Posts with «technology & electronics» label

How to share your location using an iPhone

Smartphones may mean never having to ask for directions, but it can still be tricky to relay exactly where you are at any given moment to friends and family trying to find you. iPhone users can share their current location using Messages, Apple Maps, Google Maps and Apple’s Find My app. While Apple makes it easiest to share locations with other iPhone users, there are a number of ways to send your position to someone who uses an Android device as well. We covered four different methods in the steps below, along with a way to share from your Mac and how to stop sharing your location when you need to.

How to share your location using Messages

This might be the easiest method, as you’re probably already texting the person with which you want to share your location. To text someone exactly where you are, follow these steps:

1. Open a conversation in Messages and tap the recipient’s name/image at the top of the screen.

2. Tap Send My Current Location.

3. A map thumbnail of your location will immediately appear in your conversation.

Amy Skorheim / Engadget

If your recipient has an iPhone and they tap the map, an info screen will open with an option to get directions via Apple Maps. If your recipient does not have an iPhone, they will receive an Apple Maps link that will open in their browser.

If you want to share your location for a longer period of time:

1. Tap on your recipient’s name/image in your Messages conversation.

2. Tap on Share My Location.

3. Choose Share for One Hour, Share Until End of Day or Share Indefinitely (which remains active until you turn sharing off).

Amy Skorheim / Engadget

4. They will receive a notification that you are sharing your location with them and you will be added to their Find My app.

Just keep in mind that this only works with other iPhone users.

How to quickly share your home address in Messages

If you have your address saved under your own contact, you can send your home address via Messages by typing the words “my address is” Messages will auto-suggest your home address to fill in. This also sends your address as a link your recipient can tap on to open their default map app.

How to share your location using the Find My app

Find My lets you locate your Apple devices as well as other iPhone users. The app is a combination of two former Apple offerings, Find My iPhone and Find My Friends. As you may expect, this also only works with other iPhone users.

  1. Tap on the Find My app from your home screen.

  2. Tap on People on the bottom left.

  3. Tap the + symbol at the top of the list of contacts.

  4. Select Share My Location from the pop-up box.

  5. Type the name of the person you want to share your location with. Note that only your contacts with iPhones or email addresses will appear.

Amy Skorheim / Engadget

6. Tap the name of the contact and tap send. Select whether you want to share for an hour, the rest of the day or indefinitely until you turn location sharing off.

7. You’ll receive a pop up box that says you’ve started sharing your location and your recipient will receive a notification that you’ve shared your location with them and your information will appear in their Find My app.

A note about satellite location sharing

Currently, all iPhone 14 models have the ability to both message with emergency services and share your location when you are outside of cellular coverage areas. That means you can send your location via the Find My app even when you are off the grid. You can read more about the limitations and other factors in Apple’s press release.

How to Share your location using Family Sharing

Family Sharing is an Apple service that allows you to share things like subscriptions, media purchases and photo albums with up to five people in your family. This is also another way to let your family know where you are.

  1. Go to Settings then tap your Apple ID, iCloud+, Media & Purchases button at the top.

  2. Tap on Family Sharing.

  3. Choose the friends or family members you want to use Family Sharing with from the list (note that Family sharing only works with other iPhones).

  4. Tap the blue arrow to send. Your recipients will receive a text invitation to join Family Sharing.

Amy Skorheim / Engadget

5. Once you are sharing with someone, you can enable Location Sharing at the bottom of the Family Sharing menu (Settings > Apple ID > Family Sharing).

6. Tap on Location Sharing at the bottom of the screen. 

7. You’ll see an information panel about Family Sharing and your location. Tap Share Location. 

8. The next time you tap Location Sharing from the Family Sharing menu, you’ll be directed to a screen that allows you to toggle location sharing on and off.

Amy Skorheim / Engadget

9. People who are connected with you through Family Sharing (provided you have location sharing toggled on) will be able to see you in the Find My app and in your profile panel in Messages.

