When GoPro designed the $449 Hero 9 Black, it decided to just go big. Instead of trying to shoehorn more performance into the compact Hero 8 Black, the Hero 9 is taller, wider and heavier, and it's totally worth it. It's an all-around better camera, but most importantly it finally tackles the main gripe most people have with the tiny action cams -- battery life. 

The Hero 9 has a larger battery pack than past models in size and power. It's got a 1,720-mAh battery pack versus the Hero 8's 1,220-mAh pack. Small cameras only have room for a small battery, but by going bigger with the body, this pack will last 30% longer than the Hero 8's. GoPro says it works better in the cold, too. I don't have hard numbers yet but it's clearly better than before.

Read more: Best waterproof camera for shooting underwater video in 2020 

The selfie screen I've been waiting for

One of the few advantages DJI's Osmo Action camera had at launch was its front display so you can frame shots from in front of the lens. Akaso's Brave 7 LE has a similar display and Insta360's One R lets you flip its single screen to the front. Now GoPro is on board with a 1.4-inch front-facing display in addition to a larger rear touchscreen. 

The front display can be set to show your camera status just like past models. It can also give you a full picture of what you're shooting or fill the screen with whatever is in the center of your frame. And you can have both displays on at the same time if you want or shut it off to save your battery. 

More resolution but for good reasons

GoPro used a 23.6-megapixel sensor in the Hero 9 Black. The Hero 8 has a 12-megapixel sensor. That's a big jump and adding more megapixels to a small 1/2.3-inch image sensor isn't a great idea for image quality. But in this case, paired with GoPro's homegrown GP1 processor, the extra resolution is used to improve the performance of features such as its HyperSmooth image stabilization and add new ones including in-camera horizon leveling.  

That said, it does shoot 20-megapixel pictures including HDR and raw, and it'll capture 5K-resolution video (5,120x2,880 pixels) at 30 frames per second along with 4K60, 2.7K120, 1,440p120, 1,080p240. 

5K is nice even if you don't need 5K

I don't regularly use 4K resolution for video so when GoPro said it was introducing 5K on the Hero 9 Black, I gave a shrug. My lack of enthusiasm aside, GoPro says a lot of people are asking for 5K now so that's what you get with the Hero 9 at 24 or 30 frames per second. If you wanted 5K video, now you've got it. 

For people like me, there's an incentive to use it when you want to capture both video and stills. The 5K video frames are 14.7 megapixels so you're getting great video and the option to grab photos, too. I was actively paddling a kayak in the picture above and what you're seeing is a frame from in between my strokes.

I'm addicted to the Max Lens Mod

One of the reasons the Hero 9 Black is larger is because GoPro went back to using a removable lens cover. (It's a feature that was dropped from the Hero 8.) Making it removable means if you scratch it, you can easily twist it off and replace it. It also means you can add other lenses on top of the Hero 9's like the new $100 Max Lens Mod. 

The Max Lens reproduces the capabilities of the lenses on GoPro's Max camera, giving you an expansive picture with little distortion and amazing video stabilization at up to 2.7K resolution at 60 frames per second. (You can see the full-size version of the image above, which is a frame from the 2.7K video). Additionally, with its horizon lock on, the camera can spin 360 degrees and you'd never know it from the picture -- it stays right-side up.  

New ways to not miss a moment

Along with all the shooting modes in the Hero 9 Black, GoPro added three new tools: Scheduled Capture, Duration Capture and HindSight. HindSight is similar to the LiveBurst feature in the Hero 8, and now the Hero 9, that captures 1.5 seconds of video before and after you take a picture. For HindSight, it stores a 15- or 30-second buffer for video. As you press record it starts with the video stored in the buffer. 

Duration Capture lets you set a timed recording from 15 seconds to 3 hours. Scheduled Capture lets you pick a time you want the camera to turn on and start recording automatically -- perfect for sunrises and sunsets or anything else you don't want to miss because you won't be there to press record.

