I think beneath Tim Cook’s deeply reserved, professional aura lies someone who loves a bit of sass. Naturally, as the CEO of Apple, Cook needs to present a professional image at all times, but he did let his sense of humor out at the 2022 Code Conference. During a Q&A, a journalist asked about the iPhone’s lack of compatibility with RCS, which meant they couldn’t share video clips with their Android-using mom. Cook said it wasn’t a priority for the company, then joked that the person should “buy your mom an iPhone.”

– Daniel Cooper

The biggest stories you might have missed

• Google will soon offer an easy way to share files between your own Android devices

• The best SSDs available now, plus how to choose one

• Electrify America wants to make EV chargers as easy to use as gas pumps

• New 'Overwatch 2' heroes will be locked behind a battle pass

• Jeep announces plans to bring four new EV models to market by 2025

Meta dissolves team responsible for discovering 'potential harms to society' in its own products

Yikes.

Justin Sullivan via Getty Images

A group inside Meta that analyzed potential harms to society caused by Facebook’s products has been shut down. The team consisted of engineers, ethicists and civil rights experts who advised the company’s broader team on potential risks. Meta didn’t explain why the group has closed but said it remained committed to the team’s goals. Of course, given Facebook’s reputation for building products without much consideration of the consequences, this seems like an unwise step. Maybe there should be a team of in-house experts to point out this sort of thing ahead of… ohhhh.

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Sony's Jim Ryan says Microsoft's Call of Duty promise was 'inadequate on many levels'

Microsoft promised a deal for three years, Sony wasn’t happy.

As part of the $68.7 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard, Microsoft has had to make several commitments to ward off antitrust regulators and angry gamers. One of the biggest was to not pull major franchises, like Call of Duty, away from the PlayStation to force people to buy Xboxes. Despite public promises made by Xbox head Phil Spencer, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan isn’t happy. Ryan revealed Microsoft has only promised to keep Call of Duty on the rival platform for a further three years, after which things get a little more uncertain.

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NVIDIA to reveal its next-gen GeForce RTX GPUs on September 20th

It’s expected to be the debut for the RTX-40 series.

NVIDIA

NVIDIA’s GPU technology conference happens later this month, and the big news is CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote. The company says that at 11 AM ET on September 20th, we’re going to see “the latest breakthroughs in gaming, creating and graphics technology.”

That’s set many tongues wagging. Are we going to see the next generation of Ampere Next-based GPUs in the form of the RTX-40 series? Given the majority of RTX-30 cards are only now entering the market after the crypto bubble burst, it’ll be interesting to see how many of these actually go on sale in the near future.

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NASA picks Axiom Space to build the first Artemis moonwalk spacesuits

There will be a new generation of spacesuits for walking on the moon.

NASA

NASA has picked Axiom Space to supply the space suits worn when humanity returns to the moon. These new suits will work for a wider range of crew members and offer increased flexibility and more specialized tools for exploration. The lack of appropriate gear was one of the reasons a planned all-woman spacewalk was canceled back in 2019. With a contract in place to provide the suits necessary to walk on the moon, the planned return to our nearest neighbor feels a lot more real. Now NASA just has to get the wagon that’ll take everyone there up and running.

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‘The Wrath of Khan’ is getting an official Star Trek podcast prequel

‘Star Trek: Khan – Ceti Alpha V’ will be written and directed by Nicholas Meyer.

A prestige streaming series covering the life of Trek arch-villain Khan Noonien Singh while in exile on Ceti Alpha V has been rescued from development hell and will be turned into a podcast. Star Trek: Khan – Ceti Alpha V will fill in the gap from the end of classic series episode ‘Space Seed’ until the beginning of The Wrath of Khan. More importantly, however, the series will be written and directed by Trek superstar Nicholas Meyer. I’ll be honest, I never expected to get more Trek written by Meyer in my lifetime, and I’m here for it.

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Paramount has announced a new scripted Star Trek podcast detailing the exploits of arch-villain Khan Noonien Singh. Star Trek: Khan - Ceti Alpha V will cover the period of time after Khan and his cohort of genetically-engineered villains were exiled during the classic episode Space Seed and before Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. More importantly, the long-mooted miniseries will be written and directed by Trek auteur Nicholas Meyer.

To Trek fans, there are few creative figures who deserve more swooning adoration than Meyer. The writer-director made The Wrath of Khan, the movie that ostensibly saved the series from obscurity. He would go on to co-write The Voyage Home and helm The Undiscovered Country — three of the best Star Trek movies ever made. In fact, one esteemed Trek scholar even said that to make great Star Trek you need to do two things: Hire Nicholas Meyer, then cut his budget in half.

