Google is updating its Nest Hub displays with a new feature that displays the air quality index (AQI), Android Central has reported. The feature will appear on the weather widget, showing a numeric ranking from 0 to 500 and color coding from green (good) to maroon (hazardous). Google is taking the data from the US government's AQI site used by the EPA to monitor air quality across the US. 

Along with the AQI index and colors in the weather widget, Nest display owners can also ask Google Assistant for air quality information by saying "what's the air quality near me" or something similar. You can also ask Assistant to give alerts when the air quality your location drops to unsafe levels, a feature that could be handy for folks with respiratory problems. 

The feature is rolling out as wildfires rage across the western United States, particularly in Oregon and California. "Between wildfire season and recent increased efforts to reduce air pollution, it’s more important than ever to know about the air quality in your area," Google said in a Nest community update. 

The update will be rolling out in select markets "over the coming weeks," hopefully in those regions affected by wildfires and smoke. In our review, we called the $100 Nest Hub (2nd generation) "a great smart display and mediocre sleep tracker." 

Zoom has unveiled a new feature called Focus Mode designed to keep students from distracting each in virtual classrooms. When activated, it allows the teacher to see all the students, but each student can only see the teacher or host. That way, a teacher could activate it during lectures to minimize distractions and then turn it on for class discussions. 

On top of seeing the teacher, students will also see their own video and any presentations, along with the names of other students and emoji reactions. With the setting turned off, students can see all the other students and their reactions, as shown below. 

Zoom

The app appears to be available on any Zoom desktop client, presumably including free versions. That could also make it useful for family gatherings, small business meetings and other situations where you might need to keep distractions to a minimum (or provide space for people less comfortable with showing their face on camera). If you want to make the setting mandatory for all users in your account, you can lock it. 

The feature arrives as the new school year approaches with the threat of COVID-19 and particularly the Delta version potentially keeping students out of schools. On top of the Focus mode, Zoom also detailed some back-to-school tips to make distance learning work better, with suggestions like checking your internet connection, creating a learning space and learning about lighting and other app features. 

With the launch of Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 series and Google's new Wear OS version, Spotify has introduced a significant update to its Wear OS app, the company announced. Much like a feature it added to its Apple Watch app last May, Spotify's updated Wear OS app will let you stream and download music straight to your watch, so you can listen to it without the need for a smartphone or even a connection. 

"In the coming weeks, Spotify users will be able to play their favorite playlists, albums, and podcasts with their smartwatches that run Wear OS," the company wrote on its blog. "By having Spotify on your wrist, you’re more free to run, dance, shop, cook, and socialize—and control your music and podcasts at the same time. Plus, we’re excited to unveil one of the most requested features by our users: the ability to download all of your favorite music and podcasts to your smartwatch."

Spotify noted that the update will arrive on smartwatches from Fossil, Mobvoi and Suunto, along with Samsung's latest devices. It should also work on older watches too, as Spotify notes that it "requires your smartwatch to run at least Wear OS 2.0 or higher."

Once you have the latest app on your Wear OS watch, you'll need to have headphones paired directly to your watch. From there, you can stream music, playlists and podcasts directly with no need for a phone. You can also choose content to download directly to your watch, and once that's done, you'll see a green arrow next to the items. Spotify said the new version would be rolling out "in the coming weeks." 

Criterion has unveiled its first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases with a six-film slate that includes Citizen Kane, Menace II Society, The Piano, Mulholland Dr., The Red Shoes, and A Hard Day’s Night. The new releases will give film buffs a chance to see some of these films with the highest detail ever, even during their theatrical runs. 

Criterion notes that Orson Welles's 1941 masterpiece Citizen Kane was its first laserdisc release 37 years ago. "It now rejoins the library after a long absence, making its first appearance in 4K Ultra HD," Criterion wrote in its blog. The other releases represent an eclectic variety of periods ranging from the 1940s with The Red Shoes, 1960s (Hard Day's Night) to the '90s and aughts with Menace II Society, Mulholland Drive and The Piano)

Each title will come in a combo pack that includes both 4K UHD and 1080p Blu-ray versions, along with Criterion's popular special features about each film. Some films will also be available in Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos, though Criterion has yet to say which. 

Criterion's new 4K UHD releases will likely represent the best way to watch classic films at home. If you don't need the super pristine quality, however, it launched the Criterion streaming service in 2019 and now offers over "1,000 important classic and contemporary films," according to the site. 

Medium has announced changes to its Partner Program, offering writers extra incentives for referring new subscribers. At the same time, it's making it more difficult for contributors to join the Partner Program based on follower numbers and other criteria, the platform announced yesterday. 

When Medium launched its Partner Platform, it used a Netflix-like model that let subscribers access all content for $5 per month of $50 per year. Contributors would then get paid based on how much time members spent reading their content — if a member spent 10 percent of their time on one writer's work, that writer would get 10 percent of the subscriber's payments. At the same time, if a reader converted to a paying member within 30 days of reading a writer's work, the writer would credit for that time. 

