Month: November 2020

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Synergee)

Millions of Americans live in broadband deserts with no access to anything resembling modern Internet service. But few people have it as bad as those who must rely on AT&T's ancient DSL network.

Kathie McNamee of Raymond, Mississippi is one of those unlucky AT&T DSL customers. McNamee said she pays AT&T $35 a month for a 768kbps Internet plan that rarely works well enough to be usable for her, her husband, and two teenage sons. McNamee contacted Ars after reading a story about AT&T incorrectly claiming that certain homes in Mississippi had access to broadband when in fact AT&T isn't capable of providing service to those addresses.

AT&T has received over $283 million from the Federal Communications Commission since 2015 to extend home-Internet service to over 133,000 potential customer locations in Mississippi. AT&T says it will exceed that requirement by the end-of-2020 deadline, but the company's mapping mistakes have led to unpleasant surprises for customers who thought they'd get modern broadband.

Enlarge / You probably want to put the PlayStation VR headset on your head, not on top of a new PlayStation 5, for an ideal use case. But, hey: You do you. (credit: Sam Machkovech)

Today's feature-length review of the PlayStation 5 covers a lot of ground, primarily about how it works on your favorite TV set, 4K or otherwise. But what if your preferred PlayStation gaming screen is one you strap to your face?

You'd be a minority, based on PlayStation VR hardware sales since it launched in 2016, but that's still millions of players. And Sony has confirmed that PS5 works with the existing PSVR ecosystem, hardware and software alike, while otherwise not saying anything definitive about future next-gen VR hardware. (Xbox, on the other hand, has thus far ruled out VR entirely.) But how exactly does it work? Are there any benefits to connecting a last-gen headset to a next-gen console? And should existing VR players on PS4 hang onto their older console for any reason?

I've broken this guide out from the PS5 review as a way to answer whatever VR questions you may have ahead of the new console's launch next week.

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  The PS5 will stand vertically on its own without the stand, but it can easily be bumped over.

Back in 2016, when the mid-generation hardware upgrades of the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro were still just mere announcements, we publicly wondered if we had seen the last truly distinct break between console generations. Instead of releasing completely new console platforms—with exclusive games and features that just don't work on the previous model—Microsoft and Sony at the time both seemed to be leaning towards a smartphone-style model, with regular releases of more powerful consoles that share a common software platform with what came before.

This seems to be the direction Microsoft is heading with the Xbox Series X and S, two console options that serve as baseline hardware power upgrades in a consistent Xbox ecosystem. But Sony is going for more of a hard break with the PS5. In addition to the usual horsepower boost (and standardization of quick-loading NVMe storage), Sony has put extra effort into a new controller and system-level features that try to make the new console more distinct from PlayStations past.

After a few weeks with the console, there's a lot to like about the PS5's new vision for the PlayStation line. Whether those improvements are worth $500 at the moment, though, is a harder question to answer.

Enlarge / Apple introduces the iPhone 12 mini during a virtual event in October. (credit: Apple)

Starting today at 8am EST, Apple began taking preorders for the two new iPhone models it didn't release earlier: the iPhone 12 mini and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. At least the first orders placed today will begin arriving at consumers' shipping addresses on November 13—next Friday.

The iPhone 12 mini is in most respects identical to the already-launched iPhone 12, except that it has a smaller, 5.4-inch screen instead of the iPhone 12's 6.1-inch display. Because the iPhone 12 mini has very small bezels, the device's footprint is actually slightly smaller than that of the current iPhone SE, which shares its chassis with the previously released iPhone 8.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max has additional distinctions from the iPhone 12 Pro besides screen real estate (the Max measures in at 6.7 inches to the standard Pro's 6.1 inches). Namely, its rear camera specs differ, promising superior photo quality.

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  Does whatever a spider can.

It’s not that rare for a new game console to launch with a big marquee sequel. From Super Mario World and Breath of the Wild to Sonic Adventure and, uh, Perfect Dark Zero, companies often use such sequels to try to highlight the benefits new hardware can bring to an established and well-loved game design.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales isn’t quite in the same category. The game, which serves as a marquee launch title for the PS5 (and which is also available on the PS4), is much more of a “more of the same” sequel than a generational showcase for the gameplay power of a brand-new console. There are a few graphical upgrades and a few new gameplay tweaks, but if you played 2018’s Spider-Man, you pretty much know what to expect.

Good thing, then, that the basic gameplay remains as compelling and fun as ever and has an interesting new story to boot. Miles Morales doesn’t reinvent the wheel because it doesn’t have to. Take the same solid gameplay, throw in an intriguing new character focus, and mix it together into a tightly paced open-world package that doesn’t wear out its welcome with a lot of extraneous padding. The result is an able sequel, even if it’s not exactly the system seller that Sony might want for the PS5 at this point.