Tuesday, August 31, 2021

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South Korea will force Google and Apple to allow third-party payments

Posted: 31 Aug 2021 04:45 AM PDT

In a blow to both Apple and Google, South Korea has today passed a law requiring major app stores to allow alternative payment methods. The Wall Street Journal reports that the bill, due to be rubber-stamped by president Moon Jae-in, forces platform holders to open up their stores. In addition, the new rules will prevent unreasonable delays for app approvals, which has been described as a way to prevent retaliation against developers. Companies which fail to comply with the ruling are at risk of being fined up to three percent of their domestic revenue.

The bill could have global ramifications given the battles that Google and Apple have fought concerning their app platform dominance. Both companies have come under fire for how they run the App and Play stores, respectively, with regulators and developers scrutinizing their business practices. In July, 36 US states launched an antitrust suit against Google over concerns that it is violating antitrust law, while Apple has been engaged in well-documented skirmishes with both Epic Games and Spotify. Officials in both the US and Europe, both of which are wrestling with concerns over the future of digital payments, are likely to look at both South Korea's law, and how both companies respond to it. 

‘Dead Space’ fans can get a sneak peek at the remake today

Posted: 31 Aug 2021 04:30 AM PDT

EA's Motive Studios will offer an early look at its upcoming Dead Space remake during a Twitch stream scheduled for 1PM ET, the developer announced on Monday. Fans of the classic survival horror game will get to see a prototype build that Motive said will showcase its vision for the remaster. The studio also promised senior producer Philippe Ducharme and creative director Roman Campos-Oriola will be on hand to speak to the work the team at Motive is doing to update the 2008 title for current generation consoles. Additionally, the stream will feature members from the Dead Space community who have been consulting on the project.

Following a series of tantalizing rumors, EA first teased it was working on a Dead Space remake during its recent Play Live event. The minute-long clip the publisher shared showed off an oppressive necromorph-infested environment and protagonist Isaac Clarke. Dead Space does not currently have a release date, but it's heading to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

The Morning After: China slashes kids’ gaming time to three hours a week,

Posted: 31 Aug 2021 04:19 AM PDT

For anyone struggling to tear kids away from consoles and phones for dinner, homework and, well, real life, spare a thought for the Chinese youth. China has announced a further crackdown on the time children can play online games, with the new limit set to just three hours per week. Platforms like Tencent can now only offer gaming to kids between 8pm and 9pm on Friday, weekends and public holidays.

Earlier this month, Tencent was forced to cut the time minors could play its hit mobile game Honor of Kings to just an hour on weeknights and two hours on the weekend. 

Further strengthening of the rules won't come as a surprise. Earlier last month, state-owned news outlets published an editorial calling video games "spiritual opium," outlining all the negative ways gaming could affect China's youth.

I can already imagine parents telling their kids about the tough gaming rules in China, and how they should count their blessings. I can also imagine most kids ignoring them.

— Mat Smith

VW customers will soon have a choice for in-car 4G connectivity

Starting next month, you'll be able to choose between Verizon and T-Mobile.

Volkswagen has unveiled a new feature for its Car-Net connected vehicle service that lets you get 4G data from two major US telecoms. It offers Verizon or T-Mobile, making it relatively easy to add your vehicle to an existing mobile plan.

Starting in September, VW owners in the US will be able to access the subscription plans on VW's dedicated website or via its mobile app. From there, they can add an account to their existing mobile wireless provider (assuming it's Verizon or T-Mobile) and pair it with their existing Volkswagen Car-Net subscription.

Continue reading.

Jon Stewart's Apple TV+ show premieres on September 30th

New episodes of 'The Problem With Jon Stewart' will arrive every other week.

The Problem With Jon Stewart
Apple TV+

Jon Stewart will soon return to a screen near you to once again dissect some of the big issues of the day. His Apple TV+ series, The Problem With Jon Stewart, will premiere on September 30th. Rather than airing on a nightly basis, like The Daily Show, or even weekly, new episodes will arrive every other week. Stewart will tackle one topic per episode (similar to the much-missed Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj), with a companion podcast — of course — set to run alongside it.

Continue reading.

Apple is building a classical music streaming app after buying Primephonic

The classical-only service will shut down on September 7th.

Apple is expanding its music streaming options after buying classical service Primephonic. Apple Music aims to release a dedicated classical music app next year, which will combine Primephonic's user interface with some of Apple's own features.

Primephonic wrote in a letter to users on its website saying that "to achieve our mission, we need to partner with a leading streaming service that encompasses all music genres and also shares our love for classical music." Primephonic has closed its doors to new users, and it will shut down on September 7th.

Continue reading.

Cheaper 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' Blu-ray sets are on the way

Welcome news for those who missed out on the fancy Ultimate Edition.

Neon Genesis Evangelion
GKids

You'll soon get to grab the Neon Genesis Evangelion Blu-ray set in the US, without paying through the nose. While a spendy $275 Ultimate Edition has already sold out, you'll still have a chance to buy a copy of the saga on Blu-ray as there are two other options on the way from distributor GKids.

Like the Ultimate Edition, the Collector's Edition package will be released on December 8th. Lock in a pre-order and it'll set you back $175, but it'll cost $220 as of the release date. The Standard Edition arrives a month earlier, lacking the classic dub or subtitles. It costs $60 or $46 if you pre-order.

Continue reading.

The biggest news stories you might have missed

A power surge shut down half of NYC's subways for five hours

Apple Arcade is getting an exclusive Lego Star Wars game

Instagram will require users to share their birthday in push for teen safety

Engadget Deals: Google's Nest Audio smart speaker is on sale for $80 right now

Your tiny Xbox 360 gamerpic may finally display properly on modern consoles

Fossil's new Wear OS smartwatches have faster charging and better health tracking

Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 gets an official walkie talkie app

Posted: 31 Aug 2021 03:53 AM PDT

Samsung has launched a walkie talkie app for its smartwatches similar to Apple's, giving you a way to chat with friends without having to make a call. By "smartwatches," though, we really just mean the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic — the app, first spotted by XDA-Developers, only works with the tech giant's latest wearables and isn't compatible with any of their predecessors. 

