YouTube just announced a major change to its Partner Program that will allow its short-form video creators to make a lot more money from its platform. The company announced that it‘s adding advertising to its TikTok rival, YouTube Shorts, and will share revenue with creators.
The change could help YouTube draw creators away from TikTok, where stars have complained about low creator fund payouts. “This is the first time real revenue sharing is being offered for short-form video on any platform at scale,” YouTube Chief Product Officer Neal Mahon said during an event announcing the news.
With the new revenue sharing program, creators who get 10 million views on Shorts in a 90-day period can apply to join the Partner Program. Like TikTok, ads on Shorts will appear between videos in the Shorts feed. Revenue from the ads will be pooled and split among creators, Mohan said. Creators will get a 45 percent cut of the ads, regardless of whether they use music.
“Each creator is paid on their share of total Shorts views, and this revenue share remains the same, even if they use music,” he explained.
Can you believe it's been almost a year since Windows 11 launched? Back then, I was surprised that Microsoft was practically rushing a new version of Windows out the door. But, as I noted in my review, Windows 11 ended up refining Microsoft's desktop formula fairly well. My opinion hasn't changed much since then (and yes, I'm still frustrated by the cleaner but less usable taskbar). Today, Microsoft will start rolling out the Windows 11 2022 update, the operating system's first major revision, which brings better security, accessibility and a handful of gaming improvements. Mostly, though, it'll make it easier for you to get future updates more quickly.
How do I get the Windows 11 2022 Update?
No surprise here: Head over to Windows Update in your Settings app and see if your computer is eligible for an upgrade. As usual, Microsoft says it's taking a "measured and phased" approach, which means there's a chance you won't see the update immediately. The company will also highlight potential conflicts on your system — e.g., an incompatible app, an out of date driver — that will prevent you from getting the refreshed OS. This advice applies to both Windows 11 and Windows 10 users, though the latter should double-check their computer with thePC Health Check app to ensure their hardware is compatible. (Check out our Windows 11 review for more details on upgrading from Windows 10.)
What's this about faster updates?
Panos Panay, Microsoft's Chief Product Officer,said in February that the company was aiming to deliver "continuous innovation" and more frequent Windows 11 updates outside of the major annual release. That begins with the 2022 update. The company has "significantly reduced" the size of updates (around 450MB for many folks), as well as reduced their installation time, John Cable, the head of Windows Servicing and Delivery, said in a blog post.
The Windows 11 2022 update will also be more carbon aware, allowing you to schedule installations for times when your local grid is relying on cleaner energy sources like wind, hydro and solar. This functionality won't be available everywhere, and we're still waiting to hear more about how Microsoft will keep track of electric grid statistics. But theoretically, it's a smart way to cut down on extraneous carbon emissions (and it's something I'd love to see on phones, tablets and other devices).
Microsoft
So where are the new features?
At first glance, it'll be difficult to tell you're running the new update. It doesn't bring any major UI changes, though Microsoft says it'll be adding tabs to File Explorer in October. I've been using an early build of that feature, and it's definitely helped to reduce my window clutter when moving between SD cards, OneDrive and my downloads folder. (Don't worry, you can still fill your screen with multiple Explorer windows if you prefer.)
You'll also be able to tweak the Start Menu further by either adding more pinned apps, or more recommendations. Additionally, Microsoft is bundling the Clipchamp video editor, which looks like a huge improvement over the existing Windows tool (and certainly lightyears ahead of Movie Maker).
Microsoft
Much like the improved Windows Update experience, the vast majority of new features in the 2022 update are under the hood. Those include a slew of accessibility upgrades thatMicrosoft unveiled earlier this year: system-wide live captions, which will initially appear at the top of your screen to help you feel engaged during video chats; natural sounding voices for the Narrator screen reader; as well as a preview of improved voice commands for using your PC and transcription.
