The Discovery+ ad-free plan now costs an extra $2 per month

Another day, another streaming service price hike. Those who sign up for the ad-free Discovery+ plan starting today will now pay $9 per month, up from $7. The ad-supported plan isn't changing in the US, though, as it will still cost $5.

There's a similar price hike in Canada, as the ad-free plan is going up from $7 CAD to $9 CAD. Those north of the border will need to pay extra for the ad-lite plan too — that's increasing from $5 to $6 per month.

Existing subscribers will still pay their existing rate for another month. The price increase will be applied to their account on their next billing cycle on or after November 2.

It's the first time that Discovery+ has increased prices on monthly plans in the US and Canada since the service debuted in the countries in January 2021. The price hike "will allow us to continue to provide can’t miss-stories in the food, home, relationships, true crime, paranormal genres — plus so much more," Discovery+ said in a press release and an email to users.

Along with generating more revenue from subscribers, Warner Bros Discovery may be using the price increase to push customers to switch to a Max subscription instead. Max includes all of the Discovery+ content and much more. It's a pricier affair, though, with the base ad-supported plan costing $10 per month.

We've seen many streaming services increase prices in recent months, including various music services. The Disney+ premium and Hulu ad-free plans will become significantly more expensive next week. Netflix, meanwhile, looks set to increase prices again after the actors' strike ends, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-discovery-ad-free-plan-now-costs-an-extra-2-per-month-155507156.html?src=rss

The FCC has begun fining companies over their dead satellites

The FCC hit Dish Network with a $150,000 fine for failing to properly dispose of a defunct satellite after its mission ended. It’s the first such penalty the agency has enforced as it attempts to crack down on the growing problem of space junk in low Earth orbit (LEO). Decommissioned satellites and other objects pose a collision risk for other instruments operating in these lower altitudes. In LEO, debris travels at thousands of miles per hour, meaning even a millimeter-sized scrap can pose a serious threat.

While Dish and the FCC had an agreed-upon deorbit plan for the company’s EchoStar-7 satellite, which launched in 2002 and was scheduled to be retired in May 2022, it started running out of fuel earlier than expected. Dish was supposed to maneuver the satellite into the designated graveyard orbit about 186 miles above where it had operated. But, EchoStar-7 only made it about 76 miles up. The company realized in February 2022 that its propellant was too low to carry out the plan, and the satellite was abandoned there.

The FCC is calling the penalty a “breakthrough settlement” after Dish admitted fault and agreed to pay a fine. At $150,000, the fine is merely a slap on the wrist, but it could serve as a warning as the number of commercial satellites in LEO continues to rise rapidly. There’s already close to 10,000 tons of junk orbiting Earth as of last year, and as companies like SpaceX vie to pump thousands more satellites into space, it’s only getting more cluttered by the day.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-fcc-has-begun-fining-companies-over-their-dead-satellites-153516781.html?src=rss

Amazon's Fire TV Stick Lite drops to $18 ahead of October Prime Day

There's only a week until Amazon's October Prime Day starts, and the pre-sales keep coming. Right now, Amazon's Fire TV Stick Lite is touting a nice 40 percent discount, dropping its price to $18 from $30, and only a few dollars more than its all-time low. Plus, another $4 gets you a two-year protection plan, still taking home a savings of $9.

Amazon's Fire TV Stick Lite is already the cheapest option in the lineup and is a good choice for anyone looking to use Fire TV without any bells and whistles. It has Wi-Fi 5 compatibility, 1GB of memory and Dolby encoded (versus Atmos) audio. It presents media in 1080p full HD and comes with the Alexa Voice Remote Lite, which doesn't have any TV controls but can still take audio commands.