That would limit the number of friends you can chat with, since they also need to own the latest Galaxy Watch. That said, the app's Google Play description says "two or more users" can have instant conversations, so you may be able to use the app outside of secret one-on-one chats in the middle of the night. Provided you know other people who have a Watch 4, of course, unless Samsung decides to roll the app out for its previous wearable.

To be able to use the feature, you need to log into your Samsung account on a phone connected to your watch. Samsung also recommends using and running the app for the first time while that watch is connected to a smartphone. After that, you'll be able to create channels for your conversation, connect to a nearby friend's watch and talk by pressing a big mic button at the center of the screen. You'll also be able to toggle the feature off any time you're feeling anti-social. 

Apple's rumored iPhone satellite support may be for emergency calls and messages

Posted: 31 Aug 2021 02:25 AM PDT

The rumored satellite features for future iPhones are reserved for emergency uses only, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. A few days ago, a report by well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the next iPhones will come with support for Low Earth Orbit satellite calls and messages. Gurman's sources said, however, that Apple isn't turning its devices into actual satellite phones, at least for now. Instead, the tech giant is reportedly developing at least two emergency-related features relying on satellite networks. 

The first feature is called Emergency Message via Satellite and will be added as a third protocol, alongside iMessage and SMS, to the Messages app. It's apparently codenamed Stewie inside the company and will allow users to text emergency services even when there's no signal, which sounds especially useful during emergencies in remote locations, such as mountains and forests.

The tool will also give users a way to text their emergency contacts simply by typing Emergency SOS in the recipient line. Messages will be restricted to a shorter length, but the senders' contacts will get a notification for them even if their phone is set to Do Not Disturb. Satellite messages will appear as gray bubbles instead of blue or green so they can be easily identified. Eventually, the feature could handle phone calls, as well.

Apple is also reportedly working on a second satellite feature that will allow users to report crisis situations like plane crashes and fires. This system will give users a way to report the incident at length and will ask them specifics, such as if anybody needs search-and-rescue services or if anybody in the vicinity is armed. It can also automatically send authorities the reporter's location and their details from the Health app, such as their medical history, age, medications and information like height and weight. The feature can also a notify the reporter's emergency contacts for them.

While both features sound useful, their availability is restricted by satellite location and reach. They might not work for some regions, and in some cases, users may have to walk outdoors in a certain direction where their iPhone can connect to a satellite. Also, Gurman's sources said it's unlikely that the features will be ready before the year ends, which means the next iPhones expected be announced sometime in September won't be able to send messages via satellite yet. 

HBO Max and YouTube are now available on Spectrum TV

Posted: 31 Aug 2021 12:05 AM PDT

Spectrum TV has made major streaming service additions to its digital cable service and live TV app with HBO Max and YouTube, parent Charter has announced. You'll be able to access both apps on channels 2004 for HBO Max and 2003 for YouTube, or on the platform's guide via the search or apps menu. You'll need, of course, a subscription to access HBO Max at $10 per month with ads or $15 ad-free. 

Along with Netflix, HBO Max and YouTube are the first streaming channels available directly through the Spectrum Guide. "As the video landscape continues to change, we are evolving our products and making it easier for our customers to watch what they want by providing access to streaming apps from convenient launch points within the Spectrum TV experience," said Spectrum VP Elena Ritchie.

As Spectrum notes, Warner's HBO Max offers 13,000 hours of premium content from brands HBO, DC, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Studio Ghibli. It also includes all 2021 Warner Bros. films (Dune, Godzilla vs. Kong and more) available the same day the films debut in theaters. That's a boon to movie fans not ready to go to theaters with the pandemic still raging, but a consternation to some of the filmmakers involved.

#AppleToo starts publishing employees' toxic workplace stories

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 10:12 PM PDT

A group of current and former Apple workers recently banded together and called for colleagues to share stories of discrimination, harassment and retaliation they'd experienced within the company. As of August 27th, the group called #AppleToo said it has collected 500 such stories — now, it has started publishing them on its official Medium page. Cher Scarlett, an Apple security engineer and the face of the movement, wrote on Medium that she will share five stories at a time "as the emotional toll in reading these is heavy."

Two of the first five are about sexual harassment, one of which involved a male boss using his position of power over a female employee. Later, that employee was kicked out of an interview after the hiring team realized who she was. Another story was from a Black retail worker in the UK who tried to get their bosses to do something about racism and micro aggressions in the workplace to no avail. A female employee talked about how she was targeted by a person in her team and how management didn't do anything about it. And the last one is about an employee who was assaulted in her store by a customer and didn't get support from management. 

If Scarlett publishes all the submissions she got, these are just five of the many we'll get to read. The #AppleToo movement said on Twitter, however, that 75 percent share a common theme: They involve some form of discrimination. Nearly half of them involve sexism, retaliation and HR reports that were ultimately dismissed. A fourth of them involved racism and ableism, and most of the harassment and assault stories were sexual in nature. 

In an interview with Protocol, Scarlett said she feels "like the company needs to be held accountable because they're not holding themselves accountable. People want to feel heard. And they don't feel heard by Apple." She added that some employees who've been with the tech giant for decades felt like leadership used to listened to them, but that's no longer the case. 

When the news about the #AppleToo movement first broke, Apple said in a statement: "We take all concerns seriously and we thoroughly investigate whenever a concern is raised and, out of respect for the privacy of any individuals involved, we do not discuss specific employee matters."

