DJI has launched the Osmo Mobile 6 gimbal, and it comes with a larger clamp than its predecessors to accommodate bigger phones or smaller ones with bulky cases. It has a new handle handle designed to be more comfortable to hold, but it kept the Osmo Mobile 5's built-in extension rod that lets you use it as a selfie stick. The Osmo 6 also features an improved version of DJI's ActiveTrack, which allows stable tracking for longer distances and enables the phone's front camera to track subjects that spin or turn to the side.

Another new feature is Quick Launch for the iPhone. So long as it's an iPhone that's attached to the stabilizer, the Mimo app instantly enters camera view when the gimbal is unfolded. DJI says it could dramatically reduce prep times and can get the phone ready to take photos three times faster than previous Osmo Mobile models can. 

DJI

The new gimbal has a built-in status panel that lets you quickly check battery levels, as well as a Mode button that gives you a way to cycle between modes with every tap. When in Follow mode, the camera view stays locked in during rolls but follows the gimbal's pan and tilt movements. Tilt Lock enables the camera view to follow the gimbal's pan movements but stays stable during tit and rolls. The camera view follows all the gimbal's movements in FPV mode for a more dynamic footage, while SpinShot lets you control the camera view by moving the joystick left or right. 

Just like its predecessor, the Osmo Mobile 6 also has a number of intelligent features, namely timelapse, gesture control, automatic dynamic zoom, panorama and story mode. Finally, the gimbal comes with a Side Wheel that lets you control and adjust the focal length and zoom in or out. The DJI Osmo Mobile 6 will be available starting today from the company's online store for €169/£145 (US$166) and will make its way to more retailers in the future. It will ship with a magnetic clamp, tripod, power cable, wrist strap and storage pouch.

Confirming rumors, Google has unveiled the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) device that offers features from the $50 4K model at a significantly cheaper $30 price. Unlike the original $35 Chromecast, it comes with a remote control that eliminates the need for a smartphone, though you can control it with a mobile device as well. The other key feature is right there in the name — lower 1080p resolution, albeit with HDR support.

The new device looks nigh-on identical to the 4K model, with an oval shape, short HDMI cable and a USB-C input. As before, it comes with all the popular streaming services including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Prime Video, YouTube and others. It supports Stadia games as well, and of course, you can cast compatible Android and iOS apps or mirror your Chrome browser tabs.

There's a Google Assistant button on the remote to control programming, ask questions or control smart home connected devices. Plus, it can be grouped with Nest speakers for multi-room playback around the home via music apps like Spotify, Pandora and YouTube Music. 

Back in January, it was rumored that the device could decode high-quality, low-bandwidth AV1 files (the 4K model doesn't currently support that), but there's no word yet on that. It's bound to appeal to buyers on a budget, but many people were hoping for a faster 4K model with more storage instead. Chromecast with Google TV (HD) is now available for $30.

NASA and Hideo Kojima have teamed up for a project, and it's not the partnership itself that's unusual. Kojima Productions' mascot, after all, is a character called Ludens, who wears an extravehicular activity spacesuit and is meant to be an astronaut exploring digital space. No, it's the fact that they've collaborated on a watch. It's not even a smartwatch — it's an actual wristwatch called Space Ludens that's based on the gaming developer's mascot.

The watch was designed and will be sold by creative studio and watchmaker Anicorn, which previously worked with NASA on other watches and merch. As IGN notes, it's based on the visual style of Ludens' spacesuit, with its gray/silver coloring and gold screws and accents. The NASA logo adorns its watchface, along with the words "Extra-Vehicular Creative Activity Suit." Underneath, the Kojima Productions logo is stamped on the transparent case showing the watch's gears.

While a watch is most likely not the first thing that'll come to mind when you hear that Kojima teamed up with NASA, it does look pretty cool and could appeal to fans of either party. The Space Ludens watch will be released in limited quantities on September 27th. Only 600 pieces will be available for purchase, and 100 of which will ship with a skull mask based on the one that's prominently featured in the Kojima Productions logo. Anicorn has yet to reveal how much it will cost, but its previous NASA watches don't come cheap and will set you back over $1,000.

The vinyl resurgence shows no sign of slowing down — but streaming services are still the preferred way for most people to listen to music these days. As such, smart speakers like the Amazon Echo, HomePod mini and the line of Sonos products make a ton of sense for most people. But most of those speakers don’t work with turntables, which can make things complicated if you want to both play records and stream tunes.

Victrola, a brand that’s been making record players for more than 100 years, is mostly known at this point for making entry-level turntables with built-in speakers in a variety of vintage-inspired designs. But today, the company introduced the Stream Carbon, a $799 turntable that can directly connect to a Sonos system, which means you’ll be able to stream your records all over your home. Victrola says this is just the first of more planned devices in the Stream lineup, too.

