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• The Morning After: China’s tech crackdown reaches TikTok
• Apple adds new personalized recommendations in Podcasts' Listen Now page
• Snapchat's new lenses and stickers can teach you basic sign language
• ProGrade undercuts Sony with its new CFexpress Type A camera memory cards
• Tesla drivers become 'inattentive' when using Autopilot, study finds
• Netflix debuts free tier for Android users in Kenya
• Google’s updated iOS 15 apps support Focus Mode and iPad widgets
• SEC opens investigation into Activision Blizzard's workplace practices
• NASA's VIPER Rover will explore the moon's Relay Crater
• GM restarts production of Bolt EV batteries following model-wide recall
• US officials can't decide if Honor smartphones are a national security threat
• Amazon will hold a hardware event on September 28th
• Balenciaga is now selling Fortnite-themed drip
• Apple's 2022 iPhones could feature notch-less designs, but not in-display Touch ID
• iOS 15 is now available
• OnePlus' 2022 flagship will share a unified Android 13 system with Oppo
• 'Finch' trailer sees man, machine and dog try to flee climate change
• Google Meet will automatically adjust webcam brightness in your browser
• ZTE Axon 30 review: An 'invisible' selfie camera comes at a cost
• Amazon's first-generation Echo Show 8 is on sale for $64 right now
• Twitter will pay over $800 million t​o settle a class action suit
• DoorDash expands alcohol deliveries to 20 states and DC
• Algoriddim's djay iOS app uses Shazam to recognize and sync with live music
• Roku's new Streaming Stick 4K gets Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and better Wi-Fi
• Roku OS 10.5 adds better voice support, 5.1 Roku speaker configurations

The Morning After: China’s tech crackdown reaches TikTok Posted: 21 Sep 2021 04:15 AM PDT ByteDance has announced that Douyin, the version of TikTok for China, will introduce new limits for minors under 14. These minors will now be limited to just 40 minutes of use per day and can't access the app at all between 10 PM and 6 AM. ByteDance is also urging parents to add in more comprehensive user data to avoid kids lying about their age to get around the ban. At the same time, the company unveiled a new TikTok-esque app called Xiao Qu Xing ("Little Fun Star"), which offers short educational videos. This is another fairly dramatic move as part of China's broader crackdown on digital media and video games. Officials have recently described gaming as "spiritual opium" and limited kids playtime to just three hours a week. Chinese leaders are reportedly concerned that children are becoming addicted to video games, which is having a detrimental effect on their development. The science behind video game addiction is controversial and disputed, with research into the condition ongoing. Either way, the changes to Douyin aren't likely to be that wide ranging in isolation since it's thought that less than half a percent of users are under 14. It's just the overall trend that's likely to be worth keeping an eye on, especially if this anti-game rhetoric spreads to other countries. — Dan Cooper Ikea's new $40 wireless charging pad mounts underneath your desk or table No more drilling or unsightly charging plates on your table, desk or nightstand. IKEA When I added an Ikea-branded wireless charging plate to my Ikea nightstand, I had to buy a custom Ikea hole saw to drill through into the top. As it turned out, Ikea furniture is sufficiently weak that I managed to scorch the wood and the paint with just the friction of the saw. The charging plate was, mercifully, big enough to cover the burn marks, so I never got any lectures about being bad at DIY. I had, however, learned my lesson that drilling out a QI charger was not my forte. Ikea seems to feel similarly and has now launched the new Sjömärke QI charger, which is strong enough to charge a phone from the underside of your desk. You can glue or screw the chunky $40 unit to the underside of a suitable wooden or plastic table top. Then, all you have to do is drop your phone on the right spot and watch as about 5W of juice wafts into your phone. Or, at least, you will when it arrives in October. Continue Reading. Sponsored by TechCrunch Disrupt Join us now for a free live virtual event you won't want to miss. ZTE Axon 30 review: An 'invisible' selfie camera comes at a cost That cost being… awful selfies. Mat Smith ZTE's Axon 30 is one of those rare smartphones offering a (pretty much) invisible front-facing camera. The lack of notch, punch-hole or cut-out means users can take full advantage of the 30's gorgeous, 6.92-inch, 2,460 x 1,080 120Hz AMOLED display. But, for $500, there are a couple of teeny-weeny compromises you'll have to accept, including, er, lackluster selfies. We won't spoil the rest of Mat Smith's review but, suffice it to say, his feelings on this handset are pretty complicated. Continue Reading. iOS 15 is now available Your iPad, Watch and Apple TV will also get updated operating systems. Cherlynn Low iOS 15 and its device-specific cousins have now arrived and are making their way to your tech as we speak. Some of the biggest new features include upgraded FaceTime and Messages, better notifications and a Google Lens-esque Live Text function. Some of the more notable features announced at WWDC haven't arrived just yet, including SharePlay, but those are expected to drop later in the year. At the same time, Apple showed off the full trailer for Finch, the Tom Hanks-fronted post-apocalyptic movie about a man, his dog and his robot trying to survive after the world ends. I imagine it's a bit like if Cormac McCarthy had written Turner and Hooch after watching Short Circuit. Continue Reading. US officials can't decide if Honor smartphones are a national security threat Uh-oh. Honor When Huawei went on the US entity list, the Chinese giant was prevented from working with pretty much every tech company worth mentioning. Huawei couldn't source chips from Intel or Qualcomm or get software help (and Play Store access) from Google. Consequently, Huawei spun out and sold off Honor, its budget division, for it to thrive free from the sanctions threatening its own future as a global brand. Unfortunately, those best laid plans may be undone by a quartet of federal agencies who are deciding if Honor should go on the same entity list. Reports suggest that teams from the Pentagon and Department of Energy are in favor of addition, while the Commerce and State Departments are against. If this deadlock can't be solved, however, the decision could ultimately end up on Joe Biden's desk to sort out. Continue Reading. The biggest news stories you might have missed Apple's 2022 iPhones could feature notch-less designs, but not in-display Touch ID DoorDash expands alcohol deliveries to 20 states and DC OnePlus' 2022 flagship will share a unified Android 13 system with Oppo Roku's new Streaming Stick 4K gets Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and better Wi-Fi Roku OS 10.5 adds better voice support, 5.1 Roku speaker configurations