More so than most tech companies, Microsoft has beenpushing to make its hardware and software more accessible over the last decade. That includes launching theSurface Adaptive Kit, setting up aDisability Answer Desk, and announcing a five-year commitment toward bridging the "Disability Divide." The features debuting in this Windows 11 update are all driven by members of the Windows Accessibility team, giving them all a personal touch.
The new Focus Sessions experience, for example, is spearheaded by Alexis Kane, a product manager who has ADHD. She noticed how notifications were giving her more anxiety and disrupting her workflow, so she helped to create a way to minimize them without disabling notifications entirely. Focused Sessions reduces the noise of those alerts, but it also disables Task Bar badges and lets you time work sprints with the clock app.
A better gaming experience
Say goodbye to the Xbox Game Bar, and hello to the new Windows Controller bar. Now when you hit the Xbox button on an Xbox (or third-party) controller, you'll see a simple pop-up to let you get back to a recent game or launcher. Even better for gamers, you'll be able to enjoy titles with better latency, Auto HDR and VRR in windowed mode. In the past, you could only access those features while a game was being run in full-screen mode.
There's also better support for HDR in general. A new calibration app will let you fine-tune the color and brightness levels of your HDR screens. And there's also more support for Auto HDR, which maps improved lighting onto games that don't offer HDR on their own.
Microsoft
Other features
In addition to tabbed File Explorer windows, Microsoft also has a handful of other new features coming in October:
Better picture management with an improved Photos app. It will also let you back up pics directly to OneDrive, and it’ll help you revisit experiences with a new “Memories” feature. (That sounds similar to what Apple and Google do with their respective photo offerings.)
An overflow menu in the task bar, which will hold extra apps instead of crowding the bottom of your screen.
More suggested options when copying data. Selecting a phone number, for example, could prompt you to make a Teams call.
The Windows 11 2022 update is launching today, and while it's a mostly behind-the-scenes update for most PCs, gamers have a few new features to look forward to. First up, Microsoft is adding support for Auto HDR, VRR (variable refresh rates) and better latency for windowed games. Previously, those were only features you could use in full-screen mode. The change should be a boon to streamers and anyone who wants to multitask while clearing their Halo Infinite dailies.
Microsoft
And speaking of HDR, you can now tweak your monitor's settings more easily with an improved HDR calibration tool. Auto HDR is also headed to more titles, which should be great news if you (literally) want to see older games in a new light. Less significantly, the Xbox Game Bar is being transformed into a new Windows Controller Bar, which will show your recently played games and launchers. You can access that by hitting the Xbox button on an Xbox controller (or a third-party equivalent).
While none of these are ground-breaking changes, they all go towards making Windows 11 a better environment for PC gamers. (Let's just hope we get a more flexible way to install games from the Microsoft Store eventually.)
Just in time for the arrival of the iPhone 14 line, iOS 16 is officially here, after spending several months in beta. I’ve spent the last week or so testing out the final version of the software, and there are plenty of new things to try, including customizable lock screens, improvements to the Messages app and some smarter AI tricks. Just as importantly, it’s not buggy. The latest edition of Apple’s mobile OS works with the iPhone 8 and newer models, although some features, demand the relatively recent A12 chip. (More on that later.)
This year’s version of iOS is an update you’ll notice – something that was hard to say about iOS 15, whose most notable features related to media sharing, Focus modes and SharePlay. iOS 14, now two years old, added widgets to the grid of icons and shook up your homepage experience for the first time since the iPhone launched. With iOS 16, Apple finally tackled the lock screen.
A personalized lock screen
The lock screen used to feature a clock and not much else. Things are a little different now, but let’s start with the clock. The font is thicker and you can even choose the color of the text and there’s now space for widgets. You might not like how the new default font looks (I don’t), but the good news is that it’s customizable, with several font styles and colors. You can of course choose photos for the lock screen, which isn’t anything new, and you can apply filter styles and even choose a shuffled selection of photos to cycle through. If the images were taken in Portrait mode, you can also enable a multilayered photo effect, with the photo's subject popping out in front of the time. If you do have an iPhone 14 Pro, check out our full review for our thoughts on the Always On Display and, naturally, Apple's new Dynamic Island.
