Sonos Roam SL is the mic-free version of the original

Source: Sonos

Sonos updates its Roam speaker to release a version without its built-in microphone. The Sonos Roam SL looks identical to the original but costs US$20 less than it. This small speaker can still connect to your Wi-Fi network and be included in a Sonos multi-room audio system. It has a built-in battery and Bluetooth capabilities. And it is waterproof and dust-resistant (IP67 rated), with a battery life of up to 10 hours.

Since it doesn't have a microphone, it loses the Auto Trueplay feature, which uses the mic to tune the speaker to sound better in the room you've placed it in. As Engadget pointed out, it makes sense the feature isn't available since the Roam SL is designed to be taken around with you. In some markets, the Sonos Roam SL is now available for pre-order on the company's website, and it'll launch on March 15.

The Samsung Galaxy Note brand is no more

The Galaxy Note is dead; long live the Galaxy Note. Well, it still lives in the form of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, but Samsung's smartphone chief Roh Tae-moon confirmed with reporters at Mobile World Congress 2022 that the "Galaxy Note will come out as Ultra."

It's an unsurprising move given the last Galaxy Note device was the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra released in 2020. And before this confirmation, this year's Galaxy S22 Ultra has an integrated S Pen. As The Verge pointed out, the Samsung Galaxy Note series was Samsung's experimental brand for big-screened devices. But when it started to share more and more similar features with the Galaxy S series, and then they developed larger displays with its foldable devices, the Note got lost in the fray.

Future OnePlus phone to get 150W fast-charging

Source: OPPO

Innovations in the fast-charging space have continuously been pushed by Chinese brands. OPPO used Mobile World Congress to talk about its new 150W SuperVOOC fast-charging standard, which it claims can charge a 4,500mAh battery from 1 percent to 50 percent in five minutes, then to 100 percent in just 15. It plans to bring the technology first to its OnePlus sub-brand in the second quarter. 

OnePlus, we've heard, has plans to launch the OnePlus 10 Pro in more markets later this year. But that won't be the device to feature this technology. OPPO introduced 125W SuperVOOC fast-charging in 2020, but that wasn't launched in any of the company's products. 

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Forza Horizon 5 introduces in-game sign language option

There are more than 400 million gamers globally who consider themselves disabled and the developers behind Forza Horizon 5 made accessibility one of the key focuses right from the start. The creators have announced that beginning March 1, 2022, American and British Sign Languages will arrive as an option to the popular game for its in-game cinematics. The update will include actors from the deaf and hard of hearing community signing in parts of the story.

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