Apple adds new personalized recommendations in Podcasts' Listen Now page Posted: 21 Sep 2021 03:40 AM PDT Apple has introduced new sharing and personalized recommendation features for Podcasts on iOS 15, all meant to help you discover new shows to listen to. Starting today, you'll find personalized recommendation sections in the Listen Now page that show you podcasts similar to the ones you enjoy. They'll be entitled "If You Like '[Show Name]'..." and then list titles in the same category or with the same theme or same format. They could also list shows from the same studio or titles other users listening to that particular podcast are also following. You'll find new sections with recommendations based the topics you usually enjoy, as well. If you listen to a lot of shows under Books, for instance, you'll see sections recommending titles under related categories, such as Arts and Design. These new personalized recommendation features are going live today, September 21st, for those who've already installed iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and tvOS 15, and it will also be available for macOS Monterey when the OS goes live this fall. Their availability is limited to specific regions for now, however, namely the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Podcasts is also getting the new Shared with You feature that rolled out for several apps with iOS 15. In Podcasts, you'll see the new Shared with You section in the Listen Now page when somebody sends you channels, episodes or shows over Messages. A button that says "From [contact]" will show you who sent it over, and you can tap it to bring up the part in your conversation on Messages when it was shared so you can send a reply. While the feature could be a great way to find new shows to follow, you can completely disable it under Messages in Podcast's Settings. You can also just delete individual recommendations by pressing on the item and selecting "Remove." Take note that the section doesn't show up until you get at least one recommendation, and it will disappear the moment you delete the last item in the list.

Snapchat's new lenses and stickers can teach you basic sign language Posted: 21 Sep 2021 03:00 AM PDT Snapchat is rolling out new augmented reality lenses and stickers that can give you cursory lessons on sign language. The company has developed the new features as part of its efforts for the Weak of the Deaf with guidance from its Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing team members. Its new AR Lenses use AI and computer vision technology by SignAll, which can recognize and translate American Sign Language.  One of the lenses will teach you how to fingerspell, in which you form individual letters with your fingers to spell a word. The other new lenses will teach you how to fingerspell your username, as well as some common words like "love" and "smile." You can scan the Snapcodes below to access them and then share a clip of you signing on the app. Snap In addition to the new lenses, Snap has also launched new general, Bitmoji and Cameos selfie stickers with common signs. The hope is that these new elements can boost awareness and help more people learn a new way to communicate. Jennica Pounds, a deaf software engineer at Snap who was a key figure in the project said: "A big motivation for me is my own oldest son, who absolutely loves to talk, but has had a hard time learning ASL. I'm passionate about this technology because I truly believe it's going to break so many applications wide open. It's tech like this that will help families like mine communicate and grow together." Snap

ProGrade undercuts Sony with its new CFexpress Type A camera memory cards Posted: 21 Sep 2021 01:20 AM PDT Sony introduced smaller CFexpress Type A memory cards with the launch of the A7S III mirrorless camera, offering a high speed (700MB/s read/800MB/s write) option for recording bursts or 4K/8K video. Unfortunately, Sony itself is the only manufacturer using that slot and actually selling memory cards, so it's charging through the nose. Luckily, ProGrade has just released its own model, the CFexpress Type A Cobalt, with the 160GB card running $330 — $70 less than Sony's 160GB card. Pre-Order ProGrade CFexpress Type A Cobalt 160GB at B&H - $330 As a reminder, CFexpress Type A uses the same high-speed CFexpress technology as the type B cards, so the Cobalt card can deliver burst read/write speeds of 800MB/s/700MB/s and sustained write speeds of 400MB/s. That's considerably faster than what SD UHS II can do (burst read/write speeds up to 300MB/s), though slower than CFexpress Type B (1,750MB/s read and 1,000MB/s write). Still, it's easily fast enough to capture high-speed photo bursts without any stuttering, along with 8K or 4K 120p video.  ProGrade Only two cameras actually use the slot, Sony's A7S III and A1, and both have dual slots that can accept either SD UHS II or CFexpress Type A cards. If you own either of those cameras, though, you know that CFexpress Type A is much preferred as it supports all of those cameras' video formats and works better for high-speed bursts. The latter is key, as the A1 can shoot 50-megapixel RAW photos at up to 30 fps.  With few camera models supporting CFexpress Type A, other third-party card manufacturers had yet to jump on board until now, though Delkin also announced cards that are coming soon. Sony charges $200 for the 80GB card a whopping $400 for the 160GB version, but you can now pre-order the ProGrade 160GB version for a more reasonable $330.

Tesla drivers become 'inattentive' when using Autopilot, study finds Posted: 21 Sep 2021 12:22 AM PDT Tesla may soon launch its latest FSD (full self-driving) Autopilot to a wide group of drivers, and US safety authorities aren't that happy about it. They have reason to be concerned, according to a new MIT study seen by TechCrunch. The researchers studied glance data and found that drivers become more inattentive when using Tesla's Autopilot system.   "Visual behavior patterns change before and after [Autopilot] disengagement," according to the study. "Before disengagement, drivers looked less on road and focused more on non-driving related areas compared to after the transition to manual driving. The higher proportion of off-road glances before disengagement to manual driving were not compensated by longer glances ahead." Visual behavior patterns change before and after AP disengagement. Before disengagement, drivers looked less on road and focused more on non-driving related areas compared to after the transition to manual driving. The higher proportion of off-road glances before disengagement to manual driving were not compensated by longer glances ahead. The fact that drivers may not pay as much attention to the road when using Autopilot is not exactly a shocker. What's new is that the researchers were able to see exactly where drivers were looking when the autopilot was engaged versus when it's disengaged. Off-road glances were directed downwards and toward the center stack region, so they "were presumably non-driving related." Rather, looking in those directions is typically associated with activities like glancing down at a smartphone or interacting with the center-stack infotainment touchscreen. Those were often longer with Autopilot engaged and far more frequent than off-road glances in manual driving, according to the paper.  Despite the name, Tesla's FSD (full self-driving) Autopilot is merely a driver assist system and far from being fully autonomous. As such, it requires that drivers keep their hands on the wheel and remain fully alert, but Tesla doesn't use cameras or other means to monitor the alertness part.  The latest version, 10.0.1, supposedly makes more confident decisions on the road, but has so far only rolled out to a relatively small group of beta testers. Tesla plans to roll it out more widely starting September 24th, though, and may release it to all Autopilot FSD EVs, pending a seven day trial that will track owner behavior.  The new release could pit Tesla against US regulators, however. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) head Jennifer Homendy recently said that Tesla shouldn't release the latest software update until it can address "basic safety issues." She also wasn't thrilled with Tesla essentially beta-testing upgrades on public streets.

