If you're looking for budget wireless noise-cancelling earbuds in the Apple family, don't forget about the Beats Studio Buds. They're already a good deal at $150, but now you can pick them up during Black Friday at Amazon for just $100, the lowest price we've seen yet.
The Studio Buds scored a solid 84 score in our Engadget review and also made our list of best wireless earbuds for 2021. The small, comfortable design and IPX4 water resistance makes them great for workouts and, more importantly, they deliver good sound quality with Beats' famous punchy base. Active noise cancellation is solid as well, and they can adjust the volume based on your environment via the active gain feature.
Since the Studio Buds are Apple products, they use the company's H1 chip. That means they support Apple's Spatial Audio feature and let you easily switch between Apple devices — just as you can with a pair of AirPods. However, they're also device agnostic, so you can use the Fast Pair option to quickly set them up with your Android device. They also work with Find My Device on Android, so you can see their last known location.
The main drawbacks are a lack of wireless charging and onboard controls, but most budget wireless buds lack those features. With the deal right now, you won't find many rivals that can match its features at that $100 price point.
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We'll get into Russia's demands for big tech below, but first — ahead of a four-day weekend for some — let's talk about streaming shows.
You’ve probably noticed by now that we’ve got a reboot problem. Nothing epitomizes that better than the live-action series remake for beloved anime Cowboy Bebop. Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar puts it into words well: “Netflix's remix is mainly in love with Cowboy Bebop. It wants to remind us of the anime.” But in the effort to show its affection, it all rings a little hollow by comparison.
GEOFFREY SHORT/NETFLIX
Devindra even gets a little brutal, criticizing the times when the show “looks worse than a cheap Doctor Who episode.” I know exactly what he means.
Cowboy Bebop is now available to stream on Netflix.
Reviews Editor Cherlynn Low untangles the myriad versions of Android to offer some insight into what you might be getting with Google’s latest mobile OS, Android 12. The standout change is definitely a new design that can tease color palettes from your favorite images, but like its rival, iOS, there are bigger shifts in privacy and how your data is being used.
After doing the same for Disney, Spotify has launched a Netflix hub, bringing all of the streaming service's soundtracks, playlists and podcasts into one place. While many of Netflix's soundtracks were already on Spotify, the new feature puts all content related to the service in one place.
That includes playlists and soundtracks from series and films like La Casa de Papel, Narcos: Mexico, Outer Banks, Squid Game and, ahem, Cowboy Bebop.
Epic Games has acquired Harmonix, the studio behind titles like Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Dance Central and, more recently, Fuser. Epic’s vision for Harmonix involves the metaverse. In the immediate future, the two plan to create “musical journeys and gameplay for Fortnite.”
No word yet on how many millions of dollars the acquisition cost.
The feature was previously scheduled to arrive before the end of 2021.
In an update to the official iOS 15 website that was spotted by MacRumors, Apple says that functionality will now arrive sometime in early 2022. Apple first announced the feature at WWDC 2021, pitching it as a tool to allow you to add your driver’s license or state ID card to Apple Wallet, just like you would a credit or debit card. Among the first locations to support the feature will be select Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints at some US airports.
The government wants more control over Apple, Meta, TikTok and others.
Russia’s telecom regulator Roskomnadzor has called on 13 foreign and mostly American companies to launch official Russian presences by 2022 so they can comply with a law that took effect July 1st. The list includes familiar tech names, like Apple, Google, Meta (Facebook), Telegram, TikTok and Twitter.
The law demands local offices for "internet companies" with over 500,000 daily users. Some of the companies already have offices, though, and it's unclear just what constitutes an official presence. Those deemed violating the law could face complete bans or limits on their ads, data gathering and money transfers.
Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 went on sale for $200 earlier this month, but it has become even more affordable ahead of Black Friday. The smartwatch is now listed for $180 on both Amazon and Best Buy, which is the lowest price we've seen for the device on those websites. That's $70 less than its original $250 retail price. While only the black 40mm Bluetooth-capable variant is being sold for $180, the other colors, 44mm versions and LTE-capable watches are also on sale for $50 less.
