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• The top tech deals in Best Buy's early Black Friday sale
• Sony test lets some PS5 owners quickly share screenshots and clips via mobile
• The Morning After: Introducing Apple's new MacBook Pros and AirPods
• Amazon-owned Zoox to start testing its autonomous vehicles in Seattle
• Circul+ packs an ECG sensor into its heart-tracking ring
• Sony looks set to unveil the A7 IV mirrorless camera on October 21st
• Donald Trump's campaign website was defaced by a hacker
• Fisher-Price launches a working Chatter telephone for adults
• Valve's new verification program will make it easy to see if a game runs on Steam Deck
• EPA announces plans to regulate cancer-causing 'forever chemicals'
• New FCC rules could force wireless carriers to block spam texts
• Here's everything Apple announced at its fall Mac event
• Unannounced Beats Fit Pro earbuds leak in iOS 15.1
• Disney delays all of Marvel’s 2022 films
• Apple updates Final Cut and Logic to take advantage of new M1 Pro and Max chips
• How to pre-order Apple’s new AirPods and MacBook Pros
• Apple’s macOS Monterey update is coming October 25th
• Apple cuts the price of the second-gen AirPods to $129
• Apple's latest MacBook Pros have MagSafe, SD card slots and camera notches
• M1 Pro and M1 Max are Apple's high-end Mac chips
• Apple's redesigned AirPods bring Spatial Audio and Adaptive EQ for $179
• Apple’s HomePod mini lineup adds three new colors
• Apple Music's new $5 plan only works with Siri
• Reddit’s first live show is a Photoshop competition
• PS5 overtook Switch as the best-selling console in the US last month

The top tech deals in Best Buy's early Black Friday sale Posted: 19 Oct 2021 05:15 AM PDT Given all the talk of supply chain issues this year, it's no surprise that we're starting to see early Black Friday sales hit the internet before November 1. Best Buy announced last week that it's first early Black Friday event would begin today, and as promised, the company has discounted hundreds of gadgets from headphones to robot vacuums to electric scooters. Best Buy is also has a "Black Friday Price Guarantee" on these deals, which means that you shouldn't see these gadgets go on sale for less at Best Buy before Black Friday proper comes around. And if they do, you can get the difference reimbursed to you if you're a My Best Buy or Best Buy Totaltech member (the former is free to sign up for, so it's worthwhile to make an account). We sifted through this first round of early Black Friday deals and picked out the ones that are worth your money. Also, some of the sale prices are being matched on Amazon — we've made note of which those are below so you can decide where you want to shop. Sony WH-1000XM4 Engadget Our favorite pair of Sony headphones, the WH-1000XM4, are down to a record low of $248 right now. We gave these cans a score of 94 for their powerful ANC, immersive sound quality and multi-device connectivity. Buy WH-1000XM4 at Best Buy - $248Buy WH-1000XM4 at Amazon - $248 Sony WF-1000XM3 Billy Steele/Engadget The Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds are down to $128, or more than $70 off their usual price. We gave these buds a score of 89 for their excellent sound quality, great battery life and comprehensive companion app. Buy Sony WF-1000XM3 at Best Buy - $128Buy Sony WF-1000XM3 at Amazon - $128 iRobot Roomba i7+ Devindra Hardawar / Engadget The high-end Roomba i7+ is down to $549, or $250 off its normal price. It earned a score of 87 from us for its solid cleaning performance, handy room mapping and automatic emptying into the included clean base. Buy iRobot Roomba i7+ at Best Buy - $549 Google Nest Mini Google Google's second-generation Nest Mini smart speaker is half off, bringing it down to $25. This model has improved Google Assistant performance, better sound, and a charming minimalist design that should fit into any room. Buy Nest Mini at Best Buy - $25 55-inch LG G1 Series OLED evo 4K smart TV LG This sale knocks $300 off the 55-inch LG G1 OLED smart TV, bringing it down to $1,700. This is one of LG's newest OLED sets, featuring brighter, punchier images, the α9 Gen4 AI Processor 4K, G-SYNC and FreeSync compatibility and support for Google Assistant and Alexa voice commands. Buy 55-inch LG G1 evo OLED at Best Buy - $1,700Buy 55-inch LG G1 evo OLED at Amazon - $1,696 55-inch Samsung The Frame LED 4K smart TV Samsung The 55-inch The Frame smart TV from Samsung is $500 off, knocking it down to $1,000. This is best for those that don't want a black rectangle messing up the vibe of their living room. The Frame supports Art Mode, which lets you display artwork on the TV when you're not using it. It also supports Quantum Dot technology and 4K AI upscaling. Buy 55-inch The Frame at Best Buy - $1,000Buy 55-inch The Frame at Amazon - $997 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go Engadget The Surface Laptop Go is $200 off right now, bringing it down to $700. This model has a 10th-generation Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and a 12.4-inch 1,536 x 1024 resolution touchscreen. Buy Surface Laptop Go at Best Buy - $700 Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 Devindra Hardawar/Engadget The Surface Laptop 4 is down to $1,150, or $150 off its normal price. This is the latest model of the laptop that earned a score of 87 from us for its speedy performance, excellent battery life and great keyboard. Buy Surface Laptop 4 at Best Buy - $1,150 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 David Imel for Engadget The Galaxy Z Flip 3 foldable smartphone is on sale for $850, or $150 off its normal price. This is the best and most practical version of a Samsung foldable yet, and we gave it a score of 82 for its impressive screen, attractive build and water resistance design. Buy Galaxy Z Flip 3 at Best Buy - $850Buy Galaxy Z Flip 3 at Amazon - $850 Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro Billy Steele / Engadget Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro are down to $150 in this sale, which is close to a record low. We gave these buds a score of 85 for their comfortable fit, good sound quality and wireless charging capabilities. Buy Galaxy Buds Pro at Best Buy - $150Buy Galaxy Buds Pro at Amazon - $150 SanDisk microSDXC card for Nintendo Switch (400GB) SanDisk Best Buy knocked a whopping $115 off this 400GB microSD card for the Nintendo Switch, bringing it down to $65. It supports read speeds up to 100MB/s and write speeds up to 90MB/s, and 400GB should be plenty for those just starting to build up their game library. Buy SanDisk microSD card (400GB) at Best Buy - $65 Jabra Elite 75t Billy Steele / Engadget The Jabra Elite 75t earbuds are on sale for $80 right now. While these have been replaced by the newer 85ts, these are still great earbuds that earned a score of 87 from us for their solid audio quality, small and comfortable design and long battery life. Buy Jabra Elite 75t at Best Buy - $80Buy Jabra Elite 75t at Amazon - $80 Blue Yeti USB mic Blue The Blue Yeti USB mic is down to $100 right now, while the more compact Nano is on sale for $80. The standard mic provides professional quality sound for streaming, podcasting and the like, and it includes onboard controls for headphone volume, mute, pattern selection and microphone gain. The Yeti Nano supports 24-bit sound, no-latency headphone output and takes up less space with its smaller design. Buy Blue Yeti at Best Buy - $100Buy Blue Yeti at Amazon - $100Buy Blue Yeti Nano at Best Buy - $80Buy Blue Yeti Nano at Amazon - $80 Philips Hue White & Color starter pack Philips This white and color Philips Hue starter pack is on sale for $140, which is $50 off its normal price. It's a good set to get for yourself or someone you know who's interested in setting up a smart home but don't know where to begin. It includes three bulbs that support multiple colors, a bridge to connect them all and a dimmer switch. Buy Philips Hue starter pack at Best Buy - $140 Joby GorillaPod 3K kit Joby This Joby GorillaPod kit is half off, knocking the final price down to only $40. This flexible tripod stand is really handy for photographers and videographers, but it's also a great way for anyone to more easily take a selfie or a family photo. It can support smartphones and cameras up to 6.6 pounds and the legs can wrap around a bunch of objects, making it easier for you to get the perfect angle. Buy GorillaPod 3K kit at Best Buy - $40 Dell G15 gaming laptop Dell Dell's already affordable G15 gaming laptop is $270 cheaper in this sale, bringing it down to $880. This model runs on an AMD Ryzen 7 processor, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a 15.6-inch FHD display. Buy Dell G15 at Best Buy - $880 Samsung The Premiere 4K projector Samsung Best Buy knocked $1,000 off the Samsung Premiere 4K projector, bringing it down to $2,500. This ultra short throw projector supports 2,200 lumens of brightness, a 2.2 channel sound system along with Bixby, Alexa and Google Assistant voice controls. Buy Samsung Premiere at Best Buy - $2,500 Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight bundle Arlo A four-pack of Arlo Pro Spotlight cameras is on sale for $400 right now, or $200 off its normal price. This pack doesn't just include the cameras either — you're getting four rechargeable batteries, a charging station, three anti-theft mounts and a security yard sign on top of that. We found these cameras to be relatively easy to set up and we like their reliable alerts and HomeKit support. Buy Arlo Pro 4 bundle at Best Buy - $400 Razer Huntsman Elite keyboard Razer Razer's Huntsman Elite mechanical keyboard is down to $130, which is $70 off its normal price. In addition to the company's optical switches and RGB lighting, this keyboard has multimedia controls and a multi-function dial that you can program how you'd like. Buy Razer Huntsman Elite at Best Buy - $130 Segway Ninebot ES2-N electric scooter Segway Best Buy slashed $250 off the Ninebot ES2-N electric scooter, bringing it down to $400. This foldable scooter uses 700W of power to reach a max speed of 15.5mph, and its non-pneumatic tires keep you stable even on rough terrain. It also has a built-in headlight for safer riding in the evening and an LED display that shows speed and battery level. Buy Ninebot ES2-N at Best Buy - $400 Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Sony test lets some PS5 owners quickly share screenshots and clips via mobile Posted: 19 Oct 2021 04:40 AM PDT Sony has tweeted that it's testing a beta that will let PS5 players share screenshots and clips via smartphone using the PlayStation app. That will match functionality the Xbox has offered for a while now, though so far, Sony is only testing it in a limited release.  A limited-release beta enabling PS5 players in Canada and Japan to share their captured screenshots and game clips through PlayStation App is starting to roll out today. For details, check out: https://t.co/afVHXLbJsZpic.twitter.com/WMVWqHP1GY — PlayStation Canada (@PlayStationCA) October 18, 2021 One you turn it on, the new feature will automatically upload captures to the cloud. You'll then be able to access them on the PlayStation app for 14 days to save on your camera roll, share on social media, or send to PSN friends and parties. It should be less clunky than the current system of direct sharing from the console.  On top of screenshots taken from the Create Menu or Create button shortcuts, you can share gameplay videos under three minutes in length up to 1080p (not 4K). For screenshots and videos to be auto-uploaded, make sure you've linked your PS5 console to the PlayStation app. It also needs to be left in rest mode and have the "Stay Connected to the Internet" setting enabled. For more details, check Sony's (region-locked) article.   The update is now available in Canada and Japan only, and as with other beta features, "may not make it into the final version or may see significant changes," Sony notes. However, it seems as likely as any new feature to come out of beta, so hopefully it will be released to everyone soon.

