Starting today, everyone with a compatible iPhone can update their device to iOS 14.7. The latest public release of the firmware adds a few useful but relatively minor features, such as support for the new MagSafe Battery Pack on iPhone 12. There's an option to merge two Apple Cards into a co-owned account with a combined credit limit.
The Home app now has a way to manage HomePod timers, while users in Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, South Korea and Spain will now see air quality info in Weather and Maps. On the audio front, there's a filter in the Podcasts library that allows you to see all shows or only the ones you follow. You can update your iPhone to iOS 14.7 by opening the Settings app, tapping General and then Software Update.
Elsewhere, tvOS 14.7 is now available, bringing general performance and stability boosts to Apple TV. Apple Watch users in 30 more countries can now use the ECG app after Apple released watchOS 7.6.
When Google introduced a new TV overlay last year, it promised to bring a modern interface to Chromecast and subsequently launched devices. It also caused a lot of confusion over what would happen to the Android TV operating system, which powers hundreds of models of streaming sticks, TV sets and more. Those older devices didn't get the new Google TV interface, but the company did begin to roll out some updates that made Android TV look more similar to the new layout, including a refreshed appearance and a Discover tab. Today, Google is adding new tools to Android TV to make it feel more like Google TV: Watchlist, recommendation tuning and detail pages.
With this update, you can now add titles to your watchlist across the Android TV system, either by long-pressing on your selection and hitting "Add to Watchlist" or pressing the Watchlist option in the show's detail page. You can also add to the list from your phone or laptop via Google Search or in the TV app. Your saved items will appear in a row on the Discover tab.
The company also tweaked the detail pages of each show by adding trailers that autoplay when you dive deeper into each title, similar to how services like Netflix are set up. You can turn these off in the Settings (under Home Screen in Device Preferences by deactivating "Enable video previews").
Google
You'll also find a new way to tell Google what shows you like (and hate) in the Home Screen settings — look for Content Preferences and scroll through the titles that show up. Additionally, there's a card in the Discover tab that says "Improve your recommendations" that will let you tune your preferences too, and you can choose between "More like this" or "Less like this" for each show. Once you're done, the system will update its suggestions for you in the Discover page.
Those already using a Chromecast with Google TV will find these features familiar, and those with older Android TV devices don't have to wait long to get them. Google said the updates will arrive on Android TV devices "beginning this week."
The little things can get you when you’re in college. You arrive on campus, fresh and ready to go, but before you know it, you’re a few weeks into the new semester and you have a long list of small things you forgot to pack and need to buy ASAP. We at Engadget also know from experience that there are unassuming gadgets that can make your collegiate life easier. To help you get ahead of the game, we’ve compiled the best school gadgets under $50 so you can buy the most crucial ones before you even step on campus.
Anker PowerExtend Cube USB-C power strip
Basic, two-receptacle wall outlets just don’t cut it anymore now that we all have a small army of devices that we rely on every day. A power strip like Anker’s PowerExtend will become a necessity for students as it gives them more power options than what comes standard in their dorm rooms. This cube has two USB-A ports, one 30W USB-C port and three AC outlets, giving you more ways to keep your laptop, phone, tablet, headphones and other devices charged up. The five-foot cable is another perk as it prevents you from needing to hug the wall of the library in order to get things done. Also, it weighs just 9.2 ounces so you can bring it with you whenever you need your own personal charging station.
Staying organized is key to staying sane while in school, and that’s true for both your digital and physical essentials. For the latter, Incase’s Bionic Accessory Organizer is just the right size to act as both a pencil case and an “everything else” holder. It has a number of pen loops inside for those that prefer to take handwritten notes, but it also has a bunch of variously sized pockets that can easily hold things like your portable hard drive, an extra phone charger and even a compact wireless mouse. And unlike those cheap pencil cases you’ll find at the dollar store, this one’s made of ocean-recycled material that’s the equivalent of seven plastic bottles.
