Sunday, January 9, 2022

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Apple said to have ruled out a metaverse for its mixed reality headset

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 10:25 AM PST

Don't expect Apple to follow others into the metaverse. According to the latest newsletter from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has rejected the idea of a metaverse (in this case, an all-virtual world) for its long-rumored mixed reality headset. The very idea is "off limits," Gurman's sources claimed. The focus would be on short stints of communication, content viewing and gaming.

Past rumors have hinted headset could debut as soon as this year, although its specs and target audience aren't certain. Early scoops suggested it might have a resolution of 8K per eye, over a dozen "inside out" tracking cameras and a developer focus that included a $3,000 price. Well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested the headset would 'only' use 4K displays and six to eight cameras, however, hinting at a more affordable device.

If the claim is true, Apple's approach to mixed reality would be very different than that of its rival Meta. Where Meta has shifted its AR and VR strategies toward the metaverse, Apple appears determined to avoid it. Whether or not that strategy could work is another matter. Apple's reported strategy could pay off if metaverses struggle, and might thwart Meta's plans by limiting overall interest in virtual worlds. If metaverses do succeed, though, Apple could miss out and find itself supporting others' VR environments.

UK watchdog to grill Meta over child safety in VR

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 08:53 AM PST

Meta is facing more scrutiny over its approach to child safety. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) told The Guardian in a statement that it was planning "further discussions" with Meta about the Quest 2 VR headset's compliance with a recently established children's code that priorities the "best interests" of young users. The watchdog wants to determine whether Meta's headset and VR services do enough to protect the privacy and data of kids.

Baroness Beeban Kidron, who developed the code, was concerned Meta's platform made it too easy for kids to sign on and risk abuse, harassment and explicit content. Meta might require a Facebook account (and thus that a user be at least 13 years old), but that doesn't mean it's implementing the code's required age checks. Children can jump into potentially dangerous VR chatrooms just by "ticking a box" to say they're old enough, Kidron said.

A Meta spokesperson told The Guardian the internet giant was "committed" to honoring the children's code, and was "confident" its VR hardware met the code's requirements. The representative stressed that terms of service don't allow children under 13 to use the products, but didn't address worries it was too easy for kids to ignore that policy. The firm has already promised a $50 million program to make sure its metaverse development obeyed laws and regulations.

The UK could deliver a wide range of punishments if the ICO finds Meta violated the code. While officials might do little more than issue a warning, they could also fine Meta either a fixed amount up to £17.5 million (about $23.8 million) or as much as 4 percent of its worldwide turnover — over $10 billion. There's at least some pressure on Meta to toughen child safety in VR, even if it's just to protect the company's finances.

Apple will reportedly unveil an iPhone SE with 5G this spring

Posted: 09 Jan 2022 07:13 AM PST

Apple might use its now-customary spring event to update its most affordable smartphone. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claimed in his latest newsletter that Apple is expected to introduce a third-generation iPhone SE this spring through a virtual presentation "likely" happening in March or April. In an echo of past rumors, Gurman understood the new SE would still cling to the iPhone 8-era design but add 5G and a new processor — possibly the A15 from the iPhone 13, if Apple's history of using last year's high-end chip is any indication.

There was no mention of other changes. It wouldn't be surprising if Apple increased the storage to 128GB or updated the camera sensors (again borrowed from the iPhone 8), but those aren't guaranteed given Apple's low-cost focus for the iPhone SE. A larger battery might be necessary to compensate for 5G's typically higher energy drain.

If the leak is accurate, the new iPhone SE would be disappointing for those wanting a modern nearly-all-screen design. You'd still have a relatively small screen, thick bezels and a button-based fingerprint reader. As we just mentioned, though, price is everything for the SE. The current model's $399 price helps Apple reach some customers who otherwise couldn't justify an iPhone. The company might not want to do anything that could prompt even a small a price hike, if just to maximize the SE's potential audience. 

Mars Perseverance halts rock sample storage due to debris

Posted: 08 Jan 2022 01:48 PM PST

The Mars Perseverance rover's sample collection has run into a snag. NASA reports the rover stopped caching samples after debris partly blocked the bit carousel (the device that stores drill bits and passes sample tubes for internal processing). The rover encountered the anomaly on December 29th, but the mission team had to wait until January 6th to send a command to extract the drill bit, undock the robot arm from the carousel and take images to verify what happened.

The obstacles are believed to be pebbles that fell out of the sample tube when dropping off the coring bit, preventing that bit from sitting neatly in the carousel. The storage is crucial for NASA's plans to eventually return the samples to Earth.

This isn't the end to sample gathering. NASA/JPL's chief sampling engineer, Louise Jandura, noted the carousel was designed to run with debris. It's the first time the team has had to clear debris, however, and Jandura said operators would take as much time as they needed to get rid of the pebbles in a "controlled and orderly fashion."

This isn't the first time Perseverance has run into trouble. The rover failed to collect samples during its first attempt, while the Ingenuity helicopter suffered a processing error during its sixth flight. All the same, this illustrates the challenges of the mission — even a seemingly pedestrian task as storing a sample can go awry in the wrong conditions. And when Mars is so distant, fixes aren't necessarily easy or certain.

NASA finishes deploying the James Webb Space Telescope

Posted: 08 Jan 2022 12:39 PM PST

NASA is one large step closer to putting the James Webb Space Telescope into service. The agency has successfully deployed the JWST's signature gold-coated primary mirror, completing all major deployments for the instrument. The mission crew still has to align the telescope's optics by moving the primary mirror's segments (a months-long process), but it's a strong sign the $10 billion device is in good shape.

The JWST also requires a third course correction burn as it heads toward the L2 Lagrange point over 930,000 miles from Earth. Astronomers will use the point to study infrared light without interference, potentially offering insights into the early Universe that aren't possible with Hubble and other equipment.

First images from the telescope won't be available until the summer, and it could take much longer before those images translate to meaningful discoveries. Even so, the deployment is an achievement. JWST represents the first time NASA has unpacked a complex observatory in space — it shows projects like this are viable, even if they're unlikely to be commonplace in the near future.