Under the new model, writers in the Partner Program will have a personalized referral landing page. If a reader purchases a subscription via a writer's page, the writer will get half the fee for the entire life of the subscription — minus payment processing fees. So, for every 100 members who sign up via a partner's referral landing page, that partner will make $201 per month. 

You can leverage your landing page however you’d like: share it on social platforms, link to it on Medium post pages, or include it on your profile. Directing your readers to this page is completely optional.

At the same time, when a non-paying reader subscribes to a writer's email, they'll automatically be given the option to convert to a Medium member. If they do, that will count toward the writer's referral earnings. 

Medium noted that subscriber referral earnings will be in addition to Partner Program earnings based on member read time. Presumably, however, there would be less money to go around from referred subscribers, since half their revenue would be going to the referring partner. 

At the same time, Medium has made it a bit more difficult to become a partner. Going forward, writers must have at least 100 follower and one published Medium story. Even if you meet all those requirements, you might lose your status if you don't publish anything within a six month period. Existing partners will retain their status until the end of 2021, and if they haven't reached the requirements at that point, they'll be removed.  

Medium's new model appears to be a response to Substack in particular, which pays writers based on their paid subscriber totals. Substack is more generous to individual writers, taking just 10 percent of their revenue compared to the 50 percent for medium, according to TechCrunch. Unlike Substack, though, Medium readers get access to everything on the platform, not just a single writer's work. 

Apple has settled its 2019 lawsuit with Corellium, a company that build virtual iOS devices used security researchers to find bugs in iPhones and other iOS devices, the Washington Post has reported. The terms of the settlement weren't disclosed, but the agreement comes after Apple suffered a major court loss in the dispute in late 2020.

Corellium’s software allows users to run virtual iPhones on a computer browser, giving them deep access to iOS without the need for a physical device. In addition to accusing Corellium of infringing on its copyright, Apple said the company was selling its product indiscriminately, thereby compromising the platform’s security.

Specifically, Apple accused the company of selling its products to governments that could have probed its products for flaws. When he was employed by another company, Corellium co-founder David Wang helped the FBI unlock an iPhone used by a terrorist responsible for the San Bernardino attacks. 

However, a judge dismissed the copyright claims, calling them "puzzling, if not disingenuous." He wrote in his ruling that “the Court finds that Corellium has met its burden of establishing fair use," adding that its use of iOS in that context was permissible. 

Corellium started offering its platform to individual subscribers earlier this year, after previously only making it available to enterprise users. Each request for access is vetted individually so that it won't fall into the wrong hands for malicious purposes, according to the company. 

T-Mobile has launched a pilot offering fiber optic home internet service in New York City, according to a report from T-Mo confirmed by The Verge. It's testing the service in select Manhattan residential buildings, offering 940Mbps upload and download speeds along with a WiFi 6 router, according to the company's new fiber product page. 

It's using a third-party provider's fiber rather than its own lines and running the program on a "very limited pilot," the company told The Verge. It added that it would offer more information "when and if" it rolls out more widely. 

The fiber service is being marketed alongside T-Mobile's 5G wireless home internet launched in April. T-Mobile said that service would deliver average download speeds greater than 100Mbps for most new customers, with a minimum 50Mbps speeds. The service is available for around $60 per month to 30 million Americans across 49 states (not including Alaska), and the company recently told investors it was on track to sign 500,000 customers by the end of 2021. 

The fiber offering is a new twist, though it's not clear how widespread T-Mobile plans to go with it. We've also yet to learn pricing, but rival Verizon charges around $80 per month for similar speeds with its Fios service. 

Instagram has introduced new features called Limits and Hidden Words designed to reduce hate and abuse on trending posts, the company announced. The update is designed to protect its users, particularly creators and public features, from seeing harassing, racist, homophobic and sexist content in comments and DM requests. 

The new Limits feature, available starting today, will allow all users to hide comments and DM requests from users who either don't follow them or only recently started following them. On top of that, the app will issue "an even stronger warning" and halt posting immediately if someone tries to publish an offensive content — rather than waiting for a repeat offense as before. 

"Creators also tell us they don’t want to switch off comments and messages completely; they still want to hear from their community and build those relationships," said Instagram head Adam Mosseri in a blog post. "Limits allows you to hear from your long-standing followers, while limiting contact from people who might only be coming to your account to target you." 

Instagram said that it developed the features following racist abuse directed at UK footballers in their direct messages. "Our research shows that a lot of negativity towards public figures comes from people who don’t actually follow them, or who have only recently followed them, and who simply pile on in the moment," said Mosseri. 

We saw this after the recent Euro 2020 final, which resulted in a significant — and unacceptable — spike in racist abuse towards players.

The other new feature, Hidden Words, allows users to filter abusive messages in DM requests. If a request contains any filter word you've chosen, it's automatically placed in a hidden folder that you can choose to never open — though it's not completely deleted.

The update, available starting today, arrives after Facebook announced that it would make Instagram safer and more private for teens. Changes introduced last month include automatically making accounts private for teens under 16, limiting the ability of advertisers to target personal information like "interests" and using AI to detect a users' age. 

