How do you stand out as a new tech company when the dominant players have huge budgets, thousands of employees and decades of product R&D? That is Nothing’s challenge, and its first product, a pair of true wireless earbuds, makes a pitch for a simplified kind of tech, designed to stand out from the likes of Apple AirPods, Samsung Galaxy Buds and their myriad clones.

Design appears to be very important to Nothing, which has already published several blog posts dedicated to its philosophy and direction — and that’s before the company even launched anything. This is the result. The $100 Ear 1 buds feature active noise cancellation, touch controls, a wireless charging case and a particularly eye-catching see-through design, coming to the US mid-August.

This transparency — a design choice that I love — seemingly resonates with Nothing’s mission to make technology less obvious and more seamless. It makes a statement.

Engadget, Mat Smith

This styling extends to the charging case, which reminds me a lot of Apple’s old wired headphones that used to come packaged with iPhones. They also came in a half-transparent case. Nothing’s Ear 1 case is predictably more complex. The see-through shell has three indented bubbles that keep the buds in place. There’s a red dot both on the right headphone and its socket inside the charger.

Like most wireless earbuds, tiny magnets pull the buds into place, but this time they’re visible. Nothing apparently had to find suppliers to make sure its transparent design would work. The company needed glue that was either invisible or at least more aesthetically pleasing, and according to a spokesperson, these tiny, polished magnets were apparently hard to come by.

So yes, the Ear 1 is all about attention to detail. The case shuts with a satisfying thud, and the snippets of text across the hardware and even the companion app pay homage to retro technology — or perhaps computer interfaces on Alien. These feel like a tribute to see-through tech we’ve seen in the decades past. You might immediately think of those see-through Game Boys from the early ‘90s, but also Apple’s early 2000s eMac all-in-one PC, with transparent casing laid onto white and metal.

Surprisingly, the price is reasonable. These are sub-$100 earbuds, which would put them up against Beats’ latest truly wireless buds and make them cheaper than Apple’s entry-level AirPods. What do you get at this price, though?

While I haven’t had enough time to fully scrutinize sound quality, the Ear 1s sound decent, although there’s no spatial audio functionality which isn’t great for new headphones in 2021. Teenage Engineering, which worked with Nothing on these buds, was responsible for tuning the headphones. The sound is generally clear, but seems to lean toward the mid-range frequencies rather than treble and bass, though you can adjust the equalizer to ramp up either of those levels.

At this price, they predictably don’t stack up against more expensive earbuds like Sony’s WF-1000XM4 ANC buds or Apple's AirPods Pro. But, perhaps thanks to the silicone tips, they definitely sound better than the original AirPods. The Ear 1s are plenty loud, too.

Each bud weighs under five grams, making them lighter than those more expensive options, while still packing active noise cancellation — something Google’s similarly priced Pixel Buds A lack. After several months using the AirPods Pro, Nothing’s debut earbuds definitely feel more comfortable to me.

Despite the lightness, Nothing claims you should get four hours of listening with ANC on, and up to 5.7 hours (340 minutes) with ANC off. The case — which is wider but slimmer than most charging cases — can add up to a total of 34 hours of listening. There’s some fast-charge tech, too: After 10 minutes in the case you can get about another hour of listening time.

The case can be charged through USB-C or Qi wireless charging — another notable addition at this price. The earbuds are also rated IPX4 for sweat and dust resistance, so they can handle workouts that don’t involve too much rain or perspiration. There are touch controls on both buds, and you can slide your finger up and down the stem for volume control, while a single tap will play/pause and a triple tap will skip a track.

Nothing’s buds are compatible with both Android and iOS devices, and you don’t gain or lose anything depending on which mobile OS you prefer. That is, apart from fast pairing, which is coming to Android devices but isn’t yet enabled at the time of writing.

As much as I love the aesthetics of the Ear 1, my first impressions of these earbuds weren’t great. When trying to connect to my iPhone, pairing was a struggle. Once the buds were eventually connected to my phone, Nothing’s headphone app said that the fully charged case was empty — or not even detect it at all. Similar chaos ensued when I tried to shift pairing to my PC and Android phone. Bluetooth connections can be messy — this just seemed like a messier than it should be. The case itself seems to have its own Bluetooth profile, separate from the buds. That might be what makes pairing the headphones so frustrating.

