The post ROXs: A Fun Outdoor Gaming System for Kids first appeared on Dornob.

The 15 pieces include multiple Burberry logo t-shirts, a Minecraft logo jacquard scarf, a black cotton gabardine car coat, a Burberry logo baseball cap, a square cotton scarf, a hoodie, a bucket hat, jogging pants, and sweatshirts. The final item in the collection (and perhaps its most notable) is a version of Burberry’s classic Waterloo trench coat featuring a pixelated white Burberry x Minecraft logo on the back.

The collection’s laid-back loungewear vibe merges the distinctive styles of the two brands, with comfort being the main priority. Price tags are in the usual Burberry territory of $250 to $2,990. The Burberry x Minecraft collection can be purchased online and in select stores in New York, Shenzhen, London, Tokyo, Seoul, Taiwan, and Bangkok.

Each real, physical garment has a digital counterpart in the game. Avatars wearing the collection get the chance to complete a series of challenges within four realms, like navigating a maze covered in Burberry’s signature pattern. The game itself is downloadable for free as an add-on adventure for the Minecraft game.

The official Minecraft website explains that “The new, free DLC, Burberry: Freedom to Go Beyond, reflects Burberry and Minecraft’s appreciation of the wonder of nature. As the player, you venture into an alternate reality version of London taken over by a malevolent entity called the Nexus. Once a place blooming with foliage and gentle animals, this land has been drained of color and life. Its inhabitants have been scattered to the four realms of air, water, fire, and earth, and your quest is to restore the spirit of the wild by traveling to each realm, reviving its Nature Guardian, and freeing the animals trapped there.”

“On your adventure, you’ll encounter creative references to the Burberry brand’s universe – including an Equestrian Knight character, Thomas Burberry Monogram maze, and a range of members from the Burberry animal kingdom, each bestowed with mystical powers.”

The pairing of Burberry and Minecraft may seem a little strange, but we can probably expect a lot more mixing of traditionally fusty fashion brands and digital technologies in the near future. Balenciaga already designed skins for the game Fortnite, and Gucci recently released the Gucci: Good Game collection celebrating the world of gaming through rainbow-hued iridescent apparel and accessories.

Burberry’s Director for Channel Innovation Phillip Hennche says he knows the collaboration is a bit unexpected. But Burberry sees digital crossover as the way of the future and wanted to work with one of the largest, most beloved games, hence the Minecraft choice.

“Gaming is a super important channel for us in terms of how we engage our customer,” Hennche told Vogue Business. “We know that it’s a very important passion point for our target markets and consumers. We know that they are there, they are present, and they’re very active in that community.”

The post Burberry Debuts Digital Clothing Collection for Minecraft first appeared on Dornob.

“We’ve made huge strides with silicon computing, but they’re still rigid and inflexible,” says Brett Kagan, an author of the study published in Neuron and Chief Scientific Officer at Cortical Labs in Melbourne, Australia. “That’s something we don’t see with biology.”

“From worms to flies to humans, neurons are the starting block for generalized intelligence,” he adds. “So, the question was, can we interact with neurons in a way to harness that inherent intelligence?…We chose Pong due to its simplicity and familiarity, but [also because] it was one of the first games used in machine learning, so we wanted to recognize that.”

Kagan and his team of researchers from 10 other institutions decided to explore that query by seeing how brain cells would react when taught to play a video game.

To achieve their goal, the researchers took material from adult stem cells and grew a layer of 800,000 living neurons on a silicon chip at the bottom of a nutrient-filled petri dish. The chip was connected to a computer, with the ability to detect and send electrical signals to the neurons. The team then booted up a game of Pong, sending electrical impulses to the living sample to indicate the position of the bouncing ball. The computer monitored electrical activity from the cells to see what they did with the new information.

At first, they didn’t do much — until the researchers gave the brain cells some motivation to learn to play. Every time the brain cells sent electrical signals to move the paddle to where the ball would be, scientists gave the cells a gift in the form of a beautifully organized burst of electrical activity. If the cells incorrectly predicted the position, they would instead receive a stream of chaotic white noise.

“If they hit the ball, we gave them something predictable,” Kagan says. “When they missed it, they got something that was totally unpredictable.”

This reward and punishment strategy was based on the Free Energy Principle that says brain cells always want to be able to predict their environment, leading them to seek out organized electrical signals over chaotic ones.

Eventually the petri dish cells learned to formulate electrical patterns that moved the paddle in front of the ball, gradually resulting in longer rallies. While the cells never got very good at playing, they still predicted the correct position significantly more often than just random simulations, an exciting achievement considering that the petri dish contained fewer brain cells than a cockroach.

“If you could see a cockroach playing a game of Pong and it was able to hit the ball twice as often as it was missing it, you would be pretty impressed with that cockroach,” Kagan says. The research team hopes that this experiment will lead to breakthroughs in understanding how the brain works, with possible biocomputing implications.

Study co-author Karl Friston, a theoretical neuroscientist and professor at University College London, says: “We now have, in principle, the ultimate biomimetic ‘sandbox’ in which to test the effects of drugs and genetic variants — a sandbox constituted by exactly the same computing (neuronal) elements found in your brain and mine.”