Your brand new laptop might be blazing fast and super light, but it’s probably lacking in the port department. Such is the trade-off companies make when creating powerful thin-and-light machines, leaving us stuck living the dongle life. But it doesn’t have to be so painful if you get the right adapter for your laptop. Lention’s 4-in-1 USB-C hub is a great option for students. It’s compact, measuring 3 x 1.4 inches, and it includes three USB-A ports and one USB-C port. That should let you connect accessories like mice and keyboards, and even access files on a thumb drive when you’re working on a group project. The USB-C port is charging only, but that’s not necessarily a downside — you can use it with your laptop’s power adapter and USB-C cable to power your machine while using the adapter at the same time.
Anker PowerLine II USB-C to Lightning cable (10-foot)
As a student, there’s nothing worse than realizing your iPhone is down to 2 percent battery when you’re in the middle of submitting an assignment online. The charging cable that came with your phone has probably served you well, but having a second, longer cable can allow you to power up in dire situations even when the closest outlet is across the room. We’ve been fans of Anker’s Powerline series for a long time, and this 10-foot USB-C to Lightning cable is worth investing in. Not only is it MFi-certified so it will work well with all Apple devices, but its length gives you much more flexibility than your standard three-foot cable does. It also supports fast charging if you have an appropriately powerful adapter to use it with. And for those who don’t have iPhones, Anker has a 10-foot USB-C to C cable that should serve your handsets well, too.
We’re all familiar with the icy cold panic that rushes through us when you realize you’ve misplaced your keys, wallet, phone or other valuables. There are plenty of gadgets that can help you find those items, but AirTags are arguably the best for those who live in Apple’s ecosystem. Like most Apple accessories, setting up AirTags is as easy as placing them in close proximity to your iPhone and figuring out how you want to attach them to your belongings (and you don’t have to shell out a lot of money for fancy keyrings to do so). After that, if you do lose your stuff, you can use your phone to force the AirTag to emit a loud chime. And if you’re still within Bluetooth range, Apple’s Precision Finding feature can literally guide you back to your belongings. If you don’t have an iPhone, you can skip the AirTags and opt for one of Tile’s many Bluetooth trackers to get a similar experience.
While you may be used to saving your assignments in the cloud, it can’t hurt to have local copies as backups. SanDisk’s Dual Drive Go is a tiny thumb drive with both USB-C and USB-A connectors, so you can download and save important programs, files, photos and other documents from almost any device. It works with laptops, tablets and smartphones, and it even has a companion app that can automatically backup your files so you always have the most up-to-date version on hand. We appreciate the dual USB connectivity, the device’s tiny size and it’s affordable price — you can grab a 256GB model for only $30 to $40.
The Echo Dot is Amazon’s most popular smart speaker for a reason — it’s small, it sounds pretty good for its size and it does a lot more than just play music. Students will like the fact that it doesn’t take up too much space on their desks and they can ask Alexa to play music from Spotify, Apple Music and others whenever they want to have an impromptu dorm-room dance party. And since it plugs into a wall outlet, they never have to remember to charge the Echo Dot like they would with a portable speaker. Also, when an assignment stumps them, students can consult Alexa for help. Are we suggesting they ask Alexa for the answers to all their homework conundrums? Not exactly... but the voice assistant’s answers could give them a good starting point for further research.
Whether you’re studying, attending a virtual class or watching a movie, it’s crucial to have your device of choice at a comfortable viewing angle. Anozer’s phone and tablet stand is a sturdy yet unassuming solution — it’s height- and angle-adjustable, its metal-weighted base with rubber feet helps it stay in place, and it can be folded flat so it’s easily portable. We also appreciate its silicone covered pad and rubber hooks that keep your phone or tablet from slipping and sliding around. It’s a must-have for anyone that primarily uses mobile devices to complete their schoolwork.
