Instagram tags are no longer just for other accounts. The app is expanding its product tagging feature so that any user can tag specific items within their post. Up until now, product tagging has only been available to businesses and creators, but over “the next few months,” Instagram will allow all US users to access the tags.
Tagging a product works the same way as tagging another account — users can add them to feed posts by tapping on specific areas of their image. Product tags are available for businesses that have a shop on Instagram.
While creators often use product tags in sponsored content or posts promoting businesses they partner with, people using the product tags won’t get anything if one of their followers makes a purchase via their post. The company says the feature is intended to help people “support their favorite small businesses.”
However, Instagram is experimenting with affiliate shops, which allow creators to earn a commission when their followers make a purchase, elsewhere in its app. And company executives have suggested they want to expand the app’s revenue-generating features to more people over time as part of their ambition to grow a “creator middle class.”
With its newly minted bi-directional charging capabilities, the Ford F-150 Lightning can now serve as a backup home power supply in a pinch. Soon, the automaker hopes it might do the same for your office space thanks to a new partnership with Cisco, makers of Webex conference software.
Ford CEO Jim Farley announced on Tuesday, “We’re going all in, creating separate but complementary businesses that give us start-up speed and unbridled innovation.” So far that effort has seen the company announce in recent months plans to separate its EV and ICE businesses, produce in excess of 600,000 EVs annually by in 2023, and introduce seven new EV models to the European market in the next few years.
And what better way for Ford to fully capture the hearts and minds of the American driving public than to outfit their electric vehicles with the internet's most popular pastime since March 2020, online conference calling? “We’re looking at ways to bring the human connection in," Darren Palmer, Vice President, Ford Electric Vehicle Programs, said in a press statement. "We don’t see why people wouldn’t be using their vehicles as a fantastic quality office, to be able to collaborate together.”
To that end, Ford and Cisco have partnered to "unlock the browser experience on SYNC4A," the automaker's infotainment system, and are currently developing a WebEx app capable of running natively on the HTML 5-centric OS. “Ford is excited to be collaborating with Webex by Cisco for next-gen experiences in our electric vehicles,” Palmer continued. “We see Webex as providing a secure and immersive collaboration experience.”
Your cat jumping in front of the webcam can be quite cute when you're conference calling from home. Your kids loudly melting down in the back seat about who may or may not be touching whom is decidedly less adorable. To help prevent those high-decibel interruptions, future Ford EVs will be outfitted with Webex's Optimize for My Voice feature which automatically mutes out everybody in the cabin who isn't part of the meeting. To further minimize distractions to the driver, “We’ll make sure that any collaboration like Webex is deployed only when the vehicle is stationary, or audio-only when driving," Palmer said. The companies did not disclose a timeline for the application's eventual release.
In today’s world of Twitch and Zoom a good headset is becoming a must-have item for their comfort and audio quality. But there are two major stopping blocks toward them being an everyday item: their high cost and unfriendly designs. No one wants to look like an air traffic controller or call center employee, but at the other end it’s all severe black and neon green, more suited to Fortnite or Roblox than a meeting about your latest call about KPIs and OKRs. But Astro, one of the leading names in gaming headsets, might just have the solution with its new A10 headset.
The Logitech-owned company has an array of headsets with an “A” prefix followed by a number; the higher the number, the more advanced and expensive the headset. The current top of the line is the A50, a wireless set that comes with a base station for charging. It looks like a piece of equipment from a science fiction movie, and it costs $300.
Kris Naudus / Engadget
The new A10 sits at the opposite end of the lineup, a $60 wired headset that pretty much eschews all frills. There’s a flexible flip-to-mute mic and in-line volume control and that’s about it. The ear pads and headband are well-padded in a smooth cloth that is only lightly textured so it doesn’t catch on my hair when I slide it on and off. The mic has a rubbery feel to it, both to the touch but also in the way you can band it back and forth.
