In what has become a much less shocking announcement in the automotive industry over the past few years, Jeep revealed on Thursday its plan to release four new EV models in the US and Europe by 2025 as the company seeks to "become the leading electrified SUV brand in the world." Furthermore, Jeep has set a goal for 50 percent of US sales and 100 percent of EU sales to be battery electrics (BEVs) by 2030.
Fiat Chrysler
The new model lineup expands upon the success of the Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid and recently announced Grand Cherokee 4xe. They'll include a new Recon and Wagoneer, both of which were first unveiled during Thursday's livestream and will available in both North American and European markets, as well as an Avenger EV coming to Europe "early next year," per Jeep PR.
The Recon will make its public debut next year with production expected to begin in 2024. Reservations for that model open early 2023. The Wagoneer will be an entirely new take on a stalwart Jeep model with the company reportedly "targeting a range of 400 miles on a single charge, 600 hp and a 0-60 mph time of around 3.5 seconds." It too will be open for reservation early next year. Complimenting the Wagoneer's midsize bulk will be the compact Avenger SUV, though it won't be arriving stateside to start. Instead it'll be marketed to Europe and Asia, offering a targeted range of 400km. It will debut publicly in October and should hit dealer show floors by second quarter 2023.
Uber and Lyft say riders and drivers in New York are no longer required to wear masks. "With NYC's updated mask guidance for transportation, masks are now optional in Lyft rides," a Lyft spokesperson told Engadget. "We're in the process of updating the app to reflect this." Uber informed users of the policy change by email.
The move follows Governor Kathy Hochul's decision to lift a mask mandate for public transportation on Wednesday. New York City's Taxi & Limousine Commission also announced that face coverings were no longer mandatory in vehicles that it oversees, though it still strongly recommends wearing masks. Face coverings are no longer required on the subway either.
After a federal judge struck down a nationwide mask mandate for public transit in April, Uber and Lyft both dropped their mask requirements in the US. However, riders and drivers still needed to wear masks in some areas, including New York, depending on local regulations. (Engadget has also asked Lyft about its masking policy in New York.)
COVID-19 case numbers have been falling in NYC since a sixth wave hit the city in July, The New York Timesnotes. Although she removed the mask mandate, Hochul encouraged the state's residents to get a booster shot that targets the Omicron variant. The Food and Drug Administration authorized Omicron inoculations last month.
(2/2) The health and safety of our drivers and riders remains a top priority for TLC, and we encourage both to respect each other’s choices around masking
Google has announced a slew of Android updates that should make phones and tablets more useful for many people. One of the more notable changes is for Nearby Share, Google's version of Apple's AirDrop, which should make transferring files between your own Android devices a cinch. After you opt in to the self-share feature, your Android devices will automatically accept files from each other, even if the screen is off. So, you may soon no longer need to email a file from your phone to your tablet or Chromebook. The self-share option should be available in the next few weeks.
It's not clear when you'll be able to check out some of the other freshly announced features, which include more accessibility settings. Android has a feature called sound notifications that's designed to help those in the deaf and hard of hearing community. When the feature is enabled, it can listen for sounds like fire alarms, door knocks and running water, and alert the user to them with a visual notification or vibration on a phone or watch. Soon, users will be able to add custom sounds to their alert library. They'll be able to record audio from appliances and so forth, and receive notifications when their device hears that sound again.
Google TV now has a selection of movies with audio descriptions. You can find these through Google Assistant by saying “Search audio description movies.” Moreover, Google is adding a multi-pinning option to Meet video calls. This will enable users to pin feeds from, for instance, the speaker and a sign language interpreter — or maybe a friend to see their reaction to what's being said a little more clearly.
SharePlay-style options are coming to Meet as well. You'll be able to watch YouTube videos and play games with up to 100 friends and family members simultaneously. Google says this feature is rolling out to Android phones and tablets.