How to share your location using Google Maps

You can also share your whereabouts directly from the apps that many people use for navigation. To send a location via Google Maps, you’ll need to be logged in with your Google account within the Maps app. Once you’ve logged in, follow these steps to start location sharing:

  1. Open the Google Maps app on your iPhone.

  2. Tap on your account image in the upper right corner.

  3. Tap Location sharing.

  4. You’ll see a location sharing information panel. Tap the Share Location button.

Amy Skorheim / Engadget

5. From here, you can choose to share with your contacts from within Google by selecting a duration and the icon of the person you want to share with. Your recipient will receive a Google Maps notification (provided they have Google Maps installed and notifications turned on for that app). They will also receive an email with a link to view your location on Google Maps.

6. Alternatively, you can tap More Options below your contacts to share your location with a link.

7. You’ll see a pop-up window asking if you want to share with a link. Tap Share. 

8. Select from the suggested contacts (the small icon at the lower right of each contact’s image indicates which method will be used to send the link). Or select an app, such as Messages or Gmail to open those apps and enter your contact’s information.

9. Your contact will receive a link via the method you chose. When they tap the link it will take them to the Google Maps app (if they have it installed) or to Google Maps within the browser.

Amy Skorheim / Engadget

How to share your location using Apple Maps

If you prefer using Apple Maps for navigation, here’s how to use the app to send your location details:

  1. Open Apple Maps

  2. Tap the arrowhead icon to center the map on your current location.

  3. Drag up on the panel at the lower half of the screen.

  4. Scroll down to Share My Location and tap.

  5. Choose the person you want to share your location with from the suggestions menu or choose an app, such as Messages or Mail. You can add a comment if you want, and press the blue send arrow.

Amy Skorheim / Engadget

6. If you choose to send via Messages, your recipient will receive a map thumbnail of your location. If they tap that, it will open their Apple Maps app. If they don’t have Apple Maps, your location will open using Apple Maps in their browser.

How to share your location using a Mac

  1. Click Launchpad from the Dock.

  2. Open the Find My app.

  3. Click on Share My Location in the lower left corner.

  4. Type in the name of the person you want to share with. Similarly to the Find My app on an iPhone, the Find My app on a Mac can only share your location with other Apple devices.

Amy Skorheim / Engadget

5. Your recipient will receive a notification that you’ve shared your location with them and your information will appear in their Find My app.

Troubleshooting location sharing

If you’re having trouble sharing your location, make sure Location Services is on for the app you want to use.

  1. Go to Settings.

  2. Tap on Privacy & Security.

  3. Tap on Location Services.

  4. Make sure Location Services is toggled on.

  5. Ensure the app you want to use is set to While Using.

Amy Skorheim / Engadget

How to stop sharing your location

If you’ve shared your location for a duration of time through Find My, Family Sharing or Google Maps, you can stop sharing at any point. If you’ve shared using a one time link to your location, via Messages, Apple Maps or the link option in Google Maps, you can’t undo that action, just as you can’t unsend a text or an email.

  1. Via Find My: Open the Find My app and tap the name of the person you want to stop sharing with. Drag up on their info panel and tap Stop Sharing My Location.

  2. Via Family Sharing: Open Family Sharing by opening Settings and tapping your Apple ID panel at the top of the Settings menu. Tap Family Sharing then Location Sharing and toggle off Automatically Share Location.

  3. Via Google Maps: Open the Google Maps app and tap on your profile image at the top right. Tap Location sharing. You’ll see a list of people you’ve shared with. Tap the person you want to stop sharing with, then tap the Stop button at the bottom of the screen.

The Morning After: Twitter may have deliberately cut off third-party app access

Twitter appears to have deliberately cut off third-party clients from accessing its API. Since Thursday evening, many of the most popular apps that scroll Twitter without going through the company’s own software, including Tweetbot and Twitterrific, haven’t worked, with no official communication from Twitter. On Sunday, a report from The Information featured messages from Twitter’s internal Slack channels that suggested the company is aware of the outage – and is likely the cause of it. “Third-party app suspensions are intentional,” reads one message in a channel the company’s engineers use to fix service disruptions.

In the last 24 hours, Tweetbot briefly came back online, but then fizzled out again. Does Twitter really want us to reinstall its app or use it in our web browsers? Will this work, or will more of us just turn off Twitter entirely?