Sleep can be hard to come by in college. Sometimes you may have to cram late into the night to prepare for an exam, but other times you’ll be subjected to the whims of others as they galavant around your dorm room as if classes and projects simply don’t exist. When you need to shut out the world in the hopes of catching a few ZZZs, Manta’s sleep mask could be a lifesaver. We like its adjustable eye cups that block out nearly 100 percent of light, limiting any visual distractions around you. The headband is adjustable as well, you can tighten or loosen the mask to your liking. And if it becomes indispensable to you, Manta sells different types of eye cups that you can switch out when you want relief from migraines or a bit more TLC for your skin. We also recommend completing the “do not disturb” bundle with a good pair of earplugs that block out audible annoyances when you’re trying to sleep.
It goes without saying that a portable way to recharge your phone is essential nowadays. But a battery pack that’s capable of charging all of your devices, including your laptop, is even better. RAVPower’s 20,000mAh portable charger does just this — it’s 60W output allows it to juice up machines like a MacBook Pro from 0 to 60 percent in just one hour. And if you’ve got your laptop covered, it can power your tablet, smartphone, headphones and other gadgets quickly as well. Just before publishing this article, RAVPower’s charger went up in price to $54, but even if it’s a bit more expensive than our original threshold, we still think it’s worth the investment.
Dorm rooms can be insufferably hot throughout the school year, and there are few things worse than sweating when you’re trying to study. A gadget to help circulate air is a necessity and this USB desk fan is small and quiet enough to work in almost any environment. It doesn’t take up much space on a desk and its nearly 4-foot-long cable makes it easy to plug into a power source — probably your laptop since it’s likely to be close by while studying, but it could also be a USB adapter connected to an AC outlet or even a portable battery pack. The fan also has three speeds and the head can be angled to direct air at your face or anywhere else you want it.
The environmental reasons for carrying a reusable water bottle are clear, and hydration is important for everyone — not only students. Brita’s is a good option because it’s made of BPA-free plastic, comes in 26-ounce and 36-ounce capacities, has a leak-proof lid and uses a filter straw to make the water you drink from it just like the water you’d get from a larger Brita container. And no, you won’t have to spend too much on replaceable filters either. The company recommends changing your bottle’s filter every two months, and a pack of three filters will run you only about $12.
Now's a good time to snag an iPad Air as the latest models are down to record lows. Amazon is offering discounts on the full suite of Apple's svelte tablets including pricier cellular models with ample storage. Prices start from $500 for the 64GB iPad Air in space grey and green, an all-time low and $99 less than normal. For more storage, the 256GB model is currently $639 in rose gold, down from $749, another record low — while additional colors have dropped to $650.
WiFi will suit most, but for those who want to use it on the go, Apple's cellular iPads are down to $629 for the 64GB model (normally $729) and $780 for 256GB, typically $879. In terms of connectivity, you should notice quicker downloads straight off the bat, thanks to the jump to WiFi 6 (802.11ax), with 60 percent faster LTE speeds on cellular models.
The Air remains our top rated of Apple's tablets, with its 90 score slightly edging out the more powerful iPad Pro's 87 rating. Aside from the latter's M1 chip, 120Hz display and multi-camera setup, there's not much to separate the two devices.
Apple also just released the iPadOS 15 beta as a taster of the software improvements to come. Like the iPhone before it, the update brings widgets to the home screen, along with a persistent note-taking feature, a new Safari design and multitasking perks.
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Add another major voice to the chorus of those claiming the next iPhone could have an always-on display. As 9to5Macnotes, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman used his weekly "Power On" newsletter to say the 2021 iPhone will potentially have an "Apple Watch-like" always-on display with better battery life in addition to a 120Hz refresh rate, a smaller screen notch, an A15 chip and video recording upgrades.
Gurman didn't outline the always-on screen functionality. However, a past leak from Max Weinbach suggested Apple would use an LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) panel that, like on the Apple Watch and a few Android phones, could drop to extremely low refresh rates to offer persistent information without a large hit to battery life. You might see some notifications, battery life and the clock without having to wake up your phone.
The writer also used his newsletter to narrow the time frame for a long-rumored MacBook Pro redesign. He now expects Apple to start mass production of the mini LED-equipped laptops in the third quarter of 2021 (aka this summer) with a launch between September and November. That's still somewhat vague, but it does suggest you won't have to wait until next year (or watch for a surprise early announcement).
