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- The Morning After: PS5 and Xbox Series X and S, one year on
- Amazon's one-day Instant Pot sale cuts the price of pressure cookers, ovens and more
- HTC's Vive Focus 3 headset update unlocks a larger VR area, WiFi 6e and more
- Netflix enables its bandwidth-saving AV1 codec on PS4 Pro and select TVs
- Sony reportedly cuts PS5 production again as chip shortages and shipment issues bite
- Twitter has stopped cropping image previews on the web, too
- Apple's second-generation AirPods drop to $89 ahead of Black Friday
- Disney+ added fewer subscribers than expected this quarter
- DOJ sues Uber for allegedly discriminating against passengers with disabilities
- Watch SpaceX launch its Crew-3 mission here at 9PM ET
- Apple adds ProRes and ProRAW support to the the Windows iCloud app
- Congress mandates anti-drunk driving technology for cars
- Valve's Steam Deck won't ship until 2022
- US and China will cooperate to limit climate change this decade
- PS5 and Xbox Series X/S: The one-year comparison
- Twitter establishes dedicated crypto division to explore decentralized apps
- Instagram test reminds you to 'take a break' from non-stop scrolling
- Twitter will host watch parties for Paramount+ shows
- Spotify's new charts offer a more granular look at what's popular
- YouTube will hide dislike counts for all videos
- Researchers identify 'cybermercenary' group behind dozens of hacks
- Microsoft Teams meetings are coming to Meta's Workplace
- The best gifts for the creatives in your life
- The Hubble telescope is recovering from another system failure
- Smart home gadgets and kitchen tech that make great gifts
| The Morning After: PS5 and Xbox Series X and S, one year on Posted: 11 Nov 2021 04:19 AM PST The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S debuted one year ago this month. To celebrate, we've made a 20-minute video conversation about the pros, cons and future of both consoles, hosted by PS5 enthusiast and Engadget Senior Editor Jessica Conditt, and Xbox Series X fan and Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar. There may not be a clear-cut winner of this generation yet — in fact, the conversation tries to steer clear of most of the drama — so we're focusing on what both PlayStation and Xbox have done right (and wrong). DualSense! Game Pass Ultimate! Halo! The Horizon sequel! Debate! — Mat Smith UK Supreme Court rules in favor of Google in iPhone tracking caseJudges were unimpressed by the attempt to create a class-action suit.Google has escaped the risk of a lawsuit after violating the privacy of around 5.4 million iPhone users in the UK. The UK's Supreme Court has ruled it cannot allow a US-style class action suit to be filed against the search giant after it deliberately created a workaround to track Safari users. The judgment focused on procedural matters, like the intersection between Google, based in the US, and the UK's data protection laws. The battle began in 2017 with consumer rights champion Richard Lloyd, and many others, forming a group called Google You Owe Us, which attempted to sue the company. It alleged that Google had illegally collected data on iPhone users between June 2011 and February 2012. While the group lost at the High Court, the UK's Court of Appeal overturned this initial decision, saying it was fair for Google to face a courtroom after the intentional misuse of personal data without consent. iOS 15.2 beta introduces nearby AirTag searchesIt may find unwanted trackers on your person.Apple Apple is introducing another way to ensure its AirTags won't be used for stalking when iOS 15.2 comes out. According to MacRumors, the just-out beta version of the mobile platform has a new feature to let users scan for AirTags that may be tracking their location. Beta users can find the feature under the Items tab in the Find My app. Any trackable item nearby that belongs to someone else will be detected and show up as an unknown item. Apple will then point users to a set of instructions on how to disable the device being used to track them. Another interesting feature that showed up in the beta is Digital Legacy. It will let users designate people as Legacy Contacts, who'll be able to access their account and digital information when they pass away. The smart home gadgets and kitchen tech worth giftingLet's go beyond an Instant Pot and a Google Nest Hub.Engadget We review smart speakers, robotic vacuums and Instant Pots all year long, and for the holiday season, we've compiled a list of our recent favorites in the home-tech space. Whoever's getting the gift doesn't have to be tech-savvy to use all of them either — plenty of our recommendations amount to baby steps into the smarthome world. Start with a smart plug and work your way up? YouTube will hide dislike counts for all videosThe move could reduce harassment and targeted attacks.YouTube's experiment with hiding dislikes was apparently successful. The service is rolling out a change to make dislike counts private for videos across YouTube. The button will still exist (and affect your recommendations), and producers can still see the count — you just won't see the numbers as a viewer. The Google-owned brand is aware that some people used the counts to make viewing decisions, but it feels secret counts would help the community at large. New and smaller creators are more often targeted by dislike campaigns, YouTube said, and the test reduced that harassment. 'Forza Horizon 5' had the largest launch for any Xbox Game Studios titleThe new 'Forza' had three times as many active players as its predecessor.Microsoft's gaming head Phil Spencer has revealed that Forza Horizon 5 had the best launch day of any Xbox Game Studios title. There have been over 4.5 million people playing the arcade racer across all platforms (Xbox, Windows and cloud) to date, and its peak concurrent players were three times those of its predecessor. Congress mandates anti-drunk driving technology for carsIt could reach new vehicles by 2026.Congress is making its biggest push ever to stop drunk driving with President Biden's huge infrastructure bill. As previously reported, it includes a mandate for anti-drunk driving technology in new cars. Now, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has passed Congress with the measure intact, and it's expected to be signed by the president soon. As part of the legislation, carmakers will have to include technology to detect and stop drunk drivers by as early as 2026. The biggest news stories you might have missed
The best gadgets for your pets NASA pushes back crewed moon landing to 2025 The Hubble telescope is recovering from another system failure Court rules Apple can't push back ordered App Store payment changes |
| Amazon's one-day Instant Pot sale cuts the price of pressure cookers, ovens and more Posted: 11 Nov 2021 04:00 AM PST A number of Instant Pot pressure cookers, air fryers and other cooking gadgets are on sale for one day only on Amazon, including the 8-quart Duo Crisp for $119. That's $81 less than what it usually sells for and is the lowest price we've seen for the larger Duo Crisp. The model comes with a removable air fryer lid you can use to make crispy chicken wings, fried vegetables and more. It has 11 functionalities in all with air fry included, as well as pressure cook, slow cook, roast, bake and sterilizer. Buy Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Air Fryer Lid 8 Quart at Amazon - $119The 6-quart Instant Pot Max is also on sale for $110, or $40 less than its retail price. It's capable of providing sustained 15psi pressure cooking and has a large touchscreen display you can use to set the time, temperature and pressure level. That's where you can set the time for a delayed start and where you can access the setting to make sure any cooked food inside stays warm. If you'd rather get a slow cooker, though, the 6-quart Instant Pot Aura is currently listed for $70, which is $60 lower than its regular price. That's a bit more than its all-time low, but the model hasn't been this price since earlier this year, and it's still a 46 percent discount. The Aura does not have a pressure cooker function, but it does have 10 modes that include slow cooking. While not all Instant Pot models are on sale, Black Friday isn't that far off, and it's traditionally rife with deals for the brand. Buy Instant Pot Max 6 Quart Multi-use Electric Pressure Cooker at Amazon - $110Buy Instant Pot Aura 10-in-1 Multicooker Slow Cooker 6 Quart at Amazon - $70Instant's air fryers are also on sale in case that's what you really want to buy. You can get the 4-quart Instant Vortex Plus for $64, which is $36 lower than its retail price and the lowest the model has ever been sold for on the website. It's a solid (and now an affordable) entry point into air frying if you haven't given it a shot yet. Meanwhile, the Instant Omni Pro 14-in-1 Air Fryer is currently available for $200. That's also an all-time low for the $300 model that can also serve as a convection and rotisserie oven. The model can broil, bake, roast, dehydrate, reheat, toast, warm and slow cook, as well. Buy Instant Vortex Plus 4 Quart Air Fryer at Amazon - $64Buy Instant Omni Pro 14-in-1 Air Fryer at Amazon - $200In addition to the pressure cookers and air fryers we've listed above, Instant's Accu Slim Sous Vide Precision Cooker is on sale for 20 percent off at $80. It promises even cooking with its immersion circulator that's designed to uniformly heat water with no hot or cold spots. Finally, you can get the Instant Blend Ace Cold and Hot Blender for 43 percent off at $40, or $30 less than its usual price. It has a 1.6 liter capacity and can help you make smoothies, purée, crushed ice, frozen desserts and soups. Buy Instant Accu Slim Sous Vide Precision Cooker at Amazon - $80Buy Instant Blend Ace Cold and Hot Blender at Amazon - $40 |
| HTC's Vive Focus 3 headset update unlocks a larger VR area, WiFi 6e and more Posted: 11 Nov 2021 02:15 AM PST HTC has updated its excellent but expensive Vive Focus 3 business-focused headset with a much larger play area, WiFi 6E and more, the company announced. The software update comes with no change in hardware as HTC "secretly built in the 6E required hardware from Day 1," tweeted HTC's global head of hardware products, Shen Ye.
