With yet another self-own (intentional or otherwise), Google has revealed its upcoming Pixel 8 Pro again, putting it into a special pantheon of leaked phones that includes, well, every otherPixelmodel. This time, the leak comes via Google's own 360-degree simulator that lets you see the device from every angle, with little yellow dots showing different sensors and ports. It not only confirms features like a new temperature sensor and physical SIM slot, but also three of the available colors. 

The simulator (since shut down), was originally noticed by X user José Rubén, and others then posted their own images taken from the tool, as The Verge reported. It reveals blue, porcelain and black colors, along with a home screen that looks similar to the previous Pixel 7 Pro. It also shows a SIM card slot and confirms the temperature sensor we saw in an earlier leak.  

It doesn't list any specs, but we already have a pretty good idea about those thanks to (yes) past leaks. The Pixel 8 Pro's camera array should include a 50-megapixel main camera that lets in 50 percent more light and a 64-megapixel ultrawide Sony camera. It's also rumored to have a flat display instead of curved ones similar to the Pixel 6 Pro's and Pixel 7 Pro's. In addition, it's expected to come with a 5,000 mAh battery and a 27W max charging speed.

The Pixel 8 Pro should be revealed at Google's next launch event, set for October 4 at 10AM ET — the leaks come just ahead of the iPhone 15 launch on September 12th, surely a coincidence. On top of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, we may see the Pixel Watch 2 and other hardware. 

Volkswagen's ID lineup is pretty well fleshed out by now, with vehicles ranging from the ID.2all compact to the ID.4 crossover — but where are the enthusiast vehicles? VW has answered that question with the ID.GTI concept, an electric hot hatch that will eventually head to production. 

Much like original GTI that inspired it (the "I" no longer stands for injection but "intelligence"), it's a sporty, compact hatch that looks fast standing still. Size-wise, it's shorter but taller than the current Golf GTI, with slightly more interior volume. The ID.GTI is based on (and strongly resembles) the ID.2all compact, adding features like 20-inch wheels, front, side and rear spoilers, a rear diffuser, a honeycomb grill, striped graphics, LED fog lights and more. 

Volkswagen

It'll have handling and performance tweaks as well, but VW didn't provide any details. The ID.2all comes with a 223HP motor, good for a 62MPH sprint in under seven seconds, with an estimated 280-mile range. The ID.GTI is likely to beat those figures handily, though, and the top speed should be faster too. 

VW did say that the ID.GTI would have an electronically-controlled front-axle differential lock offering traction control, just like the current Golf GTI. And it will work even better, the company wrote, "because the setup of the electric drive motor, as any electric system, can be varied almost infinitely." It also has a low center of gravity to aid handling, thanks to the battery's location in the vehicle floor.

Volkswagen

Inside, the ID.GTI concept has tartan sport seats, a drive selector, a sportier steering wheel and a 10.9-inch instrument cluster, along with a 12.9-inch infotainment system. It also features an AR head-up display, projecting information like speeds and even track layout, both for the driver and front passenger. A special GTI button activates a red lighting scheme. 

Volkswagen said that it will produce the ID.GTI concept, but didn't say when or what it would sell for. It's a good bet that it'll arrive around the same time as the ID.2all, though, which is priced under $30,000 and slated for a 2025 release.

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its "close-to-production" Concept CLA Class EV, boasting of very long range and rapid charging via an 800-volt architecture. The four-door sedan is the first in the company's line of Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) EVs, which will include a shooting brake and a pair of SUVs. Though it was unveiled as a concept at Munich's IAA Mobility motor show, the CLA Class is slated to go into production as a real EV in late 2024. 

MMA was conceived for the automaker's entry-level CLA Class vehicles as an all-new "electric first" design. The concept is almost exactly the same size as the company's current CLA sedan at 185 inches long and has a soft egg-like shape designed to move through the air as cleanly as possible (the hood is longer than other EVs, as Mercedes may offer it with ICE engines as well). It also has a number of concept car details (weird wheels, LED lighting, etc.) that likely won't make the final cut. 