There are two different widget areas you can customize. First up is a slim box above the clock that’s best suited to one-line text (think: the date, chances of rain, or your next calendar event.) Below that, there’s a box that can house up to four different widgets — a mix of 2x1 and 1x1 icons. From the lock screen, you can tap on these to launch into the appropriate itself, but don’t expect to glean any extra information by long-pressing on the icons, which seems like a very Apple way to expand the information offered by these widgets. Maybe in iOS 16.1, or iOS 17?
Mat Smith / Engadget
Similar to the debut of home screen widgets on iOS 14, it’ll take time for third-party app developers to get widgets into their updates and onto your phone, but I’m sure productivity, fitness tracking services and others will jump at the chance. Google in particular seems ready to get on board: Its forthcoming Gmail widget will absolutely be getting a place on my lock screen when it becomes available.
The new lock screen keeps some classic features, too. You’ll still see signal strength and battery icons (now with a percentage readout), and both the flashlight and camera shortcuts are still available to tap away at. Oddly, the battery indicator only visually replicates how charged it is when the battery is under 20 percent, which is counterintuitive when you’re at 50 percent, for example.
The lock screen refresh also functions as a renewed way of showcasing an iOS 15 feature that can be pretty laborious to set up: Focus modes. You can now assign a Focus mode to individual lock screens (one for personal, one for work, one for sleep), each with their own custom widget layouts and photos. If you rarely change your wallpaper during weekdays, you could set up, say, a fun weekend image of your family, and assign it to your personal focus mode.
Conversely, I have a pretentious motivational quote on a black background for when I’m crunching away on deadlines and have my phone set to Do Not Disturb. The ability to swipe between Focus modes makes them easier to use in everyday life. Sure, I could have done so in the past from the top-right drop-down menu, but I didn’t. With iOS 16, I’m already using Focus modes more often.
A better messaging experience
Mat Smith / Engadget
Apple’s native messaging app gets some unique tricks, including new Visual Lookup features. It now handles image copy-and-pasting, pulling subjects from photos, screenshots and more, turning them into easy-to-share stickers. Long-press on the object / animal / person and your iPhone (if it’s an XS or newer) will endeavor to clip it away from the background, ready to paste elsewhere.
It’s uncannily accurate for such a, well, lazy method. I love it. The Visual Lookup skills in iOS 16 are even more expansive, with the new ability to lift text from video. In addition to videos you take yourself, it should work with full-screen videos in web browsers.
Messages has also expanded its sharing capabilities beyond SharePlay and stickers. You can now send documents, spreadsheets and more, as long as they’re saved in one of Apple’s office software file types. Hopefully, third-party support for Microsoft and the Google Suite will soon follow.
Apple is making up for lost time elsewhere as well. Finally, you can edit and unsend messages on the Messages app – if you’re quick enough. You’ll have up to 15 minutes to edit after you first send the message, with the chance to change your message up to five times. You can see any edited messages from other folks also using iOS 16, which will be grayed (blued?) out underneath the corrected message. Unsend features are only for iPhone-to-iPhone messages.
Similarly, you can now undo send and schedule emails from the native Mail app. (Finally.) There are also further modern features you are probably already used to on Gmail, like suggestions when you might have forgotten an attachment or recipient. .
Apple has upgraded its voice dictation, too. Now when you’re talking into your iPhone, the keyboard will stay on screen, meaning you can type and correct while the dictation takes place – ideal for specific names and places. You can also tap on a word and dictate over them to correct any mistakes. Apple has also added more rigorous auto punctuation to dictation, which generally helped insert commas, periods and the rest without you having to say “question mark” at the end of your text-based requests to friends. It also gleans emoji as you say them, inserting them into your typing. (This feature requires the A12 Bionic chip found in the iPhone XR and newer devices.)