The changes also come as Facebook explores creating a version of Instagram for kids under 13. While it's still in the early stages, the idea has drawn attention from Democratic lawmakers who've asked the company to detail exactly how it would work "given Facebook's past failures to protect children," they wrote. It is opposed by 44 state attorneys general, who wrote that "this is a dangerous idea that risks the safety of our children and puts them directly in harm’s way."  

Audi has just come out with a pretty wild EV concept: A convertible roadster that extends its wheelbase to transform into a grand tourer (GT). With the touch of a button, the Audi Skysphere's entire front end can extend or retract 9.8-inches (and drop 0.4 inches). 

The Skysphere is meant to show Audi's design chops as well as its technical prowess. It took inspiration from the company's 1931 Horch 853, a long, low roadster with a pushed-back cabin and rear-wheel drive. The modern concept retains those primary features, in spades, with the long snout and low, laid-back cockpit giving it a mild resemblance to rear-drive GTs like the Ferrari 812 Superfast. 

Audi

In place of the straight-8 gas guzzler on the Horch, the concept car has a 623-horsepower electric motor and an 80-kWh battery, with much of it behind the rear bulkhead. That makes for a Porsche 911-like rear weight bias of 60-40, meaning it would be easy to get the Skysphere sideways if it was ever built. It also delivers 553 foot-pounds of torque, enough to take it to 60 MPH in around 4 seconds. At the same time, it will go around 310 miles on the Euro WLPT cycle, or less in EPA terms. 

The interior is meant to evoke 1930s Art Deco architecture (matching the period of the Horch), with modern electronic conveniences. It has a full dashboard screen like the Honda E, along with large touchscreens at the armrest locations. The sharply angled, minimalist interior is designed for a Level 4 autonomous operation, so you can relax in GT mode and take control when you want to have some roadster-powered fun.

Audi

Audi

The most unique (though perhaps highly unrealistic) feature of the Skysphere is the variable wheelbase (above). Electric motors drive a telescoping structure that takes it from a long-wheelbase grand touring EV to a considerably shorter and lower roadster. It also uses active aerodynamics that are closed in GT mode and open in roadster form. When activated, they would duct air under the car for extra downforce.

The interior also transforms, pushing the steering wheel and pedals forward and the passenger seat rearward in roadster mode, while the dash moves forward to become a more driver-centric instrument panel. Despite the sporty nature of the EV, it has space for custom luggage and two golf club sets.  

All told, the Skysphere concept is a fun take on an EV that could be two cars at once, offering both driver fun and some autonomy if you wanted to relax. Don't expect to see one on a road near you, but some of the ideas may one day come to Audi EVs. The automaker also announced that it will unveil two other concepts, the Grandsphere and Urbansphere, in the coming months. 

Google has announced changes to YouTube, Search and its other apps designed to make them safer for kids. The latest updates will make YouTube videos created by kids private by default, allow minors or their parents to request the removal of their images from Google Image results, turn SafeSearch on by default and more. The move is part of a recent push by Google to protect kids and give parents more control over what they see.

Many of the updates are dedicated to YouTube and YouTube Kids. The key change is aimed at young creators aged 13 to 17, changing the default upload setting to the most private option available. That means by default, the video can only be seen by select users unless the creator changes it to public. "We want to help younger users... make an intentional choice if they’d like to make their content public," Google wrote. 

Google is also expanding its so-called digital well-being tools for YouTube. It'll turn on break and bedtime reminders by default for all kids aged 13 to 17 while turning off autoplay by default. At the same time, it's adding an autoplay option on YouTube Kids while, at the same time, turning it off by default in the app. Parents will also be able to choose a "locked" default autoplay setting.  

Knowing the accurate age of our users across multiple products and surfaces, while at the same time respecting their privacy and ensuring that our services remain accessible, is a complex challenge.

Finally, Google said it will be removing "overly commercial content" from YouTube Kids, like a video that "only focuses on product packaging or directly encourages children to spend money." It also updated the disclosures that appear on “made for kids” content when a creator identifies a video as containing paid promotions.

On Search, Google promised to give minors "more control over their digital footprint." To that end, it's introducing a new policy allowing anyone under 18, or their parents or guardians, to request the removal of their images from Google Image search results. That change is designed to "help give young people more control of their image online," Google wrote. It will also turn SafeSearch on for all existing users under 18 and make it the default for teens setting up new accounts. Currently, it's just turned on for teen accounts managed by Family Link.

In other apps, Google will disable location history for all users under 18 without the ability to turn it on. It's launching a safety section in Play that will show parents which apps follow Google's Families policies and disclose how they use the data they collect in greater detail. On the advertising side, it will "block ad targeting based on the age, gender, or interests of people under 18," the company wrote. 

Google stressed that it wants to work with "kids and teens, parents, governments, industry leaders, and experts in the fields of privacy, child safety, wellbeing and education to design better, safer products for kids and teens." Taken as a whole, the new changes should help prevent young people from seeing harmful content while blocking exploitive ads. In practice, however, it may take some time to shake out any bugs and ensure that advertisers are following the rules — so as always, it's best to keep a close eye on your kids' digital habits.