The Morning After: Introducing Apple's new MacBook Pros and AirPods Posted: 19 Oct 2021 04:15 AM PDT Did Apple just make its Macbook Pros interesting again? As expected, its high-end laptops were the star of its Unleashed event yesterday and are the first machines powered by Apple's new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. (The company is borrowing iPhone nomenclature, it seems.) It's been hard for me to get too excited about the MacBook Pro's slow, cautious evolution over the last few years. The OLED Touch Bar was a misstep, nixing function keys for a light-up bar with customizable touch panels. There were fewer ports than older models, including the SD card slot. This added another dongle to my bag, alongside a USB-C converter for any devices that hadn't caught up with the MacBook's own USB-C ports — which were few and far between. And don't get me started on the "butterfly" style keyboard that appeared in 2015. Apple The 2021 MacBook Pro literally brushes away most of my problems. Yes, there's an SD card reader, more ports, no more Touch Bar to accidentally hit and close internet tabs, more ports and a blast from the past. Yep, MagSafe is back. While the term returned on recent iPhones, it's been years since Apple offered the magnetic cable safety feature on its computers. It's different from the old connector, and, in worst case scenarios, you can still charge through USB-C. The screens have been expanded, featuring micro-LED display tech first used on iPad Pro and also marking the first appearance of a notch on MacBooks. Long live the notch! These machines are for power users — and Apple is seriously talking up the capabilities of its new chips, more on that below. But that's not what intrigues me. It's the fact that Apple is walking back some of its pretty major missteps in recent MacBook Pro history and making it more usable in the process, tempting me to buy myself a new MacBook for the first time in a decade. The 14-inch base model and 16-inch base model are set to start at $1,999 and $2,499 respectively. You can pre-order both today, with machines arriving on October 26th. Expect our reviews of both the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros very soon — I should start saving. — Mat Smith All the big Apple news you might have missed  Apple Music's new $5 plan only works with Siri Apple HomePod mini: new colors for 2021 Apple updates Final Cut and Logic to take advantage of new M1 Pro and Max chips Here's everything Apple announced at its fall Mac event The M1 Pro and M1 Max are Apple's high-end Mac chips Finally, pro chips for the MacBook Pro. It's been almost a year since Apple unveiled its first custom chip for Macs, the ARM-based M1. As we saw in our review of the latest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and colorful iMac, the M1 was a marvel, if not quite the pro-level of power many might have been expecting. With the M1 Pro and M1 Max, the two chips underpinning the company's new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, it's making a renewed pitch for power users. Both chips have 5nm 10-core processors, with eight high-performance cores and two high-efficiency units. Apple says the chips offer up to 1.7X faster performance than competing eight-core PC chips, which makes them particularly compelling for people doing heavy-duty 3D and video rendering. Continue reading. Disney delays all of Marvel's 2022 films At least three major movies will all hit Disney+ later as a result. Disney has shaken up its movie release calendar, with several Marvel Cinematic Universe flicks delayed. The revamped schedule, which Variety reports is due to a production-related snowball effect. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was penciled in for March 25th, but now it's taking Thor: Love and Thunder's old date of May 6th. The next Thor movie will arrive on July 8th, in turn pushing back Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to November 11th. The schedule shifts mean there will only be three Marvel movies next year instead of the planned four. Continue reading. Apple's redesigned AirPods bring Spatial Audio and Adaptive EQ for $179 The entry-level AirPods finally get an updated design and new features. Apple Alongside all the Mac Stuff, Apple debuted the third-iteration AirPods with an updated design, Spatial Audio, Adaptive EQ and one-touch setup. Apple says the newest AirPods are safe for workouts thanks to IPX4 sweat and water resistance. Hands-free Siri is back, while a skin sensor detects when you're wearing the earbuds, automatically pausing when one is removed.  As for battery life, you can expect up to six hours of listening and 30 hours of total usage with the charging case. The third-generation AirPods are up for pre-order today for $179 and will begin shipping on October 26th. Continue reading. 'Squid Game' documents may show how Netflix rates the success of its content The show reportedly created $891 million in 'impact value.' Netflix has always closely guarded the exact streaming metrics that may reveal why programs are considered a success... or cancelled. That black box has cracked open a bit with documents obtained by Bloomberg detailing the company's scores for "impact value" and "efficiency." One example was Squid Game, which generated $891.1 million in impact value on a budget of just $21.4 million. Other figures showed that around 132 million people watched at least two minutes of Squid Game in the first 23 days, beating a record set by Bridgerton. Continue reading. Fisher-Price launches a working Chatter telephone for adults Pick up the phone. Fisher Price Fisher-Price has made a special edition of the iconic Chatter telephone for its 60th anniversary — one that's fully functional and can make and receive calls. Continue reading. PS5 overtook Switch as the best-selling console in the US last month A Sony system claims the top spot for the first time since November 2018. For the first time in nearly three years, the Nintendo Switch wasn't the best-selling console in the US. In September, that distinction went to Sony's PlayStation 5 instead. According to NPD's Mat Piscatella, the PS5 outsold Nintendo's portable last month both in unit volume and dollar amount, thereby ending the Switch's impressive 33-month streak as the best-selling console in the US. Continue reading. The biggest news stories you might have missed How to pre-order Apple's new AirPods and MacBook Pros AMD Radeon RX 6600 review: The opposite of future-proof Engadget Deals: Sony's impressive WH-1000XM4s fall back to an all-time low of $248 Foxconn unveils three new EV prototypes Unannounced Beats Fit Pro earbuds leak in iOS 15.1 Sinclair Broadcast Group says it has been hit by a ransomware attack

