Tag: ever’
For the first time ever, Uber turns a profit for the full year
Helldivers 2 Overtakes God of War to Become Sony’s Biggest Ever Game Launch on Steam
Nuclear Fusion Machine Smashes Energy Record, Clean Energy Now ‘Closer Than Ever’
A UK-based nuclear fusion collaboration just produced a record amount of energy, a refreshing dose of good news in humankind’s quest for cleaner energy sources. The Joint European Torus facility, or JET, produced just over 69 megajoules of heat.
One of the best FPS games ever is 80% off in Bethesda Steam sale
Steam, Xbox Game Studios, and Bethesda have a sale on right now, creating deep discounts from many of the top releases from the two publishers. Among the fine choices from franchises like The Elder Scrolls and Halo, one you should definitely not gloss over is Deathloop, the brilliant timeloop immersive sim from Arkane Studios.
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Deathloop review, Deathloop system requirements, The best FPS games on PC
One of our favorite noise-canceling earbuds is cheaper than ever
We recommend the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds in our guide to the best wireless earphones for those who just want the strongest active noise cancellation (ANC) possible in a true wireless design. If you’ve been looking to pick up a pair, take note: A recent sale has brought the earphones back down to $249, which takes $50 off their usual price and matches the previous low we saw during the holiday season. The offer is available at several retailers, including Amazon, Walmart and Bose’s own online store, and it comes as part of a wider spate of discounts on the company’s headphones, earbuds, soundbars and Bluetooth speakers.
Engadget Senior Reporter Billy Steele gave the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds a score of 88 in his review last September. Again, ANC performance is the big attraction here: The earphones do a superb job of reducing external sound across the board, and Bose’s app lets you lower the intensity of the ANC if it ever feels uncomfortable. (Though, as with most noise-canceling headphones, voices and other higher-pitched sounds will come through a little clearer than bass- and midrange tones.) The actual earpieces are larger than most other pairs, but they’re comfortable, with soft silicone tips that don’t create too much pressure in the ear.
Bose’s sound signature is a bit bass-heavy out of the box, but not to the point of sloppiness, so it should particularly satisfy fans of hip-hop and pop. If you want a little less low-end, you can tweak the EQ curve through Bose’s app. This model also comes with an optional spatial audio feature dubbed “Immersive Audio,” which aims to give any song a greater soundstage and sense of width. Some tracks will still take to it better than others, but Steele found it to offer impressive detail on the whole.
There are some issues to keep in mind, though. The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds lack wireless charging by default; to add it, you need to buy a $49 case cover. They also can’t connect to two devices simultaneously. The built-in mic is fine for phone calls, but not good, and the six to seven hours of battery life is similarly just OK. With Immersive Audio on, the latter drops closer to four hours. Sony’s WF-1000XM5, the top pick in our guide, offer a wider feature set and excellent ANC performance in their own right (though they may be less comfortable for those with smaller ears). Apple’s AirPods Pro, meanwhile, still include a bevy of conveniences for iPhone owners. Still, if you want a true wireless set that focuses on ANC and spatial audio, this is a decent discount.
In other Bose deals, the over-ear version of the QuietComfort Ultra are also $50 off at $379. That pair delivers top-notch ANC as well, but it’s harder to justify when Sony’s WH-1000XM5, our favorite wireless headphones overall, is currently on sale for $50 less. The older QuietComfort Earbuds II are available for $199 as well, though our review found the Ultra model’s spatial audio tricks to be worth the upgrade.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/one-of-our-favorite-noise-canceling-earbuds-is-cheaper-than-ever-155517532.html?src=rss
One of our favorite noise-canceling earbuds is cheaper than ever
We recommend the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds in our guide to the best wireless earphones for those who just want the strongest active noise cancellation (ANC) possible in a true wireless design. If you’ve been looking to pick up a pair, take note: A recent sale has brought the earphones back down to $249, which takes $50 off their usual price and matches the previous low we saw during the holiday season. The offer is available at several retailers, including Amazon, Walmart and Bose’s own online store, and it comes as part of a wider spate of discounts on the company’s headphones, earbuds, soundbars and Bluetooth speakers.
Engadget Senior Reporter Billy Steele gave the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds a score of 88 in his review last September. Again, ANC performance is the big attraction here: The earphones do a superb job of reducing external sound across the board, and Bose’s app lets you lower the intensity of the ANC if it ever feels uncomfortable. (Though, as with most noise-canceling headphones, voices and other higher-pitched sounds will come through a little clearer than bass- and midrange tones.) The actual earpieces are larger than most other pairs, but they’re comfortable, with soft silicone tips that don’t create too much pressure in the ear.
Bose’s sound signature is a bit bass-heavy out of the box, but not to the point of sloppiness, so it should particularly satisfy fans of hip-hop and pop. If you want a little less low-end, you can tweak the EQ curve through Bose’s app. This model also comes with an optional spatial audio feature dubbed “Immersive Audio,” which aims to give any song a greater soundstage and sense of width. Some tracks will still take to it better than others, but Steele found it to offer impressive detail on the whole.
