Samsung has unveiled a 4TB version of its 990 Pro NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSDs with an optional heatsink targeted at gamers and content creators. The new model promises the "fastest random read performance among PCIe 4.0 interface consumer SSDs on the market," Samsung claims, along with faster read/write speeds, improved power efficiency and longer life.
The 4TB SSD 990 Pro is available with and without a heat sink, and features a slim design that can fit into an ultra-thin laptop or gaming console, according to Samsung. With the company's V-NAND chips, a PCIe 4.0 interface and an improved controller, it can hit read speeds of up to 7,450 MB/s and write speeds of 6,900 MB/s — best-in-class and the same as its 1TB and 2TB versions.
Random speeds are also identical to the smaller versions at 1,600K and 1,550K IOPS read/write, respectively. However, endurance doubles from 1,200 TBW (terabytes written) to 2,400 TBW over the 2TB version, thanks to the higher capacity. It also has twice the cache size at 4GB.
Though not as fast as the latest PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs (which can hit 11,700 MB/s read and 9,500 MB/s write speeds), the 990 Pro is among the highest-speed PCIe 4.0 models out there. It's also 50 percent more power efficient than the previous 980 Pro, Samsung said. That makes it ideal not just for PC expansion, but also consoles like Sony's PlayStation 5 — and 4TB would be pretty sweet in a PS5, given the ever-increasing size of AAA games.
The 990 Pro 4TB will go on sale for $345/$355 for the regular and heatsink versions, starting in October at Samsung.com and "select retailers." That's over twice as much as the 2TB version, which is normally $190 but is currently discounted to $135 on Amazon. Once it starts to hit stores in force, though, we should see discounts on the 4TB model, too.
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Ford has announced that it's building the Mustang Mach-E Rally, an off-road version of the Mach-E with extra power, a raised suspension, Ford's new RallySport Drive Mode and more. The new model follows Volkswagen's unveiling of the ID.GTI, showing that automakers are finally focusing on enthusiast versions of their electric vehicles.
The Mach-E features Shelby-like racing stripes on the hood, along with a black painted steel roof, upper and lower body moldings, a rear spoiler, a protective shield for the front and rear motors, a front splitter and a front fascia housing "rally-inspired fog lights," Ford wrote. It's even got a a recovery point in the front end with an included hook, in case you need to get winched out of a tough spot.
Charlie Magee for Ford
The powertrain seems like it will be no joke either, with at least 480HP and 650 lb.-ft. of torque targeted, Ford said — equal to or greater than the Mach-E GT. Meanwhile, the Rally will be raised by 20mm compared to the Mach-E GT and fitted with specialty-tuned springs and MagneRide shocks, along with 385mm front brake rotors with red Brembo-branded calipers. As for the battery and range, it's targeting an estimated 250 mile EPA range with a 91kWh battery that can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in 36 minutes on a DC fast charger.
To aid in off-road handling, the Mustang Mach-E Rally has the first ever "RallySport Drive Mode" from Ford, allowing added yaw for bigger slides, linear throttle response and more aggressive damping when entering loose corners. It works in concert with the new tires, helping the Mach-E Rally "to perform in snow and other slick on-road conditions." Ford tested the vehicle at an all-new rally course at its Michigan proving ground, "then abused Mustang Mach-E Rally prototypes in 500-mile simulating rally-cross durability trials to make sure it lived up to their design intent," it said.
Charlie Magee for Ford
Despite the rally trappings, the vehicle has a high-tech interior, offering Ford's latest BlueCruise hands-free driving tech (available by subscription), along with Lane Change Assist, In-Lane Repositioning and more. The interior has the same dashboard display and large control screen (with Android Auto and CarPlay support) as other Mach-Es, but adds performance seats, gloss white accents and other Rally-specific design touches.
The Mach-E Rally makes more sense in some ways than the Mach-E GT, since the base vehicle is a crossover SUV and not a sports car. It also looks better raised up as a rally vehicle than a lowered GT, in my opinion. It's not going to tromp very lightly through nature, though, given that the curb weight is likely to be around 5,000 pounds.
Charlie Magee for Ford
It won't be terribly cheap, either, as Ford is targeting a starting MSRP at around $65,000 in the US, with exact pricing to be revealed closer to launch. That would be the same price as as the base Mach-E GT Performance Edition — though we'll find out for sure once it goes on sale in early 2024.
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Opera has rolled out a new version of its browser for gamers with the same generative AI features that launched with its One browser. The company debuted its Aria AI with the One browser that came out in June. At the time, Opera also gave its Android browser the AI treatment, but the GX browser for gamers remained AI-less. Now, the company is giving GX users the choice to use Aria's features — if they want. They'll have to enable "Early Bird" in settings and then switch on "Aria Extension" and "Aria Command Line" to be able to use the AI assistant. And, like in the other versions of the company's browser, users will have to log into their Opera account.
Once they activate the AI, though, they'll get a new command line where they can type ctrl+ / on Windows or cmd+ / on Mac to display an overlay where they interact with Aria. They can then ask Aria questions through that overlay, which they can also launch from the sidebar. Opera said users can ask Aria gaming-related questions, such as "Has [a certain game] finally launched yet?" and "How can I kick off my streaming career?" Of course, users can easily find the answers to those questions by using a search engine the old way, but Aria provides an in-browser alternative in the same way Edge's AI co-pilot does.
In addition, users can take advantage of Aria's AI Prompt capability by highlighting any text in the browser to bring up contextual information. When Opera introduced its browser's generative AI features, it included examples in which Aria turned chunks of text on the page into soap opera dialogue or into quiz questions. Aria AI is now available in over 180 countries, so most people can access it with GX and Opera's One browsers. Those interested can download the browser for gamers if they want to give it a try from Opera's website.
