1Password’s previously announced passkey feature is rolling out to users starting today. Passkey is the proposed solution to end passwords for good that’s finally starting to gain some momentum. The technology uses your device’s biometric sensors – whether that’s fingerprint or facial recognition – to authenticate you. It’s not too dissimilar to using biometrics to unlock your phone.

Announced via a press release, 1Password says that starting today, you’ll be able to add passkey logins via the password manager. For example, when you create a passkey for your Google account, 1Password will detect that and add it to your 1Password account. Then, when you need to log in to your Google account next, 1Password will automatically log you in. So, as long as your fingers aren’t wet or your face isn’t obscured, you won’t need a password. 

The company says that support will start with beta extensions for Safari on macOS, as well as Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Brave on macOS, Windows and Linux. You'll also be able to view, edit, move, share and delete passkeys on 1Password for Mac, iOS, Windows, Android and Linux. 

With the wide adoption of biometrics on phones, tablets, and laptops, this seems like a logical next step. If you were using a password manager like 1Password, you were likely already using biometrics to autofill logins on websites and apps. It sounds like passkeys will remove the step of having to autofill a username and a password, in addition to having to press the login button entirely.

Because 1Password is platform agnostic, it will work for those who regularly switch operating systems or entire ecosystems. Unlike Apple or Google’s current implementations, 1Password works and syncs across ecosystems. And just like any other item in 1Password, you’ll be able to share your passkeys with friends and family, and even set time limits on how long they’ll have access.

Until now, you've had to buy a Seagate card if you wanted to augment the fast internal storage of your Xbox Series X or S. Now, however, you have a slightly more affordable option. Western Digital has released a WD Black C50 expansion card line that starts at $80 for a 500GB model. That's $10 less than the recently price-cut Seagate equivalent, and easier to justify if you only need room for a few extra games. A 1TB card sells for the same $150 as its comparably-sized rival.

You'll need one of these proprietary add-ons if you want to add space for ready-to-play Xbox Series X/S games, which require solid-state drive cards that are as quick as the SSD built into the console. Conventional external USB drives can only be used to archive games or play Xbox One titles. That's fine if you only have a handful of active games at a time, but you'll want an Xbox-native card if you want access to many titles at short notice.

These cards are still costlier than the NVMe SSDs you can buy for a PlayStation 5. However, the price gap is now small enough that the storage format probably won't affect your choice of system. It's only an issue if you want 2TB of additional capacity. Western Digital doesn't offer a 2TB C50 card, and Seagate's $280 Xbox option is decidedly more expensive than PS5 options like Sabrent's $160 NVMe drive.

The Chinese startup Greater Bay Technology claims its latest EV battery can charge at normal speeds even in cold temperatures. Huang Xiangdong, co-founder and chairman, says the company’s new Phoenix cell uses superconducting materials and thermal management to heat from -4F to 77F in only five minutes, allowing the battery to charge “within six minutes in all weather conditions,” according toBloomberg. “The Phoenix battery not only addresses the long charging time for EVs, but other pain points,” Huang said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a hot day or a cold day, the Phoenix battery’s range won’t be affected.”

A loss of charging efficiency in cold weather has been a persistent obstacle in the EV battery space. Other automakers, including Polestar and GM, have tackled the problem by adding heat pumps — and German company ZF even prototyped a heated seat belt (or “heat belt”) to reduce the energy used for cabin heating.

The new Phoenix cell allegedly has a range of 1,000 km (621 miles). The company expects to launch the battery to the public next year in electric vehicles from Aion, China’s third most popular EV brand. (Aion falls under the umbrella of the state-owned Guangzhou Automobile Corporation, which Greater Bay Technology is incubated within.) In addition, Greater Bay Technology is reportedly “in talks with other carmakers to use the cell.” Summarizing Huang’s long-term vision, he said, “Once EVs can be driven and maintained like gasoline cars, then there’s a greater chance for mass adoption.”

