Category: Technologies

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a CNET Editors’ Choice award pick, offers hundreds of games that you can play on your Xbox Series X or Series S, Xbox One and PC for $17 a month. A subscription gets you new games every month (like Diablo 4) plus other benefits, like online multiplayer and deals on non-Game Pass titles.

Xbox recently added Shadow of the Tomb Raider to Game Pass on April 11, and the company is adding these titles to the service soon, including three Day 1 releases.

Orcs Must Die 3

Available now.

Crank the orc-slaying mayhem up to 11 in the latest installment of this tower-defense series by slicing, burning, carbonizing and tossing orc hordes. You can also use a trove of new traps and weapons, like magical staffs or sawblade launchers. No matter how you dispatch them, the one thing for certain in this title is that every last orc must die.

EA Sports NHL 24

Available now.

As the NHL gears up for the Stanley Cup playoffs, you can too, with the latest installment in this EA Sports franchise. This entry in the series has new gameplay mechanics, including vision passing and an exhaust engine, intended to give you more control over your players and to present new challenges. So if you want to see the Las Vegas Golden Knights win the cup back to back, or you want to ensure that doesn’t happen, this game is for you.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes

Available: April 23

Gather your friends and allies for this Day 1 release. In this action JRPG, you create a party of six heroes out of over a hundred — it’s in the name, after all — as you set off on an adventure across the war-torn continent of Allraan. You can also manage a small town and play mini-games along the way. And if you can’t wait for this title to release, you can play Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising on Game Pass Ultimate now.

Another Crab’s Treasure

Available: April 25

You know what they say: One man’s trash is another crab’s treasure, or something like that. This Day 1 release is like a cross between Elden Ring and the classic game Ecco the Dolphin. In this title, you play as a hermit crab who sets off on a quest to buy back your repossessed shell. You’ll have to use the trash of the ocean to protect yourself against huge enemies, and you’ll also learn why the ocean is so polluted with garbage to begin with. And who knows, maybe you’ll see Ariel with her collection of thingamabobs down there.

Manor Lords (PC)

Available: April 26

If you watched Game of Thrones and thought, “Being a medieval lord doesn’t seem that hard. I could do it,” now’s your chance to prove it. This medieval strategy game brings city-building, tactical battles, economic simulations and social interactions into one complex title. Now you can find out if you have what it takes to keep your people safe and fed when the seasons change and the harsh winters approach.

Have a Nice Death

Available: April 30

Even Death needs a break every now and then, and that’s the goal of this roguelike game. You play as Death, the CEO of Death Incorporated, who finds himself needing a restful vacation. The only thing standing in your way from a relaxing stay at the beach — or wherever Death would vacation — is a mountain of paperwork and reminding your demonic subordinates who’s in charge. Just another day at the office.

Games coming to Game Pass Core

Game Pass Core ($10 a month) is the cheapest Game Pass subscription, and it’s a good option if you only want to play certain games online. It also gives you access to a handful of games, and on April 23, Game Pass Core subscribers can access these titles, too:

• Deep Rock Galactic
• Superhot: Mind Control Delete
• Wreckfest

Titles leaving Game Pass

While Xbox is adding the above titles to Game Pass Ultimate, it’s also removing six titles on April 30. So, you have some time to finish any side quests before you have to buy these titles separately:

• 7 Days to Die
• Besiege
• EA Sports NHL 22
• Loot River
• Pikuniku
• Ravenlok

For more on Xbox, here’s what Diablo 4 on Game Pass likely means for the service, other titles available on Game Pass Ultimate now and everything to know about the gaming service.

If you never seem to have enough outlets for all the things that need to be charged, a charging station can be a game-changer. Doing so transforms one AC outlet into many different ports, and the Anker 525 charging station offers seven of them. Place your order today, and choose the green model, and you’ll pay just $36 so long as you clip the on-page coupon. Note that this deal is only available on that green model, while Amazon Prime members can choose the others and pay a few dollars more. Whichever model you choose, you’ll get the same features.

We don’t know how long that coupon will hang around for, but we’d always suggest ordering sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out.

This charging station has all the faetures you’re likely to need. There are three AC outlets around the back with four USB ports on the front. Two of those are USB-C and good for up to 65 watts of power output while two are USB-A and rated for 12 watts. The whole thing features temperature monitoring technology to make sure nothing gets too warm, and there’s a 24-month warranty thrown in for good measure.