On top of those changes, you can expect updated Drive and Keep widgets, more Emoji Kitchen mashups on Gboard and a way to stuff more emoji into your messages with a tap (or, in other words, "emojify" whatever you're typing). On Wear OS devices, there will be a new Keep tile — with the option to dictate a note or checklist — while Snapchat's Bitmoji is coming to watch faces.
YouTube is already a key destination for folks who want to learn a skill or find out more about a topic. The platform will add more educational features, including a way for creators to offer structured video courses. As such, creators wouldn't need to direct their fans to other sites or apps (like Masterclass) where they sell those kinds of materials. YouTube would be able to take a cut of course sales too.
These courses are intended as "in-depth, structured learning experiences," according to YouTube. Creators will be able to charge for courses or offer them for free. Videos that are part of a paid course won't have any ads and can be played in the background (in other words, you can treat them like a premium podcast). Courses will initially be available in beta next year in the US and South Korea. YouTube plans to expand the feature to more countries at a later time.
To bolster educational content on the platform and perhaps help people taking a course test their knowledge, YouTube will also roll out a feature called Quizzes. Creators will be able to add a quiz to their community tab, where they can ask viewers about something they discussed in a video. A beta version of the feature will be available in the coming months, and all creators who have the community tab will be able to use Quizzes next year.
On top of those features, YouTube announced a new embedded player for education apps. The company says Player for Education omits potential distractions, including ads, recommendations and external links. It added that the player improves on the one used in Google Classroom to deliver "an even better YouTube experience." At the outset, US edtech companies such as EDpuzzle, Purdue University and Purdue Global will use the player.
Rivian and Mercedes-Benz are teaming up with the aim of building large electric vans more quickly. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a strategic partnership and set up a joint venture manufacturing company. They're hoping to use their shared resources to reduce costs and make electric vans more affordable while ramping up production.
The goal is to produce two vans on common assembly lines. One would be based on Mercedes‑Benz Vans' VAN.EA architecture. The other would center around Rivian's second-gen Rivian Light Van platform. The two sides will also look into "further options for increased synergies."
The companies aim to build the EVs in a new factory at an existing Mercedes-Benz site in central or eastern Europe, starting in a few years. The plan isn't set in stone, though, as Rivian and Mercedes-Benz haven't reached a binding agreement and they would need to clear regulatory hurdles.
Mercedes-Benz Vans and Rivian sign a Memorandum of Understanding for a strategic partnership. The planned joint venture will produce large electric vans for Mercedes-Benz and Rivian in Europe, starting in a few years. https://t.co/PSku0tLl3Fpic.twitter.com/v8XdXWT3qX
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Mercedes‑Benz on this project," Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said in a statement. "Mercedes‑Benz is one of the world’s best known and respected automotive companies, and we believe that together we will produce truly remarkable electric vans which will not only benefit our customers, but the planet.”
From Mercedes' perspective, this is part of a broader strategy to accelerate the transition to electric vans. The company said it is revamping its European production setup and that, by the middle of this decade, all of its new vans will be entirely electric.
Electrify America has unveiled a redesign of its charging stations designed to make them more consumer friendly. The changes include labels that clearly indicate charging levels, a new "balanced charging" system that delivers the maximum charge possible to each vehicle and clearer payment options. The updates were made following EV driver surveys and are designed to create a more familiar "gas station"-like experience, the company said.
One of the biggest issues with charging stations, they found, is that consumers often don't know the charging speeds of their own EVs — so the current labeling (CCS and CHAdeMO) may not make sense. To that end, Electrify America will keep the CHAdeMo for low-level (up to 50kW charging), but use new labels above that: Ultra-Fast (up to 150 kW and Hyper-Fast (up to 350kW), not unlike mid-grade and premium gas options. It also shows one, two or three lightning bolts for charging levels, the type of plug, and CHAdeMO or CCS labeling up top.