Nothing’s companion app not only offers a different way to switch between noise cancellation modes, but also a way to reassign touch controls on the Ear 1. It’s a refreshing, uncomplicated app. Having wrestled with other headphone apps from Sony and the rest, though some audiophiles might find it a little restrictive.

There are four equalizer presets: balanced, more treble, more bass and voice. However, you can’t adjust the equalizer manually. The Ear 1 does offer a little more flexibility with noise cancellation with light and maximum settings you don’t often see on earbuds.

The Ear 1 has three high-definition mics for voice calls, with Nothing’s own “clear voice technology,” which utilizes algorithms that apparently help isolate and amplify your voice on calls. It should also help cut out wind noise.

I had a mixed experience with the Ear 1 for phone and video calls. With my handset, the three built-in mics coped with the noise of coffee shops and busy streets fine — in fact the people I talked to said my voice sounded particularly clear. When pairing with my Mac, however, audio quality seemed notably worse than other wireless buds and even the MacBook’s built-in mic.

The Ear 1 buds are an impressive debut device. Nothing’s first product launch is all about selling you on its cool — the company offered a limited run of hardware on StockX that seemed plainly targeted at Hypebeasts and early adopters. The design is compelling, and even the specifications are impressive at this price point. Nothing needs to improve on connectivity hiccups and sound quality if it wants to be mentioned in the same tier as Apple, Samsung and Sony, but it’s a bold start.

If you have an older Amazon Kindle with 3G internet, take note that you may not be able to wirelessly access and download new content anymore starting in December. As The Verge reports, Amazon has sent out emails to owners with old Kindles, telling them that previous-generation devices will lose internet access after mobile operators transition from 2G and 3G networks to 4G and 5G.

The e-commerce giant listed the particular devices that will be affected by the switch in its FAQ page. It noted that the first- and second-generation Kindles, as well as the Kindle DX, won't be able to connect to the internet at all since they don't have WiFi connectivity to fall back on. The other devices in the list are the Kindle Keyboard (3rd Generation), Kindle Touch (4th Generation), Kindle Paperwhite (5th, 6th and 7th Generation), Kindle Voyage (7th Generation) and Kindle Oasis (8th Generation), all of which have WiFi connection.

You'll still be able to access your books on an older device and can do wired transfers if you want, though. And if you have a newer 4G or WiFi-only Kindle, you won't be affected at all. In its email, Amazon included a code customers can use to get $50 off a new Kindle Paperwhite or Oasis, along with $15 in eBook credits. You may want to check your inbox to see if you got the company's notice in case you've been looking to upgrade anyway.

The curse of buying new tech at the wrong time will get us all. In the last year, I’ve seen fellow Engadget employees buy a Nintendo Switch just before the OLED model broke cover, take the plunge with the iPhone SE just before the iPhone 12 mini was unveiled and make several more shopping missteps. Now, I might have done the same.

I picked up Sony’s vlogging camera, the ZV-1, earlier this month. I was looking for an agile video setup for the occasional time I have to record footage at Engadget without a skilled member of our video team. It’s very easy to make it work, with great face tracking capabilities and even a product showcase mode that helps me really show off whatever gadget I’m handling and I was happy with it. 

For a couple of weeks.

Sony

Then I heard the rumors that Sony was about to expand its vlogging camera family, and my heart sank. Here it is, then. The ZV E-10, a new vlogging camera that fuses the tiny frame of the ZV-1 with interchangeable lenses. 

The two major improvements seem to be a larger 24-megapixel sensor and an interchangeable mirrorless mount. The latter means you can use one of the 60-plus E-mount lenses, while that larger sensor should offer improved light sensitivity and a shallower depth of field. The ZV-E10 will launch by the end of August and will cost $700 for the body or $800 in a bundle with one of Sony's power zoom lens. The price is roughly level with how much I paid for the ZV-1 earlier this month. It’s probably too late to ask for a refund, right? 

— Mat Smith

iPhone sales were up 50 percent year over year

Another record-breaking quarter for Apple.