Mercedes-Benz AG

The CLA Class is less about brute power than other Mercedes-Benz EVs (no performance figures were shared), focusing instead of efficiency and charging speeds. To that end, it uses an 800-volt architecture and a single rear-mounted 235HP motor borrowed from the Vision EQXX concept (with "close to zero percent" rare earth materials). It also has a new heat-pump to keep the batteries (and occupants) warm in the winter, as cold air can severely impact EV range. 

With all that, the Concept CLA Class can achieve 466 miles of WLPT range (around 400 miles in EPA terms) — a stellar efficiency of around 150 MPGe. It will also allow drivers to add around 200 miles of range in just 15 minutes. Mercedes didn't give the battery size, but it's likely under 100 kWh. Also aiding in that efficiency is a battery design with anodes containing silicon-oxide to improve energy density. The company will also offer a less efficient and reduced kWh lithium-iron phosphate option at a lower cost. 

Mercedes-Benz AG

The inside has a lot of concept-car fluff that likely won't see the light of day, including a water-cooled processor on the floor, silver-colored leather seats, an engraved moonroof and a dashboard-wide "Superscreen" with few physical controls. Still, the production version is likely to have some design touches in line with other Mercedes-Benz EQ electric models and a relatively luxe interior.

Another feature slated to appear in the electric CLA production model is Level 3 automated driving. It won't be available at launch, but the EV will have all the sensors required to enable the feature down the road via over-the-air (OTA) updates. More details are set to arrive in the coming months, like battery size, final range and charging numbers and, most importantly, the price. But if Mercedes can stick to what it said, the CLA could put up a good fight against Tesla's EVs. 

Sony has unveiled the Xperia 5 V smartphone with some nice high-end features and one fewer camera, along with a slightly lower price tag. The company also promises an "extraordinary music and video experience" thanks to the HDR display, updated speakers and more — all at a slightly lower price than the previous Xperia 5 IV model. 

Sony smartphones are all about the cameras, and there's good news in that regard, despite what looks like a worse camera array. The Xperia 5 V (yes that's "five five") has the same 52-megapixel Exmor T backside illuminated (BSI) Type 1/1.35-inch stacked sensor as the Xperia 1 V, meaning it's very fast and very good in low-light. In addition, Sony has improved the AI-powered "bokeh mode" to get pictures "closer to the standards of interchangeable lens cameras," the company said. 

Sam Benard for Sony

As the photo above shows, though, there's now only two rear cameras — the 48-megapixel Exmor T and a 12-megapixel 16mm ultrawide — rather than three as on the Xperia 5 IV. However, the primary sensor has much higher resolution than the previous 12-megapixel telephoto camera, and can dynamically switch between 24mm and 48mm (around 48mm and 96 mm 35mm equivalent) focal lengths, so you still get an equivalent 2X optical (lossless) zoom that should take much sharper images.

As before, you can shoot 4K video at up to 120fps in HDR, and it comes with optical image stabilization, along with 5-axis gyro-powered electronic stabilization for maximum smoothness. Other features include HDR recording, eye-tracking, "Creative Look" color presets and a new Video Creator app that automatically creates a final video based on your choice of shots and music. And for audio creators, it has a dedicated voice recording mic "that picks up your voice even with other voices and environmental sounds in the surroundings," Sony says. 

Sony

It's also designed as an entertainment machine, starting with the 6.1-inch OLED HD+ (1,080 x 2,520) display (the same specs as the last model). For watching movies, it comes with Sony's TV Bravia X1 image quality engine for mobile, along with a newly developed front stage speaker system that offers "powerful deep bass" and negates the need for external speakers, Sony claims. And thanks to the power-saving tech, the 5,000mAh battery can go over 24 hours on a charge and maintain 80 percent or higher capacity after three years, according to the company. (That's a subtle dig at Apple's iPhone 14, in case you didn't notice.)

The Xperia 5 V should also be solid for gaming, thanks to the flagship-level Snapdragon 8 Gen2 processor, 120Hz display refresh rate and a larger heat diffusion sheet (it's available with 8GB or 12GB of RAM, plus 128GB of expandable storage). Meanwhile, the game enhancer adds features like an audio equalizer, voice chat mic and a screen recording function.