Electrify America
"We want to help make the transition to EV charging easier by translating kilowatt ratings into simple names like Hyper-Fast and Ultra-Fast with corresponding colors to help them make a selection at the charger," said Electrify America's Robert Barrosa.
On top of that, the company is introducing something called "Balanced Charging" for each pair of chargers at a single power cabinet, to ensure your EV gets the maximum kilowatts possible. For instance, if a vehicle that can handle a 150kW charge pulls into a station, the charger will detect its capacity and deliver the maximum 150kW. If another with a 280kW capacity then pulls in, it will automatically deliver 200kW to the second vehicle until the first requests less than 150kW. Each charger supporting that system will be clearly marked as "Balanced."
Electrify America
Finally, it will make paying easier, too. You can charge at a station as a member (via NFC) or guest (credit/debit card terminal), but many users didn't know which to use. To that end, the company has created new labels to indicate that the NFC target area is where members should tap their phones. The credit card readers are more clearly labeled as well, so guests can more easily understand where to insert their card. The company also made it easier to access support in case of problems, making the phone number more prominent and adding a QR code.
Electrify America previously announced that it'll expand to 1,800 fast charging stations and 10,000 individual chargers across North America by 2026. Many of those chargers will accommodate the latest EVs like the Porsche Taycan that can handle up to a 270 kW charge. It also recently unveiled its charging station of the future, with customer lounges, solar canopies and more. The company will replace the speed, contact and payment labels on all charging stations, and said that any "new stations will feature balanced charging functionality."
One of the most cost-effective ways to upgrade a computer or console is with solid-state storage. The fastest flash drives will make your desktop or laptop feel snappier with shorter app and operating system loading times. The best part is that we’re at a point where you don’t have to choose between speed and capacity – the latest SSDs offer both. Whether you want to replace an old hard drive or upgrade the capacity of your existing SSD, this guide will help you navigate all the complexities of buying a modern flash drive. Don’t know the difference between an NVMe and M.2 drive? Don’t worry, Engadget has you covered.
What to look for in a PC SSD
The most affordable way to add fast storage to a computer is with a 2.5-inch SATA drive. It’s also one of the easiest if you don’t want to worry about compatibility since almost every computer made in the last two decades will include a motherboard with Serial ATA connections. For that reason, 2.5-inch SSDs are a great way to extend the life of an older PC. Installation is straightforward, too. Once you’ve secured the SSD in a drive cage, all you need to do is to connect it to your motherboard and power supply.
The one downside of SATA drives is that they’re slower than their NVMe counterparts, with SATA III limiting data transfers to 600MB/s. But even the slowest SSD is significantly faster than the best mechanical drives. And with 1TB SATA SSDs costing about $100, they’re a good bulk storage option.
If your PC is newer, there’s a good chance it includes space for one or more M.2 SSDs. The form factor represents your ticket to the fastest possible consumer storage on the market, but the tricky part is navigating all the different standards involved.
M.2 drives can feature either a SATA or PCIe connection. SSDs with the latter are known as Non-Volatile Memory or NVMe drives and are significantly faster than their SATA counterparts, with Gen3 models offering sequential write speeds of up to 3,000MB/s. You can get twice the performance with a Gen4 SSD, but you’ll need a motherboard and processor that supports the standard.
If you’re running an AMD system, that means a Ryzen 3000 or 5000 CPU and an X570 or B550 motherboard. With Intel, meanwhile, you’ll need a 11th or 12th Gen processor and a Z490, Z590 or Z690 motherboard. Keep in mind you’ll pay a small premium for a Gen4 SSD.
You might have also seen something about Gen 5 NVMe drives. You can safely ignore those for now. At the moment, only Intel’s 12th-gen desktop CPUs support PCIe 5 and there aren’t any Gen5 NVMe SSDs out on the market. We’ll see the first ones arrive alongside AMD’s next-generation Ryzen 7000 processors later this year, but if the price of early Gen4 drives is any indication, they will be expensive.