Additional Fire TV devices are also on sale if you're in the market for a higher-quality option. The previous generation 4K Stick is down to $23 from $50, a 54 percent deal — and a reminder that 2-for-1 and better deals are a great way to get your holiday shopping done early and affordably. The Fire TV Stick 4K offers improved picture quality, 2GB of memory and Dolby Vision compatibility. The standard Fire TV Stick is also marked down —to $20 from $40 — and the Fire TV Cube is available for $110 versus its typical $140.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-fire-tv-stick-lite-drops-to-18-ahead-of-october-prime-day-141523613.html?src=rss

Framework brings AMD mainboards to its 13-inch laptop

Framework has slowly broadened its product portfolio to include a gaming laptop and an AMD variant of its 13-inch productivity notebook. After an initial manufacturing hiccup earlier in the year, it’s the latter that’s finally ready to reach eager pre-order customers as new mainboards make their debut. Like every other Framework release, you can pick them up as a pre-built laptop, or as the parts for you to upgrade an existing model. There are some differences, both in how they’re set up and what they can do, but don’t expect a revolution. This is still a Framework 13, after all, and it can do more or less the same thing it’s always been able to.

Hardware

Given Framework’s emphasis on building a stable platform for its modular laptops, there are no changes here. Pop the hood and you’ll only notice a few differences, like a plastic retainer on the WiFi module rather than a metal one, but that’s it. At this point, I feel confident enough that I could swap out a mainboard without having to consult a manual.

Framework’s adopted the “Good, Better, Best” mode with its specs, with the base model packing a Ryzen 5, 7640U with a Radeon 760M iGPU, 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. The middle-tier unit I’m testing has a Ryzen 7, 7840U with Radeon 7840U, 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD. Fancier types who opt for the flagship get the same Ryzen 7 7840U as the middle tier, albeit with 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD.

The only other difference is with batteries: The base model will ship with the older, 55Wh battery while the other two get the newer 61Wh model. That said, the company has also wheeled out new HDMI and DisplayPort expansion cards for more power-efficient video outputs. Those will be coming to all new laptop orders in the near future, but make their debut here with the AMD editions.

Upgrades and Compromises

Naturally, the point of Framework’s platform is that if you already have one of its notebooks, you can just swap in the AMD mainboard. Although that process isn’t as simple as it is when you’re swapping out an Intel model for one of its successors. Your existing RAM and WiFi modules will not work with the AMD board, so you’ll need to get new DDR5 DIMMs and an AMD-made WiFi module like the RZ616, which is what Framework bundles in its prebuilt editions.

Much as the laptop’s design remains the same, there are more differences on the inside, which is where it counts. If you don’t know, each mainboard has a quartet of USB-C ports that stick out of the laptop’s deck. Each one corresponds to an Expansion Card slot, letting you slide in a specific port depending on your needs for that day. So you can pop out your second USB-C port in favor of a HDMI or DisplayPort-out the day you have a presentation to give.

On Intel’s side of the fence, this is a stress free experience because all four ports are the same. Since the 12th generation board, all four support Thunderbolt (and USB) 4, each one with 40 Gbps bandwidth, up to 100W power draw and support for two 60Hz 4K displays. Not to mention the standard enables you to add an eGPU to your setup for extra graphics muscle.

But things aren’t as elegant on the AMD side because a) Thunderbolt is an Intel standard and b) AMD’s portable silicon has some, uh, limitations. Only the rear port on either side supports USB 4, with the front two a mish-mash of competing standards. As you can see from the graphic, the front left port supports charging, USB 3.2 and USB-A, while the front right offers USB 3.2 and video out.

To make things worse, there are no visible clues to remind you what each port can and cannot do for obvious design and uniformity reasons. I don’t blame Framework for having to deal with AMD’s mess, and it has been brave enough to foreground these compromises from day one. But it’s one of those issues where you’ll either need to keep a mental record, or face an error pop-up when you’ve plugged the wrong port into the wrong socket.

But then I doubt there are too many people who are looking to buy this laptop who will need regular access to a quartet of 40 Gbps connections. I suspect there won’t be too many times AMD users are cursing the skies for the minor annoyance of swapping cards over. It’s just one of those situations where you wish users weren’t left dealing with the consequences of two chip giants who won’t play nicely.