Despite a small drop in price in Europe, the Xperia 5 V isn't cheap. It's priced at £849 / €999 in the UK / Europe, with availability in "late September." There's no word on US pricing or availability, but we should hear something soon — and as a reminder, the Xperia 5 IV cost $1,000 at launch. 

Tesla's refreshed Model 3 has finally gone on sale in China, Europe and elsewhere after leaking out here and there over the last year. It has a mild redesign, more range and an updated interior with new materials — along with a higher price tag in some regions. It's supposed to start shipping in Europe next month, and US buyers could see it on the company's ordering website soon. 

In a tweet from Tesla Europe, the company posted pictures showing the styling changes, particularly in the front end, which is sleeker and less bulbous than before. That in turn helps it travel farther on a charge. 

"Go up to 629 km (390 miles) on a single charge with updated exterior styling optimized for max aerodynamics," a caption reads. That's based on Europe's WLTP range, though, which equates to 10-12 percent better range compared to the previous model. Given the 272 mile/333 mile EPA range of the current base/long range Model 3, that means US range could rise to about 300 miles/365 miles. 

Tesla

Tesla is also promising "more refined & relaxed ride quality, thanks to a combination of a stiffer body & updated suspension tuning." Two new colors (ultra red & stealth grey) are on offer for €2,000 over the base white color, and are designed to change subtly based on viewing angle and lighting. 

The interior has been refreshed as well (with physical controls still nowhere to be seen). Tesla is promising "more sophisticated materials, ventilated seats & customizable ambient lighting," along with a rear touchscreen that gives entertainment and climate controls to backseat riders. Meanwhile, the the main touchscreen has more usable screen space thanks to the smaller bezels, and also "brighter, higher contrast & more responsive," Tesla wrote. 

Tesla

The Model 3 was already relatively quiet, but its silent electric operation also makes every exterior noise more pronounced. To that end, the new version has "360 degree acoustic glass [that] ensures silence inside the cabin no matter what's happening around you" with significantly less road and wind noise, Tesla promised. It also comes with a better sound system that now has up to 17 speakers, dual subwoofers and dual amplifiers. "Obviously goes to 11," Tesla said (read that in Elon Musk's voice). 

Tesla has already made significant updates to the Model 3 since it was first released in 2018 (via firmware updates and minor physical changes), but the new version appears to make it more sophisticated and efficient — likely in response to polished EVs from Kia, Mercedes and others. It may also make the Model 3 cheaper to produce, according to rumors from last year. 

However, the new Model 3 could cost more when it arrives in the US. In China, the base model is now around $35,800, or 12 percent more than the previous version, according to The Wall Street Journal. At the same time, the base model is the same price in Norway, but the long range version is about $950 more. As mentioned, Tesla's configurators are now live in Europe, with deliveries expected in October — and it should arrive in the US soon. 

HP's Pavilion Plus lineup offers some of the best mid-range laptop models out there, thanks to features like 16:10 displays with slim bezels, good keyboards/touchpads and solid specs. Now, the company has released its first 16-inch model, the HP Pavilion Plus 16, offering a 16.5-inch 120Hz 2.5K display, along with the latest Intel Core i7 processors — and starting at $1,000. HP also refreshed the Pavilion Plus 14 with the latest AMD and Intel processors and, as before, an OLED display option.

The Pavilion Plus 16 is targeted to serious business and education users, but is available with up to a 13th-gen Intel Core i7-13700H (14 cores, 20 threads) and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU. That, along with the 2,560 x 1,600, 120Hz VRR display, means the high end model is good for content creation and gaming as well — though it will obviously cost a lot more than the $1,000 base model.

HP

Other specs include 16 GB LPDDR5x-5200 MHz RAM, a 1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe TLC M.2 SSD, a wide array of ports (Thunderbolt 4 with USB power delivery, USB 3.2 Type-C, two USB Type A), a headphone/mic port, and HDMI 2.1). You also get WiFi 6E, B&O audio, and a 68Wh battery that provides up to 11:45 hours of life in mixed usage, or 15:45 for video playback. HP's Pavilion Plus 16 arrives in October starting at $1,000, in natural silver or warm gold. It'll be available at hp.com, Costco and Amazon. 

