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Amazon’s barrage of new hardware included something many of you might have been waiting for: a Kindle e-reader with stylus support. Yes, the Kindle Scribe comes with a magnetic stylus and a 10.2-inch, 300ppi display. You won’t need to charge or sync the Scribe's stylus, and you can use it for jotting notes, journaling and annotating any books you're reading. Starting next year, you’ll also be able to send Microsoft Word documents to Kindle Scribe. Kindle Scribe will start at $340 and arrives November 30th.

Amazon

Yesterday, Amazon also revealed an expanded Fire TV Omni line. It’s added two premium 65- and 75-inch QLED models, along with a redesigned Fire TV Cube. There’s a new sleep tracking gadget, more Echo speaker updates and refreshed Ring cameras, too. There was… a lot.

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• YouTube Shorts copies TikTok again with voiceover narration

• Meta cracks down on ad-free Instagram client a day after it launched

• Logitech refreshes its range of Mac-specific MX keyboards and mice

• Amazon's first QLED Fire TVs offer better picture quality and an ambient mode

• Amazon is turning the Echo Show 15 into a Fire TV

• Amazon announces Echo Studio and Echo Dot speakers with improved audio

• Amazon's Halo Rise is a $140 bedside sleep tracker that works by sensing you breathe

• Ring brings radar detection to its Spotlight Cam Pro

• Shark's self-emptying robot vacuum is half off for today only

• Amazon built Eero WiFi extenders into its latest Echo Dot speakers

Sony's PlayStation loyalty program debuts in the US on October 5th

It follows the recent launch in Asia.

Sony says its loyalty program will debut in the Americas on October 5th, while Australians and Europeans will have access on October 13th. The program is free, but you’ll get some benefits if you're a PlayStation Plus member. You’ll be able to earn rewards by completing activities and campaigns ranging from the very basic (playing any game once a month) to the challenging (being one of the first to score a game's platinum trophy in your region). Those loyalty points can be put toward your PlayStation Network wallet, digital collectibles and, hopefully, real-world products.

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The Polestar 3 electric SUV will debut on October 12th

With a dual-motor drivetrain and air suspension.

Polestar's first electric SUV will get its official unveiling on October 12th. The company teased several premium features you can expect to see, including air suspension, active dampers and torque vectoring, putting it up against other SUV EVs, like the Mercedes-Benz EQS and Tesla’s Model X. The company said it's shooting for a 372-mile range on the European WLTP cycle (considerably less in EPA terms). It'll also include a semi-autonomous driving system for highway driving.

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DALL-E's AI art generator is now (sort of) available to everyone

No more waiting list for ‘kitten sleeping in a shoebox’.

OpenAI

OpenAI's well-known image generator is now available to everyone. If you want to create art, you just have to sign up and describe the pieces you'd like to produce. You’ll get a finite number of credits that will get topped up monthly. It's still not clear if AI-generated art is fair use or stolen. Getty Images recently banned the material out of concern it might violate copyright.

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Oura's third-generation smart ring adds a more comfortable design

And costs a little more.

After many years of trying, Oura has finally managed to sand out the flat edge from its smart ring. The company is updating the third generation of its ring, originally released at the end of 2021, with a perfectly round body. The Oura (Gen3) Horizon keeps the same suite of advanced sensors as the existing model. The new Horizon is available to order right now for $349, while the existing ring is still $299.

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Apple pulls Russia's biggest social media network from the App Store

It was due to UK sanctions against Ukraine's sham referendums.

Russia has removed all iOS apps from VK, the second largest tech company in Russia. That included its social media app, which is the fifth most popular in Russia, and others like Mail.ru and VK Music. The move was made in response to UK sanctions against the Russian government. Apple confirmed it removed the apps and shut down VK's developer accounts. "These apps are being distributed by developers majority-owned or majority-controlled by one or more parties sanctioned by the UK government," a spokesperson told The Verge.

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In an interview with Bloomberg, Adobe Chief Product Officer Scott Belsky has reassured worried Figma users that the online collaborative design platform's acquisition will not change its pricing model and ease of use. If you'll recall, Adobe announced in mid-September that it's purchasing Figma for roughly $20 billion in cash and shares. Users understandably raised concerns about the merger, seeing as Adobe's programs are quite expensive. 