Ford tries to fight F-150 Lightning scalpers by banning resales

Posted: 08 Jan 2022 11:10 AM PST

Ford is swamped with F-150 Lightning orders, and it's taking special steps to make sure the electric pickup truck reaches honest-to-goodness buyers. Roadshowreports Ford is now giving dealerships the option to ban customers from reselling the Lightning for up to a year after purchase. As the (since-pulled) document on the F-150 Gen 14 forums revealed, the dealer could "seek injunctive relief" to block the ownership transfer or even demand payment for "all value" generated from the sale.

The automaker is also cracking down on a "limited number" of dealers that allegedly violated sales and service terms by forcing customers to make additional payments beyond those Ford requires. It's not clear just what those payments were, although this suggests they were more than the markups you frequently see when cars are scarce or in high demand.

This no-resale clause isn't new to the automotive world. Ford used it to ensure its GT supercar reached real owners. However, it's still rare for EVs — particularly for relatively mainstream vehicles like the F-150 Lighting. This reflects the popularity of the Lightning, of course, but it might also be vital to Ford. Scalping has hurt access to many other tech products, such as game consoles and video cards — Ford likely doesn't want those opportunists to sour the launch of such an important vehicle, particularly with Chevy, Rivian and Tesla chasing after many of the same customers.

A 'Scott Pilgrim' anime series is coming to Netflix

Posted: 08 Jan 2022 09:38 AM PST

Scott Pilgrim appears ready for a comeback, and not just in video games. The Hollywood Reporter has learned Netflix and Universal's UCP (the unit behind The Umbrella Academy) are developing a Scott Pilgrim anime series. It's not clear how close this will hew to the original graphic novels, but creator Bryan Lee O'Malley and 2010 movie director Edgar Wright will be executive producers.

O'Malley will serve as a showrunner alongside Are You Afraid of the Dark? reviver BenDavid Grabinski. Science SARU is animating the project.

It won't be shocking if the series sticks to the core plot: Sex Bob-omb band leader Scott wants to win over Ramona Flowers, but can't date her until he defeats her seven evil exes. Both the graphic novels and the movie were nods to manga, indie rock, video games and turn-of-the-millennium Canadian culture.

This is a slightly unusual twist on a familiar formula. While Netflix hasn't been shy about its ambitious anime plans, it has typically focused on originals or adaptations of Japanese games and manga. Here, the streaming service is adapting a comic that was a Western tribute — and one that many might only know from the big screen. Netflix's strategy isn't clear, but it might see this as a way to expose its anime catalog to a larger audience.

Google and Ford want to bring small radar to more devices

Posted: 08 Jan 2022 08:46 AM PST

Radar might soon find its way into more personal technology than Google's phones and smart speakers. 9to5Googlenotes Google, Ford and four other partners have published specs for a Ripple standard that could bring small radar to more devices in a "privacy-respecting" fashion. The framework, hosted by the Consumer Technology Association, theoretically lets any device maker use small-scale radar for tasks ranging from existing uses like touch-free gesture control and health monitoring through to exercise tracking and even occupancy detection in buildings.

The early details are currently available through GitHub, with a focus on interoperability between radar types. Developers will initially have to add special use cases through extensions, but the Ripple team hopes to build those add-ons into later versions of the standard.

The involvement of Google and Ford is logical. Both have already used radar in shipping products like the Nest Hub or Ford's Co-Pilot 360 driver assists. The more industry-wide support there is for radar, the more customers are likely to seek it out in the companies' products. Still, it might be genuinely useful if radar becomes more than a rare-but-inessential bonus feature.

Ford's e-scooter company Spin is leaving markets and laying off staff

Posted: 08 Jan 2022 07:45 AM PST

Spin, the e-scooter-sharing startup Ford acquired back in 2018, is shifting its focus in its quest to profitability and is exiting nearly all open permit markets globally as a result. In a post by company CEO Ben Bear, he said Spin has started winding down its operations in a few markets in the US, as well as in the entirety of Germany and Portugal. The company will also shut down its operations in Spain, which could happen sometime in February 22nd.

Open permit markets are places where multiple scooter companies can run businesses, with no caps on fleet sizes. Bear said they "create an uncertain operating environment" with "race to the bottom pricing." It doesn't sound like Spin has been doing well in those markets — Bear wrote that Spin hasn't been able to offer "the type of reliable high quality service [it] prides [itself] on to its riders and city partners" in those locations — so it has decided to take another path instead. 

Spin expanded its operations after it was acquired by Ford to a bunch of cities in the US and around the world. In 2021, it deployed a new scooter model that's more durable than its previous ones and teamed up with Google to show users the nearest e-bike or e-scooter on Maps. Unfortunately, those weren't enough to prevent this restructuring.

Going forward, Spin will focus on limited vendor markets in the US, Canada and the UK. Specifically, in places where cities and campuses "select partners through a competitive procurement process." Apparently, Spin gets double the revenue in those types of places compared to locations with a free-for-all market. Shifting its focus to those places makes sense in that case, but shutting down locations unfortunately also means that the company is letting personnel go: Its move will affect a quarter of its staff, who'll get severance packages and a stipend.

Mobile sports betting is now legal in New York State

Posted: 08 Jan 2022 07:15 AM PST

You can now use your phone to bet on sports if you live in New York. CNBCreports the state has legalized mobile sports betting as of January 8th. Multiple companies are already taking bets as of 9AM Eastern, including DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars Sportsbook and Rush Street Interactive. Five other companies (including BetMGM and WynnBet) have licenses, but haven't yet cleared the legal requirements.

The move came after former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo changed his mind on online sports betting. He saw it as an opportunity to keep more tax revenue and make the state the largest betting market in the US. New Jersey currently dominates American online gambling, with research firm Eilers & Krejcik noting that roughly a fifth of all revenue comes from the state.

