DJI’s new Osmo Action 5 Pro is here to compete with the new GoPro Hero 13 Black. The company’s latest action camera is smaller and lighter, has 47 GB of built-in storage, and has battery life that GoPro owners don’t even dare to dream about.
Throw in a new, higher-resolution image sensor, improved low-light capabilities, subject tracking, and out-of-the-box support for the DJI Mic 2 wireless microphone, and you have a camera that’s not only capable of getting that shot but has the battery life to keep getting the shot long after the competition has shut down.
Go Longer
The Osmo Action 5 Pro stands out from the rest of the action camera market for its battery life. It can shoot well over two hours at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, which is far and away the longest run time of any action camera I’ve ever tested (and I’ve tested a lot). I mention this first because something that often gets lost in reviews and spec comparisons is the simple fact that any footage is better than no footage.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
To provide a concrete example, I don’t love the color rendering of the Osmo Action 5 Pro in 10-bit Normal color mode, but I’ll take it over no footage at all, which is what the GoPro Hero 13 would offer me after the 1-hour-and-45-minute recording mark when its battery would die and the camera would shut off. Battery life matters, and in the case of action cameras, given that all else—sensors, stabilization, ergonomics—can be so similar, it might be the most important factor in getting the shots you want.
The Osmo’s camera design hasn’t changed—the body is lightly textured, making it easy to hold, and it remains the same size, retaining the magnetic mounting system. (I’ve always liked that the cage for the Action series allows both vertical and horizontal mounting.) While I don’t have any accessories other than some neutral-density (ND) filters, everything that fits your Action 4 should continue to work with the Action 5. And the more capable battery? It’s backward compatible with the Action 4.
If you’re willing to spend more than $100, great headphones abound. Once Apple breached the wireless earbud dam with its initial AirPod model, excellent-sounding buds with noise-canceling, great mics, and high-fidelity sound have flooded the market. Put a list of name brands on a board, throw a dart, and buy the pair it makes that’s closest to $150. You’ll probably find something that’s reasonably good.
That’s why I’m so impressed with a new pair of headphones from relative newcomer Soundpeats, the Capsule3 Pro+. The name might be a mouthful, but for $90 retail, these earbuds offer adaptive noise canceling and high-resolution audio via a pair of drivers, including one dynamic piston for bass and one groundbreaking solid-state driver for everything else.
The combination of a tried and true AirPods-style design and modern technology inside the buds makes them my favorite cheap earbuds right now, and possibly of all time. I have never heard a pair that sounds this good for this cheap. The Soundpeats Capsule3 Pro+ wipe the floor with most—not just many—more expensive models.
Standard Looks
Elon Musk would call these “Dark AirPods Pro,” and he’d be frustratingly right. A black AirPods Pro imitation case is perfectly paired with two black-and-gold AirPods Pro imitation headphones, right down to the little gold hinge on the back of the buds’ case. (It’s silver on the Apple model it imitates.)
Photograph: Parker Hall
The benefit of such blatant design reproduction is that the buds are sleek and comfortable in my ears, just like the version that’s “designed in California.” The black colorway actually makes them more discreet in public.
I didn’t have any trouble getting a good seal in my ears, thanks to three sizes of included silicone eartips. Anyone with any experience fitting AirPods or other earbuds in their ears should have similar luck.
Setup and pairing are as instant as you can expect of any modern earbuds. I just scrolled to find them on my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s Bluetooth menu and they immediately connected.
Amazing Audio
The real belle of the ball is inside these otherwise bland buds. A dynamic driver works alongside a solid state xMEMS driver and Sony’s LDAC high-resolution audio codec to create some of the most lifelike audio I’ve heard from a pair of earbuds, and easily the best sound I’ve ever heard this side of $100.
Solid-state drivers don’t have the same range of physical motion as piston-like dynamic drivers, like the ones you’re used to seeing in speakers. That means the phase and speed at which the solid-state drivers can respond is superior, which in turn gets you huge separation between instruments and the ability to really hear each sound when you focus on it. xMEMs drivers can react faster across the frequency spectrum, so you get essentially the clearest possible view into what the artist wanted you to hear.
When my husband first saw me vacuuming with the Shark stick vacuum, he asked me dubiously, “Is that a Dyson?” The British company has become so synonymous with cordless stick vacuums that it just didn’t seem possible that we wouldn’t have one. It’s like buying the generic brand Q-Tips. Who does that? Even the Shark’s color scheme deliberately echoes Dyson’s.
I’ve been testing Shark’s latest cordless stick vacuum for a month in order to answer my husband’s, and also your, question: No, the Shark isn’t a Dyson. Overall, the engineering and attention to detail that makes the Dyson the best premium vacuum isn’t quite there. The display isn’t as nice. The build quality isn’t as solid. I do have to regularly unclog one section of the vacuum tube with a chopstick.
But does it keep my house sparkling clean? Does it have a bunch of things that most Dyson vacuums don’t? And does it have all the functionality that you need, and more, for a quarter of the price? Also yes. This vacuum is absolutely worth it—”it” being not very many dollars.
A Place to Land
As you can see, the Shark vacuum is comparable in dimensions to the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine, which is the Dyson I currently have. The Shark is just a few inches shorter, but overall it takes up more space because it comes with a freestanding cleaning station. I loved this cleaning station. While every Dyson does come with a mount that you can easily screw into a wall, I’ve had a hard time finding just the right place in my house that’s also near a working electrical outlet.
If you’re not inclined to rewire your laundry room, a freestanding docking station makes it much easier to plug and go. It’s also a convenient place to store the extra vacuum accessories, like the different cleaning heads—the Shark comes with a crevice tool and a small pet multi-tool head for getting into hard-to-reach places.
I also particularly like that it has a 2-liter self-emptying bin in the base. One of the most inconvenient parts of the Dyson design is how you have to unlatch the tube to empty the bagless bin from the bottom. You have to stick your beautiful, premium vacuum in your filthy, possibly damp garbage bin and knock it around, getting it dirty and knocking dust and dog hair everywhere.
I like the Pencil Pro mainly for its new “squeeze” capability that triggers the tool palette. It feels more intuitive than double-tap, especially while quickly jotting notes down. It also has a built-in gyroscope sensor, which lets you change the orientation of the tools as you twist them, giving you finer control. You could save some cash and get the Apple Pencil USB-C instead, which the iPad Mini also supports, but that model skips many important features like wireless charging, pressure sensitivity, double-tap, and squeeze.
The Pencil Pro often dips to $95 on Amazon, so the $26 difference is easily worth it. But it bears repeating: Would it have killed Apple to maintain second-gen Apple Pencil support?
Snappy and Smart(ish)
Powering the iPad Mini is the A17 Pro, nearly the same processor as the one in the iPhone 15 Pro. Nearly. The chip inside the iPhone 15 Pro has a six-core CPU and six-core GPU, whereas the iPad Mini has a six-core CPU and five-core GPU. That means a small hit to graphics performance, but in reality, you’ll likely never notice this unless you’re playing the most graphically demanding games.
Not too long ago, I started reusing the older 2021 Mini (I needed a small tablet to watch TV on during a hospital stay with a family member), and honestly, I haven’t noticed a big leap in performance with the 2024 model—at least, with the everyday tasks most people are using these tablets for. I’ve used the seventh-gen Mini for note-taking, streaming Gilmore Girls in the background throughout the workday, checking emails when I don’t feel like grabbing my laptop, reading an ebook on the Kindle app, and watching YouTube videos. It can handle all of these tasks with ease.
It’s a slower October than usual in the tech industry, thanks mostly to Google and Microsoft having held their typical fall hardware announcements earlier this year. Still, we’ve seen a fair number of companies reveal new devices in the last two weeks, while Amazon’s October Prime Day raged on. Whether you were busy shopping or watching Elon Musk talk up robotaxis and cybervans, the Engadget team continued to review recently (and not-so-recently) launched products. As usual, this bi-weekly roundup is here to help you catch up, though because I missed last week’s edition (as I was out on time off), the cadence is just a bit off.