Despite the pandemic, Apple has spent most of the last two years relentlessly upgrading its product lineup, and its moves are definitely paying off. During its fiscal year third quarter, all of its product segments (the iPhone, Mac, iPad, services and wearables/home/accessories) increased in revenue year over year, leading to total revenue of $81.4 billion. iPhone revenue of $39.6 billion made up almost half of that figure, likely thanks to an unusual four devices making up the iPhone 12 lineup. Continue reading.

Tesla pushes back Semi truck release to 2022

The company delayed its launch due to battery cell shortage and supply chain issues.

Tesla

Tesla has revealed during its most recent earnings call that it has pushed back the truck's arrival — yet again — to 2022, three years after its original launch target in 2019. Last year, the company announced it had to delay the vehicle's release to 2021 but didn't elaborate on why. Now, the company has told shareholders the delay is due to the limited availability of battery cells and global supply chain challenges. Continue reading.

Nothing's Ear 1 wireless earbuds arrive on August 17th

A limited-edition online drop will take place on July 31st.

Nothing

The new hardware startup from the co-founder of OnePlus is almost ready to show off its first product — and I hope you like wireless earbuds. Taking a leaf out of Carl Pei’s former company, the dripfeed for Nothing’s Ear 1 hasn’t left much to reveal, although we’ve gleaned an eventual US launch date, mid-August, and some battery estimates. Rumor has it, we’ll have some first-hand impressions on these see-thru wireless buds very soon. Stay tuned. Continue reading.

Activision Blizzard employees walk out today after harassment lawsuit response

They're demanding the company improve working conditions.

After sharing an open letter decrying the company's "abhorrent and insulting" response to a harassment lawsuit from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), Activision Blizzard employees plan to hold a walkout.

According to Kotaku, at least 50 employees will protest the company's recent actions in person and call on it to improve working conditions for women by at least temporarily leaving their posts today. In the open letter, the employees call on Activision Blizzard to end the use of forced arbitration for all current and future employees, adopt new hiring policies designed to increase representation across the company, publish transparency data on compensation and hire a third-party firm to conduct a review of the studio's HR department and executive staff. Continue reading.

But wait, there’s more...

'The Simpsons' gets a home arcade cabinet for its 30th birthday

Discord finally adds threaded messaging

Microsoft's profits skyrocketed by 47 percent in Q4

Waze will warn you about traffic jams and detours before you drive

Netflix turned a Twitter account into an animated show

Google parent Alphabet made a whopping $61.9 billion last quarter

Facebook recalls Quest 2 foam inserts over skin irritation issues

US government sells 'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli's one-off Wu-Tang Clan album

AZIO's colorful IZO collection looks great (and that's about it)

Rumors swirled last week that LG would start selling iPhones in some of its South Korean stores, since it has stopped producing its own smartphones,. Now, LG has confirmed that it will start selling iPhones and other Apple products next month, ZDNet has reported. 

LG and Samsung agreed in 2018 to only sell their own smartphones at their respective stores so they wouldn't compete with smaller phone distributors. As such, when LG started to consider selling iPhones, it reportedly faced resistance from a smartphone reseller trade organization. Now that it has stopped making its own phones, however, that group has reportedly signed a new contract that allows LG to sell phones from other manufacturers. 

On top of selling iPhones starting next month, LG will reportedly sell the Watch and other Apple products. The company has 400 stores in South Korea, so the move could provide a significant boost to Apple. It could be to the detriment of Apple's arch-rival Samsung, though, which has essentially had the local smartphone market to itself since LG dropped out. 

Apple supposedly started negotiating with LG to sell phones in its retail spaces after the Korean company announced it would end production of its own devices. Both Samsung and Apple have been offering to pay LG smartphone owners up to 150,000 won ($135) to trade in their phones. 

Ahead of its upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung has published a blog post by its president TM Roh that basically tells us what it plans to announce next month. In addition to a new Galaxy Watch powered by Wear OS, the company will be launching the third generation of its Galaxy Z series and "the first-ever S Pen designed specifically for foldable phones."

A stylus made for the pliable screens on foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Z Flip has been a widely requested feature, and would make the larger, opened up displays more useful. Of course, Samsung shared little else about this S Pen besides the fact that it's coming, so there are plenty of unknowns at the moment. How will it avoid damaging the softer, flexible screen? How precise will the stylus be? What size is its nib, what is its pressure sensitivity and will there be the foldables have onboard slots to house it? Will it have Bluetooth support for remote control actions? Clearly, these are things we'll have to wait till Unpacked on August 11th to learn about.