Belsky said in the interview that Figma will remain a "freemium" offering with a basic tier that's available at no cost. Figma co-founder Dylan Field added that Adobe isn't planning any price increase and that the platform will remain free for education. Adobe does have changes planned for the platform, of course, including integrating features from its software portfolio, as well as its library of fonts and stock images. 

According to Belsky, though, any update Adobe rolls out won't be obstructive and won't make it difficult to navigate the platform's interface. Perhaps most importantly for those who use Figma for collaborations, it will continue allowing file sharing without additional fees — users won't have to get a Creative Cloud subscription to work on the same document. 

Adobe's suite of programs will undergo changes due to the acquisition, as well. The company plans to adopt Figma's collaborative features and may build multi-user web platforms for its programs. Adobe Express and Acrobat might also get their own versions of Figma's whiteboard and presentation functions. "We would only want to amplify and continue and learn from the things that Figma has done to become a viral product in the enterprise and throughout the world," Belsky said. 

There is one Adobe program that might not survive the acquisition: Figma's direct competitor Adobe XD. The company has no immediate plans to kill the software, but it will "reevaluate where [it] want[s] to shift [its] resources and focus" once Figma comes in. Both parties expect the deal to close sometime in 2023, so long as it gets approval from both regulators and shareholders.

Amazon has announced that it's spending nearly $1 billion boosting wages for hourly workers in the US amid criticism of its labor practices and a pitched union battle. The increase will take the starting wage for most front-line warehouse and transportation employees to over $19 per hour, while pay in fulfilment and elsewhere will rise to $16 an hour. The company's minimum wage will remain at $15 per hour.

Amazon is also expanding its "Anytime Pay" program to all employees, allowing them to access up to 70 percent of their eligible pay at any time with no fee, rather than the usual once or twice a month. It also added a new development program that allows employees to advance to engineering roles after 12-14 months of training. 

Amazon is the second largest employer in the US after Walmart, with a total workforce of over 1.5 million. Most of those are hourly workers in warehouses or delivery, or retailer workers at Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh. The average hourly pay in the US is $32.36, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and $28.10 in the "transportation and warehousing" category.

In April this year, 8,000-plus workers at a Staten Island facility voted to unionize, and Amazon lost its initial appeal for a re-vote. It's also facing a House committee probe into a deadly warehouse collapse that killed six workers during a tornado. Last June, the panel accused Amazon of "obstructing" the probe by refusing to hand over key documents related to an internal review. 

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On October 5th, Lululemon will launch a new membership service that requires a Mirror at-home fitness device. Lululemon Studio builds upon the 10,000 on-demand and livestream classes already accessible with a Mirror subscription. Members will get access to old online content from studio partners, can stream the new classes they release per week and can sign up for in-person classes at their brick-and-mortar locations at a discount. At the moment, the program lists eight partner studios, namely AARMY, Y7 Studio, DOGPOUND, FORWARD__Space, Pure Barre, Rumble, AKT and YogaSix. Members will also get discounts on Lululemon products and get early access to its events. 

As The New York Times notes, the new program is part of the company's efforts to expand Mirror's reach. Lululemon purchased interactive home gym startup Mirror for $500 million back in 2020 during the height of COVID-related lockdowns, when people had no choice but to work out at home. As restrictions eased, people started flocking to gyms again. At-home fitness companies the found their sales dwindling and the demand for their products to be much, much smaller than before. Peloton, for instance, suffered a massive loss worth $757.1 million in the first three months of 2022. Lululemon itself slashed its Mirror sales outlook for 2021 to between $125 and $130 million from $250 million and $275 million.

In an interview with The Times, Lululemon chief executive Calvin McDonald, said: "What we saw in terms of connected fitness was a shift in change coming out of the pandemic where guests were really asking and looking for the convenience and the ability to not just have a solution to work out at home. Profitability is within our control. We’re choosing to invest to grow the business." McDonald didn't say how many users Mirror has, but it has apparently brought in new customers to the brand. He also said that the company expects Mirror to account for 5 percent of its sales in the next five years. 