And it’s not just the mic you can bend back and forth; the band of the A10 can be twisted into a near spiral without showing any cracking or tearing. It’s designed to be dropped and thrown, which is good because I have knocked it off my desk several times today while working. (I have a messy workspace, okay?)
Kris Naudus / Engadget
Key to the new A10’s appeal is the color options; it comes in black, white, gray, mint and lilac. For my review unit I chose the latter color partly because of its novelty — most headsets come in grayscale tones — and because I already have Logitech’s G733 in lilac and wanted to do a direct comparison. The G733 is a more expensive ($150) wireless headset with lights on the front so it’s not really a competition in terms of features, but I was curious about the looks.
Though both Logitech G and Astro are sibling brands, the lilac shades of their headsets are distinctly different. The G733 is a bluish purple while the A10 is more on the pinkish side. I’m not sure which I actually prefer. The ear pads on the G733 are slightly better but when it comes to the headbands on the two sets the A10 is the clear winner, since the G733 uses a stretchy band which pulls at my hair and gives me a bit of a bird’s nest when I take it off.
Kris Naudus / Engadget
My biggest use case for headsets isn’t work calls but rather Dungeons & Dragons games with my friends over Twitch. In our last session I started off with the A10 since all I needed to do was plug it in; the headset comes with a detachable 3.5mm cable that is black and only black no matter which color headset you buy. It’s ugly. At first I actually plugged it in the wrong way; though both ends are the same width, they are slightly different lengths, the better for one end to fit in the jack on the headset itself. Once I got it sorted out the audio was serviceable, though there was some hollowness on the call that might have been shitty mic quality on my friends’ sides. However, I switched to the G733 midway through our evening and noticed some improvement.
Logitech G’s been making more fashion-forward headsets for a while; the closest analogue the company has to its sister brand’s A10 is the $70 G335. The G335 is largely identical to the G733 in terms of fit and feel; it just lacks the wireless capabilities and RGB lighting. It also doesn’t come in lilac, so if you’re looking for a cute, high-quality headset for under $100 in purple the A10 is your only option right now. Luckily it’s a good one.
Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro are a good all-round choice for those looking for Android-friendly earbuds. Even better, if you're in the market for a set, they're on sale on Amazon for today only for $130. That's $70 off the regular price.
We gave Galaxy Buds Pro a score of 85 in our review (the more recent Galaxy Buds 2 received a slightly lower score of 84). Along with good sound quality, active noise cancellation (ANC) and a comfortable fit, there's support for wireless charging.
You'll get up to five hours of listening time with ANC and Bixby voice cues turned on, and a total of 18 hours of use with the help of the charging case. Switch off ANC and hands-free Bixby and those numbers jump up to eight hours and 28 hours, respectively, Samsung claims. Thanks to quick charging support, you can add an hour of listening time after just five minutes of charging.
Samsung says the earbuds will withstand being immersed in three-feet deep water for up to 30 minutes. There's IPX7 water resistance as well.
While this isn't quite the lowest price we've seen for Galaxy Buds Pro, it's not far off. They've dropped to $120 at Woot and $125 at Amazon in the past. Still, it's a good deal on a solid set of earbuds.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
Akai's MPK Mini Play keyboard has a reputation as a solid portable music-making machine (Akai claims it's the best-selling mini keyboard), and the company appears keen to make the most of that perception. The brand has introduced an MPK Mini Play Mk3 that upgrades both the feel and longevity. You'll find a new keybed with greater "dynamic" performance and more accurate velocity response, while the eight drum pads are now true velocity-sensitive MPC units. You can lean more on the Mk3 as a serious production tool, then.
The four-battery design (the original used three) also promises a long 14-plus hours of playing to help with all-day creative sessions, and a larger speaker with better low-end output will help when you'd rather not plug in headphones. You'll find 100 built-in drum and instrument sounds, four customizable knobs and an equally flexible joystick. Akai includes its MPC Beats software to help you get started, but the new MPK Mini Play should work with any digital audio workstation that supports USB-based MIDI controllers.
