Google has outlined how it will update smartwatches to the Samsung-influenced Wear OS revamp, and we'll be frank: it's not great news for many users. Now called Wear OS 3, the opt-in update (more on that in a moment) will be available in "mid to second half" 2022, and then only for a handful of watches.

You'll need one of Mobvoi's more recent TicWatch models (E3, Pro 3 Cellular/LTE or Pro 3 GPS) or one of the new Fossil watches arriving later in 2021. In other words, you'll be stuck if you bought a 2020 TicWatch, a Fossil Gen 5, the revived Moto 360 or any other Wear OS watch. Google is still promising current owners "new app experiences" like the Play Store update, not to mention security updates for at least two years after release. Still, that leaves many devotees without a path to Wear OS 3 short of buying new wristwear.

The update will also be opt-in for a reason. The "extent of changes" in Wear OS 3 will require that you reset your watch to factory settings — not surprisingly, Google wants to ask nicely before wiping your device. While this reset won't be as huge a setback as it would be if it were your phone, you'll want to think carefully before moving forward.

The hardware cutoff isn't a complete shock. Many Wear OS watches on the market are using the three-year-old Snapdragon Wear 3100, and even the much-improved Wear 4100 has been around since 2020. Google might have needed to limit Wear OS 3's features to support aging processors. Whatever the rationale, this could result in a bumpy Windows Phone 8-style transition where existing owners have to make difficult choices about when (or if) they replace their devices.

Apple is clearly determined to pump up TV+ viewership now that more Ted Lasso is on the way, including on other platforms. PlayStation 5 owners now get six months of free Apple TV+ service, whether they're newcomers or existing subscribers (except for Apple One members). That's quite the lengthy trial — even Apple device buyers only receive three months before they have to start paying.

There are a few catches. You'll have to redeem the offer through the PS5, and you'll have to remember to cancel if you don't want to pay $5 per month once the half-year is over. The promo is only available until July 22nd, 2022 in qualifying countries (including most of the Americas, Europe and Asia). And of course, this won't help much if you're a PS4 owner who won't (or can't) upgrade.

The offer might be well-timed all the same. This will clearly help if you're eager to watch Ted Lasso's second season, but it will also make sure you can watch The Morning Show season two, Foundation and other big Apple TV+ premieres at no charge. Apple's hope, of course, is that you'll be so enamored with that content that you'll be ready to pay when that trial finally runs out.

Have you ever seen a musician's GIF and heard the song in your head? You won't have to leave things to the imagination for much longer. Spotify and Giphy have partnered to effectively give GIFs a soundtrack. Find an artist's GIF on their official Giphy channel and you can tap a "listen on Spotify" button to visit that artist's Spotify page. The hope, of course, is that you'll be inspired to stream a hot new album after watching a looping animation.

A handful of artists are already using the Spotify-Giphy tie-in, including Doja Cat, The Weeknd and Nicki Minaj. You'll find it both on the web and in Giphy's mobile app.

This is ultimately about translating GIF views into money for artists. Stars may be more likely to share clips from their latest music videos if they know they'll get more plays for their latest tracks. Even so, it might be helpful if a GIF gives you an earworm that won't go away until you stream a song and get it out of your system.

Authorities are still cracking down on participants in the July 2020 Twitter celebrity hacks. Spanish National Police have arrested UK citizen Joseph O'Connor at the US' request over his alleged involvement in compromising over 130 Twitter accounts. Officials didn't detail how O'Connor contributed to the campaign, but O'Connor has also been charged with hijacking TikTok and Snapchat accounts as well as cyberstalking a "juvenile" victim.

O'Connor faces a total of ten charges, including six related to unauthorized computer access, two for cyberstalking and one each for extortion and threats.

The Twitter hacks compromised accounts for a wide range of companies and personalities, including Apple, Uber, Elon Musk and eventual US President Joe Biden. The attackers apparently used social engineering to gain access to internal Twitter tools and promote a Bitcoin scam. It didn't take long for police to arrest the claimed mastermind, teen hacker Graham Ivan Clark, who later pled guilty to 30 charges.

O'Connor's arrest won't topple a criminal organization as a result. However, it's evident that US authorities want to send a message to would-be social media hackers — those perpetrators are risking serious charges, even if they're not primarily responsible for the attacks.

Google is apparently learning a hard lesson about the importance of accurate writing. Android Police reports that Google has pulled a briefly available Chrome OS update that broke logins for Chromebook users, apparently due to a simple typo. The company appears to have added a second "&" to a line of code, preventing the OS from decrypting login info and effectively locking updated users out of their systems.

The issue not only prevented some users from signing in, but started bootloops (where the system keeps restarting). At least one system required a recovery USB stick to return to a working state. While Chrome OS thrives on cloud syncing, some people still lost important files.

