I'm just so tired of all the poop. Now that I'm dealing with three cats, an 11-month old's diapers and potty time with my four-year old, I just needed some relief from mountains of excrement. Enter the Litter Robot 4, the latest iteration of Whisker's automated litter box (a product we initially covered in 2005!). It's a small, spaceship-looking device that automatically rotates after your cat does its business, separating waste into a storage bin and leaving the remaining clean litter behind. Instead of scooping a box daily (or several times a day for multi-cat households), you only need to yank out the Litter Robot's bin bag and replace it with a new liner once a week. Sounds like a dream, right?

Well, mostly. For one, it's an eye-watering $699, putting it out of reach for most cat owners. And like practically every "smart" device, I ran into issues while setting up the Litter Robot 4. After a few months of testing, I've encountered many quirks – sometimes it didn't sift properly, occasionally its cat detecting sensors went haywire, and it didn't really prevent litter from reaching my floors. Despite all of that, though, it still made my life easier. Thanks to the Litter Robot 4, I had to deal with animal poop just a bit less every day. I'll chalk that up as a win.

As a cat owner since 2009, I've always eyed self-cleaning litter boxes with envy. But almost every option seemed like a headache back then: Some required specialized litter, others were prone to jamming and failure. And even though the Litter Robot has been around for a while, I've always considered it too expensive to be practical. But now that my household has grown, thanks to that aforementioned poopy infant and a pair of adopted kittens, I was eager for some relief. (One of those kittens also grew into an enormous 18-pound beast – you can imagine what his litter box looks like.)

I know several people who loved the Litter Robot 3, and it was generally well-reviewed, despite being simultaneously bulky on the outside and a bit too small for cats on the inside. The Litter Robot 4 improves on its predecessor with a sleeker design (it's a bit less wide, so it should fit better in small rooms), as well as a larger opening for big cats. It's also Wi-Fi connected, which makes it easy for you to check on litter and waste levels with Whisker's app. Thanks to new weight sensors, you can track how often your cats are using the Robot, and the company is also planning to launch more individualized tracking later this year. In theory, that should let you know if one of your cats is using the litter box too often, or not enough.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Setting up the Litter Robot 4 was fairly easy – until I ran into some software issues. You just have to yank the 24-pound egg-like bot out of its box, dump some clumping litter into the main compartment, and throw an included bag in the waste bin. The device itself is made entirely out of plastic, making it fairly light and easier to maneuver. The inner portion where the litter sits is covered in a rubber-like material, which should make it fairly durable and easier to clean than hard plastic.

After plugging in and turning on the Litter Robot, though, I was faced with my worst fear with any new smart gadget: Pairing issues. Without being paired to the app, the Robot wouldn't self-clean at all. A few hours of frustration later, I learned that Whisker was having a system-wide issue and I had to wait a few days for the company to deliver a fix.

So it goes with smart devices, you might say. But it definitely felt silly (and a bit enraging) to be manually cleaning this $699 litter box. Without that initial connectivity, it was no better than the $20 litter tray my cats use upstairs. Once the app was set, the Robot ran through a cleaning cycle and evenly sifted the remaining litter. Upon seeing this new litter box move and make sounds (it's surprisingly quiet!), my three cats wouldn't go near it. At that point, it was just a $699 monument to pet excess.

A few days later, the bravest of the bunch — my 18-pound tuxedo cat named "Jiji" — finally jumped into the Litter Robot to explore. After several hops in and out, he deemed it safe and left his first offering, which was promptly cycled into the waste bin. The Litter Robot seemed pleased. Within a week, all of my cats were onboard. And around then, I noticed something strange: I couldn't smell any poop or pee! Sure, the Whisker app told me the waste bin was full, but you wouldn't know that while standing right in front of it. That's a good sign for anyone who wants to place the Litter Robot in a cramped living room.

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

My honeymoon period ended when one of my cats left a streak of feces inside the Robot. No amount of sifting and cycling got rid of that. Eventually, I started to notice some strange behavior from the device (perhaps in protest to what that cat did). Sometimes its indicator lights would flash red — a sensor fault, according to the Whisker app. The only way to fix that was by turning the unit on and off. Occasionally, the Robot wouldn't fully clean itself after one of my cats used it. So I had to hit the cycle button up top to get it going.