Alex Kurtzman gave praise to Meyer, saying that “Nick made the definitive Trek movie when he made Wrath, and we’ve all been standing in its shadow since.” He added that Meyer has “come up with something as surprising, gripping and emotional as the original, and it’s a real honor to be able to let him tell the next chapter in this story exactly the way he wants to.”

When Star Trek’s revival began, Discovery’s original creator Bryan Fuller recruited Meyer as a producer. Back in 2017, Meyer added that discussions had taken place for him to write a Khan mid-quel series covering his exile and bridging the gap between the classic series and the film. The series may or may not have been put on ice as a consequence of Paramount and CBS’ complex re-merger, and the fact it was only expected to be three episodes long.

Unfortunately there’s no solid details on who will star in the series (Ricardo Montalban passed away in 2009), and no word on a release date or runtime. But given that Paramount has a) Hired Nicholas Meyer and b) cut his budget by more than half, we should expect this podcast to be the greatest piece of Trek ever committed to audio.

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.

Apple’s long-awaited Far Out event was a showcase of all the gadgets the company is now ready to sell us. The new iPhone 14 was blessed with a super-size sibling, and the iPhone 14 Pros ditched the notch for a lozenge-shaped punch hole in its display. Sorry, the people at Apple are insisting we call the hole a “Dynamic Island,” since the screen around it will change size for notifications. The new Apple Watch was joined by the Watch Ultra, with all of the added ruggedization extreme-sports types have been waiting for. Plus, the AirPods Pro got touch-sensitive controls and better noise cancellation, thanks to the addition of the H2 chip. It was very much a show focused on quality-of-life tweaks for these devices, with some features you might consider neat, but nothing you might feel compelled to camp outside an Apple Store to be first in line to buy.

– Daniel Cooper

The biggest stories you might have missed

• Apple's new AirPods Pro have touch controls

• Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds II automatically customize sound and ANC

• The James Webb Telescope captures the Tarantula Nebula in stunning detail

• The first US video game studio to unionize is shutting down

• Apple Fitness+ is coming to iPhone this fall in 21 countries

• iOS 16 will be available on September 12th

• Apple’s Photonic Engine technology improves low-light camera performance

• watchOS 9 will arrive on September 12th

• The iPhone 14 can connect to satellites for emergency SOS features

• Apple Watch Series 8 has a temperature sensor and crash detection

iPhone 14 and 14 Plus hands-on: A bigger screen and small camera updates

The iPhone Mini is no more.

Billy Steele / Engadget

There are two iPhones 14: the 6.1-inch standard model and its 6.7-inch Plus variant, harking back to the old regime of one “regular” sized device and one super-sized version. (Sadly, the iPhone Mini’s poor battery life made the unit a poor seller, so Apple has swung the axe.) Engadget’s Cherlynn Low got her hands all over the new handsets, which focus on better camera upgrades. The rear camera has a larger 12-megapixel sensor (with bigger 1.9-micron pixels) as well as autofocus on the forward-facing lens, for better selfies. Despite the phone’s size, the 14 Plus is lighter than its Pro siblings, a small mercy if you’ve ever dropped a phone on your face in bed.

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iPhone 14 Pro hands-on: Don't call it a notch

The always-on display is an exciting feature.

Billy Steele / Engadget

Apple saved most of the big upgrades for the iPhone 14 Pro and Max as it tries to put more water between its flagship handset and those in the ultra-premium tier. There’s a new A16 Bionic chip and a Super Retina XDR display that can run at 1Hz, giving users an always-on display for the first time. Plus, the Dynamic Island, a punch hole housing FaceID and the camera that can bleed into the display around it, making it look more like a notification window. The rear lens also got an upgrade, with a 48-megapixel primary sensor backed by Apple’s promise it’ll have dramatically improved low-light performance.

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Apple kills off the SIM tray on the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro in the US

This may impact travelers pretty hard.

The iPhones 14 will be the first in the range to ditch the physical SIM tray in favor of eSIM technology. On paper, this is a smart move – another hole in the phone you can eliminate for better waterproofing and security. But it’s also a bit of a thumbed nose for travelers who might prefer to swap SIMs when on the go to take advantage of cheaper local rates. Plus, if you smash your device, you can’t simply put your SIM in an old phone you’ve got lying around.