Amazon-owned Zoox to start testing its autonomous vehicles in Seattle Posted: 19 Oct 2021 03:35 AM PDT Zoox has been testing its Level-3 (L3) autonomous vehicles in Las Vegas and the Bay Area for four years, way before Amazon acquired the self-driving company in 2020. But to be able to train its technology further, it has to hold trials in other locations with different environmental conditions — like Seattle. Zoox has announced that it will soon start testing its L3 vehicles in the city to collect data and trial new hardware in the face of frequent rains.  "It rains more frequently in Seattle than it does in San Francisco," the company said in its announcement. Zoox built special hardware into its sensors to give its vehicles the capability to automatically remove water and debris when needed. The Seattle trial will help it validate whether its system and new hardware will work as intended. At the beginning of its trial, the company will deploy a small fleet of L3 vehicles to assess the demands of the Seattle area, including its narrow tunnels and one-way roads, before expanding its tests. Zoox introduced a fully autonomous robotaxi last year, which is a tiny four-wheeled bi-directional vehicle without a steering wheel. Its existing L3 vehicles, however, are Toyota Highlanders outfitted with Zoox's sensors and powered by its autonomous driving software with a human driver behind the wheel. That said, all its vehicles will use the same sensor architecture, so any data the L3 vehicles collect will also benefit its Level-5 robotaxis.

Circul+ packs an ECG sensor into its heart-tracking ring Posted: 19 Oct 2021 03:00 AM PDT Bodimetrics is today announcing the second-generation of its Circul heart-rate monitoring smart ring, the Circul+. The updated wearable, co-branded with Prevention Magazine, is one of the first smart rings on the market that includes a built-in ECG within its small body. As well as the ECG, the device offers continuous heart-rate monitoring, finger temperature and blood oxygenation readings. Bodimetrics adds that it has worked to ensure that all skin tones will get accurate measurements while wearing the ring, as well. Hewn from stainless steel, the Circul+ packs a 20mAh battery that the company says is good for 16 hours of service on a charge. And it's clear that the device isn't really as smart as some of the other devices that are designed to be worn as rings. Instead, it's doubling down on giving you accurate cardio stats, with the app letting you decide if you want to track stats during an exercise session, or sleep. Rather than a full ring, the Circul+ has a boxy section which is designed to be worn on the underside of your finger. When you want to take an ECG, you place the tip of a finger on the other hand on this section in order to complete the circuit. The Circul+ will be available from WalMart priced at $299.

Sony looks set to unveil the A7 IV mirrorless camera on October 21st Posted: 19 Oct 2021 01:50 AM PDT Sony has teased the launch of a new Alpha camera on October 21st at 10AM ET, and judging from the YouTube metadata, it appears to be the long-awaited full-frame A7 IV mirrorless model, DPReview has reported. And while Sony didn't reveal any information in the tease itself, the YouTube tags seem to have revealed most of the main specs, like a 33-megapixel sensor and 4K 60p video with 10-bit All-I XAVC recording. In fact, the YouTube tease contained the following comprehensive list of tags, which now appear to have been removed: "ILCE-7M4 , A7M4 , Alpha 7 , Alpha7 , Sony A7 IV , Sony a7 IV , Sony α7 IV , Sony A7 iv , Sony a7 iv , Sony alpha , Sony α , mirrorless , Sony E-mount camera , full frame camera , 4K , Eye AF , Animal Eye AF , AF , Eye AF movies , field camera , pro camera , silent shutter , FTP , 4K60p , Eye AF birds , camera for movies , 10fps , 33MP , BIONZ XR , 10-bit 4:2:2 HLG , All-I XAVC S-I , S-Cinetone , S-log3 , S&Q dial , vari-angle , gimbal , 5GHz Wi-Fi , USB 10Gbps , live streaming , Creative Look , 15+ stops dynamic range." That list, if accurate, would make the A7 IV a formidable hybrid full-frame camera on par with Canon's R6 (but hopefully without the overheating issues). What's still not known is price and availability, but it looks like everything will be revealed in just two days.