Over the course of a week, I typically have to deal with three of four issues like this from the Litter Robot. Few of those involve touching actual poop, and it's far less than I'd be cleaning a normal litter box. Still, for $699, I wish it were more reliable. I wouldn't trust it to work for an entire week if my family went on vacation. Just don't lose your cat sitter's number.

Cleaning out the Litter Robot's waste bin is a cinch — just yank out the liner bag and replace it with another. While you could stick with Whisker's products, I haven't had any trouble using Glad's 13-gallon ForceFlex bags. The company also recommends wiping down the Litter Robot's internals once a month, as well as refreshing the litter with an entirely new batch. That process isn't tough, but I found it easiest to accomplish by dragging the device outside. And yes, it also means you'll need to get your hands dirty a bit. There's just no escaping the poop.

Whisker's mobile app does a great job of alerting me when the waste bin is full, or when litter is running low. And it may sound strange, but I genuinely appreciate seeing how often my cats use the box. It's particularly helpful if one cat is feeling sick – going to the Robot frequently could be a sign of illness. The app also keeps track of your cat's weight, which could help you avoid over or under-feeding. (And of course, a big weight drop could be another health concern.)

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

After a few months of testing, only two of my cats continue to use the Litter Robot 4. Still, they use it frequently enough to fill up its waste bin every week. (We also have two normal litter boxes around the house for the lone renegade.) My one major annoyance, aside from all of those random errors, is the Litter Robot's open design. I'm aware it's something cats prefer, but it also leads to litter being strewn around the floor. Unfortunately, Whisker's bundled gate and front step for the Litter Robot don't really help much. If you do end up getting this thing, I'd suggest adding a litter mat up front, and be prepared to vacuum or sweep every few days.

The Litter Robot 4 is an extravagance, but it's one that tired cat owners may find useful. Just don't expect any miracles. You'll still need to watch out for errors, do some manual scrubbing and sweep up stray litter. The perfect self-cleaning litter box isn't here yet, but the Litter Robot 4 is as close as you'll get.

Now is a good time to go shopping if you're pining for Apple's most affordable tablet. Amazon is once again selling the 10.2-inch iPad with WiFi and 64GB of storage for $250, or $79 off. The discount makes it easier to justify if you're looking for a no-frills model for reading, video chats or TV marathons.

The 10.2-inch model remains our pick for the best budget iPad for a good reason: even at its normal price, it still delivers a lot of value for the money. It's still quick for everyday tasks, and very portable. It's also particularly appealing if you prefer wired audio — it's the only remaining iPad with a 3.5mm headphone jack. It can be a better deal than the 10th-generation iPad if you're unwilling to pay for an updated design.

There are reasons you may want to pay more, of course. The 10.2-inch iPad isn't as fast as other models, and doesn't have a USB-C port, the largest screen, cutting-edge cameras or the Smart Connector for advanced keyboards. Consider the iPad Air (including refurbished units) if you want a tablet that can handle some serious productivity. For casual uses, however, there's no need to splurge.

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How many times have you experienced this scenario? You go shopping online for a new shirt, speaker or other item. You click on the same one a few times and then decide against it. Suddenly every website you visit has an ad featuring that item, imploring you to reconsider. In an effort to create greater privacy online, Mozilla is now rolling out Total Cookie Protection (TCP) as the default setting on the Firefox app for Android after initially making it available for Firefox users on Windows, Mac, and Linux. 

So, what does TCP do? TCP ensures that your cookies aren't being shared across sites. Typically, third-party cookies collect information about you from across the internet to build your virtual identity. Data brokers then sell your information to businesses that will provide you with targeted ads.

Instead, with TCP, the cookies you create while browsing only belong to the site you're on. This feature limits companies from learning any information you enter or behavior you exhibit anywhere else on the internet. So, a store may know you looked for a blue laptop case in their online shop, but they won't know you also searched for size 11 shoes in another one. 