Greater Bay Technology is a two-year-old startup valued at over $1 billion. Its first-generation battery is an extreme fast-charging cell currently equipped in Aion’s V Plus electric SUV.

Ubisoft is bringing its guitar-learning app to mobile devices this week. Rocksmith+ will be available on iOS and Android on June 9th, nine months after the service landed on PC. The company previously said the mobile app would arrive last fall. Meanwhile, there's still no word on when the Xbox and PlayStation versions will be available.

Rocksmith+ is designed to help folks learn how to play the electric, acoustic or bass guitar. Features include note detection, real-time feedback and practice tools. There are now more than 6,000 songs in the library, with more being added each month.

You'll need a subscription to use Rocksmith+. It costs $15 for one month, $40 for three months and $100 for a year. There is a seven-day trial available, but you'll need to sign up for the annual plan and swiftly cancel if you don't want to keep using the app after the first week.

Ubisoft also offers a free guitar tuning app on iOS and Android. You can connect your instrument directly or use your mobile device's microphone to make sure you're in tune. The app has more than 30 presets, so it can help you try a variety of non-standard tunings.

Acura is preparing to launch its first fully electric vehicle, the 2024 ZDX, and just announced integration with a full suite of Google products, including Android Auto. These features will be available on all ZDK trims and bring apps like Google Assistant and Google Maps to the vehicle, offering a “personalized and more streamlined” experience.

Google Assistant lets you issue voice commands while keeping your eyes on the road to initiate phone calls, text friends, set reminders, change the cabinet temperature and more. Of course, this is fully integrated with Android Auto, so use Assistant to play favorite media tracks, skip to the next track, rewind a podcast and download a wide range of third-party apps.

Acura

While Google Assistant isn’t a vast departure from any other iteration, this version of Google Maps boasts some features just for EV drivers. It offers optimized route planning with an emphasis on finding EV charging stations and an estimation of the charging time required to reach any destination. It even preconditions the battery when preparing to enter a DC fast charging station.

There’s a large center touchscreen that acts as a primary dashboard for navigation, media selection and the like. The touchscreen integrates with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, with regular “fast and secure” Over the Air (OTA) software updates to enhance various functionalities.

This move comes as auto giant GM begins phasing out Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in its vehicles to make room for the more robust Android Automotive software platform. The Acura ZDX and ZDX Type S EVs will be available early next year, with all sales taking place online and not at brick-and-mortar dealerships.

On the heels of Apple's WWDC announcement of a brand new MacBook Air, B&H is now selling last year's model for an all-time low price. The base configuration of the 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip is currently $999 in either the Silver or Midnight colorway. It's just $50 more for Starlight or Space Gray, which is still a pretty great deal. The base model has 8GB of RAM and 256GM of storage, along with an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU on the M2 chip. 

During yesterday's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote, Apple revealed the new 15-inch MacBook Air, which you can pre-order now. But if you don't need a 15-inch screen, you can get the same M2 chip in the 13-inch model — and save $300 over the larger laptop's price, thanks to this deal. Apple did announce a lower base price for last year's laptop, and you can now get it from most retailers for $1,099, but B&H Photo is taking things a step further with an all-time low $999 price. 

The 2022 MacBook Air is our current favorite laptop overall thanks to the excellent performance of Apple's own M2 processor and the impressive 16-hour battery life — all in a machine that's highly portable at just 2.7 pounds. Our senior editor Devindra Hardawar called the machine a "near-perfect Mac" in his review, praising the "gorgeous" redesign, the great speakers and the speedy performance of the M2 chip. 

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Apple is supposed to release an iOS 17 public beta in July, but the company inadvertently gave users an early peek. As AppleInsiderexplains, Connor Jewiss and other users have noticed that the iOS 17 developer beta was available to install in the Beta Updates section of Settings whether or not you paid for the necessary account. The macOS Sonoma and watchOS 10 previews have been available this way, too. 