Performance

Much as AMD may not have the silky uniformity and consistency of its rival chip giant, it does have an ace up its sleeve. Those integrated GPUs are far ahead of Intel’s, giving it enough grunt to push halfway-demanding games without too much sweat. It’s worth saying, as usual, that this is, first and foremost, a productivity machine, but with AMD on board, it’ll play just as hard as it works.

In the time I had with the hardware, I played Grand Theft Auto V on high settings and got 55 fps out of this machine. Similarly, Fortnite will crank out an average of 50 fps with the settings on high, easily enough to keep you amused on work trips or in your dorm room. Synthetic tests aren’t everything, but suggest the AMD version comes out ahead in both single (by a little) and multi-core performance (by a lot) compared to the equivalent Intel model.

The issue, really, isn’t with the performance you can wring out of this machine, but how much noise it’ll make while doing it. A common complaint, from the earliest version of the Framework 13, is the excessive fan noise when it’s put under heavy load. The mainboard fan really wasn’t designed to cope with the high loads you might expect to want to put it under, making a sound I will describe as “persistent” and “noticeable” and often “quite loud.”

Pricing

When announcing the AMD boards, Framework committed to price parity between Intel and AMD editions whenever possible. The Base and Performance models, on the entry and mid tiers, cost $1,049 and $1,469 whatever chip you choose. At the high end, however, there is a fairly big delta between the $1,669 you’ll pay for the AMD version and the $2,069 asking price for the Intel edition.

Wrap-Up

In the short time I’ve had with the AMD edition, I’ve been impressed with what is now possible in this chassis. The silicon out-performs its Intel equivalent, but it’s all taking place in the same body with the same, user-serviceable design. That’s a big achievement, and there are plenty of folks chomping at the bit to get one of these in their lives – the first seven production batches are already sold out, with an eighth on the way. It remains, undeniably, a Framework 13, so you will get the same flexibility and longevity that you’ve come to expect, but with a little bit more oomph.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/framework-brings-amd-mainboards-to-its-13-inch-laptop-140050567.html?src=rss

SteelSeries starts out strong with its first dedicated gaming microphones

The rise of streaming and the switch to remote work means that in the past few years, more people are using mics than ever before. Which in turns means that lots of companies are looking to get into the space, and the latest entrant is well-respected game accessory manufacturer SteelSeries. Though the company’s probably best known for its headsets, it just might change that perception with its $180 Alias and $330 Alias Pro gaming microphones, available today.

Upfront I’ll admit I’m not a streamer, but I do make regular use of a microphone in both podcasting and regular Dungeons & Dragons sessions on Discord. And, like so many during the pandemic, I found myself in an endless array of remote meetings over Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, and whatever else companies want to throw out there. Even in the year 2023, it’s a pain in the ass. My go-to mic for the past few years has been the Elgato Wave:3, which I admire for its excellent audio and solid build quality. But in use it hasn’t always been a dream; weirdly enough I never got it to work properly with USB headsets, even those made by its parent company Corsair. And switching between apps, even with the Elgato software installed, wasn’t always a smooth process. I’ve started so many meetings with my computer outputting to the wrong device (usually the internal laptop microphone, which as you can imagine, is crap).

SteelSeries looks to simplify all that with its GG software, which automatically works with all SteelSeries hardware. I plugged in the Alias and it was detected immediately; I didn’t have to adjust the settings in any app or on my system. Within seconds I was on a call with a friend on Messenger, and Discord automatically made the adjustment on its own as well. In 2023 I would expect audio software should just work, and GG fits the bill. It has lots of built-in customization for things like lighting so you don’t have to be a programmer to make your setup look cool. It also lets you set levels program by program, with multiple outputs so you can have what your stream hears be different from what you hear on your end. It’s just a good level of control that allows professionals (as well as amateurs) fine-tune their stream to their liking.

Kris Naudus for Engadget

Of course, solid software wouldn’t be anything without the hardware to back it up, and the Alias and Alias Pro are high-quality, extremely attractive microphones to have on your desk. They’re both oblong pills suspended by elastic cords in a ring-shaped stand. It’s easy enough to remove and mount on a boom arm, and both models of the Alias come with a clip to attach it to your existing arm, or you can purchase one from SteelSeries.