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It's been almost exactly four years since Sonos first introduce the Move, the company's first portable speaker. The Move was a solid speaker when it was first introduced, but in the years that have passed, things like its lower-than-average battery life have made it harder to recommend. But even with the summer quickly fading, Sonos has a new portable speaker for powering autumn days outside, the Move 2. On the surface, the Move offers the same formula as the original. It's a relatively large, loud speaker that you can lug around with you; it's also quite durable, able to withstand drops, bumps, extreme temperatures, rain and snow.
But unsurprisingly, Sonos has taken some inspiration from the recent Era 100 and Era 300 speakers here for some improvements. The new top panel touch controls are the same as you'll find on those speakers. There's a volume slider as well as dedicated forward and back buttons. It also has a USB-C line-in jack, so you can connect the Move 2 to a turntable or other audio equipment.
Perhaps most importantly, its internal speaker design is similar to that of the Era 100, with two angled tweeters providing stereo sound, unlike the mono, single-tweeter design of the original Move. In my testing of the Era 100, I didn't find that the two tweeters really give you a stereo experience like you'll get with multiple speakers, but it's still a definite improvement.
Sonos
The other most significant change is that Sonos has more than doubled the quoted battery life on the Move 2, from about 11 hours to more than 24 hours. That's a huge jump and should be enough to silence those who were unhappy with the original Move's rather pedestrian longevity.
Oh, and there's a new color this time, olive green. I wish that it also came in the lovely blue and orange shades you can get the smaller Sonos Roam in, but alas.
Like the original Move, this new speaker supports audio over Bluetooth as well as Wi-Fi for when you're away from your network. It's also a quick way to let friends play music over the speaker, and there's a Bluetooth sharing feature that pipes audio the Move receives over Bluetooth to the rest of your Sonos speakers. Of course, you can also group and share audio across other Sonos devices using the traditional multi-room audio controls, as well.
The Move 2 has microphones built in for automatic speaker tuning using the company's Trueplay software — this adjusts the sound quality based on where you place the speaker. The microphones also work with the Sonos voice assistant as well as Amazon Alexa, and there's a physical mute switch on the back that disconnects power to the mics entirely. And if you get two Move 2 speakers, you can pair them together in stereo. That should make for a potent audio setup, though you'll need to re-pair the speakers if you take one on the go and remove it from your Wi-Fi network.
Unfortunately, Sonos is bumping up the price of its gear again — the Move 2 costs $449, up from the $399 it asked for the original model. For that price, Sonos is also including the handy ring-shaped wireless charger that lets you easily pick up the Move 2 and get going. Yes, there are a number of improvements here, but Sonos can't go on raising the prices of its products every time it releases a new model, can it? We haven't had a chance to hear the Move 2 yet, so it's too soon to say whether it'll be worth the cash, but hopefully the improvements here merit the price premium. The Move 2 goes on sale on September 20.
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Those firing up Airbnb to look for a short-term rental in New York City right now may find the pickings a bit slim. Officials in the city have started enforcing new regulations mandating that hosts will have to file a registration application — and meet a set of requirements — to be able to rent homes to guests for less than 30 days. Hosts can only rent out homes for short-term stays if they're also staying there, and only two guests are allowed at a time. These requirements are part of old and existing rules on rentals, however, and only the Short-Term Rental Registration Law itself is new.
NYC's Office of Special Enforcement said on its website that on September 5, it started collaborating with booking platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo to ensure that they're honoring the city's verification system. These companies will now have to check whether hosts listing their homes for stays less than 30 days have been approved by authorities. According to The New York Times, only 257 application registrations have been approved so far out of the 3,250 that were lodged as of August 28. That would mean thousands of listings could be removed from Airbnb, seeing as the company estimates that almost 15,000 hosts had short-term rental listings across NYC as recent as last month.
Airbnb called the law a "de facto ban" on short-term rentals and filed a lawsuit, which was dismissed last month, to try and block its enforcement. Theo Yedinsky, the company's global policy director, said the rules "are a blow to [NYC's] tourism economy" and that "[t]he city is sending a clear message to millions of potential visitors who will now have fewer accommodation options when they visit New York City: you are not welcome."
The city's authorities argued that enforcing the new law would help prevent housing "being lost to the practice of illegal" short-term rentals. Hosts renting out homes for short periods contributes to the housing shortage, they said, and makes it more expensive to live in the city as a result.
Airbnb told The Times and CNN that reservations with a check-in on or before December 1 will not be cancelled, but the company will refund the fees it received related to those stays to comply with the new rules. Meanwhile, all bookings starting on December 2 will be cancelled, and guests will be refunded. In addition, hosts will find their listings converted to long-term rentals only if they allow bookings of 30 days or more on the platform. All listings that only allow short-term bookings will be deactivated.
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Google has tentatively settled with the alliance of attorneys general that filed a lawsuit in 2021 alleging the search giant abused its dominance on Android app distribution through the Google Play store. Officials claimed Google was leveraging “its monopoly power with Android to unlawfully maintain its monopoly,” saying that 90 percent of all app sales took place through Google Play. Bloomberg reports that the matter has been referred to a judge who, if happy, can confirm the settlement and cancel the pending courtroom battle. It’s a smart move on Google’s part as it has faced a number of antitrust lawsuits over its dominance and power in recent years, with outcomes including a €4.3 billion ($4.6 billion) fine and threats to break up its advertising business.
