🚕 See the Tesla Cybercab, 🍄 New Mario game hands-on, 🎮 PS5 30th Anniversary Controller news, 🥽 Submerged review

10 tech stories in the quickest format possible

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🚨 1. Tesla’s Cybercab and Robovan will launch 'before 2027' for under $30,000

Cybercab is expected to launch ‘before 2027’ says Musk (Image credit: Tesla)

• 🚕 Tesla unveiled the Cybercab and Robovan robotaxis at its ‘We, Robot’ event

• 💰 Elon Musk says Cybercab will be under $30,000 and will launch ‘before 2027’

• 🚌 Robovan can transport up to 20 people and goods for $0.05 or $0.10/mile

• 🔮 “We want to change the look of the roads,” Musk said. “The future should look like the future”

• 🤖 Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot has “made a lot of progress” and is estimated by Musk to cost $20,000 to $30,000 when produced at scale

$30,000 for Cybercab, but 'The doors of a billionaire' if you go by Russ Hanneman on HBO's 'Silicon Vally' (Image credit: Tesla)

Tesla’s out to change the look of roads, and with that, it introduced two robotaxis at its “We, Robot” launch event last night in Los Angeles: the Cybercab and the Robovan.

"There's no steering wheel or pedals... so I hope this goes well," joked Tesla CEO Elon Musk as he talked about the capabilities of Cybercab with lofty promises.

“We’ll move from supervised full self-driving to unsupervised full self-driving so you can fall asleep and wake up at your destination.”

The Tesla Robovan can transport up to 20 people. Optimus humanoid robots will 'do whatever you want' for $20,000 to $30,000 when sold at scale (Image credit: Tesla)

The Cybercab is expected to be released before 2027, but no date was shared for the autonomous Robovan that can transport up to 20 people and goods for as little as $0.05/mile. Musk did name a price for Telsa’s Optimus robots: $20,000 to $30,000 when produced at scale. The humanoid robots then served drinks and conversed with “We, Robot” attendees. Surreal – if it’s all real.

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📱 2. Mario & Luigi: Brothership hands-on: the tactical Nintendo Switch RPG we’ve been waiting for

The Bros. are back in town! (Image credit: Nintendo)

Pros:

• ✅ 🍄 Great mix of classical mechanics and new ideas

• ✅ ✏️ The New cartoony art style fits the comedic and animated tone

• ✅ 🎭 Smart, witty, and funny written dialogue

• ✅ 🎮 Bros. specific buttons make combat more active

• ✅ ♟️ Battle Plugs add much more variety and strategy

Cons

• ❌ 🔀 Bros. specific buttons can make the first few hours challenging

• ❌ 😣 Timed button presses are hard to nail for the uncoordinated

Mario & Luigi: Brothership comes nearly a decade after the series’ last installment, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam and it feels like the revival the series needs. The new action role-playing game releasing on November 7 brings back the whimsy, humor, and a return to its classic control scheme.

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🎮 3. PS5 30th Anniversary controller restock update: here’s what we know

The PS5 DualSense 30th Anniversary Collection hasn’t been sold at many US retailers yet (Image credit: Sony)

• 🤔 The PS5 30th Anniversary controller didn’t show up when Walmart, Best Buy, and Target released their PS5 Slim 30th Anniversary console stock

• 🔜 The $84.99 limited edition controller is expected to return soon

• 🔔 I’ll watch for restock if you follow Matt Swider on X with notifications on

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🥽 4. I watched Submerged, Apple Vision Pro’s first immersive film. It’s a 17-minute thriller with depth

Submerged is the sort of experience that only Apple Vision Pro can provide. More Immersive Video is in the pipeline (Image credit: Kevin Lee The Shortcut)

• 🥽 Apple Vision Pro gets its first scripted immersive movie today

• 🍿 Submerged is a 17-minute WWII thriller that puts you on a submarine

• 💥 That WWII sub comes under attack, making for some great action

• 🔮 Apple Immersive Video could be the future of connected storytelling

• 📣 Directed by Oscar winner Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front)

Filmed the Apple Immersive Video format with a state-of-the-art 3D cameras, Submerged is Apple's scripted immersive movie (Image credit: Apple)

Wearing the Apple Vision Pro is all about taking in new experiences, and it reached new depths today – literally. I just watched Apple’s first scripted immersive film that’s now available on the headset, Submerged, and this WWII-set movie is exactly what I’ve wanted from the Vision Pro. Content experiences I can’t get anywhere else.

