Amazon is giving some Prime members access to another perk they can take advantage of if they'd like to buy from a store nearby but can't be bothered to put on outside clothes. The e-commerce giant has announced that Prime subscribers in more than 10 metro areas in the US will now be able to shop from select local brick-and-mortar stores through Amazon and then have the items delivered to their home on the same day. At the moment participating retailers include apparel brands PacSun, Superdry and Diesel, as well as popular vitamin retailer GNC. 

To order from the participating retail stores, customers can browse their curated selections on the Amazon app or website and then choose same-day delivery upon checkout. Amazon will forward the order to the customer's local store to be fulfilled by associates. An Amazon delivery partner will then pick up the order from the retail location and deliver it to the customer. Delivery is free for purchases above $25, but will set customers back $3 for orders below that amount. That said, buyers can also choose to buy and pay online but pick up their orders in person, which sounds like a great option if they just don't want to browse in-store and line up to pay. 

As TechCrunch notes, this is the e-commerce giant's latest move to keep up with rival services that offer same-day deliveries, such as Instacart. It also ensures it's not falling behind competitors in any way: Walmart, for instance launched a same-day delivery service for local retailers last year. The new Prime perk is now available in a handful of US cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Miami, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Seattle and Washington D.C. Amazon says it will expand it to more cities, as well as introduce new retailers into the service, including Sur La Table and 100% Pure, in the coming months. 

If you’ve been patiently waiting for Valve to ship that Steam Deck you reserved months ago, you may not have to wait too much longer to get your hands on the device. The company claims it will be able to fulfill all current Steam Deck reservations by the end of the year.

Valve says that many of its supply chain issues are easing and it’s able to continue increasing production. It has moved some people’s scheduled deliveries up to the third quarter (i.e. between now and the end of September). All other outstanding reservations are now scheduled for delivery in Q4. People who lock in a reservation right now should still be able to get one in time for the holiday season. After Valve reaches its capacity for that period, it will start filling up the delivery queue for early 2023. 

The update comes a month after Valve said it was doubling the number of weekly Steam Deck shipments. This is a rare sliver of positive news for a sought-after piece of gaming hardware, given the supply chain problems that have stymied PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X production. Who knows? We might even see the Steam Deck on retail shelves before too long.

Paramount has shared a new trailer for the upcoming third season of Star Trek: Picard. And while we already knew Picard’s final adventure would reunite Patrick Stewart with most of the principal cast of The Next Generation, it’s still good to see some characters we haven’t seen in a while. The minute-long clip Paramount released during San Diego Comic-Con features voiceovers from nearly all of Picard’s season three cast, including LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden and Michael Dorn. It’s not much more than what Paramount had to offer back in April, but at least this time we get to see the former crew of the USS Enterprise in their new uniforms.

That’s not the only Star Trek news to come out of Comic-Con. Paramount also announced that season two of Strange New Worlds will feature a crossover episode with Lower Decks. Jonathan Frakes will direct the episode, which will feature a combination of live-action and animated footage. Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid will also reprise their roles as the voices of Beckett Mariner and Brad Boimler. Season two of Strange New Worlds doesn’t have a release date yet, but Star Trek fans can look forward to watching a new season of Lower Decks starting on August 25th. On that note, Paramount also shared a new trailer for the animated show, which you can see below.

The Secret Service may face serious legal repercussions over deleted text messages relating to the January 6th, 2021 Capitol attack. NBC Newssources said the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General has opened a criminal investigation into the deletion of texts from the days surrounding the riot. The Secret Service has been ordered to stop its own internal probes, according to a copy of a letter DHS Deputy Inspector General Gladys Ayala sent to the agency.

In a statement, the Secret Service acknowledged receiving Ayala's letter. It promised a "thorough legal review" to ensure it was "fully cooperative" with all oversight.

Word of the deleted texts came last week, when the Inspector General's office said that Secret Service texts from January 5th and 6th had been deleted as part of a "device replacement program." Agents were supposed to back up their messages before the migration, but it's not clear that happened. While the Secret Service told the House's January 6th committee that it was "currently unaware" of any lost messages, CNNreported, it also acknowledged that it was still trying to recover messages. The service hasn't provided more than a single message thread in response to a House committee subpoena.

It's not yet clear if the messages are recoverable, and there isn't any known evidence of malicious intent. Whatever the circumstances, there's a chance the Secret Service could face significant charges. House committee leaders Liz Cheney and Bennie Thompson warned that the service might have violated the Federal Records Act by failing to keep the messages. At the least, the investigation highlights the challenges and importance of preserving data in modern government — a botched migration could impact crucial proceedings.

Google’s Pixel 6a is finally here. It’s a sub-$500 phone that, this year, includes Google’s own Tensor chip which should bring even more power to the cheapest Pixel option. It also matches the Pixel 6 family with a two-tone color scheme and camera bar.