Not everyone is pleased about the latest deal, with Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney tweeting Epic isn’t included in the settlement. The games developer sued Google in 2020, alleging the latter had made deals with other big games publisher to box out rival app stores. Sweeney is also, as usual, grumbling about other stores asking a cut of each transaction to pay for the running costs of those stores.
Epic's trial against Google is set for November 6th, but Sweeney tweeted: "If Google is ending its payments monopoly without imposing a Google Tax on third party transactions, we'll settle and be Google's friend in their new era. But if the settlement merely pays off the other plaintiffs while leaving the Google Tax in place, we'll fight on. Consumers only benefit if antitrust enforcement not only opens up markets, but also restores price competition." The exact amount Google must pay and any necessary changes required have yet to be disclosed, but could be made public at an October 12th hearing.
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GoPro now says you don’t need to fall out of a plane to go fully vertical with its cameras. The company’s latest action product in its Black line supports a new vertical mode for shooting those TikTok-worthy escapades, and now the company said users should expect longer runtimes, even when shooting HDR and 4K video.
Humans have been exploring space for over six decades, and our ambitions are only increasing over time. In recent years, this drive has been rekindled with fervor, ushering in an era of unprecedented innovation and competition in the realm of space exploration.
We hope you had a fun Labor Day break, for those that had the day off. Elsewhere, the three-day weekend included the IAA Mobility 2023 International Motor Show in Munich, Germany, and a barrage of new cars.
BMW revealed the Vision Neue Klasse — its latest concept design. The company claims it will have a 30 percent greater range and charging speed and be 25 percent more efficient than previous EVs. One of the BMW Vision Neue Klasse's more interesting features is its vibrant yellow lounge-style seats – removing chrome and leather should, theoretically, make the production more environmentally friendly.
Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz teased a smaller, cheaper G-Wagon EV, pictured above. CEO Ola Källenius said the “baby” G-Class EV will be significantly more compact than its cousin. As for the promise of a cheaper G-Class vehicle, a new Mercedes G-Class SUV starts at $140,000, so getting it to a lower price shouldn’t be too difficult.
– Mat Smith
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Final Fantasy XVI won't remain a PlayStation 5 exclusive much longer. Square Enix has confirmed a PC port is officially in development. That's not too much of a shock, considering the game's first trailer in 2020 mentioned a PC version, but hey, a confirmation’s nice.
Producer Naoki Yoshida said the development team has started work on two installments of “paid DLC.” Hopefully, it’ll have more narrative content and not just trickier bosses and challenges.
The aim may be to boost the company's bottom line.
According to Bloomberg, white noise podcasters won’t be eligible for Spotify’s Ambassador Ads program as of October 1. Under the program, Spotify pays podcasters to read ads for the company’s own products. Its goal is to get more people to make shows for the platform.
Bloomberg previously reported some white noise podcasters were making as much as $18,000 per month, in large part due to Spotify paying them for ad placements. Ambassador ads haven’t been very effective on white poise podcasts, according to the report, since their listeners aren’t typically as engaged as they might be with a conversational or narrative podcast.
Logitech’s G Pro X Superlight is one of the most popular gaming mice out there, and the company just made it better. The G Pro X Superlight 2’s battery life is now 95 hours per charge, up from 70 hours on its predecessor. A new Hero 2 sensor offers steadier tracking when quickly lifting or tilting the mouse. It also raises the maximum dots per inch (DPI) to 32,000 and tracking speed to 500 inches per second (IPS). Logitech has also transitioned to fully mechanical switches on the buttons, and it’s now USB-C chargeable. Finally. It’s available from today for $159.
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When the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team introduced its new “Go-Ahead Entry” facial recognition authentication method last week, it was intended to decrease wait times and increase efficiency. In reality, according to Axios, it did just the opposite. Glitches in the system accidentally picked up the faces of…
The only thing that’s predictable about the summer movie season is that it’s going to be wholly unpredictable. In the lead-up, it’s easy to pick out what you think are going to be Hollywood’s biggest stories. “Oh, that new Marvel movie is going to kill it.” “Who isn’t going to go see the latest Tom Cruise film?” But…
Spotify is said to have had a thorny relationship with the makers of white noise podcasts for some time, and now the company seems to be taking more action against them. According to Bloomberg, white noise podcasters will no longer be eligible for Spotify’s Ambassador Ads program as of October 1.
Under that program, Spotify pays podcasters to read ads for the company’s own products. Its goal is to get more people to make shows for the platform.
Bloomberg previously reported that some white noise podcasters were making as much as $18,000 per month, in large part due to Spotify itself paying them for ad placements. It recently emerged that the company considered pulling those types of podcasts from its platform entirely because they were making a $38 million dent on its gross annual profit.
Ambassador ads haven’t been very effective on white poise podcasts, according to the report, since their listeners aren’t typically as engaged as they might be with a conversational or narrative podcast. They’re said to be more passive listeners who play these shows for background noise, so Spotify was not seeing much benefit from those ads, according to the report.
The makers of white noise podcasts will still be able to make money through direct support from listeners, paid memberships and automated ads. But this move is cutting off a key source of revenue. On the flip side, it may be beneficial for listeners who just want to hear chirping birds or thunderstorms without being interrupted by someone promoting the likes of Spotify’s podcasting tools.
In addition, Spotify has raised the threshold for Ambassador Ads eligibility. Podcasts now need to have 1,000 unique listeners over 60 days (up from 100) to participate in the program.
The company also plans to ask more podcasters to join its automated ads program. Spotify said it will split revenue from these ads in half with podcast operators, moving away from its previous approach of paying a flat rate based on impressions.
