Google hasn't even announced the Pixel 7a, but that isn't stopping leakers from claiming to know something about the Pixel 8 series. OnLeaks and Smartprix have shared what they say are renders of the Pixel 8 Pro design. At first glance, it appears to be a subtle evolution of the Pixel 7 Pro. The corners are more rounded to avoid digging into your palm, and the three-lens rear camera array (main, ultra-wide and telephoto) is now grouped into one cutout.

There may be a conspicuous functional improvement, though. That rear array also seems to include an unknown sensor below the flash. OnLeaks and Smartprix speculate that it may be a depth or macro sensor, but we wouldn't rule out LiDAR or other technology to improve augmented reality, portraits and low-light photos.

Many of the details of the Pixel 8 family remain a mystery. However, previously unearthed clues suggest there may be some camera upgrades in store. In December, Kuba Wojciechowski discovered code hinting the new phones may use staggered HDR, or a technique that captures multiple exposures at once. You could get an expanded dynamic range without long capture times that can blur subjects. The Pixel 8 line is also likely to use a third-generation Tensor chip that may improve performance and efficiency.

If Google repeats last year's preview for the Pixel 7, you might get a brief glimpse of the Pixel 8 line at I/O on May 10th ahead of a launch in the early fall. We'd likewise expect the new models to ship with Android 14. This may be a predictable update if the rumors are accurate, but you might not mind given the strong reception of Google's recent Pixel releases.

Do you shop in-person because you invariably have questions for staff? Apple thinks it can offer some of that experience at home. It's rolling out a "Shop with a Specialist over Video" feature that gives US iPhone shoppers a one-way video chat with a retail employee. You can ask for advice on the model to buy, investigate payment options and learn about switching from Android.

The video call option is available between 10AM and 10PM Eastern every day. The company tells Engadget that the feature is accessible on any device that can reach Apple's website. You communicate through audio alone — the Specialist can't see you.

This won't help if you're looking for hands-on time, and you probably won't get the answers you'd find in a full review. You're also out of luck if you need help shopping for a Mac or other Apple products. Still, this may be useful if you'd rather not navigate product pages just to find answers. To some degree, this also makes Apple's retail services more accessible if you can't travel to a store.

The addition comes at an important moment for Apple. Like other hardware manufacturers, it took a bruising in the fall as a tough economy and supply shortages hurt sales. An online shopping tool isn't likely to play a major factor in improving those sales, but might help customers who would otherwise be hesitant to buy an iPhone sight unseen.

YouTube TV is now much more useful if you're a sports fan. The service is rolling out an early access multiview feature that shows up to four sports streams at once. Visit the "Top Picks For You" section and you can pick from pre-chosen multiview groups, such as NCAA March Madness games. You can jump to a full-screen view for each match, and switch the audio and captioning to the stream that captures your attention.

Importantly, the technology isn't limited to specific platforms or devices. It supports all smart TVs and living room media players that can run YouTube TV in the first place. You won't need a high-powered device like you do with some services. The trick, as the company's German Cheung explains, is to move the processing to YouTube's servers — your hardware only has to handle one feed regardless of how many streams you're watching. The tech is borrowed from YouTube's co-streaming feature.

 If you're part of the early access phase, you'll see both an alert and an email. YouTube TV expects to deploy multiview streaming for all subscribers in the "coming months." The company tells Engadget it plans to expand functionality over time, including the option to customize the stream selection.

The timing is convenient. March Madness is just getting started, and the MLB season start is weeks away. Multiview could make YouTube more compelling if you're deciding on a TV provider (particularly an internet-only service) and are determined to follow as many games as possible. The broad support may also be alluring if competing services don't offer this level of multi-stream support on your living room equipment of choice. The official March Madness Live app, for instance, only supports four-way streaming on the web — you're limited to two streams elsewhere.

TikTok has a large science community, and the social network wants everyone to know it on Pi Day. The company is launching a dedicated STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) feed that shows only these more educational videos. You may learn to code or discuss experiments without having to wade through TikTok's usual entertainment-focused content.

Not surprisingly, TikTok is taking steps to block misinformation in this new section. Curator Common Sense Networks will study content to make sure it's relevant to the STEM feed, while the fact-checkers at Poynter will gauge the accuracy. Any videos that don't pass both inspections won't reach the new feed.

Users in the US will start seeing the STEM feed in the "coming weeks," TikTok says. The social media giant has already been experimenting with a "Topic Feed" in some regions to court fans of gaming, sports and other common subjects. The science-oriented feed is considered an expansion of this initiative.