Any success might take a while, however. New York's 51 percent tax rate on gambling revenue is much steeper than New Jersey's 13 percent, and that could prevent the Empire State from claiming the lead for years. Still, this may be an important turning point— New York is clearly large and influential, and the outcome of its efforts could influence stances on mobile betting in states where the practice remains illegal.

Recommended Reading: The fate of Apple and Google's contact tracing tech

Posted: 08 Jan 2022 07:00 AM PST

The US digital-contact-tracing debacle

Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic

Unless you live in a few specific states, you likely never got the chance to use the contact tracing system that was the result of an unprecedented collaboration between Apple and Google. As it turns out, there are a few reasons the technology never took off in the US, from privacy concerns among the general public to the inability of the federal government to deviate from its vaccine-or-bust strategy. 

The Athletic set out to destroy newspapers. Then it became one.

Bryan Curtis, The Ringer

The New York Times is spending $550 million on a subscription-based sports media site and its wealth of journalism talent. Not so long ago, its founder told the very paper that bought it he wanted to replace local newspapers, with a plan to "let them continuously bleed until we are the last ones standing." Now the site is part of one of the largest papers in the country.

The epic rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes

David Streitfeld, The New York Times

Following this week's fraud verdict, a look back at the Theranos executive's decade-long play and some the people she brought along with her.

FAA reveals 50 airports that will have C-band 5G buffer zones

Posted: 08 Jan 2022 05:33 AM PST

When AT&T's and Verizon's C-band 5G services go live on January 19th, they'll be implementing buffer zones around 50 airports in the US to reduce to risk of flight disruption. The Federal Aviation Administration has released a list (PDF) of the 50 airports it chose, which include major passenger hubs such as Chicago O'Hare International, Dallas-Fort Worth and Los Angeles International. As The Wall Street Journal notes, it also includes airports in foggy and cloudy locations like Seattle-Tacoma International, as well as cargo hubs like Indianapolis International.

The carriers were supposed to roll out their 5G service using their newly purchased frequencies on January 5th, but they agreed to comply with the FAA's and Transportation Department's request to push back their expansion by two more weeks. Authorities intend to use the extra time to investigate concerns that the new frequencies are too close to those used by airplanes' radar altimeters. The devices measure the distance between the plane and the ground to help planes land in poor visibility and poor weather conditions. Wireless companies deny that using the C-band frequencies for 5G will disrupt aviation.

The FAA said that Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and some of the other busiest airports in the US are missing from the list, because they're nowhere near the areas where the new 5G services are deploying. Meanwhile, other large airports are also not included because they're deemed far away enough from the nearest 5G towers. 

Airlines for America, the association that represents major North American airlines, told Reuters and The Post in a statement that it appreciates the "FAA's efforts to implement mitigations for airports that may be most impacted by disruptions generated by the deployment of new 5G service." However, Kevin Burke, the CEO of airport trade group Airports Council International-North America, is less than pleased. Burke said the list is "largely irrelevant because the entire aviation system is about to be adversely impacted by this poorly planned and coordinated expansion of 5G service in and around airports."

PayPal confirms it's exploring the launch of its own stablecoin

Posted: 08 Jan 2022 03:01 AM PST

PayPal has been expanding its cryptocurrency business since it opened trading to all users in 2020. It allowed US customers to check out with cryptocurrency and increased its crypto buy limit over the past year. In the future, it might also offer a stablecoin of its own. Jose Fernandez da Ponte, SVP of crypto and digital currencies at PayPal, has confirmed to Bloomberg that the online payment provider is "exploring a stablecoin." He also said that the company will work closely with relevant regulators "if and when [it] seek[s] to move forward."

A developer named Steve Moser found hidden code and images for a "PayPal Coin" in the company's app and shared them with Bloomberg. Based on what he discovered, the PayPal Coin will be backed by the US dollar. It may also feature the PayPal logo with two horizontal slashes across it, though that may change upon the coin's launch, if it does see the light of day. A spokesperson told the publication that the tidbits Moser unearthed in the app were leftovers from an internal hackathon by the company's blockchain, crypto and digital currencies division.

Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies backed by fiat currencies and are typically more, well, stable than their decentralized counterparts. Meta (formerly Facebook) has big crypto plans, as well, and was supposed to launch a digital wallet that supports its own stablecoin called Diem. However, it faced pushback from regulators and launched the cryptocurrency wallet Novi with the stablecoin called the Pax Dollar instead.

Tesla will hike prices on self-driving mode, again

Posted: 07 Jan 2022 04:28 PM PST

Tesla's "full self-driving" (FSD) feature has had something of a rocky history, to put things generously. It's been implicated in multiple crashes, seemingly persistent software bugs and a cavalcade of scrutiny from a panoply of regulatorybodies. Also, it's about to cost more money. 

The bump represents an additional $2,000 being tacked onto the not insubstantial price tag: a new grand total of $12,000, or most of the way to a Honda Civic. Nor is it the first time FSD has gotten more expensive. In 2020, Musk (again, on Twitter) announced a roughly $2,000 price increase. This most recent hike, Musk clarified, will only apply in the US; he added that the feature's "price will rise as we get closer to FSD production code release." 

Whether that means there are plans for even further price increases is anyone's guess — Tesla famously dissolved its corporate communications department around the same time FSD gained it's $10,000 price tag.

Notably, purchasing the "full self-driving" feature doesn't actually result in a car that drives itself. This largely is why Senators Markey and Blumenthal have called on the FTC to investigate Tesla and Musk for, among other things, "overstatements of their vehicle's capabilities." According to one survey, only around 11 percent of Tesla owners drop the money required to enable FSD, and it's difficult to imagine how increasing the financial burden on buyers could reverse that trend.

Pixar's 'Turning Red' will forgo theaters for Disney+

Posted: 07 Jan 2022 02:29 PM PST

Turning Red, Pixar's latest feature film, will premiere exclusively on Disney+, the studio announced on Friday. It follows Soul and Luca as the third Pixar movie to skip a theatrical release. Disney had planned to debut Turning Red in theaters, but likely due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases across the US and much of the world, that won't happen. What hasn't changed is the release date: the film will still debut on March 11th as originally planned.