The new MacBook Pros are rumored to have a 'flat' design like the new iMac (minus the colors) while using a more powerful take on Apple's M1 chip that could support up to 64GB of RAM and more ports. Mini LEDs could deliver a screen that offers high contrast ratios and brightness while keeping battery life in check.
Amazon kicked off this week with a sale on its kids-focused tablets, speakers and other devices. Parents looking to replace old slabs or gift their kids new ones can still get Fire Kids Pro tablets for less, including the new Fire HD 10 Kids Pro for $130. Also, the base Mac Mini M1 remains discounted to $600 and the well-loved Google Pixel 4 smartphone is still half off at B&H Photo, coming in at $400. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Apple's Mac Mini M1 is down to $600 thanks to an automatically applied coupon that knocks $59 off the sale price. In addition to the M1 chipset, you're also getting 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in this model. If you've wanted to upgrade your aging desktop to something more modern and powerful, this is a good option.
The pink model of Apple's AirPods Max are down to a new all-time low of $466. The other colors are also on sale, but for $479. We gave these headphones a score of 84 for their excellent sound quality, good ANC, reliable controls and solid battery life.
Apple's 10.2-inch iPad is still on sale for $299, or $30 off its normal price. It's arguably the best iPad for new tablet owners and we liked its improved performance, familiar design and support for the first-generation Apple Pencil.
The latest MacBook Air M1 is down to $899 at Amazon, or $100 off its regular price. It's one of the best laptops for most people, and the M1 chipset only makes it a better buy. The Air M1 earned a score of 94 from us for its incredibly fast performance, excellent keyboard and trackpad, good battery life and lack of fan noise.
The new Acer Chromebook Flip 713 is on sale for $619 at Best Buy, which is $80 off its normal price. While still pricey for a Chromebook, this is a high-end model that has enough power to be some people's daily driver. We gave it a score fo 85 for its sold performance, good keyboard and trackpad and excellent display.
Those looking for a budget smartphone can grab the Google Pixel 4 for $400, or half off its original price. If you can live with a two-year-old handset, you'll still get a well-powered smartphone with a great camera experience and a smooth display.
Jabra's solid Elite 85h wireless headphones are down to $150 right now, or $100 off their normal price. We gave them a score of 84 for their custom EQ and ANC modes, attractive and comfortable design and insane 36-hour battery life.
The Thermapen Mk4 has been discounts to $69 as ThermoWorks makes room for the new Thermapen One thermometer. The Mk4 is the best instant-read thermometer we've used so far —the backlit display makes it easy to read in almost any situation and the display rotates depending on how you're holding the pen. Plus, you never have to remember to turn it off because the pen automatically turns on when you pick it up and will shut off after some time of no use.
If you're on a tight budget, an open-box sale on the ThermoPop thermometer just started and it knocks the price of most colors down to $25. It doesn't have as many "smart" features as the Thermapen Mk4, but it's still a solid food thermometer with a splash-proof design and the ability to provide readings in 3 to 4 seconds.
The Eero 6 three-pack with one router and two extenders has returned to its Prime Day price of $181 — but at Best Buy rather than Amazon. This system supports WiFi speeds up to 500 Mbps and can cover p to 5,000 square feet. Plus, it has a Zigbee smart home home built in, so you can use it as the starting point for the smart home system you want to create.
In Omaze's latest giveaway, you can win two seats on one of the first Virgin Galactic flights to space. In addition, you'll go on a tour of Spaceport America in New Mexico with Richard Branson. You don't have to pay to enter, but funds from all paid entries will support Space for Humanity, an organization that hopes to make space more accessible for all.
Omaze is giving away another $20,000 to build your ultimate gaming PC. This sweepstakes is free to enter, but funds donated with purchased entries will benefit Schools on Wheels, an organization that provides free tutoring and mentoring services to children experiencing homelessness across Southern California.
