Science and Tech

Humble Bundle’s Winter Sale Kicks Off Today

Published

1 week ago

January 21, 2023

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Humble Bundle’s Winter sale goes live today | Image: Humble Bundle

Here’s your PSA to remind you that the Humble Bundle Winter Sale has started, knocking up to 90 percent off a variety of titles until February 7th. The sale features discounts on a plethora of AAA and eccentric indie games, but we’ve put together a short list of highlights that we can personally vouch for. Buying a game off the Humble Bundle store allows you to donate a portion of your purchase to the charity of your choice once you’ve set up an account.

The majority of the games on sale are unlocked via your Steam account, but a handful may require an Epic Games Store or Ubisoft Connect account.

Cyberpunk 2077 $29.99 (normally $59.99)
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga $29.99 (normally $59.99)
Cult of the Lamb $18.74 (normally…

Science and Tech

Some BMW EVs Aren’t Making Their Pedestrian Warning Sounds

Published

10 hours ago

January 31, 2023

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Photo of the BMW i4’s grille. — As Jalopnik jokes, the cars are being recalled because they’re too quiet. | Image: Roberto Baldwin for The Verge

BMW is recalling almost 3,500 EVs due to issues with the artificial sound generator that’s meant to warn people when the vehicles are backing up or traveling at low speeds. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website, the recall applies to some 2022 and 2023 BMW i4 and iX models.

Federal safety standards require EVs or hybrids to make a certain amount of noise so that pedestrians can tell that there’s a car coming. Since electric motors are generally pretty quiet, especially at low speeds (the tires will likely be pretty loud on their own when you’re going faster), auto manufacturers usually have their cars make artificial sounds. That often ends up being a futuristic hum or whir; for performance…

Science and Tech

Meta Is Testing Members-Only Worlds For Its Social VR Platform

Published

10 hours ago

January 31, 2023

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Some Horizon Worlds avatars hanging out around a virtual campfire. — *Some* Horizon Worlds avatars hanging out around a virtual campfire. | Image: Meta

Meta is starting to test members-only worlds in Horizon Worlds, its social VR platform, which will allow people to build curated worlds for a select community of users.

These members-only worlds will offer something of a middle ground for creators on the platform. You can currently make public worlds for lots of people to go to, and the company is also testing what it calls personal spaces, which function like a private home in VR where you have tight control over who visits. Members-only worlds, on the other hand, are limited to 150 members and 25 concurrent visitors.

Meta suggests the new members-only spaces could be useful for groups like book clubs, gaming groups, a place for VIP creator supporters, or a spot to hang out with…

Science and Tech

The HomePod Mini Can Now Tell You When It’s Getting Hot In Here

Published

10 hours ago

January 31, 2023

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*Apple’s HomePod Mini can now monitor temperature and humidity.*

While the sort of new HomePod grabbed all the attention this week, the HomePod Mini is also getting some new features. With the launch of iOS 16.3 (likely later this month), the Mini will get all the same smart home capabilities as the new, bigger HomePod second-gen. The differences between the two Apple speaker siblings are now mainly in size and sound capability. From new temperature and humidity sensing tricks to the ability to find your family for you and even set up automations with just your voice, these new features should make the HomePod Mini a little more useful around the house.