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Apple Watch Ultra hands-on: Built for the great outdoors

The Watch 8 gets some sensor upgrades but looks much like its predecessor.

Billy Steele / Engadget

Engadget’s Billy Steele spent some time with Apple’s new Watch Ultra, with its, uh, interesting design and additional action button on the side opposite the digital crown. The 49mm timepiece gets a 2,000 nit display, good for rough environments, an 86-decibel emergency siren and more accurate GPS. Given Apple products are always a little less rugged than we might hope, the promises the company made here are going to be well worth testing. Can this device really replace the hardcore Garmin for your extreme sport of choice? Only time will tell.

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The US may have the edge in semiconductor design, but manufacture is still the crown jewel of places like Taiwan. To counter this, the Biden administration has outlined where it will allocate the $50 billion in investment the CHIPS act has allowed for. Of that, $28 billion is to boost domestic production of cutting-edge logic and memory chips. The money will be distributed as grants, cooperative agreements, loan guarantees or loan subsidies. A further $10 billion is to improve speciality chipmaking for the automotive, medical device and defense industries. And $11 billion is for US research and development facilities, with the intention of creating new chip technologies that’ll be made on American soil. It’s a huge commitment, and one that recognizes the importance of staying at the forefront of the chip world or risk permanently falling behind.

– Daniel Cooper

The biggest stories you might have missed

• ​​Lead PlayStation architect Masayasu Ito is retiring after 36 years

• Sony will let you shroud your PS5 in camouflage this fall

• Google Maps eco-friendly directions are coming to 40 European countries

• Kiwi Farms is effectively offline following campaign to deplatform the hate site

• The first major 'Cyberpunk 2077' expansion won't come to PS4 or Xbox One

• Twitter's lawyers say Elon Musk wanted out of the deal because of 'World War 3,' not bots

Google's Pixel 7 and Pixel Watch event is scheduled for October 6th

And Meta's virtual Connect event will stream live October 11th

Google

As one technology giant announces its new slate of devices, another two set their dates for their own parties. Google has marked October 6th for its Pixel 7 and Pixel Watch event, with a live broadcast from New York City starting at 10 AM ET. Google spilled plenty of beans about what we could expect from the show at its I/O developer conference this summer. So we can expect the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro and the new Pixel Watch to hog the spotlight. Then, on October 11th, Meta will hold its Connect event to show off all that’s new with augmented and virtual reality. We’re expecting this to be the first official unveiling of Facebook’s Project Cambria, a high-end VR headset likely to be sold under the name Meta Quest Pro. Plus another attempt or two to make Facebook’s vision for our augmented future look a bit less cringe.

Continue Reading (Google) Continue Reading (Meta).

The best fast chargers available right now

Investing in a good fast charger is vital if you’re always running out of juice.

Sam Rutherford

Sometimes, you just need to get electricity into your device as quickly and efficiently as you can, without causing it to blow up. That’s why there are now so many fantastic fast charging plugs on the market, to help you avoid running out of power when you’re on the go. But with so many to choose from, it’s hard to know which ones are worth your money, and why.

Don’t fret: Your friend and mine Sam Rutherford has tested 14 plugs to see which one is the best. No spoilers, but it looks like the best phone charger will set you back just $30 and give you far better performance than whatever you’re using right now.

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The Los Angeles Unified School District is dealing with a ransomware attack

Schools were targeted over the Labor Day weekend.

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is dealing with the effects of a ransomware attack which struck on September 3rd. Officials have already started working with other federal agencies to tackle the issue and have already locked down its other systems. The attack has affected the district’s business systems, but school operations and classes remain in operation – as does its in-school safety and emergency systems. Hopefully, this latest in a long series of cyberattacks on US institutions will push better security to the top of the agenda to ensure this sort of thing doesn’t happen again.

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AT&T sues T-Mobile over 'dishonest and completely false' senior discount ad campaign

T-Mobile’s penchant for calling out its rivals earns it another lawsuit.

Ooooh, it’s been a while since we’ve had a spicy skirmish between phone carriers, and so here comes AT&T to keep us all amused. The mobile giant has lobbed a lawsuit through T-Mobile’s window, alleging the magenta carrier has engaged in false advertising against its rival. The issue hinges on a senior discount that AT&T is piloting in Florida, giving users over the age of 55 cheaper phone plans. T-Mobile, which already offers a plan called Unlimited 55+, countrywide, has called out AT&T, saying it’s only offering senior discounts to Floridians. Naturally, AT&T thinks T-Mobile isn’t playing fair and will take things to court to get the claims retracted.