Netflix debuts free tier for Android users in Kenya Posted: 20 Sep 2021 09:36 PM PDT Netflix has started offering potential paying subscribers in Kenya access to some of its content at no cost. The streaming service has launched a free tier in the country that offers around one-fourth the content available to paying subscribers. It has no ads and won't even ask for payment information upon sign-up — a new subscriber will only need to confirm they're over 18 and to type in their email address and password.  That said, it does have limitations in addition to having a smaller selection: It's only accessible on an Android device and users won't be able to download episodes for offline viewing or to cast shows on movies to a TV. In the announcement post, Netflix's Director of Product Innovation Cathy Conk, said: "If you've never watched Netflix before — and many people in Kenya haven't — this is a great way to experience our service." The company is hoping that the free tier would entice people to pay for the service. This isn't the first time Netflix made some of its content free to access. Last year, it launched a "watch free" page where people can stream original movies such as Bird Box and the first episodes of popular shows like Stranger Things without even having to log in. The free plan is new, though, and a spokesperson told Variety that it's launching first in Kenya as a way for the company to gather information on how effective it is in generating paying customers. Netflix has been investing more heavily in new markets to offset its slowing growth in the US and other saturated markets and amidst an increasing number of rival streaming services. Based on what the rep said, we may see the free tier make its way to more regions in the future.

Google’s updated iOS 15 apps support Focus Mode and iPad widgets Posted: 20 Sep 2021 03:42 PM PDT With iOS 15 now available to download, developers both big and small have started updating their apps to take advantage of the operating system's marquee features. One of those is Google, which detailed today the iOS 15-related enhancements you can expect from its apps. The biggest change involves how Gmail, Meet, Tasks, Maps, Home and many of Google's other applications will handle notifications. Should you have iOS 15's new Focus Mode enabled, Google says prompts that don't require your immediate attention will go to the Notifications Center where you can deal with them later. More timely reminders, such as those Google Maps sends you when you're trying to navigate somewhere, won't be silenced, and you'll see them as they're sent to you. Google says its goal was to make notifications "as relevant and timely as possible." You'll see these roll out to the company's apps in the "coming weeks." Meanwhile, if you own an iPad you can look forward to new Google Photos and YouTube Music widgets that take advantage of the extra screen space Apple's tablets offer. The company says it will roll these out in the coming weeks as well. Lastly, Google Drive and YouTube Music feature new Spotlight integrations. You can use the tool to search for specific files and to play a song directly in Google's music streaming service. Those enhancements are available today — though you'll probably wish more apps worked with Spotlight in this way.

SEC opens investigation into Activision Blizzard's workplace practices Posted: 20 Sep 2021 02:21 PM PDT The Securities and Exchange Commission has opened a "wide-ranging" investigation into Activision Blizzard, per The Wall Street Journal. The outlet reports the SEC recently subpoenaed the company and several executives, including CEO Bobby Kotick. The agency has asked the publisher to share a variety of documents, including correspondence Kotick wrote related to complaints of sexual harassment tied to Activision employees and contractors. Helaine Klasky, a spokesperson for Activision Blizzard, told The Journal the SEC's investigation involves disclosures the company made regarding "employment matters and related issues." The agency reportedly hopes to find out whether Activision properly disclosed those problems, as well as whether those disclosures should have been shared earlier. An SEC investigation adds significantly more regulatory pressure on Activision Blizzard. In July, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) sued the company, accusing its executives of fostering a "frat boy" workplace culture. According to the initial complaint, only 20 percent of all employees at Activision's Blizzard Entertainment unit are women, and they're consistently paid less and overlooked for promotions. One month later, DFEH expanded the scope of the lawsuit to include both workers and employees. It also accused the company of using non-disclosure agreements to interfere with its ability to address the workplace violations that had happened at the studio.

NASA's VIPER Rover will explore the moon's Relay Crater Posted: 20 Sep 2021 01:35 PM PDT During a teleconference with journalists on Monday, NASA researchers revealed the decided landing and exploration site for its upcoming VIPER lunar ice survey. Lori Glaze, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters, announced that the VIPER mission will land along the western edge of "Relay crater" at the moon's south pole.  NASA The decision to select this landing site required balancing a number of competing factors. Mission control "considered critical parameters, such as Earth visibility — for communications from the moon to Earth — sunlight terrain that's well suited for the rover to navigate through, and most importantly, of course, the expected presence of ice and other resources," Glaze explained, "while analyzing all these constraints, one study area came out ahead of all the rest, maximizing science return and flexibility to help ensure mission success once Viper is on the moon." During its 100-day mission, the VIPER rover is expected to investigate at least six potential sites covering 10 to 15 square-miles of lunar surface through one of the coldest areas in our solar system studied to date. That includes permanently-shadowed craters that have a good probability of potentially containing water ice.  "We really don't know where that water is so we had to find a place where we could cover significant distances — and by significant distances I mean tens of kilometers — going in and out of thermal regimes that included everything from permanently shadowed craters with literally 50 Kelvin temperatures to areas that transitioned to a balmy 110 Kelvin, and then all the way up to 250 Kelvin," Anthony Colaprete, Lead Project Scientist at NASA Ames said during the call. "We want to study the entire range of thermal environments."

GM restarts production of Bolt EV batteries following model-wide recall Posted: 20 Sep 2021 12:44 PM PDT Following reports last week that GM might have to extend the shutdown of its Bolt EV production until at least mid-October, the company announced on Monday that it has "outlined a comprehensive action plan to ensure that customers can safely and confidently drive, charge, and park the Chevy Bolt EV and EUV," according to a GM press release. Both LG plants at Holland and Hazel Park, Michigan have resumed production and dealer deliveries are expected to begin by mid-October.  The battery fault that led to a model-wide recall of the electric vehicles beginning in August turned out to be a pair of issues. Manufacturing defects caused both for anodes to tear and cathode-anode separators to fold. Should both of these defects manifest within the same battery cell, it would have a higher chance of catching fire. "LG has implemented new manufacturing processes and has worked with GM to review and enhance its quality assurance programs to provide confidence in its batteries moving forward," the GM statement read. "LG will institute these new processes in other facilities that will provide cells to GM in the future."  GM has established a notification process to inform impacted customers as to when their replacement battery modules will be available. The company has also developed a diagnostic software suite designed to "detect specific abnormalities that might indicate a damaged battery in Bolt EVs and EUVs by monitoring the battery performance," per the release. The software has to be installed at the dealership but will enable Bolt EV owners to exceed the current GM-enacted 90-percent charge limit should their batteries pass muster.

