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Razer’s new BlackShark V2 Pro shines with pro-tuned audio profiles and long battery life

Razer has announced the successor to its 2020-released BlackShark V2 Pro eSports headset.

The new headset doesn’t sport a different name. It is still called the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, but it doesn’t feature several significant upgrades over its predecessor.

For starters, the 2023 headset features Bluetooth support, something that was missing in its predecessor, allowing you to use the headphone with your smartphone and other Bluetooth-compatible devices.

The battery on the updated headset has also received significant upgrades. The 2020 BlackShark V2 Pro featured 24 hours of battery life on a full charge, while the 2023 model can run for up to 70 hours on a single charge. The headset now charges with a USB-C cable, in contrast to the 2020 model’s Micro-USB port, and charging the updated headset for a mere 15 minutes offers 6 hours of playtime.

Another significant new addition to the 2023 BlackShark V2 Pro is ‘Pro-tuned FPS’ audio profiles with equalizer presets for Apex Legends, Call of Duty, CS:Go, Fortnite and Valorant.

I’ve been using the BlackShark V2 X as my daily driver for roughly 1.5 year now, and I’ve spent the last week using the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023). Undoubtedly, the two headsets are vastly different. The build quality on the 2023 BlackShark V2 Pro is significantly more premium than the BlackShark V2 X, and the headset feels sturdier as well. Similar to the BlackShark V2 X and the 2020 BlackShark V2 Pro, the 2023 model doesn’t feature noise cancellation. However, the soft memory foam earcups do an excellent job of naturally blocking out ambient noise, and also prevent audio from leaking out. The earcups are soft and comfortable to wear, though I never really found the old V2 X’s earcups to be bothersome, either. The headband, on the other hand, is more cushioned than previous versions, and feels more comfortable to wear.

The microphone on the new BlackShark V2 Pro is detachable, unlike the BlackShark V2 X, which I find to be a major upgrade, while built-in and external pop filters with a 32 kHz sampling rate make the mic sound surprisingly clear. The headset is compatible with virtually all devices, including PCs, consoles, Switch and more.

The new Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is available to order today from Razer’s website for $274.99 in Black and White colourways. Stay tuned for an in-depth review of the BlackShark V2 Pro dropping on MobileSyrup next week.

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Mobile Syrup

Elon Musk ordered to testify in Tesla lawsuit against autopilot safety claims

A California judge has ordered Tesla CEO Elon Musk to give a deposition under oath about his statements regarding the safety and capabilities of the Tesla vehicles’ Autopilot features.

The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by the family of former Apple engineer Walter Huang, who died in a car crash in 2018. Huang’s family argues that Tesla’s partially automated driving software failed, while Tesla contends that Huang was playing a video game on his phone before the crash and disregarded vehicle warnings, as reported by Reuters.

The ruling for Musk to testify was “tentative,” and a hearing has been set for Thursday, April 27th, to decide whether to depose him.

In response, Tesla’s lawyers argued that Musk could not recall the details of his statements and that the billionaire celebrity CEO is often the subject of convincing “deepfake” videos. However, Judge Evette Pennypacker called Tesla’s arguments “deeply troubling,” and added that such arguments would allow Musk and other famous people “to avoid taking ownership of what they did actually say and do.”

The lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial on July 31st, adding to growing legal and regulatory scrutiny over Tesla’s Autopilot system. Musk, Tesla, and an attorney for Huang’s family did not immediately respond to a request for comment requested by Reuters.

Source: Reuters

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Mobile Syrup

Buy one get one sale at Cineplex starts April 28th

Cineplex is offering a limited-time promo on movie ticket purchases. From April 28th until May 3rd, movie lovers can take advantage of the BOGO sale.

The savings are applied using the promo code “202324,” and the deal is available only online according to Cineplex. It’s also worth noting the fine print, which mentions that the free ticket is subject to online booking fees.

Current showtimes can be found on Cineplex’s website.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Cineplex

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Mobile Syrup

Amazon’s latest layoffs impact Canadians across the country

Amazon has started laying off employees, including Canadians, under restructuring plans first shared in March.

That memo said the changes would impact 9,000 individuals. Economic uncertainty plays a role, Amazon Web Services CEO Adam Selipsky said at the time.