The launch isn't surprising. Governments and schools are concerned TikTok may harm children and teens, to the point where schools are suing the company over alleged mental health problems. A STEM feed creates a positive space for "co-learning, inspiration and enrichment," as TikTok claims. It's also potentially lucrative, as TikTok claims that STEM-linked hashtags have received more than 110 billion views so far.

Whether or not this helps with TikTok's survival in the US is another matter. Some politicians want to ban TikTok outright over fears it's a national security threat. Officials are concerned China may collect data about key Americans or spread propaganda. CEO Shou Zi Chew is set to testify before a House committee next week on privacy, security and child safety issues. A STEM feed won't necessarily address those worries.

Now is a good time to go shopping if you're pining for Apple's most affordable tablet. Amazon is once again selling the 10.2-inch iPad with WiFi and 64GB of storage for $250, or $79 off. The discount makes it easier to justify if you're looking for a no-frills model for reading, video chats or TV marathons.

The 10.2-inch model remains our pick for the best budget iPad for a good reason: even at its normal price, it still delivers a lot of value for the money. It's still quick for everyday tasks, and very portable. It's also particularly appealing if you prefer wired audio — it's the only remaining iPad with a 3.5mm headphone jack. It can be a better deal than the 10th-generation iPad if you're unwilling to pay for an updated design.

There are reasons you may want to pay more, of course. The 10.2-inch iPad isn't as fast as other models, and doesn't have a USB-C port, the largest screen, cutting-edge cameras or the Smart Connector for advanced keyboards. Consider the iPad Air (including refurbished units) if you want a tablet that can handle some serious productivity. For casual uses, however, there's no need to splurge.

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The WiFi 7 standard still isn't final, but that isn't stopping Netgear from making the technology available to the public. The company has launched its first WiFi 7 router, the Nighthawk RS700S, and it's clear the speed isn't the only draw. While the 320MHz channels promise up to 5Gbps on WiFi 7, the main allure may be the very low lag — Netgear claims "100x lower" latency that should help with gaming, VR and other timing-sensitive apps. You may not be in a rush to plug your PC into an Ethernet jack, then.

The tri-band router offers coverage up to 3,500sq. ft thanks in part to a new antenna design, and can handle up to 200 simultaneously connected devices. You can create a mesh network if you need to cover a large home. A 10Gbps WAN Ethernet port makes sure the RS700S can support the fastest home fiber connections, although Netgear curiously limits the four local Ethernet ports to 1Gbps. You'll have to use WiFi if you want to make the most of this hardware.

The Nighthawk RS700S arrives in the US in the second quarter of the year, and will cost a steep $700. You're paying for the privilege of being first. With that said, it costs less than Netgear's WiFi 6-based Orbi 860 two-pack despite much stronger performance in its (admittedly smaller) coverage area. If you're more interested in raw throughput than range, this may be the better value.

The greater issue is compatibility. Only a limited number of devices have the components needed to support WiFi 7, and the new format isn't enabled. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Galaxy S23 series is technically capable of WiFi 7, for example, but Samsung's phones officially support 'only' WiFi 6e. And while multi-gigabit internet service is becoming more commonplace, it's still rare enough that the RS700S' headroom may go unused. You're buying this router to future-proof your setup, not to realize any immediate speed gains.

Rivian's electric delivery van might not be Amazon-exclusive for much longer. The Wall Street Journalsources claim Rivian is in talks with Amazon to end the exclusivity portion of their 2019 purchase agreement. The EV maker is reportedly unhappy that Amazon ordered 10,000 vans this year, at the low end of a previously mentioned range. The termination would let Rivian boost its sales by courting other customers.

The exact terms of the proposed changes aren't available. The talks are continuing, the sources say.

We've asked Rivian for comment. An Amazon spokesperson tells Engadget Rivian is still an "important partner" and that it still expects to buy 100,000 vans by 2030. The deal hasn't changed, the company adds. At the same time, the representative says Amazon wants "others to benefit" from Rivian technology, as having more electric delivery vehicles in service ultimately helps everyone.

The Amazon pact remains important for Rivian's finances. The vans currently represent one third of Rivian's production volume, and are helping to bolster manufacturing numbers that are still tiny compared to rivals like Tesla. Rivian only made 24,337 vehicles in 2022. Larger van orders would significantly expand the company's output and provide greater financial stability while the firm ramps up sales of its R1S SUV and R1T pickup, and works on its more affordable R2 line.

Rivian still has a large cash reserve thanks in part to Amazon's large investment in the EV startup. However, it's still struggling to reach profitability and has engaged in two rounds of layoffs over the past year to address a tough economy, rising costs and shrinking access to funds. There's pressure on the company to avoid future cutbacks, and improved sales will help on that front.