A Lululemon Studio membership will cost $39 a month, and all current Mirror subscription members will automatically become Studio members. Those who don't have a Mirror yet will have to get one first. To lower the barrier of entry, Lululemon will cut Mirror's price by almost 50 percent and will sell it for $795 (original price is $1,495) for a limited time starting on October 5th.

A third-party Instagram app, called “The OG App,” which promised an ad-free feed more like the original Instagram experience, has been pulled from Apple’s App Store just one day after it officially launched. It’s not clear if Apple pulled the app at the request of Meta, but the social network confirmed it had taken “enforcement actions” against the service.

“This app violates our policies and we’re taking all appropriate enforcement actions,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement. The spokesperson declined to elaborate on what those actions were, or if it had been in contact with Apple, but pointed to a blog post outlining Meta’s policies barring clone sites.

“A clone site is a third-party site that duplicates, in whole or in part, the content of an existing site,” Meta explains. On Twitter, the developers of The OG App said their entire team had been permanently banned from Facebook and Instagram as a result of their ties to the service.

"Users deserve the right to control what they consume, and OG will continue to defend and fight for that right," Hardik Patil, on of the app's founder's told Engadget. He said he had received no direct communication from Meta.

The OG App had been in the works for more than a year, according toTechCrunch, which reported its initial launch. The app’s founders told the publication they wanted to provide a “cleaner” version of Instagram without advertising. The app featured customizable feeds without Reels, suggested posts and other newer features that have at times been controversial among longtime Instagram users. The Android version of the app is currently still available.

Meta’s policies have long barred third-party Instagram clients, and in recent years the company has filed a number of lawsuits against developers who break its rules, including those barring clone sites. At the same time, the company has also been accused of using those same policies to shut down legitimate researchers’ attempts to study the platform.

However, in this case, it seems the creators of the OG App were clearly breaking Instagram’s policies. The company doesn’t offer a public API for developers to build their own versions of Instagram, and on Twitter, The OG App said they had to “reverse engineer” the Android API. The app also raised privacy concerns about how the developers were protecting users’ account information.

Despite this, the app had already gained a lot of fans due to its more simplified — and ad-free — experience. Instagram has also been dealing with a backlash against its aggressive pushing of Reels and recommended content. The OG App said it had racked up more than 10,000 downloads before its removal from the App Store “because we listened to them and built what they wanted.”

Razer, Qualcomm and Verizon are working together on a 5G gaming handheld. The carrier teased the Razer Edge 5G at Mobile World Congress Las Vegas. Details on the device are sparse, but what we do know is that it will feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon G3x Gen 1. Announced in December, the chipset features an Adreno GPU capable of running Android games at 144 frames per second, with support for 10-bit HDR built-in. Additionally, it offers both 5G and WiFi 6E connectivity courtesy of the company’s FastConnect 6900 system.

At the end of last year, Qualcomm and Razer released a Developer Kit that was designed as a showcase of the G3x’s capabilities. The device featured a 120Hz, 6.65-inch OLED display, four-way speakers and built-in controls. If we had to take a guess, the Razer Edge 5G will hew closely to that prototype. In the teaser it shared today, Razer showed off enough of the Edge 5G to reveal it will feature a design that’s a tad more refined than the last Razer device to bear Edge branding.

According to Verizon, the Android handheld can play games locally, in addition to streaming them from the cloud and consoles. That puts the Razer Edge 5G in an interesting spot between Logitech’s G Cloud Gaming Handheld and Valve’s Steam Deck. The former is a dedicated cloud gaming device and costs $350, a hefty price for its limited capabilities. The Steam Deck is more expensive but can run games like Elden Ring, Stray and Hades natively. And if you already own those titles on Steam, you don’t have to pay for them again. What the Steam Deck doesn’t have is 5G connectivity, and that’s something that could make the Razer Edge 5G an interesting option when it’s released. Razer, Qualcomm and Verizon promised to share more information about their collaboration on October 15th at RazerCon.