Donald Trump's campaign website was defaced by a hacker Posted: 19 Oct 2021 12:20 AM PDT A part of Donald Trump's campaign website looked different than usual until Monday morning. Its "action" subdomain, which usually houses his calls to action, contained a Turkish message instead. "Do not be like those who forgot Allah, so Ally made them forget themselves. Here they really went astray," the message in Turkish said, according to Newsweek. The page also contained a video embed of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as well as a link to the hacker's Instagram and Facebook pages. A hacker calling themselves RootAyyildiz has claimed responsibility for the defacement — and for many others in the past. The National Intelligence Council released a report earlier this year linking them to the defacement of Biden-Harris' presidential campaign website, as well. Back then, Biden's website showed a message in Turkish, the country's flag and a photo of the 34th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Abdul Hamid II.  RootAyyildiz told Motherboard that they used a technique called Server Side Template Injection (SSTI) to inject their own code into the site's template and that they had control of the site for three months. According to Forbes, references to RootAyyildiz first appeared on the website on October 9th, at the latest. The hacker added in a statement to Motherboard: "There are many areas of hacking attacks, for example, hacking social media accounts or websites, I am a hacktivist and I have been working on websites for a long time and I choose this management to have my voice heard."  Before the US Presidential Elections last year, hackers were also able to gain control of Trump's website. They replaced its About page with a message threatening to discredit the then-POTUS by sharing incriminating data.

Fisher-Price launches a working Chatter telephone for adults Posted: 18 Oct 2021 09:00 PM PDT If you ever wished as a child that your fake Fisher-Price telephone would actually work, well, ready your credit card, because you can now make that dream come true. The toy company has launched a special edition the iconic Chatter telephone for its 60th anniversary — one that's fully functional and can make and receive calls. Before you start planning on where to display it at your home, know that it doesn't work as a landline unit. It connects to your iOS or Android phone via Bluetooth instead and has to be within 15 feet of your mobile device to work.  You'll get nine hours of talk time on the Chatter phone on a single charge, and it comes with a speakerphone button. Other than the features that make it a working device, this Chatter for grown-ups looks just like its toy counterpart with its rotary dial, red handset and wheels. While the device can't do anything other than make or take calls — and we doubt you'd carry it wherever you go just for that purpose — it's a cool piece of novelty gadget that can bring on the nostalgia. You can get the fully functional Chatter for $60 exclusively from Best Buy's website, starting today until supplies last. Fisher-Price

Valve's new verification program will make it easy to see if a game runs on Steam Deck Posted: 18 Oct 2021 03:38 PM PDT Ahead of Steam Deck's December release, Valve has detailed the compatibility program it will use to let people know if they can play their games on the portable PC. Dubbed Deck Verified, the system groups games into four categories: "Verified," "Playable," "Unsupported" and "Unkown." If you see a game with the first badge, it means it will work great out of the box. Of the playable category, Valve says you may need to do some tweaking. For example, in a title like Team Fortress 2, you might have to download a community controller configuration before you can use the Steam Deck's thumbsticks and face buttons to play the game. Valve lists Half-Life: Alyx as an example of an experience that you won't be able to play on Steam Deck, suggesting the unsupported category will be mostly occupied by VR titles. Lastly, an unknown tag means the company hasn't had a chance to test that game for compatibility yet. Valve To earn verified status, a game must meet four criteria. First, it should include full controller support, and the onscreen keyboard should appear when needed. Second, you shouldn't see any compatibility warnings. The game should also support the Steam Deck's native 1,280 by 800 resolution, and text should be easily readable. Lastly, if the title is playable through Proton, everything, including any anti-cheat software, should work through the compatibility layer. To make things easy, you'll see the badges appear both in your Steam library and the store. Moreover, each time you go to buy a game, you'll see a full compatibility report that lists any issues to expect when playing it. Valve says it's also working on a system that will allow you to see what compatibility category each game in your library falls under before Steam Deck is available in December.  If nothing else, the system should make it easier to decide if it makes sense to buy a Steam Deck. The last thing anyone wants is to spend $400 on a new gadget and not be able to play their favorite games.

EPA announces plans to regulate cancer-causing 'forever chemicals' Posted: 18 Oct 2021 02:23 PM PDT Showing up in everything from cosmetics and dental floss to product packaging and cleaning supplies. polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are ubiquitous to the modern world. They're also known as "forever chemicals" as they do not break down in nature. What's more, they've been linked to a host of human diseases, from thyroid conditions to certain cancers, which is why, in 2016, the Obama administration enacted a unenforceable recommendation limiting the amount of PFAS in a given product should not exceed 70 parts per trillion. On Monday, the Biden administration announced that it will give Obama's recommendation some teeth. Today, @EPAMichaelRegan announced EPA's Strategic Roadmap to confront #PFAS. This roadmap delivers on the agency's mission to protect public health & the environment and answers the call for action on these persistent & dangerous chemicals. Read more here: https://t.co/2GyHIfEVajpic.twitter.com/kDHbwYgEJm — U.S. EPA (@EPA) October 18, 2021 "This is a really bold set of actions for a big problem," EPA administrator Michael Regan told The Washington Post. "This strategy really lays out a series of concrete and ambitious actions to protect people. There are concrete steps that we are taking that move this issue forward in a very aggressive way." The EPA unveiled its 3-year roadmap towards regulating the class of chemicals on Monday centers on a trio of approaches: "increase investments in research, leverage authorities to take action now to restrict PFAS chemicals from being released into the environment, and accelerate the cleanup of PFAS contamination," according to the EPA. To that end, the administration plans to set enforceable drinking water limits under the Safe Drinking Water Act, designate PFAS as a hazardous substance under CERCLA (which would hold manufacturers financially liable for incinerating the chemical or releasing it into waterways), set timelines for establishing effluent guideline limitations under the Clean Water Act, review rules and guidance under the Toxic Substances Control Act, and expand monitoring, data collection and research of the chemicals. Additionally, the agency announced a new national testing strategy that will require PFAS manufacturers to provide toxicity data on the chemicals they create.  "Communities contaminated by these toxic forever chemicals have waited decades for action," Ken Cook, President of the Environmental Working Group, said in a press statement. "So, it's good news that Administrator Regan will fulfill President Biden's pledge to take quick action to reduce PFOA and PFOS in tap water, to restrict industrial releases of PFAS into the air and water, and to designate PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances to hold polluters accountable. It's been more than 20 years since EPA and EWG first learned that these toxic forever chemicals were building up in our blood and increasing our likelihood of cancer and other health harms. It's time for action, not more plans, and that's what this Administrator will deliver." A handful of states including New Jersey, Vermont, Michigan, and New York, have already moved to regulate the chemicals on their own — California banned their use in baby and toddler products earlier this year — while the EU has banned many of the chemicals outright. The US Navy has announced that it will ban PFAS from its firefighting foam by October, 2023, as directed by Congress.