From Meta’s Quest 3S VR headset and the DJI Air 3S drone, to Sony’s midrange suite of audio gear, these weeks have coincidentally been about the less premium, more affordable “un-flagships,” if you will. And it turns out you don’t have to throw chunks of your retirement savings at companies to get solid devices that are well worth the money.
Sony LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds reviews
by Billy Steele
Sony
Sony flexes its mobile audio muscle on the LinkBuds Fit, combining great sound with tons of features.
The main thing I learned from Billy’s recent reviews of Sony and Bose headphones is that flagship, premium-level noise cancelation is making its way down to the midrange products. And I, for one, am happy about it. Looks like most of the things you’ll miss if you opt to save some money are features like spatial audio, head-tracking and stuff that’s supposed to be make for a more immersive, intuitive listening experience. Personally, I’m okay missing out on those things for now — I really just want decent sound, good voice quality and competent reduction of background noise.
Definitely check out Billy’s review of Sony’s LinkBuds trio of devices even if you’re not in the market for headphones, because he put his ears through literal pain to test the strangely designed earbuds for us. In fact, a rejected headline for the review was “Why am I in pain?” We salute you, Billy.
by Devindra Hardawar
Meta
The Meta Quest 3S delivers immersive virtual reality for just $300. It’s fast, comfortable to wear and it has a wealth of games and VR experiences to choose from.
The Quest is arguably the industry’s leading VR headset for consumers, especially considering it costs a fraction of alternative options while offering a relatively high-quality immersive experience. Unlike the Apple Vision Pro, which costs $3,500, the new Quest 3S is much more palatable at $300. And, as Devindra observes in his review, it’s comfortable, fast and allows wearers to access Meta’s large library of VR apps and content. To quote Devindra, “It’s not Meta’s first $300 VR headset, but it’s still a tremendous accomplishment.”
DJI Neo and DJI Air 3S reviews
by Steve Dent
DJI
DJI’s Air 3S is the company’s first consumer drone with LiDAR designed to make it safer to fly at night.
Continuing in the trend of excellent products that cost less than usual, the DJI Neo is an excellent drone for just $200. Calling it the best $200 drone ever made may sound hyperbolic, but we truly can’t think of any other drone that cost the same that came close to delivering similar performance as the Neo. And though one of its main drawbacks, according to our reviewer Steve, is that it sounds like a banshee, I honestly think that would be a pro for me just for the pure comedy of it all. I never thought I’d be in the market for a banshee-sounding drone but here I am thinking $200 would be a fair price to pay for the aerial videos I could get, and I could easily lay upbeat, operatic singing over the footage anyway.
On the other end of the spectrum, Steve’s also tested the higher-end DJI Air 3S drone and Canon’s EOS R5 II, both of which will cost you a lot more money. The good news is that Canon’s EOS R5 II is now so much improved that it better takes on Sony’s rival offerings, while bringing intriguing features like eye-control autofocus. Sure, it’s still too early to be reliable. But if you have the money for these premium products, you’ll get to experience bleeding-edge tech, maybe part of the appeal is that they may not always work well.
by Dan Cooper
reMarkable / Engadget
reMarkable adds a color screen to its e-paper tablet, creating a best-in-class distraction-free writing experience.
I know Dan was a bit worried about giving a device as niche as the reMarkable Paper Pro such a high score, but after some discussion, we both agreed it fit. As it stands, the reMarkable Paper Pro is arguably the best e-paper writing tablet with a color screen, even after this week’s announcement of Amazon’s first color Kindle. Per Dan’s review, the Paper Pro not only levels up with the addition of color, but also got much faster and reliable in the process.
I particularly enjoy how much care has been taken to more seamlessly blend handwriting and typed text for a more natural note-taking and annotating experience. And though it falls outside this edition’s general theme of being a less-expensive product with premium specs, I’m still incredibly tempted to find ways to cough up the $600 or so needed to bag myself a Paper Pro with the accessories Dan recommends.
Phoenix Springs and Neva reviews
by Jessica Conditt
I’m not the most engaged gamer, but I love learning about games from Jess. She recently reviewed sci-fi mystery Phoenix Springs and dreamy platformer Neva, with pieces written so beautifully that I can’t help but itch to check out each title so I can feel the way she clearly does about them. Phoenix Springs even follows a technology reporter and covers my favorite genres (science fiction and mystery), while Neva’s art looks simply gorgeous. I don’t yet know if I’ll ever find the time to play new games, but these two have certainly been added to my list.
Upcoming reviews: On the horizon
The Engadget team geeks out about a multitude of things, and as we get started on our holiday gift guide writing, we’re thinking about products we like for ourselves and our loved ones. Many of us love e-readers and writing tablets. I certainly have my eye on one of the new Kindles that were announced this week, particularly the new Kindle Scribe and possibly the Colorsoft. Those won’t be available until later this year, so for now I’ll keep hungrily eyeing the reMarkable Paper Pro. I’ll also be wondering what Amazon hardware chief Panos Panay has up his sleeves, other than cans of Diet Coke — something I learned he (like many people) enjoys when I got the chance to speak with him in an interview this week.
Many of us are millennials and have gigantic soft spots for retro gaming. Our executive editor Aaron Souppouris talked to the folks at Analogue, and you can read his beautifully constructed piece to learn more about the upcoming Analogue 3D.
This week, Apple sort of surprised us by announcing the new iPad mini, which has been tweaked to offer more storage and power with an A17 Pro processor. It’ll also support Apple Intelligence, of course, and though it seems like a minor update, some of my coworkers and I still love the idea of a small tablet. If only it had a better screen.
All of those recently announced things are on our review roster, alongside things like the Google TV Streamer and Samsung Galaxy S24 FE that launched in the last few weeks. As we approach November and all the holiday shopping that brings, hopefully the hardware launches properly slow down. We’re still anticipating an Apple event for Macs, and can still remember being surprised by the announcement of Humane’s AI Pin late last year. But for now, we’re chugging along while occasionally bathing in nostalgia and longing for a simpler time.
GoPro has a few tricks here and there worth mentioning, though. As someone who likes to handle color grading in postproduction software, the new, improved Log video support is very welcome. I would go so far as to say this is the best Log profile I’ve seen in an action camera. The Hero 13 Black also has a new slow-motion burst mode which can record 5.3K footage at 120 frames per second. It pulls that off for only five seconds, though, so this is best used for situations like your kid going off a jump on their bike or diving in the pool—quick moments you want to slow down later.
Another big video improvement is HDR support and hybrid log-gamma (HLG) HDR video. The Hero 12’s HDR support was not great, but HLG HDR is a widely used open source HDR format that offers much better compatibility with non-wide-color-gamut displays. The footage also looks much better than the previous version.
I said above that the Hero 13 is the same size, which is true on the outside, but internally that’s not the case. GoPro has enlarged the battery compartment to fit a bigger battery that the company claims will last 10 percent longer than the Hero 12’s battery. I found this to be roughly true. Shooting a 4K video with the Hero 13, I consistently coaxed it for about an hour and 45 minutes, sometimes up over the 1:50 mark if there was more ventilation (riding a bike for example).
GoPro Hero 13 Black: Ultra Wide Lens
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
GoPro Hero 13 Black: Macro Lens
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
The opposite was also true. Shooting through the window of a vehicle for instance, with almost no ventilation, saw recording time go down to around an hour. I have not had a chance to test it in cold weather, but GoPro claims improvements there too. Overall that’s about 15 to 20 minutes longer across the board than I generally get with the Hero 12, which is great, but it’s well behind the new DJI Action 5 Pro, which had no trouble running well over 2 hours and 30 minutes in the 4K test. The Hero still has the worst battery life in the action camera market and the new battery, while improved, also means your old batteries won’t work, adding a sizable cost to those looking to upgrade.