WiFi 6E capability brings a "wide range of benefits," according to Vive. That includes low latency and higher bandwidth for VR streaming with less WiFi interference. The wider frequency range also allows double the number of devices with their own dedicated channels. The headsets already had the hardware needed for the standard, "so there's no added cost to the headset owner to leverage this functionality," the company said. Vive also introduced a feature called Location Based Entertainment (LBE) mode, designed for businesses that use the Focus 3 headset. It increases the size of the play area from a 15m x 15m space (225 square meters or 2,422 square feet) to 33m x 33m (1,089 square meters or 11,722 square feet). That's the size of four tennis courts, compared to a size just under a tennis court, the company noted. HTC On top of the increased area, you can create a boundary in any custom shape like a polygon or L-shape. You'll only need to do that once, as the Focus 3 will "constantly re-localize in the known play area." The new setting is designed to create large spaces for "VR arcade, arena experiences or large training areas," according to HTC. The update also includes Map Sharing, a feature that allows accurate co-location tracking among multiple users in a shared space. Other types of headsets that use outside-in tracking (rather than inside-out like the Focus 3), require "users to carry a PCVR backpack and play in a limited space with the Lighthouse system," HTC notes. With the Focus 3, Map Sharing and LBE, "users can finally run around in the field, provide cover for each other in shooting games or share their different perspectives in escape games," HTC said. Other features include a Visual Odometery (VO) mode that lets you skip the usual 5-minute environment setup, an LBE Hybrid Mode that uses both VO and LBE for 6DoF tracking, and a Space Calibrator that allows accessories like a tennis racket to be more accurately tracked. The updates are now available — for more, check out Vive's blog post. |
| Netflix enables its bandwidth-saving AV1 codec on PS4 Pro and select TVs Posted: 11 Nov 2021 01:35 AM PST Early last year, Netflix started using a new codec called AV1 on a select set of titles on Android. Now, the streaming giant has enabled AV1 streaming on the PS4 Pro and a limited number of smart TV models. Netflix was a key contributor to the development of AV1, which is available for use royalty free under the Alliance of Open Media. It shared this list of supported TVs with The Verge:
The company explained that deployment on TVs took sometime because playback on TV platforms depend on hardware. It was only over the past year that the industry released models capable of AV1 streaming. Netflix conducted comparison testing before rollout and found that AV1 delivers videos with better quality than other codecs, especially when there's network congestion. It also noticed fewer noticeable drops in quality due to changing network conditions and lesser time to start streams. In addition, since AV1 has higher compression efficiency than the codecs Netflix is currently using, it needs lesser bandwidth. That could lead to longer streaming sessions in 4K resolution. A team within the company created a rollout strategy to minimize associated costs with encoding its whole catalogue. Netflix will consider a title's popularity into consideration and start with well-known shows like La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) to make sure the AV1 streaming reaches the most number of viewers. The streaming giant also said that it's working with more manufacturers to develop more devices with AV1 playback capability. |
| Sony reportedly cuts PS5 production again as chip shortages and shipment issues bite Posted: 11 Nov 2021 12:50 AM PST Sony's PlayStation 5 may not be able to beat the PS4's first year sales record due to an ongoing component shortage, according to Bloomberg. The company has reportedly cut its previous production forecast of 16 million down to 15 million, putting its target of 14.8 million PS5 sales by March in jeopardy, if the report is accurate. It also makes a bad situation worse in terms of consumers being able to pick up a PS5 over the holidays. Sony is supposedly having trouble with not just parts supply but shipping logistics as well, according to Bloomberg's sources. The problems are due in part to uneven vaccine rollouts in nations where Sony builds chips, and shortages of essential parts like power chips. The situation has affected other console makers like Nintendo and even affected the launch of an entirely new console, Valve's Steam Deck — pushing the date back until some time in 2022. It's got to the point that publishers are reportedly saying that sales are gradually shifting over to PC versions of games due to a lack of consoles. March is still a long ways off, so Sony might still be able to pull off the sales record goal. But it's rather ominous that this report is arriving just ahead of Christmas, so if you're looking for a PS5 as a gift and see an opportunity to get one, better snap it up quick. |
| Twitter has stopped cropping image previews on the web, too Posted: 10 Nov 2021 11:09 PM PST After doing so on mobile, Twitter has stopped automatically cropping images on the web, The Verge has reported. It now leaves full sized images across platforms, after researchers and users discovered that its cropping algorithms tended to be biased based on race and gender.
If you post, for example, a portrait format photo along with a tweet, it'll now show in its full vertical glory rather than being cropped wherever the algorithm decides. However, tweets with images embedded into a website are still cropped to be more square, as shown below. And if you link a web article with an image, regardless of the aspect ratio or platform, it will automatically be cropped to 16:9. This is one reason many news sites (Engadget included) tweet links to articles with the main (lede) image embedded separately.