It's almost too much stuff

At what point does a feature set become too deep? The Hero 9 Black feels like it's on the brink of offering too many options. There are a dizzying number of combinations you can create with the shooting modes, resolutions, frames rates, digital lenses and so much more. That's why I appreciate the presets that GoPro sets up for you out of the box. And then once you use those for a bit, you figure out what works best for what you want to do. Still, there's a lot to choose from and it can be intimidating. 

Get more and pay less with GoPro?

Pricing is a little confusing because GoPro is offering some bundle options at launch. The Hero 9 Black is $449. Or you can go to GoPro.com and get it for $349 when you sign up for a one-year subscription to GoPro's service, the price of which is included in the $349 cost. The subscription normally costs $50 for the year. In the UK, the Hero 9 Black with a subscription is £329 and in Australia, it's AU$559.

If you're asking yourself what the catch is, I get it. I did, too. Basically, there is no immediate catch. For $349 you're getting the camera and the year of service, which gets you free camera replacement if you destroy it, cloud storage for your full-resolution photos and video, access to GoPro's enhanced live-streaming platform and up to 50% off gear and accessories. 

For $499, you can get a new bundle that comes with a second battery, the Handler floating grip, a magnetic swivel clip and a microSD card. Again, you can get $100 off if you sign up for the service, bringing the bundle down to $399 (£379, AU$659). And whether you go with just the camera or the bundle, you a get nice storage case because GoPro is getting rid of its plastic packaging and selling the cameras in the case instead. 

The Max, Hero8 and Hero7 all stay in the lineup with the 8 and 7 at reduced prices. 

I didn't mention it earlier, but in case it wasn't clear, the bigger body does mean you can't use your old batteries in the Hero 9 Black and the Hero 8 Black Media Mod won't fit on it either. GoPro is making one for the Hero 9, though. 

There are a handful of other updated features that I didn't even mention making this quite the package. It'll even work out of the box as a webcam for Mac or Windows computers. So what do you think, are the updates worth upgrading for? Let me know in the comments and check back for a full review. 

Facebook will be building its metaverse out of Europe -- at least in part. The company announced in a blog post Monday that it will be hiring around 10,000 people from within the EU to fill highly skilled roles working on Horizon Worlds, a 3D virtual play space, over the next five years.

The idea of a metaverse -- a computer-generated environment where people can interact with each other using AR, VR and other technologies -- is something Facebook has been discussing since it acquired virtual reality headset maker Oculus in 2014. Building out the metaverse is of interest to many large tech companies, with developers comparing it to the internet in terms of openness and interoperability. And just as with the internet, individual companies want to ensure they're creating their own bespoke experiences to take advantage of it.

Facebook's metaverse project is still in its early stages of development, but earlier this month the company talked openly about its plans for a $10 million creator fund to attract developers to work on building out the project, including building entertainment spaces and games for the Horizon Worlds app.

In its blog post on Monday, Nick Clegg, Facebook's vice president of global affairs, and Javier Olivan, vice president of central products, said that Europe is an important hub for developing its metaverse because of the region's talent, as well as its leadership on regulatory issues, including the introduction of the Digital Single Market. 

"As we begin the journey of bringing the metaverse to life, the need for highly specialized engineers is one of Facebook's most pressing priorities," they said. "We look forward to working with governments across the EU to find the right people and the right markets to take this forward, as part of an upcoming recruitment drive across the region."

You know that feeling when you just finished a workout and you feel so much better than before? Sometimes, even when you're not motivated to exercise, the promise of that feeling is enough to motivate you to get to the gym. You might call that feeling an endorphin rush -- which is not entirely untrue, but it turns out that exercise makes you happier in many different ways.

There's nothing like an exercise-induced "endorphin rush," but according to health psychologist Dr. Kelly McGonigal, the endorphins only explain a small part. There are many other ways exercise makes us happier -- by lowering stress levels, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation, and helping people relieve anxiety and depression, among other benefits.

Keep reading to find out more about the science and psychology behind why exercise makes you happier and why you may want to make more time for it in your own life.

Movement helps you bond with others 

"Movement itself primes you to connect with others. That's just the brain chemistry of it. When you get your heart rate up, when you use your body, when you engage your muscles, it changes your brain chemistry in a way that makes it easier to connect with others and bond, trust other people. It enhances social pleasures like a high five, laughing or a hug," McGonigal said.