– 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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Leaked Galaxy S23 Ultra and Plus images reveal design details

Samsung will make the phones official on February 1st.

Nieuwe Mobile posted leaked images of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and S23 Plus. The alleged renders show the camera placement, colors and design of the new flagships, which Samsung is set to announce next month. There are, once again, lots of camera sensors. The Ultra’s back appears flatter than its predecessor’s and has five camera sensors. Additionally, three of the S23 Ultra’s lenses (likely the primary, ultra-wide and 10x telephoto cameras) are bigger than the others. According to rumors, the Ultra will have a 200-megapixel main camera, a first for the Galaxy lineup. (Standard and Plus models should have 50-megapixel cameras.)

Continue reading.

NVIDIA Broadcast will maintain eye contact even if you're looking away from the camera

The livestreaming tool lets you read your chat without looking distracted.

NVIDIA has updated its Broadcast software with a beta Eye Contact feature that, like Apple's FaceTime, fixes your gaze to keep it focused on your camera. It preserves your blinks and eye color and will even transition between digital and real eyes when you look far enough off-center. It’s not perfect: The developers caution there are "millions" of potential eye-color and lighting scenarios they can't test. It could, however, reduce the awkwardness of your first scripted video.

Continue reading.


England is banning the sale of some single-use plastics

The legislation targets plates, cutlery, trays and polystyrene cups, among other items.

England will ban businesses from selling and offering a variety of single-use plastics, including plates and cutlery, by the end of the year, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced on Saturday. In addition to some plastics, the ban will cover single-use trays and certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers but will exempt plates, trays and bowls included with supermarket ready-meals – the government intends to target those through a separate plan. The government will begin enforcing the legislation in October 2023.

Continue reading.

Amazon's latest sale knocks up to 43 percent off Fire tablets

Amazon is having an January sale on its 8- and 10-inch Fire HD tablets with some of the lowest prices we've seen. The all-new Fire HD 8 with a 30 percent faster processor is available for just $60 for a savings of 40 percent, and the 2022 Fire HD 8 Plus is on sale for $80 (33 percent off). The biggest discounts can be found on the 10-inch tablets though, with the Fire HD10 on sale for $85 (43 percent off) and the Fire HD Plus available for $105 (42 percent off). 

Shop Fire HD tablets at Amazon

The 2022 Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 8 Plus come with hexa-core processors that are 30 percent faster than the previous model, making them more responsive and better for streaming and other activities. At the same time, you get up to 13 hours of battery life for reading, web browsing, and music/video streaming. Both come with 32GB of storage (expandable via a microSD port), Alexa support, a 2-megapixel front camera and more. 

The Fire HD 8 Plus adds a bit more, including wireless charging, a 9W power adapter for faster charging, 3GB of RAM and a 5-megapixel rear camera with 1080p (it's 2-megapixels and 720p on the Fire HD 8). Otherwise, though, the specs are identical. As mentioned, the Fire HD 8 is on sale for $60, and you can grab the Fire HD 8 Plus for $80. 

If you need something bigger than 8 inches, a pair of 10-inch tablets are on sale as well. The Fire HD 10 gives you a lot of tablet for the money, including a 1080p display, 32GB of storage, 3GB of RAM, an octa-core battery, 2-MP front and 5-MP rear cameras and fast USB-C charging. It's on sale for $85, or 43 percent off the regular price — the second lowest we've seen. And finally, the Fire HD 10 Plus boosts those specs to 4GB of RAM, along with wireless charging and a fast 9W charger. It's on sale for $105, or $75 off the regular price.

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

Twitter's For You tabbed interface starts rolling out on desktop web browsers

Twitter’s “For You” tab, which debuted on iOS devices earlier this week, has begun rolling out to desktop web browsers. The new interface replaces the “sparkle” icon that previously allowed you to toggle between the platform’s algorithmically generated and reverse chronological feeds.

As The Verge notes, the For You tab is now the default view you see when you first visit Twitter after the update is available on your web browser. That said, the desktop version doesn’t appear to force you to stick with the For You feed like Twitter’s updated iOS app does. When I visited the website on my computer, I switched to the “Following” view and then closed the tab where I was viewing my feed. When I opened a new tab and navigated back to Twitter, the site defaulted to the Following view.

