One of the defining features of the iPad Pro is the support for Apple Pencil, Apple’s take on the stylus which has since received extremely favorable reviews. However it also begged the question as to whether or not the feature could be launched for the iPhone as well, something that the rumor mill has been suggesting as of late.

It seems that those rumors are gaining momentum because according to a report from the Economic Daily News from China (via Cult of Mac), it seems that Apple could have signed on with a new stylus supplier from Taiwan. The report claims that the company is question is Elan who will apparently supply ‘touch-and-pen related” chips for the two next-gen iPhone X handsets.

If the rumors are to be believed, only the larger 6.5-inch iPhone this year will support the Apple Pencil. We suppose this makes sense since the larger display will make the stylus more useful, versus trying to use a stylus with a smaller display. Needless to say that none of this can be confirmed at the moment so it’s probably best to take it with a grain of salt for now.

That being said, the 2018 iPhones are predicted to be officially announced in the second week of September, so it won’t be much longer until we get all the details.

One of the joys and benefits of shopping in brick and mortar stores is that you get to see the product you’re about to buy. You can touch it, see it, smell it, and test it before deciding if it is right for you. Of course this also means having to take time out of your day to drive to the store, walk around, and so on.

Some people do not have that luxury of time, which is why online shopping is so popular, but it seems that Walmart could be thinking of a system that could bring the best of both worlds. In a patent discovered by Bloomberg, it appears that Walmart is testing out the idea of a virtual reality (VR) shopping experience.

Through the use of a VR headset and gloves with sensors outfitted in them, shoppers will get to experience shopping in a virtual Walmart store minus the hassle of the crowd. The items that shoppers pick in the virtual store will then be shipped from a distribution center once they been paid for.

This wouldn’t be the first time Walmart will be trying to disrupt the existing way we shop. The company has partnered with companies like Waymo for grocery deliveries in the past. They also appear to be quite hooked on the idea of VR as they have launched VR features on its website. That being said, this is only a patent which means that there’s no guarantee that it will be implemented for real.

Back in May earlier this year, Twitch decided to ultimately kill off one of their features in the form of Messages. However the company also gave its users the option of downloading an archive of all their private messages should they decide to keep it for whatever reasons. Unfortunately a glitch with the system seems to have exposed the private messages of some users.

This issue was confirmed by a Twitch representative in a statement made to Polygon. “Due to a bug in the code that generated the message archive files, which has since been fixed, a small percentage of user messages were included in the wrong archives. The primary use case for Messages was promotion; streamers sending out mass communication to subscribers for example, and the majority of messages that were unintentionally provided to another user fall into that category.”

As Twitch notes, this only affected a “small percentage” of their users, whom they have since notified by email. “We have notified users via email and provided them the affected messages for review. Protecting our users’ privacy is important to us and we have taken actions to ensure this kind of error does not happen in the future.”

Unsurprisingly quite a few streamers weren’t too thrilled about the situation, even if their messages weren’t part of the leak as it basically highlighted how they had no control over the situation. If you want to see if maybe you were affected, you can check it out here on Twitch’s website.

Blizzard has its own online gaming platform in the form of Battle.net, where players can play with each other and chat with each other, even if they’re playing different games. However with the console versions of Blizzard’s games, unfortunately those players have been closed off to the rest of the Battle.net community.

This is expected to be the same case for the recently announced Diablo 3 for the Nintendo Switch. However it seems that Blizzard is interested in exploring the idea of potential cross-platform play. In an interview with Eurogamer, Blizzard’s Pete Stilwell confirmed that Diablo 3 on the Switch will not have cross-platform support, but also stated that they are interested in pursuing that idea.

According to Stilwell, “It’s not available at this time. I wouldn’t ever take anything off the table, it’s something we’re exploring, that we’re interested in. But it is not currently a feature.” In the past cross-platform amongst consoles was rare, but in recent years we’ve started to see more companies open up to the idea.