Follow a few fitness trainers or fitness influencer accounts on social media, and you'll  see them use words like "fit fam," "fit family" or the hashtag #fitfam. The term usually refers to a group of people you workout with regularly, that you also consider a friend or like family because you've bonded over your love of the same workout. McGonigal says this is due in a large part to what happens in your brain when you exercise with others.

"Whoever you move with, whether it's a walking group or maybe a group class, because of the way exercise alters our brain chemistry and outlook, you start to feel a true sense of connection with the people that you're moving with. It's why people will talk about people who they work out with as their 'fitness fam.'" Because it really does give us a sense of belonging, it helps build relationships that can be true friendships and sources of support. And I've seen that happen in my own classes," says McGonigal, who also teaches group exercise classes.

Having a "fitness fam" can mean more than just having a group of people you can depend on to work out with you. When you connect with people that have shared values (like valuing your health and wellness) and interests (for whatever type of workout you do), there's automatically a better chance that your relationship will be even stronger since you share these things. And experts agree, having strong relationships and connections in life is one of the most important factors in overall happiness.

Exercise helps reduce anxiety and depression 

You've probably heard that exercise increases endorphins, but it also increases many more brain chemicals that make you feel happy. "When you exercise, it increases endorphins, dopamine, adrenaline and endocannabinoid -- these are all brain chemicals associated with feeling happy, feeling confident, feeling capable, feeling less anxiety and stress and even less physical pain," McGonigal says.

Exercise is also shown to help some people with depression, which experts say could be to due an increase in nerve cell growth in the brain that happens when you exercise.

Another chemical that is shown to help relieve stress and boost happiness is myokine, which your body creates when your muscles contract.

"These myokines begin to change the function and structure of your brain in ways that make you more resilient to stress and can help people recover from depression and even anxiety disorders," McGonigal said.

Exercise can help boost your confidence 

When it comes to feeling happier and empowered in life, having confidence is key. 

According to McGonigal, exercise helps boost your confidence because when you workout, you're doing something challenging along with other people (ideally) which gives you a sense of shared accomplishment and teamwork.

"When you move with other people it creates a strong sense of 'bigger than self' possibility that makes people feel more optimistic and empowered," McGonigal said. "And it allows people to feel more empowered about facing the challenges in their own lives. And that's an interesting side benefit of moving with other people, because there's an embodied sense of 'we're in this together' that translates into self-confidence and the ability to take on challenges in your life."

Exercising outdoors has a effect on your brain similar to meditation

If you're like the countless others who have heard about the benefits of meditation, but can't seem to find the time, good news. You may not actually have to meditate to get some of the benefits. In McGonigal's research, she found that exercising outdoors can have a similar effect on the brain and mood as meditation. 

"Exercising outdoors has an immediate effect on mood that is extremely powerful for depression and anxiety. Because it induces a state in your brain that is very similar to meditation, the state of open awareness," McGonigal said.

"For people whose minds are not their best friends and deal with rumination and worrying, something as simple as going for a walk or bike ride outdoors can have an immediate profound effect that can help give tremendous relief because it invites the mind to shift spontaneously without any effort into this meditative like state," McGonigal said.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

Though we don't expect to see the rumored Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL introduced officially until this fall, we may have gotten a sneak preview from a Ukrainian Telegram user.  

As reported by Android Police, Telegram user @LuchkovCH has posted an extensive series of photos (and a brief unboxing video) of what they say is a Pixel 3 XL final production unit. CNET has not independently confirmed the authenticity of any of these photos or videos, and Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

The new photos show a phone that looks very similar to the purported Pixel 3 XL in photos posted to the XDA Developers forum in early June. Both sets of images show a white handset with a significant iPhone X-style notch on the front display. 

Google released Android Pie on Monday , and we know that the new version of the OS supports phones with notches. Previously leaked images of the Pixel 3 have also shown a notch.