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Meta’s Labor Day celebrations were cut short yesterday after the company was handed a $402 million fine by the European Union. The social network is believed to have mishandled children’s private data on Instagram, offering Business accounts to users as young as 13. This risked exposing their email addresses and phone numbers to the wider public, itself a violation of the bloc’s GDPR regime. A Meta spokesperson said the fine related to settings changed more than a year ago, and it was reviewing the decision. The fine is the second largest ever handed out by the EU for a GDPR breach, and the biggest Meta has received.

– Dan Cooper 

The biggest stories you might have missed

• Riot's 'Arcane' is the first streaming series to win an animated Emmy award

• Thousands of Google's cafeteria workers 'quietly unionized during the pandemic,' report says

A Webb Telescope image is being used to push malware

Hackers buried malicious code inside the picture.

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO

The images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope have been breathtaking, offering us new insight into the heavens around us. Unfortunately, these snaps have also provided an easy target for hackers, who have used the picture above as cover to smuggle malware onto machines as part of a phishing campaign. The image’s large file size and popularity means people might not be as cautious downloading it as they are with other files sent to their inbox. Thankfully, you can stay safe if you remain wary of unsolicited emails, even the ones promising to share the untold secrets of the cosmos.

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TikTok denies security breach after hackers claim to have records of more than a billion users

Hackers said they have access to TikTok’s source code.

TikTok is on the defensive after hackers claimed they had breached the app’s source code. The short form video giant said it found “no evidence of a breach” and that the material posted by the hackers as proof is “unrelated to TikTok’s backend source code.” Third party security expert Troy Hunt threw some cold water on the claims, too, saying the data looks “inconclusive.” So, uh, nothing to worry about?

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'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' sets Amazon Prime viewing record

25 million global viewers in a single day.

Amazon Studios

Amazon needs The Lord of the Rings to deliver a bona fide hit to Prime Video and has spent the GDP of a small country to make it happen. In the first 24 hours of The Rings of Power being available, the mega-retailer said it had more than 25 million viewers. That’s a big figure, and one worth taking with a pinch of salt given that Amazon hasn’t been clear on how it calculates a “viewer.” If true, (and I say again, if) it would make it one of the biggest hits in the modern era, pulling in two and a half times more than the other swords-and-sorcery prestige TV series that started airing last week.

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Apple Watch Pro renders and leaked cases show off a larger screen and new button

If you can believe it.

91mobiles

We’re just hours away from Apple’s new iPhone-and-everything-else launch, and one of the biggest rumors concerns a “Pro” version of the Apple Watch. The rumors say it will be a beefier, more rugged wearable for tough-mudder types who’d normally buy a pricey Garmin. Renders have filtered through the soil pipe to suggest the watch will get a bigger screen and an additional hardware button to hit more easily when you’re running. Oh, and Apple will abandon a lifetime of attempting to make its designs elegant and sleek by embedding the button and Digital Crown in this ugly-as-sin carbuncle on the side of the body. If it’s real, we can all be sure of one thing: Sir Jonathan Ive will be spinning in his… office.

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It’s been a while since an iPhone launch genuinely felt like an event, since each new model is only marginally more polished than its predecessor. Not so, says the rumor mill for the iPhone 14, promised to be a ground-up redesign with major changes and new features. The headline tweaks include vastly improved cameras, a punch-hole to replace the notch and an always-on display. But if there’s a sting in this particular tail, it’s the rumor that Apple will save all of these goodies for the Pro model, stiffing the iPhone 14 with last year’s A15 chip.

– Daniel Cooper

The biggest stories you might have missed

• Leica shows off its first 4K ultra-short-throw projector

• Cloudflare blocks trans harassment forum Kiwi Farms following escalation of 'targeted threats'

• Japan’s digital minister is going to war against floppy disks and fax machines

• The FTC is investigating Amazon’s deal to buy One Medical

SLS fuel leak likely to delay Artemis 1 launch to October

It’s going back indoors for more repairs and testing.

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

NASA’s new Space Launch System has suffered yet another high-profile setback as a fuel leak blocked a planned test launch for Artemis 1. The agency conceded it wasn’t possible to launch before the window closes on September 6th. It’s likely the next attempt to get this thing into the air will be in October, but with a planned SpaceX launch due on October 3rd, SLS’ test firing will have to wait until October 17th at the very earliest.