We gave the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 a score of 85 in our review. It's the first generation of Galaxy Watch to run Wear OS, giving it the capability to download apps straight from the Play Store. There's now even a section on the store showing all your current apps with smartwatch counterparts that makes the installation process even more painless. The device has gesture controls, as well, so you can simply flick your wrist or lift your arm to answer or decline calls.
We also praised the watch for having comprehensive health tracking capabilities. Samsung gave it a new 3-in-1 biometric sensor to enable body mass scans using bioelectrical impedance analysis. In addition, it has new sleep tracking features (like snore detection), faster heart rate monitoring and updated calorie count algorithms. Another upgraded element that deserves a mention is its sharper screen.
The only big difference between the Watch 4 and the Watch 4 Classic is the latter's spinning bezel and stainless steel case. If you like the latter's looks better, however, you can also get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic for $300 on Amazon. That's an all-time low for the device and is $50 less than its original price.
Amazon Studios is "nearing a deal" to develop a series based on Electronic Arts and BioWare's Mass Effect franchise, according to Deadline. No particulars have been released, but Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke told Deadline that it's "continuing to invest in fantasy genre of all kinds, we have a genre-focused team on the ground in Studios who work tirelessly with our creative partners on those slates, and you can look forward to more."
The success of the fantasy series Wheel of Time shows why Amazon is going in that direction. Salke revealed that it was "one of the Top 5 series launches of all time for Prime Video," adding that it saw "tens of millions of streams" and high completion rates, to boot.
Mass Effect rumors have cropped up of late, with EA recently stating that it's "not a matter of if, but when" a TV series based on the game will be made. Witcher star Henry Cavill also hinted at a Mass Effect series in a cryptic Instagram post with (easily deblurred) text, as The Verge noted.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition arrived earlier this year with updated gameplay and graphics, to generally good reviews. The series first arrived in 2007 with the original Mass Effect, a third-party shooter and role playing game that pits Commander Shepherd and the Systems Alliance against the Reapers, an ancient machine race invading the Milky Way. That was followed by two sequels (2010 and 2012), along with a fourth game, Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017). BioWare and EA are currently developing a fifth, all-new installment.
The first electric Hummers will be making their way to their new owners this holiday season. According to Autoblog, GMC boss Duncan Aldred has announced that deliveries of the Hummer Edition 1 — the all-electric truck variant that'll set buyers back over $112,000 — begin in December. The conference has also revealed that Edition 1 has an EPA range of 329 miles, a bit lower than the 350-mile range the automaker was originally expecting.
GMC's four-ton electric truck has 1,000 horsepower and 11,500 ft/lb of torque generated by its three motors, giving it the capability to get from zero to 60 miles-per-hour within 3 seconds. The truck can also tow up 7,500 pounds and can carry up to 1,300 pounds. It was built on the Ultium battery pack, the platform GM developed to electrify dozens of models across its brands in the coming years.
When it starts shipping out next month, the Edition 1 Hummer EV will become of the first electric trucks in the market along with Rivian's R1T. Tesla is also working on the electric Cybertruck, but the company delayed its release to 2022 in August. Autoblog says more than 80 percent of the reservations for the Hummer EV is for the Edition 1, but other versions of the electrified vehicle are still arriving in 2023. Some of those EVs will cost less and have longer ranges. GMC will also start deliveries for the SUV version of the Hummer EV in 2023.
With Tesla's latest FSD ("Full Self-Driving") release, it's asking drivers to consent to allowing it to collect video taken by a car's exterior and interior cameras in case of an accident or "serious safety risk." That will mark the first time Tesla will attach footage to a specific vehicle and driver, according to an Electrek report.
Tesla has gathered video footage as part of FSD before, but it was only used to train and improve its AI self-driving systems. According to the new agreement, however, Tesla will now be able to associate video to specific vehicles. "By enabling FSD Beta, I consent to Tesla’s collection of VIN-associated image data from the vehicle’s external cameras and Cabin Camera in the occurrence of a serious safety risk or a safety event like a collision," the agreement reads.
By enabling FSD Beta, I consent to Tesla’s collection of VIN-associated image data from the vehicle’s external cameras and Cabin Camera in the occurrence of a serious safety risk or a safety event like a collision.
As Electrek notes, the language could indicate that Tesla wants to ensure it has evidence in case its FSD system is blamed for an accident. It could possibly also be used to detect and fix serious issues more quickly.