The post These Lab-Grown Brain Cells Just Learned How to Play Pong first appeared on Dornob.

Taking the traditional flat screen and turning it on its head, the new Xeneon Flex gaming monitor from Corsair is mind and screen-bending tech at its finest. A flexible OLED screen that literally curves to create a more immersive gaming experience, the Xeneon Flex isn’t the first of its kind. However, it seems to have worked out the kinks of its predecessors by developing a way to allow the user to bend the screen (and flatten it again) whenever they want.

Again, this is not a new idea. LG unveiled a prototype of a similar design at CES 2021, an appropriate platform for such a boon to the gaming world. But despite its promise, LG’s version was problematic. Consisting of a 48-inch OLED screen that was incredibly bendable, that display was theoretically able to create a gentle curve that granted players better peripheral vision at the push of a button. Unfortunately, the mechanism behind this monitor magic presented problems in terms of both cost (more expensive) and durability.

To ameliorate these obstacles, Corsair has taken things a step further with the Xeneon Flex, eliminating the use of motors entirely. But how does the screen move if it’s not mechanized?

The answer is strangely simple: users simply have to grab the screen and pull it to their desired curvature, a grab and yank maneuver that may lack elegance, but makes up for it with its effectiveness. Just grab the screen on either end, give it a good pull, and voila! A completely customizable gaming experience. Practicality aside, the design also allows the screen to have a different level of curvature on each side, adding a level of freedom that would most likely be impossible with a motor.

If this seems like magic, that could be because it’s as close to magic as gaming screens get. The Xeneon Flex boasts a 45-inch OLED display that not only has a surprisingly generous aspect ratio (21:9) but also has a resolution and brightness whose peak performance makes for an undeniably immersive gaming experience. The Xeneon is also tops on compatibility, working with both Nvidia G-Sync and AMD Free Sync Premium. And don’t worry, it’s loaded up with plenty of connectivity ports, too.

While Corsair has yet to announce the pricing and availability for the Xeneon Flex, we’re sure gamers everywhere will be waiting with bated breath for the chance to bend their screens and immerse themselves a little deeper into their favorites.

The post Corsair’s Curved OLED Monitor Lets You Shape Your Gaming Experience first appeared on Dornob.

“The global economic environment is a challenge that many of you around the world are no doubt experiencing,” the company said in the post. “We’re seeing high global inflation rates, as well as adverse currency trends, impacting consumers and creating pressure on many industries. Based on these challenging economic conditions, SIE has made the difficult decision to increase the recommended retail price (RRP) of PlayStation 5 in select markets across Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), Asia-Pacific (APAC), Latin America (LATAM), as well as Canada. There will be no price increase in the United States.”

The following price changes went into effect immediately:

• Europe: An increase of €50 to €549.99 for the PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive and €449.99 for the digital version.

• UK: A £30 increase to £479.99 for the disc model and £389.99 for the digital version.

• China: A ¥400 yuan increase to ¥4,299 yuan for the disc model and ¥3,499 yuan for the digital version.

• Australia: An AUD $50 increase to AUD $799.95 for the disc model and AUD $649.95 for the digital version.

• Mexico: An MXN $1,000 increased to MXN $14,999 for the disc model and MXN $12,499 for the digital version.

• Canada: CAD $20 increase to CAD $649.99 for the disc model and CAD $519.99 for the digital version.

• Japan will also see a price increase of ¥5000 yen to ¥60,478 yen (including tax) for the disc version and ¥49,478 yen (including tax) for the digital model, but it won’t be effective until September 15th, 2022.

While the PS5 has been plagued by supply chain issues since its launch in November 2020, Sony has seen a two-percent year-over-year decline in its gaming unit sales, in addition to a nearly 37-percent dive in operating profits.

Those tough conditions may be why Sony stated that “this price increase is a necessity given the current global economic environment and its impact on [Sony’s] business.” In the wake of this consumer-upsetting news, competitors Microsoft and Nintendo promised to keep their current prices for the time being.

“We are constantly evaluating our business to offer our fans great gaming options,” Microsoft said in a statement. “Our Xbox Series S suggested retail price remains at $299 (£250, €300) and the Xbox Series X is $499 (£450, €500).”

Nintendo made similar comments. “While we cannot comment on pricing strategies, we currently do not have any plans to change the price of our hardware due to inflation or increased procurement costs in each country. We will determine our future pricing strategies through careful and continued deliberations.”

Worldwide Xbox sales have consistently trailed PS5 purchases, while the Nintendo Switch has only overtaken the PS5 for a few weeks at a time in sales. Although they are likely feeling the same supply chain and inflation pressures, they may not be able to support a price increase and still stay competitive with the PS5.

The post Sony Boldly Raises PlayStation 5 Prices While Xbox and Nintendo Hold Steady first appeared on Dornob.

