Razer’s Kishi gamepad for iOS is cheaper than ever right now

If you’ve been looking for a better way to play games on your phone than relying on touch controls, an external controller is what you need. The Razer Kishi is a solid dedicated gamepad option and the iOS version has dropped to an all-time low price on Amazon. It’s currently $55, which is $45 off the regular price. The USB-C Android version, meanwhile, is $45.

Buy Razer Kishi (iOS) at Amazon – $55

The controller has a wired connection to your device, meaning that you won’t need to charge it. That will also result in lower latency compared with a gamepad that’s connected via Bluetooth. There is a Lightning port, but that’s only for passthrough charging. You won’t be able to use wired headphones (rival Backbone One has a 3.5mm headphone jack, however).

Along with Apple Arcade and other native iOS games, the Kishi is compatible with cloud gaming services like Google Stadia, GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming. You can also use it to play Xbox or PlayStation consoles using remote play apps.

The controller is compact when not in use, which makes it easy to keep in your bag. To use it, you’ll need to unclip a rear panel. A belt holds the two halves together and it stretches to accommodate various phone sizes. You’ll likely need to remove your phone’s case before using the Kishi, since it needs to be plugged into the Lightning port.

The Kishi does the trick for on-the-go use, though some may find the stubby analog sticks and other design choices a little uncomfortable for long gameplay sessions. The iOS version of the gamepad has been heavily discounted ahead of the Kishi V2, a new version of the controller that’s expected to arrive later this year.

Razer released the $100 Android edition of the Kishi V2 this month. It has a solid sliding bridge rather than the stretchy belt (an idea Razer seems to have cribbed from Backbone), clickier buttons and the option to keep certain cases on while using the device. There’s also a share button that only works with the Razer Nexus app on Android. Players can use that to stream gameplay to the likes of YouTube and Facebook.

‘Roller Champions’ comes to Switch and Epic Games Store on June 21st

Ubisoft released its long-delayed sports game Roller Champions last month on PC, PlayStation and Xbox, and Nintendo Switch players are about to join the fray. A UK eShop listing spotted by Nintendo Life first indicated the free-to-play title will be released on the hybrid console on June 21st. The publisher announced a new season, called Disco Fever, will start on the same day and it mentioned that the game will be available on Switch and the Epic Games Store.

However, Roller Champions isn’t listed on either platform’s storefront in North America at the time of writing. It is available to download from the New Zealand eShop, though. I snagged the game from there, but haven’t been able to log in. The Switch servers may not be online just yet. Engadget has contacted Ubisoft for details of the rollout.

When Ubisoft announced the PC, PlayStation and Xbox release date, it said a Switch version was on the way, along with Stadia and Amazon Luna editions. It seems Roller Champions will arrive on those cloud gaming platforms later.

In any case, the roller-derby-with-a-ball game will have stiff competition on the free-to-play front this week. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout will also arrive on Switch, Xbox and the Epic Store on June 21st as it becomes a free title.

Nintendo will host a ‘Xenoblade Chronicles 3’ Direct on June 22nd

It might not be the full-on Direct fans have been hoping for and expecting, but Nintendo will host its next showcase on June 22nd at 10AM ET. The stream will focus on Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and will feature around 20 minutes of details on the long-awaited sequel.

Nintendo previously planned to release Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in September, but it brought the action RPG forward to July 29th. Splatoon 3 now has that September slot. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 takes place after the events of the previous two mainline games, though it has a new cast of characters. This time around, developer Monolith Soft is bumping up the number of party members from three to seven.

As Sony occasionally does with its State of Play series, Nintendo sometimes holds a Direct that’s dedicated to one game or franchise, such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or Pokémon. Nintendo opted not to run a full Direct — which typically includes looks at a variety of first- and third-party games — around the time E3 would have taken place. However, reports suggest a full-fledged Direct is coming next week.

AT&T and Verizon give FAA another year to remedy C-band 5G interference issues

AT&T and Verizon have given the Federal Aviation Administration another year to fix altimeter issues as they look to roll out C-band 5G services around airports. “We believe we have identified a path that will continue to enable aviation and 5G C-band wireless to safely co-exist,” acting FAA administrator Billy Nolen said in a statement.

Under a phased plan, operators of regional aircraft with radio altimeters that are most susceptible to interference are required to fit them with radio frequency filters by the end of this year. That work is underway and the FAA says it will continue on an expedited basis.

The agency also says it worked with AT&T and Verizon to identify airports where they can bolster service with minimal risk of upending flight schedules. The FAA plans to monitor the pace of RF filter retrofits on altimeters too.

Altimeters have been at the heart of the tussle over the rollout of C-band 5G around airports. Airlines have been worried that, because C-Band frequencies are close to ones used by some altimeters, they could create interference. That could cause a plane’s landing system to misinterpret the distance to the ground with potentially disastrous consequences.

In January, AT&T and Verizon agreed to delay activating C-band 5G towers around airports until July 5. They made the pledge just hours before switching on C-band 5G in other areas for the first time. The pair also agreed to create buffer zones around 50 airports.

Now, the carriers will continue with “some level of voluntary mitigations” for another year, until July 5th, 2023. “After that time, the wireless companies expect to operate their networks in urban areas with minimal restrictions,” the FAA said.