Read more:  Android 9 Pie is available now on Google Pixel phones

The new images show off some additional details, however, including a wired power adapter and charging cable. Previously, XDA Developers found evidence in the second beta of Android P that pointed to support for wireless charging, so the new leak muddies those waters. Another oddity is the USB-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter shown in one of the new photos; a wired version of Google's Pixel Buds would be something new.

Other specs listed on the phone's screen include the Android 9 operating system, an octacore Qualcomm processor, an Adreno 630 GPU and a display with a 2,960x1,440-pixel resolution. For the most part, the design and specs in the new photos corroborate rumors we've seen previously.    

One week before it's expected to lift the curtain on a long-rumored video streaming service at an event on March 25, Apple announced two new iPads. 

Starting at $499 (£479, AU$779), the new iPad Air features a 10.5-inch Retina display and the same A12 Bionic processor used in the iPhone XS. The new $399 (£399, AU$599) iPad Mini will replace the aging iPad Mini 4, which had been left virtually unchanged by Apple since its debut in 2015. The new models are now available for preorder and will be in stores next week. See the buying links below, and note that CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of products featured on this page.

The 2019 iPad Air 

The new iPad Air sits between the 9.7-inch iPad introduced last year, which starts at $329, and the 11-inch iPad Pro, which starts at $799 and has a more powerful A12X processor. The new Air is essentially a refresh of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro from 2017, which Apple has now discontinued. It has a nearly identical design -- and accessories will be interchangeable between the two -- but a few newer components. Apple hadn't released an "Air" version of the iPad since switching over to the plain old "iPad" in 2017.

Here's a rundown of the 2019 iPad Air's specs:

• 10.5-inch Retina display (2,224x1,668-pixel resolution), 500 nits
• 8-megapixel rear camera, 7-megapixel FaceTime camera
• Support for the original Apple Pencil (not the newer one announced in October)
• A12 Bionic processor with Neural Engine, M12 coprocessor
• 64GB or 256GB of storage
• Support for eSIM
• Rated for 10 hours of battery life
• 3.5mm headphone jack
  
• Touch ID
• Lightning connector
• Weighs 1 pound (456 grams); Wi-Fi + cellular model weighs 1.02 pounds (464 grams)
• Available in space gray, silver and gold
• Starts at $499, £479, AU$779

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The 2019 iPad Mini

The new iPad Mini has the same basic design as the iPad Mini 4, with the same 7.9-inch display and the same broad bezels. (The camera has moved to a different position, however, so Mini 4 cases may not fit properly on the new model.) The new Mini doesn't have Face ID or USB-C ports -- major upgrades found on other recent Apple tablets -- though it has a much faster A12 processor. That chip will surely give the new model a significant performance advantage over its predecessor, which used the same A8 chip as the 2014-era iPhone 6. The new model retains the previous model's 3.5mm headphone jack and Lightning port -- two features that Apple excluded from last year's batch of iPad Pros. 

Here's a rundown of the 2019 iPad Mini's specs:

• 7.9-inch Retina display (2,048x1,536-pixel resolution)
• 64GB or 256GB of storage
• A12 Bionic processor with Neural Engine, M12 coprocessor
• 8-megapixel rear camera, 7-megapixel FaceTime camera
• Support for the original Apple Pencil (not the newer one announced in October)
• Touch ID
  
• Lightning connector
• 3.5mm headphone jack
  
• Support for eSIM
• Weighs 0.66 pound (300 grams); Wi-Fi + cellular model weighs 0.68 pound (308 grams)
• Available in space gray, silver and gold
• Starts at $399, £399, AU$599

Apple often introduces new products in March. At last year's event, Apple delivered a refreshed edition of its entry-level iPad in addition to some education-friendly software initiatives. That today's announcement was made by press release suggests that the company wants to keep the focus of next week's event solely on its new video streaming service.

Originally published March 18 at 6.39 a.m. PT.
Update, at 11.05 p.m. PT: Added more details about accessory compatibility.