Pricing and availability is subject to change. No donation or payment necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes.See official rules on Omaze.
New tech deals
HomePod Mini
Through July 19, B&H Photo has Apple's HomePod Mini speaker for $90, or $10 off its normal price. It's not a huge discount, but it's a good one on a gadget that rarely goes on sale. Aside from a few exclusive Costco discounts, this is one of the best prices we've seen on the HomePod Mini. We gave it a score of 84 for its solid audio quality, attractive and compact design, stereo mode when two are paired together and Siri smarts.
Through the end of August, new Tidal users can get a three-month free trial of either Premium of HiFi subscription tiers. Premium is Tidal's basic music service that normally costs $10 per month, while the HiFi tier includes high fidelity and master sound quality audio and typically costs $20 per month.
Fitbit's Charge 4 tracker is back down to its record-low price of $100. If the smartwatch life isn't for you, this might be a good fit because it does a good job marrying fitness tracking with handy smart features. We gave it a score of 82 for its accurate built-in GPS, standard Fitbit Pay and multi-day battery life.
Jabra's Elite 85t wireless earbuds are down to $180 again, or $50 off their normal price. These are some of our favorite wireless earbuds thanks to their powerful ANC, comfortable size and long battery life. If you can live without the wireless charging case, the Jabra Elite 75t in gold beige are down to $113 right now, too.
A bundle including Google's Nest Hub and the Nest Audio smart speaker is only $139 on eBay, or $60 off what they would be if you purchased them separately. If you already rely on the Google Assistant for all your voice commands, this bundle is an affordable way to expand your smart home with a few solid, Assistant-friendly devices.
Amazon has a bundle including the latest Echo Dot plus a four pack of Tile Bluetooth trackers for $80, which is $40 off its normal price. The Echo Dot is a handy smart speaker to have in your home if you use Alexa to control smart home devices, set timers and alarms and more, and Tile's trackers make it easier to keep track of your keys, bags and other belongings.
One of our recommended VPNs is running a good sale on a two-year subscription. You can sign up for NordVPN for only $89 for the first two years, which comes out to $44.50 per year — and an additional summer promotion adds three free months on top of that. We like NordVPN for its speed, its no-logs policy, the thousands of servers it has to choose from and that one account supports up to six connected devices.
Although WhatsApp users can use the messaging service across several platforms, they still need to be connected to a smartphone, largely because of the way WhatsApp handles end-to-end encryption (E2EE). That's about to change, and eventually you'll no longer need to have a phone nearby to use WhatsApp on the web, macOS, Windows or Portal.
Starting today, WhatsApp will invite users to try its multi-device beta. You'll be able to use the service on your phone and up to four other devices (as long as they also aren't phones). WhatsApp will try the multi-device approach with a small group of people from its beta program. They'll be able to opt out of the beta later. With the help of those users, WhatsApp will optimize the multi-device experience and add some more features before rolling it out more broadly.
Although many users have been requesting multi-device support, it's taken WhatsApp some time to make that happen. It has built a system that retains end-to-end encryption while letting people sync data like contact names, archives and starred messages across devices.
Until now, the WhatsApp smartphone app has been an essential conduit for the service. Other platforms like the web and desktop apps maintain a consistent, secure link to the phone app and mirror the content. But if your phone battery dies or there's an issue with the smartphone app, you can't use WhatsApp on other platforms.
Through the multi-device beta, each device will have its own identity key. Currently, users have a single identity key (i.e. the one on their phone) to handle encrypted messages. WhatsApp has developed systems it says will keep out eavesdroppers who try to add devices to a user's account and to minimize the number of times people need to confirm their identity across devices. You'll also have control over connected devices and see which ones are linked to your account.
Along with messages, WhatsApp will have E2EE support for voice and video calls as part of the multi-device beta. There won't be any impact on the way WhatsApp handles cloud backups.