You’ll need to set up the turntable using a Victrola Stream app, but once that’s set, you’ll be able to control the Stream Carbon via the Sonos app or a control knob on the device itself. Just as you can play music on any single Sonos speaker, a group of speakers or everything in your system, you’ll be able to send music from the turntable to any combo of Sonos devices in the same fashion. As for compatibility, Victrola told me that it works with any Sonos speaker, regardless of whether it works on the older S1 system or the current S2. Given the vast majority of speakers work with the newer S2 system software, most people won’t even have to think about this — the Stream Carbon should just work with your existing setup without any issues.

Victrola

As for the Stream Carbon’s hardware, it’s a belt-driven turntable with an aluminum platter and Ortofon 2M Red cartridge. It has a built-in preamp and traditional RCA outputs, if you want to hook it up to older speakers. Naturally, it has wireless connectivity, but you can also hook it up to Ethernet if you want a more stable connection. Given the Sonos integration, the Stream Carbon unsurprisingly skips out on having a Bluetooth connection or USB output. 

Design-wise, it’s a minimal turntable without a full dust cover; there’s just a protector for the arm. It should look right at home next to any of Sonos’ similarly minimalist speakers. The aforementioned control knob is located right on the front of the device — it’s not clear yet how exactly it works, but Victrola says it can control both volume as well as speaker playback groups so you don’t have to hunt around in the app once you’re up and running. 

Victrola

Sonos has long positioned its flagship Five speaker as a good option to use with turntables, as it has an auxiliary input jack; the company even sells a $950 set with a Pro-Ject TI Phono SB turntable and a Five speaker. That’s a lot of money, but considering the Stream Carbon costs $799 on its own, it’s worth considering as an alternative. Sonos also sells the Port, a $449 device that connects a stereo, receiver or turntable to Sonos speakers. But if you already have existing Sonos products, the Stream Carbon should be an easy, albeit expensive way to play records across multiple speakers. 

You can pre-order the Stream Carbon now, and the company says they’ll start shipping in October. And if the $799 price puts you off, Victrola says more Stream turntables will be coming — hopefully at a lower price point.

Ofcom, the broadcasting and telecoms regulator in the UK, is launching a probe to look into the cloud services tech giants offer in the coming weeks to ensure that there's healthy competition in the space. Further, the regulator has revealed that it will examine messaging and video calling services, as well as smart and connected devices in the near future. For its cloud investigation, Ofcom's market study will focus on the biggest cloud providers in the region, namely Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft and Google. 

The three providers generate 81 percent of the revenue in the UK's £15 billion (US$16.95) cloud infrastructure services market. Ofcom's study will assess how well the market is working with these tech giants dominating the space. It will also examine the strength of the competition and whether the market, in its current state, makes it difficult for other players to enter and expand their share. 

Ofcom explains that it's looking to nip any potential competition concerns in the bud to prevent them from becoming a huge issue as the cloud services market matures. The lack of healthy competition, after all, could stifle growth and innovation and could lead to low quality of service. If the regulator determines that the market isn't working well, it can recommend regulatory changes to the government, take enforcement action itself or refer the situation to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). To note, the CMA has a separate and ongoing investigation into Google's ad tech practices.

The regulator will also launch probes to look into other digital markets over the next year. It will assess the impact of messaging and video calling services, such as WhatsApp, FaceTime and Zoom, on traditional methods of calling and messaging. Ofcom aims to determine how competition in this area could evolve in the coming years and whether the lack of cross-messaging and cross-calling capabilities between the services is a cause of concern. 

The agency also intends to investigate the competition in the smart speaker and TV space. It plans to analyze consumer behavior, as well as the bargaining power of major players with companies that provide content for the devices.

Selina Chadha, Ofcom's Director of Connectivity, said:

"The way we live, work, play and do business has been transformed by digital services. But as the number of platforms, devices and networks that serve up content continues to grow, so do the technological and economic issues confronting regulators.

That’s why we’re kick-starting a programme of work to scrutinise these digital markets, identify any competition concerns and make sure they’re working well for people and businesses who rely on them."

At CES 2021, LG revealed it was working on a phone with a rollable display and that it was going to be available later that year. Unfortunately, the company shuttered its mobile business before that happened. Now, a hands-on video by Korean tech reviewer BullsLab shows just how close LG’s Rollable got to launching.