As part of today's Android update, Mozilla says it's also promoting its Firefox Relay protection to become a dedicated part of the app. Relay, which initially launched as an addon and provides users with email and phone number masks for online signups, comes with a limited free tier but requires a subscription to get the most from the service.

The WiFi 7 standard still isn't final, but that isn't stopping Netgear from making the technology available to the public. The company has launched its first WiFi 7 router, the Nighthawk RS700S, and it's clear the speed isn't the only draw. While the 320MHz channels promise up to 5Gbps on WiFi 7, the main allure may be the very low lag — Netgear claims "100x lower" latency that should help with gaming, VR and other timing-sensitive apps. You may not be in a rush to plug your PC into an Ethernet jack, then.

The tri-band router offers coverage up to 3,500sq. ft thanks in part to a new antenna design, and can handle up to 200 simultaneously connected devices. You can create a mesh network if you need to cover a large home. A 10Gbps WAN Ethernet port makes sure the RS700S can support the fastest home fiber connections, although Netgear curiously limits the four local Ethernet ports to 1Gbps. You'll have to use WiFi if you want to make the most of this hardware.

The Nighthawk RS700S arrives in the US in the second quarter of the year, and will cost a steep $700. You're paying for the privilege of being first. With that said, it costs less than Netgear's WiFi 6-based Orbi 860 two-pack despite much stronger performance in its (admittedly smaller) coverage area. If you're more interested in raw throughput than range, this may be the better value.

The greater issue is compatibility. Only a limited number of devices have the components needed to support WiFi 7, and the new format isn't enabled. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Galaxy S23 series is technically capable of WiFi 7, for example, but Samsung's phones officially support 'only' WiFi 6e. And while multi-gigabit internet service is becoming more commonplace, it's still rare enough that the RS700S' headroom may go unused. You're buying this router to future-proof your setup, not to realize any immediate speed gains.

Master & Dynamic debuted its first headphones, the MH40, in 2014. That wired set established the brand's lineage of vintage-inspired audio gear with designs that set itself apart from the competition. The company announced a wireless version in 2019, and today its back with another update to the MH40. This new 2nd-generation wireless model packs in updated drivers, longer battery life, improved microphone performance and customizable sound. What's more, it's available today in five color options, including the navy/silver combo pictured above. 

The company says new 40mm titanium drivers offer a blend of "crystal clear highs and full-sounding lows," describing the overall audio profile from these units as "more expansive." Updated compatibility with the M&D Connect app allows you to choose from "several" EQ presets if the stock tuning doesn't suit you. Master & Dynamic says you can expect up to 30 hours of listening on a charge now, up from 18 hours on the first MH40 wireless model. There's also a quick-charge feature that will give you six hours of use in 15 minutes. 

Master & Dynamic explains that an updated microphone setup is equipped with wind reduction, plus you can opt for Sidetone in the app which will allow you to hear a bit your own voice during calls. Lastly, Bluetooth 5.2 gives the new MH40 a range of up to 100 feet (30 meters) and the headphones support AAC, SBC and aptX Adaptive (up to 24-bit/96kHz). And no, there still isn't active noise cancellation (ANC) on these. For that feature, the company offers the pricey MW75.

One thing that hasn't changed is the overall design. The vintage, aviator-inspired aesthetic returns, blending aluminum, the company's trademark grille, a coated canvas headband and removable leather ear pads. The updated MH40 will cost you $100 more than the previous version though, as the company is selling this one for $399.

Last year, Elon Musk and T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert announced Coverage Above and Beyond, a joint initiative to bring Starlink satellite coverage to compatible T-Mobile phones and other devices. Less than a year later, during a panel at the Satellite Conference and Exhibition 2023, SpaceX VP Jonathan Hofeller said the company would "start getting into testing" its satellite-to-cell service this year.

Hofeller didn't elaborate on which phone carriers SpaceX was working with, but the timeline certainly tallies with Musk's original vision for the T-Mobile partnership. In August, Musk said Starlink V2 would launch in 2023 and " transmit directly to mobile phones, eliminating dead zones worldwide." T-Mobile said the eventual service would give the carrier "near complete coverage" of most of the US, including National Parks and mountain ranges. And maybe that one airport terminal where I never get a signal. We can dream.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

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The best Android phones for 2023

From budget to flagship, we have picks for every price range.