So far quite a few major titles have received cross-platform support, such as Minecraft, Rocket League, and Fortnite, just to name a few. Whether or not Blizzard and Nintendo will ultimately bring cross-platform to Diablo 3 on the Switch remains to be seen, but hopefully they will.

With Diablo 3 for the Nintendo Switch having been made official, it opens the door to all kinds of possibilities, such as seeing more Blizzard games launched on the Switch, or maybe it could even see some of Blizzard’s characters get folded into Nintendo games. Recently an interview with Game Informer has revealed that Blizzard is not opposed to the idea of bringing some of their characters to the Super Smash Bros. franchise.

In the interview when asked who Blizzard would love to see make an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, senior producer Pete Stilwell said, “Personally, yeah, I’d love to have Diablo. That to me is the immediate one. Then if we had over time, eventually the heroes, go through all of them…or you could go really awesome and only have Deckard Cain.”

They were also asked which Nintendo characters they wouldn’t mind seeing in their games, in which Stilwell stated that Pig Ganon would be a cool addition, while associate producer Matt Cederquist said, “Bowser, Bowser would be a sweet dungeon boss.” Of course these are just ideas being tossed in the air and there’s no guarantee that it will happen.

However with Diablo 3 on the Switch, there is already a bit of a crossover as the game on the Switch will come with an armor transmorg that lets players recreate Ganondorf’s look, the Cucco companion pet, and a Triforce portrait frame.

Amazon’s Echo Spot and Echo Show come with displays which makes it a useful device for watching videos. In fact both the Echo Spot and Echo Show are ideal devices if you have home security cameras as they can be used to watch live streams, but what about when you want to watch videos that have already been recorded?

Unfortunately that was not possible, at least until now where Amazon has announced a new Cameras Recap API that will allow users to call up recorded footage to be watched on the Echo Spot, Echo Show, or other Amazon devices like the Fire TV or Fire Tablets. “Today, we are excited to announce the addition of the Cameras Recap API to the Smart Home Skill API so that your smart home camera skill can enable customers to view recorded smart home camera video feeds on Echo Show, Echo Spot, Fire TV, and Fire Tablets.”

Note that this is an API that developers will need to include in their skills for Alexa, meaning that while the API is available, how quickly developers will take to utilize it remains to be seen. However it seems that cameras made by Ring, ARlo, Cloud Cam, and August already have support so if you are using any of those devices, you should be able to take advantage of this new feature.

Unfortunately at the moment users are only able to pull up the last recorded footage, so if you wanted to pull footage from a specific date or time, you won’t be able to do that yet with Alexa.

When it comes to TVs, Amazon’s answer at the moment is the Fire TV. However if a report from Bloomberg is accurate, it seems that Amazon’s plans for the TV could come in the form of a TiVo competitor, where the company will launch a new device that will be capable of doing some of the things that TiVo is known for.

This includes recording of live TV, working around cable providers, and will also be capable of streaming videos from the TV onto a smartphone. The device is still in the works and has been codenamed “Frank”. It will also come with physical storage of its own to store the recorded videos, and will also be able to connect to Fire TV boxes.

While TiVo is already an established name, Amazon does have the advantage of having access to the resources that they have, along with their reputation, and let’s not forget that the company has been ramping up their efforts when it comes to creating new and original video content, which presumably will tie-in with the device and make it a more attractive alternative.

No word on when Amazon’s rumored TiVo competitor will launch, so take it with a grain of salt for now as we keep our eyes peeled.

In less than a week, Nikon’s new mirrorless cameras will be officially announced. Assuming the rumors are true, we can expect two mirrorless cameras to be announced alongside new lenses. Now thanks to a source of Nikon Rumors, here’s what we might be able to expect from Nikon in 2018 and 2019.

According to their source, Nikon is expected to launch two mirrorless cameras this year in the form of the Z6 and Z7 that we have heard about previously. There will also be three lenses announced at launch which include the 24-70mm f/4 and 50mm f/1.8, along with a wide-angle model which at the is still up for debate, but it seems to range between 24mm to 35mm.