One interesting battery-related addition to the Hero 13 Black is the new magnetic charge door, which GoPro calls Contacto. It’s a USB-C pass-through door with a magnetic charger on the outside, allowing you to power the GoPro using an external battery without keeping the battery door off. There have long been USB-C pass-through doors available from third-party sellers, but this is the only one I’m aware of that’s waterproof, which means if you forget you have it on and jump in the ocean, you won’t fry your GoPro.
It shouldn’t be this cheap to thoroughly enjoy the sound of John Wick as he breaks a real-life NBA player’s neck with a book. Yet for around $200 (a penny less if on sale), you can get a 5.1 soundbar system from Vizio that lets you hear the subtle crack of his vertebrae as a mildly stabbed Keanu Reeves twists his leather-bound enemy just so, in the intro to the franchise’s third installment.
This kind of immersion used to cost you hundreds more, if not thousands. Now, just plug in a single HDMI cable to an eARC port of a chosen screen (or in my case, the 130-inch Hisense laser projector I’m also testing) and you can be drawn further into the action than you possibly could with a single central soundbar.
As long as you’re ok with a few stray wires from the surround speakers to the subwoofer, it’s as easy as setting this system up, plugging it in, and enjoying your favorite content with new immersion. Been on the fence about getting a soundbar because you’re saving up for a full-blown home theater? Start here and you’ll buy yourself a long time to upgrade.
You’re Surrounded
A slim, nondescript main soundbar that’s 33 inches long pairs with small wired surround speakers and a wireless subwoofer to create this 5.1 system. The only aftermarket thing you might need is a pair of stands for the rear speakers, unless you plan to mount them to the wall (it has included mounting holes for this).
One benefit that is exclusive to those who have Vizio TVs is the quick fit system, which allows you to pop this bar easily onto the bottom of compatible late-model Vizio TVs. This makes this bar a particularly good choice if you are also considering a TV like the latest Vizio 4K model we just reviewed (7/10, WIRED Recommends).
Photograph: Parker Hall
The main downside to this system, and the reason why it costs significantly less than other options I’ve tested that produce sound of this quality, is those wires. They’re about 20 feet long, which is long enough to work in most average living rooms or apartments, but having to route cables is much more annoying than wireless systems.
Once you get it set up, it’s as easy as plugging in a single HDMI cable from the main bar to your TV, at which time the magic of eARC takes over and you can use the bar to your heart’s content. As long as your TV is new enough to have ARC or eARC, you can use your TV remote (or in my case, a TV and then laser projector remote) to adjust the volume of the soundbar without having to touch the Vizio remote that’s included.
My first encounter with Elehear, an over-the-counter hearing aid brand, earlier this year was positive. The company’s Alpha Pro hearing aids are traditional behind-the-ear devices designed for users with mild hearing loss. They come with an online audiologist session to help new users get up to speed and a “remote sound” feature that lets you drop your phone in front of an audio source and have it piped directly to the hearing aids. At $459, they’re solidly priced and were good enough to earn a runner-up spot on my Best Hearing Aids guide.
Now the company is back with a follow-up: the Elehear Beyond. Outfitted with a larger operational frequency range, better noise cancelation, and a tinnitus mode, on paper the Beyond aids look like everything you get with the Alpha Pro and more. Unfortunately, as I discovered after a few weeks of testing, more doesn’t always mean better.
Photograph: Christopher Null
Let’s start with the hardware because it’s a big change, and I mean that literally. Elehear’s Alpha Pro hearing aids, weighing about 4 grams, aren’t exactly tiny, but the Beyond aids are even bigger. At 4.75 grams each, they’re nearly double the weight of Jabra’s 2.56-gram Enhance Select 500 aids, though both have a traditional behind-the-ear (BTE) design. I was taken aback by the size from the moment I unboxed them, and even more so after I looked in the mirror. There’s no hiding these gargantuan teardrops—they caused my ears to visibly stick out from the side of my head.
But let’s say you’re not as vain as me. What about the audio quality? Here, the Beyond aids didn’t overly impress me either. From the moment I put them on, these hearing aids exhibited a noticeable level of background noise, audible even at fairly low amplification levels. It’s better described as closer to a rattle than a hiss, a bit like an old desk fan nearby that’s grinding on bare metal as it spins.
And the wheels, attached to a piece that acts as a lever and tilts the coop at an angle, allow for chicken tenders like me to ask my husband to easily reposition the henhouse at any time—which is likely welcome news for those who free-range their flock on grass and regularly need fresh pasture for the girls to scratch. The wheels make moving the coop easy in comparison to coops without wheels; I just couldn’t muscle it myself.
At the time we introduced our flock to the Eglu Pro, the Phoenix area was experiencing what seemed like unending heat, setting a new record of 117 degrees Fahrenheit in late September. In that kind of heat, any type of coop is going to be toasty, so we’re well-practiced at making sure the girls have water to splash in and shade to tuck under.
While the Eglu Pro coop incorporates twin-wall insulation, utilizes UV-stabilized polyethylene, and was designed to allow for cross-flow ventilation, we wanted to further mitigate heat-related discomfort. What I loved about the coop’s design is it gave us the option to remove a back panel from the roosting area to allow for additional airflow to keep the girls as cool as possible.
A hot breeze was better than no breeze, we figured.
In a more rural setting, with more active predators, this might be frowned upon. We do live in a state that is home to coyotes, after all. But our coop is positioned inside a fenced garden area, kept securely separated from our pack of three blue heelers and a single border collie. It’s clear, though, that the Eglu Pro was designed with protection in mind.
If you’re the type to close up your coop at night, a single swinging panel acts as a door at the top of the ladder. And the door to access the nesting box has a push-and-turn application to its knob, offering extra security. A fogged panel allows daylight to enter come morning, and an app-based, smart-door feature allows you to control security and set a wake-up call. These smart features are an upgrade to the basic set we received.
Taking It Easy
Backyard chickens, like any bird, make a mess. But we found that cleaning that mess is insanely easy with the Eglu Pro’s design. Sliding panels beneath the nesting boxes and the roost are super easy to remove, spray off, and slide right back in. It takes minutes.
Cleaning our previous coop, made with wood and metal, was a chore no one wanted to do. And using a hose was out of the question. Also, our current boss chicken likes to hang out on the coop’s roof at night, so we love that we’re able to easily spray away any evidence of her moonlit escapades.
Announced during the Nintendo Direct presentation on 18th June 2024, Super Mario Party Jamboree is the third installment of the Mario Party franchise specifically made for Nintendo Switch. With the tried-and-tested Mario Party boards back on the block but with gameplay favoring that of Superstars, I was interested to see if what was new was, in fact, new enough.
Image Source: Nintendo via Twinfinite
First of all, the boards. It was a pleasant surprise to see how vast the boards were compared to their Super Mario Party counterparts. While this gives a lot of replay value, a ten-turn round averaging out at around ninety minutes, I can see younger players or those more used to quick playthroughs getting bored or frustrated by the time it takes to get around the board even once. However, the tiny boards of Super Mario Party are a thing of the past. With new dice, board-specific items, and different ways to keep opponents from getting the sacred Stars before you do, there is a lot to discover if you have the time to dedicate to it. Players can even go all the way up to thirty turns if they want a longer game experience, and the ability to save offline games is always helpful.
The board’s ally component remains, but adding a Jamboree Buddy ally is certainly a fun twist to the system, one that could turn the tide for any player trailing at the back of the pack. They turn up on the board randomly and offer some form of assistance. Each character arrives with their own special Jamboree Buddy ability, which could make selecting your character at the beginning of the game a strategic draft pick. You wouldn’t want your favorite buddy out of commission because you are playing as them. But be aware there is a countdown to reach your ally, and they won’t be around forever!