TikTok's efforts to address US data privacy fears may have holes. A self-proclaimed whistleblower talking to The Washington Post says the social network's plan to protect American users' data, Project Texas, has major flaws. The former Trust and Safety team member claims the $1.5 billion initiative will still let TikTok connect to parent company ByteDance's Toutiao, a well-known Chinese news app. That link could theoretically allow China to access US data. A truly secure approach would require a "complete re-engineering" of the service's infrastructure, the ex-employee says.

The staffer also claims to have met with the offices of Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Mark Warner to discuss the alleged weaknesses. Representatives for both senators acknowledged that meetings had taken place.

We've asked TikTok for comment. Unnamed people at the social media giant tell The Post that the claims are "unfounded," and the Toutiao code only amounts to a "naming convention and technical relic" that doesn't tie the app to China. They also believe that the relocation of US data to Oracle servers undercuts the assertion that Toutiao could affect the US business. The whistleblower was only employed for half a year, and he supposedly left months before Project Texas was finalized. He may not know the full picture, in other words.

TikTok has repeatedly denied cooperating with the Chinese government, and there's no publicly known evidence to that effect. Douyin, the equivalent app available inside China, has completely separate content.

The timing of the purported revelation isn't good for TikTok. House and Senate bills (Warner co-sponsored the latter bill) could lead to nationwide TikTok bans if they become law, and CEO Shou Zi Chew is set to testify before the House on March 23rd to address security and child safety concerns. Politicians are worried the Chinese government may use TikTok to collect data on Americans and spread propaganda, and the report doesn't help ease those fears.

Audi is the latest automaker to dip into upscale e-bikes. The brand has introduced an electric mountain bike that takes design cues from its RS Q E-tron E2 electric Dakar Rally racer while promising high-end specs. Built by Italy's Fantic (Autoblognotes it's based on the XMF 1.7), it combines a 250W Brose motor (similar to that for Harley-Davidson's Serial 1 Bash/Mtn) with Fantic's 720Wh battery to deliver a sizeable 66ft/lb of torque.

While Audi isn't providing the top speed or range at this stage, the power pack is decidedly larger than the Bash/Mtn's 529Wh unit, which provides between 30 to 95 miles of range depending on conditions. Like other Brose-powered e-bikes, Audi's model has four levels of electric assistance ranging from a mild Eco through to the all-out Boost mode.

The aluminum frame design uses decidedly different parts than the Porsche eBike lineup beyond the motor and battery. You can expect Braking IN.CA.S disc brakes, an Öhlins fork and shock, and Sram components for the chain, shifters and derailleur. You'll also find Italian touches like the Vittoria tires and Sella Italia saddle. The Öhlins gear offers 7.1in of suspension travel versus the XMF 1.7's 6.7in.

The Audi electric mountain bike comes in three sizes, but you'll need to act quickly and carry a large bank balance. The bike is only available as a "limited run" model priced at £8,499 (about $10,200) in the UK. That puts it roughly on par with Porsche's $10,700 eBike Sport, and it's priced well above the $3,999 Bash/Mtn, the GMC Hummer e-bike (also $3,999) and the more powerful $5,499 Jeep e-bike. You're paying for the big battery, the other well-known parts and Audi's design. If you can afford one of Audi's higher-end EVs, though, its two-wheeler is likely within reach.

Senators aren't giving up on a bill to safeguard your online data. Hawaii's Brian Schatz and 18 other senators have reintroduced the 2018-era Data Care Act to set higher standards for sensitive info. Companies will need to "reasonably secure" identifying data, including prompt customer notifications for breaches. They also can't use that data in harmful ways, and must ensure third-parties treat any shared data with the same amount of respect.

The measure gives the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) the authority to fine companies that violate the rules, including third parties. States could take their own civil actions, but the FTC could step in.

The senators largely consist of Democrats, including Big Tech critics like Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar. Independents Bernie Sanders and Angus King also back the potential legislation. The original Data Care Act had the support of 15 Democrats.

There's no guarantee the revived Act will succeed. The original bill never came to a vote after its December 2018 introduction. And while Democrats control the Senate in 2023, the Republicans lead the House. If a vote on an equivalent bill is split along partisan lines in the House, it won't reach the President's desk for approval.

The conditions may be more favorable this time around, however. President Biden has been eager to rein in Big Tech, with a particular focus on limiting the collection and use of data. Meanwhile, both major parties in Congress are increasingly concerned about data privacy and security. The Data Care Act theoretically satisfies these politicians, if just by shifting more of the responsibility to businesses.