US officials can't decide if Honor smartphones are a national security threat Posted: 20 Sep 2021 12:34 PM PDT Late last year, Chinese electronics manufacturer Huawei sold its budget mobile brand Honor to "ensure" it would survive the sanctions the US had issued against its own business. The move allowed the brand to work with firms like Qualcomm and Intel to source chips and other critical components for its phones, laptops and wearables. But now Honor could be in trouble as well. According to The Washington Post, officials at four federal agencies voted last week whether to place the company on the Commerce Department's entity list. Landing there would prevent Honor from working with US companies. The Post reports the vote went evenly down the middle. Officials from the Pentagon and Energy Department were reportedly in favor of putting the company on the list, while their counterparts at the Commerce Department and State Department were not. With the deadlock, it's now up to the political appointees at those agencies to decide what to do. If they can't make a decision, the issue could eventually make its way to the desk of President Joe Biden. The Commerce Department declined to comment on the vote when The Post reached out to the agency about it. Instead, it spoke to the subject of the entity list more broadly, noting it continually reviews the risk of a nominated company illegally sharing US technology. "We remain committed to using a full range of tools, including . . . export controls, to deter efforts by the [People's Republic of China] and other countries … that seek to leverage technology in ways that risk harming US national security and foreign policy interests," Brittany Caplin, a spokesperson the agency, told the outlet. Ultimately, those making the case that Honor should land on the entity list may have difficulty convincing their counterparts that the company is a national security threat to the US. Unlike its one-time parent, Honor doesn't sell telecommunications equipment to carriers. That means it's not involved in the 5G network buildouts that were ostensibly at the center of the decision to place Huawei there. What's more, its products aren't even available in the US.

Amazon will hold a hardware event on September 28th Posted: 20 Sep 2021 11:14 AM PDT Amazon will host a hardware event on September 28th at 12PM ET, the company announced today. The retailer promised to share news about its latest "devices, features and services" in an invite it shared with Engadget. Beyond that, the company didn't provide other details on what to expect from it next week. But if we had to take a guess, we should see many of the same types of products we saw last year.  In 2020, Amazon announced new Echo speakers, its Luna gaming service, WiFi 6-enabled Eero mesh routers and Fire TV devices. Oh, it also showed off an indoor security drone from Ring that we haven't seen since that event. Amazon won't livestream the proceedings, but we'll have you covered with articles on all of the company's most notable announcements from that day.

Balenciaga is now selling Fortnite-themed drip Posted: 20 Sep 2021 11:12 AM PDT Fortnite is taking a step closer to creating the broadest metaverse around with its latest crossover. Instead of a partnership with the likes of other games or Ariana Grande, Epic Games' freshest collab is with a high-fashion brand. Balenciaga is now selling limited-edition Fortnite-themed clothes at typically high prices. A white Fortnite x Balenciaga hoodie costs $725 while a baseball cap will set you back $395. A t-shirt is $495 while a denim jacket will leave your wallet $1,290 lighter. This crossover goes both ways. Four Balenciaga outfits (including a dog wearing the hoodie) are coming to the game. The Balenciaga Fit Set comprises the first high-fashion skins in Fortnite. Starting at 8PM ET on Monday, you can unlock Balenciaga backpacks as your back bling, as well as a themed pickaxe shaped like a sneaker, a purse glider, wrap and emote. There are also a pair of free sprays to earn through quests that start on September 21st and run for a week. You can check out a Strange Times Featured Hub that includes a virtual Balenciaga store, as well as a themed photography campaign. This could open the floodgates for all kinds of Fortnite fashion collaborations in the future. We might see Agent Jones wearing a pair of Air Jordan 1s or the Battle Bus decked out in Gucci logos. Meanwhile, Epic released a video showing how its team and Balenciaga used Unreal Engine to add the new looks.

Apple's 2022 iPhones could feature notch-less designs, but not in-display Touch ID Posted: 20 Sep 2021 10:20 AM PDT Apple may have only announced its iPhone 13 lineup last week, but analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is already looking ahead to the company's 2022 lineup. According to an investor note seen by MacRumors, Kuo claims Apple will release three new iPhones in the second half of the year. The two high-end models will reportedly feature punch-hole display cutouts and a 48-megapixel primary camera. In other words, the expectation is that Apple will start moving away from the notch design that has defined its phones since the release of the iPhone X in 2017. Moving to a 48-megapixel camera would also represent a significant change for the company. Recent iPhones have exclusively shipped with 12-megapixel primary cameras. By moving to a denser sensor, the company could use pixel binning technology to allow people to take high-resolution shots during the day and less noisy ones when the sun starts to set. Looking further ahead, Kuo said Apple plans to add an in-display fingerprint sensor to the iPhone in 2023. Previously, the analyst had predicted that would happen next year, but now notes a slower than expected development process has delayed Apple's rollout of the feature. That's a significant delay when you consider early reports on the iPhone 13 lineup had suggested those phones would include in-display fingerprint sensors. Similarly, he expects the company will release a foldable iPhone in 2024, where he had previously predicted we would see the device sometime in 2023. As always, take these reports with a grain of salt. Kuo has a decent but not flawless track record when predicting Apple releases.