Image Source: Nintendo via Twinfinite
On the topic of turning the tide of the game, the divisive element of Bonus Stars is still a feature, but one that can be fully turned off at the beginning of each board if wanted. The bonus is therefore more akin to Superstars than its predecessor. Those frustrated by coming first, only to lose to their friend who was the most unlucky throughout the game, will certainly snap up the chance to turn this feature off.
We start with four unlocked boards, with three more unlocked with gameplay. The board themes aren’t exactly new (water, forest, etc.), but it is always fun to see how Nintendo brings new life to the standard format. The ‘Roll ‘em Raceway’ board, a race-track-themed course with stationary Stars and board-exclusive ‘Turbo Dice’, was by far the most fun to play through. I have a feeling it will be a fan favorite if only for the Mario Kart aesthetic and the threat lurking in the tunnel waiting for you to make a wrong turn.
Image Source: Nintendo via Twinfinite
Twenty playable characters are invited (some of whom we haven’t seen since Super Mario Party), and two more can be unlocked. It is nice to see Pauline and Ninji added to the roster. The re-emergence of Pauline is a nice nostalgic callback for diehard Donkey Kong and Mario fans, and like Superstars, all characters play with the same dice. Some players were frustrated with the character-specific dice in previous games. Still, I think it added something extra to the rounds in terms of playing it safe or taking an extra risk, so for me, it does feel like a loss, but for those who like a cleaner, sometimes more even playing field, the change will be welcomed.
Now, let’s discuss controllers. As someone who plays primarily on a Switch Lite, there is always the risk of not having access to the same content as others. The Switch Lite was originally made for ease of portability, so it would be remiss of me in this review if I didn’t mention that while some of the 100+ minigames can be played without Joy-Con controllers, three of the brand-new map areas cannot be accessed without them. I appreciate the option of being able to play the main game boards and a large number of minigames without controllers, unlike Super Mario Party, but it is a shame and should definitely be noted for Switch Lite users that some new content will be unplayable unless you make sure to have those controllers to hand.
Image Source: Nintendo via Twinfinite
This new content, Paratroopa Flight School, Toad’s Item Factory, and Rhythm Kitchen (which works on the same mechanics as Sound Stage from Super Mario Party), are fun solo games I could see myself getting lost in alone. I hope those purchasing on a Switch Lite already have the controllers ready to go.
Image Source: Nintendo via Twinfinite
New Bowser challenges, which can be played online or locally (although all players will need their own Switch), mirrors that of previous Mario Party game modes, with the added arrival of Imposter Bowser. These games are chaotic and fun, but apart from Bowser Kaboom Squad, they don’t feel like anything we haven’t seen before. For example, the Coinathlon from Mario Party: Star Rush appears in Jamboree as the Koopathlon with just a few changes to the initial gameplay.
Solo players, however, may enjoy a leisurely stroll around Goomba Lagoon in Party-Planner Trek mode, which sees your character help NPCs by competing in minigames to earn Mini Stars. With the collection of decorations for the Party Plaza and completing goals, this mode is a cozier side of the Mario Party madness.
Image Source: Nintendo via Twinfinite
Overall, Super Mario Party Jamboree has a lot to offer in terms of new ideas and replacing those disliked in the previous Mario Party game with updated sharp graphics. Nintendo appears to have taken on board what fans liked from Superstars and merged the gameplay for those who like an even playing field, while still finding new and creative ways to engage its players and keep them busy. There is certainly still a lot to discover!
Super Mario Party Jamboree
Overall Super Mario Party Jamboree has a lot to offer in ways of new ideas and replacing those disliked in the previous Mario Party game with updated, sharp graphics. Nintendo appears to have taken on board what fans liked from Superstars and merged the gameplays for those who like an even playing field while still finding new and creative ways to engage its players and keep them busy. There is certainly still a lot to discover.
Pros
Updated graphics
Fun solo modes
Larger game boards
Cons
Need for Joy-Con controllers for some content
Some elements feel like a reskin
A copy of this game was provided by the publisher for review. Reviewed on Nintendo Switch.
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At last, New World: Aeternum arrives on console, inviting players to join the open-world RPG. Regular player numbers on PC have fallen off in recent years, so is this revamped launch on Xbox and PlayStation enough to save the game?
If you have already heard of New World, or played it on PC, you probably wonder how this differs from the original. In short, it doesn’t. The story and gameplay are basically the same; the only real change is the name. It has had a few little polish-ups here and there, with the promise of reliable and regular updates. All the base game content is the same, so for PC players New World: Aeternum will be nothing more than an update.
Image Source: Amazon Games via Twinfinite
For new players, the arrival of New World to console is exciting. If you have been looking for an expansive fantasy world to become engrossed in, then Aeternum is the place to be. As far as open-world RPGs are concerned, New World: Aeternum has everything you need. It is also heralded as an MMO, but the PvP side of the game seems pretty optional, and I didn’t get to experience it for this review due to the lack of other players online! So with that in mind, this is going to be very much an RPG-centered review.
Image Source: Amazon Games via Twinfinite
We start off strong with a detailed character creation. I know many of you will spend possibly too long perfecting your character’s hairstyle, facial tattoos, scars, and facial hair. The only creature type is a human, which keeps things simple enough, but the range of colors, styles, and specific details means you’re guaranteed to end up with a unique hero. Of course, if at any point you change your mind and want to alter your character in any way, there are options to do so once the game gets going.
Image Source: Amazon Games via Twinfinite
Archetype choices are strong and varied, with straightforward choices to be made. It is entirely up to the player to decide which direction they will go. The choice determines your starting weapon and a small boost in specific stats. Your choice is important in the early stages so it is recommended that players choose the archetype based on favorite combat type. For example: in the beta preview I tried out the Ranger for her bow and staff combo, while this time around I tried out the Occultist to see what the magic combat was like.
Image Source: Amazon Games via Twinfinite
On the whole, the combat and action in New World Aeternum are great fun. You can switch between weapons easily and use the powers as you see fit. I think I enjoyed using the bow and staff more than the magic skills as I enjoyed the variety of ranged and melee combat. My only gripe with combat is the auto-aiming, which can be frustrating at times. The point in auto aim is to click your thumbstick so your hero focuses on one enemy at a time but for some reason, the focus moves from the creature you’re fighting to another without you doing anything. When one monster is in your face and your auto-aim decides to move to the one to your left, this can be pretty irritating. For the most part, I ended up abandoning the aiming system altogether.
Image Source: Amazon Games via Twinfinite
At the start, the enemies are not too hard to beat but they get tougher as you progress. Throughout your journey across Aeternum, there are new places to discover and characters to meet. The enemies surrounding the towns get tougher and harder to beat, so pick your battles wisely! Luckily the levelling system is pretty speedy and it isn’t too much of a grind getting XP.
When it is time to grind for XP, the best way is to speak to NPCs, complete quests, and forage. I could spend hours (in fact, I probably have) just chopping down trees, mining boulders, and hunting wildlife. Eventually, all those resources will weigh you down (who knew rawhide was so heavy?). Personal storage is limited, as you would expect, but each town has a storage locker in which to stash your extra supplies. Most generous of all is the fact all of your items can be accessed via any storage in any town. This saves a lot of messing around with trips from one place to another. Instead, players can quickly and easily transfer what they need from one town to another.
Image Source: Amazon Games via Twinfinite
It is so easy to spend hours adventuring through the lands and stumbling upon new, undiscovered locations. The open-world aspect of New World: Aeternum is very enticing. You might have a list of quests to do, with little numbered icons begging you to head their way, but sometimes the horizon beckons instead. I must admit I wandered a little too far, on the hunt for different ores, and found myself surrounded by enemies at a much higher level than I could handle. Luckily, if you just keep running, the creatures give up and abandon the chase.