Even if you haven’t traveled down the once-daily rabbit hole of Worldle-dom yourself, you’ve most likely seen those little green and yellow tiles all over your social media feed as people post their prowess with the word of the day like clockwork. Rather than being annoying, however, this little quirk is just one of many things that makes Wordle so charming.

But what exactly is it?

A cross between Boggle and a mini-crossword (sans clues), Wordle’s underlying charm lies in its simplicity. Basically, you have six tries to guess a five letter word. As you fill in your guesses on the grid, the letters light up after each turn – gray for incorrect, yellow for correct but in the wrong place, and green for right place, right letter. That’s it. That’s the game.

So how has such a seemingly banal word game taken social media (and by extension, the whole world) by storm?

While many have issued their hypotheses in the past weeks over what it is that makes Wordle so appealing, the answer may be as simple as the game itself. It’s fun, it hits that sweet spot of logic and luck, and it’s easy to incorporate into your daily routine. Plus, it only takes a couple of minutes out of your day – a couple minutes to just focus on the soothing grid without being inundated with outside stimulus (COVID! News! COVID!) No pop-ups, no muss, no fuss. Just a website that you visit daily for a soothing word balm.

Like the game itself, Wordle’s origin story is surprisingly simple. Looking to create a word game for his partner (who like many of us, loves word games), software engineer Josh Wardle created the game with a pun on his name: Wordle. After sharing it with friends and family, it became clear that the game was something special, prompting Wardle’s decision to go public with the great grid game in October 2021.

And with millions of daily users, it was only a matter of time before Wordle took a leap into further pop-culture fame. At the end of last month, the online sensation was sold to the New York Times for “a low seven figures,” according to a statement from the newspaper. A perfect fit for NYT games like the daily crossword and Spelling Bee, Wordle will, unlike some of its NYT Games fellows, remain free for the time being, and fans will be happy to know their wins and streaks will be preserved, too. It’s unclear if the game will end up behind a paywall in the future, but what is certain is that Wordle isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

It’s hard to say what exactly has made Wordle so popular, but it may be down to the fact that in these uncertain times, a game like Wordle adds a much needed break from reality while still, despite its internet popularity, managing to keep its charm and appeal. And that, more than anything, is a great reason to tip your cap to Mr. Wardle for a job well done.

The post Wordle Wows with Wonderful Wordplay first appeared on Dornob.

Obviously, you aren’t exactly getting the same experience with this mini ultra-wide monitor as you would with full-size models like Samsung’s brand new Odyssey Ark, a curved 55-inch wide gaming monitor that’s expected to come with an appropriately massive price tag. But the point is you can take the Lukos with you wherever you go, and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper.

The monitor is built around an advanced IPS panel that purports to offer higher display quality, better color contrast, higher color accuracy, and better screen uniformity than typical displays, delivering iMax-style 4K cinematic viewing for movies. Its 60Hz refresh rate and 2ms response offer smooth playback for gaming, and it’s powered by an ultra-high bandwidth processor that can display four 4K split-screen signals at once.

The split-screen feature is what makes the Lukos an especially enticing option for productivity. The screen can be tilted or rotated into vertical position while you view several different things at once: books, social media, YouTube, multiple browsers, or whatever else strikes your fancy. In that sense, it’s a dream for multitaskers and those of us with ADHD, who are accustomed to flipping back and forth between dozens of open tabs and programs. Still, the small screen has its limitations. For instance, it won’t be much use for tasks like detail-oriented photo editing or spreadsheets, regardless of what the marketing images might envision.

The Lukos comes with a host of ports, including three HDMI, two DP 1.4, one DP 1.2, and one USB-C, and can connect to PCs, Macs, laptops, smartphones, Nintendo Switch, Playstation, and Xbox, among other devices. A remote control makes it easy to switch back and forth between inputs, adjust the brightness, and more. It’s easy to imagine using this screen on the go for gaming or watching movies, though the aspect ratio will likely result in some letterboxing for most media. But it could be useful as a secondary screen below your primary display, too.

The portable Lukos 4K ultra-wide monitor just completed a round of crowdfunding on Kickstarter and was offered to supporters for as little as $419. Hundreds of backers pledged over $167,000 USD to get the project off the ground. If you’re itching to get one, the creators estimate that it’ll be available later this year at a retail price of $619. Curiously, it does appear to already be available on AliExpress for less than that, with the same name and seemingly all the same stats. That listing claims nearly 1,000 are in stock and ready to ship for just over $500 each.

The post The Lukos is an Ultra-Wide 4K Monitor You Can Take Anywhere first appeared on Dornob.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Noveto N-I Smart Speaker

Headphones can be uncomfortable, and some people can’t or won’t wear them. If you’ve ever shared space with a hard-of-hearing elderly relative who loves to watch TV, you might understand the dilemma.

This so-called “invisible headphones speaker,” the N1 Smart Speaker by Noveto, is one of the most intriguing things to come out of CES this year. It beams focused immersive audio right to a listener’s ears without disturbing others nearby. Arrays of tiny transducers hidden behind the speaker’s fabric covers target sound using ultrasound technology and can even follow the listener around. Noveto says that from three feet away, people nearby will hear little more than a whisper. Peace at last.

Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra Vacuum

If you’re one of the people who looked at robot vacuums and said “call me when these things can clean themselves and dump out the dirty mop water,” this new Roborock has your number. The S7 MaxV Ultra requires very little maintenance thanks to a new Empty Wash Fill dock that scrubs the mop, cleans the dock, and holds up to seven weeks worth of vacuumed-up debris. Full 3D mapping support helps it get around obstacles, and even better, the mop retracts up into the chassis whenever it senses a rug. If you want it to double as a roving intercom, it can do that too, equipped with remote viewing and communication capabilities.

Samsung Odyssey Ark Monitor

Curved monitors can totally transform your gaming experience and make it a lot more immersive. Samsung’s newest Odyssey is the biggest one yet at 55 inches, and the coolest part is you can turn it vertically on its stand so the screen curves over your head. Supposedly dropping later this year with price TBD, the Odyssey Ark has a 4K display, a wireless dial controller to manage lighting, and a 16:9 aspect ratio. Other versions of the Odyssey are already available, like the $999 49-inch G9.

BMW with Color Changing E-Ink

The same E-Ink technology that’s used in e-readers like the Amazon Kindle is making it possible to change the color of a car on demand. Demonstrated on a concept version of the BMW iX, the surface coating contains millions of microcapsules with a diameter equivalent to a human hair. Each one contains negatively charged white pigments and positively charged black pigments that react to an electrical field at the push of a button. And it’s not just an aesthetic consideration. BMW says it could be used to cool or warm up your car with the power of the sun, too, since dark colors absorb more warmth and light colors reflect it.

Labrador Retriever Robot Shelf

You might have the greatest dog in the history of dogs, but chances are it still can’t get you a beer out of the fridge. The Labrador Retriever can… kind of. Despite its name, it’s a robot, not a dog, and while it’s a lot less complex than the robot assistants we usually see paraded around at CES every year, it’s beautiful in its single-minded simplicity. It’s really just a roving shelf about the size of a side table that moves between designated locations on command to deliver objects to people around the house. The top surface can raise and lower itself to meet the edge of a table and can even grab trays. It was designed for people with mobility problems, but can be useful to just about anyone.

Chevrolet 2024 Silverado EV

The buzziest of the electric vehicles unveiled at CES, Chevy’s 2024 Silverado EV boasts a battery pack that can provide up to 400 miles of range per fast charge. Plus, the battery juices up to 100 miles of range in a mere 10 minutes. All-wheel drive, up to 664 horsepower, and a towing capacity of up to 10,000 pounds make this four-door, short-bed pickup a real competitor for the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Tesla Cybertruck.

L’Oreal Colorsonic Electronic Hair Coloring Device

Coloring your hair is either expensive if you have it done at a salon or annoying if you do it at home. During the pandemic lockdowns, DIY was the only option a lot of us had. If you’ve ever wished you could just wave a magic wand and have it done with, L’Oreal has made it real. The Colorsonic is a gadget you load up with pre-filled color cartridges and brush through your hair for perfectly even results. No more weird missed spots and patchy areas. While the company hasn’t revealed a price tag yet, they say it’ll be released under its L’Oreal Paris brand and be available at major retailers like Target.

Schlage Encode Plus Wi-Fi Door Lock

When Apple debuted its iPhone XS in 2018, it opened the show with a dramatic action-movie-style sequence in which someone attempting to deliver a top-secret case to CEO Tim Cook was stymied by a locked door. To open it, Apple VP of technology Kevin Lynch casually sauntered over and held his Apple Watch up to the lock to grant access. As the first deadbolt lock supporting Apple’s Home Key door access feature, the new Schlage Encode Plus Wi-Fi Door Lock finally makes opening a door with a smartwatch a real possibility.

Timberline Solar Shingles

Solar roof shingles are a great idea in theory, but what happens when a handful of them fail? That’s a very expensive roof replacement. GAF Energy’s Timberline Solar shingles can be installed just like any other roofing – with nails – so they’re also easy to maintain and replace. That makes them a lot easier and cheaper to install, and they still qualify as a building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roof covering for residential roofs.

The post The Smartest, Coolest Gadgets at CES 2022 first appeared on Dornob.

“Glow brings an entirely new level of fun that lets kids be kids and welcomes grown-ups into an exciting new way to connect and bond, even when they’re far away,” said Joerg Tewes, General Manager of Amazon Glow. “We’ve created an unbreakable, supersized, projected surface like no other, fusing digital and physical fun that excites kids and delights grown-ups with all they can do together.”

Virtually Endless Digital Fun

Topped with a 720p camera, the Glow’s 8-inch display is supposed to hit a sweet spot between the display sizes of a phone and a tablet, easy to perch on the edge of a table during a call. The 19-inch mat works with an array of digital pencils, crayons, paint brushes, and spray paint, along with a “vacuum eraser” when they want to start over. Kids can also choose from thousands of children’s books in the Amazon Kids+ library (which is included free for the first year) and games like Chess, Checkers, Go Fish, and Memory Match.