We wouldn't count on any of the developer betas being available as we write this. As it is, you likely won't want to install them. These are the first pre-release versions available to people outside of Apple, and they're the most likely to include bugs and app compatibility issues. That could cause problems if you install them on must-have devices. Unless you're a developer who wants to start preparing app updates, you're probably better off waiting until either the public beta or the finished version releases this fall.

iOS 17 is an iterative upgrade, but it adds more than a few features you might appreciate, such as live voicemail transcripts, easier sharing, more intelligent autocorrection and a journaling app. MacOS Sonoma adds perks like desktop widgets, Safari privacy updates and a Game Mode, while watchOS 10 is a significant revamp that centers on quick-glance widgets. For the most part, there's no rush to try them right away.

Apple is supposed to release an iOS 17 public beta in July, but some recent changes made the developer betas more accessible this year. The iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma betas were released yesterday and for the first time, those with free developer accounts can access these preview software. As AppleInsiderexplains, Connor Jewiss and other users have noticed that the iOS 17 developer beta was available to install in the Beta Updates section of Settings whether or not you paid. The macOS Sonoma and watchOS 10 previews have been available this way, too. 

For some context — previously, to access the various OS betas right after the WWDC keynote, you'd have to be have a paid developer account, which cost about $100 a year. While a free tier was always available, the developer betas weren't included in that option. 

That technically means that since you won't have to pay for a developer account for access to these betas, you can probably sign up for Apple's Developer Program to check them out. But you likely won't want to install them. These are the first pre-release versions available to people outside of Apple, and they're the most likely to include bugs and app compatibility issues. That could cause problems if you install them on must-have devices. Unless you're a developer who wants to start preparing app updates, you're probably better off waiting until either the public beta or the finished version releases this fall.

iOS 17 is an iterative upgrade, but it adds more than a few features you might appreciate, such as live voicemail transcripts, easier sharing, more intelligent autocorrection and a journaling app. MacOS Sonoma adds perks like desktop widgets, Safari privacy updates and a Game Mode, while watchOS 10 is a significant revamp that centers on quick-glance widgets. For the most part, there's no rush to try them right away.

Update (at 9:50pm ET): This article was edited to correct some mistakes around how and why access to these developer betas is now available for free. We also added context to explain the difference this year. We apologize for the error.

If you're looking to buy a new smartwatch, the Apple Watch SE remains one of the better values on the market, and right now its 40mm model is back on sale for $219 at Amazon and Best Buy. Target, meanwhile, has it for a dollar more. We've seen the watch fall to this price a number of times over the past few months, but it's still about $15 below the device's average street price and $30 below Apple's MSRP. If you want the larger 44mm model, that watch is also $30 off Apple's list price at $249. Note that these offers apply to the watch's Midnight, Starlight and Silver finishes.

While neither of these deals are all-time lows — we've seen the 40mm model very briefly fall to $200 once before — they're still strong prices for what you're getting. We gave the second-gen Apple Watch SE a review score of 89 when it arrived last September, and we note it as the best option for first-time buyers in our guide to the best smartwatches. It's essentially a stripped-down version of the Apple Watch Series 8, our top overall pick. The big sacrifice is its lack of an always-on display mode, so you'll have to physically lift up your wrist to check the time or notifications. Beyond that, its display is slightly smaller, it doesn't support fast charging and it lacks more advanced health-tracking features like a skin temperature sensor, ECG monitor and blood oxygen sensor. 

Those won't be massive omissions for many people, though, and the SE keeps the rest of the Apple Watch experience largely intact. It runs on the same chipset as the Series 8, it's still water resistant and it gets you access to standard features like heart-rate monitoring and fall detection. This fall, it'll also receive the same watchOS 10 update that Apple announced at WWDC on Monday. We still think the Series 8 (which is currently available for $329) is the most well-rounded wearable for iPhone owners, and Apple will invariably launch a new Series 9 watch by the end of the year. But for first-time buyers or those looking to upgrade from an older Apple Watch on a budget, this should be a good deal. 