Image Source: Amazon Games via Twinfinite
Overall, New World: Aeternum is a fun, engrossing open-world RPG. There is an amazing amount of stuff to do, from harvesting and crafting to combat and adventure. The main story is nothing groundbreaking but it is entertaining nonetheless. Player progression feels easy and relatively quick. There is so much to experience that it will take a long time before I start to get bored. I particularly enjoy the interactions with NPCs; the voice acting is great and the scripts are reminiscent of old-school Fable. It’s all very friendly and tongue-in-cheek much of the time.
The next thing I am excited about is the MMO element of the game. Player Companies (like Guilds), PvP fun, and adventurous raids are next on my list to experience. Now the servers are online, and Aeternum welcomes new blood via console, I hope the community continues to grow.
New World: Aeternum
Overall, New World: Aeternum is a fun, engrossing open-world RPG. There is an amazing amount of stuff to do, from harvesting and crafting, to combat and adventure. The main story is nothing groundbreaking but it is entertaining nonetheless. Player progression feels easy and relatively quick, but there is so much to experience that it feels like it will take a long time before I start to get bored. I particularly enjoy the interactions with NPCs; the voice acting is great and the scripts are reminiscent of old-school Fable. It’s all very friendly and tongue-in-cheek much of the time.
Pros
Absorbing and entertaining
Fun side quests
Easy player progression
Cons
Auto-aiming can be frustrating
Some environments feel a little repetitive
A copy of this game was provided by the publisher for review. Reviewed on Xbox Series X.
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I have absolutely nothing negative to say about Neva. As a story, Neva is a living fairy tale that plays out in dreamlike scenes of natural beauty, starring two creatures bonded by tragedy and propelled by an intense need to protect each other — and save the world in the process. As a game, Neva offers exquisite swordplay and intuitive platforming action, with a contained suite of abilities that evolves purposefully with each new stage. As a piece of art, every frame of Neva is breathtaking.
This is what a faultless game looks like. This is how it feels to play something perfect.
Alba is the protagonist in Neva and she’s badass. When we meet her, she’s a seasoned warrior and nomad with a cloud of silver hair, dancer’s limbs, and a billowing red cape that hides a slender sword. Her wolf companion, Neva, is just a cub at first, easily distracted and still learning how to navigate the forests and fields of their world. In the beginning, Neva needs Alba. By the end of the game, after seasons of growth and vicious battles, Alba also needs Neva.
Nomada Studio
None of these descriptors are spelled out in words, but the characters’ actions and a few beautifully animated vignettes make their backstories clear, and the entire story unspools in a similar fashion. The only speech in the game comes from Alba as she calls out, “Neva?” or, “Neva!” or, “Nevaaa,” with each press of the interaction button. Her tone and level of panic shifts dynamically with Neva’s position in the environment — Alba’s voice is strained with worry when she and the wolf are separated, and it’s soothing or playful when they’re near each other. Standing next to Neva and pressing to interact lets Alba pet her (and yes, there are achievements for doing so). In a million small ways, the game’s mechanics forge a deep emotional connection between Alba and Neva, until it eventually feels like they’re a singular entity, fighting the darkness as one.
Alba and Neva’s world is stunning. It’s composed of lush forests, sun-drenched valleys, soaring mountains and twisting cave systems — and all of it is being consumed by an oozing, ink-black decay spread by swarms of bulbous monsters with stark white faces. The decay acts like cordyceps, suffusing the bodies of massive animals and transforming them into zombie-like murder machines. In other areas, it takes the form of spiky brambles and skeletal vines that deal damage if you touch them. The monsters — round bodies, screaming faces and spidery limbs — appear consistently with a variety of ranged, melee, airborne and rushing attacks. It’s Alba and Neva’s mission to destroy the decay and the monsters, and reclaim their land. For the completionists among us, there are also glowing white flowers hidden among the levels, and finding them all unlocks something special.
Nomada Studio
The game is divided into four seasons, and as Neva grows, so do her abilities. Alba, meanwhile, is always strong and she only becomes more powerful as she and Neva learn how to fight together. To start, Alba can jump, double jump and dodge, and she has a basic sword attack and a downward thrust that can strike enemies and burst through weak floors from above. In the back half of the game, Neva is able to leap on invisible platforms and essentially teleport to any area she pleases, watching from high ridges as Alba climbs walls of white flowers to reach her.
This is a distinct contrast to the early stages, when Alba had to coax cub-Neva to jump across small gaps, and it drives home the game’s core theme of parental love. Eventually, Alba is able to throw Neva into battle like an aimed projectile, and she’ll ferociously attack whatever enemy she hits. This ability is a little silly at times — like when you’re trying to reach a hidden flower and you end up hurling Neva into a wall repeatedly until the angle is just right — but it quickly feels like a natural, necessary extension of Alba’s arsenal. Besides, Neva doesn’t seem to mind.
Nomada Studio
Mechanically, Neva is an incredibly light and responsive platformer. Playing on PlayStation 5, inputs never lag; Alba is able to jump, double jump and dodge with ease, and this trio of abilities resets with the lightest of touches to the terrain. Enemy hitboxes are tight, encouraging players to fight up close and dodge through dangers in between swings of Alba’s sword. Health regenerates as Alba lands hits without taking damage herself, and healing cairns are sprinkled generously throughout the scenes. Mid-air levels, where Alba leaps between cliff sides and bounces off floating enemy blobs, cultivate a brilliant sense of precision, daring players to push Alba’s maneuvers to their absolute limits. Neva offers subtle yet clear direction through environmental cues alone, and I never once felt lost in its platforming sauce. The levels shift with the seasons: complex navigation puzzles and delightfully tricky mirror levels are steadily added to the sidescrolling action, constantly testing Alba and Neva’s capacity to work together.
Alba and Neva are connected in every scene, but their bond is tangible during battles, particularly once the wolf throw becomes a reliable part of Alba’s attack-dodge rhythm. This only makes it more distressing when, in some stages, Alba has to battle on her own. Neva’s presence brings a fullness to Alba’s abilities, and especially in the game’s last few hours, my controller felt distinctly empty any time she didn’t fight alongside me.
Nomada Studio
I don’t want to say too much about the final stages of Neva. The game builds to an inevitable, emotionally intense conclusion, with pockets of deep longing and sublime reconciliation sprinkled throughout the rising action. Yes, Neva will make you cry. I definitely did, with big, ugly tears.
Neva is infused with magical realism, blending the familiar with the impossible in a format that looks like a living children’s book. Otherworldly terror creeps around the edges of each landscape, foreboding and exquisite, and the game’s animations are anime-smooth. Neva looks incredible and it plays just as beautifully — a rare and powerful combination. Just like Alba and Neva.
Neva comes out on October 15 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch, developed by Nomada Studio and published by Devolver Digital.
If the MSI Vision Elite RS could walk, it would walk into every room like it owned the place. It’s got attitude, it’s got flair, and it’s got the horsepower to back it up. It’s also got a price to match. If you’re looking for a desktop gaming PC to last for years, but still leave room for upgrades, this one is a strong contender.
The Vision Elite boasts powerful hardware, but a spec sheet doesn’t tell the full story. This desktop’s gorgeous curved glass panel houses a spacious interior, lit up with a cornucopia of RGB LEDs. While there are other curved glass cases on the market, most either use multiple glass panels to achieve the effect or add distracting button panels. MSI’s approach is minimalist, drawing focus directly to the internals. It’s not just a desktop. It’s a statement piece.
Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
Under the hood, the unit I tested comes with an Intel Core i9 14900KF CPU, 64 GB of DDR5 RAM, and the beastly Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics card. In terms of storage, there’s a 2-terabyte M.2 NVMe solid-state drive, with an extra slot for another M.2 SSD, plus four SATA 6G ports, giving you plenty of options to expand storage in the future.
As someone who’s been upgrading the same PC for 20 years, this thing ticks all my boxes for a prebuilt gaming PC. It’s powerful out of the box, has style that’s hard to replicate with off-the-shelf parts, and plenty of room to grow over the years.