You can now easily switch between “For you” and “Following” on web. Android coming soon 👀

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) January 13, 2023

On Friday, Twitter said the new interface would roll out to Android devices “soon.” Twitter introduced a similar feature in 2022, only to abandon the idea days after a chorus of users complained they didn’t want the previously named Home feed imposed on them. However, at the end of last year, Musk tweeted that Twitter would move forward with the change. “Main timeline should allow for an easy sideways swipe between the top, latest, trending and topics that follow," he said at the time. "Twitter search nav already sorta does this after you search."

iRobot's Roomba Combo j7+ vacuum and mop is $200 off right now

If you need a little help keeping your home clean in the new year, a robot vacuum can help. It may not be an essential piece of tech, especially if you already have a decent vacuum, but it can make consistent cleaning much easier by letting you automate a portion of the process. Wellbots has a number of Roomba robot vacuums on sale right now, including the new Combo j7+, which is iRobot’s first vac-and-mop device. You can pick that up for $200 less than usual with the code ENG200 at checkout, while the standard Roomba j7+ and the s9+ are $200 off as well with the same code.

The Combo j7+ may be iRobot’s first dip into the two-in-one robo-vac space, but it joins a slew of other dual-use devices that have been on the market for a while. With this Roomba, you’ll have to fill its reservoir with water and cleaning solution whenever you want the machine to mop your floors during a job.

Thanks to iRobot’s latest technology, the Roomba will intelligently switch from vacuuming to mopping when it senses the appropriate type of flooring. In our brief time with the Combo j7+ thus far, we found it to be a solid cleaning machine made better by the controls you have in the iRobot mobile app. The most frustrating aspect is how frequently you may have to refill the reservoir, since it only takes 210 ml of liquid at a time.

If you don’t need mopping capabilities, the standard Roomba j7+ or the s9+ are good alternatives, especially when you can get them while on sale like this. Both come with clean bases, which allow the robo-vacs to automatically empty their dustbins after every job. You’ll only have to change the bag in the clean base every couple of months. Combine that with cleaning schedules that you can set in the mobile app and you may be able to leave your Roomba unattended as it sucks up dirt in your house, day in and day out, for weeks on end. The j7+ has obstacle avoidance technology that helps it detect things like pet poop and navigate around them as it cleans. The s9+, on the other hand, has the strongest suction power of any iRobot machine and it has a more corner-friendly design, too.

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

Leaked Galaxy S23 Ultra and Plus images reveal design details

The Dutch publication Nieuwe Mobile posted leaked images today of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and S23 Plus. The alleged renders show the camera placement, colors and design of the new flagships, which Samsung is set to announce next month.

The S23 Ultra and Plus appear to share a metal frame and glass cover design. Both models appear in four colors: Phantom Black, Cotton Flower (cream), Botanic Green and Misty Lilac (pink or lavender). Those line up with colors leaked this week by WinFuture, which should mean all S23 series models have the same color options. In other areas, the Ultra’s back appears flatter than its predecessor’s and has five camera sensors. Additionally, three of the S23 Ultra’s lenses (likely the primary, ultra-wide and 10x telephoto cameras) are bigger than the other two. The Ultra’s side buttons also sit slightly lower than those on its predecessor.

According to rumors, the Ultra will have a 200-megapixel main camera, a first for the Galaxy lineup. (Standard and Plus models should have 50 megapixels.) In addition, the Ultra is also rumored to have better autofocus and stabilization than its predecessor. Both phones are expected to run on Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipsets globally, a change from Samsung’s familiar strategy of using Snapdragon processors in the US and Exynos chips in Asia and Europe.

Samsung will announce all the details in its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 1st. However, the company has already opened reservations for Americans, offering $50 in credit if you pre-order one Galaxy smartphone or $100 in credit if you reserve it along with a Galaxy Book.