From there the two mics have different features: the entry-level Alias has a volume dial and mute button right on its front, while the Pro outsources those to the included mixer, which requires external power (it comes with an AC adapter). The mixer has two dials, which can be customized in the GG software, and two buttons for muting mic and headset audio. (They feel extremely nice to push.) The biggest difference, however, is where the Pro gets its name from, and that’s the XLR connection in the back. That’s a higher-end connector than most users will need, but professionals looking to add a speciality gaming microphone into their mix will appreciate it. The mixer also comes with two USB ports so you can do dual PC streaming.

As I am not a professional audio person I stuck with the regular Alias, which connects to your setup using USB-C. It also has a single headphone jack for plugging in a headset, and I appreciated the mic stand design for keeping the cords tidy. When you plug in the mic it’ll start working right away; you’ll know because the front of the mic is outfitted with LED lighting that will show your levels. If the single bar of lights rises into the red, you know you’re clipping. When the mic is muted, a big red “X” is displayed on the surface, so there’s absolutely no question about the state of your recording.

Kris Naudus for Engadget

In chatting with friends and family over various chat programs, the reports I got was that my audio was clear and loud, though one podcasting friend did think I did sound a little off at times — possibly because I got too close to the mic. At a normal distance I sounded fine. By my own reckoning through headphones, I thought it sounded great — on par with the audio I get from the Elgato Wave: 3 though a little more sensitive as it picked up the occasional ambient sound, like my typing. This isn’t unusual when I’m using a mechanical deck, but in this case it was the spongier membrane keyboard on my laptop. It can be mitigated by simply moving the devices further apart, if you have the space to do so.

Overall I think it’s a good piece of hardware to have on my desk; one of those accessories that makes you excited to record a stream, podcast or anything else you can imagine. You don’t need good tools to start creating, but the SteelSeries Alias is one of those that makes you want to make something because it’s such a delight to use.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/steelseries-starts-out-strong-with-its-first-dedicated-gaming-microphones-140041321.html?src=rss

How to watch Google unveil the Pixel 8

It's Google's turn to step up to the plate and swing for the fences with a fall hardware event. The company is holding a Pixel showcase in New York City, and you're invited — at least to tune into a livestream of the Made by Google event. The fun starts at 1PM ET on October 4. You can watch the stream below. We'll also have full coverage of all the Pixel news you need to know right here on Engadget, including in our liveblog.

There's no big secret about the focus of the event. For weeks, Google has been teasing the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Watch 2 in images and videos, and there have been leaks galore.

Google says the new Pixel phones have “the most advanced Pixel cameras yet and Google AI to help you do more, even faster.” Rumors suggest there will be other spec bumps, including a display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz (faster than the Pixel 7's 90Hz screen) and a Tensor G3 chipset that powers everything. Meanwhile, there may well be a price increase in store for the base Pixel 8 — rumors suggest it'll cost $699, $100 more than the Pixel 7.

As for the Pixel Watch 2, that's expected to feature IP68 water- and dust-resistance. It's believed that Google is making extended battery life a focus with the help of a processor that's more efficient than the one used in the original model. There could be a slightly larger battery too. Meanwhile, there are indications that Google may toss a Pixel Watch 2 in as a freebie for those who pre-order a Pixel 8 Pro.

Google may have some other things to discuss during the event. Given how things have been going this year, it would be a shock if the company didn't spend a significant chunk of time talking about AI updates. In any case, we won't have to wait long to find out what's up Google's sleeve.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-pixel-2023-how-to-watch-130033919.html?src=rss

Surface Laptop Go 3 review: Microsoft’s basic PC grows up

When the Surface Laptop Go debuted three years ago, it seemed like Microsoft pushed itself to make the cheapest possible notebook without sacrificing that Surface flair. The result was a $549 computer with specs so anemic I'd never recommend it to anyone. But, if you spent a bit more, you could upgrade it to a compelling (and compact) PC for students and less demanding users. Now, with the Surface Laptop Go 3, Microsoft has given up on trying to deliver a super cheap PC. But the result is a computer that's far more appealing.