Health and Fitness
Apple’s Health and Fitness apps are relative newcomers to the native app family, and they continue to evolve. The Health app has a new Medications feature that helps log what you take and when. You can set up multiple meds for different time-of-day reminders and frequencies and your iPhone will ping you when it’s time. Another addition to the Health app is the ability to enable notifications if your logged menstrual cycles show a pattern of infrequent periods and other signs of possible abnormalities.
On a more light-hearted note, depending on how serious an athlete you are, Apple has also added a My Sports tab to its News app, dedicating a section to your favorite sports teams. This encompasses news, results, related stories and upcoming game reminders. A word of warning: Some of the stories may be locked behind Apple’s News+ paywall.
One of the best updates is one you might miss. I did too, until I perused Apple’s iOS 16 lengthy release notes: Haptic typing is here, on an iPhone, several years late. Until now, if you wanted typing vibrations on an iOS device you’d have to install Gboard – yes, Google’s third-party keyboard – to get this functionality. Now, mere days later it’s hard to imagine going back to typing on glass without it. Android users have had it good.
Everything else
iOS 16 introduces some potentially life-saving personal safety updates as well. Emergency SOS, which sounds an alarm on the phone before automatically calling emergency services, can now be activated by rapidly pressing the side button five times. Crash Detection, enabled in settings, will take data from the motion sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer, GPS, barometer and microphone, and combine it with algorithms to estimate if you’ve been in a car crash. When detected, a warning will flag up on both your iPhone and your Apple Watch. If you're still responsive, you can swipe the screen to call emergency services or close the alert, if it was a false alarm. Like the SOS call, the iPhone will automatically dial emergency services after 10 seconds have passed.
Mat Smith / Engadget
It wouldn’t be an Apple update with at least a few security updates. Perhaps the most noticeable addition is Safety Check, which can decouple your iPhone from specific contacts, gadgets and services. From here, you can uncheck permissions and even nix the connection completely with “Emergency Reset” or “Select All and Stop Sharing.” You will need to use your passcode or FaceID for these more extreme measures.
Apple is also touting what it calls Passkeys: digital keys that use your iPhone’s security features to securely log in to websites and devices like your smart TV. These aren’t an Apple invention, but with Passkeys on iOS devices this should lead to wider uptake and, well, a chance to use them. That said, I haven’t yet found any opportunities yet to test them out.
And there are even more notable features:
Apple Maps includes support for multi-stop routing, which can also be synced with your Mac. Travel fares are also displayed when you’re riding public transport.
Camera-wise, you can add foreground blur on Portrait mode photos, and Apple has improved cinematic mode video capture – at least on select devices. You’ll get cinematic mode on the iPhone 13 series and newer.
The Home app has been streamlined, with categories for lighting, speakers, TV and more. The tiles have been redesigned to make it easier to discriminate between all your connected gadgets. And, of course, there are now Home app lock screen widgets.
Apple has expanded the Fitness app to everyone; you no longer need an Apple Watch to use the activity tracking parts. Your iPhone’s motion sensors will estimate your steps, distance and workouts to offer up a rough calorie burn figure, too.
New accessibility features include Door Detection in the iPhone’s Magnifier mode – if you have a device with LIDAR, anyway. (That’s ‘Pro’ iPhone models starting with the iPhone 12 Pro.) A new detection mode offers more detailed descriptions in Magnifier, as well as people detection and image descriptions.
Apple finally lets you hang up on calls with Siri, hands-free. It sounds incredibly abrupt, sure, but hang-ups required a physical tap until now. You can also adjust Siri's wait time before it responds to your voice commands.
Wrap-up
iOS 16 marks another notable evolution for Apple’s often slow-to-change mobile OS, this time enriching your iPhone lock screen in several ways. I focused on the lock screen in this review because it’s an inescapable part of the iPhone experience. Changes elsewhere are small, but there are an awful lot of them, and they add up. (Apple has added seven more nose options for Memoji, FYI.)