HP

As for the HP Pavilion Plus 14, the 2023 model will be available with up to an AMD Ryzen 7 7840H 8-core processor, along with Radeon Premium Pro or 780M graphics. (It'll also have Intel options but HP hasn't specified those yet). The displays on option include a 14-inch 16:10 2,880 x 1,800 OLED 48-120HZ HDR model (up to 500 peak nits, IMAX enhanced certified), a 2,560 x 1,600 IPS panel or a 1,920 x 1,200 version. The latter makes it an excellent option for serious entertainment and content creation users

The Pavilion Plus 14 come with 16GB LPDDR5x-6400 MHz RAM (up to 32GB) and up to a PCIe Gen4 NVMe TLC M.2 SSD. It lacks the Thunderbolt 4 port of the 16-inch model, but does offer HDMI 2.1, along with a pair of USB 3.2 Type-C ports (10Gbps), two USB-A ports and a headphone/microphone jack. Two battery options are available (51Wh and 68Wh), with the latter delivering up to 12:30 hours of mixed usage or 13:30 with FHD video playback. 

HP

The Pavilion Plus 14 arrives to hp.com in September starting at $850 in natural silver, moonlight blue, and tranquil pink. You'll also be able to get one Amazon (Intel and AMD), along with Costco.com and BestBuy.com (AMD model only). HP also announced the new 420/425 Programmable Bluetooth Mouse, now available for $30 at hp.com and Amazon. 

The social network X plans to compete with LinkedIn by offering job listings and more, CEO Elon Musk said in a new post. To aid in that, it has started gathering information about users' jobs and education histories, along with biometric data for "safety, security and identification purposes," according to a new policy spotted by Bloomberg. The company previously created an official @TwitterHiring account, TechCrunch reported last month. 

"People send me LinkedIn links sometimes, but the cringe level is so high that I just can’t bring myself to use it, so I ask for the resume or bio to be emailed," said Musk (who is often mocked for his own cringe-worthy posts). "We will make sure that the X competitor to LinkedIn is cool."

On top of work history and education, X is collecting biometric information, though it didn't say what kind. "Based on your consent, we may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security, and identification purposes," the updated privacy policy states. Twitter confirmed the update to Bloomberg, without elaborating more.

Some verified organizations including Workweek have been able to post job listings in the form of scrolling cards under their bios, as TechCrunch noted. According to a screenshot posted by user Nima Owji last month, "Twitter [X] will let verified organizations import all of their jobs to Twitter by connecting a supported ATS or XML feed." Those listings may only work in the US for now, as they don't appear for myself in Europe. 

Elon Musk previously hinted at the feature in May, and X purchased a job-matching tech startup called Laski in May — the company's first acquisition under Musk. Workweek CEO Adam Ryan said the job posting feature was included in X's $1,000 per month "verified for organizations" package. 

The job listings might eventually connect with the work history and education data gathered. "We may collect and use your personal information (such as your employment history, educational history, employment preferences, skills and abilities, job search activity and engagement, and so on) to recommend potential jobs for you [and] to enable employers to find potential candidates," the policy states. However, it may also be used "to show you more relevant advertising." 

Biometric data is also relevant to Elon Musk's stated goal of ridding the site of inauthentic accounts. Gathering that data may draw attention from regulators, though. X is already facing a proposed class action suit for biometric data captured without consent, reportedly from every photograph containing a face that is uploaded to X, according to a suit seen by Bloomberg.

As it promised last week, Samsung has launched Food, a "personalized, AI-powered food and recipe" app in eight languages and 104 countries around the world. It draws on the food database of Whisk, an app Samsung acquired a few years back — and resembles a version of Whisk the company revealed last year. Given Samsung's large presence in kitchens with its smart fridges and other appliances, the release of a food and recipe app seems a logical step for the company.

The app allows users to search for recipes around the world, save them and make weekly eating plans. The company prepared over 160,000 recipes for launch, with that number set to increase down the road. Samsung Food can also be run on mobile phones and Samsung Family Hub smart appliances like refrigerators, while allowing users to manage ingredients, shopping, etc.