The ability to scan physical objects to turn them into digital objects is a particularly fun feature. Kids can bring a favorite toy to life, turn it into a puzzle, or reimagine it as a painting. A series of learning kits called “Glow Bits” offers another way to blend the digital world with reality, like the Tangram puzzle game, in which kids use physical shapes while their remote family member uses digital shapes to solve challenges together.

Limitations, Both Positive and Negative

The friends and family members on the other end use a tablet to participate in the activities via the free Glow app. Surprisingly, compatible tablets don’t yet include Amazon’s ultra-affordable Fire, but the company says that will change soon. You also can’t play Glow-to-Glow, so kids in different households trying to play together are going to have very different experiences. Amazon seems to view the Glow more as a way for kids to get enhanced quality time with relatives who live far away, and on that front, it does deliver. Kids tend to get bored quickly on ordinary video calls, but these activities will keep them entertained much longer.

The Glow is for kids ages three and up, and there are activities designed for every age bracket. The Amazon Parent Dashboard lets parents manage approved contacts and view recent calls. The fact that the Glow is so tightly focused on Amazon Kids+ and a limited range of activities is both a plus and a minus. There’s no web browser and therefore no opportunities for kids to wander into inappropriate content, but the fact that the standalone device doesn’t connect to other smart home devices in Amazon’s ecosystem or others can be a limitation. Every participant has to have an Amazon account, too, and the device doesn’t support Bluetooth headsets, ostensibly so that parents can listen in on the conversations.

This device is currently one of Amazon’s Day 1 Editions, which is basically a closed beta program, so it’s unclear when it will be offered for general release or whether it will be a permanent part of Amazon’s offerings. Currently, you have to request an invitation to purchase it on the product page, and due to limited quantities, not all requests will be granted.

The post Amazon Glow Makes Virtual Hangouts More Fun and Interactive for Kids first appeared on Dornob.

The physicality of the experience is a big part of what makes arcade games so fun, like the feel of your hands on the controls, the bucking and jerking of the chairs, and all the lights and sounds flashing and reverberating through the arcade. Competing against other players in person can be a lot more satisfying than playing virtually, too. But arcades are getting harder and harder to find, so recapturing that feeling isn’t easy.

Some gaming enthusiasts might go so far as to purchase old arcade games to play at home. If that’s going a touch too far for you, French artist Harow has another idea: replacing your sofa with the “Arcade,” a couch designed with the aesthetics of arcade games in mind. Available in a collection of 21 themes, the Arcade Sofa takes the classic shape of an arcade machine and turns it into an enclosure for a two-person lounger, perfect for bringing a little retro flair to your contemporary gaming experience.

Arcade enthusiasts will recognize some of the characters featured in each design. “Street Fighter” is among the most obvious and iconic, complete with a neon sign across the front and characters’ faces painted on the sides. “The King of Fighters” is another one, similarly enveloping you in the game’s visuals, which are augmented by turquoise upholstery on the cushions. Others make references to Dragon Ball, Jurassic Park, and kids’ games and characters like Pokémon and Hello Kitty.

Some of the Arcade Sofas are a little more loosely themed, like the Supreme, Obey, “Vandal” graffiti, and eco-friendly versions. They’re all made of recycled wood, steel, and velvet, and Harow will create custom sizes and configurations on request. If only this sofa had built-in speakers and lighting, it would be perfect, but that’s not too hard to DIY after the fact. You should also check out some of Harow’s other designs, which are equally noteworthy. A skull-shaped armchair, a Sputnik-inspired chair, and the Apollo 11 moon crater table are particularly cool.

About Harow

The artist’s website explains: “From street art to tattooing, passing through screen printing, sculpture, and graphic design, Harow is a French artist who grew up in the 90s. Belonging to the last generation of 20th Century Fox kids, he is rocked by movements such as Cyberpunk or Pop Culture at its peak. With his mind always in effervescence, his attractions are linked to his childhood, from dystopian anime to space adventures, from Errò’s frescoes to Hirst’s skull, his overall state of mind is enlightened by the indelible images of this century.”

“Spending most of his time exploring all forms of art, Harow is a self-taught artist who stimulates his creativity daily. He approaches his work primarily from a perspective of recontextualization through strong aesthetic symbols. His philosophy is not to follow any trend but rather to consider each project without limit of design, the difficulty of making is an integral part of the creative process. Visually stunning, his works are described as sophisticated and brutal. They are distinguished by a balance between chaos and order, which makes them simply unforgettable.”

The post Revel in the Nostalgia of Retro Gaming with the Arcade Sofa first appeared on Dornob.

Nintendo Switch OLED

You’ll be your gamer’s instant best friend if you can get your hands on the new Nintendo Switch OLED model for them this year. This model’s larger seven-inch OLED screen offers more vivid colors and crisper contrast than previous iterations and comes with a wide adjustable stand for tabletop play mode. It also has higher quality speakers and twice the internal storage (64 GB). These hot Christmas presents have been flying off the shelves though, so if you can find one, grab it immediately.