Chinese battery maker says it's ready to produce cobalt-free EV power packs at scale

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 04:45 PM PDT

When you factor in cars, trucks, planes, trains and shipping, the transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gases in the US. If we're going to have any chance of addressing climate change, we'll need to move away from burning fossil fuels in our cars. There's just one problem with most electric vehicles: they depend on lithium-ion batteries made with heavy metals like cobalt. Not only is the material in short supply, but it's mined in a way that involves child labor and the destruction of the environment. For those reasons, companies like IBM, Panasonic and Tesla have tried to make electric batteries without heavy metals.

So far, many of those efforts have yet to make it out of the lab, but a Chinese company called SVOLT claims it's ready to start producing a cobalt-free battery at scale. At the Chengdu Motor Show, the firm showed off an 82.5KWh capacity power pack inside a vehicle from Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors. Under normal temperatures, SVOLT says its battery can deliver approximately 373 miles of range on a single charge and allow a car to accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in under five seconds.

SVOLT said the battery is "expected" to make its way to cars that go on sale in the Chinese market but didn't offer a timeline of when that might happen, nor did it say just how many cobalt-free power packs it can manufacture at the moment. It's also worth pointing out other companies are making cobalt-free batteries at scale. As Electrek points out, most of the Model 3 units Tesla sells in China feature a lithium iron phosphate battery made by Contemporary Amperex Technology.

Twitch streamer DrLupo is defecting to YouTube Gaming

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 02:12 PM PDT

Twitch has lost one of its most popular and well-liked stars to rival YouTube. On Monday, Benjamin "DrLupo" Lupo announced he recently signed a deal to stream exclusively on YouTube Gaming. 

The deal comes nearly two years after Lupo signed an exclusive agreement with Amazon-owned Twitch, which was reportedly worth millions of dollars per year at the time. "We wish you nothing but the best in everything that comes next," Twitch said after the streamer shared he was leaving the platform.

Loaded, the talent agency that represents Lupo, declined to share the details of his deal with YouTube, but the streamer told The Washington Post he's now "secure for life." He also told the outlet he plans to make more pre-recorded content. "Obviously, I'll still be playing video games on YouTube," he said. "But we have a chance now to do some new stuff."

In moving from one platform to another, Lupo leaves behind the approximately 4.5 million followers he attracted to his Twitch channel. On YouTube Gaming, he has about 1.7 million followers, suggesting he may not, at least initially, attract the numbers he did previously. His first stream will air on August 31st.

A power surge shut down half of NYC's subways for five hours

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 12:45 PM PDT

Late Sunday evening, half of New York City's subway system shut down for five hours due to a power surge, stranding hundreds of passengers in the process. New York Governor Kathy Hochul called it an "unprecedented system breakdown" of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The Washington Post reports that the problems began when a power line went down. This triggered a voltage dip across the city, and two power plants and generators also went offline, forcing backup systems to come online. When trying to restore service, a power surge occurred. When this happened, the subway command center lost communications with 83 trains. The public address system also went down. Five trains with more than 550 people were stranded.

Part of the problem was the passengers themselves. While emergency personnel did evacuate as many people as they could, riders on two trains decided to leave cars on their own, a very dangerous act because tracks could be re-energized if a train was coming. Firefighters had to search the tracks to make sure there were no more remaining passengers before the subway could fully restore power.

After a phased "rolling restoration," the system was finally back online at 1:30AM Monday morning.

Hochul has since ordered a deeper investigation into what exactly caused the surge as well as the other problems. So far, investigators have said there is no suspicion of terrorism or malicious actions.

Coinbase mistakenly told 125,000 users their 2FA settings had changed

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 12:17 PM PDT

Major cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase said it mistakenly told around 125,000 customers that their two-factor authentication settings had been changed. The email and SMS notifications were sent due to an "internal error" and were not the result of a hack, the company told CNBC.

Coinbase sent the false alert to users over the course of 82 minutes on Friday. It followed up with a second email stating that the message was sent by mistake. Coinbase later wrote on Twitter that a "notification delivery issue" was to blame and that it would "continue to work to gain back the trust of every one of our customers who was impacted by those notifications."

However, the issue appeared to cause confusion and concern among users, with some suspecting their accounts had been hacked. At least one person said they sold crypto worth around $60,000 because they were worried they'd lose it otherwise. 

That's an understandable concern in the wake of a CNBC report from last week, in which some Coinbase customers claimed their accounts were hacked and they couldn't contact employees for help. The company has since said it's rolling out voice and live chat support options.

PayPal may offer a stock-trading platform in the US

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 11:21 AM PDT

PayPal is "exploring" the idea of allowing its users to trade individual stocks. Per CNBC, the company recently hired TradeKing co-founder Richard Hagen to head up a new unit at the company called Invest at PayPal. "Leading PayPal's efforts to explore opportunities in the consumer investment business," Hagan says of his new job on his LinkedIn profile. The outlet reports PayPal has also had discussions with potential brokerage partners.

Moving into retail trading wouldn't be out of character for PayPal. The company has spent much of the last year expanding into the cryptocurrency market. It all started last October when PayPal announced it would let US users buy, sell and hold Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin. PayPal CEO Dan Schulman also recently told investors the company could partner with different financial institutions to expand the number of services it offers. He even mentioned "investment capabilities" as one possibility. Either way, it's a move that would make sense in the context of all the recent interest in retail trading that came out of the GameStop saga.

A PayPal spokesperson declined to comment on the report.

Should PayPal decide to offer stock trading, it may take some time before it's available to US users. CNBC reports PayPal is unlikely to roll out the service this year. And if the company decides it wants to operate as its own brokerage firm, it would need approval from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). That's a process that can take more than eight months.