Google's Pixel 7 is on sale for $499, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

It's Friday, which means it's time for another roundup of the week's best tech deals. Today we're seeing good prices on Google's Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro phones, a couple of all-time lows on the 10.2-inch iPad and iPad mini and a sweeping sale on Nintendo Switch games, among other discounts on gadgets and gear we like. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.

We gave Google's Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro review scores of 90 and 92, respectively, last year, calling them "the best bargain in flagship phones" along the way. Both handsets are back on sale this week, with the 6.3-inch Pixel 7 down to $499 and the 6.7-inch Pixel 7 Pro available for $749. We've seen the phones hit these prices multiple times over the past year, and neither represents an absolute low, but they're still roughly $60 and $90 lower than the average street price we've seen in recent months. 

Either way, you're getting top-notch cameras, pleasing build quality and a clean version of Android with regular updates, though there are faster flagships out there for more money. If you're on a tighter budget, the 6.1-inch Pixel 6a is smaller, lacks the Pixel 7's faster refresh rate and has a lesser camera, but it's otherwise similar enough to remain a strong value at its current sale price of $349.

For those who aren't totally overwhelmed by their gaming backlog, Nintendo is running a "New Year Sale" at its online store that includes a number of discounts on digital Switch games we like. Several of these deals are available at third-party retailers like Walmart and Amazon as well, if you're buying digitally and want to snag a few extra Gold Points toward future Nintendo store purchases. Walmart in particular looks to have a handful of games available for lower than Nintendo itself. 

Many Nintendo-published games either aren't included in the sale or not available for an all-time low — don't expect any major Mario or Pokémon deals — but the discounts do include a few picks from our guides to the best Nintendo Switch games and best couch co-op games, among others. The 2D platformer Celeste, for one, is down to a new low of $4, while the popular Metroidvania Hollow Knight is available for $7. Elsewhere, the relaxing farming sim Stardew Valley is down to $9, the gentle adventure Chicory: A Colorful Tale is discounted to $13, and the charming puzzler Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is on sale for $25. There are many more deals beyond those, though, so it's worth perusing through the selection if you're looking to add to your Switch library.

Apple's iPad mini is back down to $400 at Best Buy and Amazon, which matches the lowest price we've tracked. This is about $30 off the diminutive tablet's typical price in recent months and $100 off Apple's MSRP. We gave the mini a review score of 89 back when it launched in late 2021, and it remains the only real option if you specifically want a compact iPad, whether you have smaller hands or just want something easier to throw in a bag. It still looks and feels like a smaller iPad Air, and its A15 Bionic chip remains more than fast enough for streaming, e-book reading and web browsing. Just be aware that this SKU only comes with 64GB of storage, and that stock at Amazon has been dipping in and out for much of the week.

If you don't want to spend as much cash on a new iPad, though, the entry-level 9th-gen model is also on sale for a new all-time low of $250 at Amazon and Best Buy. That's $79 off Apple's MSRP and roughly $40 below the 10.2-inch tablet's average price on Amazon as of late. This is the budget pick in our guide to the best iPads, and our review gave it a score of 86 at launch. It has a more dated design and older A13 chip than the rest of Apple's iPad lineup, but it's still a massive step up over, say, Amazon's Fire HD tablets. At this price, it's easy to recommend if you use your tablet casually but don't want something that feels cheap.

The entry-level version of Apple's latest and greatest MacBook Air is once again available for $999, which is the lowest price we've seen. We gave the M2-powered Air a review score of 96 last year, and it's currently the top overall pick in our guide to the best laptops. For everyday use, it still ticks nearly all the boxes in terms of design, display, battery life and performance. This specific configuration does have slower storage performance than the higher-capacity models, but that shouldn't be a serious hindrance unless you plan on doing more involved tasks like media editing (at which point you should probably pony up for a pricier SKU anyway).

For a laptop better suited to gaming, meanwhile, Razer has discounted a number of its Blade 14 and Blade 15 notebooks. These devices come as a significant premium, and if you can wait a few months, it's worth remembering that Razer introduced new Blade laptops at CES last week. For those with money to burn, though, the current models still pack enough power to play modern games in a (relatively) slim and stylish design. 