Come 2019, if you were hoping for more Nikon Z camera models to choose from, it seems that 2019 will not bring about new cameras. Instead it appears that 2019 will focus on new lenses and accessories, such as a Nikon Z Speedlight flash unit, a Nikon Z grip/booster, and 4-5 new Nikkor-Z lenses with a couple of zoom options.

Many are understandably excited about what Nikon has in store for photographers. The company’s previous mirrorless outings were less than stellar and were almost disappointing, but if the reports are true, Nikon is getting “serious” with its upcoming launch and it remains to be seen if it has what it takes to compete with Sony, who is pretty much the undisputed king when it comes to mirrorless cameras.

Diablo 3 for the Nintendo Switch was recently confirmed and will be released later this year. There are no doubt some questions that gamers might have about the upcoming game, namely its performance on Nintendo’s console. For those who were worried that the Switch’s hardware could hold the game’s performance back, it seems that you need not worry.

Speaking to Eurogamer, Blizzard’s Pete Stilwell confirmed that the game will run at 60fps “across the board”. What this means is that regardless of whether the console is docked or undocked, it will run at 60fps, so gamers can look forward to that buttery smooth gameplay even in handheld mode.

As for resolution, the game will be at 960p in docked mode and 720p when undocked. This is to be expected, and given that the Switch doesn’t exactly have the biggest display, 720p should still look relatively sharp. According to Stilwell, gamers “shouldn’t notice anything different” when playing the game docked or handheld.

That being said, given that Diablo 3 was released in 2012, it makes it a relatively old game which also means that it isn’t quite as demanding in hardware compared to newer titles. The game’s release has been pegged for 2018 and will be released together with the Reaper of Souls expansion, and the Rise of the Necromancer DLC, along with some exclusive Switch in-game items.

Input devices like keyboard, mice, and gamepads are great for playing games with, but they tend to be rather “general” in terms of use. This is by no means a bad thing, but when it comes to certain games, there is no doubt more niche controllers could do a better job. For example arcade fighting games might benefit from a fight stick setup, and driving games a steering wheel controller.

Of course buying dedicated accessories can be expensive and a waste if you don’t play such games often, but Thingiverse user Pixel2 might have a cheap and awesome alternative in the form of a 3D printed mini steering wheel controller designed for the Xbox One’s gamepad. Basically this is an attachment that leverages the controls found on the gamepad, like the analog stick.

Image credit – Pixel2/Thingiverse

Thanks to its design, the mini steering wheel in the center of controller will control the analog stick, but at the same time allowing gamers to control it like a steering wheel of sorts. It is an ingenious idea and Pixel2 has actually made the files available for free online for users to print and to create their own setup, which YouTuber Uncle Jessy did in the video above if you want to see how it looks like in action.

Of course a bigger and “proper” steering wheel controller would no doubt feel a lot more comfortable, but if you’d rather not spend that kind of money, this could be a fun alternative.

Don’t want to pay for YouTube Red? Using the free version of Spotify? If you are, chances are you are familiar with ads because since you’re not paying for those services, ads are a way for companies to make money. However with Netflix, since there is no free tier, would seeing an ad incense you?

If it will, then you’re not alone because it seems that one of Netflix’s latest test is angering a lot of its users. In a report from Cord Cutter News, it appears that Netflix is testing out inserting video promos in between your shows. The company has since confirmed to TechCrunch that this indeed a test and is only live for a small percentage of its users.

These videos, at least for now, are for promoting Netflix’s catalogue so they’re not full-blown ads that you might expect from YouTube. However it is worrying because it could be easily replaced with actual ads, and given that Netflix’s appeal is the fact that it is ad-free and on-demand, many users appear to be annoyed that they might have to put up with such ads even when they’re paying for the service.