“Through close coordination with the FAA over the last several months, we have developed a more tailored approach to controlling signal strength around runways that allows us to activate more towers and increase signal strength,” an AT&T spokesperson said. “Though our FCC licenses allow us to fully deploy much-needed C-Band spectrum right now, we have chosen in good faith to implement these more tailored precautionary measures so that airlines have additional time to retrofit equipment. We appreciate the FAA’s support of this approach, and we will continue to work with the aviation community as we move toward the expiration of all such voluntary measures by next summer.”

“Today’s announcement identifies a path forward that will enable Verizon to make full use of our C-Band spectrum for 5G around airports on an accelerated and defined schedule,” Verizon executive vice-president and chief administrative officer Craig Silliman said. “Under this agreement reached with the FAA, we will lift the voluntary limitations on our 5G network deployment around airports in a staged approach over the coming months meaning even more consumers and businesses will benefit from the tremendous capabilities of 5G technology. This progress is the result of months of close collaboration with the FAA, FCC and aviation industry, and sets the stage for continued, robust 5G deployment.”

Epic Games Store will randomly ask users to rate games to prevent review bombing

Epic Games has added a long-awaited feature to its store: user ratings. The company says that only those who have played a game for at least two hours will be able to rate it on a five-star scale. Not everyone will be able to rate a game either. Epic w…

Anna Sorokin wants to move away from her ‘scammer’ persona… by selling NFTs

Infamous grifter Anna Sorokin, who spent four years in prison for fraud, says she is “trying to move away from this, like, ‘scammer’ persona” that has “been pushed upon me by the prosecution and by the following media and by the Netflix show [Inventing Anna].” What better way to do that than by selling a collection of NFTs?

The socialite told NBC News that she has minted 10 NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Holders will somehow have “exclusive access” to Sorokin, who is in a correctional facility under the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The NFT holders will seemingly have the chance to meet Sorokin, who has appealed her pending deportation. Holders will also receive a bundle of “personal items” from Sorokin, who, again, is in detention.

Sorokin is attempting to control her narrative after she was the focus of Inventing Anna, which was released earlier this year. The NFT collection is called “Reinventing Anna.”

“It’s kind of one of the first steps I’m taking to start to tell my own story,” Sorokin said. She claimed that “blockchain will be very helpful for the artist” to “reclaim the ownership and [profit] from future sales.” It’s not as if the NFT market has completely bottomed out.

Sorokin went by the name Anna Delvey and claimed to be a German heiress with a $60 million inheritance. She claimed she was raising capital to open a social club in Manhattan, but that wasn’t the case. She scammed friends and businesses out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s just as well NFTs aren’t part of a massive Ponzi scheme or anything like that.

Report reveals half of Japan’s businesses had yet to ditch Internet Explorer

Microsoft has been sounding the death knell for Internet Explorer for months, but many businesses in Japan seemingly did not take heed. Almost half were said to still be using the browser, for which Microsoft ended support yesterday, as of March. According to Nikkei, many of those companies have dragged their heels on switching to other browsers, which some have warned may cause chaos for months.

IT provider Keyman’s Net conducted a survey of Japanese companies earlier this year and found that many were forced to use Internet Explorer because of systems their clients used to handle orders. Some were also using the browser to handle things like employee attendance and expenses. Over a fifth of the respondents didn’t have a plan for how to move their businesses onto alternative browsers, such as Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.

The issue extends beyond companies to government agencies, which the report notes have been especially slow to address the shift. For instance, notices related to Japan Pension Service online applications must be viewed in the IE Mode on Edge, according to the report. That mode will be supported through at least 2029, so websites that are incompatible with modern browsers should still be accessible for several more years. Here’s hoping Microsoft officially ending support for IE after almost 27 years will prompt organizations to get their act together and make their services work on Edge, Chrome, Firefox and other browsers too.

Netflix and Mo’Nique settle lawsuit over alleged discrimination

Netflix has settled a lawsuit from comedian and actor Mo’Nique that accused the company of racial and gender bias. Both parties this week moved to dismiss the suit, which was filed in 2019. “The matter has been amicably resolved,” a representative for Mo’Nique told The Hollywood Reporter.

The two sides started talks over a comedy special in 2017, but Mo’Nique claimed the company low-balled her with an opening offer of $500,000 for a one-hour show to which Netflix would own the rights. The Oscar-winning performer called for a boycott of Netflix and said the offer was discriminatory, given the eight-figure deals some other comics (such as Chris Rock and Amy Schumer) reportedly received for their Netflix specials.

Netflix walked away from the discussions after Mo’Nique’s assertions. “Once Mo’Nique engaged in protected conduct by protesting the discriminatory offer, Netflix shut down any further negotiations and refused to negotiate in good-faith consistent with its standard practices,” the suit stated. Netflix argued there were no legal grounds to support the claim that a company declining to negotiate in good faith equates to discrimination or retaliation.

However, the judge presiding over the case determined in 2020 that Mo’Nique may have had a point. “Mo’Nique plausibly alleges that, after she spoke out and called her initial offer discriminatory, Netflix retaliated against her by shutting down its standard practice of negotiating in good faith that typically results in increased monetary compensation beyond the ‘opening offer’ and denying her increased compensation as a result,” Judge Andre Birotte Jr. wrote in a ruling that rejected an attempt by Netflix to dismiss the case.

Engadget has contacted Netflix for comment.