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When Jon Strahd, the evil CEO of Ravenloft Studios, was defeated, the crowd at Universal Studios gave a huge roar. A group of 500 adventurers had shown up to picket at “the worst [Hollywood] location,” and about 100 were now engaged in a existential fight with a contemporary capitalist, a spin on Wizards of the Coast’s
London’s Natural History Museum will reveal its Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit on October 13, featuring 100 images showcasing the biodiversity of our planet and how organisms interact. The chosen 100 images are the winners selected out of nearly 50,000 entries submitted from 95 different countries,…
BMW is continuing to explore an expanded EV lineup, releasing the Vision Neue Klasse — its latest concept design. The model builds on 2021's i Vision Circular concept and this year's i Vision Dee concept. Beyond the aesthetic features worth discussing, BMW notably claims its Vision Neue Klasse will have a 30 percent greater range and charging speed and be 25 percent more efficient.
The company clearly wants its new EV to be a real departure from its former models. "With the Neue Klasse, we have embarked on the biggest investment in the company's history. We are not just writing the next chapter of BMW; we're writing a whole new book," Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Development, said in a statement. BMW claims that its new design is "so progressive" that, upon first look, you might think the company jumped over a model.
One of the BMW Vision Neue Klasse's more interesting features includes vibrant yellow lounge-style seats. While they certainly look fun, they're unlikely to appear in any model heading to market. However, the removal of chrome and leather should theoretically make the entire production more environmentally friendly. The interior also features a new generation of iDrive and the introduction of BMW Panoramic Vision. The latter provides information such as navigation, speed and song across the bottom of the front windshield.
The car manufacturer apparently wants to ensure you look at the concept car and feel nothing but happiness, dubbing the exterior paintwork "Joyous bright." Though the company says the color demonstrates "the friendly, future-oriented personality of the BMW Vision Neue Klasse," we can't help but think it sounds like the description for a seasonal affective disorder (SAD) lamp. In either case, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse makes its public debut at the IAA Mobility 2023 International Motor Show in Munich, but it won't hit the market until 2025.
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Google’s next flagship has leaked, and a launch date has been set. The Pixel 8 will arrive less than a month after Apple plans to release the iPhone 15. Smartphone fall is coming!
Would you be willing to pay for Facebook? Meta may add a paid subscription option to Instagram and Facebook for users in Europe, according to The New York Times. The ad-free tier addresses European Union (EU) regulations that have diminished some of Meta’s most lucrative data-collection methods, but, the NYT says, the company would continue offering free ad-supported versions of Facebook and Instagram in the EU. So, is this a cost-saving move? Would ad-free sites affect the company’s bottom line? Back in April, Meta said that advertising in the EU made up 10 percent of the company’s total revenue.
The EU fined Meta €1.2 billion in May for moving EU citizen’s data to US-based servers. In addition, the company was fined €265 million in 2022 for failing to prevent millions of Facebook users’ mobile numbers (and other data) from being scraped and posted online.
Oh, and self-promotion time: The Morning After is heading to YouTube for a weekly show. It pits me against a camera and the week’s biggest news. I’ll run through the most intriguing stories and tech launches of the last seven days – and say what I really think about them. You can watch, like, subscribe, share and abuse me in the comments (don’t do that) right here.
All with no paid subscription option. At least not yet.
– Mat Smith
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This week, Devindra and Cherlynn are joined by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the purveyor of many Apple rumors that usually come home to roost. They discuss what we expect from the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Based on Gurman’s reporting so far, the iPhone 15 will likely get Apple’s Dynamic Island. The iPhone 15 Pro will gain thinner bezels, a titanium frame and a periscope camera could appear on the Pro Max. Oh, and there’s the whole USB-C thing.
A Back to the Future expansion is on the way to PowerWash Simulator, a self-explanatory game that turned out to be one of 2022’s biggest surprise hits. It’s the game’s latest crossover, following Final Fantasy VII, Tomb Raider and SpongeBob SquarePants DLC.
Alongside the DeLorean, you can also clean Doc Brown’s van, the Hill Valley clocktower, the Holomax Theatre and the Time Train, from the less-good Back To The Future 3.
Including deals on the MacBook Air, Hisense TVs and Solo Stove fire pits.
Labor Day weekend isn't known as an especially fruitful time for tech deals, but there are a few notable discounts. Both the 13- and 15-inch versions of Apple's M2 MacBook Air are down to all-time lows, for one, as are Hisense's well-reviewed U6K and U8K TVs. If you’re looking for the latest tech, the new Beats Studio Buds + are $40 off at the moment, too.
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Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its "close-to-production" Concept CLA Class EV, boasting of very long range and rapid charging via an 800-volt architecture. The four-door sedan is the first in the company's line of Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) EVs, which will include a shooting brake and a pair of SUVs. Though it was unveiled as a concept at Munich's IAA Mobility motor show, the CLA Class is slated to go into production as a real EV in late 2024.
MMA was conceived for the automaker's entry-level CLA Class vehicles as an all-new "electric first" design. The concept is almost exactly the same size as the company's current CLA sedan at 185 inches long and has a soft egg-like shape designed to move through the air as cleanly as possible (the hood is longer than other EVs, as Mercedes may offer it with ICE engines as well). It also has a number of concept car details (weird wheels, LED lighting, etc.) that likely won't make the final cut.
Mercedes-Benz AG
The CLA Class is less about brute power than other Mercedes-Benz EVs (no performance figures were shared), focusing instead of efficiency and charging speeds. To that end, it uses an 800-volt architecture and a single rear-mounted 235HP motor borrowed from the Vision EQXX concept (with "close to zero percent" rare earth materials). It also has a new heat-pump to keep the batteries (and occupants) warm in the winter, as cold air can severely impact EV range.