Netflix reassures users that they conduct many tests throughout the year, which means that there is a chance that this feature might not even make the final cut. Plus given the backlash that they’re facing, it’s probably not the best idea right now.

With iOS 11 last year reportedly causing performance issues for users who updated, we’re sure that there are many iPhone users who now hesitant to update to the latest version of iOS over concerns that this could happen again, especially given that iOS 12 beta 7 was pulled over claims of sluggish performance.

The good news is that this seems to be something you won’t have to worry about because according to a video uploaded onto YouTube by iAppleBytes, it shows that iOS 12 actually runs a lot faster on older iPhones compared to existing builds. The video above shows an iPhone 5s running on iOS 11.4.1 compared against another iPhone 5s running on the latest iOS 12 beta.

Right off the bat, the differences are pretty clear with the iPhone 5s running on the iOS 12 beta booting up almost 20 seconds faster. App launches also appear to be ever so slightly faster, and when using apps that require keyboard input, such as Messages, the keyboard launches on iOS 12 considerably faster than the one on iOS 11.4.1.

Clicking the “Share’ button also launches a lot faster in photos, and so does mode switching in the camera app. Assuming that Apple maintains this through the final build, then updating to iOS 12 will actually improve your phone. iOS 12 does not have a set release date yet, but it is possible that it could be released alongside the new iPhones in September.

Earlier this year it was revealed that Google could be looking to introduce a next-gen Chromecast. The FCC filing at that time revealed that the device could be gaining Bluetooth and now according to a bunch of new documents that were recently made public, it seems to not only confirm Bluetooth, but also improved WiFi performance.

The reports reveal that Google has made some hardware changes to the Chromecast, such as the changing to a 5GHz antenna. According to Google’s notes, this will increase the antenna’s gain from 2.1 dBi to 4dBi. The documents also reveal a possible design for the device, in which it appears that Google will be retaining the same circular puck-shaped design, along with a dongle that will connect to displays via HDMI.

Given that the last time the Chromecast was updated was back in 2015, it’s safe to say that it is definitely due for a refresh. There is no word on when the new Chromecast will be unveiled as it was previously thought that it could have been revealed at Google I/O 2018 earlier this year, but since that did not happen, we suppose that it might be announced alongside the Pixel 3 which should be revealed in the coming month or two.

The Pixel 3 event has also been rumored to be the launchpad for other Google hardware, such as Google-made Pixel smartwatch, and also a Google-made Assistant Smart Display.

Image credit – MySmartPrice/@OnLeaks

We have been hearing a fair bit of rumors about Google’s upcoming Pixel 3 smartphones, and now thanks to a post on Twitter by MobileSyrup, one of their readers has sent in a photo of what appears to be the Google Pixel 3 XL in the wild. It’s a bit hard to tell from this angle and photo that this is the Pixel 3 XL, but many seem to believe that it could be it.

One of the rumored design features of the Pixel 3 XL is that it will have a notch at the top whereas the smaller Pixel 3 will not. Google also seems to have confirmed this by adding support for the notch in Android. The notch is also said to house a camera system that could somehow tie in with a recently discovered “Face Match” feature.

Also based on previous leaks, both the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are expected to feature a small cutout at the bottom of the display, although we’re not sure why, but it could potentially be where the microphone is house. As you can see in the photo above, the phone in question not only has a notch, but a cutout at the bottom, which could possibly be the actual thing.

It also gives us a good idea as to how big the phone is in real-life, where the rumors are claiming that it could be packing a 6.2-inch display. Take it with a grain of salt for now, but rumor has it that Google could announce the phones in October so check back with us in the coming months for more updates.

Do you have emails that contain sensitive information that you don’t want others to see? There are ways to do that, but if you’re an Android user who also uses Gmail, you might be interested in a new feature called Confidential Mode that has recently found its way onto the Android version of the app.

According to Google, “You can send messages and attachments with Gmail’s confidential mode to help protect sensitive information from unauthorized access. You can use confidential mode to set an expiration date for messages or revoke access at any time. Recipients of the confidential message will have options to forward, copy, print, and download disabled.”