Twitter changed the way it displayed photos following a controversy over automatic cropping. Some users noticed that when presented with a photo that displayed both black and white faces, it tended to automatically crop to the white face. Researchers effectively proved that it had a slight bias toward white people and women, though Twitter decided to phase out cropping shortly before that. Cropping was good in one way, in that it can make you click on the image or link to better see what's going on, boosting a website or person's engagement. No one can deny that fewer uncropped images will make for a better experience on Twitter, though. |
| Apple's second-generation AirPods drop to $89 ahead of Black Friday Posted: 10 Nov 2021 04:05 PM PST Even though Apple announced its third-generation AirPods last month, the second-gen earbuds are still around and some may prefer them if they like the fit of Apple's old-school EarPods. You can pick up the previous-generation AirPods for only $89 right now at Walmart, which is $70 off their normal price and $10 cheaper than they were last Black Friday. You'll have to sign in with your Walmart account before you can make a purchase, and we expect these to go quickly. Amazon is also matching the deal, but is currently noting that Apple's AirPods will be back in stock soon. Buy AirPods (2nd gen) at Amazon - $89Buy AirPods (2nd gen) at Walmart - $89If you're (somehow) unfamiliar, AirPods are Apple's true wireless earbuds that have become some of the most popular buds in the space since the first came out. One of the biggest reasons why many prefer them is how easily they pair and switch with Apple devices. Setup is super quick as your iOS device will recognize the earbuds as soon as you open the case, and then audio playback will switch based on which device you're using. That means you can go from taking a call on your iPhone to listening to music from your MacBook without hassle. The second-gen AirPods have a similar design and fit to Apple's EarPods, and they have decent sound quality, too. We liked their improved wireless range and good battery life as well — you'll get around five hours of use before needing to recharge. Despite not being the newest AirPods anymore, these buds are a much better buy at this $89 sale price. But if you're willing to spend a bit more, Apple's latest AirPods offer a lot of improvements including a better fitting design, improved audio quality and a longer battery life. Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter. |
| Disney+ added fewer subscribers than expected this quarter Posted: 10 Nov 2021 01:53 PM PST The fall hasn't been kind to Disney's streaming ambitions. Disney+ added just 2.1 million subscribers in its fourth quarter, giving it a total of 118.1 million customers. That's in line with the company's already cautious estimate (in the "low single-digit millions") and 60 percent more total customers than a year earlier, but well below what some analysts expected. CNBCnoted that StreetAccount predicted 9.4 million new users this quarter. Disney's streaming-oriented Direct-to-Consumer division also lost $630 million (versus $374 million a year earlier) due in part to extra spending on production, marketing and "technology costs." These were expected due to the growing service, but they suggest Disney+ isn't yet a net positive for Disney two years after launch. During an earnings call, company chief Bob Chapek was still confident the company would hit subscriber targets (over 230 million users by September 2024) and turn a profit. The media giant had warned of "headwinds." While it didn't initially shed much light on the problems, we'd note that Disney+ had a relatively quiet summer for shows, with series like What If...? and Monsters at Work shouldering the load. The company did stream two blockbuster movies, Black Widow and Jungle Cruise, but original films weren't a strong point. Things are looking brighter for the fall. Disney+ is streaming Shang-Chi on November 12th, launching shows like Hawkeye and The Book of Boba Fett, and expanding into countries like South Korea. All of those could boost subscribers and viewership. The issue is whether or not there's enough ongoing content and expansions to return Disney+ to form — particularly when the company is returning to theater-first movie premieres. That wasn't the only long-term plan, either. Chapek teased the prospect of a Disney metaverse that would involve the company's charcters and meld both the physical and virtual worlds. However, the CEO stressed that it was a long-term goal and didn't share timelines or other technical details. For now, this is more an attempt to counter Facebook's Meta rebranding than a tangible project. |
| DOJ sues Uber for allegedly discriminating against passengers with disabilities Posted: 10 Nov 2021 01:47 PM PST The US Department of Justice has sued Uber for allegedly discriminating against passengers with disabilities. In a complaint filed with the US District Court for Northern California, the agency claims Uber violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by implementing a policy that has seen the company charge "wait time" fees to passengers who, as a result of their disabilities, need more time to enter a car. The law prohibits discrimination of individuals with disabilities by private companies. According to the Justice Department, the policy has been in place since 2016 when Uber implemented it in a number of US cities before eventually expanding its use nationwide. Anytime a passenger needs more than two minutes to enter an UberX car or more than five minutes in the case of an Uber Black or SUV vehicle, the company charges that individual a wait time fee. Uber contends most users pay, on average, less than $0.60 when that's the case. However, passengers with disabilities, including those with wheelchairs and walkers, often need more time to enter a vehicle than those without. "People with disabilities deserve equal access to all areas of community life, including the private transportation services provided by companies like Uber," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the DOJ's Civil Rights Division. A spokesperson for Uber called the lawsuit "surprising" and "disappointing." The full statement reads: Wait time fees are charged to all riders to compensate drivers after two minutes of waiting, but were never intended for riders who are ready at their designated pickup location but need more time to get into the car. We recognize that many riders with disabilities depend on Uber for their transportation needs, which is why we had been in active discussions with the DOJ about how to address any concerns or confusion before this surprising and disappointing lawsuit. It has been our policy to refund wait time fees for disabled riders whenever they alerted us that they were charged. After a recent change last week, now any rider who certifies they are disabled will have fees automatically waived. We fundamentally disagree that our policies violate the ADA and will keep improving our products to support everyone's ability to easily move around their communities. The company also pointed to the fact it does not, by default, charge a wait time fee when someone requests a wheelchair accessible or Uber Assist ride. This isn't the first time Uber has been sued for allegedly violating Title III of the ADA. In 2017, disability advocates in New York City filed a class action complaint against the company. At the time, the group said Uber was inaccessible to 99.9 percent of people with mobility disabilities. |
| Watch SpaceX launch its Crew-3 mission here at 9PM ET Posted: 10 Nov 2021 01:30 PM PST After a few delays, SpaceX is finally (hopefully) ready to start its Crew-3 mission. SpaceX and NASA expect to lauch the Crew Dragon capsule from Cape Canaveral at 9:03PM Eastern, and you can watch the livestream either here using the company's YouTube channel, through the SpaceX website or NASA TV. Live coverage starts at 4:45PM ET. This is an instantaneous launch window, so any faults or weather issues will prompt officials to delay Crew-3 liftoff to a "backup" on November 11th at 8:40PM ET. SpaceX and NASA pinned previous setbacks on weather, a minor crew medical issue and the desire to make way for Crew-2's (since successful) return. This is SpaceX's fifth crewed spaceflight. If all goes well, mission commander Raja Chari and crew members Tom Marshburn, Kayla Barron and Matthias Maurer (the latter from the ESA) will dock with the International Space Station on November 11th at 7:10PM ET. They'll conduct science and otherwise participate in station activities until April 2022. Update 11/11/2021 2:42 AM: SpaceX launched Crew-3 toward the international space station, marking its fifth successful crewed mission. The crew of four will spend the next 24 hours (with a toilet, thankfully) orbiting Earth before docking with the ISS. "[That was] a great ride, better than we imagined," said mission commander Raja Chari. |
| Apple adds ProRes and ProRAW support to the the Windows iCloud app Posted: 10 Nov 2021 12:45 PM PST Apple has bolstered its iCloud for Windows app, with the latest version now offering support for the ProRes video and ProRAW photo formats. As such, you'll now be able to access those files on a Windows device through iCloud. The owner of a shared file or folder can now let others add or remove people too. Apple Back in August, Apple added a password manager to iCloud for Windows, and it works with Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome extensions. Now, in version 13, there's an option to generate strong passwords through the iCloud Passwords app. This should prove a useful update for folks with a Windows PC and an iPhone. They'll have better access to their photos and videos. What's more, iCloud Keychain will be a more viable cross-platform password manager for them. |