Starting at $799, the Surface Laptop Go 3 has been upgraded with Intel's 12th-gen Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Bump it up to $999, though, and you get 16GB of RAM — a first for the Laptop Go line. While the last two models could make for decent secondary machines, perhaps paired together with a powerful desktop, the Laptop Go 3 could conceivably be your primary PC thanks to that additional memory.

Sure, I'm sad to see Microsoft give up on the dream of a near-$500 Surface. But the original model was equipped with just 4GB of RAM and 128GB of sluggish eMMC storage – and nobody deserves to be subjected to such a torturously slow experience. The Surface Laptop Go 3 is more akin to Apple's long-lost 12-inch MacBook, a wonderfully small machine that was just powerful enough to get some work done.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The Laptop Go 3 doesn't look or feel as expensive as that all-metal Apple machine, but it's almost there. It features an aluminum top lid and keyboard deck, along with a smooth plastic bottom. The Laptop Go 3 also weighs a mere 2.5 pounds — a half-pound heavier than the 12-inch MacBook. But that’s a bit lighter than Apple's slimmest notebook today, the 2.7-pound M2 MacBook Air. The Laptop Go line has always felt more akin to an over-sized tablet than a typical ultraportable, and that remains true this year. Few other notebooks slip as nimbly into my messenger bag.

So how did Microsoft make such a compact PC? Mostly, by building around a small 12.4-inch screen, which remains both a blessing and curse for the Laptop Go 3. On the bright side, Microsoft managed to scale down its Pixelsense technology to deliver a display that's both rich with color and bright enough for outdoor use. But unfortunately, the company is still relying on a strange sub-1080p resolution (1,536 x 1,024) to keep costs down.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

That means if you lean in close, you can easily see pixelated text and images. Though, you may not notice that loss in sharpness in normal use. It just annoys me that even the Surface Go 4, Microsoft's slower and cheaper tablet, has a 1080p screen. The Laptop Go 3 also retains the 3:2 aspect ratio of its predecessors, which makes it taller than a typical widescreen monitor and better-suited for web browsers and productivity apps.

Despite my issues with its screen, the Surface Laptop Go 3 is still an impressive PC for the price. We reviewed the $999 model with 16GB of RAM, and it felt noticeably snappier when it came to launching applications, switching windows and doing basic work than the previous two models. I'm typically juggling dozens of browser tabs, Evernote (yes, I know I need to move on), Slack, Spotify and image editing apps, and the Laptop Go 3 had no trouble keeping up with me.

Laptop

PCMark 10

Geekbench 5 (single core/multi-core)

3DMark Wildlife Extreme

Surface Laptop Go 3

4,785

1,430/6,094

2,810

Surface Laptop Go 2

4,213

1,349/3,764

2,799

Surface Laptop Go

2,122

1,135/3,486

N/A

I'd also attribute its speed bump to Intel's 12th-gen Core i5 CPU, which features 10 cores (2 performance, 8 efficient), a healthy step up from last gen's quad-core 11th-gen chip. While the Laptop Go 3 only scored slightly higher in the PCMark 10 benchmark, it faired much better in the Geekbench 5 multicore test. And based on my own testing, I can't deny that the real-world performance felt more lively. While it's not a machine I'd recommend to anyone doing tons of intensive image editing, the Laptop Go 3 still handled a few batch editing tasks (like resizing and watermarking) without showing any signs of slowdown. 

That chip upgrade doesn't make the Surface Laptop Go 3 much of a gaming machine — I hit around 40 fps while playing Halo Infinite in 720p with low settings — but I was still impressed by how it handled Xbox cloud streaming. During its crowded launch event, I was able to wirelessly stream Need for Speed Unbound smoothly, without any weird connectivity hiccups. And I had an even better experience playing a few hours of Lies of P at home over my Wi-Fi 6 router – consider that a solid stress test of the Laptop Go 3's networking hardware.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Thankfully, Microsoft didn't touch the best part of the Laptop Go line: Its excellent keyboard. Its keys are still wonderfully responsive and deep, making them well-suited to my furious typing sessions. And while its trackpad isn't as large as other notebooks, it's perfectly fine for web browsing and productivity work. Battery life remains solid as well: It lasted 9 hours and 10 minutes in PCMark 1. That’s well below Microsoft’s estimate of 15 hours, but it’s similar to other recent ultraportables, like the ASUS ZenBook S 13.