Users who send emails under Confidential Mode can passcode protect emails. This means that the person who is reading the email will need a passcode to unlock it. This is done either by a passcode being sent via SMS, or if the recipient is not a Gmail user, they will be emailed a passcode instead.

There will also be the option to revoke access to the email, and the contents of said email cannot be copied, downloaded, printed, or forwarded. So if you do have the need to send such emails, do keep an eye out for the feature which should already be live.

MoviePass has become an exercise in shifting goalposts as it’s making changes to its service yet again. The company has been struggling to survive and has made some major changes to its service in recent weeks to try and stay afloat. The service is now limiting subscribers to just six movie options per day. What this means is that subscribers will only be able to see certain movies on certain days.

It’s imposing this limit as it moves to the new subscription plan. MoviePass is sending out letters to subscribers saying that “For the time being, we will be limiting the films and showtimes that are available to members each day. During this transition period, MoviePass will offer up to six films to choose from daily.”

The schedule for a particular day’s movies will be updated at least a week before on the MoviePass website. The list for the following week is now online. The up to six films that subscribers will get to choose from will include a mix of major studio first-run titles and independent releases.

In addition to this limit, showtime availability could also be limited depending on the popularity of those films on MoviePass on that particular day. Whether or not this will help the company steer clear of troubled waters remains to be seen. Some are not so optimistic and feel that the writing is on the wall for MoviePass.

Due to certain apps having huge file sizes, it was understandable that companies such as Apple and Google placed some restrictions on file downloads over cellular networks. This has improved over the years, and now as spotted by Android Police, it seems that Google is giving users more options now.

As you can see in the screenshot above, Android users now have the option of choosing which network they want to use when downloading apps from the Play Store. For example they can select WiFi only, or they can opt to use any network that they are on, which includes cellular networks.

Google makes a note that says that charges may apply for those who have data caps and might be hit with overages if they go over their limit, although to be fair a lot of carriers these days are offering users more data than they need, along with unlimited plans. There is also the option to disable these prompts, meaning that when you set it once, you won’t have to worry about it again.

However for those who might appreciate these prompts, especially when roaming, you can enable that as well. These changes should be live so if you are an Android user who wants more freedom when it comes to downloading apps, do keep an eye out for these settings.

With Amazon’s Echo lineup, the company has introduced the Echo Spot and the Echo Show, two Echo and Alexa-enabled speakers that come with built-in displays. Now in a report from Nikkei, it seems that Google’s very own Assistant Smart Displays could be on track for a launch later this year.

These Assistant-enabled Smart Displays aren’t new and just recently, we’ve seen Lenovo and JBL launch similar offerings. However Nikkei’s report claims that Google has their own Smart Display in the works, which we imagine will be added to the current Google Home lineup which also includes the Google Home, Home Max, and Home Mini.

Details are a bit scarce, but the report claims that Google’s own Smart Display will only offer up one screen size, versus Lenovo who decided to launch two different options for consumers. Apart from that we’re not sure how different they will be from each other, but presumably all the core functions will remain the same.

Google is expected to launch the Pixel 3 in the coming months and with rumors of a Pixel Watch in the works, we suppose it is possible that all these devices could be announced at the same time. Take it with a grain of salt for now, but check back with us in the next couple of months for more updates.

The other day a report from Associated Press revealed that even when users explicitly told Google to stop tracking their movements, it continued to do so. This apparently stemmed from some confusion in Google’s settings, where users had to navigate to the “Web and App activity” section if they wanted to disable tracking completely.

Now it seems that Google has decided to clarify its tracking policy to clear up any confusion and misgivings that users might have had. On its help page that describes how Location History works, it now reads, “This setting does not affect other location services on your device.” It also points out that “some location data may be saved as part of your activity on other services, like Search and Maps.”