With all that, the Concept CLA Class can achieve 466 miles of WLPT range (around 400 miles in EPA terms) — a stellar efficiency of around 150 MPGe. It will also allow drivers to add around 200 miles of range in just 15 minutes. Mercedes didn't give the battery size, but it's likely under 100 kWh. Also aiding in that efficiency is a battery design with anodes containing silicon-oxide to improve energy density. The company will also offer a less efficient and reduced kWh lithium-iron phosphate option at a lower cost.
Mercedes-Benz AG
The inside has a lot of concept-car fluff that likely won't see the light of day, including a water-cooled processor on the floor, silver-colored leather seats, an engraved moonroof and a dashboard-wide "Superscreen" with few physical controls. Still, the production version is likely to have some design touches in line with other Mercedes-Benz EQ electric models and a relatively luxe interior.
Another feature slated to appear in the electric CLA production model is Level 3 automated driving. It won't be available at launch, but the EV will have all the sensors required to enable the feature down the road via over-the-air (OTA) updates. More details are set to arrive in the coming months, like battery size, final range and charging numbers and, most importantly, the price. But if Mercedes can stick to what it said, the CLA could put up a good fight against Tesla's EVs.
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The big talk of the town this weekend is Netflix’s long-awaited adaptation of One Piece. For the most part, critics and audiences alike have been able to get on board with the live-action series, with particular attention drawn towards its cast and willingness to lean into the stranger parts of Eiichiro Oda’s manga.…
July 21, 2023 ended up becoming one of the most important days of the year once folks realized that Warner Bros.’ Barbie and Universal’s Oppenheimer would come out on the same day. Once that sunk in, folks decided to smash the two into a portmanteau forever known as “Barbenheimer.” Along with with memes and videos…
Though Tobin Bell’s John “Jigsaw” Kramer died at the end of Saw 3, the grisly horror franchise has had no trouble keeping him around, either via flashbacks or through several disciples and imitators. Saw X, due out at the end of the month, puts Kramer back in the spotlight by winding back the clock and placing itself…
Since its release in 1993, id Software's DOOM franchise has become one of modern gaming's most easily recognizable IPs. The series has sold more than 10 million copies to date and spawned myriad RPG spinoffs, film adaptations and even a couple tabletop board games. But the first game's debut turned out to be a close thing, id Software cofounder John Romero describes in an excerpt from his new book DOOM GUY: Life in First Person. With a mere month before DOOM was scheduled for release in December 1993, the iD team found itself still polishing and tweaking lead programmer John Carmack's novel peer-to-peer multiplayer architecture, ironing out level designs — at a time when the studio's programmers were also its QA team — and introducing everybody's favorite killer synonym to the gamer lexicon.
In early October, we were getting close to wrapping up the game, so progress quickened. On October 4, 1993, we issued the DOOM beta press release version, a build of the game we distributed externally to journalists and video game reviewers to allow them to try the game before its release. Concerned about security and leaks, we coded the beta to stop running on DOS systems after October 31, 1993. We still had useless pickups in the game, like the demonic daggers, demon chests, and other unholy items. I decided to get rid of those things because they made no sense to the core of the game and they rewarded the player with a score, which was a holdover from Wolfenstein 3-D. I removed the concept of having lives for the same reason. It was enough to have to start the level over after dying.
There was still one missing piece from the game, and it was a substantial one. We hadn’t done anything about the multiplayer aspect. In modern game development, multiplayer would be a feature factored in from day one, and architected accordingly, in an integrated fashion. Not with DOOM. It was November, and we were releasing in a month.
I brought it up to Carmack. “So when are we going to make multiplayer mode?”
The short answer was that Carmack was ready to take it on. Looking from the outside in, I suspect some might wonder if I wasn’t just more than a bit concerned since we were hoping to ship in 1993. After all, John had never programmed a multiplayer game before. The truth is that I never had a doubt, not for a second. Back in March, Carmack had already done some innovative network programming in DoomEd. He wanted to play around with the distributed objects system in NeXT-STEP, so he added the ability to allow multiple people who were running DoomEd to edit the same level. I could see him drawing lines and placing objects on my screen from his computer. Then, I’d add to his room by making a hallway, and so on.
For multiplayer, Carmack’s plan was to explore peer-to-peer networking. It was the “quick and dirty” solution instead of a client-server model. Instead of one central computer controlling and monitoring all the action between two to four players, each computer would run the game and sync up with the others. Basically, the computers send each other updates at high speed over the local network. The speed of Carmack’s network programming progress was remarkable. He had some excellent books on networking, and fortunately, those books were clearly written and explained the process of using IPX* well. In a few hours, he was communicating between two computers, getting the IPX protocol running so he could send information packets to each computer. I’d worked with him for three years and was used to seeing incredible things on his screen, but this was awe inspiring, even for him. In a matter of hours, he got two PCs talking to each other through a command-line-based tool, which proved he could send information across the network. It was the foundation needed to make the game network-capable. It was great for two players, and good for four, so we capped it at that. We were still on track to deliver on our promise of the most revolutionary game in history before the end of the year.
Carmack called me into his office to tell me he had it working. Both PCs in his office had the game open, and they were syncing up with two characters facing one another. On one PC, Carmack veered his character to the right. On the other monitor, that same character, appearing in third person, moved to the left. It was working!
“Oh my God!” I yelled, throwing in some other choice words to convey my amazement. “That is fucking incredible.”
When I’d first truly visualized the multiplayer experience, I was building E1M7. I was playing the game and imagined seeing two other players firing rockets at each other. At the time, I thought, “This is going to be astonishing. There is nothing like this. This is going to be the most amazing game planet Earth has ever seen.” Now, the moment had finally arrived.