"Given the delayed box office recovery, particularly for family films, flexibility remains at the core of our distribution decisions as we prioritize delivering the unparalleled content of The Walt Disney Company to audiences around the world," said Kareem Daniel, chairman of media and entertainment distribution for Disney.

The fact Turning Red won't premiere on the silver screen is a shame because it marks the full-length directorial debut of one of Pixar's most promising young talents, Domee Shi. She won an Academy Award in 2019 for her work on the short film Bao, which was shown alongside Incredibles 2 in theaters. Like Bao, Turning Red is set in Shi's hometown of Toronto, Canada. It tells the story of Mei Lee (voiced by Rosalie Chiang), a teen who finds out she turns into a red panda when she gets too excited. Naturally, all sorts of hijinks ensue as a result. Did we mention the fabulous Sandra Oh is also in the movie? Yeah, it will be great.  

The fact Turning Red won't have a theatrical run is likely to significantly affect its earning potential. In turn, that could make Disney less willing to invest in diverse productions like Turning Red. If there's a silver lining, it's that families will at least have the opportunity to see the film from the safety of their homes.

Amazon cuts paid COVID-19 leave for workers in half

Posted: 07 Jan 2022 01:30 PM PST

Amazon, the second-largest employer in the US, announced today that it would be slashing its paid leave policies for workers forced to quarantine in half. The policy, instituted in March of 2020, previously provided for up to 14 days of paid leave; the new policy covers one week, or up to 40 hours.

"Throughout the past two years we have consistently based our response to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the advice of our own medical experts," the notice to workers reads. It goes on to state that the 40-hour or one week paid leave policy goes into effect "immediately" and "applies to all employees in the United States, regardless of vaccination status." 

The shift mirrors the CDC's updated — and broadly unpopular — isolation guidance, which it published on December 27, as well as the decision by Walmart, the largest US employer, to reduce its own paid pandemic sick leave policies this past Wednesday. It stands to reason that other companies are likely to follow suit.

Amazon recently reinstated its mask policy for on-site workers. That requirement, along with mandatory temperature checks, were put in place around the same time as the original two-week leave policy last year, and was subsequently rolled back for fully vaccinated workers in May.

While Amazon has often been criticized for its uniquely poor treatment of its staff, in this case it's merely following federal guidance and looking out for its own financial interests above all other priorities. Instead, what the erosion of the paid leave policies for the country's two largest employers represents is the rolling back of the benefits and protections many of us have come to rely on to persevere through this ongoing pandemic. 

Earlier this week, the expiration of a White House deal with retailers mandating at-home COVID tests be sold for an affordable $14 led, predictably, to those same tests nearly doubling in price at Walmart and Kroger. Some policies, like pandemic unemployment benefits, have already ended, while key safeguards, like New York's eviction moratorium, are slated to expire soon. Meanwhile, the US is still experiencing record-setting numbers of positive cases. 

Amazon is correct that the CDC altered what it believes to be the necessary length of isolation for positive-testing individuals. But that elides the fact that Amazon and Walmart were, not long ago, offering hazard pay to workers for facing the exact same risks that currently exist in their workplaces. Incidentally, those policies were rolled back quickly as well.

New 'Valorant' players will need to grind before they can play competitive games

Posted: 07 Jan 2022 01:00 PM PST

A new playable character with an aggressive mobility-based kit isn't the only potentially game-changing tweak coming to Valorant with the shooter's Episode Four update on January 11th. Once the patch is live, new players will need to reach account level 20 before they can queue for competitive games. Previously, you only had to win 10 unranked matches before you could take part in competitive matchmaking.

Many other multiplayer games, including Overwatch and Riot's own League of Legends, employ similar restrictions. They help ensure new players have had at least some time to learn the game before they jump into a high-pressure match. They also deter a practice known as smurfing. That's when more experienced players create new accounts to avoid long queues and play against less skilled opponents.

"We believe everyone should take time to learn the ins and outs of core gameplay, and have ample exposure to all the maps and agents Valorant will throw at you before competing in our ranked experience," Riot said of the change. The tweak will only affect new accounts made from this point forward. So if you recently started playing Valorant and have at least one competitive match on your account, you won't lose access.

How to watch the Awesome Games Done Quick 2022 speedrunning marathon

Posted: 07 Jan 2022 12:32 PM PST

Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ), an annual week-long celebration of speedrunning, is almost upon us. Between January 9th and 16th, you'll be able to watch one expert gamer after another race through their favorite titles to show off their skill and, hopefully, break some world records.

For the second year running, AGDQ will be held as a virtual event due to COVID-19 safety concerns. Unfortunately, runners won't have a raucous in-person crowd to cheer them on. Still, you can watch the entire event live on Twitch, via the Games Done Quick channel (or the embed below), starting at noon ET on Sunday. If you can't watch the action as it happens, you'll be able to catch up later on YouTube. 

The schedule is packed with some fascinating-sounding runs. On Wednesday, two GeoGuessr players will shoot for a perfect score by finding the exact locations of random Google Street View images. Next Saturday, a runner named Mitchriz will try to beat Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, a typically tough game by FromSoftware, as quickly as possible — and they'll be blindfolded. Recent games making their first appearance at AGDQ include Deathloop, Death's Door, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Returnal and Psychonauts 2.

The Games Done Quick organization has raised millions for good causes over the last decade. AGDQ is one of the two main events the group runs each year, with Summer Games Done Quick typically taking place in June or July.

The best of CES 2022

Posted: 07 Jan 2022 12:00 PM PST

You all know what they say about the best-laid plans. Though Engadget intended to send a few editors to cover CES in person, we later decided amid surging covid cases that it would be best if our entire staff just stayed home and covered the show remotely. In the end, too, we also decided it would be easiest, under these very fluid circumstances, to do our own thing for our annual CES Awards, which since 2014 we have produced in partnership with the Consumer Technology Association, the trade group that organizes CES itself. Though we can't hand out awards in person this year, we do still have opinions. And we're about to share them with you.