iOS 15 is now available Posted: 20 Sep 2021 10:06 AM PDT Apple is now rolling out iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8 and tvOS 15 to iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV devices. You might not see the updates right away, but when they're available, you'll have access to a bunch more features. Facetime and Messages have been upgraded on both iPhone and iPad. Facetime supports spatial audio and reduces background noise, while people can join Facetime calls through shareable links on the web and Android. It'll be easier to keep track of things your friends and family share with you in Messages thanks to dedicated tabs in the News, Music, TV and Podcasts apps. Notifications have also been overhauled. You'll have more control over push alerts and you can let only notifications from select apps and people through when you activate one of the new Focus modes. There are profiles for activities including sleeping and working, and the OS can automatically rearrange your home screen apps to bring the ones you're most likely to use at a certain time to the forefront. Screenshots of the iOS 15 beta Also new in iOS 15 is the Live Text function, which works in a similar way to Google Lens. The feature can extract written text from photos, screenshots and the world around you. You can edit, translate and share the text. The feature can also identify things like art, landmarks, plants and pets. Elsewhere, there are new features for the Maps, Photos and Weather apps on iOS. Spotlight searches will have richer results, including your own photos, with Apple using machine learning to figure out what's in each image. On iPad, Quick Notes are now a system-wide feature — just swipe in from the lower right corner to jot down some thoughts using the keyboard or Apple Pencil. Expect some multitasking and Safari changes too. Nathan Ingraham / Engadget One thing that iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 don't have at launch is the SharePlay feature. It lets you enjoy movies, shows and music together with friends over Facetime, and you can share your screen with them. Apple will release the feature on those operating systems, tvOS 15 and macOS Monterey later. Apple also put the child safety features it planned to release as part of iOS 15 on the back burner while it makes improvements. The watchOS 8 update perhaps isn't quite as extensive. There's a bigger focus on mindfulness and health, including some new workout categories. Apple Watch now has deeper integration with iPhone, with features including Focus mode support and a Contacts app. You can also expect portrait watch faces and multiple timers. Apple TV now has spatial audio support, including for AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, following the tvOS 15 update. You can also connect multiple HomePod minis to an Apple TV 4K and use those as the default speakers. If you have an iPhone 6s or later, iPhone SE (either generation) or seventh-gen iPod touch, you'll be able to install iOS 15. Those with Apple tablets can run iPadOS 15 on fifth-gen and later iPads, iPad mini 4 and later, iPad Air 2 and later and all iPad Pro devices. Meanwhile, watchOS 8 is supported by Apple Watch Series 3 and later devices. As for macOS Monterey, Apple has yet to announce a firm release date for the next version of its Mac operating system. Monterey should be available sometime this fall. Apple is rolling out the major annual firmware updates just a few days before the iPhone 13 lineup and new iPads arrive. Apple Watch Series 7 will be released later this fall.

OnePlus' 2022 flagship will share a unified Android 13 system with Oppo Posted: 20 Sep 2021 09:30 AM PDT Following OnePlus' integration into Oppo in June, co-founder Pete Lau — who has been appointed Chief Product Officer for both brands since May 2020 — is ready to share more on what to expect from his expanded team, aka "OnePlus 2.0."  We already knew about the upcoming unified OS, which will apparently bring the best of both worlds — the smoothness and lightness (no ads!) of OnePlus' OxygenOS, combined with the reliability and smartness of Oppo's ColorOS. In a recent group interview, Lau added that this yet-to-be-named system will be based on Google's upcoming Android 13, and it'll be featured on OnePlus' 2022 flagship device — likely dubbed "OnePlus 10" — due out first half of the year. Some existing devices will also receive this update, though no specific models were mentioned. (Lau said the Nord 2 already features an early version of the integrated codebase, so there's a good chance that it'll get the full upgrade.) Richard Lai/Engadget Given that the shared OS would reduce differentiation between Lau's two brands, one might wonder which would more likely produce the "perfect" flagship smartphone? Never one to give a direct answer, Lau implied that he doesn't believe such a device would ever exist. He referred to an internal demographic map featuring 20 user categories, each of which tied to a combination of different needs — down to the level of product size, specific photography features, charging modes, weight and more.  Lau's basic definition of OnePlus users is "tech enthusiasts," but he added that based on this mapping, it's still impossible to satisfy everyone's needs with a single device. As such, the exec thinks the market is big enough for his two brands to avoid friendly fire. For the same reason, OnePlus' Nord line will continue to co-exist with the Oppo Reno series (and Realme, for that matter), though the similarity of their designs is still questionable. (Lau insisted that each brand has a dedicated design team, even after the merger.) OnePlus Another area which OnePlus may benefit from the integration is photography. Lau pointed out that what used to be a camera team of around 100 people is now some 700, which may allow OnePlus to take better advantage of its relationship with Hasselblad, especially with their ongoing work on color science this year. The exec added that he can't say OnePlus currently has the best camera performance, but he's certain that it's "definitely" among the top in the industry. Lau admitted that with his expanded role, even if he had 48-hour days, it'd still be impossible for him to personally pick on every single detail on every product like he did before (let's just say it'd be unlikely that he'd throw a fit over a minor design issue on a logic board, as he once famously did back in his Oppo Blu-ray player days). Instead, Lau had been spending a lot of time teaching his "never settle" philosophy to his new Oppo teammates over the past year or so, in the hopes of changing what used to be a leader-driven mission to true team work. It'll be a while before we get a real taste of this fruition, but Lau is "confident that this new unified OS won't disappoint."

'Finch' trailer sees man, machine and dog try to flee climate change Posted: 20 Sep 2021 09:11 AM PDT Apple offered a brief glimpse of the Tom Hanks-led Finch at its recent iPhone 13 launch event, and now you can watch the first full trailer for the upcoming sci-fi film. The clip sets the stage for the story that follows. A solar flare knocked out most of the technology on Earth and left much of the US a desolate wasteland. Hanks' character, the titular Finch, survives in an underground shelter with his only companion, a dog named Goodyear, until he builds a new Android companion. The three of them eventually leave their home when it becomes threatened by the sandstorms that dominate the world of the movie. Like Greyhound, Apple acquired Finch for Apple TV+ when the film got lost in pandemic-related delays. It's only one part of a strong fall lineup that is surprisingly heavy on sci-fi stories. Before Finch comes out on November 5th, genre fans can look forward to the company's adaptation of Isaac Asimov's Foundation novels on September 24th and then Invasion, which stars Jurassic Park's Sam Neill, on October 22nd.

Google Meet will automatically adjust webcam brightness in your browser Posted: 20 Sep 2021 08:55 AM PDT Google Meet will soon make it easier for you to see all of your co-workers or friends properly on video calls. The web version of the app can detect when someone is underexposed due to bad lighting. Meet will then increase the brightness so it's easier to see your cohorts and perhaps make your feed clearer if you have a terrible webcam. The low-light mode hit the Google Meet iOS and Android mobile apps last year. It uses AI to examine light levels and tweak the brightness. There's no admin control for the feature, though users will be able to switch it off — Google says having it enabled might slow down your device. The feature is coming to all Workspace and G Suite basic and business users. Google is rolling it out to Rapid Release domains starting today and Scheduled Release domains on October 4th. The rollout will take up to 15 days in both cases, so by mid-October, bad webcam feeds could be a thing of the past on Meet calls.