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Nearly seven months after it began publishing machine-generated stories without disclosing their true authorship (or lack thereof) to readers, CNET has finally, publicly changed its policy on the use of AI in its journalistic endeavors. In short, stories written by its in-house artificial intelligence — which it calls Responsible AI Machine Partner (RAMP) — are no more, but the specter of AI in its newsroom is far from exorcised. 

The site indicates, however, that there are still two broad categories of pursuits where RAMP will be deployed. The first, which it calls "Organizing large amounts of information" provides an example that seems more authorial than that umbrella descriptor lets on. "RAMP will help us sort things like pricing and availability data and present it in ways that tailor information to certain audiences. Without an AI assist, this volume of work wouldn’t be possible." 

The other ("Speeding up certain research and administrative portions of our workflow.") is more troubling. "CNET editors could use AI to help automate some portions of our work so we can focus on the parts that add the most unique value," the guidelines state."RAMP may also generate content such as explanatory material (based on trusted sources) that a human could fact-check and edit. [emphasis ours]" You'd be forgiven if that sounds nearly identical to what got CNET into trouble in the first place.

The venerable tech site first posted an innocuously titled explainer ("What Is a Credit Card Charge-Off?") on November 11, 2022, under the byline "CNET Money Staff" with no further explanation as to its provenance, and continued posting dozens more small finance stories under that byline through mid-January. It was around that time that Futurismdiscovered two important details: CNET Money Staff stories were AI-generated, and much of that work was wildly inaccurate. CNET issued corrections on over half of those stories and had, by all appearances, stopped using these sorts of tools in response to the deserved criticisms they created.

In the interim, the remaining CNET staff publicly announced their intention to unionize with the Writer's Guide of America, East. Among the more typical areas of concern for a shrinking newsroom during these trying times in the media industry (retention, severance, editorial independence, et cetera), the bargaining unit also specifically pushed back against the site's intention to keep deploying AI. 

Other than these new guidelines on AI, the union has not received any official update from management on its demands over the past three weeks, a staffer told Engadget. And based on the union's response on Twitter, the guidelines fall well short of the kinds of protections CNET's workers were hoping for. "Before the tool rolls out, our union looks forward to negotiating," they wrote. "How & what data is retrieved; a regular role in testing/reevaluating tool; right to opt out & remove bylines; a voice to ensure editorial integrity.

Granted, CNET claims it will never deploy RAMP to write full stories, though it also denies it ever did so. However, the new guidelines leave the door open for that possibility, as well as the eventuality that it uses AI to generate images or videos, promising only that where "text that originated from our AI tool, we’ll include that information in a disclosure." CNET's apparent bullishness on AI (and its staff's wariness) also arrive against a backdrop of news organizations broadly looking to survive the technology's potential ill-effects. The New York Times and other media groups began preliminary talks this week to discuss AI's role in disinformation and plagiarism, as well as how to ensure fair compensation when authorship becomes murky.

The prior CNET Money Staff articles have since been updated to reflect the new editorial guidelines. Each is credited to "CNET Money" and also lists the name of a human editor; a disclosure appears at the beginning and end of the stories, reading "This article was assisted by an AI engine and reviewed, fact-checked and edited by our editorial staff." 

This sort of basic disclosure is neither difficult nor unusual. Including the provenance of information has been one of the core tenants of journalism since well before AI became advanced enough to get a credit on the masthead, and The Associated Press has been including such disclosures in its cut-and-paste-level financial beat stories for the better part of a decade. On the one hand much of the embarrassment around CNET's gaffe could have been avoided if it had simply warned readers where the text of these stories had come from at the outset. But the larger concern remains that, unlike AP's use of these tools, CNET seems poised to allow RAMP more freedom to do more substantive work, the bounds of which are not meaningfully changed by these guidelines.