The MPK Mini Play Mk3 sells for $150. That's about $20 more than the original, but it should still be easy to justify if you're either new to music production or want a compact keyboard for live gigs or on-the-spot composition.
Now that pandemic restrictions have started lifting, people are eager to go back to the activities they used to do, such as seeing live music performances. Shazam has launched a new feature meant to make it easier to find shows nearby, so music lovers don't miss events they can easily go to. Starting today, when users Shazam a song or search for it in the app or on the website, they'll also see relevant concert information and tickets on sale for upcoming shows near their location.
If they have a specific artist in mind, though, they can simply launch the new Shazam Artist page on the platform and see the dates, times and locations of upcoming performances. Tapping on any of them will show additional tour or show information, along with the ability to add any event to their calendar. Shazam uses information from concert discovery app Bandsintown for this feature, and musicians who want the service to display their event details will have to make the information available via Bandsintown For Artists.
Shazam's new concert feature is now available on iOS and Android. "Shazam has a long history of innovation in music discovery and connecting artists and fans," Apple VP for Apple Music and Beats Oliver Schusser said. "With the reemergence of live music, we're excited to give Shazam users access to concerts and bring even more discoverability to artists." Apple, which purchased Shazam back in 2018, said last year that the app IDs over a billion songs per month. With this feature, Shazam has taken its music discovery service to another level.
In the coming months, Android phones with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 888 Mobile Platforms will be able to measure location data to within one meter (approximately three feet). Qualcomm will use long-term collaborator Trimble's RTX GNSS correction services platform to let Android smartphone makers, service providers and app developers harness more accurate location info.
Trimble claims it and Qualcomm will improve Android location accuracy by five times compared with current capabilities. The tech, which will be available in the second quarter of this year, will enable features like lane-level guidance for car navigation systems, Trimble said. It might also help users find their ride-sharing driver more easily and designate more precise destinations.
It's unclear whether existing phones will be able to use more precise location data with this tech. Engadget has contacted Trimble and Qualcomm for clarification.
The prospect of more accurate location data naturally raises questions about privacy. However, you'll still be able to switch off location tracking system wide and for individual apps and delete your location history from the Android OS.
Following last year's GoPro Hero 10 Black and DJI Action 2, it's finally Insta360's turn to bring out its latest action cam — along with a new 4K wide-angle lens to go with it.
The new Insta360 One RS is yet another modular action cam from the company, but this time featuring an upgraded processor to support onboard "FlowState Stabilization" (this used to be handled by the app, which takes time) as well as "Active HDR" video capture — one that is apparently powerful enough to handle action sports without ghosting issues.
While the One RS looks almost identical to the older One R, the core's touch display has been given a slight facelift: you'll now see a marker for the "quick menu" and another for "instant zoom." Other less visible bonuses include improved WiFi connectivity (for faster file transfers and more stable live preview), as well as an additional mic (for crispier audio capture) and 21-percent more battery.
Insta360
The new "4K Boost Lens" features a larger 1/2-inch 48MP sensor. This can capture 4K 60 fps footage, "6K Widescreen Mode" (6,016 x 2,560) videos at 25/24fps or 1080p clips at up to 200fps. You can get this One RS "4K Edition" kit for $299.99. And if you already own a One R, you'll be pleased to know that this 4K Boost Lens is backwards compatible, pending firmware update. (Speaking of, the new battery base is also backwards compatible, though it won't fit in the old mounting bracket.)
Alternatively, you may also consider the "Twin Edition" kit which adds a 5.7K 360 lens (same specs as before, except for its lighter shade of gray), and this is asking for $549.99. Like before, with the 360 lens, you'll be able to capture spherical videos and photos, and export 2D content with the selfie stick rendered invisible.
If you want the absolute best wide-angle camera mod and don't need a 360 lens, there's a third option: you can bundle the One RS with the good old Leica 1-inch 5.3K lens mod. This also costs $549.99.
Insta360 One RS quick-release mounting bracket.