Basically Google hasn’t done anything to change the way they track users, but rather they are just cleaning up the language they used to help reduce confusion. This means that disabling tracking in Location History will still result in some of your activities being tracked, and that you will need to navigate to “Web and App activity” to disable it completely.

In a statement made to Associated Press, Google said, “We have been updating the explanatory language about Location History to make it more consistent and clear across our platforms and help centers.”

A lot of companies rely heavily on ARM and their chips. This is because for the most part, a lot of companies use ARM’s architecture for their chips that can be found in plenty of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. In fact earlier this year, companies such as Lenovo launched laptops that are powered by ARM-based chips.

Let us not forget that Apple themselves are rumored to potentially make the shift to ARM-based Mac computers in the future. However there is the question of whether or not ARM chips can offer up the same levels of performance compared to Intel, and apparently ARM thinks that they can in a recently published roadmap for future CPUs.

According to the company, they promise that they will be capable of boosting performance by more than 15% each year between now and 2020, where they think that they will be able to outperform Intel by then. Of course this is assuming that companies such as Intel sit by idly and not do anything, but if ARM can get on Intel’s level, then in the future more ARM-based computers might be feasible.

Like we said rumors of Apple making the jump have been making their rounds, and if this roadmap can be successfully achieved, that future might not be too far off.

If the second season for Marvel’s Iron Fist is a series that you have been looking forward to, you’ll be pleased to learn that Netflix has recently released a new trailer for the upcoming second season. It gives us a better look at what to expect from the new season, which last we checked was set for a release on the 7th of September.

We should remind you that unlike previous Netflix series, especially those made together in collaboration with Marvel, Iron Fist’s second season will only run for 10 episodes versus the 13 that we’ve come to expect. This isn’t because Netflix has little faith in the second season, but rather this was in response to complaints that some of their shows had pacing problems, and by shortening it, it should help to speed up the storytelling process.

Following the release of Iron Fist, it is also expected that the third season for Daredevil will also be launching later this year, making this year a year of Marvel TV series as earlier in the year, the second seasons for both Jessica Jones and Luke Cage were also released. Netflix is expected to hold onto the rights to keep producing these shows even in 2019 when their deal with Disney comes to an end, with Ant-Man and the Wasp being the last movie to be available in Netflix’s catalogue.

Recently there have been reports that Google wants to get back into China and one of the ways they are planning to do so is to launch a censored search engine. This is to comply with government regulations on what kind of topics are allowed to be discussed on the internet, and apparently Google’s employees are not having it.

In a report from BuzzFeed News, it seems that Google employees are protesting internally against the company’s alleged plans to launch a censored search engine in China, codenamed Dragonfly. According to an email circulated internally and obtained by the publication, it reads in part, “Many of us believe that Dragonfly poses a threat to freedom of expression and political dissent globally, and violates our AI principles.”

It adds, “As a company and as individuals we have a responsibility to use this power to better the world, not to support social control, violence, and oppression. What is clear is that Ethical Principles on paper are not enough to ensure ethical decision making. We need transparency, oversight, and accountability mechanisms sufficient to allow informed ethical choice and deliberation across the company.”

Google’s employees aren’t the only ones questioning the company’s decision. It was also previously reported that US lawmakers have questions for Google as well regarding their plans. This would also not be the first time that Google employees have protested against the company’s projects, where a few months ago a number of employees resigned in protest over Google’s military contracts.

Google has refined its search engine over the years where on the search results page alone, we can find information easily without having to navigate to more websites (unless you need the extra details). However in an update to search, Google has made some changes in which it will now show even more relevant information.

Google cites an example of how when you might want to remodel your kitchen and you’re trying to find out what’s the difference between using materials such as quartz or granite. Instead of showing you information about the actual minerals, Google will attempt to contextualize the information where it might show you information about costs between both materials, some of the benefits of either material, durability, and more.

According to Google, “This new format is meant to help guide you with what we understand to be common, useful aspects of the topic and help you sift through the information available, all with the goal of delivering the most relevant results for you. These new panels are automatically generated based on our understanding of these topics from content on the web, and we hope you find them useful as they roll out over the next few days.”