Get it for $349.99 on Nintendo.com

GEEKERA Wireless Charging Stand for Apple Products

If your friend or family member is a loyal Apple product user, this wireless charging stand will most definitely make their holidays happy. It can recharge an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at the same time. It’s even smart enough to know when your devices are full and automatically turns off at that point to protect your batteries from overcharging.

Grab one on Amazon for just $44.98.

PowerPort III Nano

This lightning fast 20W USB-C port can charge an iPhone 12 three times quicker than a standard 5W charger. After charging your phone for just 15 minutes, you’ll have enough battery for eight hours of run time. It’s versatile, too, compatible with most phone types including the Samsung Galaxy, as well as most smartwatches and earbuds. Your loved one will adore you for giving them the gift of fast power this Christmas.

Get one for $13.97 on Anker.

R2-D2 Tamagotchi

Okay, so this might not be the most cutting-edge tech out there, but why not gift some nostalgia to your loved one or share a core part of your childhood with your own little techie? Even better, this updated Tamagotchi allows them to charge, clean, and play with their very own Star Wars droid. In this version, R2 can even learn 19 new skills and unlock seven mini-games.

Get yours for $17.95 on Amazon.

Philips Hue Smart Bulbs (2-Pack)

These smart LED bulbs boast the range of 16 million colors of light, making for an endless array of choices for setting the mood. They’re compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, but they can also be controlled on the Hue app via Bluetooth. That means they can be voice activated when desired or automatically set on permanent schedules. The app lets you program up to 10 bulbs, and Philips offers a two-year warranty on them (though they should keep shining for close to a decade thanks to their efficient LED tech).

Buy a pair for $79.99 on Philips Hue.com.

Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug

Finally, a mug that can keep your hot drink perfectly warm from the first sip to the last. This smart mug from Ember allows you to control the exact temperature (between 120°F to 145°F) of your coffee or cocoa for up to an hour and a half. Using the accompanying smartphone app, you can even program a custom preset default. When you’re done drinking, just place it back on its special charging coaster to recharge it for your next cup.

Pick one up for $99.95 on Amazon.

Aura Mason Luxe 2K Smart Digital Picture Frame

This is perfect for the loved ones who wish they saw you more often. You can preload this stylish 9.7-inch digital frame with photos and videos so your parents or grandparents can see a version of you 24/7. And with the Aura smartphone app, you can instantly upload new photos for them or even allow your loved ones to share their own.

Buy one for $229 on Amazon.

The post 7 Cool Tech Gifts to Get Your Loved Ones This Christmas first appeared on Dornob.

While not intended for drivers (there’s even a warning letting intended players know that games like Solitaire are “for everyone, but playing while the car is in motion is only for passengers,”) it’s still possible for the driver to play – or, at the very least, be distracted by the screen.

This summer, Tesla introduced the update for its vehicles that allows drivers to play while on the road. Given the “autonomous” nature of Tesla vehicles, it makes sense that drivers would be more than slightly tempted to get their game on mid-trip, which poses a definite safety concern, especially given that distracted driving is often the cause of major traffic accidents.

In a recent statement, a spokesperson for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) weighed in on the controversial new feature and its potential dangers, explaining that “Distraction-affected crashes are a concern, particularly in vehicles equipped with an array of convenience technologies such as entertainment screens. We are aware of driver concerns and are discussing the feature with the manufacturer.”

But Tesla is not the only automobile manufacturer who’s implemented touchscreen technology into their list of features. In fact, most newer vehicles have touchscreen technology built into them, whether it’s in the form of entertainment (like Stellantis’ DVD player) or simply the ability to load directions, music, and other basic information. Here, as with Tesla’s infotainment features, the onus is on the driver to act responsibly and utilize the system’s “voice-based” technology — though this doesn’t always happen. For example, in a recent study, researchers at the University of Utah found that even when drivers used voice-based technology, they were more likely to “[take] their hands, eyes, and mind off the road for more than 24 seconds to complete tasks.”

And 24 seconds could make a big difference, especially behind the wheel of a car. Of course, there are supposed safety systems in place when it comes to such automobile technology. The DVD on the dashboard from Stellantis, for example, only lets people watch while the car is in park. And NHTSA guidelines strongly urge automakers to install protocols that prevent drivers from completing such “inherently distracting secondary tasks while driving.”

While Tesla does urge drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel, even when in Autopilot mode, chances are drivers will only become distracted when more gameplay options are added to the mix. While the future of Tesla’s infotainment options is in question (currently, the company has not made any effort to comment on these safety concerns), statistics show that features like these only lead to more distracted driving and accidents.

Guess we’ll just have to play Solitaire the old-fashioned way, sitting sedentary in our office chair while we’re supposed to be working.

The post Tesla’s In-Dash Gaming is Super Cool – But is It Safe? first appeared on Dornob.

The video game store is modeled after the company’s Oregon headquarters and allows players to play rounds of “Tag,” “The Floor is Lava,” and “Dodgeball” with their online avatars. Participants can also design their own mini-games using interactive sports gear.