ZTE Axon 30 review: An 'invisible' selfie camera comes at a cost Posted: 20 Sep 2021 08:32 AM PDT ZTE's family of devices is a little confusing at the moment. The Axon 30 is a direct sequel to the Axon 20, which was the first phone to feature an in-screen camera. However, the company has subsequently released the Axon 30 Pro and Ultra in some territories. So, weirdly, the vanilla Axon 30 is the last of the Axon 30 family to appear. At $500, it's also the cheapest — another attempt by ZTE to slide underneath the priciest smartphones around and offer a mixture of compelling features, albeit tempered by some compromises. The Axon 30's headline feature is a much-improved under-display camera (UDC), which is almost invisible. It's also a ZTE smartphone that's launching in the US, which doesn't always happen. But with increasingly strong midrange phone competition from the likes of Samsung, OnePlus and Google, does ZTE's Axon 30 offer more than just a hidden selfie camera? So what's all the fuss about that camera anyway? Well, the under-screen 16-megapixel selfie shooter on the $500 Axon 30 puts the one on Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 to shame. ZTE's implementation is imperceptible unless you really, really look for it. No punch hole, no notch, no pop-up camera. In comparison, the Fold 3's selfie cam has a pixelated effect that signposts where the camera is and ruins the whole effect. (Yes, in Samsung's defense, there's another front-facing camera on the Fold 3 when it's closed and you're using the smaller screen.) The difference seems to be pixel density, or according to ZTE, the composition of them, with a "special pixel matrix" that ensures the screen appears at 400 PPI — double that found on the Axon 20. If the light catches the unit just right, then yes, you can see it. You'll probably never notice it again. There's also a dedicated UDC chip that apparently works to keep the camera area looking consistent with the rest of the screen. To get a closer look, I used Oppo's Find X3 Pro, which has a microscope phone camera — perfect for visually explaining what could otherwise get very technical. Engadget, Mat Smith As you can see, some pixels seem slightly smaller, or dimmer, than those surrounding them. In this close up you can see the outline of the UDC area, but at this magnification, it's impressive that it doesn't look more out of place. I'll touch on the camera's performance later, but spoiler: While it might look the part, it's not quite capable enough. The hidden sensor also complements the expansive 6.92-inch AMOLED screen, uninterrupted by the presence of any camera notches or holes. With a 2,460 x 1,080 resolution panel and 120Hz refresh rate, the Axon 30 is offering a flagship screen for mid-range prices. You can switch between 120 and 60Hz modes, with an automatic option letting the Axon 30 decide when to increase the frequency. On more expensive phones, like the OnePlus 9 Pro and the recently-announced iPhone Pro 13, there are more refresh rate options that dip even lower, but at this price, this seems like a fair compromise. Leaving it on auto is probably the best fit for most folks, but the manual options are nice — especially as there seems to be a tangible battery life benefit to the lower setting. The phone itself is pretty big but feels solid despite its plastic back. ZTE added a translucent reflective effect across the rear of the Axon 30, which I like. I'm less enamored with the giant camera unit, however, which protrudes a few millimeters from the phone, and is likely to be more easily dinged and scratched. Sadly, this design is now everywhere. The screen might be comparable to a high-end phone, but there are some features that didn't make the cut at this price, like wireless charging and certified resistance against dust and water. Performance and software Engadget, Mat Smith There are further compromises. The Axon 30 is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 870 processor — which is a little underpowered compared to the Snapdragon 880 and 880 Plus we're seeing in flagship Android smartphones now. But at $500, phones like the Pixel 5a (and its Snapdragon 765G chip) are a better comparison to make. The Axon 30 has a more powerful chip than Google's latest device, though it's hard to notice a difference in performance between the two. The Axon 30 handled everything I threw at it, whether that was video streaming, Stadia or playing games on the phone itself. (The Stadia app did flag that the phone wasn't officially supported, although it worked fine for me.) There was some visible slowdown when recording video at full 4K resolution, and hopping into the gallery, but otherwise, I didn't have many complaints. I also have to mention that the Axon 30 isn't exactly great for 5G support in the US. It only works on T-Mobile's midband 5G. If you're on Verizon or AT&T, you'll be relegated to 4G. ZTE does know what it's doing with smartphone power, though. The phone has a 4,200mAh battery that, when I turned the 120Hz refresh rate off, lasted a good two days of typical use before I needed to recharge. And when I did need to, it took hardly any time. The Axon 30 supports incredibly fast charging speeds of up to 65W with the appropriate charger, which (thankfully) the phone comes with. ZTE estimates it can charge the phone to 100 percent in under an hour, but getting to 50 percent takes proportionately less time — around 20 minutes. Software is pretty innocuous, which is generally a good thing. ZTE keeps pretty close to the stock Google experience. Its new MyOS 11 skin, based on Android 11, is pretty close to what you'd find on a Pixel. There are a few gesture quirks (shake the Axon 30 for the flashlight!) and a floating shortcut widget that can be minimized to the edges of the screen. It's similar to Samsung's Edge panel on its bigger phones. ZTE's version is called Z-Pop and you can tweak the four shortcuts for system commands and app switching. That said, it's not something that makes you think "Mmm what a memorable experience this is." Cameras Engadget, Mat Smith While the front-facing 16-megapixel camera is technically impressive, it doesn't take great selfies. Don't get me wrong, it shoots far better pics than the UDC on both Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Axon 20. The work done to pixel-bin for low light performance, as well as algorithms to help the camera 'see' through the AMOLED panel make this the best UDC so far. But it still offers up middling to poor photos. It's a bit of a time warp, to be honest, giving me the kind of pictures I used to get on smartphones years ago. Details are fuzzy, and any strong backlighting leads to lens flares and washout. There's also an AI assist mode that doesn't seem to help much — if anything, modes like brightness seem to wash out skin tones even further, and they're a little gray to begin with. Even if you turn this off, images seem pretty unnatural. I couldn't mask how disappointed I was in these selfies. Engadget, Mat Smith It does still capture enough detail to offer face unlock functionality if you prefer that method to fingerprint unlock. And yes, there's also a fingerprint reader built into the screen. Face unlock worked fine for me nine times out of ten, and was plenty fast enough, but I used a combination of the two. Fingerprint unlock seemed more reliable in darker environments. But what about the rest of the cameras? On the back, the Axon 30 has a four-camera array, led by a 64-megapixel Sony sensor. While you'll mostly be taking pictures that fuse a lot of these pixels together for less noise and better performance in low-light, ZTE has kept the ability to take full-resolution stills if you want to. There's also an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 5-megapixel macro camera and finally, a 2-megapixel depth sensor to aid your bokeh photography efforts and help with focus. You get up to 2x optical zoom, which is what you'd generally expect at this price point. While shooting pictures with the Axon 30 during a family event, images of friends and family seemed particularly good. There is a softness to some shots, likely due to the photos being shrunk down from the 64-megapixel original, but the phone was able to handle most things I threw at it. There's a night mode — of course — but the Axon 30 takes pretty functional shots in low light without having to resort to using it. It did help further reduce noise and improve detail a little, but I'd also advise testing shots with AI mode on and off, as sometimes I found it meddled a little too heavily, especially with people as subjects. And the macro camera isn't worth your time. I suggest using the primary camera with zoom for generally better results in most situations. The problem with the macro camera seems to be that the phone has to be so close to the subject that it blocks a lot of light. That's not great for detail-oriented photography. Video camera modes are generally the same across most mid-range phones in recent years, and the Axon 30 isn't hugely different. It can handle up to 4K at 60fps and a multi-camera mode lets you record from both the wide-angle and the primary camera at the same time, which is a nice trick we've occasionally seen on flagship phones. Due to sluggish autofocus, however, the recording quality isn't great. If you've got a stable subject and good light, videos will generally come out nicely. At other times, you'll struggle to record anything functional. Just because a phone can record 4K, it doesn't mean you should. Summary Engadget, Mat Smith With the Axon 30, ZTE has proved it can successfully camouflage its under-display camera. But that doesn't mean it's up to the task. Image quality from the secretive selfie lens really isn't good enough, even if the implementation is impressive. Aside from that, the Axon 30 has a gorgeous, fluid screen and a decent rear camera setup. The lack of wider 5G support in the US is frustrating in a 2021 phone, but there is still a lot here for $500. The bigger challenge is that competition is tough in the middleweight phone arena. Google's latest Pixel, the 5a, rings in at $450, and offers better-performing cameras, front and back. If you're struggling to pick between the two, the decision loosely boils down to a bigger screen or better selfies.