There are some features that I haven’t been able to test, including accessibility upgrades for LIDAR-capable phones and Passkey support. As with many iOS updates, you might not notice all of the improvements. Many will find the medication reminder features useful and simple; others won’t even know it’s there. Sports fans might love the dedicated News app tab, but on the other hand, you also might not care about sportsball? You can test out the lock screen widgets, set up some Focus modes. Or not. But please turn on Haptic typing, and never let your iPhone make those typing sound effects ever again.
Uber believes it has identified the team behind last week's hack, and the name will sound all too familiar. In an update on the breach, Uber said the perpetrator was affiliated with Lapsus$, the hacking group that has targeted tech firms like Microsoft, Samsung and T-Mobile. The same intruder might also have been responsible for the Rockstar hack that leaked Grand Theft Auto VI, Uber said.
It's also clearer just how the culprit may have accessed Uber's internal systems. The attacker likely bought the contractor's login details on the dark web after they'd been exposed through a malware-infected computer. Two-factor authentication initially prevented the hacker from getting in, but the contractor accepted an authentication request — that was enough to help the invader compromise employee accounts and, in turn, abuse company apps like Google Workspace and Slack.
As before, Uber stressed that the hacker didn't access public-facing systems or user accounts. The codebase also remains untouched. While those responsible did compromise Uber's bug bounty program, any vulnerability reports involved have been "remediated." Uber contained the hack by limiting compromised accounts, temporarily disabling tools and resetting access to services. There's also extra monitoring for unusual activity.
The incident update suggests the damage to Uber is relatively limited. However, it also indicates that Lapsus$ is still hacking high-profile targets despite arrests. It also underscores major tech companies' continued vulnerability to hacks. In this case, one wrong move by a contractor was all it took to disrupt Uber's operations.
Apple acknowledged that the iPhone 14 was designed to be easier to repair, but it might have undersold that upgrade. iFixit has finished a teardown of this year's base iPhone, and it's clear that the device was reworked from the ground up with do-it-yourself fixes in mind. The back glass is easier and cheaper to fix, as promised, but used a metal midframe to keep the front just as accessible. The design is more repairable than the many Android phones that are only simple to open from the back, iFixit said.
The iPhone 14's midframe maintains the same structural rigidity you saw in the 13 family. Apple had already moved the earpiece and front camera array to a more repairable location on the previous generation's mainframe.
The iPhone 14 isn't going to make Fairphone buyers regret their purchases. Apple still requires that customers and technicians activate parts after they're installed, so you can't just use an unofficial back instead of potentially pricier Self Service Repair components. Even so, iFixit claims this is the most repairable Apple handset since 2016's iPhone 7.
The rework isn't completely surprising. Apple is facing pressure to improve repairability from both the federal government and state legislatures. If it didn't address at-home repairs with its designs, it risked battles with regulators that could force changes and dish out penalties. Whatever the reasoning, you probably won't mind if you've been waiting for an iPhone that's truly fix-friendly.
Apple released its latest iPhone lineup last week. While many folks were excited to get their hands on a new device, their elation may have been tempered by some problems with the camera system. It seems that several prominent third-party apps have compatibility issues with the iPhone 14 Pro's rear camera unit. Users have reported problems including shaking, rattling and mechanical noises emanating from the device when using apps like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, as 9to5 Mac reports. It seems there are problems with autofocus and focus too.
Along with sharing reports of the problems on the likes of Reddit and Twitter, some have been sharing videos that show the issues. One appears to depict a grinding sound coming from an iPhone 14 Pro when Snapchat is open. Another shows a similar issue while TikTok accesses the rear cameras.