Roh also confirmed that Samsung will not be launching a new Note handset at the event, saying that "Instead of unveiling a new Galaxy Note this time around, we will further broaden beloved Note features to more Samsung Galaxy devices."

Chris Velazco / Engadget

As for the third generation of the Galaxy Z phones we'll be seeing at the event, Roh said the company has "lined up even more partner apps that make the most of the versatile fold-out format." We can expect "hands-free optimized video calling with Google Duo and watching videos in Flex mode on YouTube," as well as "multitasking in Microsoft Teams." 

Specifically, too, the next Galaxy Z Flip will have "an even more refined style" and "more durable, stronger materials," while the upcoming Z Fold will "combine the very best that smartphones and tablets offer and [deliver] completely new ways of working, connecting and creating."

The language is unsurprisingly vague, as Samsung can't give away all the details ahead of Unpacked. But it clearly also wants people to be excited — excited enough that they might be temped to reserve one of the new Z series devices already. If you choose to go through the company's Reserve Now program, you can trade in up to two devices, including phones, tablets and wearables, towards a new Galaxy product. I'd recommend till we learn more about what's coming on August 11th before doing that, and you can join us on Engadget's YouTube channel to watch Unpacked live. We'll be kicking things off with a pre-show at 9:40am ET and answer your questions in a post-show after Samsung wraps. 

Exactly one week after the release of iOS 14.7, Apple has pushed out a new update to iPhone and iPad owners. Coming in at approximately 900MB, iOS 14.7.1 doesn't include new features but does address a bug that made its way into 14.7. The glitch broke Apple's Unlock with iPhone integration, preventing Touch ID-equipped phones from unlocking Apple Watch devices. So if you use an older iPhone with your Apple wearable, you'll want to download the update as soon as possible.

Apple says iOS 14.7.1 also addresses a security vulnerability that someone may have exploited. In a support document spotted by 9to5Mac, the company notes the oversight had allowed an application to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. Apple's latest macOS software, which you can also download today, addresses that same issue with the release of Big Sur 11.5.1. As usual, the company says the updates are "recommended for all users."

If you don't see a prompt to download iOS 14.7.1 on your iPhone or iPad, you can manually check for the software by opening the Settings app on your device, tapping "General" and then "Software Update." On macOS, meanwhile, open the System Preferences menu and then click on "Software Update."

If you've been on the hunt for a capable Android phone that won't break the bank, there's a solid deal over at Woot that's worth checking out. Google's Pixel 4 is on sale for $380, down from the usual $800 for the 64GB model. It's the lowest price we've seen for the smartphone in quite some time. Woot's parent company Amazon and B&H Photo were both selling the Pixel 4 for $400 earlier this month.

Buy Pixel 4 (64GB) at Woot - $380

As you might expect from a Google smartphone, the Pixel 4 has great cameras. It has a "smooth" display system that can boost the refresh rate from the typical 60Hz to 90Hz. The device will also support Android 12 and it's quick enough for most use cases.

Overall, the Pixel 4 might be better value than the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 right now. The Pixel 4a, meanwhile, costs $350 and arrived a year after the Pixel 4, but Google downgraded some of the specs — the display only has a 60Hz refresh rate and there's just a single rear camera, rather than two.

There are a few provisos to bear in mind with the Pixel 4. Google will provide Android and security updates for the Pixel 4 until October 2022, but there's no guarantee it will continue to do so after that time. Phone and online support might not be available after then either. Meanwhile, the device's screen brightness and battery life don't quite match up to equivalent flagships from Apple and Samsung.

It's worth noting Woot's return policy is more limited than that of Amazon. You can send back most goods within 30 days and Woot will reduce the refund amount by the cost of return shipping (as long as the product isn't defective or damaged). So, if you do snap up a Pixel 4 while it's on sale, it's probably best to decide quickly if you want to hang onto it.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Samsung has just announced what feels like itszilliontheventthisyear. But at least this one's something we were expecting. The company just sent out invites to Galaxy Unpacked for August 11th at 10am ET, and the event will be held online only. 