Engadget

According to Reviews Editor Cherlynn Low, the $449 Pixel 6a feels less like the budget option and more like a smaller version (if a 6.1-inch screen is small..) of Google’s best phone. You get cutting-edge software tricks from Google, great cameras and a decent battery life. In short, it nails the essentials.

Check out the full review, but as Cherlynn puts it: there is no better Android phone under $500 than the Pixel 6a.

-Mat Smith

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Is it worth importing the Nothing Phone 1?

The cost and lack of support makes importing a challenge.

Engadget

A lot of readers are intrigued by the Nothing Phone 1, with its combination of eye-catching design, well-rounded performance and a reasonable price. The main struggle may be trying to buy one in North America. Is it worth the effort? Even once the device reaches your hands, there are a few challenges you’ll have to overcome.

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Amazon Fire 7 (2022) review

Surprise: You don't get much for $60.

Amazon’s latest Fire 7 has landed, with a few upgrades including a faster processor, double the RAM, USB-C charging and longer battery life. Unfortunately, it’s still sluggish, has a poor display and you’ll largely be confined to Amazon-approved apps and services. The $60 price point makes these flaws easier to swallow, but we recommend upgrading to the $90 Fire 8 HD, as it at least offers a better display.

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Amazon's Rivian-made electric vans are now delivering in some US cities

You'll see them in places like Chicago, Dallas and San Diego.

Amazon has revealed that Rivian's custom-made EVs are now delivering packages across the US. You'll find them in numerous cities including Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle and St. Louis. The company expects the vans to serve over 100 cities by the end of 2022. This deployment is important to both companies. Amazon had a 20 percent stake in Rivian as of late 2021. At the same time, Rivian has been cutting costs. Amazon stands to benefit when its automotive partner does.

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EA's last FIFA game is finally making women's soccer a priority

'FIFA 23' launches September 30th on PC, Xbox, PlayStation and Stadia.

After revealing Chelsea star Sam Kerr on its cover earlier this week, EA has unveiled the first trailer for FIFA 23 showing that women's soccer will finally be a key part of the game. It will include women's club teams from the top leagues in England and France, along with both the women's and men's competitions in both the 2022 Qatar World Cup and 2023 Australia/New Zealand World Cup. A reminder: FIFA 23 will be EA's last version of the game with the FIFA name, as it failed to come to terms with FIFA over financial and exclusivity issues.

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Zoom adds end-to-end encryption to its cloud phone service

E2EE protection is coming to meeting breakout rooms as well.

Zoom is bolstering its privacy and security protections by expanding end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to more of its services. First up is Zoom Phone, its cloud phone system. Users of that service will be able to switch on E2EE during one-on-one calls. When it's on, E2EE will ensure calls are secure with cryptographic keys that only the calling and receiving devices can access. The security feature will soon be available in breakout rooms — smaller discussions that break off from group meetings.

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Meta has introduced new tools to expand the ways you can collaborate with others using Reels, as part of its strategy to be able to better compete with TikTok. To start with, you can now remix not just videos, but also photos on Instagram, giving you more material to use. The company has added more Remix layouts to include a green screen, a split screen or a picture-in-picture reaction view, as well, to make it easier to add your own spin or take to an existing Reel. Plus, you can choose to attach your remix to the end of the original Reel instead of having them play side-by-side. That format works better if you have a hot take or a rebuttal you want to publish.

In addition, Meta is rolling out templates to make it easy to create Reels with preloaded audio and video effects — you simply need to add your photo or video to one. You can see the company's template collection by tapping on the camera icon in the Reels tab. Another new feature that makes the feature a more veritable rival to TikTok is the ability to record with the phone's front and rear cameras at the same time using the Instagram camera. 

Finally, Meta has confirmed a previous feature leak that it will be turning all videos posted on Instagram as Reels, as long as they're shorter than 15 minutes. Videos under 90 seconds long may be recommended on the app and, hence, may have a wider reach. But you don't have to worry about becoming famous if you don't want to be: Instagram won't be using your Reels as a recommendation if your profile is set to private, and it will not retroactively convert old uploads. This feature is rolling out in the coming weeks and will also consolidate all your videos and Reels under one tab in the app.

Just a few days ago, Instagram also introduced a feature that would allow influencers to earn from their Reels. Creators can now share subscriber-only feeds that lock their content behind a paywall. Meta promised creators that it won't be taking a cut from their earnings until 2024, but putting Reels behind a paywall is one way of monetizing them.The company's executives previously said that they intend to focus on monetizing Reels as quickly as possible in the second half of 2022, so we'll likely see more features intended to make money off the short videos in the near future.

General Motors has been putting its OnStar in-vehicle safety and security suite into its vehicles since 1997 with the system having undergone numerous evolutions, upgrades and expansions in the last quarter century. Soon its roadside assistance and crash monitoring services will be available to two-wheeled motorists and homebodies as well, the company announced on Thursday.