| Congress mandates anti-drunk driving technology for cars Posted: 10 Nov 2021 12:30 PM PST Congress is making its biggest push ever to stop drunk driving with President Biden's huge infrastructure bill. As we previously reported, one of the provisions included a mandate for anti-drunk driving technology in new cars. Now, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has passed Congress with the measure intact, Autoblog (AP) reports, and it's expected to be signed by the President soon. As part of the legislation, carmakers will have to include technology to detect and stop drunk drivers by as early as 2026. First, though, the Department of Transportation will have to determine the best solution to curtail intoxicated drunk driving. Specifically, the bill requires something that will "passively monitor the performance of a driver of a motor vehicle to accurately identify whether that driver may be impaired." That sounds similar to infrared camera solutions already used today by GM, Nissan and others, Sam Abuelsamid, principal mobility analyst for Guidehouse Insights, tells the AP. It goes without saying that we'd need something more advanced than breathalyzers, which are already used as a punishment for convicted drunken drivers. Around 10,000 people die every year in the US from drunk driving accidents, the NHTSA says. Now that we have smarter sensors and plenty of camera technology to monitor driver behavior, it makes sense to explore solutions that could help prevent those sorts of accidents. Within a decade, it should feel as commonplace as seatbelts. The infrastructure bill also includes other safety measures, like rear seat reminders that could notify parents about children left in carseats. Additionally, Congress will also require automatic emergency braking and lane departure warnings, features that many new cars already offer. It's unclear when true self-driving cars will be a reality, but until then, at least human drivers can look forward to more ways to prevent accidents. |
| Valve's Steam Deck won't ship until 2022 Posted: 10 Nov 2021 11:59 AM PST Valve has delayed the launch of Steam Deck by two months. The handheld PC will now start shipping sometime in February 2022 — instead of December of this year, as previously announced. The company blamed the delay on the ongoing global semiconductor crunch that has affected everything from GPU prices to car production. "We're sorry about this — we did our best to work around the global supply chain issues, but due to material shortages, components aren't reaching our manufacturing facilities in time for us to meet our initial launch dates," Valve said. If you pre-ordered a Steam Deck before today, you will keep your current place in the reservation line, but the date when your Steam Deck will ship is moving back. Valve said it would update shipping estimates shortly after today's announcement. While any delay stings, the timing of this one at least aligns with the release of major games like Elden Ring and Dying Light 2. |
| US and China will cooperate to limit climate change this decade Posted: 10 Nov 2021 11:44 AM PST The US and China are at odds on many fronts, but climate change might not be one of them. The Washington Postreports the two countries have issued a joint pledge at COP26 to limit global warming during the 2020s. Both nations said they recognized a gap between current actions and the Paris agreement target of keeping that warming below 2C, and ideally no higher than 1.5C. The exact terms weren't available as of this writing, but US climate envoy John Kerry said China committed to reducing methane emissions and coal use "as fast as is achievable." China wouldn't, however, join a US-Europe initiative to cut methane emissions by a third no later than 2030. Whether or not this translates to meaningful action is far from clear. China has made some efforts to promote electric vehicles and reduce coal dependence, but it's still the largest contributor to emissions and hasn't radically reduced its harmful output. It also hasn't had much of a presence at COP26, with President Xi Jinping declining to show up where US President Joe Biden was happy to attend. The US isn't immune to problems, either. While the Biden administration has promised to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and spur EV adoption, there's no guarantee it can pass legislation needed to honor its side of the pledge. That's also assuming the next White House doesn't undo previous environmental efforts. It's still rare to see the US and China agree on climate change issues, though, and the very existence of the pledge represents progress for China. The country hadn't previously acknowledged the impact of methane on global warming, for instance. That suggests China is at least aware of the scope of the problem, even if there's a long way to go before it addresses that problem. |
| PS5 and Xbox Series X/S: The one-year comparison Posted: 10 Nov 2021 11:40 AM PST The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S debuted one year ago this month, and today we're hosting a joint birthday party for them. The main attraction is a 20-minute video conversation about the pros, cons and future of the consoles, hosted by PS5 enthusiast and Engadget senior editor Jessica Conditt, and Xbox Series X fan and senior editor Devindra Hardawar. There's also cake! (There is no cake. Seriously, you should know this by now.) This isn't about deciding which console is winning an invisible war, or determining which company is churning out the most or best games. Instead, it's a candid conversation about what each console is doing well, where it's falling short, and what we hope to see from each ecosystem in the coming year. And then there's cake! (No, there isn't. Come on now.) For a more technical breakdown of how the consoles have fared during their debut year, check out our six-month report card. If you're a PS5 or Xbox Series owner, let us know how the systems have been treating you in the comments below. |
| Twitter establishes dedicated crypto division to explore decentralized apps Posted: 10 Nov 2021 11:22 AM PST Twitter has established a dedicated crypto team. Dubbed Twitter Crypto, the company describes the division as "a center of excellence for all things blockchain." It will set the "strategy for the future of crypto at (and on) Twitter," the company said in a press release it shared with Engadget. It has also hired Tess Rinearson to lead the effort. Rinearson joins Twitter having led engineering teams at cryptocurrency startups like Interchain, Tendermint and Chain. She'll report to Twitter CTO Parag Agrawal, who will help set the direction of the team.
As a first step, Twitter sees Rinearson's team exploring three primary areas of interest. First, it will look at how the company can continue to support cryptocurrencies as a way for creators to be paid. Related to that, it will explore how blockchain technologies can create an additional way for creators to earn a living. Lastly, with help from Bluesky, it will lead the company's efforts to decentralize social media. "There's massive and growing interest among creators to use decentralized apps to manage virtual goods and currencies – Tess will focus here, with a long term goal of exploring how ideas from crypto can help us push the boundaries of what's possible with identity, community and more," Twitter said. It's not a surprise to see Twitter get more serious about crypto. It recently started allowing users to send and receive Bitcoin tips. It's no secret where the interest comes from either. CEO Jack Dorsey has long been a vocal proponent of the technology, particularly over at Square. The other company where Dorsey is CEO recently announced it would build a Bitcoin hardware wallet. It's also "considering" building a Bitcoin mining system. |
| Instagram test reminds you to 'take a break' from non-stop scrolling Posted: 10 Nov 2021 09:46 AM PST Instagram is acting on its promise to encourage healthier social media habits. Social network head Adam Mosseri has revealed that Instagram started testing its hinted-at "Take a Break" feature this week. Opt in and the app will remind you to do something else after 10, 20 or 30 minutes, whether it's a to-do list item or just listening to your favorite tune. You'll see the option in the "coming days" if you're part of the test. Mosseri hoped to launch the feature for everyone in December. He stressed that Instagram would "take feedback" and refine the design, so you might not have to worry if it doesn't function as you'd hoped. There may already be room for improvement. Like a previous time limit feature, Take a Break doesn't strictly enforce the pauses. You can simply tap "done" and continue scrolling. You'll have to turn to digital health or parental control features like iOS' Screen Time or Android's Digital Wellbeing to force yourself or a child to do something else. This is still an improvement, though, and may help if you just need a gentle reminder to put down your phone. Not that Instagram or its parent Meta have much choice. The company is under pressure from regulators and whistleblower Frances Haugen, both of which have accused Meta of focusing too much on hooking users and not enough on caring for them. Take a Break is a step toward more that more responsible approach — it's just a question of whether or not that step is large enough.