New FCC rules could force wireless carriers to block spam texts Posted: 18 Oct 2021 01:33 PM PDT Under Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, the Federal Communications Commission is seeking to create new rules targeting spam text messages. Like another recent proposed rulemaking from the agency, the policy would push wireless carriers and telephone companies to block the spam before it ever gets to your phone. "We've seen a rise in scammers trying to take advantage of our trust of text messages by sending bogus robotexts that try to trick consumers to share sensitive information or click on malicious links," Rosenworcel said. "It's time we take steps to confront this latest wave of fraud and identify how mobile carriers can block these automated messages before they have the opportunity to cause any harm." Combating spam calls and texts has been a focus of the FCC under Rosenworcel. In addition to recently issuing the largest fine in its history, the agency established a Robocall Response Team to coordinate its efforts against spam callers. The need for action is pressing. In 2020 alone, the FCC received approximately 14,000 complaints about unwanted text messages, representing a 146 percent increase from the year before. As part of the FCC's rulemaking process, the public will have a chance to comment on the proposal before the agency decides whether to implement the policy.

Here's everything Apple announced at its fall Mac event Posted: 18 Oct 2021 12:46 PM PDT On Monday, Apple held its second and likely last hardware event of the fall. "Unleashed" saw the company spend about an hour talking about updates to its Mac and Music product lineups. After the by-the-numbers affair that was the iPhone 13 event, Monday's presentation was a more exciting thing to watch, thanks in large part to the first significant refresh to the MacBook Pro in five years. Here's everything the company announced at the event. MacBook Pro Apple Unsurprisingly, the redesigned MacBook Pros were the star of the show, and there's a lot to unpack between the two new 14- and 16-inch models. As expected, both laptops represent a return to form for the MacBook Pro line. Apple has replaced the Touch Bar with a standard set of function keys, as well as added MagSafe, an SD card slot and an HDMI port. New to both computers are 120Hz ProMotion displays. The 14-inch model will run its screen at 3,024 x 1,964, while the 16-inch variant has a 3,456 x 2,234 panel. Each also has an iPhone-style camera notch that is likely to be divisive. Additionally, you can configure both models with Apple's new, more powerful M1 Pro and Max chips (more on them in a moment). All those new features come at a cost, with the 14-inch base model and 16-inch base model set to start at $1,999 and $2,499 respectively. You can pre-order both computers today, with general availability to follow on October 26th. In the meantime, macOS Monterey will land the day before on October 25th. M1 Pro and M1 Max Apple At the heart of the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros are Apple's new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. Both feature 5nm 10-core processors made up of eight high-performance cores and two high-efficiency units. Where they differ from one another is in terms of potential video and memory performance. The M1 Pro comes with up to 16 GPU cores and can support up to 32GB of RAM with 200 GB/s of bandwidth. The M1 Max, meanwhile, tops out at 32 graphics cores and double the RAM and memory bandwidth. In practice, Apple claims the chips are 70 percent faster than its previous M1 SoC and offer up to 1.7 times faster performance than competing CPUs from Intel and AMD. They should also make short work of the company's updated Final Cut and Logic suites. AirPods Apple Going into Monday's event, we were confident Apple would update its "basic" AirPods. But other than an AirPods Pro-like design, we weren't expecting them to get many new features. So what we saw today was a surprise. While you won't find ANC on the updated AirPods, they do include support for Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking and Adaptive EQ. The latter allows the AirPods to adjust the low and mid-range frequencies of audio in real-time. Other notable specs include IPX4 sweat and water resistance and up to 30 hours total of battery life with help from the included charging case. You can pre-order the new AirPods starting today for $179. They'll begin shipping on October 26th. For those who want to save some money, Apple has discounted the second-generation AirPods to $129. Apple Music Voice Plan Apple Alongside the third-generation AirPods, the company announced a discounted Apple Music plan. It will only set you back $5 per month but the catch is you can only control the service through Siri. Apple pitched the plan as the ideal complement for the HomePod mini. Speaking of Apple's diminutive smart speaker, it will be available in three additional colors — yellow, orange and blue — starting in November. Follow all of the news from Apple's Mac event right here.

Unannounced Beats Fit Pro earbuds leak in iOS 15.1 Posted: 18 Oct 2021 12:19 PM PDT Aside from a new pair of AirPods, Apple will also apparently launch a pair of Beats Fit Pro earbuds soon. According to 9to5Mac, the earbuds will be like the Beats Studio Buds which were released earlier this year, albeit with a slightly different design. The outlet found these images of the product in internal iOS 15.1 RC files. Sources also told 9to5Mac that the Beats Fit Pro will have Active Noise Cancellation, Class 1 Bluetooth and Apple's H1 chip for fast pairing with Apple products. It'll apparently also feature a built-in accelerometer that's designed to reduce external noise. As for battery life, the outlet reports that it'll have 6 hours with ANC or Transparency Mode enabled or 7 hours with Adaptive EQ. The charging case will supposedly give it a total of around 27 to 30 hours of charge. 9to5Mac reports that Beats Fit Pro is scheduled to be announced the week of November 1st, with shipment occurring later.

Disney delays all of Marvel’s 2022 films Posted: 18 Oct 2021 12:07 PM PDT Disney has shaken up its movie release calendar, with several Marvel Cinematic Universe flicks being delayed. The revamped schedule, which Variety reports is due to a production-related snowball effect, affects the slate for 2022 and beyond, and it will have a knock-on effect on Disney+. All of the MCU films Disney had on the docket for 2022 have been pushed to a later slot. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was penciled in for March 25th, but now it's taking Thor: Love and Thunder's old date of May 6th. The next Thor movie will arrive on July 8th, in turn pushing back Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to November 11th. The schedule shifts mean there will only be three Marvel movies next year instead of the planned four, as Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels now has a release date of February 17th, 2023. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has moved from that date to July 28th, 2023. On the flip side, Disney brought one mystery Marvel movie (hopefully Guardians of the Galaxy 3) forward by a week from November 10th, 2023. Elsewhere, the next Indiana Jones movie has been delayed by 11 months. You'll need to wait until June 30th, 2023 for Harrison Ford's fifth stint as the iconic archeologist. Ford sustained an injury while filming this summer, though he's now back in action. A live-action Disney movie, a 20th Century film and two Marvel flicks (all untitled) have been removed from the 2023 schedule.  Remarkably, given how many times the film has been delayed over the years, Disney hasn't shifted Avatar 2's release date. It's still on the schedule for December 16th, 2022. It remains to be seen what impact these changes will have on Disney+. For the rest of 2021, Disney has committed to an exclusive theatrical window for its films before they're available to stream, but it hasn't divulged how things will work in 2022 and beyond. The company adopted a simultaneous release strategy for some of its movies over the last year or so amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with Mulan, Raya and the Last Dragon, Cruella and Black Widow requiring a $30 Premier Access pass for early access on Disney+. Disney's decision to let viewers stream Black Widow at home on the same day it hit theaters prompted a now-settled lawsuit from star Scarlett Johansson. Pixar movies Soul and Luca went straight to streaming as part of regular Disney+ subscriptions in some countries. Elsewhere, some MCU shows on Disney+, such as Loki and Hawkeye, tie into the theatrical movies. As such, the scheduling of future series might be impacted by the overhauled theatrical slate.