Apple Arcade is getting an exclusive Lego Star Wars game

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 11:00 AM PDT

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga won't arrive until next spring, but another game from the franchise is coming soon — and it's an Apple Arcade exclusive. Lego Star Wars Battles is a real-time strategy game that pits players against each other in one-on-one showdowns.

You'll amass a collection of upgradable characters, troops and vehicles from all eras of the Star Wars universe. You'll be able to pit porgs against Boba Fett, for instance. Don't expect to stick to one side of the Force — you'll have a deck of light side and dark side armies, with different play styles for each. You'll have a number of abilities at your disposal too, such as Darth Vader's Force Slam and Luke Skywalker's Force Push.

Lego Star Wars Battles
TT Games Brighton/Warner Bros. Games/Lucasfilm Games

Battlefields will feature Lego towers that you'll build, defend, attack and use to claim territory. The locations include some familiar environments, including Hoth, Naboo and Endor.

TT Games Brighton is developing Lego Star Wars Battles, while Warner Bros. Games is the publisher. It won't be the first Lego game to hit Apple Arcade, though. Lego Brawls and Lego Builder's Journey both landed on the service in 2019. The latter was ported to PC and Nintendo Switch in June.

Apple is building a classical music streaming app after buying Primephonic

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 10:05 AM PDT

Apple is expanding its music streaming options after buying classical service Primephonic. Apple Music aims to release a dedicated classical music app next year, which will combine Primephonic's user interface with some of Apple's own features.

"As a classical-only startup, we can not reach the majority of global classical listeners, especially those that listen to many other music genres as well," Primephonic wrote in a letter to users on its website. "We therefore concluded that in order to achieve our mission, we need to partner with a leading streaming service that encompasses all music genres and also shares our love for classical music."

Primephonic has closed its doors to new users and it will shut down on September 7th. Subscribers will get a prorated refund and six months of Apple Music access for free. They'll be able to listen to hundreds of thousands of classical albums while Apple builds the forthcoming app. Apple says all of those albums are available in lossless and high-res audio. Hundreds of them have spatial audio support as well.

Apple is promising Apple Music subscribers a "significantly improved classical music experience" following the deal, including Primephonic playlists and exclusive audio content. In the coming months, it plans to harness the capabilities of Primephonic to offer classical music fans improved browsing and search functions. You'll be able to look for works by composer and repertoire, and see "detailed displays of classical music metadata."

"We love and have a deep respect for classical music, and Primephonic has become a fan favorite for classical enthusiasts," Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music and Beats, said. "Together, we're bringing great new classical features to Apple Music, and in the near future, we'll deliver a dedicated classical experience that will truly be the best in the world."

Instagram will require users to share their birthday in push for teen safety

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 10:00 AM PDT

Instagram will require users to share their birthday, an update the company says is meant to protect young people using its app. The photo app already asks new users to provide a birthday when they sign up, a requirement that's been in place since the end of 2019. But people who previously signed up may not have shared the information.

But over the "next few weeks" Instagram will begin prompting users who haven't previously shared a birthdate to do so. While they will initially be able to dismiss the prompts, the app will eventually require birthdays from everyone.

For now, there's two scenarios in which users will be asked for their birthdays. First, the app will show a notification "a handful of times." A separate prompt may also appear if users try to view a post that's hidden behind a warning screen. These warnings appear on "sensitive content" that might not break Instagram's official rules, but could be considered borderline, such as "suggestive" images or photos of medical procedures. Users will no longer be able to view these posts until they provide a birthday, and younger teens may not be able to see these posts at all.

Instagram will block younger users from seeing some
Instagram

The company also says it will use artificial intelligence to detect when a user may have provided a false birthday, and that some users may be asked to "verify" their age. "In the future, if someone tells us they're above a certain age, and our technology tells us otherwise, we'll show them a menu of options to verify their age," the company says. "This work is still in the early stages, and we look forward to sharing more soon."

The changes are the latest as Instagram has tried to beef up security and privacy features for its youngest users. The company has also said it will switch to making younger teens' accounts private by default, and has limited advertisers' ability to target the demographic. It also recently introduced features to prevent adult strangers from messaging teens. Instagram has also said it's in the early stages of thinking about a version of its service for users under the age of 13, which has prompted concern from lawmakers and other officials.

Jon Stewart's Apple TV+ show premieres on September 30th

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 08:04 AM PDT

Jon Stewart will soon return to a screen near you to once again dissect some of the big issues of the day. His Apple TV+ series, The Problem With Jon Stewart, will premiere on September 30. Rather than airing on a nightly basis, like The Daily Show, or even weekly, new episodes will arrive every other week.

In the show, Stewart will tackle one topic per episode (similar to the much-missed Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj). He'll speak with people affected by the issue and those who were involved in it impacting others. Stewart and his guests will "discuss a more productive path towards action," Apple says.

The conversation will continue on the companion podcast, which features staff members from the series and activists working on the issue at hand. It's not clear how many episodes the first season will include, but the show is slated to run for multiple seasons.

Cheaper 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' Blu-ray sets are on the way

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 07:30 AM PDT

Here's some good news if you're looking to get your hands on a Neon Genesis Evangelion Blu-ray set without paying through the nose. It emerged this month that the anime will be released on the format in North America for the first time later this year as part of a $275 Ultimate Edition. Although that set sold out quickly, you'll still have the chance to buy a copy of the saga on Blu-ray, as there are two other options on the way from distributor GKids.

The Collector's Edition set includes 11 discs. You'll be able to watch the the 26-episode series and the Evangelion: Death (True)² and The End of Evangelion movies in the more recent "official" dubbed and subtitled versions, or the classic dubbed or subtitled versions. There's also seven hours of bonus material — including animatics and music videos — eight art cards and a 40-page book.