It sounds like a pretty nifty feature but how useful it will remains to be seen, but either way do keep an eye out for it as Google expects it to be available over the next few days.

Recently Pixel XL owners were reporting that following the update to Android 9.0 Pie, it seems to have broken the phone’s compatibility with quick chargers. Google has acknowledged this and are working on a fix, but it seems that they might have another problem on their hands: Pixel 2 XL owners are now reporting sluggish performance.

It is unclear if this has anything to do with the Android Pie update because according to Android Police’s Artem Russakovskii and tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, both of them have uploaded separate videos in which they demonstrate how sluggish the performance on the Pixel 2 XLs are.

In Russakovskii’s video, he shows that opening the Google Camera app takes a whopping 10 seconds via the power button double-tap gesture. During that period, it also shows how the phone is frozen and that touch and swipes are not registered. Now you could attribute this to wear and tear, but for a phone that is about a year old, it seems rather unacceptable.

Like we said it is unclear as to what might be causing the problem and if it could be a hardware or software issue, but according to 9to5Google’s Stephen Hall, it seems that it could be an issue in which hardware would need to be replaced. This is actually not the first time that Google has come under fire for shipping Pixel phones that have not been properly QC, but hopefully this isn’t one of those instances.

Most of take our phones out the box when we buy them, turn them on, and we’re good to go. However there might be some users who unfortunately do not have that luxury as there are other things to consider, such as accessibility features and whether or not certain devices are compatible.

Thankfully for Android users, it looks like Google is bringing native hearing aid support onto Android (via Engadget). Google cites the WHO who claims that around 466 million people in the world suffer from disabling hearing loss, and that number is expected to nearly double by 2050, which means that over time accessibility features are becoming increasingly important.

Working together with GN Hearing, Google is helping to create a new and open specification for hearing aid streaming support in future builds of Android. Google is also going to help manufacturers add this native support using the Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids spec. This is said to offer up low-latency and high quality audio, all the while minimizing the impact on battery life.

GN Hearing will be the first manufacturer to take advantage of this spec, and will be applicable to the ReSound LiNX Quattro and Beltone Amaze hearing aids following a future Android update.

Earlier Blizzard announced and confirmed that Diablo 3 would be arriving on the Nintendo Switch. This would mark the first time in the past decade or so that a Blizzard game has launched on a Nintendo console (during the company’s earlier years, they had several games that launched on the SNES).

Now it seems that Blizzard is interested in getting more games onto Nintendo’s platform because speaking to GameSpot, Blizzard’s Pete Stilwell said that bringing Overwatch onto the Switch is something that is feasible. “Anything is within the realm of possibility. Our team was given the task to work on this. If [Overwatch developer] Team 4 picks up that endeavour, that’s on them. As of right now Diablo is our only focus on Switch.”

Of course whether or not Blizzard wants to pursue that remains to be seen. One of the problems could be the fact that Overwatch is not cross-platform compatible, meaning that as well as the Switch is doing, compared to the PC, Xbox One, and PS4, there might not be as many players readily available for matches which could hamper the game’s success.

That being said, this is not the first time that Blizzard has expressed interest in Overwatch coming to the Switch, but whether or not they go through with it is another story. In the meantime Blizzard does have other games that would probably be great on the Switch, such as Hearthstone, although last we heard the company had no plans to port the game just yet.

ASUS recently unveiled their 15-inch Zephyrus S gaming laptops, which they claim to be the world’s thinnest gaming laptops. However if you feel that maybe a 15-inch laptop is too small for your liking, then you might be interested to learn that ASUS has also unveiled a 17-inch gaming laptop as well.