What follows are all of our favorites from CES 2022 which, despite some stormy press, turned out to be a surprisingly busy show (if not in foot traffic, then certainly in hard news). As in years past, we arrived at these picks by first asking the editors who cover these categories year-round to weigh in on a shortlist. Then our wider team voted using a ranked-choice system. Maybe one day we'll also tell you about the dark-horse favorites that almost, but didn't quite, make the cut. — Dana Wollman, Editor-in-Chief

Best Accessibility Product

OrCam MyEye Pro

OrCam MyEye Pro
OrCam

For people with low vision or difficulty reading, camera-based gadgets with object recognition can make life a little easier. OrCam's MyEye Pro is a wearable camera module that can be attached to any pair of glasses. Like previous generations, the MyEye Pro can read text, identify objects and faces and tell the wearer what it sees via an onboard speaker or paired Bluetooth headphones. In addition to a touch-sensitive control panel, OrCam offers voice control via the company's own assistant with the "Hey OrCam" hotword. The Pro also features a faster processor than older models, an additional microphone, stronger magnets and improved tactile cues. It has a new interactive "Smart Reading" feature that lets users ask their MyEye to quickly find specific information like phone numbers, the total on a bill, a particular word on a page and more.

MyEye Pro is one of a few assistive devices built specifically to help people with vision impairments or reading disabilities. Though smartphones can arguably perform similar tasks, the fact that the OrCam can be mounted on spectacles makes it easier for extended reading or all-day use. The company needs to address some usability issues, and like most assistive devices the MyEye is very expensive starting at $3,990. But with greater awareness of the existence of such products, perhaps more insurance providers will consider covering some of the cost. — Cherlynn Low, Deputy Editor / Reviews

Best Health and Fitness Product

Withings Body Scan

Withings Body Scan
Withings

Withings has been doing all it can to push the boundaries of what a bathroom weighing scale can do for a long while now. This year at CES, the company unveiled the Withings Body Scan, which aims to bring a number of new health-monitoring technologies into your home. The Body Scan's most obvious new feature is the pull-out handlebar that you'll hold in front of your waist while you're standing on the deck. This allows the device to run an ECG to check on your heart health, offer up sequential body composition data and, most intriguing, analyze your nerve activity.

It's not just the breadth of data the Body Scan promises to analyze, but the claimed depth that impressed us. Withings says that its six-lead ECG will produce medical-grade results and that its output can easily be read by a cardiologist. Meanwhile, the nerve activity tracking will look for signs of nerve degeneration, which can be caused by obesity (and treated with appropriate remedial action). It's a hell of a lot of tech to pack into one consumer device, and if Withings makes good on its promises, it may become the bathroom scale of choice for anyone who wants to keep tabs on their health. — Daniel Cooper, Senior Editor

Best Wearable

Razer Zephyr Pro

Razer Zephyr Pro
Razer

In a year where many CES attendees decided to stay home amid rising COVID cases, it feels fitting that our favorite wearable at the show was a smart mask. Tech companies had already started to put their spin on face coverings, with Razer's original $100 Zephyr mask and LG's PuriCare Mask. With a gamer steampunk-inspired design, the first–gen Zephyr combined N95 filters, dual-fan active air filtration system and (of course) RGB lighting all in one striking device.

Razer followed up this year with the Zephyr Pro and one new feature in particular is worth highlighting: the ability to amplify your voice by 60 decibels up to one meter away. It solves a problem most of us have experienced at some point over the past couple of years: You try to order a coffee and the barista behind the counter can't hear you over your mask, not to mention the protective plastic wall separating you both. In theory, if you're wearing the Zephyr Pro, you shouldn't have this problem. Whenever you don't want to use the feature (or maybe just want to conserve battery), you can turn off voice amplification.

We don't know exactly when the Zephyr Pro will come out, but Razer has said it will cost $150, or $200 for the starter pack with 100 days worth of filters. Is the Zephyr Pro a bit excessive? Yes. Will the RGB lighting make you look ridiculous? You bet. But even so, we have to hand it to Razer for making masked interactions just a little easier. — Valentina Palladino, Commerce Editor

Best Transportation Tech

Chevrolet Silverado EV

Chevrolet Silverado EV
Chevrolet

2022 is already shaping up to be the year of the electric pickup, so it was no surprise that GM CEO Mary Barra took to the CES stage on Wednesday to officially unveil the American automaker's second electrified truck, the Chevrolet Silverado EV. We shouldn't need to explain why Chevy's best-selling vehicle going electric is a big deal.

The new Silverado joins the Hummer EV in GM's burgeoning electric truck lineup (soon to be accompanied by Blazer and Equinox EVs) and will arrive in two versions: the RST First Edition, a limited-run production with an MSRP just north of $100,000, followed by the far more affordable WT fleet edition and standard RST – both of which start at around $39,900.

Positioned to compete directly with Ford's forthcoming F-150 Lightning, the Silverado EV RST will offer a GM-estimated 400 mile range, up to 664 horsepower and 811 ft-lb of torque with the ability to tow up to 10,000 pounds. The WT version will be slightly less powerful but still boasts 510 hp, 615 lb-ft of torque and 8,000 pounds of towing capacity. Both the RST and WT versions will enter production alongside the Hummer EV line at GM's new Factory ZERO electric vehicle production facility in 2023. — Andrew Tarantola, Senior Editor

Best Home Theater Product

Samsung Eco Remote (2022)

Samsung Eco Remote
Samsung

At CES last year, Samsung debuted an Eco Remote that uses indoor or outdoor light to recharge via a solar panel. This year, the company took things a step further. The 2022 model brings back the solar panel and adds the ability to recharge using radio frequency (RF) signals from your WiFi router. Since you don't need to replace the battery, this eliminates the need to hunt for AAAs (which would eventually be destined for a landfill).