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The IRS says it accidentally exposed confidential information involving 120,000 taxpayers

It put private data on a public register.

The Internal Revenue Service has admitted it exposed the details of 120,000 US taxpayers through its website. The issue centered around the filing of Form 990-T, which deals with unrelated income from a variety of sources. Both private individuals and non-profit organizations are required to complete the document, but only the latter is meant to be publicly available. Sadly, a coding error meant 120,000 individual records, which included income data, was on the public register for some time. Affected individuals will be hearing from the IRS in the next few weeks, but the body has already said social security numbers were not shared.

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US police agencies have been using a low-cost surveillance tool to track people’s phones

Advertising IDs have, once again, been used as a way to track individuals.

For years, civil rights groups have warned that law enforcement agencies could co-opt the advertising industry’s sophisticated surveillance tools. Fog Reveal, a system police bodies have used to pinpoint people’s locations, is the realization of these dire warnings. The low-cost tool harnesses Advertising ID, a unique identifier smartphones have to help target relevant ads based on a user’s location and browsing history. Of more concern is the data does not require a warrant and can track a person’s movements for up to three years.

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The best laptops for gaming and schoolwork

Machines you can count on.

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

Isn’t it wonderful you no longer have to choose between a beefy gaming PC or an overpriced, underpowered laptop as your dorm room daily driver? These days, you can get great performance on low-cost hardware, solving your price vs. power dilemmas once and for all. If you’re still on the hunt for a machine to get you through college, you should give our expert guide a once-over.

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iPhone overtakes Android to claim majority of US smartphone market

It’s a big moment.

We’ve always understood that while the iPhone is popular and successful, the sheer volume of Android alternatives means it would never become the majority phone platform in the US. Turns out, the received wisdom might be wrong. Analytics firm Counterpoint Research found iPhones now make up the majority of the US smartphone market. Android still remains the worldwide champ, with more than 70 percent of the global share, but it’s a dramatic shift in the US, and a trend analysts believe could be repeated in many more countries over time.

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Twitter has rather tentatively announced it’ll bring an edit button to users, but not for a while. First, it’s being tested by the platform’s employees, then it will slowly roll out to paying customers who subscribe to Twitter Blue. After the better part of two decades, the addition of such a basic feature will likely baffle non-tweeters the world over. But Twitter’s regard has always been disproportionate to its reach, mostly because of the number of journalists who use (or used) it. That said, it doesn’t feel like the addition of an edit button will help supercharge signups on a platform that seems to have reached its natural ceiling a long time ago.

– Daniel Cooper

The biggest stories you might have missed

• You'll soon be able to control your Philips Hue sync box from the main app

• LG's MoodUP refrigerator comes with color-changing LED doors and a built-in speaker

• Withings has a new smart scale and Health+ fitness subscription platform

• Sennheiser unveils its latest, less expensive Ambeo soundbar

• NASA fixed the glitch that caused Voyager 1 to send jumbled data

• Ring's latest device makes voice intercom systems smarter

• Lenovo's IdeaPad 5i Chromebook features a 16-inch display and full-sized keyboard

• Clmbr’s new at-home smart climbing machine will offer live feedback and coaching in 2023

• Sony's $1,000 Xperia 5 IV offers 4K 120p HDR on all three rear cameras

• HMD's Nokia launches a smartphone subscription service with eco-friendly twists

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold hands-on: Big upgrades, inside and out

It’s bigger, faster and more practical, but still expensive.

Sam Rutherford / Engadget

Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Fold broke new ground as the first laptop with a flexible OLED display, but that was the only really great thing about it. Thankfully, Lenovo is quick to learn from its mistakes, and the second-generation Fold is bigger, better and much more user friendly. Our Sam Rutherford got to spend some time with a pre-production version of the new device – and likes it a lot. He said the bigger display, better keyboard and beefier insides all add up to a machine that, while still eye-wateringly expensive, might actually justify some of that cost.

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The best educational toys for kids

Keep those young brains working hard.

Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

There’s no better way to give your kid the tools to succeed in our modern world than by teaching them the fundamentals of science, technology, engineering and math. (Well, there is, but you can’t order a billion-dollar trust fund and a luxury education for $9.99 on Amazon.) For our back-to-school guide, we collected a bunch of cool toys that will help your kids learn the basics of coding, design, engineering, electronics and everything in between. Plus, they’re just as fun for adults as kids.

