Author: ictdigital
The Sonos Beam stood out in 2018 as one of the first soundbars to feature the Amazon Alexa voice assistant. In addition to its smart speaker capabilities, the Beam offered strong audio performance relative to its small size, as well as easy multi-room integration with the rest of the company’s speakers. The same holds true for the second-generation Beam, which adds Dolby Atmos support with five-channel audio processing (up from three). It doesn’t significantly improve the sound signature or offer more audio power, however, and still requires anyone looking for more substantial bass to buy the company’s expensive subwoofer. It’s…
Last year we tested the Cricut Joy, an interesting little craft machine that can draw and cut any pattern you want on card stock, paper, or vinyl. Not quite a 3D printer, it’s a handy device for anyone looking to experiment with computer-driven crafting, but its small size and low power limit what it can do. If you’re serious about crafting and want a machine that can keep up with you, the Cricut Maker 3 is a more powerful option. It can accept a far wider range of both tools and materials than the Joy, with heads that can work…
The Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 is now the cheapest it’s ever been, thanks to a price cut of $30 on the premium wireless pad.Incredibly, it hasn’t seen a discount of this size for the whole two years it’s been available to buy. If you’ve been eyeing the high-end gamepad for a while, then you’ll want to visit Amazon, where the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 is down to $149.99. The mega-retailer is currently in the midst of its Epic Amazon Deals promotion, so it makes sense it uses this time to offer the only significant drop we’ve seen on the…
Nintendo Switch OLED two-minute review The Nintendo Switch OLED makes a positive impression as soon as you turn it on. The gorgeous new 7-inch display immediately draws you in with its super-slim bezels, perfect blacks, and vivid colors – to the point where you’ll wonder how you ever made do with the original Switch’s lackluster LCD panel. But it isn’t just the alluring OLED display that makes a strong first impression. The enhanced speakers, which are now hidden neatly underneath the console’s main attraction, are noticeably impressive. The Switch’s iconic ‘click’ has never sounded so crisp and clear, and we didn’t feel…
Crypto exchange BitOasis has raised $30 million in a Series B funding round co-led by Jump Capital and venture capital firm Wamda Capital, which focuses on the Middle East and North Africa.The money will be used to fund the Dubai-based exchange’s expansion in the region and to meet regulatory compliance.Other investors included Alameda Research – the investment vehicle of FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, Global Founders Capital and existing investors including Pantera Capital, Digital Currency Group and NXMH.“We will also be working towards solidifying our presence and refining our product offering in the countries we already operate in,” CEO Ola Doudin…
Earlier in 2021, Google revealed it is working on improving the Google Maps app to offer environmentally friendly options for navigation. Today, the feature is officially available for Android and iOS Google Maps users across the US, coming to Europe sometime in 2022.Google Maps eco-friendly routesWhenever you type in the location you are headed to, Google Maps will give you the fastest and the most fuel-efficient route. You will also get the relative difference in fuel savings and the estimated time of arrival (ETA).It is important to note that when the fastest route and the most fuel-efficient one have a…
Metroid Dread – Samus is finally back (pic: Nintendo)The first proper new Metroid game in over a decade celebrates the series’ 35th anniversary and the return of one of Nintendo’s greatest heroes. As far as some fans are concerned Samus Aran is, along with Link and Mario, the third pillar in Nintendo’s trinity of foundational classics. The Metroid games she stars in are certainly of comparable quality, with both Super Metroid and Metroid Prime being cast iron, 10/10 classics. But it seems silly to pretend that the series has anything like the same cultural cachet as Nintendo’s other top franchises.…
GAME INFOMetroid DreadOctober 8th, 2021Platform SwitchPublisher NintendoDeveloper Nintendo Metroid is back in the genre the series helped name. Taking on a new threat and a new planet, Samus is back in her power armor looking for trouble or running away from it. Since the Metroid series last released a Metroidvania game, the genre has seen many pretenders to the throne and a few new monarchs too. But Metroid Dread looks to expand on what made the franchise (and the genre) so popular in the first place and isn’t just resting on its laurels. The story behind Samus’ journey to planet…
Marc Lore, who earlier this year stepped down from his role as Walmart’s head of U.S. e-commerce, is now backing a new startup in the e-commerce space called Wizard. Lore has taken on the roles of co-founder, chairman of the board and investor in Wizard, a B2B startup in the “conversational commerce” space which believes the future of mobile commerce will take place over text. Ahead of its official launch, Wizard today is announcing its $50 million Series A, led by NEA’s Tony Florence. Both Lore and Accel also participated in the round. Florence, Lore and Accel’s Sameer Gandhi have…
Metroid Dread review: The queen is back, all hail the queen MSRP $60.00 “Metroid Dread sharpens everything that makes Metroid enjoyable, while more fully realizing its horror ambitions.” Pros Genuinely creepy Fine-tuned combat Tough, but fair bosses Rewarding exploration Detailed environments Cons Slow start Some repetitive bosses Dread has always been a driving force in the Metroid franchise. It’s what you feel in Metroid 2: Return of Samus when exiting planet SR388 in eerie silence, as the final baby of a species you’ve just eradicated lovingly follows behind. It’s a feeling that hangs in the air all through Metroid Fusion,…