As part of a modernizing redesign OnStar is making its Guardian crash monitoring and roadside assistance features available to motorcyclists. The service will rely on the accelerometer and other sensors in the rider's cellphone to determine if a crash has occurred (rather than using the vehicle's sensor suite as would happen in an automobile wreck) but otherwise is identical to the existing triage and response process. The roadside assistance will include jump starts, gas deliveries and flatbed tows.

The company is also expanding its Alexa integration, which GM began testing last year with select OnStar subscribers. Like having a red telephone to 911, this service will immediately connect members "to an OnStar Emergency Certified Advisor" through their Alexa-connected device, "in scenarios where Members need to call for help hands-free and time is of the essence." Today, that Alexa skill is available to every US OnStar subscriber.

Netflix warned it might lose more subscribers in the second quarter of this year than it did in the first, and that prediction has come true — though it wasn't as bad as feared. The streaming service said it lost nearly 1 million subscribers (970,000 to be exact) in Q2. That's far more than the 200,000-member decline from Q1, but not as bleak as the 2 million Netflix was prepared to part with.

The company attributed the slightly rosier outcome to "better-than-expected" subscriber growth, particularly in areas like Asia-Pacific. The company still turned a $1.44 billion net profit despite the shrinking customer base and unfavorable foreign exchange values for the US dollar. Unfriendly exchange rates are a particularly difficult problem when nearly 60 percent of revenue comes from outside the country, Netflix said.

The media giant is expecting a turnaround for the third quarter, if a slow one. It's now predicting that it will add a net 1 million subscribers. While that's a far cry from the 4.4 million Netflix added a year earlier, it's a decided improvement over the past six months. The strong start for Stranger Things 4 could help — the nostalgic show is now Netflix's most watched season of English TV to date with over 1.3 billion hours of viewing.

Netflix's recovery plan will sound familiar. The company is still pinning its hopes on a lower-priced ad-supported tier due in early 2023, and expects to launch it in a "handful of markets" where there's already strong ad spending. The service also plans to fight account sharing, and is experimenting with ideas that include charging for additional homes. The finished sharing system could also roll out in 2023.

Instagram has been building out its creator subscription program this year and now it's slotting a couple of key pieces into place. Creators can now share subscriber-only feed posts. Those Reels and photos will have a purple badge with a crown symbol to make them stand out. Instagram head Adam Mosseri said this was the feature he's had the most requests about from creators in the program.

Also new is a subscriber chat option. Influencers can hop into group DMs with up to 30 subscribers, perhaps in an attempt to persuade them to spend more time chatting on Instagram instead of, say, Discord. The group chats are powered by Messenger and creators can start them from their inbox or a Story. They'll automatically end after 24 hours. Fans will have access to a subscriber home tab on a creator's profile as well. Paywalled content will be centralized there, including photos, Reels and archived Lives.

Mosseri says tens of thousands of creators in the US now have access to the subscription program, which enables them to charge fans up to $100 per month to access exclusive content. Instagram started testing creator subscriptions in January with paywalled Stories and livestreams. Subscribers also get a purple badge that appears next to their usernames on comments and in DMs.

Parent company Meta is offering creators other incentives to build an audience and share content on Facebook and Instagram. Last month, Meta said it won't charge a commission on earnings creators make through the apps until 2024. The company previously stated it wouldn't take a cut of their Facebook and Instagram incomes through the end of this year.

Instagram

Amazon has announced a new version of its smart shopping cart. The new Dash Cart can transport more groceries and includes new features. Amazon says the latest version can carry four grocery bags, up from two previously, and has dedicated shelves for delicate and oversized items. The latest version is also weather-resistant so you can take it to your car.

As before, the cart will automatically weigh produce and keep a real-time tally of all the food you buy. Amazon has tweaked the software on the touchscreen to display images of nearby fresh fruit and produce. The company's software will now also do a better job of keeping track of where the cart is in stores and notifying you of deals. Lastly, the latest version has a bigger battery, which should translate into the new Dash Cart being more frequently available for customers to use.

Speaking of availability, Amazon is finally bringing the Dash Cart to Whole Foods, starting with the chain’s Westford, Massachusetts location and expanding to “a few additional” stores in the coming months. Previously, Dash Carts were only available at the company’s Amazon Fresh grocery stores, of which there are only about two dozen locations in the US at the moment.

Once Dash Carts arrive at your local Whole Foods, you can start using them by scanning the QR code you find on each one in the Amazon or Whole Foods Market apps. As you find items you want to buy, you scan them with one of the cameras near the cart's handlebar. Once you’re done shopping, you exit the store through the dedicated Dash Cart lane. Amazon will automatically bill the credit card associated with your account, and you’ll get an emailed receipt after leaving the store.