I rushed to my computer and opened the game, connecting to Carmack’s computer.
When his character appeared on screen, I blasted him out of existence, screaming with delight as I knocked “John” out of the game with a loud, booming, bloody rocket blast. It was beyond anything I had ever experienced before and even better than I imagined it could be.
It was the future, and it was on my screen.
“This is fucking awesome!” I yelled. “This is the greatest thing ever!”
I wasn’t kidding. This was the realization of everything we put into the design months earlier. I knew DOOM would be the most revolutionary game in history, but now, it was also the most fun, all-consuming game in history. Now that all the key elements of our original design were in place, it was obvious. DOOM blew away every other game I’d ever played. From that moment on, if I wasn’t playing DOOM or working on DOOM, I was thinking about DOOM.
Kevin, Adrian, and Jay began running the game in multiplayer mode, too, competing to blow away monsters and each other. They were yelling just as much as I did, cheering every execution, groaning when they were killed and had to respawn. I watched them play. I saw the tension in their bodies as they navigated the dark, detailed world we’d created. They were hunters and targets, engaged in a kill-or-be-killed battle, not just with monsters, but with other, real people. Players were competing in real time with other people in a battle to survive. I thought of boxing or an extreme wrestling match, where you go in a cage to fight. This was much more violent, more deadly. It was all simulated, of course, but in the moment, it felt immediate. It was a new gaming experience, and I searched for a way to describe it.
“This is deathmatch,” I said. The team latched onto the name. It instantly articulated the sinister, survival vibe at the heart of DOOM.
In mid-November, we buckled down, getting in the “closing zone,” where you begin finalizing all areas of the game one by one. Now that Carmack had multiplayer networking figured out, we needed to fine-tune the gameplay and functionality, delivering two multiplayer modes—one in which players work together to kill monsters and demons, and the other where players try to kill each other (usually without monsters around). The first mode was called co-op, short for cooperative. The second, of course, was deathmatch.
Another important word needed to be coined. Deathmatch was all about getting the highest kill count in a game to be judged the winner. What would we call each kill? Well, we could call it a kill, but that felt like a less creative solution to me. Why don’t we have our own word? I went to the art room to discuss this with Kevin and Adrian.
“Hey guys, for each kill in a deathmatch we need a word for it that is not ‘kill,’” I said.
Kevin said, “Well, maybe we could use the word ‘frag.’"
“That sounds like a cool word, but what does it mean?” I asked.
“In the Vietnam War,” Kevin explained, “if a sergeant told his fire team to do something horrifically dangerous, instead of agreeing to it, they would throw a fragmentation grenade at the sergeant and call it friendly fire. The explanation was ‘Someone fragged the sarge!’”
“So, in a deathmatch we’re all fragging each other!” I said.
“Exactly."
And that is how “frag” entered the DOOM lexicon.
The introduction of deathmatch and co-op play profoundly affected the possibility space of gameplay in the levels. Crafting an enjoyable level for single-player mode with lots of tricks and traps was complex enough, but with the addition of multiplayer we had to be aware of other players in the level at the same time, and we had to make sure the single-player-designed level was fun to play in these new modes. Our levels were doing triple duty, and we had little time to test every possible situation, so we needed some simple rules to ensure quality. Since multiplayer gameplay was coming in quickly near the end of development, I had to define all the gameplay rules for co-op and deathmatch. We then had to modify every game map so that all modes worked in all difficulty levels. These are the rules I came up with quickly to help guide level quality:
Multiplayer Rule 1: A player should not be able to get stuck in an area without the possibility of respawning.
Multiplayer Rule 2: Multiple players (deathmatch or co-op mode) require more items; place extra health, ammo, and powerups.
Multiplayer Rule 3: Try to evenly balance weapon locations in deathmatch.
Multiplayer Rule 4: In deathmatch mode, try to place all the weapons in the level regardless of which level you’re in.
Additionally, we had to make all the final elements for the game: the intermissions and various menus had to be designed, drawn, and coded; the installation files needed to be created, along with the text instruction files, too. We also had to write code to allow gamers to play these multiplayer modes over their modems, since that was the hardware many people had in 1993. Compared to our previous games, the development pace on DOOM had been relatively relaxed, but in November our to-do list was crowded. Fortunately, everything fell into place. The last job for everyone was to stress-test DOOM.
Preparing for release, we knew we needed someone to handle our customer support, so earlier in the year, we’d hired Shawn Green, who quit his job at Apogee to join us. Throughout development, at every new twist and turn, we kept Shawn up to date. He had to know the game inside out to assist gamers should any issues arise. Shawn also helped us by testing the game as it went through production.
I noted earlier that id Software never had a Quality Assurance team to test our releases. For three years, John, Tom, and I doubled as the id QA team. We played our games on our PCs, pounding multiple keys, literally banging on keyboards to see if our assaults could affect the game. On the verge of release, and with more people than ever before in the office, we spent thirty hours playing DOOM in every way we could think of—switching modes, hitting commands—running the game on every level in every game mode we had, using every option we added to the game to see if there were any glitches.
Things were looking good. We decided to run one last “burn-in” test, a classic test for games where the developers turn the game on and let it run overnight. We ran DOOM on every machine in the office. The plan was to let it run for hours to see if anything bad happened. After about two hours of being idle, the game froze on a couple screens. The computers seemed to be okay—if you hit “escape” the menu came up—but the game stopped running.
We hadn’t seen a bug like this during development, but Carmack was on the case. He was thinking and not saying a word, evidently poring over the invisible engine map in his head. Ten minutes passed before he figured it out. He concluded that we were using the timing chip in the PC to track the refresh of the screen and process sound, but we weren’t clearing the timing chip counter when the game started, which was causing the glitch. Ironically, this logic had been part of the engine from day one, so it was surprising we hadn’t noticed it before.