Layoffs began Wednesday, LinkedIn posts shared by one-time Amazon employees show. The impacted employees reside in Canada, the U.S., and Costa Rica, according to a recent internal memo Selipsky shared with employees, as per CNBC.

“Given this rapid growth, as well as the overall business and macroeconomic climate, it is critical that we focus on identifying and putting our resources behind our top priorities — those things that matter most to customers and that will move the needle for our business,” Selipsky said in the memo.

Several former Canadian Amazon employees have taken to social media to share they’ve been laid off, impacting their roles as product managers and software engineers, and more.

Source: CNBC, LinkedIn

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Mobile Syrup

Upcoming Motorola Razr’s massive cover screen revealed in leak

Source: Evan Blass

Following a leak that claimed an upcoming Razr-branded foldable from Motorola would sport a huge cover display, leaker Evan Blass shared images of the device on Twitter.

Blass, whose account is currently private, shared four images of what he says will be called the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra. The images mostly highlight the cover display, though a couple also showcase some personalization options.

The images show a cover display that takes up almost the entirety of the lid of the flip phone. It’s a stark difference from previous Razr foldables and even Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip line, which have offered — by comparison — minuscule cover screens.

Perhaps the most interesting part is that the cover display extends down around the dual camera lenses and the flash, creating a little area for notifications and weather information and leaving a larger portion to show the time and presumably for interacting with notifications — such as reading incoming messages or for call display.

Beyond the images, Blass didn’t share much else about the device. He did, however, note that Motorola plans to launch a second, “down market” flip phone in 2023. The device, codenamed ‘Venus,’ reportedly won’t sport the name Razr Lite has some have reported. Instead, Blass says it will be called the Razr 40.

Previous leaks said the Razr 40 Ultra’s cover display would measure 3.5-inches, beating out the rumoured 3.4-inch cover screen that will reportedly ship on Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 5.

It’s also worth noting that Motorola’s previous foldables haven’t had great Canadian availability. The first Razr foldable launched in the U.S. in February 2020 but didn’t arrive in Canada until April — when it did show up, it was only available at Telus and its subsidiaries, and Freedom Mobile. Motorola’s subsequent foldables haven’t come north of the border.

Images credit: Evan Blass

Source: Evan Blass

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Mobile Syrup

Fitbit Luxe is 24 percent off today

Fitbit has long been known for its popular fitness trackers, and the Fitbit Luxe is no exception. Released in April 2021, the Fitbit Luxe is a stylish device that looks more like a piece of jewelry than a traditional fitness tracker.

In our MobileSyrup, we praised the Fitbit Luxe for its design and range of features, along with its ease of use and good connectivity options such as ability to sync with a smartphone and receive notifications.

One of the key features of the Fitbit Luxe is its ability to track a range of health and fitness metrics, including heart rate, sleep patterns, steps, and stress levels. The Fitbit Luxe has a battery life of up to five days on a single charge, as well as being water-resistant.

The only downside is that the Luxe has a small screen size and limited workout modes.

Read more: Fitbit Luxe Review

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though we may earn a commission on purchases made via these links that helps fund the journalism provided free on our website.

Source: Amazon Canada

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Mobile Syrup

Google walks back decision to axe Wi-Fi sharing via QR screenshot

Back when Google released its March Feature Drop, one of the less publicised changes was to Android 13’s Wi-Fi sharing behaviour.

The over-the-air update made it so that taking a screenshot of a Wi-Fi QR code would result in a blank screen. This change made it more difficult to share the code with friends and family.

It has now come to light that the latest Android 13 QPR3 Beta 3 update has reverted back this behaviour. As pointed out by Mishaal Rahman on Twitter, it’s possible to screenshot and send off QR codes again in the latest beta built.

The change will likely be rolled into the upcoming Android 14 Beta 2 build as well, according to Rahman. Unless Google changes its mind again, it looks like we can expect the return of the functionality in only a matter of weeks.

The stable release of QPR3 is expected to hit Pixel phones sometime in June. It will serve as the final Feature Drop before the launch of Android 14.

Source: @MishaalRahman

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Mobile Syrup

TikTok may soon let users create unique AI-generated avatars

Russia, Kazan May 28 2019: Tik Tok application icon on Apple iPhone X screen close-up. Tik Tok icon. tik tok application. Tiktok Social media network

Popular social media platform TikTok is said to be developing a new feature that will enable users to create artificial intelligence (AI)-generated profile pictures.