Like the Ultimate Edition, the Collector's Edition package will be released on December 8th. Lock in a pre-order and it'll set you back $175, as Polygon notes, but it'll cost $220 as of the release date.

If you can't wait quite that long, or aren't willing to pony up at least three figures for a Neon Genesis Evangelion Blu-ray set, the Standard Edition arrives a month earlier. It includes the series and both movies, along with five hours of bonus features. However, you won't get the classic dub or subtitles with this set. It costs $60, or $46 if you pre-order.

That's not all, though. As of November 2nd, you'll be able to buy digital versions of the series, Evangelion: Death (True)² and The End of Evangelion. So, if and when they vanish from Netflix, you'll still be able to find legal versions online. Meanwhile, the four Rebuild of Evangelion movies are available on Amazon Prime Video.

Google's Nest Audio smart speaker is on sale for $80 right now

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 07:13 AM PDT

Google's Nest Audio has been one of our favorite smart speakers since it came out almost a year ago. When compared to other $100 devices, it packs a lot of value and will be especially attractive for those who already use the Google Assistant a lot. But now you can grab the speaker for even less because Best Buy and B&H Photo have the Nest Audio for only $80. While we did see the speaker drop to $75 ahead of Amazon Prime Day back in June, this is the best price we've seen since then.

Buy Nest Audio at Best Buy - $80Buy Nest Audio at B&H - $80

The Nest Audio is Google's answer to Amazon's Echo and Apple's HomePod mini and it holds its own against both of those devices. We like its attractive, minimalist design and you have five colors to choose from, so you'll likely find one that fits well with the rest of your home decor. It takes only a few minutes to set up the Nest Audio via the Google Home mobile app, and once that's set, you're able to ask the Google Assistant to play music from a bunch of sources like Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music and Pandora.

If the Nest Audio is your first smart speaker that costs more than $50, you'll immediately notice the difference in audio quality. It's leaps and bounds better as a music player than the Nest Mini or the Echo Dot, and it sounds even better if you have two Nest Audios playing in stereo mode. It even has Media EQ, which adapts the audio to better fit what you're listening to (like music vs. podcasts), and Ambient QI, which changes the Assistant's output so you can hear it better in louder environments.

And as with other assistant-toting devices, you'll be able to call upon the Google Assistant when you have a question that needs answering, when you want to know what the weather will be like tomorrow, when you want to turn on your smart lights and more. If you're an Android user or simply use a bunch of Google services every day, the Nest Audio is one of the best smart speakers you could add to your home that will make it easier for you to access your information at any time.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

China further slashes kids’ gaming time to just three hours a week

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 06:25 AM PDT

China has announced a further crackdown on the amount of time children can play online video games, with the new limit set to just three hours per week. Bloomberg, reporting from local news sources, says that platforms like Tencent can now offer gaming to kids between the hours of 8-9pm on Friday, weekends and public holidays.

It's a significant and notable reduction from the previous rule, which had been generally capped at 1.5 hours per day in 2019. Earlier this month, Tencent was forced to cut the amount of time minors could play the smash hit mobile title Honor of Kings to just an hour on weeknights and two hours on the weekend. The added restriction is likely to impact the share price of companies in this space, which has seen recent instability.

Historically, China has always had an aversion to video games, albeit with more nuance than most people believe. The country has, however, amplified anti-game rhetoric in recent years, and on August 3rd, a key state-owned news outlet described video games as "spiritual opium." The piece, as reported by The New York Times, went on to outline all of the ways in which gaming could harm Chinese kids.

As well as the time limit for online gaming (and we've asked our colleagues to clarify if any of this can also apply to offline and console gaming), authorities want all titles hooked up to some form of anti-addiction system. Other new rules include companies keeping (real) name data for all users, more reporting on the use of in-game transactions, and more regulatory scrutiny more generally.

It's not clear how much of an impact this will have in the real-world since Tencent says minors make up a very small part of its overall business. But given the country's continuedassault on various parts of the tech industry, it's likely that there will be more hoops for businesses to jump through in future. A week ago, meanwhile, South Korea declared that it would ditch its infamous "Cinderella Law," banning video gamers from playing between midnight and 6am, saying that it is respecting children's rights. 

Fossil's new Wear OS smartwatches have faster charging and better health tracking

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 06:00 AM PDT

Fossil is today announcing its new Gen 6 smartwatches, its first range of devices powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon Wear 4100+. The new platform will, Fossil promises, offer a number of quality-of-life improvements including faster loading times and the ability to fast charge to 80 percent in half an hour. In addition, the new watches will offer continuous heart-rate tracking, a new blood oxygenation sensor and a new built-in wellness app for more reliable activity tracking. Oh, and users will be able to make tethered calls thanks to an integral speaker and microphone combo, should you need the feature.

Naturally, Fossil has made it clear that these Gen 6 watches, unlike the current (and older) models, will be compatible with Wear OS 3 and users can expect to receive the update due in 2022. The new watches will launch in two sizes: a 42mm case with three color options, while you can get four different paint jobs if you opt for the 44mm case. Both devices, however, have a 1.28-inch round AMOLED display (326 ppi), with 8GB of built-in storage and 1GB of RAM. Since a big part of Fossil's sales pitch is customizability, you'll also get a wide variety of strap choices to help make these devices more suited to your personal style, too.

The Fossil Gen 6 watches will cost between $299 and $319, with pre-orders open now.
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The Morning After: Our verdict on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 04:15 AM PDT

We'll get into Samsung's bigger foldable below, but first let's talk about a new, kind of, PS5. You might have struggled to get a PS5, though anecdotal evidence suggests a lot of us have been able to find consoles as stores stock up, but that hasn't stopped Sony sneaking out a slightly new model. According to a teardown of the digital (no disc-drive) PlayStation 5 by Austin Evans, there seems to be a smaller, lighter heatsink and a new screw to attach the console to its stand.