He sat down at his computer, fixed the bug, and made a new build of the game. We put the update on all the machines and held our breath for the next two hours.
Problem solved.
That was the last hurdle. We were ready to launch. That day, December 10, would be DOOM Day.
***
* IPX is an acronym for Internetwork Packet Exchange. In sum, it is a way in which computers can talk to one another.
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Sure, I used to be like you, up all night paging through Instagram or TikTok. That’s great for beginners, but I’ve moved on to the hardcore stuff. These days, when I’m passing time on my phone, you’ll find me scrolling AliExpress.
Notion combines note taking with project management, and has earned many fans because of its intuitive, open, flexible interface—it can essentially be anything you want it to be, giving you a web canvas to make your own mark on. Whether you’re just getting started with Notion or you’ve been using it for years, these…
If you’re behind on what’s happening with the robot uprising, have no fear. Here’s a quick look at some of the weirdest and wildest artificial intelligence news from the past week. Also, don’t forget to check out our weekly AI write-up, which will go into more detail on this same topic.
Much like the Naughty Dog games the show’s based on, HBO’s The Last of Us was a massive hit that secured a fanbase that’s eager for season two to begin. Of course, like almost everything else, the Writers and Actors strikes have ground production for the zombie drama’s second season to a standstill. HBO wanted to try…
Google Nest device owners will have to pay at least $20 more if they want access to their security cameras' and doorbells' more sophisticated features and lengthier footage history. As reported by 9to5Google, the tech giant has sent out notices to subscribers in the US, telling them that the standard Nest Aware subscription now costs $8 per month or $80 a year, up from $6 a month or $60 when paid in an annual basis.
The company started offering whole-home Nest Aware subscription plans that cover all a user's devices back in 2019. Before that, they've had to add a subscription for each of their cameras. The plan gives users access to intelligent motion detection, which can differentiate between several types of activities, dog barking alerts and person speaking alerts. It also gives them access to 30 days of video history with recorded events. Without a subscription, users can only access up to three hours of recording saved on their device.
The subscription service has a higher tier called Nest Aware Plus, which now costs $15 per month or $150 a year. That's up $3 a month from $12 and up $30 a year from $120. In addition to all the features offered by the basic plan, the Plus tier also includes access to 10 days of continuous video history and 60 days of video history with recoded events.
In a page explaining the price hikes, Google said "subscription prices can change to keep up with market shifts, which can include inflation and local tax updates." The new prices already apply to new subscribers, while old members can expect to pay more on the next bill they receive on or after November 6. Google also reportedly said in its letter that it will notify members outside the US 30 days ahead of any price increase, which means that the price hike could make its way to other territories.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to recreate India's IT boom with space, a government official told Reuters. And the Indian Space Research Organisation's efforts do show that the country truly is serious about wanting to be known as a major player. Just a week after Chandrayaan-3 touched down on the moon, the country's space agency has already launched a rocket carrying Aditya-L1, the first Indian mission dedicated to observing the sun.
Aditya-L1 will travel 930,000 miles over four months until it reaches the L1 Lagrange Point between the sun and our planet. A Lagrange point is a place of equilibrium between two massive orbiting bodies where objects tend to stay put, thereby minimizing a spacecraft's fuel consumption. The spacecraft will remain in orbit to collect data that scientists are hoping would help them figure out why the sun's corona is hotter than its surface.
They're also hoping that the mission could provide information on how solar radiation and various solar phenomena affect communication systems and satellites, as well as power grids. By understanding those effects, space companies and agencies can better protect satellites in orbit. If scientists can predict coronal mass ejections, for instance, they can alert operators so that they can shut down their satellites' power before the phenomenon occurs. In addition, scientists are hoping that Aditya-L1 can shed light on solar wind behavior and on how the sun's activity can influence the Earth's climate in the long run.
Sankar Subramanian, principal scientist of the mission, said: "We have made sure we will have a unique data set that is not currently available from any other mission. This will allow us to understand the sun, its dynamics as well as the inner heliosphere, which is an important element for current-day technology, as well as space-weather aspects."
India already has several other missions lined up for the coming years. It's working with Japan to send an uncrewed lander and rover to explore the south pole region of the moon by 2025. Before that, by next year, it's planning to launch orbiters to observe Mars and Venus.
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There is somehow a Barbenheimer movie in the works. Could Hammer Studios make a return? Star Trek: Prodigy producer Aaron J. Waltke talks about bringing Voyager’s Doctor aboard the show. Plus, more clips from the next Futurama. Spoilers, away!
As it turns out, time travel can be filthy work. It seems the DeLorean Doc Brown and Marty McFly use to visit various historical periods is particularly mucky and you’ll soon have the chance to clean it up. That’s because a Back to the Future expansion is on the way toPowerWash Simulator, a self-explanatory game that turned out to be one of 2022’s biggest surprise hits.
It’s PowerWash Simulator’s latest notable crossover, following Final Fantasy VII, Tomb Raider and SpongeBob SquarePants DLC. A Warhammer 40K expansion is on the way too.
The classic time machine isn’t the only thing you’ll get to clean with a virtual high-pressure blast of water in the upcoming DLC. It also features Doc Brown’s van, the Hill Valley Clocktower, the Holomax Theatre and the Time Train. There will be 10 more achievements or trophies to snag too. The Back to the Future expansion will arrive later this year. It will cost $8.