The news comes from social media consultant Matt Navarra, who shared screenshots and a video of the tool with The Verge.

The feature, which will be integrated directly into the TikTok app, produces user headshots from a minimum of three to a maximum of ten photos that users submit. Users would also reportedly be able to select between two to five styles for their AI-generated image.

According to Navarra, TikTok will delete all uploaded images and AI-generated avatars from its servers in a “short period of time.” Further, TikTok will allow users to run the AI avatar generator only once per day, and it takes the generator a “couple of minutes” to generate your avatar. Once ready, users can download them, set them as their profile picture, or post them to their TikTok story.

This feature is likely to be popular with TikTok users who want to create unique and creative avatars of themselves. However, TikTok is yet to comment on this feature’s development officially. It’s currently unknown if and when the feature will be available within TikTok.

Source: @MattNavarra Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Google Authenticator doesn’t feature end-to-end encryption

Google’s new two-factor authentication tool has been discovered not to offer end-to-end encryption, which could lead to security risks.

The Authenticator app works by providing unique codes for websites required as a second layer of protection on top of user passwords. Earlier this week, Google announced that users would now be able to sync Authenticator to a Google account and use it across multiple devices. This move from the tech giant eliminates the risk of being locked out of your account via a misplaced phone.

However, when security researchers and app developers for the software company Mysk dug deeper into the change, they noticed that the underlying data wasn’t end-to-end encrypted. The company would go on to explain on Twitter that Google is able to see ‘secrets’ likely even while they’re stored on their servers. The word ‘secrets’ in the world of security is used to describe credentials that work as a key to unlock an account or a tool.

This opens up the possibility for Google to get a glimpse at users’ apps and data for the purpose of targeted ads.

The full tweet from Mysk detailing its concern can be found below:

Users can use Authenticator without connecting it to their Google account or by syncing it across other devices as a means to bypass the issue. The downside of this is that it effectively renders the newest update useless.

Google might not be the only one who can see your data. The tests conducted found that unencrypted traffic contains a seed that generates the two-factor authentication codes, and according to researcher Tommy Mysk, anyone with that seed can generate codes that can be used to breach your account.

The discovery is concerning, considering the company has taken steps with similar tools to prevent data spying.

Google has yet to comment on the issue and has not announced plans to add password protection to Authenticator.

Image credit: Google

Source: @mysk_co Via: Gizmodo

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Mobile Syrup

New on Apple Arcade this week: Ground Mountain Adventure+ and lots of game updates

Apple has revealed what’s coming to Apple Arcade to close out the month of April.

Launching on Friday, April 28th is Grand Mountain Adventure+, an open-world skiing and snowboarding game from Swedish developer ToppLuva. Another game that was originally set to launch on the 28th, the logic puzzler Cornsweeper, has been delayed to a yet-to-be-confirmed date.

Otherwise, here are the existing Apple Arcade games that are receiving updates this week:

  • Ballistic Baseball — A new Ballistic Bash challenge mode, new rewards to Career mode and three new Rising Star Athletes
  • Cooking Mama: Cuisine! — A Mother’s Day event with new and limited-time ingredients
  • Crayola Create and Play+ — A new Cosmic Pizza activity, Mother’s Day content, and more
  • Jetpack Joyride+ — The Bling It On event returns to offer unlockable luxurious items
  • Sonic Dash+ — A new character, Rockstar Rouge
  • SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit — A continuation of the Noir Story that sees Patrick investigating Plankton’s lab
  • Squiggle Drop — 20 new levels, two new areas, five new achievements, two new buildings, and 20 new building features
  • stitch. — New daily Shikaku puzzle and Mythical Creatures category
  • Wylde Flowers — new animals, a new propagation shed, and more

Apple Arcade includes unlimited access to more than 200 games, including Fantastian from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, Halfbrick’s Jetpack Joyride 2, Skate City from Agens and Toronto’s Snowman and Gameloft Montreal’s Lego Star Wars Castaways.

Apple Arcade costs $5.99/month and is also included in Apple One subscription bundles, which start at $18.95/month.