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| Twitter will host watch parties for Paramount+ shows Posted: 10 Nov 2021 09:16 AM PST Every so often, it seems broadcasters remember Twitter is a platform they can use to promote their content. Case and point: ViacomCBS just announced a multi-year deal that will see the social media network stream video from across its brand portfolio. Additionally, the two companies plan to host three Paramount+ watch parties. ViacomCBS didn't say what shows it will air through the effort, but they'll all be from the platform's original content library. As part of the deal, ViacomCBS also plans to leverage Twitter's marketing tools, including Moments. The deal builds on a previous agreement Twitter had in place with Viacom prior to the company's $30 billion merger with CBS in 2019. Notably, it's more expansive in scope, with Twitter gaining access to ViacomCBS' entire portfolio, including brands like CBS Sports, BET and Nickelodeon, in addition to the ability to stream content globally. Twitter and ViacomCBS did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement. In theory, the deal is a win for everyone. ViacomCBS gets a chance to promote its content, and Twitter gains access to additional revenue. |
| Spotify's new charts offer a more granular look at what's popular Posted: 10 Nov 2021 09:00 AM PST Charts have long been a useful way for Spotify users to check out the top songs on a given day as well as what's trending. The company is giving fans and artists more charts to check out, as well as a dedicated website on which to peruse them. New to the platform are weekly genre charts. You'll be able to see the top 200 songs across 17 genres, with user playlists and editorial input used to categorize tunes. You can also take a peek at artist charts. These will be updated every Friday to show the top 200 artists globally, as well as in each of Spotify's top 65 markets, based on streams from an artist's entire catalogs. What's more, users can dive into more than 200 city charts to see the biggest songs in specific locations. Local pulse charts, meanwhile, show how popular a song is in a city compared with how big that track is around the world. That should provide a sense of how listeners' tastes in one city match up against the broader Spotify userbase. Spotify There are a few features tailored toward artists as part of this expansion. They can see when a song entered the chart, its peak position and streaks. Credits are now included for each song on charts under the "more" option. If a song is doing particularly well, artists and fans can share that success using promo cards that Spotify created. Spotify also expanded its podcast charts this year. There's now an option to see the top podcast episodes, in addition to the most popular shows. |
| YouTube will hide dislike counts for all videos Posted: 10 Nov 2021 09:00 AM PST YouTube's experiment with hiding dislikes was apparently successful. The service is rolling out a change that will make dislike counts private for videos across YouTube. The button will still exist (and affect your recommendations), and producers can still see the count — you just won't see the numbers as a viewer. The Google-owned brand is aware that some people used the counts to make viewing decisions, but felt secret counts would help the community at large. New and smaller creators are more often targeted by dislike campaigns, YouTube said, and the test reduced that harassment. The move will theoretically create an "inclusive and respectful" space where video makers both have a better chance to succeed and feel safe. There's no guarantee this benefit will reach every user, or that it won't prompt determined harassers to find alternatives. It's also no secret YouTube has its own motivations as a victim of dislike attacks — just ask the Rewind 2018 team. All the same, this could discourage 'casual' abuses of the dislike button, not to mention brigading from groups hoping to suppress videos that clash with their views. |
| Researchers identify 'cybermercenary' group behind dozens of hacks Posted: 10 Nov 2021 08:35 AM PST Hacking groups aren't always divided between state sponsorship and strictly personal gain. Sometimes, they'll work for any customer with a large-enough bank account. The Recordreports that Trend Micro has identified Void Balaur, a "cybermercenary" group that has struck both political and commercial targets since 2015. It primarily steals data to sell to whoever's willing to pay, whether that's a government or a fraudster. Void Balaur was initially linked to attacks against human rights activists and journalists in Uzbekistan. More recently, it attacked Belarusian presidential candidates in 2020 and several political leaders in an unnamed Eastern European country. However, the hacking outfit also targeted executives and directors at a very large Russian company between 2020 and 2021, and has been attacking and selling data from telecoms, banks and cryptocurrency users. The group has been linked to the on-demand hacking site RocketHack.me. It's not clear just where Void Balaur operates from, or whether it has official government support. There's some overlap between Void's targets and those of the Russia-backed APT28 (aka Fancy Bear or Pawn Storm), but not enough to establish a clear link. And while the group has only ever advertised its services on Russian-language sites, it's not necessarily operating from Russia. We'd add that Russia usually turns a blind eye to cybercriminals only so long as they don't attack Russian interests — Void doesn't have problems attacking Russian businesses. The study illustrates the difficulty in pinpointing the nature of some hackers, let alone catching them. Cybermercenaries also pose a particularly severe threat as they're often happy to attack any target without reservations. It won't be surprising if there are more groups like Void Balaur that have simply gone undetected. |
| Microsoft Teams meetings are coming to Meta's Workplace Posted: 10 Nov 2021 08:20 AM PST Microsoft and Facebook's parent company Meta have teamed up to integrate Teams and Workplace. Companies that use both platforms can try the integration at no extra cost. Through a pinned tab in Teams, workers can access Workplace content, including a condensed version of the Workplace news feed, without having to switch between apps. They can react to and comment on Workplace posts in Teams too. Starting next year, companies will be able to stream Teams meetings to Workplace groups. As such, you'll be able to watch meetings and events in either app or check out a recording later on Workplace. Meta and Microsoft have previously brought their enterprise and productivity products together on other fronts. Office 365 tools such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint are already available on Workplace, as are SharePoint and OneDrive. Workplace is also integrated into the Azure Active Directory. In addition, Meta recently said Teams will be available on Meta Portal products in December. People will be able to use the devices for Teams video calls. Given Meta's focus on the metaverse and its vision of how virtual reality factors intothe future of work, it wouldn't be surprising to see a Microsoft Teams integration on Meta Quest headsets. Meta recently brought Slack and Dropbox to Quest 2, after all. |