We gave the Blade 15 a review score of 86 last year, and we currently recommend it as the "best premium" option in our guide to the best gaming laptops. A configuration with an RTX 3070 Ti GPU, a Core i7-12800H CPU, a 240Hz 1440p display, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD is down to a new "low" of $2,600, for instance, which is about $350 less than usual.

Amazon introduced a refreshed version of its Fire TV Cube back in September, but this week the media streamer received its first discount, dropping by $15 to a sale price of $125. Though it isn't a recommendation in our guide to best streaming devicesRoku's Streaming Stick 4K or Google's Chromecast offer much better value for most — the Fire TV Cube is worth considering if the idea of having hands-free Alexa functionality baked into your 4K streamer sounds appealing. It's technically the fastest of Amazon's Fire TV streamers, too, though you still have to deal with the usual glut of ads baked into Amazon's streaming UI, even with the higher upfront cost. 

If you're partial to Amazon services and want something more affordable, note that the Fire TV Stick 4K Max streamer is also on sale for $40, while the 1080p Fire TV Stick Lite is down to $25. We've seen better deals for both of those in the past, but they're still decent values if you need a streamer today.

A couple of wallet-friendly Bluetooth speakers we like from audio brand Tribit are even further discounted this week. The ultra-portable StormBox Micro 2, for one, is down to $51 with a 15 percent on-page coupon, while the XSound Go is available for $30 with a 20 percent coupon. Neither of these deals are all-time lows, and you shouldn't expect any miracles in terms of audio performance either way. Still, these are good buys if you just need a travel (or shower) speaker for less than $50. The StormBox Micro 2 is a pick in our best Bluetooth speakers guide due to its fuller-than-expected sound and built-in strap that helps it connect to backpacks or bike handlebars. The XSound Go offers generally similar performance and IPX7 waterproofing, just in a more traditional pill-shaped design. 

The Beats Fit Pro is still on sale for an all-time low of $160, which is a discount we saw for much of the holiday season but still comes in about $20 below the wireless earbuds' average street price of late.

We gave the Fit Pro a review score of 87 last year, and it's currently the "best for workouts" pick in our guide to the best wireless earbuds. It has an enjoyably bass-forward sound, and it brings many of the benefits you'd get from a set of AirPods — "Find My" tracking, hands-free Siri, simple pairing with other Apple devices, etc. — just in a smaller and sportier design. It doesn't totally sacrifice its features when paired with an Android phone, either. That said, its ANC is merely average compared to the AirPods Pro, there's no wireless charging and the included case is a bit chunky. Still, for those interested in new wireless workout earbuds, the Fit Pro is a fine option at this deal price.

Fitbit's Charge 5 is back down to $100, which is within a dollar of the wearable's all-time low. Again, this is the sale price we saw during the holidays, but it remains about $20 below the wearable's usual street price over the last few months. The Charge 5 is the top recommendation in our guide to the best fitness trackers, and it earned a review score of 82 at launch for its reliable activity tracking, built-in GPS and full-color OLED display. Just don't expect it to match an Apple Watch in terms of features and app support.

Sony is running a sale on the higher tiers of its PlayStation Plus service, discounting 3- and 12-month subscriptions to its "Extra" and "Premium" memberships between 30 and 40 percent, depending on which subscription you choose. The catch, unfortunately, is that the deal is only available to new PS Plus subscribers. Still, if you haven't signed up, you can get a year of PlayStation Plus Extra — which adds an on-demand library of a few hundred games to the standard Essential tier — for $60, which is a $40 discount. Given that a 12-month Essential plan normally goes for the same price, you're effectively getting access to the game library for no extra cost. 

The 12-month Premium plan, meanwhile, is on sale for $80; that tier probably isn't worth it to most, but if you want cloud streaming and a further selection of older games, it's an option. Either way, Sony says this sale is set to end on Friday.

While it's not a formal pick in any of our buying guides, Logitech's G305 Lightspeed is a worthy choice for those in need of a quality wireless gaming mouse for less than $50. It's on the smaller side, lacks Bluetooth and requires a AA battery for power, but its performance is smooth and consistent, and Logitech says it can get up to 250 hours of battery life per charge. It's on sale this week for $30, which is only about $7 below its typical street price but still within $2 of its all-time low.