You won't have to wait long to earn bonuses for playing and buying PlayStation games. Sony now says its PlayStation Stars loyalty program debuts in the Americas on October 5th, while Australians and Europeans will have access October 13th. Stars is already active in Asia, including Japan. The program is free, although you will receive some benefits if you're a PlayStation Plus member.

You currently have to access Stars through the PlayStation App on mobile devices if you want the "full" experience. You can sign up on the web, however, and Sony expects to reach PlayStation consoles in the future.

As previously explained, you earn rewards in PlayStation Stars by completing activities and campaigns ranging from the very basic (playing any game once a month) to the challenging (being one of the first to score a game's platinum trophy in your region). You'll earn loyalty points you can put toward your PlayStation Network wallet, digital collectibles (no, not NFTs) and certain products. You can also receive collectibles directly.

You can improve the number of rewards you get by advancing through trophy- and purchase-based status levels. However, you'll have to top that up 13 months after the end of the calendar year when you reached them. If you reach level 2 this October, you'll have until January 31st, 2024 to do something extending that status.

The strategy and its motivations aren't new. As with Microsoft Points and Nintendo Gold Points, this gives you an incentive to keep coming back to your console — and spending money. Given that it's free, though, it might be worth a try even if you only occasionally fire up your PS5.

Twitter is still having trouble curbing the spread of CSAM (child sexual abuse material). Insider has learned (subscription required) that Twitter inadvertently ran ads on profiles either selling or soliciting CSAM. In an email to marketers, the social network said it had suspended all ads on profiles, updated its detection systems, banned accounts that broke its rules and launched an investigation. Reutersnotes Coca-Cola, Disney and NBCUniversal were some of the brands whose ads appeared next to the offending content.

Existing technology had already blocked over 91 percent of accounts like these, Twitter said. In its most recent transparency report, the company said it took action against 31 percent more CSAM-related accounts in the second half of 2021.

A Twitter spokesperson confirmed the incident and investigation in a statement. On top of existing work to catch CSAM, the company said it was ensuring it had the "right models, processes and products" to protect both advertisers and users.

The news is ill-timed for Twitter. It comes just weeks after The Verge reported that Twitter ditched efforts to build an OnlyFans clone over concerns it couldn't effectively catch CSAM and other forms of sexual abuse. It's also emerging as the social media continues to fight with Elon Musk over the fate of his potentially cancelled $44 billion acquisition. Musk has focused most of his objections on alleged misreporting of fake account data.

There's been an immediate financial impact as well. Reuters added that big names like Dyson and Mazda had either frozen their marketing campaigns or pulled ads from some areas on Twitter. More might be coming — Coca-Cola and Disney both said they considered the activity unacceptable, while NBCUniversal told Twitter to remove ads that ran against CSAM.

Amazon held its annual fall hardware event on Tuesday. As in years past, the company had a lot to share in a short amount of time. We saw it announce new Echo, Kindle and Ring devices. It also had a few surprises up its sleeve from Eero and some of its other subsidiaries. Here's everything the company unveiled today.

Kindle Scribe

It only took the better part of 15 years, but Amazon is finally about to begin selling a Kindle with a stylus. Available later this year and starting at $339, the Kindle Scribe features a 10.2-inch, 300ppi front-lit display and magnetic pen. The nifty thing about Scribe is that you don't need to sync or charge the stylus, and you can use it to jot down notes, annotate books and journal. You can preorder Kindle Scribe starting today.

Echo Studio and Echo Dot updates

Amazon

It wouldn't much of an Amazon hardware event if the company didn't update its Echo line. This year it obliged by introducing a redesigned Echo Studio that features a new spatial audio processor that Amazon claims allows the speaker to deliver better stereo sound with "greater, width, clarity and presence." According to the company, the new speaker also delivers better midrange clarity and deeper bass. Additionally, it now comes in a white colorway. The Echo Studio will cost $200 when it ships next month. 

Amazon also redesigned the Echo Dot to fit a larger driver into the diminutive speaker. The company claims the new model offers twice the bass of its predecessor and clearer vocals. Its equally adorable sibling, the Echo Dot with Clock, now features a more capable display that can show information like the current artist and song title. Both models also feature more responsible touch controls. The Echo Dot and Echo Dot with Clock are available to preorder today for $50 and $60 respectively. Amazon is also releasing two new Kids versions that go on sale next month for $60. 