The Rollable went a different way with flexible screen tech. Instead of folding, the screen, well, rolled out of the device. The screen was able to stretch out until the phone becomes a small tablet. In the video, you'll see how responsive the device is and how quickly it expands after the YouTuber swipes at the screen with three fingers. The reviewer even shows how strong the motor is, inching books away from the phone as it unfurls. Alas, it was never meant to be. I’d definitely be concerned that anything motorized would also struggle with longevity – there’s a reason that motorized pop-outselfie cameras quickly disappeared from smartphones.

Oppo also showed off a rollable phone prototype back in 2021, but that project has also gone silent. Maybe CES 2023?

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

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• Logitech reveals a $100 Litra Beam key light for creators

• Meta is reportedly cutting staff and reorganizing teams

• XPeng claims its G9 SUV is the world's fastest charging EV

• Bo's futuristic e-scooter will gain a solar-powered charging stand in late 2023

• Getty Images bans AI-generated art over copyright concerns

Logitech’s cloud gaming handheld costs $350 and launches in October

Preorders for the device went live a little early in Canada.

Logitech

Logitech has revealed all the details of its handheld console. Logitech and Tencent (who built the device together) collaborated with Microsoft and NVIDIA to ensure there's native support for Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce Now. You can also use the Steam Link app to play games from your PC remotely, while the Xbox app supports remote play from consoles.

You'll be able to stream games in 1080p at up to 60 frames per second on the seven-inch, 450-nit touchscreen.The system will be available from Amazon in the US, where it costs $350 USD, or $300 if you preorder. That's fairly pricey for a dedicated cloud gaming handheld, though it also has access to the Google Play Store to play Android titles.

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Take a look at the best image of Neptune's rings in decades

The images from James Webb Space Telescope are already providing new insights.

Researchers have shared the James Webb Space Telescope’s first image of Neptune, offering the best view of the planet’s rings in over 30 years. The picture is not only clear, but offers the first-ever look at the dust-based rings in the near-infrared spectrum. At these wavelengths, the planet doesn't look blue — it absorbs so much infrared and visible red light that it takes on a dark, ghostly appearance. Neptune is a particularly important target for scientists. At roughly 2.8 billion miles from the Sun, it's far enough to deal with conditions that aren't present for nearer planets, such as very low temperatures and a very long (164-year) orbit.

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Google lets you request removal of search results that contain personal data

Results with your address, phone number or email will be reviewed 'more quickly.'

Google is releasing a tool that makes it easier to remove search results containing your address, phone number and other personally identifiable information. It first revealed the "results about you" feature at Google I/O 2022 in May, describing it as a way to "help you easily control whether your personally identifiable information can be found in Search results."

If you see a result with your phone number, home address or email, you can click on the three-dot menu at the top right. That opens the usual "About this result" panel, but it now contains a new "Remove result" option at the bottom of the screen. It’s rolling out to users in the US and Europe now.

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Microsoft will host its next Surface event on October 12th

Our first proper look at the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5?

Microsoft isn't going to be left off the fall hardware event calendar. The company will hold a Surface event on October 12th at 10AM ET. While it's not completely clear what Microsoft plans to show off beyond "devices," we may get our first official look at the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5. It’s going to be a chaotic couple of weeks: Amazon has a hardware showcase on September 28th, Google has set a Pixel event for October 6th and Meta is expected to show off its next-generation VR headset on October 11th.

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Study: Surgery patients wearing VR headsets needed less anesthetic

Virtual worlds could distract you from the pain.

MIT

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center researchers in Boston have published a study indicating that patients wearing VR headsets required less anesthetic during hand surgery. While the average conventional patient needed 750.6 milligrams per hour of the sedative propofol, people looking at relaxing VR content (such as meditation, nature scenes and videos) only required 125.3 milligrams. They also recovered quicker. The scientists claimed VR distracted the patients from the pain that would otherwise command their full attention. Researchers admitted that the headset wearers may have gone into the operating room expecting VR to help, potentially skewing the results. Further trials are planned.

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Unsolicited nude photos are a massive problem on social media, but Instagram is reportedly working on a tool that could help. An early screengrab tweeted by researcher Alessandro Paluzzi indicates that "Nudity protection" technology "covers photos that may contain nudity in chat," giving users the option to view them or not. Instagram parent Meta confirmed to The Verge that it's in development. 

Meta said the aim is to help shield people from nude images or other unsolicited messages. As further protection, the company said it can't view the images itself nor share them with third parties. "We’re working closely with experts to ensure these new features preserve people’s privacy, while giving them control over the messages they receive," a spokesperson said. It plans to share more details in the coming weeks ahead of any testing.

The new feature is akin to the "Hidden Words" tool launched last year, Meta added. That feature allows users to filter abusive message in DM requests based on key words. 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 feature is welcome but long overdue, as unwanted nude photos were largely ignored by social media companies and are now a pervasive problem. One study back in 2020 by the University College London found that of 150 young people aged 12-18, 75.8 percent had been sent unsolicited nude images.