Given that these issues only appear to be present when third-party apps are in use, rather than Apple's own Camera app, a software issue may be to blame, as 9to5 Mac points out. In particular, the apps may not be playing nicely with the iPhone 14 Pro's optical image stabilization, which seems to be the cause of the rattling. It's not yet clear whether the problems are on Apple's end or with the third-party apps. Engadget has contacted Apple, TikTok, Snap and Meta for comment.
Just like a relationship, going on a trip with a gadget is one of the best ways of finding out how well you and your partner work together. So to really test ASUS' first go at making a laptop with a flexible display, I took the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED on a journey across four countries in nine days. And while there are a few issues that need to be addressed, my experience was surprisingly positive and renewed my excitement for the category as a whole (especially after Lenovo's ambitious but flawed first try back in 2020). Now that doesn't mean you should run out and get one, because starting at $3,500, the Zenbook 17 Fold is far from affordable. But for all the foldable haters out there, ASUS' latest effort has proven it's way too early to write off the next wave of new-fangled flexy laptops.
Design
For the Zenbook 17 Fold it's almost as if ASUS took the blueprint for the ThinkPad X1 Fold, put it in a photocopier and then hit the enlarge button. Sure, the Zenbook is a little prettier thanks to some leather panels and a bit of lovely frosted glass around back, but it's clear ASUS didn't try to deviate too much from Lenovo’s formula. We have a big flexible OLED display (with no obvious crease, I should add) that's augmented by a built-in kickstand and a detachable magnetic keyboard that neatly fits inside the gap that forms when the system is folded in half. While it's a bit bulky, measuring 1.25 inches thick in clamshell mode and weighing just over four pounds including its keyboard (4.04 to be exact), the Zenbook 17 Fold is still lighter than a lot of similarly-sized traditional laptops like Dell's XPS 17.
That said, I'm not trying to neg ASUS' lack of originality, because by going with a bigger 17.3-inch display (up from 13.3 inches on the ThinkPad X1 Fold), it created a hybrid that finally works as both a laptop and a portable all-in-one desktop of sorts. In laptop mode, the ZenBook 17 Fold converts to a system that's similar in size to a 12.5-inch notebook. This is great when you're trying to get work done on an airplane tray table or anywhere else space is a premium. And because the detachable keyboard sits on top of the bottom half of the screen, you still get a very familiar mousing and typing experience.
But when you get to a hotel or cafe with a bit more room, that's when the real magic happens. By fully deploying that 17.3-inch screen, suddenly you have a ton of extra space for productivity, gaming (well light gaming) or anything else. Does it take some extra effort? Yeah. But at the same time, it's actually kind of practical (and it doesn’t hurt that it reminds me of playing with Transformers as a kid). You can prop up the Zenbook using ASUS' built-in kickstand while positioning the Bluetooth keyboard wherever you like. And because there are two Thunderbolt 4 ports on different sides of the machine, it's easy to plug in peripherals or a power cable when you need to recharge.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Aside from laptop and desktop modes, you can also use the Zenbook 17 Fold as a big tablet, which allowed my wife and I to watch She-Hulk while waiting at the gate for our flight. Despite some sizable letterboxing, it was really nice having a bigger display to look at as opposed to huddling around a six-inch phone. There's even something ASUS calls book mode that feels kinda like you're holding a giant magazine (remember those?). Though similar to tablet mode, the sheer size of the screen makes both tablet and book modes feel a bit too unwieldy to use with any sort of regularity.
Unfortunately, ASUS didn't copy the same sort of mil-spec 810G durability Lenovo provides with the X1 Fold. But even so, after more than a week of being tossed in a bag that got thrown under seats or into multiple overheard cargo bins, the Zenbook made it out unscathed. So not quite army-grade, but as far as my battle testing goes, it gets a pass.
Display and cameras
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
As for the screen itself, ASUS touts a peak brightness of 500 nits for HDR content, though in more typical conditions, I found that the Zenbook outputs closer to 350 nits, which is plenty bright for general use. Around the outside of the display, there are half-inch bezels that do look kind of chunky compared to other modern laptops. But given the amount of bending, flipping and moving of the screen you do with the Zenbook, I don't think I'd want them any smaller, at least not until ASUS can shave some weight off this thing.