Apple updates Final Cut and Logic to take advantage of new M1 Pro and Max chips Posted: 18 Oct 2021 11:35 AM PDT Apple made much ado of its redesigned MacBook Pro's creative prowess during its "Unleashed" event, and it's updating its flagship media editing software to take full advantage of the improved hardware. The company has released new versions of Final Cut Pro (10.6) and Logic Pro (10.7) that make the most of the M1 Pro and M1 Max, particularly in video processing and machine learning. FCP editors can play up to seven streams of 8K ProRes at once, and export in the format over five times faster — no mean feat for a laptop, as Apple was keen to point out. You can even color-grade 8K HDR footage using only the MacBook Pro's built-in screen. There's also a new Object Tracker you can use to link animated effects to faces and objects. You can easily edit Cinematic Mode video from the iPhone 13 series, too. Motion now renders visual effects work up to two times faster, and can play two 8K video streams at five times the previous frame rate. Compressor, meanwhile, transcodes HEVC video up to twice as fast, and ProRes up to ten times as quickly. And if you live in Canon's world, you can transcode Cinema RAW Light videos to other formats for the first time. There's even a Watch Folders feature that will automatically encode content when it reaches a given folder — helpful for streamlining a workflow, particularly among teams. The Logic Pro update, meanwhile, is focused on spatial audio creation — just in time for the new AirPods, of course. New mixers, panners and plugins let you author Dolby Atmos tracks, and the new MacBook Pros can use their added performance to create particularly advanced mixes. The music editing tool now comes bundled with the Producer Packs you saw in GarageBand, too, so you can integrate royalty-free beats and samples from the likes of Boys Noize, Mark Ronson and Trakgirl. Both updates are free for existing users. Final Cut Pro normally costs $300 for new users, with Motion and Compressor costing $50 each. Logic Pro is priced at $200. The upgrades make the most sense if you're deeply invested in ProRes or intend to publish on Apple Music. Still, it's easy to see the appeal, at least for FCP. You could quickly turn around certain video projects using only your MacBook Pro, even if you're working primarily with 8K footage. Follow all of the news from Apple's Mac event right here.

How to pre-order Apple’s new AirPods and MacBook Pros Posted: 18 Oct 2021 11:23 AM PDT Apple's "Unleashed" event today focused on music and the Mac, with the company revealing updated products in each category. We finally got word of the next-generation AirPods, which have a new design and support for spatial audio plus MagSage wireless charging. The company also unveiled new colors for its HomePod mini smart speaker and two new MacBook Pros for the power users among us. The laptops run on the company's new M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets and sport revamped designs with webcam notches, Liquid Retina XDR displays and extra ports (HDMI and an SD slot!). Here's how to pre-order everything Apple announced today. AirPods Apple Apple kicked off the show by talking about music and revealing new AirPods. The third-generation AirPods bring a new design, wireless charging capabilities and spatial audio support. They're available for pre-order today from Apple's website and cost $179. They'll be available in stores on October 26th. Buy AirPods (3rd gen) at Apple - $179 The third-gen AirPods have a contoured design that looks similar to the AirPods Pro, but they don't have the interchangeable ear tips of Apple's more advanced earbuds. Inside the buds is a new low-distortion driver that produces powerful bass along with crisp highs. These buds have a few features previously only available on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, including spatial audio and Adaptive EQ, the latter of which automatically adjusts frequencies in real time based on what you're listening to. The new AirPods have a sweat and water-resistant design and Apple improved the battery life, too. These should last up to six hours on a charge, and you'll get an hour of listening time after only five minutes of charging. The case is now MagSafe and wireless-charging capable and it holds four additional full charges, so you can enjoy around 30 hours of total listening time. Apple is keeping the second-generation AirPods around, which will be good for anyone who doesn't want to shell out $179 for the new ones. The second-generation AirPods are now priced at $129, and the AirPods Pro are still listed $250 (although you can often find them for less) and they now come with a MagSafe charging case. MacBook Pro Apple Apple's latest 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros come equipped with the company's new M1 Pro or M1 Max processors, and feature a brand new design with a webcam notch and some much-requested extra ports. Both models are available for pre-order today from Apple's website. The 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999 while the 16-inch version starts at $2,499. They'll be widely available on October 26th. Buy 14-inch MacBook Pro at Apple starting at $1,999Buy 16-inch MacBook Pro at Apple starting at $2,499 The new MacBook Pros have aluminum enclosures and an advanced thermal system that's built to handle the power that comes with Apple's latest, high-end chipsets. The laptop ushers in several significant design changes, including a new keyboard that's supposed to be more similar to the company's Magic Keyboard for iMac. Also, the TouchBar is gone; it's been replaced with physical Function keys, something that TouchBar skeptics will likely cheer. These MacBook Pros are thicker than previous models because they actually have a healthy variety of ports. Both have a total of three Thunderbolt 4 ports along with an HDMI socket, an SD card slot, a headphone jack and a MagSafe connector for charging (although you can power up via the Thunderbolt ports as well). This will be a welcome change for power users who have been living the dongle life for years with previous-gen MacBook Pros. Additionally, the new laptops have Liquid Retina XDR displays that reach almost to the end of the machines' lids, interrupted by a notch that holds the 1080p webcam. The 14-inch model has a 14.2-inch 3,024 x 1,964 resolution screen, to be precise, while the 16-inch model has a 16.2-inch 3,456 x 2,234 panel. Both support ProMotion with refresh rates up to 120Hz. Apple is promising up to 17 hours of video playback on the 14-inch model and up to 21 hours of video playback on the larger version. As for other specs, you can customize the laptops with up to 32GB of RAM and up to a whopping 8TB of storage. HomePod mini Apple Lastly, Apple announced new colors of the HomePod mini: yellow, orange and blue. Those join the existing space gray and white color options and will be available to order from Apple's website in November for $99. Follow all of the news from Apple's Mac event right here.