As for why you would buy an M.2 SATA drive over a similarly specced 2.5-inch drive, it comes down to ease of installation. You add M.2 storage to your computer by installing the SSD directly onto the motherboard. That may sound intimidating, but in practice the process involves a single screw that you first remove to connect the drive to your computer and then retighten to secure the SSD in place. As an added bonus, there aren’t any wires involved, making cable management easier.
Note that you can install a SATA M.2 SSD into an M.2 slot with a PCIe connection, but you can’t insert an NVMe M.2 SSD into a M.2 slot with a SATA connection. Unless you want to continue using an old M.2 drive, there’s little reason to take advantage of that feature. Speaking of backward compatibility, it’s also possible to use a Gen4 drive through a PCIe 3 connection, but you won’t get any of the speed benefits of the faster NVMe.
One last thing to consider is that M.2 drives come in different physical sizes. From shortest to longest, the common options are 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110. (The first two numbers represent width in millimeters, the latter denote the length.) For the most part, you don’t have to worry about that since 2280 is the default for many motherboards and manufacturers. Some boards can accommodate more than one size of NVMe thanks to multiple standoffs. That said, check your computer’s documentation before buying a drive to ensure you’re not trying to fit one it can’t support.
The best buying advice I can offer is that you don’t get too caught up about being on the bleeding edge of storage tech. The sequential read and write speeds you see manufacturers list on their drives are theoretical. In reality, the real-world differences between different SSDs aren’t as noticeable as you might think.
If your budget forces you to choose between a 1TB Gen3 NVMe and a 512GB Gen4 model, go for the former. From a practical standpoint, the worst thing you can do is buy a drive that’s too small for needs. Drives can slow dramatically as they approach capacity, and you will probably end up purchasing a larger capacity one down the line.
With all that boring stuff out of the way, here are some go-to recommendations.
Best 2.5-inch SATA Drive: Crucial MX500
Crucial
You don’t have to look far to find the best all-round 2.5-inch SSD. It’s the Crucial MX500. With sequential read speeds of 560MB/s and $85 price tag for the 1TB model, it offers a hard-to-beat combination of performance and value. It also comes with a five-year warranty for additional peace of mind.
The 970 EVO Plus is a great pick for anyone buying their first Gen3 NVMe. It comes in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB varieties, all of which are competitively priced. Expect to pay about $70 for the 500GB model, $100 for the 1TB version and $190 for 2TB. Samsung’s SSDs also have a strong reputation for reliability.
If the 970 EVO Plus is out of your budget but you still want a NVMe drive, the Crucial P2 is a compelling option. It’s slightly slower than Samsung’s M.2 drive, offering sequential read speeds of up to 2,400MB/s instead of 3,500MB/s, but is significantly cheaper. Crucial offers the P2 in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB variants.
If you have an older computer but still want to take advantage of the M.2 form factor, consider the WD Blue SA510. It’s slower than the two above options but pricing is comparable to what you would pay for a 2.5-inch drive.
If you have the necessary hardware and money to spare, it’s hard to beat the Crucial P5 Plus. With sequential read speeds of 6600MB/s, it’s not the absolute fastest Gen4 NVMe you can buy, but it offers about the best value. The P5 Plus comes in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB varieties. The WD Black SN850 we recommend below in the console section is also a great pick.
Portable SSDs are a somewhat different beast to their internal siblings. While read and write speeds are important, they are almost secondary to how a drive connects to your PC. You won’t get the most out of a model like the SanDisk Extreme Pro V2 without a USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 connection. Even among newer PCs, that’s something of a premium feature. For that reason, most people are best off buying a portable drive with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 3 connection. The former offers transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps.
Additionally, if you plan to take your drive on trips and commutes, it’s worthwhile to buy a model with IP-certified water and dust proofing. Some companies like Samsung offer rugged versions of their most popular drives. For additional peace of mind, 256-bit AES hardware encryption will help prevent someone from accessing your data if you ever lose or misplace your drive.