So no, this isn't like the smaller PlayStation consoles the company likes to roll out during a console's midlife — it's way too early for that. It does show that the company is looking for ways to shave production costs and get these consoles into profitability.

Interestingly, Sony already stated it's selling the disc-based PS5 at a profit. Games consoles typically sell at a loss for the first couple of years after launch. Hopefully, that smaller heatsink will still handle the bigger, more lavish titles on their way to the PS5.

— Mat Smith

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 review

Doing the most and yet not enough

A Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 on a table with an S Pen Pro in front of it.
David Imel for Engadget

The Z Fold 3 is an impressively refined foldable, with water-resistant hardware that feels sturdier than before. It offers nifty S Pen support — important when this is a fallow year for Samsung's Galaxy Note series — smoother screens, capable cameras and some helpful software. Reviews Editor Cherlynn Low, however, isn't quite sold. Using its outside screen as a regular smartphone remains uncomfortable, and its internal display — a technical marvel — isn't great for casual texting or browsing.

Continue reading.

A $600 e-ink typewriter inches an Engadget editor towards writing a novel

But the Freewrite's price and quirks make it impractical for most.

The Freewrite standalone word processor with keyboard sits on an office desktop.
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

News Editor Nathan Ingraham is looking to flex his creative writing skills, and the Freewrite helped him do exactly that, avoiding all distractions associated with writing (well, typing) on PCs.

The Freewrite combines a mechanical keyboard with an e-ink display and is meant purely for drafting text. There aren't even arrow keys, so editing anything more than a few words back is a non-starter. It has WiFi, so you can sync your drafts to Dropbox, Google Drive or Evernote, but that's about the only concession it makes to the internet age. 

Read on for how he fared.

Apple Watch Series 7 will reportedly offer larger cases and screens

New watch faces may take advantage of the bigger displays.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims Apple's Watch Series 7 will come in larger 41mm and 45mm case sizes (up from 40mm and 44mm) with bigger screens to match. As with the Series 4 launch, when the watch faces also changed, there will reportedly be new watch faces to take advantage of the added visual real estate.

Apple normally updates its smartwatches alongside its iPhones in September. In short, it won't be long before we know if the rumors are true.

Continue reading.

Google reportedly offered Netflix a special discount on Play Store fees

It might also have charged more than necessary.

A newly unsealed consumer lawsuit against Google alleges the company offered to take a "significantly reduced" cut of Netflix's Play Store revenue to quell the streaming giant's "displeasure." Netflix, Spotify and Tinder all supposedly tried to get around the requirement to use Play Store's in-house billing system, and deals like this were meant to keep Netflix using Google's payment platform.

The same filing also includes a claim that Google's normal revenue share is arbitrary. The company typically asks for a 30 percent cut of Play Store purchases, but it apparently could break even with a mere six percent. Internal communications suggest Google chose the 30 percent share for no reason "other than copying Apple," according to the lawsuit.

Continue reading.

The biggest news you might have missed

Apple Workers say they've collected almost 500 toxic workplace stories

GoPro's next Hero action camera might offer a leap in image quality

Clubhouse adds spatial audio to create more immersive audio chats

Google Pixel 5a teardown shows that it's still a challenge to repair

Rumor hints the next iPhone might boast satellite communication

Your tiny Xbox 360 gamerpic may finally display properly on modern consoles

Posted: 30 Aug 2021 03:30 AM PDT

When the Xbox 360 arrived in 2005 with 1,280 x 720 resolution, 72x72 pixels probably seemed a perfectly reasonable gamerpic size. With the 4K Xbox Series X displaying eight times the number of pixels, however, anyone still using the ancient gamerpics will get a hilariously tiny view of their avatar. 

Video producer and editor Gabriel Roland (@Noukon) was complaining about that very issue on Twitter. "I bought this gamerpic for 80 Xbox Points in 2006," hetweeted. "And I'll be fucked if it won't remain the best dollar I've ever spent." An accompanying image shows his beloved, barely visible avatar floating in a massive circle of grey. 

Fortunately, the right person saw that tweet in the form of Xbox engineering lead Eden Marie. "Listen, I can't promise anything, but I'm going to make it my personal mission to fix this," she replied. Amazingly, she found that the same gamerpic Noukon purchased was still on sale, albeit at nearly two and half times the price, but she gladly splurged the $2.38 to buy it. 

Right off the bat, Marie noticed that Xbox 360 gamerpics display differently if you're looking at your own profile or someone else's. On your own, the avatar is displayed as above and looks truly wonky. On someone else's profile, it displays better against your background, but it's still tiny and the edges are cut off by the circular format of newer gamerpics. 

The grey border issue turned out to be a bug introduced at some point, so Marie was able to fix that first. Then, she took advantage of the Xbox UI's ability to handle transparency in images by overlaying the square gamerpic into a transparent circular image. After upsizing everything to a reasonable size, the avatar looks great and the problem has been solved. "What do you think, @noukon? Feel better about that dollar?," she tweeted. 

"I have never and will never feel better about a dollar in my entire life," replied Roland. "I'll also say this: I worked in game QA for over a decade and I've never seen a bug addressed this quickly." Replied Marie: "It really helps that your bug report tweet made me laugh." 

While this story on its own should warm the cockles of any gamer's heart, that's not the end of it. Marie noted that the fix will be introduced for all Xbox users still rocking those old gamerpics. "PS, since there have been questions, this will need to roll out with other console updates, Insiders first, and this will change how all 360 gamerpics show up on console, not just certain ones," she noted. The fix has now been added to the Alpha ring, so if all goes well, it should fix everybody's messed up Xbox 360 gamerpics in the coming months. 