Unfortunately, it's still pretty tricky to get your hands on a next-gen console like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. But if you can't wait to try out the latest titles, it might be time to make the switch to PC gaming. Right now, you can pick up a brand-new rig at a discount. Amazon is currently offering up to 24% off a selection of gaming desktops and laptops from top brands like Acer, Asus and Dell. There's no clear-cut expiration on this sale, but with hundreds in savings on the table, we doubt it will last for long. Get your order in sooner rather than later if you're hoping to pick up one of these powerful PCs at a discount.

While you won't find any of our favorite desktops for gaming on sale, you will find a few of our favorite gaming laptops for 2022. We named the Acer Nitro 5 the best budget 17-inch gaming laptop of the year, and right now you can pick it up for just $1,020, $81 off the usual price. It has Wi-Fi 6 support, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050Ti GPU, 16GB of DDR4 memory and a 1TB SSD.

If you're after something a little more compact, you can pick up a 15-inch Dell G15, one of our favorite affordable gaming laptops for 2022, for $190 off -- dropping the price down to $1,210. It's equipped with 16GB of DDR5 RAM, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 GPU, and a smaller 512GB SSD. 

You'll find plenty of desktop rigs on sale as well. At $350 off its usual price the, ROG Strix G10 gaming PC is the biggest discount you'll find at this sale, and you can pick it up for $1,100 right now. It boasts powerful specs for the price, including a 12GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, an 11th-gen Intel Core i7-1170 processor, a 1TB M.2 SSD and 16GB of DDR4 RAM. It also supports DTS Headphone:X technology for immersive and detailed high-fidelity surround sound with your gaming headset. Its transparent side panel and internal LEDs make for a stunning look. 

Our lead story this week is a Friday ruling from the US Securities and Exchange Commission that ordered Nvidia to pay a $5.5 million fine for what the SEC characterized as inadequately disclosing how much of the company's sales of graphics chips stemmed from cryptocurrency mining. 

We'll also cover an NFT sale that rocked the ethereum network, the expansion of the SEC's crypto enforcement unit, Wikipedia ending cryptocurrency donations, and Square Enix selling the Tomb Raider franchise to invest in blockchain and other technologies.

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Nvidia fined $5.5M over cryptomining disclosures

The SEC said Friday that Nvidia didn't adequately disclose how cryptocurrency mining impacted its sales of graphics chips. According to an SEC release, "during consecutive quarters in NVIDIA's fiscal year 2018, the company failed to disclose that cryptomining was a significant element of its material revenue growth from the sale of its graphics processing units (GPUs) designed and marketed for gaming."

As part of the settlement with the SEC, Nvidia didn't admit to or deny the findings.

Cryptocurrency mining often relies on higher-end graphics cards, like those used for video games, which some publications, like the BBC, PCMag and Tech Radar, have reported may be partly responsible for a graphics card shortage.

Read CNET's full story on Nvidia's $5.5M fine over cryptocurrency mining disclosure here .

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Ethereum transactions skyrocket after NFT sale of digital land plots

Bored Ape Yacht Club , owned by parent company Yuga Labs, is one of the better-known NFT collections. The BAYC brand is expanding into an online video game, and on Saturday, Yuga Labs released a collection of digital land grant NFTs to be used inside this game. Each NFT land grant sold for a little under $6,000.

Like most nonfungible tokens, Borred Ape Yacht Club NFTs are built on the ethereum blockchain. Transactions on ethereum come with fees, called gas fees. Gas fees increase as growth occurs in the number of people engaging in transactions at any given time. The NFT land grants turned out to be so popular that gas fees skyrocketed and transactions became incredibly expensive. One person paid $44,000 in gas fees alone to buy two NFT land plots. In about three hours, Yuga Labs made around $320 million and sold 55,000 digital land plots. 

Read CNET's full story on how Bored Ape Yacht Club broke the ethereum network here .

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SEC bolsters crypto enforcement with new personnel

The Securities and Exchange Commission said Tuesday that it's adding 20 new positions to its Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit, which protects crypto investors and safeguards against cyberthreats. "As more investors access the crypto markets, it is increasingly important to dedicate more resources to protecting them," said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. "By nearly doubling the size of this key unit, the SEC will be better equipped to police wrongdoing in the crypto markets while continuing to identify disclosure and controls issues with respect to cybersecurity." 