Using energy that otherwise goes to waste, the new Eco Remote's low power requirements make it a good choice for harvesting RF waves. The device, available with either a black or white finish, is also equipped with dedicated buttons for streaming services to give you one-touch access. Sure, you'll need a Samsung TV to use it, but the greener power sources certainly help the device live up to its name. And hopefully, Samsung's clever use of RF waves can serve as inspiration for other TV manufacturers. — Billy Steele, Senior News Editor

Best Smart Home Product

TP-Link Archer AXE200 Omni

TP-Link Archer AXE200 Omni
TP-Link

It wouldn't be CES if we didn't see some crazy routers, and TP-Link delivered this year. The TP-Link AXE200 Omni router has the over-the-top design that the company typically saves for its most expensive and powerful devices, but this model has a trick we've never seen before. It packs four mechanical antennas that can rotate automatically based on the placement and location of devices using your WiFi connection.

Sure, this feature looks cool in action (almost anthropomorphic, even), but TP-Link's history-making top-flight routers means this likely isn't a gimmick. And the rest of its specs are top of the line, too. It has tri-band WiFi 6E, capable of delivering speeds of up to 11 Gbps. There are also 10 Gigabit ethernet ports for wired connections. Given how many devices most households have these days, having a powerful, reliable router is crucial to keeping everything online. TP-Link's latest should be able to do that no matter how many gadgets you need to connect. — Nathan Ingraham, Deputy Editor / News

Best Phone or Tablet

Asus ZenBook 17 Fold

Asus ZenBook 17 Fold
Asus

There was no shortage of mobile devices at CES this year, ranging from OnePlus' new flagship to Samsung's latest value-for-money phone. If the award should go to the most memorable, though, there was one clear pick. We've chosen ASUS' ZenBook 17 Fold for attempting to redefine tablets, foldables and laptops in one fell swoop.

The foldable tablet category isn't exactly novel, given past entries like Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Fold. ASUS' offering is decidedly bolder, though, with a 17.3-inch OLED screen that offers a huge canvas and various usage possibilities (think: a book-like reader or a desktop PC). You'll even have a usable laptop thanks to an included Bluetooth keyboard that allows the folded tablet to function as a 12.5-inch Windows laptop. All told, this is one of the most versatile tablets we've seen, and it could replace more than just your notebook depending on how you use it. — Jon Fingas, Weekend Editor

Best TV Tech

Samsung QD-Display

Samsung QD-Display
Samsung Display

We've praised LG's OLED TVs for years, mainly because they represent a huge upgrade over LCDs in almost every way. Their one big weakness is brightness: LCDs rely on backlights that can reach far beyond a single OLED, which can't burn too hot or they risk failure. OLEDs also lose a bit of color accuracy the brighter they get. Now Samsung believes it has a solution: QD-Display, an updated OLED technology that relies on quantum dots to supercharge colors and deliver more brightness. On paper, it seems like the biggest advancement in TV technology we've seen in years.

While Samsung isn't showing off its own QD-Display TVs yet, Sony leapt at the chance to adopt the technology for its new A95K premium TV. That proves it's more than just an expensive tech demo for the super rich, like Samsung's MicroLED-equipped "The Wall." It's certainly ironic that Samsung is heralding OLED now, after downplaying the technology in TVs for years and pushing QLED sets instead. But no matter: It's better for consumers, and the industry overall, if there's more than one company producing OLED TVs. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior Editor

Best Gaming Product

Sony PlayStation VR2

Sony PlayStation VR2
Sony

Among the souped-up graphics cards, laptop chips, desktop concepts and console accessories on display at CES 2022, the most exciting gaming announcement involved no actual product at all. Sony revealed the name, logo and specs for its next virtual reality headset, PlayStation VR2, and even though the device didn't make an appearance, the details were enough to get us excited about the upcoming headset.

The PS VR2 has a display resolution of 2,000 x 2,040 for each eye, a 110-degree field of view, 4K HDR capabilities and frame rates of 90Hz or 120Hz. The new device has upgraded eye-tracking software and it also supports foveated rendering, a gaze-based feature common in high-end PC headsets. The addition of inside-out tracking means it doesn't require an external camera – a nice step up from the original PS VR. The most surprising detail about the PS VR2 is the fact that it includes an internal motor that can make the headset vibrate, providing a new level of haptic feedback (or maybe just a headache).

In addition to all those details, Sony confirmed an original game in the Horizon universe is heading exclusively to the headset, and developer Guerrilla gave us a quick tease of first-person robot-dino hunting. Console gaming news at CES is a rarity, which makes Sony's showing this year stand out, even without any actual hardware. — Jessica Conditt, Senior Editor

Best Laptop

Lenovo ThinkPad Z Series

Lenovo ThinkPad Z Series
Lenovo

Come for the lid; stay for the sustainability. Or maybe it's the other way around. When we first saw the ThinkPad Z series at a private demo ahead of CES, we were immediately charmed by its lid, which is designed to be openable with just one hand. But as we learned more about these sleek laptops, available with 13- and 16-inch screens, we were impressed with their focus on sustainability, including materials like recycled aluminum and vegan leather, and a charger made of 90 percent recyclable material. Even the packaging is 100 percent recyclable, thanks to compostable materials like bamboo and sugarcane.

We haven't even talked about the potentially solid performance. The Z13 and Z16 are the result of a collaboration with AMD. In fact, these are among the first machines with AMD's high-performance Ryzen PRO 6000 Series laptop processors. On the outside, the Z13 boasts a 2.8K OLED display while the 16 has a 4K screen, also OLED. Both machines support Dolby Vision, along with Dolby Atmos and Dolby AI noise cancellation. We look forward to reviewing them closer to when they go on sale in May. — Dana Wollman, Editor-in-chief

Best Sustainable Product

Goodyear 70% Sustainable-Material Tire

Goodyear 70% Sustainable-Material Tire
Goodyear

Whether it's powered by an internal combustion engine or an electric battery, a vehicle's tires remain one of its least eco-friendly components. Traditional tires are resource intensive to produce and difficult to dispose of, with only a small fraction of them ending up actually being recycled. As such, Goodyear two years ago set an ambitious goal for itself: develop a 100-percent sustainable tire by 2030. Two years into this project, the company is already well on its way toward meeting that goal.

