’t work that way. But the Pixel 7a is so excellent that if I was a free spirit, I’d buy it, settle down, and not worry about any other phones for a couple of years. My admiration for the Pixel 7a goes beyond it just ticking a few basic requirement boxes and extends to the device’s overall ability and the ease with which it has fitted into my life....