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Philips Hue unveiled two cheaper ways to sync its smart lights with TV content: a scaled-down Sync Box 4K priced at $150, well below the $385 8K version, and a new camera-based Play Screen Sync at $119.99. Both debuted at IFA in Berlin and are available for purchase now.
Sony will host two consecutive State of Play livestreams on September 3, starting at 9AM ET, streamable on YouTube and Twitch with subtitled options available. The first broadcast covers PlayStation Studios and global partner titles, including an extended look at Final Fantasy 7 Revelation from Square Enix, followed immediately by a Japan-focused stream spotlighting Asian developers.
Nintendo has released a free update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe tailored to Switch 2 hardware, enabling local split-screen play for up to eight people using original or Switch 2 controllers. The update also brings CameraPlay support for seeing friends via camera during races, shorter loading times, and improved visuals in docked mode.
Sonos let journalists test its new Beam Ultra soundbar and Ace Ultra headphones in several setups, including standalone, paired with wireless Play speakers as surrounds, and streaming soundbar audio directly to the headphones. During a movie clip demo, the Beam Ultra delivered clear, well-balanced sound with surprising bass despite no subwoofer, while adding the Play speakers as rear surrounds noticeably improved immersion through Sonos's new Fabric technology, which lets devices sense their placement and surroundings.
Sonos showcased its new $699 Beam Ultra soundbar and $449 Ace Ultra headphones at an open house event, alongside upcoming app updates. A private demo revealed the Beam Ultra's improved bass, vocal clarity, and Dolby Atmos performance using side- and top-firing drivers, plus the ability to wirelessly pair Play portable speakers as rear channels.
Aurora Store, the popular open-source client used to download apps without a Google account, has started failing for many users with a 'Server busy, please try again later' error when installing apps anonymously. The problem persists across troubleshooting steps like clearing cache, using a VPN, or restarting devices, suggesting Google may be blocking access at the server level rather than a local bug.
Lionel Messi, who this week announced his retirement from Argentina's national team, has for years operated a venture capital fund called Play Time HoldCo, co-founded with Razmig Hovaghimian in October 2022 with an initial target of about $200 million. The fund holds stakes in AI startups including World Labs, Field AI, Fish Audio, Perceptron, Intangible and SuperAnnotate, and Messi separately holds equity in Sorare, KRÜ Esports, and Inter Miami, now valued at $1.45 billion.
The guide walks Android users through checking their OS version, applying pending system updates via Settings, and enabling or manually triggering app updates in Google Play. It also notes that some app updates require accepting new privacy permissions before installing.
Google has added the ability to import purchased Google Play Books directly into Gemini Notebook, letting users query and analyze book content alongside other sources like documents and videos. The feature initially covers about 100,000 titles from publishers such as Bloomsbury, Penguin Random House, and O'Reilly Media, plus special notebooks created with over 15 bestselling authors. This launch marks the start of Google's broader Expert Intelligence initiative, which will eventually expand to other products, third-party subscriptions, and textbooks.
Sony will air two consecutive livestreams on September 3 ahead of Tokyo Game Show, starting at 9AM ET. The first broadcast covers updates from PlayStation Studios and partners worldwide, closing with an extended look at Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, followed immediately by a Japan-focused stream spotlighting Asian developers.
Luanti's Android app was removed from the Google Play Store following a DMCA takedown notice filed by Tracer.AI on behalf of Microsoft, accusing the open-source voxel game platform of infringing Minecraft's copyright. Luanti's developers say the app contains no proprietary Minecraft code or assets, noting that Tracer.AI filed a nearly identical notice against them in 2023, which was successfully appealed, and has separately targeted another voxel-style indie game called Allumeria this year.
Google is letting Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) users import select owned ebooks from Google Play Books directly into notebooks for analysis. The feature, called Expert Intelligence, covers over 100,000 titles from publishers like Penguin Random House and O'Reilly Media, and includes partnerships with 15 bestselling authors. Users can then apply Gemini Notebook tools like Audio Overviews and Infographics to the imported book content, and combine multiple titles in one notebook.