Amazon's first-generation Echo Show 8 is on sale for $64 right now Posted: 20 Sep 2021 08:24 AM PDT With the debut of new Echo Show 8 and Show 5 devices in June, we've seen a few good deals on Amazon's first-generation smart displays since then. A new one has popped up on both Amazon and Best Buy for the original Echo Show 8, dropping it down to a record low of $64. That's the best price we've seen all year on the gadget, and it's even better than the $70 sale price that we saw during Amazon Prime Day. Buy Echo Show 8 (1st gen) at Amazon - $64Buy Echo Show 8 (1st gen) at Best Buy - $64 The Echo Show 8 sits in the middle of Amazon's smart display lineup with its 8-inch HD screen. While the Echo Show 5 excels as a smart alarm clock, the Echo Show 8 lets you watch videos, view photos and check out security camera feeds with a bit more comfort. The larger display is also better for video chats and it has a physical camera shutter (along with a microphone on/off button) for when you want extra privacy. If the Show 5 is a bit too small for you but the $250 Echo Show 10 is too expensive (or you're freaked out by its swiveling base), the Show 8 will likely hit a sweet spot with its power, screen real estate and price. The updated Echo Show 8 is only a few months old but it's much pricer at $130 and it's not significantly different from the first-generation. It has a faster octa-core processor and a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera with auto-framing, which means it will automatically pan to track your face and keep you in view during video calls. This feature also works with all video chat services that the device supports, including Skype and Zoom, so it will come in handy if you frequently make calls with the Show 8. But you could safely skip the 2021 model if you mostly use your smart displays for weather alerts, calendar appointments, music streaming and other basic tasks. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Twitter will pay over $800 million t​o settle a class action suit Posted: 20 Sep 2021 08:12 AM PDT Twitter has agreed to pay $809.5 million to settle a class action suit filed by shareholders in 2016. Investors alleged that Twitter masked the company's slowing growth while executives including former CEO Dick Costolo and co-founders Evan Williams and Jack Dorsey (the current CEO) sold stock "for hundreds of millions of dollars in insider profits." The plaintiffs said Twitter was tracking daily active users (DAU) as the key metric for engagement in early 2015, but it was still reporting monthly active user figures. The DAU measurement indicated engagement was dropping or staying flat, according to the lawsuit. Twitter says the proposed settlement, which a court has yet to approve, "resolves all claims asserted against Twitter and the other named defendants without any admission, concession or finding of any fault, liability or wrongdoing by the company or any defendant." Twitter and all of the individuals named as defendants in the suit have denied any wrongdoing. The lawsuit accused Twitter and executives of violating the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The company plans to use cash on hand for the settlement. It's expected to pay the sum by the end of the year. In its Q4 2018 earnings report, Twitter started reporting average monetizable daily active users (mDAU). It said that was the only engagement metric it would disclose to investors going forward, partly because it's a more accurate reflection of how it's making money from users.

DoorDash expands alcohol deliveries to 20 states and DC Posted: 20 Sep 2021 07:15 AM PDT The next time you have friends over and you happen to run out of one guest's favorite tipple, you'll have another way to order another bottle quickly — as long as you live in a place where DoorDash supports alcohol delivery. You can now use the app to order booze to your doorstep in 20 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and Australia. The company says more than 100 million people now have access to booze delivery through the app. Users in those markets can view a selection of drinks from restaurants, grocery stores, retailers and convenience stores through the Alcohol tab. Depending on where you live, you may be able to bundle alcohol with your restaurant order using the DoubleDash feature, which lets you add items to your order from nearby stores without paying a separate delivery fee. You'll need to be of legal drinking age to order alcohol through DoorDash. Couriers will verify your age at dropoff. You can upload a copy of your ID to the app. Couriers will only be able to see your photo and date of birth on the app — DoorDash says it blurs out all of the other information for security and privacy reasons. Over the last few years, DoorDash has enabled merchants to deliver alcohol through DoorDash Drive, its white-label delivery service. DoorDash Drive couriers fulfill orders made via a merchant's own website, app or third-party platform, not the DoorDash app. The company previously let users in southern California add alcohol to their restaurant orders. Alongside the expansion of hooch deliveries, DoorDash announced partnerships with alcohol responsibility organizations. Students Against Destructive Decisions and Responsibility.org focus on drunk driving and underage drinking. DoorDash also teamed up with two organizations Down Under, Drinkwise and Retail Drinks Australia, "to further expand our commitment to responsible service of alcohol in other countries." DoorDash is playing catch up a bit with its rivals when it comes to alcohol. Uber bought booze delivery service Drizly earlier this year for $1.1 billion. Instacart and Postmates both added alcohol delivery options over the last few years.