If you can afford to take a step up or just want something more accommodating to larger hands, Razer's Basilisk Ultimate is also worth a shout at its current deal price of $70, which is about $30 below its usual going rate. It's technically been replaced, and its design is for righties only, but it has a wider range of customizable buttons and RGB lighting zones, as well as a comfy thumb rest. Its performance should still yield few complaints, and it can work over an included cable in a pinch. It also comes with a charging dock.

Garmin's Index S2 is the "best for athletes" pick in our guide to the best smart scales, and right now it's on sale for $130 at Amazon and Garmin's own online store. That's a $20 discount and tied for the lowest price we've tracked. To be clear, most people interested in a more advanced scale do not need to spend quite this much. We wish the display on this model was a bit faster, too. But for those who train consistently, we found the Index S2 to provide a wealth of useful data without being overly complicated to use. We also enjoy its sturdy and stylish design. If you want a more affordable scale, meanwhile, Fitbit's Aria Air is the budget pick in our guide and currently on sale for $40.

LG's C2 OLED TV is steeply discounted as part of a wider sale at eBay, with the 48-, 55-, and 65-inch models available for $838, $1,118 and $1,438, respectively, when you use the code NEWYEARTWENTY at checkout. Depending on which size you want, this is about $180 to $200 below the sets' typical selling price in recent months. Each listing here comes via Electronic Express, which LG lists as an authorized dealer.

LG unveiled its 2023 OLED TV lineup at CES, promising improvements to OLED's longstanding issues with maximum brightness along the way. If you don't place your TV in a particular bright room, though, the C2 still provides the kind of high contrast, vivid colors and wide viewing angles you'd expect from a high-end OLED panel. Do note, though, that we're likely to see steeper discounts on other still-decent sets from last year in the coming weeks as manufacturers look to clear out inventory before launching their newest models. Sony's well-reviewedX95K LED TV, for instance, is on sale for $200 less than usual.

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

NVIDIA Broadcast will maintain eye contact even if you're looking away from the camera

NVIDIA may have a solution if you've ever caught yourself reading chat during a livestream, or distracted by your notes during a video presentation. The company has updated its Broadcast software with a beta Eye Contact feature that, like Apple's FaceTime, 'fixes' your gaze to keep it focused on your camera. It preserves your blinks and eye color, and will even transition between digital and real eyes when you look far enough off-center.

The developers caution that Eye Contact isn't completely ready, as there are "millions" of potential eye color and lighting scenarios they can't test. You're encouraged to send feedback videos if the technology misbehaves.

Broadcast also has a new vignetting effect that will darken the outer edges of the frame. Existing Blur, Replacement and Remove Virtual Background effects should also be more accurate and reliable thanks to the addition of temporal data that helps the AI make smarter choices. Errors will be subtler, too. NVIDIA is even adding some simple but heavily-requested options to mirror the camera and take screenshots of the webcam.

The tool requires at least a GeForce RTX 2060 video card (or its Quadro equivalent) and 8GB of RAM. NVIDIA recommends at least a Core i5-8600 or Ryzen 5 2600 processor. The Eye Contact function may be uncanny at times — even the best presenters tend to look away now and then, so a constant gaze might be unsettling. This could improve your connection with your audience, though, and may be particularly helpful if you're uncomfortable staring directly at the camera.

The Morning After: Disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried started a newsletter

Sure, it may not sound like the spiciest headline, but Sam Bankman-Fried is in a weird place to be starting a Substack. He’s facing up to 115 years in prison if he’s convicted of federal fraud and conspiracy charges. And yet the embattled founder of collapsed crypto exchange FTX – who pleaded not guilty and is out on a $250 million bond while awaiting trial – figured it’d be a great idea to write about his perspective on the saga in a Substack newsletter.

In his first post, about the collapse of FTX International, Bankman-Fried (aka SBF) claims “I didn’t steal funds, and I certainly didn’t stash billions away.” SBF notes that FTX US (which serves customers in America) “remains fully solvent and should be able to return all customers’ funds.” However, he does not mention that FTX co-founder Zixiao "Gary" Wang and former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison pleaded guilty to fraud charges and are cooperating with prosecutors.