Samsung

Users can save recipes anytime, and the app analyzes them, standardizes the format and organizes them to create shopping lists based on the ingredients. It can also provide recipe recommendations based on available food items as managed by the user. It even has a "personalize recipe" function that uses the AI to alter recipes recipes and create vegan or vegetarian versions, for instance. "Users will even be able to create fusion recipes, such as Korean versions of Italian dishes, and adjust cook time or skill level of recipes," Samsung adds.

It uses AI to create recommendations for individualized daily meal plans based on dietary preferences and favorite cuisine types. Nutritional ingredient breakdowns can be viewed at any time, and users can add items to shopping lists and then send them straight to a retailer's e-commerce checkout. With connected cooking, it lets users preheat ovens, set timers and transfer cook settings to supported appliances via a step-by-step guided cooking mode. 

Last week, Samsung said it hoped to secure a million users for the app around the world. While there are numerous recipe apps out there (Mealtime, Paprika, Yummly etc.), Samsung may have an edge with the millions of its smart appliances sold — making it a known quantity to consumers. 

Samsung plans to add new features, like integration with Samsung Health to sync parameters like BMI and calorie consumption, while offering suggestions for diet management. The app will incorporate AI vision tech by 2024, allowing Samsung Food to recognize food items through the camera and provide details like nutrition information. Samsung Food is now available for download on Android and iOS. 

Sony has just split its small form-factor full-frame A7C series into two, effectively offering lower-cost versions of higher-end cameras — much as it did with the ZV-E1 vlogging camera. The new models are the 33-megapixel A7C II (based on the A7 IV), and the 61-megapixel A7C R, a mini-me version of the A7R V. Both are nearly as powerful as the larger versions and offer key ergonomic updates, but lack features that many pros find essential. 

Sony A7C R

We'll start with the A7C R, since it's an all-new model. It features a softer, grippier material along with a deeper handle. It also comes with an add-on grip that extends the length, giving you a place to put your pinky finger — a nice addition that unfortunately also makes the camera less compact. 

Sony

Still, those are key improvements that address ergonomic issues I've noticed on past Sony models — particularly when using them for a long day of shooting. Sony also added a front dial so you can more easily adjust aperture/shutter speed/exposure compensation, along with a dedicated video/photo/S&Q dial. And of course, the A7C R weighs just 515 grams (18.2 ounces) compared to the A7R V's 723 grams (25.5 ounces) and is nearly half the size. That makes it a better choice for street photography and more. 

It has a flip-out one-million dot display and 2.36-million dot OLED electronic viewfinder with slightly improved .70X magnification over the A7C II. It also offers full in-body stabilization with 7.0 stops of compensation (depending on the lens) — a nice feature in such a small camera. Other features include mic/headphone ports, USB-C 3.2, a micro HDMI connector a and single UHS-II card slot. The latter feature is a show-stopper for many pros, as there's no backup for potentially priceless photos. 

Sony

In terms of photo specs, it's close to the A7R V with a few notable differences. You can shoot 61-megapixel RAW images at up to 8fps, compared to 10fps on the A7R V. The A7C R has a smaller buffer, though, and the single lower-speed SD UHS-II card slot (the A7R V has dual high-speed CFexpress Type A and SD UHS II slots), so you won't be able to capture nearly as many photos in a burst. Like the A7R V, the A7C R has 693 autofocus points and 79 percent coverage. It uses the same processor, so should offer roughly the same AF performance in terms of burst shooting, AI tracking and more.

Most importantly, you can expect identical image quality to the A7R V. As I said in my review of the latter, with the very high resolution and the lack of an anti-aliasing filter, only Hasselblad and Fuji’s 100-megapixel medium format cameras offer greater detail. It also offers Sony’s Pixel Shift Multi-Shot that can quadruple resolution to 240.8 megapixels.