Here’s Apple’s “making of” video:

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🎶 5. SteelSeries Gamebuds review: the only gaming earbuds you’ll need

Gaming headset quality audio in your pocket. (Credit: Kevin Lee/The Shortcut)

🏆 Review score: 4.5 out of 5

🏅 Editor’s Choice

Pros:

• ✅ 🎮 One of the few gaming earbuds to support Xbox Series X

• ✅ 👾 Wide compatibility with others: PS5, Switch, handheld, etc

• ✅ 🔕 Distraction-blocking ANC is great for gaming on commutes

• ✅ 👂 Natural-sounding transparency mode

• ✅ 🕹️ 100+ gaming profiles tuned for specific games

• ✅ 💰 Reasonably priced at $159

Cons

• ❌ ᯤ  Bluetooth connection can be spotty

• ❌ ⏸️ Wear Sense can be too sensitive and playback too often

• ❌ 🫨 Ringtone can play continuously due to an early bug

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🤷‍♂️ 6. Nintendo's Alarmo is designed for single people – here's why

Alarmo won’t work properly if you snuggle up with a pet at night. (Image credit: Nintendo)

• ⏰ Nintendo recently announced Alarmo, an interactive, sound alarm clock

• 💰 It costs $99.99 and is available for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers

• 👋 It’s already sold out at the Nintendo New York Store

• 😞 However, its motion-sensing tech only works when one person is in bed

Alarmo includes a motion sensor that responds to your movement as you awake from your slumber, but it won’t work properly if there’s more than one sleeper in the bed. That applies to those who like to snuggle up with their pets too.

Whether or not your partner would welcome the sounds of Nintendo’s iconic games into the bedroom is one thing, but it’s disappointing that Alarmo’s motion sensor won’t work unless you’re sleeping alone. Super-king or queen-sized beds are also not recommended.

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👏 7. Apple October event rumors hint at iPad mini and MacBook Pro M4 – here’s what we know

The iPad Mini is finally getting a refresh. (Image credit: Apple)

• 📅 Apple is rumored to host an event later this month

• 💻 It’s expected to show new M4 MacBook Pro, iPad mini, and more

• ⌨️ Apple might also finally upgrade its Magic Keyboard and Mouse to USB-C

• 💡 There might also be “one more thing,” but we have no clue what it could be

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🤝 8. Amazon and Apple team up to offer Apple TV+ in a Prime bundle

Apple TV+ can now be accessed through Amazon’s apps and devices. (Image credit: Apple)

• 👍 Apple TV+ is now an add-on in Amazon Prime Video

• 📺 Users will be able to watch Apple TV+ films and TV shows in Prime video apps

• 💰 Apple TV+ will still cost $9.99 but it should be more convenient for Amazon Video users

• 😞 Amazon started to show ads earlier this year. You need to pay an extra $2.99 a month to remove them

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😍 9. Metaphor: ReFantazio review roundup: 'a fresh take on high fantasy'

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a hit with critics. (Image credit: Atlus)

• 🤯 Metaphor: ReFantazio has a Metacritic score of 93 after 37 critic reviews

• 🤩 The game has 92% positive reviews, 0% mixed and 0% negative

• 👍 Metaphor: ReFantazio is the latest JRPG from Atlus

• 📆 The game is out now for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC

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🖥️ 10. Where to still get 50% off this 43” 4K Samsung Odyssey gaming monitor

Prime Day is over, but Walmart still have monitor deals (Image credit: Samsung)

• 📺 Samsung’s Odyssey Neo G7 monitor is on sale at Walmart

• 💰 You can get it for less than half its original price

• 💠 Enjoy a huge 43-inch 4K mini-LED screen with a 144Hz refresh rate

• 🛜 It also doubles as a smart TV

• 🏃‍♂️ This deal won’t last long, so make sure you jump on it

If you’re a big gamer and need even more display room to take out your opponents, this Walmart deal is right up your alley. Samsung’s huge 43-inch Odyssey Neo G7 gaming monitor is on sale for $399.99, down 56% from its original price of $899. The discount is part of the Walmart Deals sales event, and you won’t need a Walmart+ membership to take advantage of it.

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🔒 Bonus: $100 PS, $50 Nintendo & Xbox gift card deals; 50% off Game Pass

You can use PlayStation gift cards for things like renewing PS+ (Image credit: Matt Swider / The Shortcut)

• 🟦 $100 PlayStation giftcard for $87

• 🍄 $50 Nintendo Gift Card for $43

• 🟩 $50 Xbox Gift Card for $43

• 🟩 $100 Xbox Gift Card for $86

• ❎ 50% off Xbox Game Pass for $26.99 (Microsoft’s MSRP is now $60 for 3 months)

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