Some of the same features contribute to a great thumbstick drive. The best models feature USB 3.0 connections and some form of hardware encryption.
Best portable drive: Samsung T7
Samsung
For most people, the Samsung T7 offers the perfect mix of features, performance and affordability. The company offers the T7 in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB varieties and three different colors. It’s also relatively fast, offering sequential read speeds of up to 1,050MB/s. Best of all, you can frequently find it on sale.
Another Samsung pick here for good reason. The Fit Plus has about all the features you could want on a USB drive. It connects to your computer over USB 3.1 and supports transfer speeds of up to 300MB/s. The Fit Plus is also compact and has a handy slot for attaching it to your keychain. The only downside of Samsung’s USB drive is that it’s on the pricey side.
Thankfully, outfitting your fancy new console with the fastest possible storage is far more straightforward than doing the same on PC. With a Series X or Series S, the conversation starts and ends with Seagate’s storage expansion cards. The company offers 512GB, 1TB and 2TB models, with the most affordable starting at a not-so-trivial $139. The good news is that you can frequently find them on sale. Your best bet is to set an alert for the model you want on a price tracker like CamelCamelCamel.
With Sony’s PlayStation 5, upgrading the console’s internal storage is slightly more involved. Instead of employing a proprietary solution, the PS5 uses NVMe storage. Thankfully, there aren’t as many potential configurations as you would find on a PC. Engadget published a comprehensive guide on buying a PS5 SSD last year. In short, your best bet is a Gen4 drive with a built-in heatsink. Check out that guide for a full list of recommendations, but for a quick go-to, consider the Western Digital SN850. It meets all the memory specifications for Sony’s latest console and you won’t run into any clearance issues with the heatsink. Western Digital offers 500GB, 1TB and 2TB models of the SN850. Expect to pay about $150 for the 1TB variant and about $260 for 2TB.
For those still playing on a previous generation console, you can get slightly faster load times from a PlayStation 4 by swapping the included hard drive to a 2.5-inch SSD, but going out of your way to do so probably isn’t worth it at this point and you’re better off saving your money for one of the new consoles.
For the past couple of years, Samsung has been putting out better and better wireless earbuds with every iteration. This year was no different with the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, which we consider to be the best Samsung buds yet. Normally priced at $230, you can pick up Samsung's latest buds for only $155 right now at Amazon. That's the first discount we've seen since they came out at the end of last month, making it a great time to pick up a pair if you've been eying them since launch.
Samsung refined the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro by making them 15 percent smaller than the previous versions, covering them in a matte coating and giving them an IPX7 water-resistance rating. Touch controls a little hard to get used to, but they work just fine once you get the hang of them. Sound quality is good and ANC is even better than it was on the previous versions, blocking out most environmental noises around you. You'll also be able to switch between ANC and ambient sound mode whenever you want.
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro work with Samsung's Galaxy Wearables app for Android, and there's no real iOS equivalent. So while you can use the buds with an iPhone, you won't have access to all of the features that Android users will. In the app, you can control things like Voice Detect, the feature that will automatically pause sound when the buds detect you speaking, 360 Audio, earbud finder and more. The app also has customizable controls for EQ presets, hands-free Bixby access, ambient sound during calls and other more advanced features. There's a lot you can play around with, provided you're using a Samsung phone or another Android handset.
Battery life is pretty standard on the Buds 2 Pro. You'll get five hours of listening time, plus another 18 hours with its charging case. While it could be better, that battery life estimate is in line with other flagship earbuds from companies like Apple, Google and others. Overall, Samsung did a good job making significant updates to the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro that push them well above their predecessors. If you have a Samsung phone and are in need of a new pair, these are the ones to get.