“Nike created this bespoke world with the backdrop of its world headquarters and inside Roblox’s immersive 3D space, building on its goal to turn sport and play into a lifestyle,” the company said in an official press release.

More importantly for the sportswear giant, gamers can outfit their avatars with digital brand merchandise like hats, shirts, cleats, and of course, sneakers.

“Experience global football in an official Roblox colorway of the Mercurial football boot,” the press release reads. “Gear up in classics like the Air Force 1 and Nike Blazer and in new drops like the Air Force 1 Fontanka and the Air Max 2021. All can be found in the digital showroom, along with a host of other Nike apparel staples like ACG and Nike Tech Pack.”

Players can earn these products by collecting Gold Medals in NIKELAND. That requires completing competitions, building up yards, exploring, and finding Easter eggs. Additionally, Nike fans can purchase any of the exclusive apparel in the digital showroom.

The company is also creating an augmented reality experience in its flagship store in New York to merge the digital and physical realities. “Nike’s commitment to inspiring the advancement and innovation of the future of sports experiences will continue this December when the brand brings the immersive world of Roblox and NIKELAND to life at Nike’s HOI (House of Innovation) in New York.”

Using a Snapchat filter, people visiting the kids’ floor there will be able to “see the space transformed into an augmented reality version of NIKELAND, including its signature avatars, fun games to play, and NIKELAND-inspired Easter eggs to find.”

The Roblox foray could prove to be a lucrative new branch of the company’s revenue streams. The global metaverse market is forecasted to produce over $6 billion in 2021. Some experts believe it could reach $41 billion within another five years.

Further evidence that Nike is planning to build up their virtual reality presence can be found on their job boards. With an October 23rd job listing for a “Virtual Material Designer of Footwear” among other virtual design roles, the company is calling for a “Digital Product Creation group” that will focus on “igniting the digital and virtual revolution at Nike.”

The athletic wear brand is also taking steps to protect their intellectual property in the broader metaverse. In late October 2021, the company filed seven applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, among which were the terms “Nike,” “Air Jordan,” “Jumpman,” the brand’s slogan “Just Do It,” and its iconic swoosh logo.

Having ownership of their catchphrases and names will help them police the use of their intellectual property across the many digital universes that are exploding in popularity across the globe.

The post Nike Poised to Make Metaverse Profits with New Roblox NIKELAND first appeared on Dornob.

If there are specific items you’re dying to get your hands on, take advantage of early Black Friday gaming sales at major retailers, and set reminders for the official sales coming soon. Here are some of the items you can snag at a great discount now, and details on the kinds of deals you can expect to see during Black Friday weekend.

Walmart (November 22nd Online, 26th in Stores):

Get access to Walmart’s online Black Friday deals four hours earlier than everyone else by signing up for a Walmart Plus membership. They’re also previewing over 200 early access deals you’re going to want to bookmark.

Amazon (November 25th to 26th)

Amazon’s Early Black Friday deals are on now, and they’re chock-full of cool gaming accessories. But the real deals aren’t going live until the 25th, with games and consoles likely to be available in very limited quantities with high early sell-out potential.

Best Buy (November 19th)

Best Buy’s early Black Friday sale also includes video game accessories like controllers and headphones, but the best deals will be available starting Friday, November 19th (likely to run through Cyber Monday, but again, expect high-demand items to sell out almost immediately).

Target (November 21st to 27th)

Target’s Black Friday ad lists all kinds of great stuff, with games starting at just $29.99 (though Switch deals will be best at Walmart). Additional deals will be added online on Thanksgiving Day, when stores will be closed. Check out the weekly ad for a sneak peek.

Must-Have Items for Your Black Friday Wishlist

Xbox Series X

This restock of the much-coveted Xbox Series X console will start at 12pm on Black Friday, and will be limited to Walmart Plus members. Amazon and Best Buy have yet to reveal special offers or restocks on the console, which is in limited supply due to the computer chip shortage, so Walmart may be your best bet.

Be warned that if you sign up for a free trial to gain access to Walmart Plus, you might be excluded from the deal. For a fighting chance, be prepared to have multiple browsers open and ready to purchase at noon sharp, with your account already set up and signed in.

Nintendo Switch with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Grab the Nintendo Switch with Neon Blue and Neon Red Joy-Con and the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Game for just $299 at Walmart (online and in stores) and Best Buy.

Sony Playstation 5

Also available with Walmart Plus membership at 12pm on Black Friday will be the Sony Playstation 5 console for $499, which features ultra-high speed SSD for fast load times, 4K-TV gaming, and a DualSense wireless controller with a built-in microphone and haptic feedback. PS: Walmart and Target’s Black Friday ads reveal that one year of PS Plus will be $20 off. Currently, no other retailers have announced planned restocks of the console, but surprise drops have occurred at Best Buy over the last couple weeks (and sold out within seven minutes), so keep an eye out.