Insta360
Launching alongside the One RS is a new easy-release mounting bracket, which allows for quicker lens swapping, better heat dissipation and better mic wind-proofing. You'll also be needing this bracket to ensure that the entire camera is waterproof up to 16 feet (5 meters) deep; or you can get the dive case instead, should you need to go deeper.
Roku has just detailed its first major platform update since it came out with OS 10.5 late last year, and it’s a big one. To start, Roku OS 11 adds an automatic speech clarity setting that Roku promises will make it easier to understand dialogue. At the same time, the update introduces new sound modes – dubbed “Standard,” “Dialogue,” “Movie,” “Music” and “Night” – that you can access by pressing the Star button found on both Roku remotes and the company’s mobile app. As you might have already guessed, these modes allow you to tweak the sound profile of Roku-branded soundbars and speakers to better suit a specific situation.
Roku
And speaking of the Roku app, you’ll also find a new calibration tool within the settings menu to help you sort out audio sync issues that may come up with a Streambar device. Roku has also tweaked the app to make it more visual. For instance, you’ll find new interface elements that will provide you with more information about where you can stream movies and TV shows. The idea here is to help you get the most out of any channels you may pay for.
Outside of audio improvements, OS 11 introduces a feature called Roku Photo Streams. If you want, you can now use your Roku device to turn your TV into a digital picture frame by using the feature to upload your favorite photos and turn them into a screensaver. You can share Photo Streams with friends and family members. And in turn, they can add their own photos, creating a shared album.
Roku
With OS 11, Roku also hopes to make it easier for you to find new content to watch. On the Home Screen Menu, you’ll find a new “What to Watch” section that will point you to movies and TV shows from a variety of sources, including the company’s ad-supported Roku Channel, with personalization based on your watch history and what’s popular among other users. Additionally, the update tweaks the recently introduced Live TV Zone to show content you’ve watched in the past and further aid with the discoverability. Lastly, you’ll find new voice-enabled keyboards to help you with device setup and channel logins. With OS 11, these will be available in Spanish, German and Portuguese in the US and other supported countries.
Roku will begin rolling out OS 11 in the coming weeks.
Mobile gaming has been a huge thing for a decade now but it’s only recently that accessory makers like Razer and Logitech have taken it seriously, offering gaming headsets made especially for phones. On the controller front, however, SteelSeries has been ahead of the curve for some time, selling the Nimbus line of gamepads for Apple devices, and Stratus for Android and everything else. Today the latter gets a big upgrade with the addition of the $60 Nimbus+.
Kris Naudus / Engadget
At first glance it doesn’t seem like a big change for the gamepad; once again we’re looking at a matte black, Xbox-style controller. But this time around, the Nimbus comes with a phone grip in the box: no more buying a separate accessory. The clip is thin when folded, with two long metal prongs that you can push out to plug them into the top of the gamepad. It’s kind of satisfying to slide the clip and not difficult — which is good, because if you screw up you’re likely to scratch the finish on the gamepad, and the matte texture can only do so much to hide it.
In hand, the Nimbus+ is solid and doesn’t feel heavy, even with a phone attached to the top. The clip holds the phone securely, though placement is an issue since I have a Pixel 3, meaning the volume control sits midway on the right side, putting it right under where the clip would grip the phone. So yes, I ended up turning my volume down a lot if I wasn’t careful. That’s probably the hardest part of using the Nimbus+, since connecting via Bluetooth is super easy now.
Kris Naudus / Engadget
I fired up Brawlhalla on my device and started punching and kicking my way through levels. The buttons had satisfying bounce and were incredibly responsive; it’s always nice when the character does what they’re supposed to, especially in a fighting game where timing matters. Poor responsiveness is generally why I shy away from playing most action games on a touchscreen.
Which gets to the bigger question of whether I actually need something like the Nimbus+. I play games on my phone, sure, but it’s usually the kind of stuff I can play one-handed and that doesn’t require a lot of nimble finger work. (I had to download Brawlhalla for testing.) But at least for PC gaming it’s a solid option if you prefer Xbox-style wireless controllers.