The real highlight of the 2560 x 1920 OLED panel is all the bright colors and deep blacks. I know OLED screens are becoming more popular on premium systems, but the vibrancy you get from them is even more impressive on a flexible display. The screen's one small weakness is its shiny coating, which likes to pick up fingerprints while also being a bit more reflective than your typical glossy panel. I also want to mention that despite its display dominating the Zenbook’s design, its quad Dolby Atmos speakers sound quite good for its size.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
To handle video calls, the Zenbook features a nifty set of cameras which include a 5MP main shooter and some IR sensors, which can be used for facial login or to detect your presence. This allows the laptop to automatically lock itself when you walk away for some added security or to turn on a screen saver to reduce battery drain and prevent potential burn-in. The one quirk is that because the Zenbook was designed to be primarily used in desktop mode, you'll get vertical pics and videos in laptop mode, which isn't exactly ideal for meetings. Meanwhile, because the webcam sits on the side of the display in desktop mode, properly positioning your face in the center can be a little tricky too.
Performance
The ZenBook 17 Fold is pretty well-rounded with an Intel Core i7-1250U CPU, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Performance was generally smooth and I only encountered a few hitches once the battery dipped below five percent. But, the choice of a U-series chip means the Zenbook isn't quite as powerful as many traditional clamshells, with systems like the Dell XPS 13 Plus and Lenovo Yoga 9i posting higher scores across a number of tests including Geekbench 5 and PCMark 10. In short, it can handle typical productivity and even a bit of very casual gaming, just don't expect much more than that.
Keyboard and software
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Alright, so far everything has been pretty positive, but without getting overly doom and gloom, it's time to talk about the Zenbook's flaws. In theory, its magnetic keyboard is the perfect companion for a flexible hybrid. It connects wirelessly over Bluetooth and its tailored dimensions mean you can tuck it away neatly inside the display while traveling. You even get 1.4mm of key travel, which is pretty great on a peripheral this thin.
Unfortunately, actually using it feels like trying to give medicine to an upset baby, because no matter how nicely you ask, it just won't listen to you. At first, the keyboard struggled to stay connected, which meant I had to unpair and repair it every time the Zenbook went to sleep. Then I noticed that its touchpad was jumpy and erratic, sometimes bouncing around without me moving my finger or being slow to respond to commands.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
To make matters worse, while the system is supposed to automatically recognize when you lay the keyboard on top of the bottom half of the screen in laptop mode, for some reason the Zenbook simply ignored that procedure when launching certain apps. This causes everything to jump back into full-screen mode until you lift the keyboard and drop it down again, which is downright frustrating especially when you're trying to play a game. It’s not just me either, practically everyotherperson who has reviewed the Zenbook 17 Fold has encountered similar issues, which is a real shame because it puts a real damper on the device’s potential.
Furthermore, while the keyboard has a USB-C port for charging and excellent battery life (upwards of 12 hours), you still have to charge it separately (there’s no backlighting either). This feels like a weird oversight compared to something like a Surface Pro and Microsoft's Type Covers, where you never need to worry about connectivity issues or keeping the keyboard topped up because they’re an integral part of the system. But with the Zenbook, while it looks like a core component, the keyboard feels more like an afterthought.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Also, I have to mention that on a device this expensive, some of ASUS' software and pre-loaded bloat is rather irritating. In addition to McAfee LiveSafe constantly bombarding you with unnecessary notifications, trying to find important settings in the MyASUS app is a real chore. But the thing that really pisses me off is that ASUS' GlideX app — which lets you turn a spare tablet or phone into a secondary display — is limited to 720p and has embedded ads unless you pay extra to unlock the Plus, Pro or Ultra tiers. I mean come on, this is a very expensive (and sort of experimental) premium device, those perks really ought to be free. And no, limited-time promos don’t count.