Engadget

Unlike the iOS ecosystem, where Apple is the only game in town, one of the best things about the Android phone market is all the choice. That said, when it comes time to upgrade, that wealth of options can make it difficult to choose the right handset for you. If you’re looking for a new phone and don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered with a selection of the best Android phones for every budget. Spoiler alert: the Pixel 6a is cheap and great.

Continue reading.

'The Last of Us' creators won't restrict 'Part II' to a single season

But will it be two or three seasons?

HBO

The first season of HBO’s The Last of Us wrapped up on Sunday night (read our thoughts on the finale right here), and the show's creators are already looking ahead to the challenge of adapting the second game. HBO swiftly greenlit a second season after the show became an immediate success, but that won't be enough to contain the events of The Last of Us Part II, as Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann confirmed to GQ. In the interview, Druckmann added: "It’s more than one season."

Continue reading.

Sony made a $600 point-and-shoot camera for the visually impaired

The viewfinder projects images directly onto a person’s retina.

Sony

Sony’s DSC-HX99 RNV is a camera kit designed for those with visual impairments. The system consists of a Sony point-and-shoot camera from 2018 and a viewfinder with a retinal laser projection system. The camera is a Cybershot DSC-HX99 with an 18-megapixel sensor and image stabilization. The HX99RNV kit will cost $600 this summer, so it won’t cost more than the DSC-HX99 camera on its own. In a show of support for the low-vision community, Sony says it’ll bear “the majority” of the cost to produce the device.

Continue reading.

Google’s latest feature drop brings faster Night Sight photos to the Pixel 6

Google is also bringing Magic Eraser and other features to older Pixels.

Night Sight, Google’s low-lit photography feature, is now faster for Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro users. The company chalks up the speed boost to “new and improved algorithms” for the Tensor chip inside the phones. Additionally, the company says Magic Eraser is now available on all Pixel handsets. The highly marketed feature scrubs unwanted people or objects from photos, filling in the backgrounds behind them (usually) seamlessly. It was previously a Pixel 6 exclusive.

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So this is apparently what the Google Pixel 7a will look like. Vietnamese website Zing News (via The Verge) has shared photos of what it says is a prototype of the upcoming midrange phone that programmers were using as a test device. After its owner leaked photos of it online, Google reportedly locked the phone remotely, but not before they were able to check that it was running Android 13 and had a 90 Hz screen option in the Settings app. They were also able to confirm that the device has 8 GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

As you can see, the phone comes with a camera bar like its predecessors, but it's metal with a matte finish unlike the Pixel 6a's glass bar and the Pixel 7's polished aluminum one. It seems to have two 12-megapixel cameras — one standard and one super wide angle — like the Pixel 6a, as well.

The case itself is composed of two glass sides with a metal frame that has cutouts for the speakers and the USB-C charging port at the bottom. Along its edges, there's a slot for the SIM tray that can accommodate a single physical SIM card. The owner, who reportedly purchased the device from an acquaintance, wasn't able to confirm whether it has eSIM support. On the front with with its screen switched on, it's easy to see that it still has the 6a's thick bezel and a rather large front cam cutout. 

These new images and details confirm information from previous leaks, which included renders that showed a phone that looks similar to the Pixel 6a. Older photos also showed a device with a "Smooth Display" capability, allowing users to adjust its refresh rate from 60Hz to 90Hz, which is a first for the A-series line.

Google has yet to announce the Pixel 7a, but it has historically introduced its Pixel A devices at its annual I/O event. This year, the keynote for the developer conference will take place on May 10th. 

With its durable design and high-end features, the Apple Watch Ultra is is one of the best wearables for sports and outdoors enthusiasts — but at $800, it's not cheap. If you've been waiting for a deal, it's now on sale at Amazon for just $730 with an instant rebate, or $70 (9 percent) off, matching the best deal we've seen to date. 