Microsoft could make the Laptop Go 3 more useful by adding more connectivity: It still only has one USB Type A connection, a USB-C port, a headphone jack and a Surface charge port. A few more USB connections would make it far more versatile (but at least it has more than the 12-inch MacBook, which only had one USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack). At the very least, it would be nice to have a microSD card slot for storing media.

The Surface Laptop Go 3's USB Type and USB-C ports, alongside the headphone jack.
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

With a $799 starting price, the Surface Laptop Go 3 is firmly int mid-range laptop territory. The $999 model with 16GB of RAM could even be considered a premium product, especially since you can still snag the M1 MacBook Air for the same price. In terms of raw power, Apple's machine is clearly the winner, but it's also a bit heavier at 2.8 pounds. When it comes to compact Windows competition, the Surface Pro 9 also starts at $999 with 8GB of RAM. That machine offers a larger 13-inch PixelSense screen and weighs just 1.9 pounds.

Given that there aren't many 12-inch Windows PCs around, the Surface Laptop Go 3 certainly stands out. And now, thanks to a faster processor and the option of 16GB of RAM, it's more than just a basic notebook. Almost by accident, Microsoft has crafted one of the most compelling and compact mid-range laptops around. Anyone looking for a new ultraportable won't be disappointed — just don't squint too hard at that screen.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/surface-laptop-go-3-review-microsoft-basic-pc-grows-up-130008297.html?src=rss

Ford's new F-150 Lightning Flash has a 320 mile range and hands-free highway driving

Ford first unveiled its F-150 Lightning lineup only a couple of years ago, in 2021, but its fifth model is already underway. The manufacturer has announced that the F-150 Lightning Flash will join the existing Pro, XLT, Lariat and Platinum trims as a mid-tier option.

The F-150 Lightning Flash is a "tech-forward" expansion of the XLT's offerings, adding in-demand tech capabilities and version 1.2 of Ford BlueCruise hands-free highway driving (which allows drivers to change lanes with a simple tap). The Flash also offers customers the option to activate Ford BlueCruise at any point or to trial it with 90 days free after purchase. The new model's interior includes a 15.5-inch LCD Capacitive Touchscreen, a wireless charging pad and a B&O Sound System with eight speakers and a subwoofer.

Like the XLT, it has a targeted EPA-estimated extended range of 320 miles per charge. The entire F-150 lineup can use the BlueOval Charge Network, which includes more than 84,000 chargers across North America, and will have access to 12,000 Tesla chargers starting in 2024.

Online orders for the F-150 Lightning Flash will also start in early 2024, with the EV retailing for just under $70,000. The manufacturer lowered F-150 prices by up to $10,000 in July thanks to increased plant capacity (an estimated 150,000 units per year) and better battery raw material costs. However, they still come at a much higher cost than originally advertised, with the F-150 Lightning Pro retailing for about 50 percent of its initial sticker price at the beginning of summer.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fords-new-f-150-lightning-flash-has-a-320-mile-range-and-hands-free-highway-driving-123633483.html?src=rss

Amazon's smart thermostat falls to its lowest price of the year in early October Prime Day deal

Amazon's Prime Day event this month will take place on October 10 and 11, but the e-commerce giant has already kicked things off with a few early deals. Some of its devices are now on sale on the website, including its smart thermostat, which you can get for $56. That's not quite an all-time low for the basic smart home device, but that's still 30 percent off its regular price and the lowest it's been for the whole year. Amazon positions its smart thermostat as sort of a gateway into more high-tech thermostats when transitioning from their traditional counterparts. 