Flourish and Flair
As soon as I turn on the Vision Elite RS, it commands attention from anyone in the room. The curved glass panel encompasses two sides of the PC, giving it almost an aquarium look. I half-expected to see exotic fish swimming around inside this thing. The striking RGB LEDs are crammed into every corner of the rig, with two rows of three RGB-laced fans along the side and top of the device, with a seventh light-up fan on the rear. The CPU uses a 360-millimeter liquid cooling system, but these fans still help ensure the system stays cool.
All the RGB lighting is a bit much. I wouldn’t recommend putting this thing in any room where people are likely to sleep or want to relax and watch TV unless you switch the lighting off. However, with a little tweaking to turn down the impact, it’s easily one of the most eye-catching PCs I’ve ever used.
It’s slick, eschewing the angular, edgy Gamer Aesthetic, and its open design makes it feel like it takes up less space than it does. This is particularly helpful since the Vision Elite RS is huge. At nearly 50 pounds, it’s a monster to lug around, so wherever you put it in your home, you’re probably going to want it to stay there.
I tore the top of the Strike LS because I was wearing a slightly thicker pair of socks than normal and was struggling to put them on. I had my toes in, and in the attempt to get the rest of my foot in there, I pushed a little too hard while holding the sprayed-on membrane. The bit I was holding tore. It was the fourth time I’d ever put them on. Oops.
It is generally not a good sign when a product breaks after four uses, especially not when that product costs more than $330. (That’s roughly $82 per run.) But I should note that even after that, I have run in the CloudBoom Strikes for about two months and put more than 100 cumulative miles on them. In all that time and wear, that little tear is basically the exact same size. The bioplastic holds its form and hasn’t ripped further or affected the fit when I run in them. A rip isn’t ideal, and perhaps something bigger might have caused real problems, but in my experience On’s material holds. It just means I felt the need to be a lot more careful putting them on than with normie shoes.
Companies have certainly been pushing this laceless shoe thing. For instance, Nike’s $350 self-lacing Adapt BB could be controlled by an app that has since been shut down. The question, really, is whether the extra 15 seconds you save every day by not tying your laces warrants the extra cost and careful attention.
Elite Athletes Only
The CloudBoom Strike LS are very, very good shoes. They are cool, comfy, and also technical marvels, and all that visionary scientific endeavor is laudable. (Go watch that video again. It’s neat!) Their potential environmental impact is worth remarking on, too. You can probably find more environmentally friendly running shoes, like those made from algae, but On’s additive process for constructing these kicks has the potential to be much more efficient than standard shoe manufacturing—no leftover fabric scraps to toss in the trash.
Photograph: Boone Ashworth
Running in the CloudBoom Strikes is magnificent. They’re lighter than any shoe I’ve worn before, even many barefoot shoes, and they feel so squishy that I can almost fool myself into thinking I’m bouncing in my moon boots. But you know what else makes me feel like that? Other On shoes, and ones that cost considerably less money. If you’re not an elite marathoner for whom every ounce counts, you get just as much squishiness out of On’s Cloud Monster, which, at $180, are nearly half the price of the sprayed-Ons. As a bonus, you don’t have to treat them like delicate sponge cakes when you’re shoving them on to head out on your run.
But boy, if you aren’t worried about the cost, you’ll enjoy these lightweight future shoes. They’re the lightest shoe you’re going to get with the amount of cushion they offer. Once you get them wiggled on, you’re going to have a hard time wanting to ever take them off.
Windows 2-in-1s have been doing the tablet-laptop hybrid thing for a while now, but the tablet part of that equation always feels lacking. While iPads and Android tablets have refined the experience for more than a decade and have vast ecosystems of tablet-optimized apps at the ready, Windows remains a bit of an ugly duckling.
But what if you combined a Windows laptop with a full Android tablet? That’s the idea behind the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus (Gen 5), and it’s an interesting beast.
The closest analogue to the ThinkBook Plus (Gen 5) is Microsoft’s now-dead Surface Book line but without the need to split shared hardware between the screen and the base. Instead, the ThinkBook packs all of its laptop internals into the keyboard base and the separate tablet hardware in the display. What you end up with is a laptop that can instantly (well, nearly instantly) switch between Windows and Android at the press of a button, or operate separately when you detach the screen.
Photograph: Daniel Thorp-Lancaster
The hardware is no slouch either. My review unit Lenovo has an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, 32 GB of RAM, and a 1-terabyte solid-state drive for storage. The tablet portion of the machine includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset (the flagship Android processor from 2022), 12 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage. Those are fairly beefy specs on both ends of the equation and help keep the ThinkBook Plus (Gen 5) feeling snappy with both Windows and Android.
As you’d expect from a $3,500 machine, the build quality of this ThinkBook Plus is exceptional, with an all-metal chassis that feels like it can survive being run over by a pickup truck (please don’t do that). It features a 2,880 x 1,800-pixel-resolution 14-inch OLED touchscreen display that looks as good as you can get in a premium laptop. Combined with a set of robust speakers tuned by Harman Kardon, you have a great overall media experience.
Even after I got the fit right, I noticed a darker, fuzzier sound signature than what I experienced in the original pair. This seems to be by design, as one of the main complaints before was a lack of bass, something with which nearly all open earbuds struggle. The new buds add some more punch down low, but it comes at the cost of clarity and presence in the midrange and treble.
Luckily, Sony’s Sound Connect app provides a capable EQ, and after some tinkering with the Excitement preset, including lowering the Clear Bass feature and raising the midrange a notch or two, I was able to squeeze out more crispness in instrumental attacks for everything from snares and guitars to vocals and horns. I still never got things as clear or vibrant as Bose’s pair, but at $100 less, that’s not all that surprising, and I think Sony gets the win for bass.
Open Season
You’re not really buying open earbuds for their sound quality, especially if you’re a picky audiophile like me. They’re much more about melding the vibes of your two realities: blasting podcasts or your favorite ‘80s playlist while keeping in touch with the world (and other humans). WIRED editor Adrienne So loves open earbuds for the gym or other public places where she feels more assured no one is sneaking up on her.
They’re also great for situations where regular buds simply don’t cut it. Like my beloved Bose Frames or the Ray-Ban Meta audio sunglasses, the Linkbuds are great for staying safe while cruising on your bike or ebike on a crisp fall day, where the wind shear would naturally overwhelm the tiny microphones in traditional buds using transparency mode.
I was also genuinely amazed at how well the Linkbuds Open suppressed exterior sounds during calls. On a recent chat with my mom, I could barely hear my own voice as I rolled the dumpsters in from the street, but she hardly noticed the bellowing of the plastic tires covering my voice–and she always lets me know when I’m too loud.
If I could only afford one pair, I’d still choose more rounded earbuds that can snuff out or let in the ambient world with noise canceling or transparency mode respectively, like Apple’s excellent AirPods Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends). I’d also consider the cheaper original Linkbuds, though the battery life is more limiting. Otherwise, if you’re looking for a pair that keeps you naturally present in virtually any scenario, and you don’t mind all the chaos that comes with it, the Linkbuds Open are a solid new option in this still-evolving segment.
Coffee requires only two ingredients to be made at home, yet the industry surrounding the world’s favorite beverage has been hell-bent on making things as complicated as possible for decades. An endless barrage of sexy gadgets promises to optimize every step of the process, and yet to many consumers, the finished product ends up tasting remarkably similar.
Given the tension between a quality cup and the time and effort spent brewing it, a coffee machine’s ability to brew delicious coffee with as little friction as possible should be the primary yardstick of greatness. The Fellow Aiden drip coffee machine has plenty of esoteric bells and whistles to tickle the fancy of design-minded coffee geeks, but it also makes really good coffee with minimal hassle. You could replace your dad’s grimy old Mr. Coffee with this handsome 9 x 9 x 12-inch black cube and he probably wouldn’t complain for more than five minutes, which says a lot about its user-friendly interface and ease of use.