Razor is once again blurring the lines between an e-scooter and a small cargo bike with its latest offering, the EcoSmart Cargo. It looks like a more advanced, and complete version of the company’s EcoSmart Metro, but with a beefy rear rack that holds either a basket or an adult passenger seat, letting you take a friend along for the ride.
The rider, meanwhile, will stick their feet on a wide bamboo deck (covered in grip tape) that holds a 1000W motor paired with a 46.8V battery underneath. Razor says it can reach speeds of 19.9 miles per hour, and has a range of around 16.6 miles, or up to 50 minutes of continuous run time. That's not a huge range, but is likely just enough for someone's commute to work (or school) and back.
Razor
That power will be driven, via a chain, to a rear wheel equipped with a disc brake which can be controlled with a standard bike brake on the handlebars. Rounding out the package is a built-in LED headlight and tail light, and 16-inch pneumatic tyres for a smoother ride off-road.
The EcoSmart Cargo is available to order from today, priced at $1,099.99, with deliveries expected to begin towards the middle of September.
It's unclear what Insta360 has been feeding its team lately, but so far, the company has somehow managed to release one new product almost every month since March. It's an interesting mix, too: its modular action cam refresh, a 360-camera drone attachment, a 6K 360 camera with 1-inch sensors and, most recently, a gimbal webcam. Today, after almost two years since the One X2, Insta360 is finally updating its flagship all-in-one 360 camera with the aptly-named X3, with the main differences being the enlarged sensors, touchscreen and battery, among other bits of goodies.
The Insta360 X3 (sans the "One" sub-brand moving forward) continues to carry the candy bar form factor, and like its predecessor, it's waterproof down to 33ft or 10m out of the box. That said, it's worth reminding that you'll still need the optional dive case with special optics, in order to capture stills or footage underwater. The X3 is also a little chunkier, mainly due to its larger removable 1,800mAh battery — a notable jump from the old 1,630mAh. Another contributing factor to the extra weight is the full-grown 2.29-inch rectangular touchscreen with tempered glass, which replaces the old circular display for easier viewing and control. This is complemented with two additional glove-friendly physical buttons: one for toggling a customizable "Quick Menu" to access your shooting presets, and one for quickly toggling between 360 mode and single-lens mode.
The new "Me Mode" on the Insta360 X3 for capturing conventional selfie videos with the selfie stick rendered invisible. In other words, no reframing is required afterwards.
Richard Lai/Engadget
Like before, the X3 outputs 360 videos at a 5.7K resolution with "FlowState Stabilization" and direction focus audio, but this time it benefits from its larger 1/2-inch 48-megapixel sensors — same as the one on the recent Link gimbal webcam, in fact — for improved image quality. Also new is support for active HDR when recording 360 videos, which is one step up from the X2's normal HDR mode. As for 360 stills, you can output at a massive 72-megapixel resolution instead of the usual 18, but you can only do so via the Insta360 Studio desktop software.
Insta360 added some new shooting modes as well, with the most notable one being "Me Mode" for directly capturing "flat" selfie videos (1080p@60fps) with the selfie stick already rendered invisible. This saves you the trouble of reframing a 360 footage before you can output a "flat" video like the olden days. But of course, there's no stopping you from using "Deep Track 2.0" (manual target selection) or "Auto Frame" (AI-selected highlights), if you insist on capturing everything in 360 degrees just in case. Not to mention the app's Shot Lab feature which offers more than 30 cool effects for you to experiment with.
Another new feature is 8K 360 timelapse which is apparently a highly requested feature, along with a new 4K option for the single-lens mode (but you can dial down to 2.7K for the wide 170-degree field of view). These two require good lighting condition to work properly, though. Last but not least, there's now a "Loop Recording" mode which essentially turns your X3 into a 360 dashcam (say, for motorcyclists), and it only keeps, at maximum, the last 30 minutes of footage.
The Insta360 X3 is available now for $450, which is a little pricier than the X2 but still more affordable than the $800, prosumer-grade One RS 1-inch 360 Edition.