Games and Controllers

At Walmart, Xbox controllers will be available in a wide array of colors for $59, and game deals will include Super Mario Bros U: Deluxe, UFC 3, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Assassins Creed Valhalla, and more for $35. The same popular games are expected to sell for $39.99 at Target and Amazon, and you can find a selection of cheaper games with a buy two, get one free deal at GameStop.

The post How to Score the Best Black Friday Gaming Deals This Year first appeared on Dornob.

China’s National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) announced that those under 18 will only be allowed to play from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, as well as public holidays. That effectively decreases children’s gaming time to just three hours most weeks, a drastic reduction from 2019’s previous restrictions of 1.5 hours on most days of the week.

The official state-run press agency quoted an unnamed NPPA spokesperson as saying the move was for the good of the Republic. “Teenagers are the future of our motherland. Protecting the physical and mental health of minors is related to the people’s vital interests and relates to the cultivation of the younger generation in the era of national rejuvenation.”

Giant tech companies like Tencent and NetEase will be closely monitored for compliance with the new regulations. Additionally, they will not be allowed to provide services to any user without real-name registrations, ensuring accurate tracking of gameplay by age. All online games will be required to have links to a state anti-addiction system, and regulators will be asking parents and teachers to participate in a campaign to prevent and fight gaming addictions in their young people.

“This ruling is the strictest one to date and will essentially wipe out most spending from minors, which we note was already extremely low,” said Daniel Ahmad, an analyst at Niko Partners.

Posts on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, were heated. Although some expressed support for the new rules, others were shocked at the severity and expressed doubts they could be adequately enforced.

“They will just use their parents’ logins, how can they control it?” asked one commenter.

Gaming companies took a hit on the stock market after the announcement, with NetEase’s shares falling 9.3 percent in New York’s pre-market trading and Tencent’s shares declining 4 percent that day.

However, the financial impacts may be minimal in the short term. “There are over 110 million minors that play video games in China today, and we expect the new limits to lead to a decline in the number of players and a reduction in the amount of time and money spent in game by those under 18,” said Niko Partners’ Ahmad. “However, we do not expect the decline in spending to have a significant material impact on the bottom line of game companies given limits on time and spending have already been in place for minors for the past two years. Therefore, we expect a softer impact on overall growth rates as spending among minors was already low.”

In the long-term, however, there may be fewer game players and a smaller market share overall in China.

Some companies, like Tencent, have preemptively been self-enforcing stricter limits in anticipation of government regulation, having recently been slapped with anti-monopoly and data protection laws.

“Since 2017, Tencent has explored and applied various new technologies and functions for the protection of minors,” the company said in an official statement. “That will continue, as Tencent strictly abides by and actively implements the latest requirements from Chinese authorities.”

Earlier in July, the Chinese state media railed against the gaming industry, calling video games “spiritual opium.” Although that portrayal was later retracted, it demonstrates the government’s intense focus on making sure its upcoming generation is productive and ready to work for the motherland.

The post Say Goodbye to Playtime, Young Chinese Gamers first appeared on Dornob.

The Steam Deck is a handheld video game console not wholly unlike the form factor of the Nintendo Switch or the Sony PlayStation Vita before it. The difference here is that while PCs tend to have exclusive games and versions of games that can’t take full advantage of all the computing power a gaming PC has, the Steam Deck promises to play all of your PC games on the go. With cloud saves becoming the standard for all gaming systems, this means the ability to start a game on your desktop PC, and then continue right where you left off on the Steam Deck.

For gamers that have been amassing a PC gaming collection via Steam for years now, the possibilities are endless here. Additionally, Steam users won’t have to rebuy any of these games to play on the handheld, as all previous Steam purchases will be immediately available to play when the system releases later this year. This also opens up a world of possibilities for gamers who are interested in PC gaming but are hesitant because of the high costs typically associated with gaming computers.

None of the games would matter if the system wasn’t one made with gamers comfort and use in mind, and the Steam Deck obviously was. The layout of buttons, thumbsticks, and D-pads is exactly what you’d expect from a company that’s been making devices for years now. Also included are two trackpads that act like a mouse would – a must if you’re going to replicate the PC gaming experience in a handheld device. A large, bright seven-inch screen also promises to make the 1280×800 native resolution pop when playing your favorite PC games.

Three different models of the system will be available to purchase before the end of 2021, and the cost of entry isn’t prohibitive. The base model with 64 GB of onboard storage is $399, the next step up is the the 256 GB model at $529, and the top-tier 512 GB model runs for $649. The most expensive model also includes a premium anti-glare finish to the screen, but all versions of the system have a micro SD slot to expand storage to fit gamers’ individual needs, as well as a handy carrying case.

Valve has also made it clear that their system will not be walled off in any way. Think of it as a PC like you would any other computer; meaning you can install whatever software you want or need. Seriously. Though the Steam portal will run natively on it, you can also run games you buy from other spots like the Epic Games Store or uPlay.

So get excited, because Valve has already opened pre-order reservations, and the system should start arriving in gamers’ hands before the holiday season is here.

The post Meet the Steam Deck: Everything You Need to Know About the New Handheld PC Gaming Device first appeared on Dornob.