Photograph: Pete Cottell
Keeping It Simple
Fellow offers an app to accompany the Aiden, but you don’t need it to start brewing. Smart devices have been elbowing their way into kitchens for a decade now, to wildly varied results. Preheating your oven from the grocery store parking lot is pretty cool and useful, but do you really need a smart blender? And how much time is really saved in the end when countless hours are lost to troubleshooting smart home connections, thumbing through settings, and downloading clunky apps—many of which ask to track your location and force you to check a box on a terms-of-use page that includes questionable arbitration clauses? Is all this really necessary for a batch of muffins or a cup of coffee?
One could easily get lost in the weeds dialing in settings like roast type, elevation, or presets for beans from iconic roasters like Onyx and Verve, but it’s just as easy to skip all that and start brewing. To test this theory, I attempted to brew a cup of coffee without reading the manual or connecting to the proprietary app. This took me about eight minutes, which is a remarkable feat considering how the Aiden’s “smartness” was a focal point of its prerelease press.
After rinsing the pot and the water reservoir, I turned the single black knob to “wake up” the machine and scan its menu on the vibrant LED screen. I selected “Guided Brew,” dialed in how many ounces of coffee I wanted, popped in the corresponding color-coded brew basket, set the water dial above to match, added the recommended dose of grounds, hit Start, and that was that. Eight ounces of 200-degree-Fahrenheit perfection in about three minutes.
“It’s difficult to go about your day without hearing an Elvis song out in the world,” Riley Keough writes in her new memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown, which she co-authored with her late mother, Lisa Marie Presley. That may sound like an obvious statement, but it’s a true one: For decades, the tragedy and mythology of rock-and-roll legend Elvis Presley — what he ate, who he loved, what he was like — have felt like they belonged to his fans just as much as they did the Presley family. When Lisa Marie Presley died in the winter of 2023, she’d last been publicly seen at the Golden Globes with her children, there to promote Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. A few days later, she was gone.
From Here to the Great Unknown tells Lisa Marie’s story through two voices: her own and that of Keough, who was helping her mother go through tapes and write the memoir at the time of her death. Keough weaves both voices together in a dual narrative demarcated by type: Lisa Marie’s words are in a serif font, and her own are sans serif. (It’s a little unusual at first, though easy to understand in context.) What emerges is less of a retelling of Presley’s life — though there is plenty of that — and more of a conversation between mother and daughter about parents and children, what we expect of those who raise us and what they impart to us when they leave.
The memoir lays out an introspective therapy session between mother and daughter, something more intimate than the usual Presley-industrial complex offerings. Stories narrated regaled by Lisa Marie, spoken aloud into tapes, now have an audience. When Presley details the sexual abuse she allegedly endured from Priscilla Presley’s boyfriend Michael Edwards, Keough allows the story to stand in full before writing: “Hearing my mother describe these incidents broke my heart. I know what happened was one of her deepest childhood traumas but I don’t think she — or any of us who knew her — fully considered how it may have contributed to some of the fundamental feelings she carried, like shame and self-hatred.”
Having Keough’s response contextualizes her mother’s pain: Lisa Marie is telling this story to not just us but those closest to her. In the abstract, writing a book can feel like shouting into a void, but in the case of From Here to the Great Unknown, Keough is always listening on the other side. Sometimes, she’s there to correct the record: When Lisa Marie suggests that she got pregnant with Keough by her then-boyfriend Danny Keough, she says she didn’t “mean to” trap him with a baby. Keough herself writes: “My mom subsequently told me every detail of timing her ovulation for that moment in Aruba. And she absolutely meant to trap my dad.” Keough’s responses are rarely, if ever, judgmental; she’s more keen to explain that this is just the person her mother was, a reflection of her own upbringing. The Presleys and Keoughs exist within their own context. For all that they’ve been subject to tabloid-magazine covers and public speculation, these are the people who’ve grappled with these myths hanging over their heads.
The early stretches of the memoir are told in detailed ramblings, but as the chronology progresses, Lisa Marie’s dispatches grow shorter and shorter. “I don’t know who I am,” Presley writes. “I never really got the chance to uncover my own identity. I didn’t have a family. I didn’t have a childhood, and though some of it was fun, there was also constant trouble.” Although the last 15 years of her life were marked by addiction and grief — Lisa Marie’s only son, and Keough’s younger brother, Ben, died in 2020 — what Keough proves through her writing is that Lisa Marie, though she did not know it, did have a family. She did have her own identity. “Where there are gaps in her story, I fill them in,” Keough writes. Even when things spiraled out, there was room for a family vacation to Hawaii or a trip to England to catch up with friends. “Despite all this love she had inside her, and all her effort to live, we could all see it. We could all feel it coming,” Keough notes. The final years of Lisa Marie’s life feel — through both their writings — like a horrible inevitability.
The book concludes at Graceland, the Memphis estate and museum where Elvis lived, where both Lisa Marie and her son, Ben, are buried along with her father. In May 2024, Keough fought against Graceland’s foreclosure and won, though she’s still seeking control of the estate after a loan Lisa Marie took out on the property was never paid back. Despite the ongoing struggle to keep Graceland with the Presley family, much of the press for From Here to the Great Unknown has been centered there. Keough sat down with Oprah Winfrey, both clad in white, in Elvis’s white living room, and the estate itself is selling an exclusive copy with a signed lithograph from Keough. With the book now out in the world, the story of the Presley family goes back to the people — to consume, to speculate about, to admonish or worship — but the dialogue between Presley and Keough, as a daughter finds her mother in transcription, stays bound between its covers, going back and forth until the end.
When DJI revealed its tiny $200 Neo drone, I immediately saw how it could fit into my vlogger’s toolkit to supplement my Mini 4 Pro and Mavic 3 Pro. Flying those sophisticated drones is a whole thing that requires planning. But the Neo can be launched spontaneously to grab quick and fun shots, thanks to features like palm takeoff and voice control. That ease of use also makes it ideal for the social media influencers.
Though beginner-friendly, it’s quite powerful. You get features from DJI’s bigger drones like ActiveTrack, FPV capabilities and even support for DJI’s Mic 2. And forget about the fuzzy video you may have seen on other cheap drones. The Neo can record in sharp 4K, making it suitable for content creators who need affordable aerial video.
DJI
The DJI Neo may be an inexpensive, beginner-friendly drone, but has powerful features like subject tracking and quick shots.
It’s not perfect though, as the Neo is noisy and lacks vertical video, something influencers will likely want. Still, it looked like the kind of product that could appeal to all types of people, even creators like myself who already have multiple drones. To see how it performed, we put it through a variety of scenarios from events to weddings — and even flying just for fun.
Design and features
With a softly sculpted design and protective propeller guards, the Neo gives off safe, friendly vibes. It’s DJI’s lightest drone by far at 135 grams, less than half the Mini 4’s heft, and is small enough to fit into a large jacket pocket. The device’s diminutive size also means it’s exempt from any drone license requirements.
The Neo has a rich feature set, but all you need to start flying is your hand. Simply place the Neo in your palm, press the new mode button at front and it’ll take off and perform one of six preprogrammed “smart shots.” Those are Follow (the drone tracks and follows you around), Dronie (it starts tight on your face then flies up and away from you), Circle (flies around you), Rocket (starts at face level and flies straight up), Spotlight (keeps you centered in the frame but doesn’t move) and Direction Track (for vlogging). After you complete the shot, stick out your hand under the Neo to land it.
Another great option for newbies is voice control, which lets you fly and record video by speaking into the Fly More app. I wasn’t able to try this feature in my initial hands-on tests, but it has now been enabled via a firmware update. You can either tap on the voice button to say a command or enable the wake word settings. Then, you can just say, “Hey Fly” to activate it.
Steve Dent for Engadget
For instance, saying the word “dronie” will activate the dronie flight pattern and start recording. You can then change parameters using commands like “closer,” “farther” and “higher.” It also includes the safety commands “land,” “stop” and “brake.”