| The best gifts for the creatives in your life Posted: 10 Nov 2021 08:15 AM PST If there's an artist in your life the best gift you can give them is inspiration. Whether they're a painter, writer, musician or anything else. Something to get their creative juices flowing will be welcome. Trust us. There are countless ways to spur creativity and aid the creative process — many of which don't require spending any money, like meditation or simply taking a long walk. But there are tools out there that can help someone stretch beyond their comfort zone, or simply document and fine-tune their own ideas. From subscriptions, to books, to extremely bizarre instruments, here are the best gifts for the creative in your life. You Are an Artist by Sarah Urist GreenWill Lipman Photography for Engadget / Penguin Books It might seem counterintuitive, but sometimes just being told what to do is a great way to spur creativity. Because, truth is, rarely is the actually creative part in the original idea, but rather in the execution of it. The problem is, once someone leaves school nobody is giving them assignments any more. That's where You Are an Artist comes in, a book compiled by Sarah Urist Green, the host of PBS' The Art Assignment on YouTube. It's a collection of 50 assignments crafted by a diverse set of artists to help get the creative on your list, well, creating. Many of the assignments focus on visual arts, asking them to make endless copies of an image using a Xerox machine, or to take random photos of a location and make notes on details they might normally miss. But there are others that encourage them to hum or clap along with the sounds of traffic, or engage in word games. You Are an Artist is the sort of book they'll probably revisit time and time again. — Terrence O'Brien, Managing Editor Buy You Are an Artist at Amazon - $13Apple Pencil (second-gen)Valentina Palladino / Engadget The iPad has become a key tool for creatives over the years and arguably nothing has contributed to that more than the Apple Pencil. Most of the newest iPads support the second-generation Pencil and it's admittedly much more convenient than the first purely for its magnetic charging method. But otherwise, the Apple Pencil is the best stylus I've ever used because it has little to no latency and that helps mimic the feeling of drawing with a traditional pen and paper. While investing in a paper-like screen protector will blur the lines even further, you don't have to do that to get an excellent experience from the Apple Pencil. Drawing is seamless, taking notes is a breeze (especially with iPadOS 15 if you use Apple's Notes app) and the possibilities are endless once you get familiar with third-party programs like Procreate. Battery life is superb, too: I've spent hours drawing in Procreate or experimenting with different planner layouts in GoodNotes and I have yet to pause a session to recharge the Pencil. While the Apple Pencil hasn't completely replaced traditional art forms for me, it's certainly the most useful tool I own for when I want to be creative. — Valentina Palladino, Commerce Editor Buy Apple Pencil (2nd gen) at Amazon - $129Astrohaus Freewrite smart typewriterDan Cooper / Engadget The Freewrite smart typewriter is a niche device that would nonetheless make a wonderful present for any aspiring writer. Or, come to think of it, anyone who is already committed to the art of putting words to the page. The Freewrite combines an excellent mechanical keyboard with an E Ink display, and while it can get online to sync drafts to the web, that's the only thing it can do. There's no way to browse the web, play a game, or watch YouTube on the Freewrite, which makes it a lot easier to just sit down and get into a flow state. The E Ink screen and keyboard can take a little getting used to, but both things quickly become assets when just looking to get some writing done. And thanks to the low-power display, the Freewrite lasts for a week or two of heavy writing. At $600, it's a serious investment — but gifting one to an aspiring writer should give them great motivation to write that book they're always talking about. — Nathan Ingraham, Deputy Managing Editor Buy Smart Typewriter at Freewrite - $600Factory Records: The Complete Graphic AlbumMute: A Visual Document: From 1978 - TomorrowThames & Hudson Decades worth of record label design offers a wellspring of visual aesthetics to kickstart your own creativity. There are even a few monoliths of music and design culture that succeeded in the record industry without succumbing to the corporate machine. Factory and Mute records are such creatures. Spawned in the UK in the late '70s (though only Mute remains today), both companies informed generations through tales of — sometimes careless — business tactics and quality curated output. In general, they were groups driven by a DIY aesthetic and creativity unhindered by official structure. Not only did these labels champion freedom of musical expression and help drive new genres of music, but they also became an outlet for visual designers. Most notably, Peter Saville's (found) cover art for Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures album (Factory) is ubiquitous today with its mountainous range of wavy lines. Spending time digging through either of these books which are chock full of art, music and history can get your creative juices flowing. Either are a welcome gift for family, friends or even yourself. — Jon Turi, Homepage Editor Buy Factory Records at Amazon - $34Buy Mute: A Visual Document at Amazon - $45Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael RuhlmanChronicle Books I've gotten to the point in my cooking journey where trying recipes isn't as interesting to me as learning new techniques. Do I have a pile of go-to recipes in my Paprika app? Yes, but now I'm more interested in mastering cooking methods that essentially set you up to make your own recipes from scratch. Ruhlman's Twenty is one of the "cookbooks" I've been turning to the most in my quest, and if some of the concepts in the book may seem basic, that's because they are. Most cooking shows and online recipe blogs don't explain why they add an acid to a tomato sauce or how to get a perfectly crispy french fry rather than an oily, soggy mess — but this book does. It takes you back to basics, explaining the proper techniques behind different ways of cooking, so that you can understand what's happening to your food as you prepare it. And don't worry, it doesn't read like a textbook and there are even complete recipes in there for you to follow if you wish. Ultimately, Ruhlman's Twenty has made me a more competent cook who isn't forced to consult a recipe every time I prepare a meal. — V.P. Buy Ruhlman's Twenty at Amazon - $19Make Noise StregaMake Noise A new instrument can be a decent way to snap someone out of a creative rut. But even better than a new instrument is a weird instrument. And if the musician in your life likes things on the weird side, I highly recommend the Make Noise Strega. It was designed in collaboration with Alessandro Cortini (touring member of Nine Inch Nails), and eschews most of your usual synth controls and makes sounds that are best described as weathered. The front panel is a confounding array of glyphs and lines that look like something out of a book on the occult. The express goal of the Strega is to get someone experimenting — literally poking and prodding at the various touch panels that serve as modulation sources and destinations using a person's own body as a patch cable. It won't be for everyone, but if you're shopping for the kind of person who loves lo-fi warbles and nightmarish drones, they'll love the Strega. — T.O. Buy Make Noise Strega at Sweetwater - $599POTAR Design's Sound UrchinPOTAR Design Okay, calling the Sound Urchin an "instrument" might seem like a stretch, but the otherworldly sounds it creates are sure to inspire the musician in your life to tackle composing differently. It's essentially a bunch of metal rods stuck to a guitar pedal enclosure with a microphone inside it. The rods aren't really tuned in any traditional way, which allows for the creation of unexpected melodies, but it can also be a source of clanging percussion or ominous wails. When paired with some effects this strange little box is capable of being the basis for an entire composition — albeit a slightly odd one. This particular recommendation came courtesy of Abby Santourian, a Chicago-based musician and music gear expert at Reverb who told Engadget via email: "For centuries, artists have been inspired by the sea, but I think this takes that idea to a new level…. When combined with other pedals and effects, the sonic possibilities and combinations are seriously endless." — T.O. Pre-order Sound Urchin at Potar Designs - $125The Artist Way by Julia CameronWill Lipman Photography for Engadget / Souvenir Press If you've heard about Morning Pages, or Artist Dates, both are two core habits established in The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron's decades-old book on creative practice. That's probably the most straightforward way to describe this book, which walks you through a 12-week program of writing exercises and tasks, all aimed at freeing up your creative powers. The crux of it is demanding three pages of handwritten writing every day. While it's often a stream of consciousness — and if your handwriting is atrocious, barely legible — Cameron's advice is to simply put the writing out there, and see where it takes you. Famous fans include Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert, Alicia Keys and practically half of the comedians whose podcasts I listen to, it seems. The book does get a little bit spiritual at times, which you may or may not be fine with, but the core exercises and ideas can be pretty powerful, especially if you're in a creative rut, or simply looking to add more artistic output to your day-to-day life. — Mat Smith, UK Bureau Chief Buy The Artist's Way at Amazon - $25Moog SubharmoniconMoog Another slightly weird instrument to consider is the Moog Subharmonicon. The sounds it produces are more "standard" than the Strega (for lack of a better term), but its sequencer and focus on subharmonics are anything but. It takes inspiration from a pair of early experimental electronic instruments — the Mixtur-Trautonium and the Rhythmicon. The Subharmonicon encourages one to explore the concepts of subharmonics and polyrhythms to create unexpected melodies and rhythms. It's capable of that classic Moog sound, but it will also force someone out of their comfort zone. — T.O. Buy Moog Subharmonicon at Amazon - $699Sensel Morph with Thunder overlaySensel Sometimes a person doesn't need whole new sounds to get the creative juices flowing, but just a new way of making those sounds. The Sensel Morph is an impressively portable and flexible MPE MIDI controller with amazing shapeshifting possibilities. It can be a piano, a pad-based drum machine, a sketch pad, or an obscure controller inspired by Don Buchla — the driving force of West Coast-style synthesis. The Buchla Thunder overlay marries the expressive possibilities of the Morph with an approach to composing melodies and harmonies that it's fairly safe to assume your giftee has never experienced. Instead of a traditional piano layout it's a series of pads organized into a roughly bird-like shape that you're supposed to tap and slide along to create unique timbres. Its unfamiliarity forces anyone to stop thinking about what they already know about playing music and focus instead on the results. Plus, the Morph has a number of other overlays so, if the Thunder has worn out its welcome, it's still incredibly useful and flexible. — T.O. Buy Morph with Thunder overlay at Sensel - $269Splice Creator planSplice Sure it's easy to just grab a drum loop from the top of the Splice charts and wind up sounding like everyone else. But there are far more interesting ways to find sounds. For one, search results can be shuffled. So, rather than just using the same Rhodes sample that thousands of other bedroom producers have relied on, a person can hit the shuffle button and grab something that might be flying under the radar. This technique can also be combined with searching for random terms on Splice, rather than pulling up specific instruments. (Just Google "random word generator" and use that as the basis for a search.) There are lots of interesting and sometimes strange sounds and loops to be found by searching for things like "clinic" and "preparation." The entry-level $10 Sounds+ plan includes 100 sample credits. But your giftee would probably really appreciate the upgrade to the Creator Plan. That includes 200 credits, plus access to Splice's surprisingly excellent Astra soft synth, its Beatmaker drum machine plugin and a library of tutorials and lessons on music production under the Skills banner. Sometimes, when you're not sure what to do, simply learning a new skill or trick can get the creative juices flowing again. — T.O. Get Splice Creator PlanTascam DR-05XTASCAM A decent field recorder should be in pretty much every artist's arsenal. For a musician, obviously, it's valuable for recording samples and capturing impromptu jam sessions. Anyone can buy sample packs, sure, but building a custom drum kit from snapping twigs and the crunch of dead leaves is a surefire way to get someone thinking outside the box. But even beyond that, it's great for documenting ideas and finding inspiration. Yes, there are voice-note apps, but your giftee might like having a dedicated (and distraction-free) tool for documenting ideas, inspiring sounds and capturing interesting lectures or panels. A writer can set a recorder up and talk through the plot of a novel they're working on, without worrying that their battery will die. Or a painter can record the ambience of a cafe they frequented while traveling in Paris and revisit it to find inspiration for a new work. — T.O. Buy Tascam DR-05X at Amazon - $119 |
| The Hubble telescope is recovering from another system failure Posted: 10 Nov 2021 07:12 AM PST NASA is once again struggling to keep the Hubble Space Telescope running. Wiredreports the Hubble team is slowly reviving its telescope following multiple instrument sync failures that prompted a switch to "safe mode" in late October. Engineers reactivated the Advanced Camera for Surveys on November 7th, but they'll need to verify the device's output this week before they enable any other affected components. The problems began October 23rd, when NASA noticed that instruments weren't receiving sync messages from Hubble's control unit. Those communication problems continued for two days, prompting the emergency shutdowns. The space agency can't revive Hubble quickly — rapid power and temperature changes risk shortening the telescope's lifespan. The failure is the second in 2021 to prompt an extended shutdown (the June payload flaw prompted NASA to invoke a month-long "coma" in July), and that's on top of previous problems. NASA had to restart Hubble's gyroscopes in 2018, for instance. The mounting problems suggest the 31-year-old observer is running out of time, and there's no Space Shuttle available if a hardware replacement is necessary. Astronomers might not be too worried. The James Webb Space Telescope is due to launch December 18th and may serve as a spiritual successor to Hubble, even if it's not focusing on the same wavelengths. Hubble is also contributing to significant discoveries to this day. In that sense, Hubble is effectively signalling that it's ready to pass the torch. |
| Smart home gadgets and kitchen tech that make great gifts Posted: 10 Nov 2021 06:42 AM PST Keeping your home clean, organized and secure can be a chore, and your loved ones likely feel the same way. Fortunately, there are gadgets that can help make it a little easier. We review smart speakers, robotic vacuums and Instant Pots all year long, and for the holiday season we've compiled a list of our recent favorites in the home tech space that will make excellent gifts. And your giftee doesn't have to be tech savvy to use all of them either — plenty of our recommendations amount to baby steps into the smart home world for those who would rather start off slow. Instant Pot ProWill Lipman Photography for Engadget / Instant Pot We almost always recommend the multi-purpose Instant Pot in our holiday gift guides and this year is no exception. But instead of giving your loved one the regular model, why not level up? Designed for avid cook, the Instant Pot Pro brings several key upgrades over previous models. The inner pot has an extra thick bottom that lets you heat it on the stove, plus handles that make it easier to lift. It has 28 customizable programs for different foods, and there are five favorite buttons that you can assign to frequently cooked meals. It also has steam release reminder alerts with 5- and 10-minute pre-sets. It's available in two different sizes, but we'd recommend the six-quart version for most families. Buy Instant Pot Pro at Amazon - $130Anova Precision Cooker NanoWill Lipman Photography for Engadget Sous vide cooking essentially means keeping foods in a temperature-controlled water bath, ensuring they're done to perfection. This used to require expensive equipment, but sous vide cookers have become inexpensive over the past few years. One such device is the Anova Precision Cooker Nano, which can be found for around $100, and can be controlled through either an app or physical buttons. It's one of the most affordable sous vide machines around, yet it delivers precise temperature controls. The app also comes with an assortment of helpful recipes to help get users started on their sous vide journey. If you don't mind