Solving the issue of supporting E2EE across a user's devices can be tricky given that only devices that messages are sent to and from are supposed to be able to decrypt them. Apple seems to have found an answer — iMessage supports E2EE across Apple devices. Although Telegram works on multiple devices, its E2EE approach (Secret Chats) does not currently do so. Like WhatsApp's current setup, Signal's desktop app also needs to connect to a smartphone to send and receive messages.
Google is ready to add more features to the public preview of its upcoming platform as it gets closer to being ready for its proper launch. The company announced that it's pushing out the third beta of Android 12 today, and it brings features like scrolling screenshots, enhanced auto-rotate and more. For developers, Google said this is the "last beta release before the Platform Stability milestone," which means they can begin to test their apps for the next platform. Beta 3 will also include the final Android 12 APIs and official SDK.
Those may not seem obviously impactful for the average user. What will feel more immediately useful are scrolling screenshots, which Google said will work "out-of-the-box for most apps." With Beta 3, when you snap an image of your screen, you'll see a new "Capture more" button. Tap that, and you'll extend the boundaries of your screenshot to get all the content available, after which you can adjust the crop. Google said it's "continuing to iterate on scrolling screenshots" and "also working to provide support for a wider variety of content (such as web content)," so it's possible this version isn't what you'll see when Android 12 officially launches.
Google
Beta 3 also brings enhanced auto-rotate, which will use your phone's front camera to detect your face and tell when you've flipped the device. As opposed to relying only on accelerometers/gyroscopes to detect the orientation of your phone, this can make auto-rotate more responsive. It's "especially helpful for people who are using their devices while lying down on a couch or in bed, for example," Google said. If you don't like the idea of your camera being used to see how you're holding up your phone, it may help to know that the company said the feature lives in its Private Compute Core and the "images are never stored or sent off the device." Enhanced auto-rotate will be available on the Pixel 4 and newer Pixel devices.
If you're on an older or non-Pixel phone, you'll also see some improvements. Google said it "optimized the animation and redrawing and added an ML-driven gesture-detection algorithm" that's reduced the base auto-rotate feature's latency by 25 percent.
Another new feature on Beta 3 is platform support for Google's on-device search engine called AppSearch. It'll allow developers to offer better search tools in their apps, and also offer them the option of participating in a central index "that's maintained for the entire system in Android 12 (and later releases)." Those who opt-in to the central index will enable Google to show data from their apps in overall system searches. Developers can also choose to "securely share data with other apps, allowing them to search your app's data as well as their own." That means one day, if they decide to enable it, apps like Tinder and Spotify could search data within your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram apps, for example.
Google
That function is not here yet since it requires developer participation. Many other features on Beta 3 are also behind-the-scenes, like the new ability for enterprises to set camera and mic restrictions on devices they manage. Android 12's Game Mode APIs will let developers respond appropriately to different profiles selected by the player, "like better battery life for a long commute, or performance mode to get peak frame rates," for example. These will be part of an "upcoming game dashboard which provides an overlay experience with quick access to key utilities during gameplay" that will be available on select devices later this year.
We're still eagerly awaiting the addition of the Material You design scheme that Google unveiled at I/O earlier this year, but as Android 12 approaches platform stability and a final release, it looks like most of the features we were expecting are here. If you're eager to test out this preview and can't wait for the official launch, you can enroll in Google's beta program. As always, we must caution that preview software is not guaranteed to be stable and you should back up your data before installing the beta. Whether you check out this early build or wait for a little longer, it does seem like a meaty update is coming for Android users that could be worth the anticipation.
It’s been a while since anyone could really say the iPhone’s battery life was too darn short to get you through the day. But despite the better staying power of the last few generations of phones, Apple is still throwing a bone to the folks who need more. The company has unveiled its first MagSafe-compatible battery pack for the iPhones 12, which gloms on to the back of your device with the power of love magnetism.
The MagSafe Battery Pack costs $99 from Apple’s store and features a 1,460mAh battery — not even enough to charge the iPhone 12 Mini to full from cold. But Apple says that what it lacks in grunt, it’ll make up for in being an Apple-branded battery pack compatible with a Lightning charger. And it’s slimmer than some of those chonky battery cases that Apple has previously sold, even if sticking a white lump to the back of your phone will never not look weird.