VW customers will soon have a choice for in-car 4G connectivity

Posted: 29 Aug 2021 11:55 PM PDT

Volkswagen has unveiled a new feature for its Car-Net connected vehicle service that lets you get 4G data from two major US telecoms. Called "Carrier of Choice," it offers the option of Verizon or T-Mobile, making it relatively easy to add your vehicle to an existing mobile plan.

Starting in September, VW owners in the US will be able to access the subscription plan options on VW's dedicated website or via its mobile app. From there, you can add an account to your existing mobile wireless provider (assuming it's Verizon or T-Mobile) and pair it with your existing Volkswagen Car-Net subscription. It will then appear as a new line-item on your existing bill. If you're not already with those carriers, you can get unlimited 4G data for $20 per month.  

Car-Net offers connected car features like remote start, locking and unlocking the vehicle, maintenance, status, teen driver alerts (curfew, boundary, speed) and more. Those features can be accessed remotely from both iPhone and Android smartphones using VW's updated mobile app. It also offers a WiFi hotspot with "unlimited" 4G connectivity for up to four devices. 

On top of those features, VW lets you access iHeart Radio and TIDAL media streaming apps with a paid subscription. It also offers the "Plus Nav" subscription with real-time traffice and route updates for $49 per year, a radio subscription with 30,000 global stations for $8 per year and a natural language speech option for $9 per year. Of course, VW models from 2019 and up come with CarPlay and Android Auto support, giving you many of those options for free. Car-Net comes standard on most 2020 model year and newer Volkswagen vehicles. .

Google Pixel 5a teardown shows that it's still a challenge to repair

Posted: 29 Aug 2021 10:10 PM PDT

Google's Pixel 5a famously has a headphone jack, but you'd better hope that the USB-C port never breaks. The fact that it's soldered directly to the motherboard rather than being a separate component is one contributing factor in its middling 5/10 repairability score, according to a new teardown from YouTube channel PBKreviews.

The Pixel 5a is Google's midrange 5G smartphone and a direct successor to the popular 5G Pixel 4a. Though a bit larger than the latter and now water-resistant, it's equipped with nearly the same internal components, including a Snapdragon 765G, 6GB of RAM and a 60Hz panel. It's a solid mid-range phone for $449, though essentially a stopgap device until Google unveils the Pixel 6 family that will use its all-new Tensor mobile chip. 

The good news is that the 6.34-inch OLED display is relatively easy to replace, as you can pull it off simply by heating it up and using a pry tool to pop it off. It's also fairly straightforward to get access to the battery and motherboard, once you remove the numerous screws and pry off the large metal cover.

From there, however, things get trickier. The battery is glued solidly to the case and the pry tab meant to help remove it is "pretty useless," according to PBKreviews. Instead, they had to use isopropyl alcohol to loosen the glue before they could pry the battery out. The other issue is that the USB-C port is attached directly to the motherboard, so making repairs to it would be "difficult," according to the video. 

All told, however, the Pixel 5a appears to be slightly easier to repair than its predecessor. While you might not try to fix it yourself, that means it could be a bit easier to find local service if you'd rather not send it away to Google. The teardown also shows a solid-looking device with water resistance as a big new benefit — so hopefully, all that will add up to a reliable device that won't need repairs in the first place. 

Apple Watch Series 7 will reportedly offer larger cases and screens

Posted: 29 Aug 2021 02:33 PM PDT

Apple Watch Series 7 might be a more substantial redesign than you think. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claims Series 7 will come in larger 41mm and 45mm case sizes (up from 40mm and 44mm) with bigger screens to match. As with the Series 4 launch, there will reportedly be new watch faces to take advantage of the added visual real estate. One will apparently include an update to the data-heavy Infograph Modular face.

Earlier leaks on Twitter and Weibo hinted at the larger cases, but didn't come with many details. Gurman, Jon Prosser and 91mobiles have all claimed Series 7 would focus on an overall redesign with flatter edges, flatter screens, thinner bezels and more color options. It might also pack a faster processor and improved ultra-wideband tech, although any advanced health sensors might have to wait until the 2022 model.

Apple has historically released updated smartwatches in September, usually alongside new iPhones. If so, you might not have to wait long to know whether or not the rumors are on the mark.

Peloton says it's facing federal investigations over equipment safety

Posted: 29 Aug 2021 01:18 PM PDT

Peloton's less-than-stellar news isn't limited to its poor financials. As ABC Newsreports, Peloton has revealed multiple federal probes over its reporting of fitness equipment injuries. Both the Justice Department and Homeland Security have subpoenaed the exercise hardware maker for documents and other data related to injury reporting, while the SEC is investigating public disclosures over those injuries.

The news follows a contentious recall for the Tread and Tread+ in May. Peloton recalled roughly 125,000 of the treadmills despite fighting the Consumer Product Safety Commission over the matter — the company insisted its gear was safe to use as long as people followed instructions, while officials weren't convinced the measures would have prevented a child's death and at least 29 injuries. The firm eventually relented, and it's just now shipping a safer Tread with hardware and software updates.

There are no guarantees any of the investigations will lead to crackdowns on Peloton's behavior. They do put pressure on the company to act, though, and they come right as Peloton is turning to price cuts to boost flagging sales. The situation is dire, in other words, and it's not going to improve in the near future.

Amazon's 2nd-gen Echo Buds are on sale for $90

Posted: 29 Aug 2021 11:10 AM PDT

Amazon might have made your choice of true wireless earbuds a little easier. The internet retailer is running a sale on the second-generation Echo Buds that lowers the price to $90 for the standard version, and $105 for the model with a wireless charging case. That makes them less expensive than many no-frills earbuds, let alone ones with comparable features like active noise cancellation.

Buy Echo Buds at Amazon - $90Buy Echo Buds (wireless charging case) at Amazon - $105

These aren't the absolute best-sounding earbuds you'll buy, but they pair solid quality with perks difficult to find even at their normal prices, including ANC, IPX4 water resistance and built-in Alexa support. These may be just the ticket if you're interested in hushing the outside world or adding a soundtrack to your workouts.

