Best Audio Equipment of IFA 2019: Headphones, Earbuds, Soundbars and Speakers
IFA has always been a big show for audio makers to show off their latest technology and products and this year was no different. Over the past week, the show floor has been bumping to the sound of new Bluetooth speakers and soundbars. But the biggest group of new audio equipment announced this week was wireless headphones and wireless earbuds.
There were over a dozen new product announcements this week, but we’ll save you the time of having to read through all the boring stuff and highlight just the best new headphones, earbuds, Bluetooth speakers, soundbars and more from IFA 2019.
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Best Smartphones of IFA 2019
IFA 2019 isn’t typically a show for smartphones but there with so many new great models coming out, I felt it was appropriate to round up the best ones announced at the show. Over the last few days I’ve seen the rise of more than a few budget smartphones in response to users shying away from over $1,000 handsets and gotten our hands on some of the most elite mobile devices coming out soon.
Without further ado, these are the best smartphones from IFA 2019:
Asus ROG Phone 2 Ultimate
- Release date: October 2019
- Pricing: €1,199 (about $1,320)
Joker Wins Top Prize at the Venice Film Festival
With a little less than a month to go before it debuts in theaters for the public, Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker movie has already become a critical success, snagging the top award at the Venice Film Festival, according to Variety.
Joker took the Golden Lion award at the festival, beating out controversial director Roman Polanski’s “An Officer and a Spy.” Joker is directed by Todd Phillips, who previously directed the Hangover trilogy and produced 2018's A Star is Born.
The Best Laptops of IFA 2019
We’ve seen a wide variety of laptops at IFA 2019 from ultra-lightweight Ultrabooks to 300Hz gaming laptops and obscenely powerful machines meant for creatives. With almost too much to see at the biggest tech conference in Europe, we’ve picked out the best newly announced laptops you should keep an eye out for in the coming months.
Razer Blade Stealth
- Release date: By the end of September 2019
- Pricing: $1,499 base, $1,799 with Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics
Hitman 2’s Final 2019 DLC Map ‘Haven Island’ Arrives Later This Month
The final installment in Hitman 2’s 2019 roadmap is bringing players to the tropical south Asian islands of the Maldives, along with a smattering of new and returning contracts that long-time Hitman players will remember.
Hitman 2 developer IO Interactive posted a video detailing September’s roadmap. Here’s a breakdown of everything we can expect this month.
The Story Behind IT Chapter Two’s Big Cameo
Spoilers for IT Chapter Two continue below!
Stephen King is no stranger to cameoing in adaptations of his novels, yet it still was a bit of a surprise to see him pop up in IT Chapter Two as the shopkeeper at the Second Hand Rose, where adult Bill (James McAvoy) reunites with his bike Silver. This is a cameo that director Andy Muschietti and screenwriter Gary Dauberman have been dreaming up for a while, though King was initially cautious to say "yes" to the role.
"With Stephen King, my hero -- I grew up reading him, so he's one of my life heroes -- and I got to know him. I discovered a very loving and funny guy, and I wanted him in the movie, so I offered him a cameo," said Muschietti at the IT Chapter Two press conference. "The first thing he said is, 'Well, you have to consider that I'm a jinx. Every movie that I'm in, it bombs.' So I said, I guess we should give it a try. I think we're going to be fine."
AEW on TNT: Cody Rhodes Wants to Present Quality Over Quantity – IGN First
All September long, IGN is highlighting the best TV coming your way in the 2019-2020 season. Today, we're checking in with Cody Rhodes and All Elite Wrestling, a fledgling wrestling promotion with big names behind it that's about to unleash a new weekly show on TNT, premiering Wednesday, October 2. AEW on TNT will feature the likes of Rhodes, Jon Moxley (formerly Dean Ambrose of WWE), Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, newly-crowned AEW Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho, and an exciting exhibition of stars on the rise.
AEW has its work cut out for it. Not that there isn't an intense hunger among fans for an alternative to WWE, which still monopolizes the industry in most regards - but all eyes will be on AEW's product to see if it's truly the fed that can give the giant a run for its mega-money.
The Witcher Reading Guide: How to Prepare for Netflix’s Series
Now that Netflix’s The Witcher has arrived, this wild world of wonder and weirdness is being introduced to a whole new audience. However, executive producer and showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich’s adaptation of this beloved fantasy world isn’t tied to the massively successful Witcher game franchise developed by CD Projekt Red and which established its significance in the zeitgeist. Instead, the Netflix show is based on the books by author Andrzej Sapkowski.
And maybe, just maybe, fans of the show are interested in giving the books a try as well now. Well, let us help you with that!
Celeste Sequel (Probably) Won’t Happen, Developer Says
Spoiler warning! We've kept this article entirely free of spoilers for Chapter 9, but the full interview below it does discuss some mechanics spoilers. They are clearly marked as such, but keep that in mind if you want to enter Chapter 9 entirely fresh!
On Monday, Celeste will get a free update that adds a brand new chapter called Farewell, and that title could be a goodbye to Celeste in a broader sense beyond just the story it tells. Chapter 9 is a sizeable update that has been in the works for a while, but as the team behind this indie hit fully moves onto its next project, a new unannounced game, developer Matt Thorson tells me a Celeste sequel isn’t in their plans.