Apple’s macOS Monterey update is coming October 25th Posted: 18 Oct 2021 11:07 AM PDT The next version of macOS will be available to download beginning October 25th. Apple shared the release date at its "Unleashed" event today alongside the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips and a redesigned MacBook Pro. The macOS Monterey update comes with notable improvements to FaceTime, including support for Spatial Audio, and the ability to use SharePlay to listen to music and watch videos with your friends. One of the biggest changes is the addition of Universal Control, which allows users to seamlessly move back and forth between an iPad and a Mac. The feature, which builds one earlier Continuity updates, allows users to drag and drop files between multiple devices and type on an iPad from a MacBook keyboard.  But both SharePlay and Universal Control, which wasn't available in initial betas of macOS Monterey, will be arriving after the initial update "later this fall," according to Apple. The release also comes with a major update to Safari that's at times been controversial due to significant changes to the tab bar and other key features. (The most recent beta brought back the tab bar by default after earlier versions of the update removed it.) Other improvements to look forward to include Live Text, a Google Lens-like feature that allows you to select text within photos, and the addition of Quick Notes. MacOS is also getting some updates that first appeared in iOS 15, including Focus Modes, and support for "Shared with You," which keeps track of content shared within the Messages app. Apple is bringing two other important iOS features to the Mac with the Shortcuts app and support for AirPlay, as Macs running macOS Monterey will be able to use their devices as an AirPlay speaker. Follow all of the news from Apple's Mac event right here.

Apple cuts the price of the second-gen AirPods to $129 Posted: 18 Oct 2021 10:39 AM PDT Apple revealed an all-new set of AirPods today, but the current model isn't going away just yet. The company also announced that it's cutting the price on the 2019 model from $159 to $129. That price doesn't include the wireless charging case that works with Qi-certified accessories.  Either way, you can expect to pay less for the previous-gen version. That could still be a smart purchase if you can live without features like Spatial Audio and Adaptive EQ, among other things. The 2019 model does still offer hands-free Siri, which is quite handy in its own right. For comparison, the second-generation model is currently $119 on Amazon, or $160 with wireless charging case.  Follow all of the news from Apple's Mac event right here. Update 4:25PM ET: This post has been updated to reflect a change on Apple's product page for the discounted second-gen model concerning the wireless charging case.

Apple's latest MacBook Pros have MagSafe, SD card slots and camera notches Posted: 18 Oct 2021 10:34 AM PDT It's been five years since Apple released a totally redesigned version of the MacBook Pro, a laptop that opened the company up to years of criticism for everything from its flawed keyboard design and the Touch Bar to its lack of any ports besides USB-C. But, as expected, Apple is giving the MacBook Pro a complete do-over, and it sounds an improvement in several areas. The laptops come in 14.2- and 16.2-inch models, with increased resolutions over the earlier models. The 14-inch model runs at 3,024 x 1,964 resolution, while the 16-inch models has 3,456 x 2,234 resolution. ProMotion high refresh rate is on board, too, with up to a 120Hz option. But, the laptops also have a camera notch, just like the iPhone, something that was rumored in the lead-up to today's "Unleashed" press event. The notch is about the size of the menu bar, so while it's a bit strange it still offers way more screen real estate than before. And, both laptops are using mini LED technology, similar to what's in the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Naturally, Apple's latest laptops are using the company's own custom silicon. This time, it's the M1 Pro. As the rumors predicted, it's a 5-nanometer, 10-core chip with eight high-performance cores and two efficiency cores. It's 70 percent faster than the M1, and has one 16 graphics cores. Apple also announced an M1 Max, which has twice the memory bandwidth as the M1 Pro (400GB/s), and it also has 32 graphics cores. The M1 Max also supports up to 64GB memory, a huge improvement over the 16GB of memory that was supported by the M1. As for ports, those of us out there who miss the plentiful options on older MacBooks should be pretty happy here. The new MacBook Pro unsurprisingly features three USB-C / Thunderbolt ports, but it also brings back an HDMI socket and SD card slot, two features fans have long been demanding be re-added. There aren't any USB-A ports here, but the SD card slot and HDMI port should definitely reduce people's reliance on dongles. Another old friend from MacBooks past has made a return here. Apple has implemented a new version of its MagSafe connector, which it used on its laptops for years prior to 2016. It's different from the old connector, so you won't be able to bust out a charger from years past and expect it to work, unfortunately. That said, you can still charge via USB-C if that's your jam. The camera system has been improved here as well, with computational video and a 1080p resolution with an f/2.0 four-element lens. And the 16-inch laptop has a six-speaker system, with tweeters nearly two times larger than before. The keyboard, meanwhile, keeps the redesigned scissor switch mechanism, but the Touch Bar is gone, replaced with a standard function key row. Battery life for these laptops should be pretty excellent. Apple says that the 14-inch model will run for 17 hours while playing video, while the 16-inch can last up to 21 hours. And they have fast charging, so you can get 50 percent of your battery life refilled in about 30 minutes. Unsurprisingly, these laptops are also expensive. The 14-inch model starts at $1,999, while the 16-inch version starts at $2,499. Apple is also keeping the old-design 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M1 chip around for those who can't justify spending two grand or more on their next laptop.  The entry-level $1,999 14-inch configuration comes with the M1 Pro with eight CPU cores, 14 graphics cores, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. That's less performance than Apple promised out of the M1 Pro; to get the full 10-core CPU and 16-core graphics, you'll need to spend $2,499. That price bump also gets you 1TB of storage.  The base 16-inch MacBook Pro ($2,499) has almost the same specs as the $2,499 14-inch model: an M1 Pro with 10 CPU cores, 16 graphics cores, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of memory. Spending an extra $200 doubles the storage, bringing it to 1TB. If you want the M1 Max, you're looking to spend $3,499, with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. You can pre-order now, and they'll be available on October 26th. Follow all of the news from Apple's Mac event right here.

M1 Pro and M1 Max are Apple's high-end Mac chips Posted: 18 Oct 2021 10:24 AM PDT It's been almost a year since Apple unveiled its first custom chip for Macs, the ARM-based M1. As we saw in our review of the latest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and colorful iMac, the M1 was a marvel, proving to be both faster than Intel and AMD's x86 processors, while also drawing far less power. Now, in a follow-up move, Apple is taking a two-pronged approach with M1 Pro and M1 Max, the two chips underpinning the company's new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros. Apple Both chips have 5nm 10-core processors, comprised of eight high-performance cores and two high-efficiency units. What separates them are their GPU and memory capabilities: the M1 Pro has up to a 16-core GPU while the Max has tops out at 32 graphics cores. In comparison, last year's M1 was an eight-core chip that maxed out with eight GPU cores. The M1 Pro comes with up to 32GB of RAM with 200 GB/s of bandwidth, while the M1 Max doubles both of those figures, supporting up to 64GB of RAM. Apple Based on these specs, power users will see a much bigger performance upgrade by going for a MacBook Pro. Last year's M1-equipped 13-inch MacBook Pro wasn't much faster than the M1 Air; the Pro basically added a fan for more sustained workloads, whereas the Air was miraculously fanless. That was an odd situation for Apple: It was both a testament to the power of Apple silicon, and a sign that the company needed to devote more time to its powerful machines. Given that the 16-inch MacBook Pro was practically forgotten over the past year, the M1 Pro and M1 Max are exactly what creative professionals have been waiting for. And that's before you get to all of the other updates coming to the new notebooks (More ports! An SD card slot!). Apple says the chips offer up to 1.7X faster performance than competing eight-core PC chips, which makes them particularly compelling for people doing heavy-duty 3D and video rendering.  Follow all of the news from Apple's Mac event right here.