The limitations mostly come from a lack of standout performance in other areas. You'll need to manually finesse the audio to get the most out of it, and call quality is unspectacular. The five hours of ANC-enabled listening is healthy, but not much more than that. You're buying the Echo Buds due to their raw value for money — they frequently outshine similarly budget-oriented alternatives.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Clubhouse adds spatial audio to create more immersive audio chats (updated)

Posted: 29 Aug 2021 10:34 AM PDT

Clubhouse revolves around drop-in audio chatrooms, so wouldn't it make sense if they sounded more like rooms? They will now, if you have the right hardware. The company is rolling outspatial audio support to the Clubhouse app for iOS, giving you and participants a more "lifelike" conversation. You might remember who's speaking based on where their voice is coming from, not just what they sound like.

The feature will "slowly" reach all new iOS users starting today, and will be the default experience (you can turn it off if you prefer). Android is "coming soon," Clubhouse said. We've asked the company if you need earbuds or headphones that explicitly support spatial audio, like the AirPods Pro or AirPods Max.

This addition probably won't make you choose Clubhouse over Facebook's Live Audio Rooms or Twitter Spaces. It may give you a reason to stick to Clubhouse, though, and it could be particularly helpful if 'flat' chatrooms feel too detached from reality.

Update 8/29 2:12PM ET: Clubhouse told Engadget all wired and wireless headphones will support spatial audio. You won't hear it when you're speaking with Bluetooth audio due to technical limitations, but the effect will still be applied. The company hoped to address that issue with "mobile OS makers" (read: Apple and Google).

Rumor hints the next iPhone might boast satellite communication

Posted: 29 Aug 2021 09:54 AM PDT

You might not have to wait too long for an iPhone with satellite communication built-in. According to 9to5Mac, well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims the next iPhone (possibly called iPhone 13) will include support for low-Earth-orbit satellite calls and messages. You could get in touch on a remote camping trip without any cell service, and without buying a separate satellite communicator.

The iPhone would supposedly use a modified version of Qualcomm's X60 modem to talk to satellites. It's not certain if satellite support would be limited to certain apps, although we wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. Mobile satellite service is often far slower than conventional cellular data, ruling out many of the internet-intensive apps people take for granted.

There's good reason to be skeptical. A Bloomberg rumor from 2019 had Apple developing satellite technology for the iPhone, but the team reportedly hoped to ship a product within five years — two years might be too early, assuming the leaks were accurate in the first place. There are also logistical questions to address, such as the choice of service providers. Satellite service has historically been expensive, and it might be a tough sell even if you regularly venture beyond cellular coverage.

Many expect Apple to launch the new iPhone lineup in September. It's not certain if this would be limited to Pro models or reach the entire iPhone range.

If there is a satellite linkup, though, Apple might have a stronger hook for the new iPhone than rumored display and camera upgrades. This would be the first mainstream smartphone offering connectivity virtually anywhere on the planet, and competitors might not match the feature for a while.

Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite drops to all-time low price of $71 in one-day sale

Posted: 29 Aug 2021 08:44 AM PDT

Now might be a good time to buy an e-reader for school — or that end-of-summer vacation. Amazon has cut the price of the ad-supported 8GB Kindle Paperwhite to an all-time low of $71 in a one-day-only sale, well below the official $130 sticker. That's lower than what we saw just two weeks earlier, and makes it an easy choice compared to the base Kindle (which isn't discounted as we write this). You can buy the ad-free and 32GB variants with substantial discounts, too.

Buy Kindle Paperwhite on Amazon - $71

The Kindle Paperwhite is an easy choice if you're either new to e-readers or heavily invested in Amazon's ecosystem. It boasts a high-contrast backlit display, Audible audiobook support and waterproofing for your poolside reading sessions. Pair that with the usual weeks-long battery life of e-readers and you shouldn't have problems taking this with you on vacation.

It's not flawless. This deal doesn't cover the LTE model, so you won't be grabbing books while you're at the beach. You also won't find MP3 playback or text-to-speech support, and you might not be thrilled to see ads on the subsidized models. These limitations are hardly surprises, though, and at this price they're much easier to forgive — you can spend much more on readers with fewer features.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Sony's revised PS5 model has a smaller, lighter heatsink

Posted: 29 Aug 2021 07:29 AM PDT

Sony recently introduced an oddly lighter revision of the PlayStation 5, and it's now clear just why the console is that much easier to carry. YouTube creator Austin Evans has posted a teardown that shows the revised PS5 Digital Edition (that is, the no-disc model) is using a smaller, likely lower-cost heatsink. While this shaves a whopping 0.66lbs off the weight, it also raises the overall temperature by a few degrees — not necessarily a major issue, but worth noting if you either upgrade your SSD or stuff your system into a crowded media cabinet.

There are subtler changes as well, including an easier-to-use stand screw and tweaked connections to the WiFi chip, although it's not clear if or how the wireless changes make a practical difference. It's also uncertain how many of these changes translate to the disc drive version of the PS5.

The company hasn't officially explained its design choices for the updated PS5. As Evans speculates, however, the refreshed PS5 may be a cost-cutting measure that reflects lessons learned in the several months since the machine's debut. Now that Sony knows how well the cooling and other components perform, it knows where it can afford to use cheaper, simpler parts.

The timing is apt. In its first-quarter earnings briefing, Sony told investors it was no longer selling the disc-based PS5 at a loss — this latest design could make the Digital Edition profitable that much sooner. While the choice won't thrill gamers with bitter memories of overheating Xbox 360s (however unlikely a repeat might be), it might play an important role in Sony's long-term health.
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