Battery life
When it comes to longevity, one of the big fears with a flexible convertible like this is that all the extra support required to hold everything together takes up valuable room where a battery might go. But to my pleasant surprise, the Zenbook 17 Fold fared better than I expected. On our local video rundown test, it lasted 14 hours and 9 minutes in desktop mode, and an even better 15:26 in laptop mode. That's a good mark for any portable PC, and as long as you're not overloading the processor, the Zenbook's battery holds up during everyday use as well.
Wrap-up
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
After using this thing for the better part of two weeks and lugging it across half of Europe, I've got some thoughts. At first, I was constantly worried about breaking it during my travels. But once those concerns faded, I started to really appreciate its flexibility. Simply thinking about this as a standard 2-in-1 isn't quite right, because it's a lot more adaptable than that.
Depending on the situation, the Zenbook 17 Fold changed from being a big tablet for watching shows and movies to an ultraportable that let me work in tight spaces to a portable desktop I could use as my command station away from home. I'm usually one who longs for the comfort of a second monitor when I'm not at my desk, but those yearnings didn't hit nearly as hard on this trip. And to my delight, it performed well in all of those roles. On top of that, between Windows 11 and ASUS' ScreenXpert tool, it's much easier to choose the right app layout for whatever mode you're in. (If you’ll remember, the original ThinkPad X1 Fold was designed to run on Windows 10X, which ended up getting canceled last year.) And the decision to include a bigger 17.3-inch screen gives you more room for work or play, while also making content look great.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
However, where the Zenbook falters is in its software, wonky Bluetooth keyboard, and of course, that $3,500 price tag. But what's really stopping me from loving it is the short time I've spent with Lenovo's 2022 ThinkPad X1 Fold. That's because for Lenovo's second-gen flexible laptop, the company came up with a brand new chassis featuring a more compact hinge, a revamped keyboard and a redesigned stand. Lenovo also retained its mil-spec durability and stylus support, neither of which you get on the Zenbook. So while the Zenbook 17 Fold is an admirable first attempt and improves on the category as a whole, it still has a few regressions that leave it feeling more like a polished take on a slightly dated design than a true rival to Lenovo's next-gen foldable.
If you plan to purchase Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro, you should consider buying them from Amazon. Ahead of their September 23rd release date, the retailer has priced the earbuds at $240, or $10 less than MSRP. It’s a modest discount, to be sure, but it’s also not often that you can get new gadgets at release for less than their suggested retail price.
Engadget hasn’t had a chance to review the 2022 AirPods Pro yet, but the current generation model earned a score of 87 from us in 2019. Based on the improvements Apple detailed at its recent iPhone 14 event, the new AirPods Pro look like a solid upgrade. They feature Apple’s new H2 chip, leading to significantly improved active noise cancelation performance and a more functional transparency mode, according to the company. Additionally, they include volume touch controls, a feature missing from the first-generation model. Apple has also improved playtime with a charging case it claims can provide the AirPods Pro with up to 30 hours of battery power.
You might have a rough time activating your iPhone 14. As MacRumorsreports, Apple has fixed an iOS 16 bug that broke activation of iMessage and FaceTime on open WiFi networks. Your brand new device might not work properly out of the box, depending on your situation. You only have to install an iOS 16.0.1 update to address the bug, but you may need to restore the phone with a computer to load the new software.
It's not clear whether Apple will have a solution apart from shipping future devices with iOS 16.0.1. MacRumors says it obtained a company memo indicating the problem was "under investigation," while the support document for the patch only tells users to update. We've asked Apple for comment.
The flaw likely won't last for long and should only affect a small number of users. Still, the timing is less than ideal. The iPhone 14 lineup is just reaching customers as of this writing — their first experience might not be very smooth if they expect to use iMessage and FaceTime on day one.