Earlier this week, the company unveiled its 70-percent sustainable concept tire, which features 13 ingredients across nine different tire components that were formerly made with petroleum and other non-renewable resources. For example, carbon black and other petrol-based rubbers are typically used as filler materials to enhance a tire's durability and usable lifespan. Goodyear has substituted these with more eco-friendly methane, carbon dioxide and plant-based oil, all of which are produced in ways that generate fewer greenhouse gasses than carbon black. Additionally, Goodyear employs silica, which increases a tire's grip on the road, that has been derived from rice husk ash, a common by-product of the rice milling process.

Whether Goodyear releases a tire utilizing all of its sustainable technologies by 2030, or simply works individual materials into upcoming models, the environment still stands to benefit. — Andrew Tarantola, Senior Editor

Best Wildcard

BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink

BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink
BMW

When it comes to CES, there are so many left-field products on display that it can sometimes be hard to define a "wildcard." Is it a futuristic concept, a bizarre novelty, or simply something you had no idea would be good until it was presented to you? This year, BMW's iX Flow featuring E Ink ticked the "well, we didn't expect that" box the hardest, and it's certainly a striking concept. Essentially, BMW coated the skin of its iX car with the same electrophoretic coating you'll find in most e-readers. The pitch being that, at the touch of a button, you can change the color of your vehicle to reflect your current mood. You know, as one does.

Of course, while the BMW iX itself is a road-ready car, the E Ink coating isn't something you can expect to buy in the near future. But even being able to switch from black to white makes plenty of sense in these more energy-conscious times. In warm weather, you can paint the car white and help reflect some of the sun's heat, reducing the drain on your AC. And when it gets cold, you can reverse the process, helping to store up more warmth to keep you, and your battery, nice and cozy. Even better, if the company gets a color E Ink version working, then we never need to worry about being stuck with someone else's idea of a good paint job. — Daniel Cooper, Senior Editor

Best of the Best

Chevrolet Silverado EV

Chevrolet Silverado EV
Chevrolet

CES 2022 brought us a bevy of innovative announcements from the automotive industry, from chameleon-skinned BMWs to a sun-soaked 600-mile electric Mercedes. But as ranked-choice systems are wont to do, there can be only one overall winner. This year, the king of the CES hill is Chevrolet's Silverado EV, an electrified pickup that is sure to give both global warming and rival EV, the Ford F-150 Lightning, a run for their money.

The Silverado is already one of America's most popular pickup models, having sold more than half a million US units in 2021 alone. Pickups and SUVs in general are far and away the best selling vehicle types in the US but those same buyers have historically been reticent to adopt more eco-friendly alternatives to conventional internal combustion cars and trucks — heck, just a few years ago many diesel owners were giddily "rolling coal" for the social media clout. But as fuel prices and sea surface temperatures continue to rise, the prospect of driving up to 400 miles (or more!) using nothing but a battery has become a compelling feature for drivers and automakers alike.

GM has already pledged to sell "30 new global electric vehicles by 2025" starting with the Hummer EV, which is already being delivered to early buyers. The Chevy Silverado, Blazer, Equinox and GMC Sierra all poised for production runs of their own starting in 2023. And once these EVs roll off their respective assembly lines, they'll be faced with stiff competition from Ford, Tesla, Rivian, Toyota and other car makers eager to cash in on America's newfound love affair with electrified pickups. — Andrew Tarantola, Senior Editor

IKEA and Sonos refresh the Symfonisk bookshelf speaker with a faster processor

Posted: 07 Jan 2022 11:35 AM PST

Without much fanfare, IKEA and Sonos have released a second-generation version of their Symfonisk bookshelf speaker. First spotted by Dutch publication Tweakers (via The Verge), the new model features a faster processor, more memory and draws less power when it's on standby. It also comes with a longer power cable.

However, looking at the new model next to its first-generation counterpart, the most visible change is an updated button layout that sees the volume controls next to one another instead of being separated by the play/pause button as was previously the case.

Sonos updates its speakers in this way from time to time to make them more future-proof. In 2019, for instance, it refreshed the Sonos One to add Bluetooth LE, a newer processor and more memory. More recently, it tweaked the Sonos One SL to add a more efficient wireless radio. If you live in the Netherlands, you can pick up the second-generation Symfonisk bookshelf for €99. We've reached out to IKEA to find out when the retailer to plans to release the speaker in the US.

Meta's new Privacy Center explains how the company handles data collection

Posted: 07 Jan 2022 11:15 AM PST

Meta has announced a new Privacy Center that provides users with information about data collection, sharing, security, data use and ads. The hub includes details on the approach to privacy across apps like Facebook and Instagram, the Data Policy and how to use the multitude of privacy and security settings.

Users can find out how to set up two-factor authentication, get clarity on who's able to see their posts, what types of data Meta collects, how it uses that information and much more.

At the outset, the Privacy Center is only available to a small number of Facebook users in the US on desktop. It plans to roll it out to more apps and people in the coming months. If you have access, you can find the Privacy Center in the Settings and Privacy section. Meta will offer other ways to access it in the future. It plans to update the Privacy Center with more sections and controls.

Meta has added a number of safety and/or privacy-focused updates across its apps over the last year or so. It can be hard to keep track of everything, so establishing a single hub to detail all of those features should be useful. For instance, Instagram started requiring folks to share their birthday as part of an effort to shield younger users from "sensitive" content. In September, WhatsApp added end-to-end encryption for chat backups.

Shoddy coding has some Honda cars stuck in the year 2002

Posted: 07 Jan 2022 11:02 AM PST

Some Honda cars owners have recently found themselves in something of a time loop. Since the start of the year, the automaker's forums have been flooded with reports of people complaining that the clocks and calendars in their vehicles are stuck in the year 2002.