Apple's redesigned AirPods bring Spatial Audio and Adaptive EQ for $179 Posted: 18 Oct 2021 10:15 AM PDT There's no denying the popularity of Apple's AirPods, but the regular model has been overdue for a refresh. Announced in spring 2019, the second generation of the company's true wireless earbuds brought improvements like faster pairing, hands-free Siri and wireless charging. While some companies are cranking out multiple models a year, Apple hasn't needed to do that, hence the two-year gap between new models. Today, the company finally debuted the third-iteration AirPods with an updated design, Spatial Audio, Adaptive EQ and one-touch setup.  Apple says the newest AirPods are safe for workouts thanks to IPX4 sweat and water resistance. Hands-free Siri is back, while a skin sensor detects when you're wearing the earbuds, automatically pausing when one is removed. As for battery life, you can expect up to six hours of listening and 30 hours of total usage with the charging case. Speaking of the case, it supports MagSafe charging. Additionally, a new one-touch setup quickly pairs the buds with Apple products.  With the third-gen AirPods, Apple is bringing Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking to its regular model. Head tracking also works with Group FaceTime calls so that voices sound like they're coming from the direction they're positioned on screen. Apple says this makes for a more immersive setup, so it sounds more like you're in the same room with other attendees. The company claims that support for the AAC-ELD codec enables improved speech quality and says its microphones are covered with "acoustic mesh" to help reduce wind noise. Apple also equipped its new AirPods with Adaptive EQ. This technology tunes the audio in real time according to inward-facing mics that monitor sound. Computational audio adjusts low and mid-range frequencies as any variances occur. This works like Adaptive EQ on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, so Apple is extending much of the tech-heavy features from its pricier models to the base AirPods.  The third-generation AirPods are up for pre-order at Apple and Amazon today for $179 and will begin shipping on October 26th. Follow all of the news from Apple's Mac event right here.

Apple’s HomePod mini lineup adds three new colors Posted: 18 Oct 2021 10:15 AM PDT Apple will soon offer the HomePod mini in three new colors. Announced during the company's Unleased event on Monday, the new yellow, orange and blue colorways will join the existing white and space gray models in November. The price will remain unchanged at $99 in the US. Apple first announced the HomePod mini last fall. As you'd expect, the speaker comes with deep integration with the company's other products. In addition to Siri support, its built-in U1 ultra-wideband chip allows you to quickly and easily hand off audio from your iPhone to the speaker. It's also possible to pair two HomePod minis for stereo sound. Another option is to play the same audio on different HomePod minis in multiple rooms. All of that makes for a compelling smart speaker, especially if you've already invested in other Apple hardware. That said, it's not the equal of devices like the Amazon Echo, which offers better value for the same amount of money.           Follow all of the news from Apple's Mac event right here.

Apple Music's new $5 plan only works with Siri Posted: 18 Oct 2021 10:13 AM PDT Apple thinks it has a simple way to boost Apple Music adoption: limit control in return for a lower fee. The company has introduced an Apple Music Voice Plan that offers access to the full song catalog for just $5 per month, so long as you're willing to rely solely on Siri control. It's pitched as ideal for HomePod and AirPod owners and others who are more likely to use a voice assistant than tap their phone. The new tier will be available later in the fall in 17 countries, including the US, UK and Canada. You can start a trial by asking Siri to "start my Apple Music Voice trial." Discounted tiers certainly aren't new to music streaming. However, they tend to be student plans available to a relatively small slice of the population. Apple is clearly betting that the Music Voice Plan will not only reach a wider audience, but strike an appealing balance between ad-supported free offerings like Spotify and the $10-plus you'd pay per month for conventional services. There are catches, of course. Siri control means investing in the Apple ecosystem — you'll have to pay the regular rate if you use platforms like Android. And this only really works if your favorite music is easy to play using voice control. The Voice Plan won't be ideal if you like classical or certain forms of electronic music, for example. If you tend to stick to popular genres or rely more on playlists, though, you might not mind the compromise. Follow all of the news from Apple's Mac event right here.

Reddit’s first live show is a Photoshop competition Posted: 18 Oct 2021 10:02 AM PDT Reddit has teamed up with Adobe as part of its push into original content. Its first live show is an comedy competition series called PsBattles Live, which will stream on the r/PsBattlesLive subreddit every day this week.  Shrill star Patti Harrison hosts PsBattles Live, which will stream at 3PM ET every day. Moderators will challenge the community to edit images in creative ways using Photoshop. The broadcast will highlight some of the entries and encourage members of the community to vote for their favorites. A panel of comedians will provide commentary on the creations.  There don't seem to be any major real-world prizes up for grabs. According to Reddit, those who take part will earn "points, community awards and internet glory" — so pretty much what they'd get for sharing weird, wild and funny photoshopped images on Reddit anyway. Still, this is a neat way to shine a spotlight on the creativity of Reddit users. Reddit and Adobe are launching the series to mark the 10th anniversary of the the r/photoshopbattles subreddit, which has more than 17.4 million members.  "Reddit users contribute more than 110k original artworks on the platform every month and r/photoshop battles is one of our most vibrant examples of a community coming together to create and collaborate over a shared passion, which is what our platform is all about," Reddit chief marketing officer Roxy Young said. "PsBattles Live is not only a celebration of one of our most beloved Reddit communities, it is the latest immersive experience from our longstanding partners at Adobe."

PS5 overtook Switch as the best-selling console in the US last month Posted: 18 Oct 2021 09:42 AM PDT For the first time in nearly three years, the Nintendo Switch wasn't the best-selling console in the US. In September, that distinction went to Sony's PlayStation 5 instead. In a tweet spotted by GamesRadar, NPD analyst Mat Piscatella said the PS5 outsold Nintendo's portable last month both in terms of unit volume and dollar amount, thereby ending the Switch's impressive 33-month streak as the best-selling console in the US. The last time the Nintendo Switch wasn't at the top of the sales charts was back in November 2018 when the PS4 held that position. US NPD HW - September 2021 snaps the remarkable 33 consecutive month streak that Nintendo Switch was the market's leading platform in hardware unit sales. November 2018 was the last month a platform other than Nintendo Switch led the market in unit sales (PlayStation 4). — Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) October 18, 2021 Piscatella didn't say what helped push the PS5 past the Switch, but a variety of factors likely contributed to the shift. With 10 million units sold in only eight months, demand for Sony's console has always been there, but ongoing global chip shortages have made it difficult for the company to maintain a steady supply of consoles. On Nintendo's side, the announcement of the OLED Switch, which only became available at the start of October, likely meant some consumers decided to wait on buying the portable. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if the Switch can reclaim the top spot. Demand for the PS5 isn't likely to cool down anytime soon, but the chip shortage isn't expected to resolve anytime soon either.

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