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The next USB standard will double existing speeds even with an older cable

USB 4 (Version 2.0) will reach speeds of up to 80 Gbps.

The bunch of swell folks behind USB are gearing up to start talking about the updated version of its USB 4.0 standard. And the big news is that speeds are jumping from 40 Gbps all the way up to 80 Gbps over a USB-C type connector. Faster speeds are great and all, but what’s really exciting is that the new plans will also double performance on existing 40 Gbps USB-C passive cables, where compatible.

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EU proposes new rules to make phones and tablets last longer

It wants to reduce e-waste by making sure we can repair our phones.

VladTeodor via Getty Images

The European Union is on a mission to crack down on e-waste and has already mandated a common charger to reduce the current mess of cables and plugs. Now, the bloc is looking at rules to enforce minimum standards for phone and tablet repairability. One of the key proposals is to ensure users can replace the display, battery, SIM tray and back cover for at least five years after purchase. It won’t turn into anything real just yet, but it does show the bloc’s commitment to driving better environmental practices in the tech industry.

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SpaceX secures five more NASA astronaut missions as part of a $1.4 billion contract

Musk’s company can take advantage of Boeing’s stumbles.

NASA has awarded a further five astronaut missions to SpaceX as it secures launch capacity to keep the ISS crewed until 2030. That’s good for Elon Musk and his associates, and a further blow to Boeing, which is struggling to get its own crew capsule ready to fly. The deal takes the amount of cash NASA has handed to SpaceX up to nearly $5 billion, all the while Boeing scrambles to get its first crewed test flight of Starliner ready for 2023.

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Climbr’s at-home climbing machine offers a Peloton-esque experience for those folks wanting to practice going up and down, instead of forward. The company is today unveiling its new model, the Climbr O2, with a number of hardware refinements for greater stability. But it’s the new service, Climbr Vision, that’ll be the most interesting to explore when it makes it debut. The company says that Vision will offer “live, dynamic coaching and feedback while [users] exercise.”

Sadly Vision isn’t coming until the start of 2023, but users can enjoy many of the tweaks the new-and-improved O2 will offer. That includes a simplified center console that improves the machine’s overall strength, and new gears and brakes that provide a broader range of resistance options. These changes will also, it’s promised, improve the lifespan of the machine (key, given how much time you’ll spend thrashing around on it). Not to mention an improved display, which is thinner and offers “crisper graphics” and more responsiveness, as well as the tech needed to offer Vision.

Unfortunately, there’s no word on when users can benefit from the new live coaching, but the price isn’t changing. The O2 will set you back $2,799, much as the current model does (except, like now, when it’s on sale). Early birds who put their cash down between September 1st and October 31st, however, will be able to snag the machine for $2,295, with shipping expected to start in December. 

Withings is today announcing yet another in its range of class-leading smart scales, Body Comp. The device is pitched as a “complete body assessment scale” which can look at the sort of facets of our bodies normally reserved for clinical settings. That includes weight, muscle mass, fat mass, water percentage, bone mass, BMI and visceral fat counts. You’ll also get information on your standing heart rate and your vascular health (based on PulseWave Velocity), as well as analyzing your nerve health. And, of course, it’s the first Withings product that will be sold to be compatible with Health+, the company’s other new announcement.

Health+ is Withings’ new subscription platform, since recurring revenue is now the one way that most hardware businesses make money these days. It promises to “unlock additional features in the Health Mate app,” offering insights on how to strive for a better body. These include six week habit-forming modules, all of which is contextualized with the data offered by your Withings devices. They will also be offered meal plans and suggested workouts to help them achieve their goals faster. (Health+ will set you back $79.95 after the first year of use, and is only compatible so far with this and any future Withings' products.)

Now, this is actually a different product to Body Scan, the scale that Withings announced back in January which came with its own electrode handle. That, much like other high-end body composition scales, asks you to hold the handle at waist height in order to better read your vital statistics. Armed with the data, it’ll tell you the fat and water ratios in your arms, legs and torso, as well as monitoring your nerve activity. That product hasn’t actually hit stores yet, but it’s already clear that Body Comp will offer the bulk of the same features with a little less fine grain data.

There is now a significant number of devices that have Withings and Body in the name and you’d be forgiven for struggling to keep them all straight in your head. The existing flagship is the Body Cardio, which has all of the current bells and whistles, including weight, BMI, body composition, heart rate and vascular age. Below that, the Body+ offers weight, BMI and body comp, while the vanilla Body just offers weight and BMI.