Annapurna Interactive hit with mass resignation

Stray | Photo: Annapurna Interactive

Following a breakdown in talks for spinning off Annapurna's game division, the staff of Annapurna Interactive resigned. "All 25 members of the Annapurna Interactive team collectively resigned," former president Nathan Gary and staffers told Bloomberg. "This was one of the hardest decisions we have ever had to make and we did not take this action lightly."

Annapurna Interactive is a game company known for publishing independent hits like Stray, Outer Wilds, Gorogoa, Neon White, What Remains of Edith Finch, and many more. Gary tried to negotiate a deal with Annapurna Pictures lead Megan Ellison to turn it into an independent developer. But a week before its latest negotiations, the co-heads of Annapurna Interactive, Deborah Mars and Nathan Vella, along with Gary, announced their departure.

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HONOR MagicBook Art 14 has a detachable webcam

Photo: HONOR

HONOR shared a novel approach to laptop design at IFA 2024. The Chinese tech company showed off the MagicBook Art 14. At first glance, it looked like your typical laptop with a display featuring uniform 2mm bezels on its top three sides. It'll make you question where the webcam was placed. HONOR made a detachable camera that you can hide in a recess on the side of the laptop. When you need it, you just attach it magnetically to the top via pogo pins.

The chewing gum-like webcam doesn't work wirelessly. It needs to be connected to the top of that laptop for it to work. But you can either face it towards you or away from the laptop. So, if you require to flip the view while taking conference calls, this won't require you to move the laptop around.

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Apple Watch Ultra 2 gets a new colour option

Photo: Apple

Apple isn't ready to release a new Apple Watch Ultra yet. But it does offer a new colour option for the Watch Ultra 2. It now comes in a Satin Black finish. This new matte finish is made through a bespoke process that Apple claims makes its exterior more scratch-resistant.

The Apple Ultra Watch 2 is still made out of titanium. Specifically, 95% recycled grade 5 titanium, which you'll also see on the Apple Watch Series 10 titanium model. And its back is made out of tough zirconia.

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Apple AirPods 4 adds ANC to mainstream earbuds

Photo: Apple

Apple's mainstream AirPods gets an upgrade. Apple launches two versions of the AirPods 4. And one of them introduces Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) to its mainstream buds. We're wondering how it works with earbuds featuring an open design, a.k.a. one without silicone tips.

Apple hasn't drastically changed the design, but it refined it to make it fit better. It also features a new internal acoustic architecture to boost audio quality. The AirPods 4 inherits software features from the AirPods Pro like adaptive audio, conversation awareness, and transparency mode. You get these features with the ANC model.

Another new feature for the AirPods 4 is its charging capabilities. They now have smaller charging cases. And that charging case now supports USB-C charging. And if you pick up the ANC model, it supports Qi wireless charging, too.

The Apple AirPods 4 is available for CA$179 and CA$249 for the ANC variant. It will be available in stores starting September 20.

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