Latest news with #ChrisWelch
The Verge
a day ago
- Business
- The Verge
Apple's tiny M4 Mac mini has dropped to its lowest price yet
If you've been curious about trying out a Mac for the first time or need a small computer powerful enough to be your home media server, we strongly recommend the latest Mac Mini. Thankfully, the step-up M4 model with 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM is on sale at Amazon and B&H Photo for $689 ($110 off), which marks its lowest price ever. The entry-level model with 256GB of storage is also on sale at Amazon and B&H Photo for $469 ($130 off) — another all-time low. Former Verge staffer Chris Welch called the machine 'a tiny wonder' in his review last year, namely because of its size reduction and power boost over previous generations. Apple managed to pack a lot into a computer that's five inches wide and two inches tall. We reviewed the upgraded 512GB model on sale here, and it performed very well using synthetic testing software, such as Geekbench 6 and Cinebench, as well as a 4K export in Adobe's Premiere Pro. If you work with high-resolution audio, video, or photos, Apple's latest Mini should be able to handle your projects without a problem. One of the Mini's other strengths is its abundance of ports. There are three Thunderbolt 3 ports, an HDMI port, and an ethernet jack on the back, along with a pair of USB-C (USB 3) ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the front. You can use these ports to connect up to three monitors simultaneously, plug it into a TV or projector without an adapter, switch from Wi-Fi to a wired connection on your home network, or attach other common accessories. Alas, the pair of USB-A ports that have been on the Mini for over a decade are gone. One of our only knocks against the M4 Mini was how expensive it was to upgrade its RAM and storage capacity, but this deal helps mitigate that. Also, keep in mind that the Mini is a dedicated desktop computer, which means you will need to supply your own monitor, mouse, and keyboard. Even more great deals If you need a new pair of wireless earbuds for working out, the Powerbeats Pro 2 are still available for around $199.95 ($50 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. Beats' latest earbuds feature a curved shape that wraps around the back of your ears to ensure a proper fit while exercising, IP4X water resistance to prevent damage from sweat, and heart rate sensors that pulse over 100 times per second to provide an accurate reading. The Pro 2 can also last up to 10 hours per charge and run on Apple's H2 chip — the same chip found in Apple's latest AirPods Pro — allowing them to support spatial audio, one-touch pairing with Apple devices, hands-free Siri, and location tracking via Apple's Find My app. Read our review. You can grab a three-pack of Arlo Essential Security Cameras at Amazon for $119.99 ($40 off), which matches the bundle's second-best price to date. The 1080p battery-powered cameras can be installed indoors or outdoors, and you'll receive a notification anytime they sense motion. They also feature a spotlight and siren, and you can view a live feed from the cameras through Arlo's smartphone app or pay for a premium subscription ($7.99 per month) to store videos in the cloud. Marshall's Emberton III speaker is down to $149.99 ($20 off) at Amazon and Best Buy, which matches its lowest price ever. The Bluetooth speaker can play music in true stereo, and automatically adjust its EQ as you raise and lower the volume to avoid blowing out its drivers. It also carries an IP67 rating, which means it's dustproof and shouldn't be damaged when submerged under a meter of water for up to 30 minutes. Marshall says the speaker can last up to 32 hours per charge, and plugging it in for 20 minutes will net you six hours of continuous playback.
Toronto Sun
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on: Bigger screen, faster chip live up to the hype
Published Jun 05, 2025 • Last updated 7 minutes ago • 3 minute read Nintendo Switch 2. Photo by Chris Welch / Bloomberg The arrival of Nintendo Co.'s Switch 2 marks the biggest consumer tech product release of 2025 so far, with legions of gamers now unboxing and trying the new $629.99 gaming console for the first time. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Despite the hype and a substantial increase over the launch price for the original, the second-generation system manages to impress with faster performance, improved graphics, more comfortable ergonomics and enough tweaks throughout to make this feel like a distinctly new machine. Like the first edition, the Switch 2 has a versatile design, allowing it to be used as a portable handheld or placed in a dock where it will function as a living-room system. This time, it's capable of outputting 4K resolution and more impactful HDR video to your TV screen. For now, Mario Kart World and enhanced versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are the best visual showcases of what the Switch 2 is capable of, along with third-party launch titles like Cyberpunk 2077. The improved graphical fidelity and higher frame rates, made possible by the Switch 2's Nvidia Corp.-made processor, are easily noticeable once you've started up a game. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. When it comes to performance, Nintendo's console still lags behind Sony Group Corp.'s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox Series X, both heavier-duty systems designed to be used exclusively in the home. But for Nintendo fans, the in-game worlds of beloved characters like Mario and Link have never looked better. Unboxing the device will be a familiar experience to owners of the original Switch, and that feeling remains true as you begin using it. The significantly larger 7.9-inch display is much easier on the eyes — a blessing for the eyesight of anyone who's grown up alongside Nintendo's gadgets — and has a sharper 1080p resolution. It's also far more fluid than the screen on the original version; this model supports a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, which makes Mario Kart World feel all the more chaotic (in a fun way). These upgrades help offset the fact that the Switch 2 uses an LCD display instead of a punchier OLED panel. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The upsized screen means you're also getting bigger Joy-Con controllers, which makes handheld mode a far more ergonomic experience. The buttons are also larger than before. Everything about the Switch 2 feels less cramped. One of the best changes Nintendo made relates to how the Joy-Cons connect to the console: They now attach magnetically instead of sliding down onto the hardware with a rail mechanism. Magnets inside the console firmly latch onto steel buttons on each Joy-Con. The hold is strong without any of the flimsy wobbling that some users complained about on the original Switch. Disconnecting the Joy-Cons is as simple as pressing the release button on the back of each one. Nintendo's thoughtful improvements continue elsewhere: The Switch 2 has a second USB-C port, which can be used for accessories (or just more flexibility in how you charge the device). There's now a screen lock feature to prevent other people from using your console — something that would have been nice to have on the original. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The speakers, while not best in class, are a vast upgrade over the hollow, thin sound that came from the Switch OLED Model, released in 2021. The console's software interface is similar to the first Switch with some new splashes of color and sound effects thrown in. Nintendo's eShop store for digital game purchases is also more responsive than the sluggish experience on the original console. The buzzy launch drew long lines at retailers including Best Buy Co., GameStop Corp., Target Corp. and Walmart Inc. The era of spending hours waiting in line for the latest iPhone is long gone, but the debut of a new video game console is still a rare enough event that Nintendo fans didn't think twice about driving to retailers in the middle of the night to secure a Switch 2. It will take more testing and longer play sessions to gauge whether the Switch 2's more powerful processor has an adverse effect on battery life — or if there are any performance issues with the large library of backward-compatible Switch titles available for this new hardware. But at the outset, the device makes a strong first impression. Nintendo played it safe with the Switch 2, but that's precisely what many customers were looking for: It's a bigger, faster, more polished version of a wildly successful gadget. World Olympics Toronto & GTA Columnists Music
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Spring session entering final day as budget deadline looms
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WGN) – We're finally getting a look at state lawmakers' $55 billion budget plan with just over 24 hours left in the legislative session. On the second to last day of session, the three most powerful men in Springfield met behind closed doors. Talks between Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), House Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch (D-Westchester), and Gov. JB Pritzker (D-Illinois) led to the release of a 3,300-page appropriations bill that adds $1 billion in new revenue, though it holds the line on individual and corporate income taxes. Illinois budget battle: What Chicago needs from Springfield 'We've got $1 billion in revenue for this budget in the area of tax collection, for those who have not paid their taxes as well as those who've made choices in terms of gaming and other – tobacco use and gaming,' Sen. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago) said. Despite having major submajorities in both chambers, Democrats wrestled with a bleak financial picture. Revenue growth did not meet estimates used to draft Pritzker's budget blueprint. 'This budget includes significant investments in our priorities, education, health care, protecting our most vulnerable,' Sims said. Democrats are asking their members to pass the $55 billion spending plan despite uncertainty about federal funding. Lawmakers, groups rally against Medicaid cuts as state budget deadline looms 'It's a tough year. We know instability in Washington, D.C. makes it worse,' Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) said. 'We know there are some real pressures here in the state in trying to bring forth a budget that meets the needs of everybody was a tough one. So this was tough. This has been the toughest budget year since I've been here.' After months of warning from Chicagoland transit that bus and train service might be cut without a state bailout, lawmakers are working to hike the cost of tolls and rideshares to help the system. READ: Illinois has a $770M hole in the transit budget that could leave commuters stranded There's also legislation moving to create a new oversight agency. 'I want to remind folks that when we're talking about CTA, Metra, Pace, this is a statewide transit overhaul,' Buckner said. House Republican Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) suggests some of her members might support the transit reforms. 'We saw the governance piece and I think we could probably get some bipartisan support on that,' McCombie said. 'The funding source is what kind of scares all of us, because what is that going to look like?' Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Democrats expect to meet the budget deadline, but the transit legislation might be broken up into pieces or may not even pass at all on Saturday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Verge
07-05-2025
- The Verge
Sony WH-1000XM6 headphone specs and details leak early
Sony will launch a successor to its WH-1000XM5 noise cancelling headphones on May 15th, according to leaked information reported by Dealabs and Android Authority. Details of the new headphones model, called the WH-1000XM6, come from a now pulled Amazon Spain listing for the product that was first spotted by a Reddit user. The XM6 will feature an upgraded noise-canceling processor called the QN3 HD, which according to Dealabs, will be seven times faster than the QN1 chip present in Sony's XM5. The upgrade should result in better noise cancelling and perhaps sound quality. It also looks like it has an AI-powered six-microphone beamforming system for calls, and still comes with a headphone jack. Unfortunately the Trump administration's tariffs seem to be affecting the price of the new XM6. Dealabs says it will launch for $449.99 in the US — $50 more expensive than the $399.99 XM5s, which our senior reviewer Chris Welch has called the best wireless headphones for most people. The XM5, however, is only slightly better at noise canceling than the XM4 that launched in 2020, so the XM6 will need a truly generational improvement to justify the higher price.
