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The Morning After: Testing out a real-life jet suit

And Apple unveils MagSafe iPhone battery packs.

Mat Smith/ Engadget

It’s been a while since anyone could really say the iPhone’s battery life was too darn short to get you through the day. But despite the better staying power of the last few generations of phones, Apple is still throwing a bone to the folks who need more. The company has unveiled its first MagSafe-compatible battery pack for the iPhones 12, which gloms on to the back of your device with the power of love magnetism.

Magsafe iPhone 12 Battery
Magsafe iPhone 12 Battery (Apple)

The MagSafe Battery Pack costs $99 from Apple’s store and features a 1,460mAh battery — not even enough to charge the iPhone 12 Mini to full from cold. But Apple says that what it lacks in grunt, it’ll make up for in being an Apple-branded battery pack compatible with a Lightning charger. And it’s slimmer than some of those chonky battery cases that Apple has previously sold, even if sticking a white lump to the back of your phone will never not look weird.

— Dan Cooper

Testing out a real-life jet suit

It’s equal parts exciting and scary.

Jetsuit
Jetsuit (Mat Smith)

Maybe you’ve had that dream about becoming Iron Man and flying around the sky without a care in the world. The reality, as Engadget’s Mat Smith found out, is a lot less romantic than you might have imagined. Before you’re even allowed to strap on Gravity Industries’ real-world jet suit, you’ve got to make sure you’re not over the weight limit of 210 pounds. Then there’s the ban on sportswear fabrics, which are flammable, and you can’t wear sneakers or jewelry while in flight.

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Mat did, however, get through those hurdles and was wired up and ready to float like a real-world Tony Stark. As well as the terror of being hoisted into the air with nothing more than several enormous engines strapped to your body, the heat these things kicked out was immense. Plus, it seemed that for every foot or so you actually lift from the ground, you felt as if you’ve rocketed over a tall building. Continue Reading.

Cuba blocks access to Facebook and Telegram

It’s in response to protests over the handling of the pandemic.

Protests in Cuba, which began Sunday, have led to the Cuban government restricting access to social media and messaging platforms through its state-run internet provider. According to NetBlocks, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram have all been at least partially blocked on the Caribbean island since Monday. Reuters reports people in Havana also don’t have access to mobile data at the moment — infrastructure only introduced in 2018. Continue Reading.

Zero's new electric motorcycle features a fresh look and an updated display

The FXE targets the more experienced rider.

Zero Motorcycles FXE
Zero Motorcycles FXE (Roberto Baldwin/Engadget)

Zero Motorcycles has been around for over a decade, constantly improving its family of electric bikes. With the new FXE, the company is transforming its well-regarded (and fun!) FXS supermoto, making it something a bit more futuristic looking. Roberto Baldwin went for a ride. Continue Reading.

'Call of Duty: Warzone' is getting its first objective-based mode

Payload sees two 20-player teams fighting over a fleet of trucks.

Activision's latest effort to keep the players playing its take on Battle Royale is an objective-based mode called Payload coming to Call of Duty: Warzone. In a first for the game, the mission will be added to the rotating playlists as part of Season Four Reloaded.

The new mode goes live with the update at 12 AM ET on Thursday July 15th and splits players in two teams of 20, tasked with either escorting or attacking vehicles transporting satellite parts. There’s a time limit, and you’ll be able to buy (or build) obstacles to disrupt the vehicles’ path. Continue Reading.

These $150 earbuds can nag you about your posture.

Amazfit’s latest buds also pack ANC.

Amazfit PowerBuds Pro
Amazfit PowerBuds Pro (amazfit)

Amazfit’s PowerBuds Pro. They're true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) that can nix up to 40dB of sound, alongside some new health monitoring features. The PowerBuds Pro utilize an accelerometer to detect the sitting angle of your cervical spine and if your neck has been in the same position for too long, the earbuds can remind you to make an adjustment and improve your posture. Yes, I arched my head back as I wrote this. Pre-orders for $150 PowerBuds Pro open on July 15th. Continue Reading.

But wait, there’s more...

Stadia will give developers and publishers a bigger cut of sales

Gogo in-flight internet has been renamed Intelsat

Bethesda PS5 exclusive 'Ghostwire: Tokyo' delayed until early 2022

Razer's Barracuda X wireless headset targets Switch and Android players