There are some issues to keep in mind, though. The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds lack wireless charging by default; to add it, you need to buy a $49 case cover. They also can’t connect to two devices simultaneously. The built-in mic is fine for phone calls, but not good, and the six to seven hours of battery life is similarly just OK. With Immersive Audio on, the latter drops closer to four hours. Sony’s WF-1000XM5, the top pick in our guide, offer a wider feature set and excellent ANC performance in their own right (though they may be less comfortable for those with smaller ears). Apple’s AirPods Pro, meanwhile, still include a bevy of conveniences for iPhone owners. Still, if you want a true wireless set that focuses on ANC and spatial audio, this is a decent discount.
In other Bose deals, the over-ear version of the QuietComfort Ultra are also $50 off at $379. That pair delivers top-notch ANC as well, but it’s harder to justify when Sony’s WH-1000XM5, our favorite wireless headphones overall, is currently on sale for $50 less. The older QuietComfort Earbuds II are available for $199 as well, though our review found the Ultra model’s spatial audio tricks to be worth the upgrade.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/one-of-our-favorite-noise-canceling-earbuds-is-cheaper-than-ever-155517532.html?src=rss
Four years after Alyx, Half-Life 3 is further away than ever before
In 2024, it’s too easy to shrug off the unrelenting brilliance of Valve’s Half-Life series. The fact that these games are genre-defining is such a deeply ingrained truism that it risks sounding like a banal cliche. Still, it’s demonstrably correct, and it’s this brilliance alone that explains why anyone’s still talking about Half-Life 3.
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Half-Life 3: the entire story, Who should make Half-Life 3?, Half-Life 3 is now Project Borealis
Four years after Alyx, Half-Life 3 is further away than ever before
In 2024, it’s too easy to shrug off the unrelenting brilliance of Valve’s Half-Life series. The fact that these games are genre-defining is such a deeply ingrained truism that it risks sounding like a banal cliche. Still, it’s demonstrably correct, and it’s this brilliance alone that explains why anyone’s still talking about Half-Life 3.
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Half-Life 3: the entire story, Who should make Half-Life 3?, Half-Life 3 is now Project Borealis
I bought my first ever lotto ticket – hours later I scooped £8million jackpot
A LUCKY punter bagged himself an eye-watering £8 million jackpot after buying his first ever lotto ticket.
The anonymous multimillionaire, from Queensland, Australia, was taking a break at work when one of his mates came out with some life-changing news.
He explained someone in their area, Gladstone, had won the jackpot prize.
In a stroke of luck, he decided to check his numbers and was shocked to discover he had won one of the two £8 million ($15million) prizes.
As reported by 7news, he spoke to The Lott and said: “I was just in the car, and my mate told me someone in Gladstone had won division one in Oz Lotto,
“I thought, ‘Oh, I had entry into that draw’.
“Next thing you know, I’m on the phone to you! What a whirlwind morning.”
His winning numbers were 37, 22, 45, 21, 34, 17 and 5, with supplementary numbers 47, 41 and 35.
To make the story even more incredible, it was the first time he had ever purchased an entry in the game.
When the lotto official told him he’d won, he shouted: “Stop it, brother!
“This is incredible, thank you!
“I’ve never even played Oz Lotto before. It’s my first time, so I think a bit of beginner’s luck might be at play here.
“Oh, I think I might throw up. I need to sit down.
“I’m struggling to process this, mate! Oh my god, I’m a millionaire.”
With all the excitement, he still has “no idea” what he plans to do with the money.
The owner of the newsagency who sold the winning ticket, Ian Chapman, said: “Customers are excited as well. They love to see that major prizes happen locally as well.
“We last sold a division one winning entry about three years ago, and have sold seven division one wins since Lotto commenced in Queensland. This is the first Oz Lotto division one win we have sold.
“Our congratulations go to the winner, and we hope that they use it wisely.”
This comes as many lucky punters celebrate their big wins across the globe.
One lucky Bingo player scooped himself a £50,000 jackpot on April Fool’s Day.
Phil Bacon explained he is putting the money to good use – upgrading his wedding with fiancée Cara-Jane Pallett this summer.
Meanwhile, a builder hit the £10,000-a-month Set For Life jackpot and the first thing he did was buy everyone on site breakfast rolls.
Paul Bevans, 50, is planning a holiday of a lifetime in Jamaica, a trip to see his beloved Liverpool play, and buying a camper van.
And an Aussie dad who took a last-minute chance on the lottery ended up walking away the £10million jackpot – but his wins just kept on coming.
He secured wins in division two 19 times, division three seven times and division four 133 times, adding another £260k to his windfall.
Meanwhile, in the UK, a widow scooped nearly £170,000 using her late husband’s lottery tickets.
Lesley McNally, 54, kept playing the People’s Postcode Lottery after her husband Garry suffered a fatal heart attack in September 2021, having celebrated his 60th birthday just five days earlier.