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Sony finally has a date for its so-called “Remote Player” that’s definitely not a handheld console. The $200 PlayStation Portal, the company’s new Wi-Fi-only streaming device, is set to hit player’s hands on November 15th, and now prospective players can pre-order the device from Sony’s PlayStation Direct website.
BMW has announced its fifth-generation Mini Cooper, and it's the first Mini EV to get a unique design that doesn't completely mirror its combustion counterparts. The first model is the Mini Cooper E, with a 135 kW/184 hp motor, 290Nm of torque and an acceleration from zero to 62 miles per hour in 7.3 seconds. It boasts a much higher range, stretching from 145 miles to 190 miles.
That distance jumps to 250 miles for the Mini SE and includes higher outputs, such as a max torque of 330Nm, 160 kW/218 hp and a jump from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 6.7 seconds. The batteries can also charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in under a half hour.
Looks-wise, the fifth-gen Mini had adopted something the company is calling "Charismatic Simplicity" to emphasize the car's main, modern features. "Inspired by our history, we have developed our own new design language, defining our DNA." Oliver Heilmer, head of Mini Design, said in a statement. "The idea behind it is a design that gives each new MINI model a strong, individual character and is characterized by a clear, reduced design language intuitively focused on the essentials of the brand."
Externally, this new design features larger wheels, flush door handles and the removal of fender flares. The interior takes inspiration from the original 1959 Mini that had a "round instrument cluster" front and center, with toggles below it. The modern update features a 9.5-inch high-resolution OLED display that introduces the Mini Operating System 9 and offers everything from media to apps. The Mini also features the brand's first "intelligent personal assistant," in the form of an animated Mini or Spike, the blue and white English Bulldog helper first announced in April, popping up right on the round OLED display. Either way, you can control navigation, entertainment and more through the push-to-talk button or simply saying, "Hey Mini."
Additional features in the fifth-generation Mini include an optional Parking Assistant Plus (with 12 sensors and four cameras) and Green Mode, which can extend battery life. Plus, it has four new trim options: Essential, Classic, Favored and JCW.
BMW also announced its third-generation Mini Countryman. It's the first time the crossover SUV will be available as an all-electric model, coming in a few inches higher and five inches longer than its predecessor. The Mini Countryman E delivers a 287-mile range, 150 kW/204 hp output and 250Nm of torque. The Mini Countryman SE has a bit more oomph, with 230 kW/313hp and 494Nm, but a slightly shorter range at 269 miles.
Additional features include a revamped toggle bar with five switches, improved aerodynamics and wider wheel arches. There have been rumors of an all-electric Countryman since 2021, a shift that aligns with BMW's goals for Minis to be fully electric by 2030.
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In order to contact its interplanetary spacecraft, NASA relies on an array of giant radio antennas spread across different parts of the world. The trusty communications network has been transferring data back and forth for more than 60 years but its antennas are currently operating at capacity, with an anticipated…
Sony has unveiled the Xperia 5 V smartphone with some nice high-end features and one fewer camera, along with a slightly lower price tag. The company also promises an "extraordinary music and video experience" thanks to the HDR display, updated speakers and more — all at a slightly lower price than the previous Xperia 5 IV model.
Sony smartphones are all about the cameras, and there's good news in that regard, despite what looks like a worse camera array. The Xperia 5 V (yes that's "five five") has the same 52-megapixel Exmor T backside illuminated (BSI) Type 1/1.35-inch stacked sensor as the Xperia 1 V, meaning it's very fast and very good in low-light. In addition, Sony has improved the AI-powered "bokeh mode" to get pictures "closer to the standards of interchangeable lens cameras," the company said.
Sam Benard for Sony
As the photo above shows, though, there's now only two rear cameras — the 48-megapixel Exmor T and a 12-megapixel 16mm ultrawide — rather than three as on the Xperia 5 IV. However, the primary sensor has much higher resolution than the previous 12-megapixel telephoto camera, and can dynamically switch between 24mm and 48mm (around 48mm and 96 mm 35mm equivalent) focal lengths, so you still get an equivalent 2X optical (lossless) zoom that should take much sharper images.
As before, you can shoot 4K video at up to 120fps in HDR, and it comes with optical image stabilization, along with 5-axis gyro-powered electronic stabilization for maximum smoothness. Other features include HDR recording, eye-tracking, "Creative Look" color presets and a new Video Creator app that automatically creates a final video based on your choice of shots and music. And for audio creators, it has a dedicated voice recording mic "that picks up your voice even with other voices and environmental sounds in the surroundings," Sony says.
Sony
It's also designed as an entertainment machine, starting with the 6.1-inch OLED HD+ (1,080 x 2,520) display (the same specs as the last model). For watching movies, it comes with Sony's TV Bravia X1 image quality engine for mobile, along with a newly developed front stage speaker system that offers "powerful deep bass" and negates the need for external speakers, Sony claims. And thanks to the power-saving tech, the 5,000mAh battery can go over 24 hours on a charge and maintain 80 percent or higher capacity after three years, according to the company. (That's a subtle dig at Apple's iPhone 14, in case you didn't notice.)
The Xperia 5 V should also be solid for gaming, thanks to the flagship-level Snapdragon 8 Gen2 processor, 120Hz display refresh rate and a larger heat diffusion sheet (it's available with 8GB or 12GB of RAM, plus 128GB of expandable storage). Meanwhile, the game enhancer adds features like an audio equalizer, voice chat mic and a screen recording function.
Despite a small drop in price in Europe, the Xperia 5 V isn't cheap. It's priced at £849 / €999 in the UK / Europe, with availability in "late September." There's no word on US pricing or availability, but we should hear something soon — and as a reminder, the Xperia 5 IV cost $1,000 at launch.
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