The setting is a great way to give users some control over the social media-oriented quick shots without the need to touch a controller. It was straightforward to set up, and I found that it responded quickly and reliably to my commands. However, you’ll need to keep the phone’s mic close to your mouth when the Neo is nearby, or the propeller wailing will drown out your voice.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The Neo is also DJI’s first drone that can be piloted using a smartphone alone. Switching the app into manual mode brings up a touch screen with full maneuvering controls. It also offers a camera/video mode and return-to-home toggle. There’s a serious caveat to using it, though, as I’ll detail shortly. For more serious piloting, the Neo supports multiple DJI controllers (sold separately), including the RC N3 model that requires a smartphone. You can even use it as an FPV drone with DJI’s RC Motion 3 and DJI Goggles 3. Those controllers offer most of the features available on other DJI camera drones, like cinema, normal and sport modes, along with auto and manual video settings.
What you won’t see are any obstacle detection sensors, which is one reason the Neo is so cheap. The only crash protection measures are the camera’s subject detection AI, a downward facing IR landing sensor and a rugged design that resists minor accidents.
As for storage, there’s no microSD card slot, so the Neo relies on the 22GB of internal memory that holds 40 minutes of 4K footage or 55 minutes of 1080p video. You can transfer the files to a PC or other device via the rear USB-C charging port. Again, this is less than ideal, but it keeps the price down.
Performance
Steve Dent for Engadget
If you have low performance expectations for a 5-ounce, $200 drone, get ready to be pleasantly surprised — the Neo is maneuverable, fast and fun. It can hit speeds up to 18 mph in sport mode, which is half that of the Mini 4 Pro, but still at the upper end of this category. You can even fly it in fairly blustery winds up to 18 mph, though it could get blown into another county if you let it get too far away.
The Neo can also fly twice that speed in manual mode, another feature that arrived in a post-launch firmware update, but requires DJI’s FPV Controller 3. With that controller and the firmware update, I pushed it to its top speed. 36 mph is faster than any drone this size by far, but it never felt out of control. However, at that speed the noise level resembles a swarm of particularly irate hornets.
The FPV Controller 3 also opens up the possibility of acrobatic (acro) flying, letting you perform flips, spins and other maneuvers. That’s a lot of fun, especially knowing that the drone is not only crash resistant but costs just $200 — a pittance by drone standards. I’m not an acro pilot, but in the hands of an expert like quadmovr, the Neo can rip through some unbelievable moves.
Steve Dent for Engadget
For novices who want to try first-person video flying (FPV) but aren’t ready for the tricky-to-use Controller 3, DJI’s Goggles 3 and RC Motion 3 are better for FPV newbs. It’s certainly not as nimble and quick as the Avata 2, but it’s still a lot of fun. In fact, it’s a great learning tool for wannabe FPV pilots with either of those controllers, thanks to the durability and low price.
The Neo is ideal for event videography too, as you can maneuver it almost anywhere to get some cool or dramatic shots. At the same time, the propeller guards make it safe to use around people. Again, it’s very noisy, so it’s obviously not suitable to fly through something like a wedding or a best man’s speech.
The modes ActiveTrack, Spotlight and Point of Interest (POI) work just as they do on other DJI drones to track or follow you. A key mode for content creators is Direction Track, which lets you do walk-and-talk vlogging while keeping your face in view. With that setting, the Neo is usually flying backwards with no rear obstacle sensor, so you’ll need a clear path. When I tested this, the drone veered into some tree branches and was thrown off course, but it kept on flying.
I never try to crash drones on purpose, but did have a few mishaps. The Neo hit some trees before falling to the ground a couple of times, and bonked a hard interior floor on one occasion. It not only continued to function perfectly, but had nary a visible scratch, so DJI has done a good job with durability. That said, you can purchase a one-year insurance plan for the Neo at just $22, which covers accidents and loss of the drone.
Steve Dent for Engadget
With a controller and DJI’s O4 transmission, the Neo has a 6.2 mile line-of-sight range in the US, or 3.7 miles in Europe where transmission power is limited. That’s exactly half that of the Mini Pro 4, but pretty extraordinary given the size — though I’m not sure who’d ever want to fly such a lightweight drone that far away. I flew it about half a mile away with no loss of signal, and that was plenty far for my comfort level. Maximum altitude, meanwhile, is unlimited and set by the user.
When using smartphone Wi-Fi control, maximum range is just 165 feet, so it’s really just for indoor or nearby outdoor use. This is based on Wi-Fi limits, but it also effectively serves as a geofence for novices (the drone just stops and hovers if it gets out of Wi-Fi range). In addition, if you’re using the palm or voice control, altitude is limited to around 100 feet.
While small and light, the Neo’s 1,435mAh lithium-ion Intelligent Flight Batteries support up to 17 minutes of flying time, or around 13 to 14 minutes in the real world — not bad in this category. With the Neo alone, it takes an hour to charge a single battery directly within the drone. However, if you spring for the $289 combo kit (including the drone, two extra batteries and a three-battery charger), you can juice three batteries in that same 60 minutes.
Camera
Steve Dent for Engadget
The gimbal is tucked into a protective housing and can tilt up 60 degrees and down 90. The camera has a 1/2-inch 12-megapixel sensor with an ultra-wide 13mm equivalent focal length and f/2.8 aperture — about what you’d expect on a decent smartphone.
The Neo’s video specs are weaker than other DJI drones, but I was pretty happy with my footage considering the price of the Neo. It can shoot 4K 30p video and 1080p at up to 60fps, certainly good enough for most social media users. It also supports 4K in a 4:3 aspect ratio at 30fps, or 1080p in the same aspect ratio but up to 60fps.
The camera doesn’t tilt sideways like it does on the Mini 4 Pro, which means it can’t do vertical video. That’s unfortunate considering the target market, but adding that capability would also increase complexity and, no doubt, the price. The best bet for social media users is to shoot in 4K and then crop to a 1080×1920 9:16 resolution.
There’s also no D-LogM capability to boost dynamic range as seen on most other DJI drones, and with such a small sensor, low-light capability is poor. However, video is sharp and color accurate, which is well above what you’d expect in this price range. The 12-megapixel photos are also good enough for hobbyists and social media users. I expect the average buyer taking aerial shots of their home, family and vacations will be more than pleased.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The Neo also incorporates DJI’s software-based RockSteady stabilization along with gimbal tilt stabilization. That should provide smooth enough video for most users, or you can disable the stabilization altogether and use DJI’s GyroFlow app in post for better results. The Neo also supports HorizonBalancing, providing level video even if the drone banks up to 45 degrees. Note that for the 4:3 video modes, there’s no electronic image stabilization, so you need to stabilize the footage later using GyroFlow or another app.
The Neo can even capture audio with your phone just by tapping the Fly More app’s audio record button. You’ll get better quality by connecting an external microphone or using DJI’s Mic 2. Since the Neo is extremely noisy, the Mic 2 will cancel out much of that prop screeching, leaving your voice clear and legible, albeit with some distortion.
Wrap-up
Steve Dent for Engadget
DJI’s Neo might be small in stature, but it can shoot good quality video and photos safely around people, and does so at a very reasonable price. It has clearly captured the public’s imagination, as it’s already been sold out on DJI’s site despite only being on sale for a couple of weeks.
Potential buyers range from novices up to experienced hands who want a small, people-friendly drone for Instagram stories and more. It’s ideal for TikTok and other creators because it can act as a robot videographer, helping you record content by yourself. The main issues you’ll have to live with are the noise, lack of vertical video and limited battery life.
For $200, or $289 if you opt for the combo kit with three batteries and a charger, the Neo is a no-brainer for many creators. The only real competition is the $350 HoverAir X1, which costs more and offers lower-resolution video. But by providing higher quality video for less money, the Neo is a better value.
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