In years past, Samsung's hosted August launches for its Note series of high-powered phones. This time, though, multiple reports have indicated that there won't be a new Note. That's become a more likely possibility now, after the company brought Pen support to its Galaxy S21 flagships this year. The stylus has been a hallmark of the Note line since its conception and has distinguished the series from its S-branded siblings. 

Samsung

Instead of a new Note, it's more likely we'll see new foldable phones like follow-ups to the Z Flip and Z Fold 2 based on the invite. Samsung showed off more flexible screen concepts in May, and though it might be awhile till we see those designs in a real product, the company is clearly continuing to work on the technology. Samsung also confirmed that it will be launching a new Galaxy Watch at this Unpacked, and the device will run a version of Wear OS that it co-engineered with Google. There's also a good chance Samsung will debut new earbuds since the "Galaxy Buds 2" has leakedtwice this month.

We'll be streaming Samsung's event live on our YouTube channel, where we'll host a pre-show and a Q&A after the company is done. Come join us to watch the launch together live and get your questions answered as quickly as possible. 

It's taken the better part of half a decade, but the Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol finally has a path to ubiquity in the US. Following similar announcements from T-Mobile and AT&T earlier in the year, Verizon (Engadget's parent company) said today it's working with Google to bring the next-generation SMS replacement to all of its customers.

By the end of the year, existing Verizon subscribers who use the carrier's Message+ app will get full access to the RCS suite, including real-time typing indicators and read receipts. Then, starting next year, all of the company's phones will come with the Messages by Google app preinstalled. Once that happens, RCS perks like end-to-end encryption for one-on-one conversations and the ability to send full-resolution photos will be an app away.

To say today's announcement is a significant milestone for Google would be an understatement. The company has been pushing RCS for years, and at times it seemed like the project was fated to languish like so many of Google's past mobile messaging efforts. Due to the need for carrier buy-in, the protocol didn't "just work" like iMessage, at least not initially. 

In the early years, even if you went out of your way to download Google Messages, there was no guarantee you would get any of its promised benefits. That's because, more often than not, it was likely the person you were texting didn't have an RCS-capable app installed on their phone, nor were they with a carrier that was onboard with the platform. That meant most Android chats defaulted to SMS. With Google Messages now the default on most new Android phones in the US, that's a situation that should be the exception, not the norm. Today's announcement also leaves Apple in an odd position. Once an innovator in the space, the company is now on the outside looking in at a more broadly adopted ecosystem.

If you weren't able to snag an e-reader last month during Prime Day, Amazon has a standalone sale on its base Kindle and Paperwhite models that could get you onboard for almost the same price. The biggest discount is on the Kindle Paperwhite (ad-supported), Amazon's waterproof e-reader with a better-contrast display. You can now pick up the 8GB model for $85 (35 percent off the regular $130 price), or $105 for the 32GB model, a savings of $55 or 34 percent. 

Buy Kindle Paperwhite 8GB at Amazon - $85Buy Kindle Paperwhite 32GB at Amazon - $105

The latest Paperwhite is waterproof with an IPX8 rating, so it can tolerate being immersed in up to two meters of water for as long as an hour — making bathtub or beach reading stress free. We also noted in our review that it has a better-contrast display than previous models and offers both Audible and Bluetooth support. The drawbacks are the lack of MP3 and text-to-speech support, along with a high price — but this sale takes some sting off the latter. 

Engadget

If it's a standard Kindle you're after (above), we have good news there, too. The regular ad-supported model is on sale for $60, a discount of $30 from the regular $90 price. If you need one for the younger set, you can pick up the Kindle Kids Edition for $70, for a savings of 36 percent or $40. 

Buy Kindle at Amazon - $60Buy Kindle Kids Edition at Amazon - $70

The latest Kindle models offer a lot for that price, including an LED-lit screen, weeks of reading time and a touch interface. The Kids Edition adds some perks, like one of four colorful cases, a two-year worry-free guarantee and a year of complimentary access to the company's FreeTime Unlimited service. 

Unlike the Paperwhite, the Kindle isn't water-resistant and offers a lower-density 167ppi (rather than 300ppi) display. If you're not fussy about those things, however, you can put the extra money saved toward your library of books. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.