The Apple Watch Ultra is truly built for outdoor activity. It offers refined navigation and compass-based features, like the ability to set waypoints and ability to retrace your steps if you get lost. For scuba enthusiasts and others, there's a depth gauge and dive computer too. As such, it's the ideal wearable for hikers and divers.

Other features are geared toward endurance athletes, like the accurate route tracking and pace calculations that make use of a dual-frequency GPS. And Apple still includes the health features found in other Watch models too, like sleep tracking, temperature sensing and electrocardiogram readings, along with messaging, audio playback and Apple Pay. It offers a stellar 36 hours of battery life as well and up to 60 hours in low-power mode.

On the downside, the Apple Watch Ultra has a chunky (though rugged) case that you may not find comfortable to wear to bed. Moreover, the positioning of the action button is a little awkward, because it's right where many people will go to steady the Apple Watch Ultra with one finger while they press the digital crown or side button. Still, it garnered an excellent score of 85 in our review.

That $730 sum is still a lot, but Amazon has some other deals too. If you need a solid smartwatch that's only missing a few features, the Watch SE is still on sale at an all-time low price of $219. Plus, Apple's mainstream Watch Series 8 continues to have a nice 18 percent discount, letting you pick one up for $329. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Last summer, Elon Musk and T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert announced "Coverage Above and Beyond," a joint initiative that aimed to bring Starlink satellite coverage compatible T-Mobile devices. Now, SpaceX is getting ready to begin testing its satellite-to-cellular service.

During a panel at the Satellite Conference and Exhibition 2023, SpaceX VP of Starlink enterprise sales Jonathan Hofeller said the company had plans to "start getting into testing" its satellite-to-cell service this year. "We're going to learn a lot by doing — not necessarily by overanalyzing — and getting out there, working with the telcos."

Hofeller didn't specifically say which Telco SpaceX was working with, but the timeline certainly lines up with Musk's original vision for the T-Mobile partnership. In August, he promised that Starlink V2 would launch in 2023 and would "transmit direct to mobile phones, eliminating dead zones worldwide." At the time T-Mobile said the service would give the carrier "near complete coverage" of most of the United States, specifically highlighting areas that are notoriously difficult to find a signal: National Parks, mountain ranges, deserts and other remote locations.

Either way, the panel seemed optimistic about the future of sat-to-cell technology. Lynk Global CEO Charles Miller said that satellite cellular service has the potential to be the "biggest category in satellite," and Iridium CEO Matt Desch sees cellular satellite service as just the beginning. "Satellite should connect everything everywhere," he said at the event, imagining the technology connecting to computers, vehicles and more.

With models like the A7R V and A7S III, Sony is known for pushing camera technology to the bleeding edge. With its newest release, however, the company isn’t touting the capabilities of its latest sensor or autofocus system. Instead, it’s a device that’s about making photography accessible to those who couldn’t enjoy the hobby before.

Announced today, the DSC-HX99 RNV is a camera kit designed for those with visual impairments. The system consists of two parts: a Sony point and shoot and a viewfinder with a retinal laser projection system. The camera is a Cybershot DSC-HX99. First released in 2018, the HX99 features an 18-megapixel backside illuminated sensor with built-in image stabilization and a 24mm to 720mm zoom lens.

Sony

As for the viewfinder, it’s a Retissa Neoviewer from Japan’s QD Laser. It projects a digital image from the camera directly to the retina of a user. Sony notes the technology won’t work for everyone, but for those who it does, the viewfinder will allow them to use the HX99 to see faces, read signs and capture photos and videos. “The laser retinal projection of Retissa Neoviewer is a completely new technology that has been put to practical use for the first time in the world,” according to Dr. Mitsuru Sugawara, the president and CEO of QD Laser.

The HX99RNV kit will cost $600 when it arrives this summer. That means it won’t cost more than a DSC-HX99 on its own. In a show of support for the low-vision community, Sony says it will bear “the majority” of the cost to produce the device. That said, the kit will only be available directly through Sony, and the company will limit purchases to one per person. Sony also plans to work with American and Japanese schools to provide the device to low-vision individuals.