Maybe you’ve had that dream about becoming Iron Man and flying around the sky without a care in the world. The reality, as Engadget’s Mat Smith found out, is a lot less romantic than you might have imagined. Before you’re even allowed to strap on Gravity Industries’ real-world jet suit, you’ve got to make sure you’re not over the weight limit of 210 pounds. Then there’s the ban on sportswear fabrics, which are flammable, and you can’t wear sneakers or jewelry while in flight.
Mat did, however, get through those hurdles and was wired up and ready to float like a real-world Tony Stark. As well as the terror of being hoisted into the air with nothing more than several enormous engines strapped to your body, the heat these things kicked out was immense. Plus, it seemed that for every foot or so you actually lift from the ground, you felt as if you’ve rocketed over a tall building. Continue Reading.
It’s in response to protests over the handling of the pandemic.
Protests in Cuba, which began Sunday, have led to the Cuban government restricting access to social media and messaging platforms through its state-run internet provider. According to NetBlocks, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram have all been at least partially blocked on the Caribbean island since Monday. Reuters reports people in Havana also don’t have access to mobile data at the moment — infrastructure only introduced in 2018. Continue Reading.
Zero Motorcycles has been around for over a decade, constantly improving its family of electric bikes. With the new FXE, the company is transforming its well-regarded (and fun!) FXS supermoto, making it something a bit more futuristic looking. Roberto Baldwin went for a ride. Continue Reading.
Payload sees two 20-player teams fighting over a fleet of trucks.
Activision's latest effort to keep the players playing its take on Battle Royale is an objective-based mode called Payload coming to Call of Duty: Warzone. In a first for the game, the mission will be added to the rotating playlists as part of Season Four Reloaded.
The new mode goes live with the update at 12 AM ET on Thursday July 15th and splits players in two teams of 20, tasked with either escorting or attacking vehicles transporting satellite parts. There’s a time limit, and you’ll be able to buy (or build) obstacles to disrupt the vehicles’ path. Continue Reading.
Amazfit’s PowerBuds Pro. They're true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) that can nix up to 40dB of sound, alongside some new health monitoring features. The PowerBuds Pro utilize an accelerometer to detect the sitting angle of your cervical spine and if your neck has been in the same position for too long, the earbuds can remind you to make an adjustment and improve your posture. Yes, I arched my head back as I wrote this. Pre-orders for $150 PowerBuds Pro open on July 15th. Continue Reading.
Apple has quietly started selling a MagSafe Battery Pack for its iPhone 12 lineup. Spotted by 9to5Mac, the new accessory costs $99, with deliveries beginning early next week. Instead of a case you put on your iPhone, this latest battery pack attaches to the back of your device.
The accessory is available in a single size that features a 1,460mAh battery, meaning it can’t change any model in the iPhone 12 family to full. When using the battery pack on the go, it will charge your phone at about 5 watts. Plugging it into a power adapter while it’s still attached to your iPhone will increase that speed to about 15 watts. Either way, it’s not the fastest way to top up an iPhone 12, but it should still help in a pinch.
Apple
According to an official support document, you need iOS 14.7 to use the battery pack. Apple has yet to release that update. The company also recommends using a 20 watt or higher USB-C power adapter and USB-C to Lightning cable for charging the device.
When it’s attached to your iPhone, you’ll see how much power it has left to give on the battery widget you can add to your Home Screen and Today View. Interestingly, Apple also notes you may get a notification from your device that the accessory won’t charge it past 90 percent. You can bypass that limit enabling by low power mode through the Control Center.
Apple isn’t the first company to offer a battery pack that attaches magnetically to the iPhone 12 and its siblings. However, after Amazon removed many of the most popular brands on its marketplace earlier in the year, those have been harder to find. And if you visit the website now, you’ll find that many of the battery packs listed don’t have an estimated availability.