The issue appears to be widespread. It's affecting Honda and Acura models with GPS navigation systems manufactured between 2004 and 2012, and there have been reports of people encountering the problem in the US, Canada and UK. What's more, there doesn't appear to a fix at the moment. Each time someone starts their car, the clock resets – even if they went to manually set it beforehand.

"Honda is aware of a potential concern related to the clock display on certain older Acura and Honda models equipped with navigation systems," a spokesperson for the automaker told Jalopnik. "We are currently investigating this issue to determine possible countermeasures and have no additional details to share at this time."

The problem appears to stem from a coding oversight. When a GPS satellite broadcasts the date, it does so using a binary 10 digit number that includes a reference to the week. A single GPS epoch includes 1023 weeks, with the system rolling over on week 1,024. After the first GPS systems started counting time in 1980, they rolled over in 1999, and then again in 2019. If a system isn't properly coded to account for those rollovers, what can happen is exactly what we're seeing here with Honda's vehicles: they go back to when the calendar started.

Humorously, this isn't the first time Honda car owners have run into this problem. Back in 2017, Honda and Acura models from 1999 to 2004 with navigation systems had their clocks reset to 1998. The same issue cropped up more recently in 2021. In both instances, the clocks went back exactly 1,024 weeks. Time knows how to make a mockery of everyone, but it would seem it has a special place for Honda's software developers.

Neon, Valorant's newest agent, brings sprinting and sliding to the game

Posted: 07 Jan 2022 10:00 AM PST

Valorant is a game of methodical movement. Your weapon is at its most accurate when you're standing still, and pinpoint accuracy is essential if you want to live. That's what makes Neon, the game's latest playable character, so interesting. She's a hyper-aggressive duelist whose kit is all about increasing the tempo of matches.

Following a teaser trailer released earlier in the week, Riot has detailed all of Neon's abilities. Her innate skill "High Gear" allows Neon to sprint and slide into combat, something no Valorant agent before her has been able to do. "Speed, everything about Neon came back to that feeling of running forward and moving fast," said character producer John Goscicki.

Neon's two other primary abilities, "Relay Bolt" and "Fast Lane," allow her to throw an electric molly and create two parallel walls of vision-obscuring static. Meanwhile, her ultimate, "Overdrive," lets Neon shoot out deadly lighting beams, with each kill she obtains resetting the duration of the skill. Her kit is most reminiscent of that of Phoenix who can create a wall of flame to cover his entry assaults. However, the fact Neon can sprint and slide should make weapons like the Stinger, Judge and Frenzy especially deadly in her hands since they tend to dominate in close quarters.

Neon will join Valorant's roster on January 11th, the same day Riot plans to release Episode Four, Act One. You can get the associated Battlepass for 1,000 Valorant Points, or the equivalent of $10.

Model Brooks Nader says someone used an AirTag to track her

Posted: 07 Jan 2022 09:59 AM PST

Although Apple's AirTags can be useful for helping find lost belongings, ever since the tracker went on sale last spring, critics have raised concerns that bad actors could use it to stalk people. Brooks Nader, a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, claims someone secretly placed an AirTag in her coat and tracked her movements for several hours.

Earlier this week, Nader was waiting alone for someone at a crowded bar in Tribeca with her coat on the chair behind her. She then visited a couple of other bars with friends.

Nader, who shared her experience on Instagram Stories, said that while she was walking home alone, her phone alerted her to the fact that "someone's tracking you and has been for a while." She then found the AirTag. Nader, who wasn't aware of AirTags beforehand, called the incident "the scariest moment ever and I just want everyone to be aware that this exists."

It's not the first time that AirTags have been used to track other people's movements. Reports have emerged about thieves using them to follow and steal high-end cars. However, the Nader incident is a high-profile one that should draw more attention to the issue.

"We take customer safety very seriously and are committed to AirTag's privacy and security. AirTag is designed with a set of proactive features to discourage unwanted tracking — a first in the industry — that both inform users if an unknown AirTag might be with them, and deter bad actors from using an AirTag for nefarious purposes," an Apple spokesperson told Engadget. "If users ever feel their safety is at risk, they are encouraged to contact local law enforcement who can work with Apple to provide any available information about the unknown AirTag."

Soon after Apple launched the AirTag, it rolled out the iPhone notification Nader mentioned to inform users that someone may be tracking them. In December, the company released an Android app called Tracker Detect, which alerts users to nearby AirTags that are away from their owner and could be on their person. However, since Find My isn't part of Android, you'd need to know about the app and have it installed to detect a hidden AirTag.

GameStop is reportedly developing a marketplace for NFTs of in-game items

Posted: 07 Jan 2022 09:18 AM PST

Following Ubisoft and Square Enix, GameStop is apparently the latest player in the video game industry that sees NFTs as a way to boost its profitability. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company has hired nearly two dozen people as part of a newly formed cryptocurrency division. The unit is reportedly building an online marketplace for buying, selling and trading NFTs of in-game items like cosmetics. The hub could launch as soon as later this year. Additionally, the division is reportedly close to partnering with two companies to co-invest in games that make use of blockchain and NFT technologies. GameStop is said ot plan to partner with a dozen companies in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

News of the development sent the value of GameStop's stock surging to $159.77, up from $131.01, in aftermarket trading. According to The Journal, GameStop executives see NFTs as a way for the company to return to profitability, but it's not clear if the nascent technology has a place in video games.

Many of the recent attempts by some developers and publishers to include digital tokens in their titles have been greeted by outright hostility. Ubisoft, for example, became a magnet for criticism when it announced its Quartz NFT platform. It also seems the negative attention was not worth it for Ubisoft, with a recent Eurogamer report claiming the company had only sold 18 NFTs as of December 21st. But for all the backlash, Ubisoft and others appear unfazed. In an employee Q&A, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot reportedly linked the initial backlash to NFTs to earlier outrage over trends like microtransactions and loot boxes. It seems the implication here was that people would eventually come to accept the technology.
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