Read CNET's full story on the Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit expansion here .

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Wikipedia sunsets cryptocurrency donations

The world's seventh largest website is set to stop accepting cryptocurrency donations. The Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia, voted on the decision last month, citing environmental and ethical concerns. "We began our direct acceptance of cryptocurrency in 2014 based on requests from our volunteers and donor communities," the foundation said on May 1. "We are making this decision based on recent feedback from those same communities." The website plans to close its Bitpay account, eliminating its ability to accept crypto donations going forward. The foundation further noted they'd continue to monitor the situation. 

Bitcoin, the most popular of all cryptocurrencies, is an energy hog that is estimated to use as much energy every year as some countries, such as Norway and Sweden. And some critics say cryptocurrencies raise ethical questions related to money laundering, tax evasion and ransomware, among other things.

Read CNET's full story on The Wikimedia Foundation's decision to end cryptocurrency donations here .

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Square Enix sells Tomb Raider to invest in blockchain, AI and cloud technologies

Video game giant Square Enix, the same company that makes the popular Final Fantasy series, sold the Tomb Raider franchise to free up cash for investments in fields including blockchain, AI and the cloud. Square Enix has previously expressed interest in NFTs. The company's president, Yosuke Matsuda, said in a Jan. 1 letter that "the advent of NFTs using blockchain technology significantly increased the liquidity of digital goods, enabling the trading of a variety of such goods at high prices and sparking conversations the world over." In the letter, Matsuda also noted that NFT trading seems overheated with "somewhat speculative overtones."

Read CNET's full story on Square Enix selling the Tomb Raider franchise here .

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Thanks for reading. We'll be back with plenty more next week. In the meantime, check out this story by Scott Stein about how the metaverse is trying to figure out your comfort zone.

The Pixel 6A is the latest and most affordable model in Google's lineup of Pixel phones, and right now you can pick it up for even less. Amazon is currently offering $79 off all color variants of this budget-friendly 5G Android phone, so you can pick it up in chalk, charcoal or sage for $370. This is the lowest price we've seen since this phone first hit shelves last month thanks to Amazon's new Android Days promo. The promo is only set to last for two days, so be sure to get your order in before time runs out.

Sporting a 6.1-inch OLED display, Titan M2 chip, Google Tensor processor, Android 12 software, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, this budget phone certainly delivers a lot of bang for the buck. And this phone will be among the first to get the upcoming Android 13 update.

The 12.2-megapixel camera may be a step down from the camera on the Pixel 6. But it's still a pretty great camera for the price, and it even comes equipped with tools like Magic Eraser, Motion Mode and Portrait Mode. 

This phone can last over 24 hours on a single charge, depending on how you use it. The battery is adaptive and learns which apps you use the most, which can save you power by not wasting your battery life on the ones you rarely use. This phone is IP67-rated water- and dust-resistant, so your phone should be safe in most environments and conditions. 

Another great feature this phone offers is Live Translate, which will help you translate signs, live video captions and private chats and messages in up to 55 languages. At $370, this is definitely a solid phone worth checking out.    

Read more:  Google Pixel 6A vs. Pixel 5A With 5G: Big Changes Highlight the New $449 Phone

The Pokemon Company is sharing teasers for another new monster making its debut in the upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games.

The official Pokemon Twitter account has shared images of mysterious markings on trees and rocks. These were evidently left by a Pokemon called Grafaiai, another brand-new monster native to the Paldea region, where Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are set.

While none of the images offer a clear look at Grafaiai yet, the tweet teases that the Pokemon will be fully revealed soon.

Pokemon has been steadily showcasing new monsters in the lead up to Scarlet and Violet's launch. The games' third trailer gave fans their first look at the doughy puppy Fidough and the land whale Cetitan, while World Championships trailer revealed the mount Pokemon Cyclizar. You can see all the new Pokemon revealed so far in our roundup.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will launch for the Nintendo Switch on Nov. 18. Everyone who purchases a copy before Feb. 28, 2023 will be able to receive a special bonus Pikachu in their game. For more, check out everything we know about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.