Sony

The A7C R can't shoot 8K video like the A7R V, likely due to heating issues with the smaller body. However, it still offers 4K 60p full-frame video (with pixel binning) and 6.2K oversampled 1.5x cropped 4K 60p video. It comes with S-Log3, S-Cinetone and S-gamut3 Cine, records 10-bit 4:2:2 sampled video and can shoot at up to 120 fps in 1080p mode. Data rates top out at 600Mbps in XAVC S-I 4K mode, but you'll need a (pricey) V90 SD card to shoot that. 

That takes us to a very important consideration: the price. The A7C R costs $3,000, or a full $900 less than the A7R V — something that will give many buyers extreme pause. It arrives in fall of 2023. 

Sony A7C II

As mentioned, the A7C II has the same 33-megapixel sensor and many of the same specs as the A7 IV. In terms of the body and handling, the form factor and weight are identical to the A7C R — so you get the same extra dial, updated grip, improved EVF and other previously-mentioned features. Unlike the A7C R, though, it doesn't come with the add-on grip extension in the box.

Shooting speeds are a bit faster at 10 fps in mechanical or electronic shutter mode. By the way, neither the A7C II or A7C R have full mechanical shutters, but use electronic first curtain shutters. This can create bokeh issues when using lenses with very fast apertures, but otherwise isn't noticeable. 

Sony

What's interesting about the A7C II is that autofocus is superior to the A7 IV because it has the same dedicated AI processing unit as the A7C R (and A7R V) that's missing on the A7 IV. That means you can expect improved subject detection, tracking and other features compared to the A7 IV. When compared to the A7C, though, Sony promises a 40 percent improvement for animal and bird AF tracking, 60 percent for eye AF and 20 percent for auto exposure tracking. 

Again, image quality should be the same as the A7 IV. That latter delivers sharper photos than the A7 III thanks to the extra resolution, but offers superior low-light capability despite the smaller pixels. A downside to the A7 IV is rolling shutter, so expect the same issue on the A7C II. 

Sony

In terms of video, the A7C II is actually a better option than the A7C R. It offers sharp full-frame 4K 30p video with 7K oversampling, or 4K 60p with a 1.5x crop. You get 10-bit 4:2:2 color sampling with S-Log3 and S-Cinetone, with LUTs available in camera. 

The Sony A7C II is available in silver and black, and arrives this fall for $2,200. That price is a significant $300 less than the A7 IV and it's actually a better camera in some ways — provided the lack of a second card slot doesn't bother you. 

When TCL first unveiled NXTPAPER, it said that it was designed for tablets and e-readers — not smartphones. You can disregard that comment now, because the company just unveiled its first smartphone using that very display tech. The TCL 40 NXTPAPER models are budget-oriented devices that promise "industry-leading eye comfort" with mid- to low-range specs. 

TCL has described NXTPAPER as a "combination of screen and paper," noting that it offers 25 percent more contrast than typical E Ink displays, while being 65 percent more power efficient. Its latest version delivers up to 500 nits of brightness, and supposedly exceeds TÜV-certified levels of blue light reduction. TCL says the tech can help protect your eye health while maintaining color accuracy and avoiding screen yellowing. The screen's color temperature will adjust automatically based on the time and environment, too. 

Despite sharing a name, the TCL 40 NXTPAPER and TCL 40 NXTPAPER 5G have different designs and specs. The former comes with a 6.78-inch FHD+ NXTPAPER display and has a punch hole 32-megapixel (MP) front camera, along with a 50MP rear camera. It has a middling MediaTek Helio G88 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, expandable via a microSD card. Connectivity is limited to 4G, and it will cost €199 ($215) when it goes on sale in Europe in September 2023. 

The TCL 40 NXTPAPER 5G, as the name suggests, offers 5G connectivity, but other specs are oddly downgraded. It's got a smaller 6.5-inch HD+ (720 x 1,612) notch-type display, with an 8MP front camera and 50MP rear camera. It uses MediaTek's MT6833v processor (because it has 5G radios) and offers 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage (also expandable). It'll go on sale in Europe in October for €249 ($269). Both models will release globally later in 2023.

Specs aside, the NXTPAPER display is the differentiating feature for these smartphones. Each has a 5,000mAh hour, and given the power-efficiency claims, should go for a long while on a charge. It remains to be seen if the screen will deliver a solid smartphone experience, however.