Need to keep your stuff charged and ready to go no matter where you are? Our list of portable generators deals will have you powered up whether you’re dealing with a power cut or out in the middle of nowhere.

Fitness enthusiasts know all too well how difficult it can be to find wireless earbuds that stay put during exercise. The Shokz OpenFit earbuds are some of our favorite running earbuds and are perfect for those who lead an active lifestyle. What’s more, if you order from Amazon today you’ll get them at their best-yet price of just $150. That price represents a $30 saving off the original asking price, but it’s a limited-time deal which means that it might not be here for long. On a more positive note, the deal is available on both the black and beige versions so be sure to pick your favorite before adding them to your cart.

Because the Shokz OpenFit are earbuds with ear hooks they’re more likely to stay secured when performing strenuous activity. They also have an IP54 rating, so they’ll handle sweat, dust and the elements in general, but don’t plan to go swimming with them. It’s also worth mentioning that the controls are touch-based, which might be frustrating for some who prefer the more tactile feel of a button.

Beyond that, the audio fidelity is surprisingly good, and the app even lets you fiddle around with the EQ so you can set it just right, but note that there’s no noise cancelation. The OpenFit features an open design that fires sound into your ears using what Shokz dubs “air conduction” technology. Being open-ear, you still have an awareness of your surroundings which is handy when pounding pavements or lifting weights in the gym.

As for battery life, you can get up to seven hours on the earbuds plus another 21 hours or so in the charging case, giving you a total of 28 hours. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have wireless charging, but you can get an hour’s worth of battery with a five-minute charge, so even if you’re in a hurry, you can get some battery life out of it. The case charges via USB-C.

All in all, it’s a solid set of earbuds if you’re looking for something for your workouts. That said, if you’d like a few more options, be sure to check out these other great earbud deals.

Huawei’s new flagship Pura 70 series has a sleek and stylish design as well as multiple rear cameras. The company launched the new line in China on Thursday, in a bid to revive its smartphone business that has suffered due to US sanctions.

The Pura 70 line appears to be a rebrand of Huawei’s P phone series, which were also notable for their rear cameras. The Pura 70 has four models running from 5,499 yuan (roughly $760) for the base Pura 70 all the way up to 9,999 yuan (roughly $1,380) for the 70 Ultra.

Huawei quietly launched its Mate 60 series last year, The Mate 60 runs on the company’s in-house Kirin 9000 processor, which enables 5G connectivity. The Kirin 9000 surpassed people’s expectations of Chinese chipmakers at the time. It’s not clear at the time of writing what processor the Pura 70 or 70 Ultra is using.

Since 2019, Huawei’s been grappling with US sanctions that aim to restrict the Chinese company’s access to American technology. Huawei eventually lost access to critical global components required to make state-of-the-art processors for its smartphones, among other products. This lead Huawei to release outdated 4G phones such as 2023’s Mate X3 at a time when 5G phones had already hit the mainstream.

The Mate 60 series, launched in August 2023, is credited with driving up Huawei’s phone sales. In the first six weeks of 2024, Huawei witnessed a surge in phone sales per unit by 64% compared to the previous year, according to research firm Counterpoint. In that same timeframe, Apple’s iPhone sales in China experienced a decline of 24%.

The Pura 70 series appears to be a rebrand from Huawei’s high-end P series. It targets people who care about aesthetics and photography, while the Mate series focuses on pixels and processors.

The Pura 70 series runs on HarmonyOS, Huawei’s self-developed operating system. It was released in 2019 after US sanctions meant the company’s phones lost access to Google Managed Services, which includes Google Maps, Gmail and the Google Play Store.

Huawei’s phone business has shown signs of recovery, but it doesn’t seem to be back to where it was before US sanctions. The Shenzen-based company has survived and even grows in some areas. It posted a net profit for the year of 2023 of 87 billion year, which rose by 144.5% from the year before. In fact, 2023 represented Huawei’s third year straight of revenue growth, but revenue remains below its 2020 peak.

The US has long alleged that Huawei maintains a tight relationship with the Chinese government and that equipment from the company could be used to spy on other countries and companies. Huawei has repeatedly denied this.