Dubbed the Strix SCAR II, ASUS boasts that this laptop is the first 17.3-inch gaming laptop under 400mm wide. Note that we’re not talking about thickness, but rather the width of the laptop. This is thanks to ASUS shrinking the bezels of the laptop’s display, which essentially allowed them to pack a 17.3-inch Full HD display into a chassis that your typical 15-inch laptop would have used.

As for the rest of the specs, we’re looking at an Intel Core i7 processor that can be configured to be either the 8750H or the 8300H. There will be support for up to 32GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GPU with 6GB of GDDR5 VRAM. It also comes with a “full-sized” keyboard with a number pad that they have managed to cram into that relatively small space.

No word on pricing yet but it will also be determined by how you configure it. As for availability, we’re looking at a release in September.

Gaming laptops usually have a bad rep for being bulky and heavy, but given that they’re meant to be powerful machines designed to allow for gaming on the go, that’s the sacrifice gamers will have to make. However ASUS thinks that they might have the answer for you in the form of the Zephyrus S.

This is the company’s latest gaming laptop and one that they are marketing as the “world’s slimmest gaming laptop”. It measures 14.95-15.75mm thin, and while still not nearly as thin compared to ultrabooks, if you’re a gamer on the go who needs something thin to slip inside a bag, this should do the trick.

One of the reasons why gaming laptops tend to be bulky is because it needs a good cooling system to prevent overheating. With the Zephyrus S, ASUS is using its patented Active Aerodynamic System with “innovative” venting and 83-blade fans. As for the rest of the specs, the laptops will be packing an Intel Core i7-8750H CPU, with up to 24GB of RAM.

There will also be an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070/1060 GPU, a 15.6-inch Full HD display, and also storage support for up to 1TB in SSD. The laptop will also be VR ready if you’re looking to do some VR gaming on the go. In terms of pricing and availability, the ASUS Zephyrus S GX531GS will be priced at $2,199 and will be available later this month, while the GX531GM with the GTX 1060 GPU will be priced at $2,099 and will launch mid-October.

Have you been meaning to try Blizzard’s Overwatch thanks to all the hype surrounding it? Unfortunately unlike some of Blizzard’s other games, Overwatch does not have a trial version of the game, which means you’ll need to buy it to play it, which could result in you either loving it or regretting your purchase.

The good news is that it looks like Blizzard has announced another free Overwatch weekend where from the 23-27th of August, players will be able to enjoy the game for free. “For this free weekend, we’re making Overwatch’s full roster of 28 heroes—along with the newly released Wrecking Ball—and 18 maps available for play in a variety of modes, including Quick Play, Custom Games, and the Arcade. Players will also be able to level up, earn seasonal Summer Games Loot Boxes, and unlock a variety of different customization options for their heroes.”

Given that the Summer Games 2018 event is now live, it means that players will be able to take part in it as well and as mentioned above, will be able to get their hands on the Summer Games Loot Boxes and win seasonal skins and cosmetics. As expected with other free Overwatch weekend events, your progress will be saved which means that should you decide to buy the game, you can just pick up where you left off.

Gamers who love Razer’s gaming mice might are probably familiar with the Razer Mamba, one of the company’s earlier wireless gaming mice. For those who liked the shape and feel of the Mamba but were a bit put off by its asking price of $150, not to worry because the Razer Mamba Elite has recently been announced.

This mouse will be part of the Mamba family with one key difference: it will be wired. This means that you won’t need to deal with the hulking Bluetooth receiver of the Mamba, and don’t need to worry about charging it or it running out of battery. The Mamba Elite will come with some of the same features of the Mamba, such as a 5G 16,000 DPI sensor, textured side grips, and Chroma lighting on the sides.

It will also feature mechanical mouse switches that were co-developed by Omron, which according to Razer has been rated for up to 50 million clicks. In terms of pricing, the Mamba Elite is considerably cheaper than the wireless Mamba at $90. Granted it is still a pricey mouse compared to some of the alternatives out there, but if you love Razer’s gaming mice and what the Mamba Elite has to offer, head on over to Razer’s website where you will be able to pick up one for yourself.