spending a bit more, we also like Breville's Joule for its sleek, minimalist design. It doesn't have the physical controls that the Nano does, but it makes up for that with its compact form factor that's a little easier to fit in a kitchen drawer. Either option will ensure medium-rare steak, juicy chicken breasts or just a perfectly soft-cooked egg. Buy Precision Cooker Nano at Amazon - $130Buy Breville Joule at Amazon - $200Anova Precision OvenAnova If your loved one is a great cook with counter space to spare, consider getting them the Anova Precision Oven. It's a luxury purchase, for sure, but it's well worth the price for serious home cooks. This combination convection-steam oven can cook food in both wet and dry heat, letting you control temperature and humidity levels. What this means is that your special someone can make juicy roast chicken with crispy skin as well as crusty artisan-style bread all in one machine. Plus, it has WiFi and a companion app that lets cooks keep an eye on their food from anywhere. Buy Precision Oven at Anova - $599Google Nest Doorbell BatteryNest Video doorbells are useful for seeing who's at the front door from the comfort of your couch. One of our favorites is the Nest Hello (now called the Nest Doorbell Wired), which is why we were pleased when Nest came out with a new battery-operated version, the Nest Doorbell Battery. It's a great gift for both homeowners and renters, as you don't need to hardwire it. Battery life is anywhere from one to six months depending on how active it is (it's shorter if you live on a busy street, for example). The Doorbell notifies them whenever there's a person, animal or vehicle near the front door. It can also let them know when a package has been placed, which is great for pre-empting theft. In addition, it offers three hours of event video history for free, with the option to purchase more space through a Nest Aware subscription. Buy Nest Doorbell Battery at Best Buy - $180Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)Nest If you do get a Nest Doorbell for someone, you might want to consider gifting them a Nest Hub as well. The two are designed to work together: anytime someone rings the doorbell, the camera view of who's at the front door will show up on the Nest Hub's screen. Even without the doorbell, however, the smart display is a great device to have around the home — especially if your loved one already uses the Google Assistant. It works as a digital photo frame and they can use it to watch YouTube and Netflix. It can also make calls via Google Duo and offers recipe videos along with step-by-step cooking instructions. If the user so chooses, they can track their sleeping patterns when they place the device next to their bed. Buy Nest Hub (2nd gen) at Best Buy - $100Amazon Echo Show 8Will Lipman Photography for Engadget For those who prefer Alexa over the Google Assistant, the Echo Show 8 is a great alternative to the Nest Hub. It also works as a digital photo frame and its 8-inch display is a good size for streaming shows from Amazon Prime, Netflix and Hulu while prepping dinner. It can also be used to keep up with the news, check the weather and control smart home devices. Since Amazon has a partnership with Allrecipes and Food Network Kitchen, users can find assorted recipes and instructional videos as well. Buy Echo Show 8 at Amazon - $130Mila Air purifierWill Lipman Photography for Engadget Air purifiers are great gifts for anyone who has allergies, lives in a polluted area or just wants to breathe easier at home. And if you want to give someone a smarter air purifier, consider the Mila Air. It ships with one of seven pre-configured HEPA filters that can filter out particles and allergens like pollen and dust. It also has a ton of customization options: there's a "Housekeeping Service" mode that goes full blast when no one's in the room, a "Sleep Mode" that turns the lights off and reduces the fan speeds at night, plus a "White Noise" mode that mimics soothing sounds like waterfalls. The Mila also has a bevy of sensors that can tell you if there's carbon monoxide in the air, or if the humidity is too high. Buy Mila air purifier - $349Blink indoor cameraBlink Blink's indoor camera offers the gift of peace of mind in a compact and affordable package. Your loved one will appreciate the fact that Blink is wireless and battery-powered; since they don't have to place it near an electrical outlet, it can sit almost anywhere. They also won't have to worry about recharging the camera since it can last up to two years on its two included AA batteries. Aside from just letting them monitor their home, it also features customizable motion alerts so they'll only get alerted when they want to. Plus, there's two-way audio so they can hear and speak to the person (or pet) on the other end. Buy Blink Indoor at Amazon - $80iRobot Roomba 694Will Lipman Photography for Engadget Maybe you have someone in your life who could use a little help cleaning up after themselves. For that, we recommend getting them one of our favorite robot vacuum cleaners, the iRobot Roomba 694. It can suck up dirt and debris from both hardwood and carpeted floors, with an edge-sweeping brush taking care of dusty corners. The companion app lets them control it remotely, or they can set up a cleaning schedule so the little robot can do its thing at a set time. It even automatically docks and recharges itself if it's low on battery. Buy Roomba 694 at iRobot - $275August WiFi smart lockAugust Smart locks are a great way to add security and convenience to any home. We recommend August's WiFi smart lock because it's easy to use, and since it fits over an existing deadbolt, it's great for both homeowners and renters. It lets your loved ones unlock the door completely hands-free, which is great if they have their arms full of groceries. They can set it so that it automatically locks once the door is closed, or after a set period of time. If someone's at the door but they're at the office or in the backyard, they can easily let them in with a single finger tap. Plus, they can grant access for specific friends or family members, which means they might never need to put the key under the doormat ever again. Buy August WiFi smart lock at Amazon - $229TP-Link Kasa smart plugWill Lipman Photography for Engadget With a smart plug, any appliance can be part of a connected home for not a lot of money. TP-Link's Kasa smart plug is a particularly good one because it is both affordable and incredibly compact (and if you're really short on space, there's a mini version that's even smaller). Together with its companion app, they can schedule a timer to turn on and off anything from Christmas lights to a coffee maker. It's also compatible with both Alexa and Google Assistant, which lets them add voice control to any outlet. Buy Kasa smart plug (4 pack) at Amazon - $30Buy Kasa mini smart plug (2 pack) at Amazon - $20Eero 6 WiFi mesh routerAmazon With most of us having so many gadgets and smart home devices, perhaps the best thing you can give your loved one is the gift of better WiFi to keep things running smoothly. Amazon's Eero routers will deliver just that. The latest models support WiFi 6, the latest and fastest WiFi standard, and will support 75-plus devices simultaneously. It also covers up to 1,500 square feet with WiFi speeds up to 900 Mbps, so it's unlikely they'll ever have to deal with dead spots or buffering again. The Eero 6 also comes with a built-in Zigbee smart home hub that lets them connect compatible devices without having to purchase a separate device. Buy Eero 6 router at Amazon - $129Philips LED Smart Bulb starter kitPhilips Add some color to your loved one's life with the Philips LED smart bulb starter kit, which comes with four multi-color bulbs plus a Hue Hub that connects them all together. The bulbs can fill the room with millions of different colors so they can choose from warm moody lighting for a cozy atmosphere or rainbows for parties. In the companion app, they can create timers and routines so that their lights gradually turn on in the morning or off in the evening. And it's scalable: They can eventually have up to 50 lights connected to one Hue Hub, giving them the freedom to outfit their whole home with smart lights if they wish. Buy Philips Hue starter kit at Amazon - $195 |
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