– 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.

The biggest stories you might have missed

 

Tesla drastically lowers EV pricing in the US and Europe

The Model Y Long Range sees a huge $20,500 drop including the Federal Tax Credit.

After steadily increasing prices over the past couple of years, Tesla has cut them drastically across its lineup in the US and Europe, in an apparent bid to boost sales. The least expensive EV, the Model 3 RWD, has dropped from $46,990 to $43,990, while the 5-seat Model Y Long Range fell 20 percent, from $65,990 to $52,990. That means, perhaps crucially, the latter model now qualifies for the $7,500 US Federal Tax credit for EVs.

Continue reading.

Apple's new AirPods Max and $99 AirPods could launch next year

They won't arrive until 2024 at the earliest, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Apple is working on an update to the AirPods Max headphones and developing an AirPods "lite" with a $99 target price, according to analyst Min-Chi Kuo. The new products won't be coming anytime soon, however, with a target release date for the more affordable AirPods no earlier than the second half of 2024. With the AirPods lite (or LE, or whatever Apple decides to call them), Apple would likely be trying to claw back some market share from the many cheap wireless buds on the market. The current AirPods 2 sell for $129, while the AirPods 3 cost $169. Neither offers active noise cancellation, while rivals from companies like Oppo have ANC for under $100.

Continue reading.

The best tablets for 2023

We’ve got picks for every ecosystem along with some more affordable options.

Engadget

Following the release of the 2022 Apple iPad Air and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 line last year, there hasn’t been much movement in the tablet world. Apple's latest tablet is the revamped 10.9-inch iPad, but at $449, it's more of an upgrade of, rather than an alternative for, the less expensive 10.2-inch iPad. Amazon launched revamped versions of its Fire HD 8 tablets. While the same company’s e-readers aren’t typically considered tablets, the new Kindle Scribe deserves some consideration thanks to its pen and support for handwritten notes. We break down all the options.

Continue reading.

National Transport Safety Board chair says EVs are getting too big and heavy

Bigger batteries may be dangerous in a collision.

In a keynote speech, the National Transport Safety Board NTSB (NTSBNational Transport Safety Board) chair, Jennifer Homendy, said she was worried the size and weight of modern EVs could increase the risk of serious injuries and death. A Hummer EV is over 9,000lbs, the board leader said, while electrified versions of vehicles like the Ford F-150 and Volvo XC40 are far heavier than their gas engine equivalents.

Continue reading.

Some third-party Twitter apps aren't working right now

Several third-party clients for Twitter are having issues communicating with the social network, leading to issues that prevent users from being able to log in. As TechCrunch reports, Tweetbot and Twitterific have both confirmed that they're having problems and are trying to find the root cause of the issue. "We've reached out to Twitter for more details, but haven't heard back," Tweetbot announced. 

Fenix has also confirmed that its client for Android is experiencing problems but that its iOS app seems to be unaffected. Matteo Villa, the app's developer, said Fenix for Android was suspended with no communication from the company. Villa tweeted a screenshot showing a notification that says Fenix "violated Twitter Rules and policies" and can no longer be accessed as a result. The developer has temporarily pulled the app from Google Play while trying to determine the cause. 

Tweetbot and other clients are experiencing problems logging in to Twitter. We’ve reached out to Twitter for more details, but haven’t heard back.

We’re hoping this is just a temporary glitch and will let you know more as soon as we know more.

— Tweetbot by Tapbots (@tweetbot) January 13, 2023

Twitpane has posted an announcement in Japanese that says users have been getting errors, such as "account authentication failed," that prevent them from being able to access the app. Other clients that seem to be experiencing issues include Echofon, Feather and Talon

Twitter has yet to issue an announcement through any of its official accounts. On the Twitter Developer forum, a poster said users have been encountering a lot of bugs with the Twitter API for third party apps since December. It's unclear what exactly has been preventing third-party apps from accessing the social network, and since Twitter no longer has a communications team, even the affected developers have yet to hear from the company directly.