The Amazon smart thermostat isn't quite as full-featured as some other options in the market. While it doesn't have a speaker or a microphone, if you install the Alexa app or use an Alexa-enabled device (such as an Echo) you'll be able to control it with voice commands. You can get Alexa to change the temperature for you, for instance, or to help you with the installation process. You can also set its temperature anywhere you are through the Alexa app. Take note that the device needs a C-wire or a power adapter kit. It's sold separately, but you can get the device bundled with a C-wire adapter for $71. 

In addition to its smart thermostat, Amazon is also selling its smart air quality monitor and a smart plug at discounted prices. Its air quality monitor can detect and track particulate matter (PM 2.5), volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, humidity and temperature. If you connect it to Alexa, you'll get notifications when it detects poor air quality. And if you have Alexa-connected air purifiers, dehumidifiers and fans, you can enable routines that would switch them on if the air quality changes. Meanwhile, the smart plug adds Alexa voice control to any outlet, so you can schedule appliances to turn off and on automatically. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-smart-thermostat-falls-to-its-lowest-price-of-the-year-in-early-october-prime-day-deal-120506738.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Apple addresses iPhone 15 overheating issues

Apple has acknowledged its new iPhone 15 and 15 Pro can get uncomfortably hot. The company said background activity, an iOS 17 bug and third-party apps were the cause, with some apps, like Instagram, already updated not to make the newest iPhones sweat.

Everyone loves to have opinions on why the newest iPhones aren’t working like they should, with some people blaming the new titanium body. Apple told MacRumors that the design actually provides better heat dissipation than previous stainless steel models. Similarly, the company says the issue isn’t connected to its new A1 Pro chop, nor high-power chargers and the new USB-C connector.

My iPhone 15 Pro ran pretty hot the first few days, pulling down all my apps, games and music library, but it’s evened out more recently. Others are still waiting on a fix.

— Mat Smith

Humane’s futuristic wearable revealed at Paris Fashion Week

As seen on Naomi Campbell, it has a mini-projector and camera.

Reuters

Humane is a startup founded by ex-Apple executives. It’s working on a device called the Ai Pin, which uses projectors, cameras and AI tech as a sort of wearable AI assistant. The company unveiled the Ai Pin at a Paris fashion show (Humane x Coperni), attached to Naomi Campbell, who is the first person outside of the company to wear the device in public. The company describes the device as a “screenless, standalone device and software platform built from the ground up for AI.” Other information is less clear, like how the device connects to the internet, as it doesn’t pair with a smartphone. We’ll learn more when it’s fully unveiled on November 9.

Continue reading.

It’s not Tom Hanks in that dental ad, and he’s not happy about it

Hanks called out the ad for using an AI likeness of him.

An ad reportedly used a deepfake of Tom Hanks to promote dental plans without the actor’s permission. Hanks shared a warning on Instagram on Sunday about the AI-generated video, which he wrote he had “nothing to do with.” Hanks has been outspoken about the challenges AI poses for the industry, and the use of actors’ digital likenesses is one of the major points of concern voiced by striking SAG-AFTRA workers. The use of AI to capitalize on celebrities’ legacies has already become an ethical issue. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain sparked widespread debate after it was revealed the documentary contained AI-generated voiceovers of Bourdain.

Continue reading.

Watch the star-studded trailer for cyberattack thriller Leave the World Behind

From the creators of Mr. Robot.

Netflix

Leave the World Behind is a dual-release Netflix film that hits theaters on November 22 and the streaming service on December 8. It stars Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali and Kevin Bacon, which is a whole lot of star power. The movie continues Netflix’s recent dual-release strategy as seen with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Marriage Story, The Irishman and other high-profile features. It also ensures these movies are eligible for award season.

Continue reading.

​​

The biggest stories you might have missed

One of the brightest objects in the night sky is a human-made satellite

The best early October Prime Day deals you can get for 2023

Google’s Chromebook Plus initiative pushes higher spec standards and handy software tools

NordVPN review: A bit too overhyped for the price

Loog’s baby digital piano could be the perfect starter instrument for newbies

How to send animated reactions on FaceTime with iOS 17

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-apple-addresses-iphone-15-overheating-issues-111539143.html?src=rss