Google has pinpointed the problem and should deliver a fixed update today (July 21st). Still, it's not clear how such a conspicuous flaw slipped through the testing process. If nothing else, it's a reminder about the importance of backups — it only takes one buggy update to create chaos, whether you're using a Chromebook or any other device.

Uber's grocery deliveries will soon include Costco's bulk-sized foodstuffs, provided you live in the right state. The internet giant is launching a pilot that will deliver Costco groceries from 25 warehouses in Texas, with seven more locations available in the "coming weeks." Uber and Uber Eats app users will initially find the option available in Austin, Dallas and Houston.

You'll need to place at least a $35 order, and you'll have to pay for delivery unless you're an Uber Pass or Eats Pass member. A virtual storefront in the Uber and Uber Eats apps will focus on your "favorite" essential items.

This is Uber's first experiment with an American food wholesaler. It's not certain if the pilot will translate to a full-fledged expansion, but it would represent a major move if so. While Uber recently doubled the scale of its US grocery deliveries with over 400 new cities, a larger team-up with Costco would improve the depth of that service — you'd have more shopping choices, particularly if you need to make large orders.

Venmo has grown into much more than a simple payment platform, and the company has redesigned its app to reflect that. The company has introduced a revised app for Android and iOS that focuses not just on its budding social element, but on plugging the rapidly ballooning list of new features. Venmo has tossed the global feed in favor of a friends feed that shows what's happening with your close connections.

The new bottom navigation section, meanwhile, is built to expose features you might not have considered before. A Cards button plugs both credit and debit options, while a dedicated Crypto button unsurprisingly invites you to start cryptocurrency trading.

There is a strictly practical improvement. You now get a "complete" view of your wallet, activity and settings through your personal feed. Venmo is also eager to point out recent privacy upgrades, although those won't change much with the redesign. New payment types and widened purchase protections unveiled last month should start rolling out this week, too.

It may take a few weeks for the refreshed Venmo app to reach your device. It's too soon to say if the interface changes will be more helpful to you or to Venmo. There's little doubt they reflect the firm's shifting priorities, though — money transfers represent just one part of a larger strategy to handle as much of your financial life as possible.

Blue Origin just joined the ranks of private companies that have taken people to space. Jeff Bezos' outfit has successfully completed its first crewed spaceflight, taking Bezos, his brother, Wally Funk and paying customer Oliver Daemen beyond the Kárman line (62 miles) before their capsule returned to the desert. The New Shepard rocket also touched down in what appeared to be a picture-perfect landing.

Developing...

Apple Arcade is expanding its game selection, and it once again includes a mix of brand new (if familiar) originals and well-established classics. The all-you-can-play service will "soon" add Tetris Beat, an Arcade original from N3twork that blends Alexei Pajitnov's line-clearng puzzles with rhythm game elements. The more you keep to the rhythm, the larger your combos get. The soundtrack includes well-known names like Alison Wonderland and Hannah Diamond, among others, so you might enjoy it just for the music.

The other upcoming title, Monster Hunter Stories (below), will be more than a little familiar — it's a years-old adaptation of the turn-based Capcom RPG that made its debut on the 3DS. The game flips the usual premise on its head by making you a "rider" that forms ties with some monsters rather than hunting them down.

Capcom

Two more veteran games will join the mix. Halfbrick's Jetpack Joyride makes the endless runner (flier?) available without worrying so much about in-app purchases, while Neko Atsume offers serene cat collecting as a foil to the other, more frantic games in the collection.

As before, Apple isn't counting on any one game to draw you to Arcade. Like past additions, these latest entries are more about making a stronger overall case for Apple's $5 per month service — you might be more likely to sign up (or get it as part of an Apple One bundle) if you know titles like Tetris Beat and Monster Hunter Stories are just a quick download away.

Ubisoft isn't pinning all its Tom Clancy game strategy on Rainbow Six Extraction. The company is revealing a new Tom Clancy game at 2PM Eastern, and you can watch the premiere here through the video below. The company didn't say much in advance beyond calling it a "wild" experience, but a brief clip (also below) has already spoke volumes about what to expect.

For a start, this doesn't appear to be The Division Heartland. Instead, this would be a competitive team multiplayer shooter that looks like it's set in The Division's take on New York City, complete with killstreaks and an escort objective. It's not necessarily piggybacking on existing hot games like Valorant, but we also wouldn't count on a completely original take. This is the company that belatedly hopped on the battle royale bandwagon with Hyper Scape, after all.

Ubisoft had hinted that multiple The Division-related games were in the pipeline. In that regard, this mystery title is just one part of a much larger planned wave. It's just a question of whether or not these early projects will be popular enough to justify the rest.