Ring Spotlight Cam and Blink Floodlight Camera

After announcing a security drone in 2020 and apatrolling robot in 2021, Amazon's home security-related announcements were a bit more subdued this time around. The company introduced two new cameras from Ring, the Spotlight Cam Pro and Spotlight Cam Plus. Both devices include Ring's advanced Bird's Eye View motion detection technology, a feature that was previously only available on the company's flagship cameras. Amazon will offer the Spotlight Cam Pro and Spotlight Cam Plus in battery, plug-in, solar and wired variants, with the most affordable version of the Pro starting at $230. The Plus, meanwhile, will set you back at least $200.         

Blink, Amazon's other home security company, is also releasing new products. Today it announced the $100 Wired Floodlight Camera. It offers a 2,600-lumen LED light, 1080p live view and two-way audio, as well as motion detection. If you own one of the company's Mini security cameras, you can now buy a pan-and-tilt mount for it that expands the camera's coverage. The $30 accessory is available to preorder today. 

Eero

Amazon

Amazon's Eero didn't have as many announcements as we're used to seeing from it, but if you already own one of the company's mesh WiFi devices, you'll appreciate what it did have to share. To start, Amazon's new Echo Dot speakers will now double as Eero WiFi extenders. Add one to your existing network, and you can add as much as 1,000 square feet of additional coverage to your home. The Eero team is also preparing an Internet Backup feature that will automatically switch your router to an alternate connection during internet outages. That functionality will be available in the "coming months" to Eero Plus customers and from supporting internet providers.

Eero did have new hardware to share, though it's a device that's more aimed at businesses. The Eero PoE 6 draws power from an Ethernet connection, making it easier to mount on a wall or ceiling. It offers speeds of up to 1.5Gbps and a maximum of 2,000 square feet of coverage. It will be available this October for $300. 

Halo Rise 

Amazon

Unspursingly, Amazon is continuing its expansion into the health and wellness market, with a "no-contact" sleep tracker called the Halo Rise. According to the company, the device uses a "low-energy sensor" to detect the movement and respiratory patterns of the person sleeping closest to it. Each morning, you'll see a summary of your data, with a few tips on how to get more restful sleep. It also doubles as an Alexa-compatible smart speaker and a sunrise clock, meaning you can configure Rise to gradually wake you up in the winter months when the sun might not be up before you need to get out of bed. Halo Rise will cost $140 when it goes on sale later this year.

Amazon Fire TV Cube and Fire TV Omni QLED Series

Amazon

Amazon began the Fire TV portion of its fall event with a refresh of the Fire TV Cube. The new model features a more mature design that should help the Fire TV Cube look less out of place in your living room. Amazon has also equipped it with a more powerful 2GHz octa-core processor, and an HDMI connection for TV passthrough. Taking advantage of the latter feature, you can switch to specific channels with voice commands. Alongside the Fire TV Cube, Amazon introduced the $35 Alexa Voice Remote Pro. It comes with a finder feature that can trigger a noise if you ever lose the remote.     

Amazon is also expanding its Fire TV Omni line to add two premium QLED models. Available in 65- and 75-inch models that will cost $800 and $1,100 respectively, they're the first TVs from the company to include support for Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10 Plus Adaptive. Additionally, they feature full array local dimming, with the latter model making use of 96 zones. They also come with an Ambient Experience mode that will display art or Alexa widgets when you enter the room. The series will go on sale next month.      

Oh, and if you own an Echo Show 15, Amazon says you can expect a free update in the near future that will let you use the smart display as a Fire TV device. Handy that. 

Everything Else

Amazon

Amazon had a few other announcements mostly centered around the car. First, there's a new Echo Auto that's slimmer than its predecessor and features a more secure adhesive grip. BMW also joined Amazon on stage to announce that it's working with the retailer to build the next version of its in-vehicle voice assistant using Alexa as a base. The automaker didn't share too many details about the project, but promised it would "enable an even more natural dialogue between driver and vehicle."

Follow all of the news from Amazon's event right here!