Algoriddim's djay iOS app uses Shazam to recognize and sync with live music Posted: 20 Sep 2021 07:00 AM PDT Algoriddim has been working closely with Apple for years on its djay apps and regularly appears in the company's keynotes. Now, it's integrating another Apple product, Shazam, into its latest iOS djay app with the release of iOS 15. The new feature lets you can scan your surroundings and identify any song playing, whether at an event, listening to the radio or playing sets with other DJs. Once it picks out the song, djay will instantly load it onto the virtual decks and play it in sync with the external music source.  Once loaded, you can create a mix with similar tracks, remix the song, apply effects and deconstruct it into components using the company's Neural Mix tech. It can also save songs into iOS 15's music recognition history in the control center, "providing users with streamlined access to all of their song discoveries," the company said.  While this sounds like cool technology in search of an application, Algoriddim has a few use cases in mind. The main one is that you can identify a track you might hear and get it into your library with the tap of a button, or create an automated mix based on the recognized song. "djay can instantly provide you with similar tracks to the one you just heard, allowing you to quickly immerse yourself in a particular style," Algoriddim told Engadget.  Another, more marginal use case is with back-to-back DJing. If you're playing in tandem with another DJ or in a lineup, you can pick up where the last DJ left off by identifying and syncing with their song before phasing into your own set. This goes a step beyond beat matching, letting you match the last DJ's song exactly. Mind you, many DJs may not care to replay the last DJ's song or work with a playlist inspired by it, especially if they weren't familiar with the tracks The Shazam-enhanced version of iOS djay lets you save recognized music to your Tidal (music and video), SoundCloud, Beatport and Beatsource libraries (not Spotify or Apple Music). Other new features include the ability to add effects to the master audio output, enabled by new Audio Unit (extensions) features in iOS 15. That will let you better tailor the sound for broadcast or to match a PA system. Algoriddim's iOS djay update for iOS is now available for free, or you can get the Pro version for $6.99 per month or $49.99 per year.

Roku's new Streaming Stick 4K gets Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and better Wi-Fi Posted: 20 Sep 2021 06:00 AM PDT Roku's $50 Streaming Stick 4K has been one of our favorite devices for years. It's cheap, pocketable and has just about every feature you'd want in a streaming gadget. This year, Roku is finally adding a long-awaited feature to its new 4K stick: Dolby Vision HDR. That's something the Roku Ultra started supporting last year, and it's a particularly big deal for home theater fans. Additionally, the new Streaming Stick 4K boots up around 30 percent faster than before, and its revamped wireless receiver makes Wi-Fi speeds up to twice as fast, according to Roku. Like the HDR10 format, Dolby Vision allows for higher peak brightness levels and more nuanced dark scenes. But it can also do so dynamically, tweaking its contrast and brightness levels for every individual frame in a film or TV show. That's something HDR10 can't do, though it's since been added to the newer HDR10+ format, which the new 4K streaming stick also supports. There's a lot more Dolby Vision content out there today, though, so I'd wager most people would be more excited for Dolby Vision than HDR10+ support. Roku While the 4K streaming stick ships with Roku's standard voice remote, you can also opt for the $70 Streaming Stick 4K+ bundle, which packs in the company's new Voice Remote Pro. Normally a $30 upgrade, that smarter clicker adds hands-free voice searching (instead of hitting a button), as well as a rechargeable battery. And if you're looking for something a bit more powerful, the $80 Wal-Mart exclusive Roku Ultra LT is also getting Dolby Vision, a faster processor and better Wi-Fi this year. For most people, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is likely all the streaming player you need. You can get faster speeds and more connectivity with the $100 Roku Ultra, or a nicer interface and game ecosystem with the $179 Apple TV 4K. But when it comes to just streaming video in the best possible formats, there's little need to spend more than $50. You'll be able to find the new Roku Streaming Stick 4K sometime mid-October in the US, and in the coming months across Canada, Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Roku OS 10.5 adds better voice support, 5.1 Roku speaker configurations Posted: 20 Sep 2021 06:00 AM PDT You won't need Roku's new Streaming Stick 4K to take advantage of its latest software features. The Roku OS 10.5 update, which will roll out to players and TVs in the next few weeks, will be jam-packed with features to make your streaming life easier. There's expanded Roku Voice support, which will let you ask players (with supported remotes) to start playing content from Netflix, Spotify and most other channels. And the company has added a Live TV Channel Guide to help find free TV content (so far there are more than 200 live channels to sift through). But more importantly for the Roku faithful, there are even more configurations for the company's wireless speakers. Roku OS 10.5 will let you use any of the company's soundbars — the Streambar, Streambar Pro and Smart Soundbar — as a center channel flanked by Roku wireless speakers. Put that setup together with two more rear speakers and a wireless sub, and voila, you've got a full-fledged 5.1 surround solution. Previously, you were only able to use Roku's soundbars as all of your front channels (left, right and center). Roku From what I recall of Roku's earlier surround solution, it sounded more than adequate for a small room. I haven't heard the company's 5.1 setup yet, but generally having more speakers is always better. At the very least, you can expect clearer dialog and better front channel separation. I can't say if it's worth shelling out up to $630 for all of Roku's speakers ($300 for four wireless speakers, $180 for the StreamBar Pro, and $150 for the wireless subwoofer), but it's nice to have the flexibility to build out a full system if you've already invested in a few of them. Roku OS 10.5 will also add some audio improvements for headphones. When you connect a wireless headset to the Roku mobile app, it will adjust your sync settings based on the type of headphone you're using. You'll also be able to use your smartphone camera to adjust the audio delay even further. That's a useful feature for anyone using Bluetooth headphones, where audio delay issues are fairly common. To coincide with expanded Spotify voice support, Roku is also adding a new music and podcasts row to its system search. You'll be able to see results from Spotify's entire library, but more importantly it opens the door for better audio app support on Roku OS.

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