Sending unwanted nude photos, also known as "cyberflashing" has been targeted by multiple jurisdictions including California and the UK. In the UK, it could become a criminal offense if the Online Safety Bill is passed by parliament. California didn't go quite that far, but last month, the state legislature and senate voted unanimously to allow users to sue over unsolicited nude photos and other sexually graphic material. 

The next Artemis 1 launch attempt might take place as soon as next week, seeing as NASA has met all the objectives it set out to do to consider its rocket's fuel test a success. NASA had to test adding super-cooled fuel to the Space Launch System's tanks to confirm the repairs it made after it scrubbed the mission's second launch attempt in late August. The ground team at Kennedy Space Center spotted a persistent hydrogen leak affecting one of the fuel lines on the SLS at the time and tried to fix it the day of three times. In the end, the team was unsuccessful and decided to postpone the mission.

The team determined a few days later that the leak was triggered when the SLS rocket's core booster tank went through a brief overpressurization. To prevent the same incident from happening, the team adjusted procedures for filling the rocket's tank with propellants, and it involves transitioning temperatures and pressures more slowly to prevent rapid changes that could cause leakage. The team's engineers also replaced the rocket's liquid hydrogen seals after discovering a small indentation in one of them that may have contributed to the leak. 

While the engineers encountered another hydrogen leak during the fuel test, their troubleshooting efforts worked this time around and got the leak to "within allowable rates." That allowed them to conduct the pre-pressurization test, which brought up the liquid hydrogen tank's pressure level to match what it would experience just before an actual launch. 

Artemis 1 launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson said the test went "really well" and that the team was able to accomplish all the objectives it set out to do. NASA will now evaluate data from the test before deciding if it can schedule another launch for the mission on its target date of September 27th.

After more than a decade of trying to make flying cars a reality, Kitty Hawk is shutting down. “We’re still working on the details of what’s next,” the Larry Page-backed startup posted to LinkedIn on Wednesday afternoon. Before today’s announcement, the last time we heard from Kitty Hawk was in the spring of 2021 when it came out the company had parted ways with engineer Damon Vander Lind following “months” of infighting with Page and CEO Sebastian Thrun. Almost exactly a year earlier, the company canceled its original Flyer project and laid off most of the 70-person team that had worked on the aircraft.

It’s unclear why Kitty Hawk decided to call it quits, but comments Thrun made after the company ended development on Flyer may provide a clue. “No matter how hard we looked, we could not find a path to a viable business,” the chief executive said at the time. After Vander Lind’s departure the following year, it appeared Kitty Hawk was ready to double down on its Heavyside vertical take-off and landing aircraft. It acquired 3D Robotics and brought on the company’s co-founder, former Wired editor Chris Anderson, as chief operating officer.

Despite the demise of Kitty Hawk, this probably isn’t the last we’ll hear of Larry Page’s flying car ambitions. According to CNBC, Wednesday’s shutdown won’t affect Wisk Aero, the company that was borne out of a 2019 partnership between Kitty Hawk and Boeing.

“Kitty Hawk’s decision to cease operations does not change Boeing’s commitment to Wisk. We are proud to be a founding member of Wisk Aero and are excited to see the work they are doing to drive innovation and sustainability through the future of electric air travel,” Boeing told the outlet. “We do not expect Kitty Hawk’s announcement to affect Wisk’s operations or other activities in any way.”

More evidence is mounting that virtual reality might relieve pain during surgery. MIT Newsreports that Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center researchers in Boston have published a study indicating that patients wearing VR headsets required less anesthetic during hand surgery. While the average conventional patient needed 750.6 milligrams per hour of the sedative propofol, people looking at relaxing VR content (such as meditation, nature scenes and videos) only required 125.3 milligrams. They also recovered earlier, leaving the post-anesthesia unit after 63 minutes on average versus 75 minutes.

The scientists claim VR distracted the patients from pain that would otherwise command their full attention. However, the researchers also admitted that the headset wearers may have gone into the operating room expecting VR to help, potentially skewing the results.

Beth Israel Deaconess' team is planning trials that could rule out this placebo effect, though. One follow-up trial will also gauge the effect of VR on patients receiving hip and knee surgery. Past experiments, such as at St. Jospeph's Hospital in France, have indicated that the technology can help assuage patients.

The allure for healthcare providers is clear. Patients might suffer less and return home sooner. Hospitals, meanwhile, could make the most of their anesthetic supplies, free recovery beds and reduce wait times. What a provider spends on VR headsets could pay for itself if it allows for more patients and higher-quality treatment.