FSD 10.3 was released more widely than previous betas, but it was quickly pulled back due to issues like unwarranted Forward Collision Warnings, unexpected autobraking and more. At the time, CEO Elon Musk tweeted that such issues are "to be expected with beta software," adding that "it is impossible to test all hardware configs in all conditions with internal QA, hence public tests."
However, other drivers on public roads are unwitting beta testers, too. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently investigating a driver's complaint that it led to a November 3rd collision in Brea, California. The owner alleged that FSD caused his Model Y to enter the wrong lane and hit another car, causing considerable damage to both.
Tesla is releasing the new beta to even more users with Driver Safety Scores of 98 and up — previously, beta releases were limited to drivers with perfect 100 scores. Tesla charges drivers $199 per month for the feature or $10,000 in one shot, but has failed meet promised deadlines for autonomous driving. Currently, the FSD system is considered to be a Level 2 system — far from the Level 4 required to really be "full self-driving."
Samsung has committed to build a chip-making factory in Texas, just as the US starts to push for the expansion in semiconductor production within the country. The Korean tech giant will be investing $17 billion into the new facility, which will manufacture high-end and advanced chips for smartphones, 5G and artificial intelligence, among other applications. According to The Wall Street Journal, construction for the factory is scheduled to begin next year, while production within the facility is expected to start in the second half of 2024.
The US government has been taking steps towards boosting semiconductor production in the US, following the global chip shortage caused by shuttered plants and the high demand for PCs and other devices during the pandemic. This issue continues to have a huge impact across industries — just this year, automakers like GM and Ford had to suspend or cut production in their US plants due to supply constraints.
Samsung scouted locations in Arizona, New York and Florida for the new project and also considered Austin, where it has an existing factory. It ultimately chose Taylor, Texas for this new facility due to the generous tax breaks and incentives it offered, as well as the city's capability to do rolling blackouts and providing electricity to certain facilities in the case of power outage.
Kim Ki-nam, chief executive of the Samsung Electronics Device Solutions Division, said in a statement:
"As we add a new facility in Taylor, Samsung is laying the groundwork for another important chapter in our future. With greater manufacturing capacity, we will able to better serve the needs of our customers and contribute to the stability of the global semiconductor supply chain. We are also proud to be bringing more jobs and supporting the training and talent development for local communities, as Samsung celebrates 25 years of semiconductor manufacturing in the US."
Amazon has delayed its plan to integrate Comixology purchases and the platform itself into its broader ecosystem. In a FAQ the company posted this week, it said the updated Comixology app, which is slated to bring a host of changes to how the service works, will arrive in early 2022, instead of 2021 as previously announced.
“We wanted to take just a little extra time to incorporate feedback we received from our community,” the company says in the document. “ With this goal in mind, we decided to hold launch until early next year.”
According to Amazon, the new Comixology app includes improvements to filtering and sorting. It also promises faster and more reliable downloads. The catch is that you’ll need an Amazon account to use the app at all. What’s more, once the company rolls out the updated software, the current Comixology app won’t work following a grace period.
However, the biggest change the app was set to introduce is already live as of this week. You no longer need the Comixology app to read purchases you make through the platform. Instead, they're also available through the Kindle app. All that points to a future where Comixology may not exist sometime in the next few years.
T-Mobile is once again on the hook for a 911 outage. The carrier has agreed to pay $19.5 million to settle an FCC investigation of a 12-hour service outage in June 2020 that led to 911 call failures. While the FCC didn't know exactly how many emergency calls were affected due to some overlapping issues, it recorded tens of thousands of issues.
Over 23,000 calls suffered a "complete" failure, the FCC said, while a similar amount didn't include location data. Roughly another 20,000 didn't include callback info. The outage began when a leased fiber link in the T-Mobile network went awry, and a single-location routing flaw magnified the crisis. T-Mobile also had problems remotely accessing the fiber link.
This isn't the first time T-Mobile has dealt with a 911 outage. It settled to the tune of $17.5 million over failures in 2014.
We've asked T-Mobile for comment. The FCC said the carrier responded to outage-related questions in a "timely" fashion, however, so this wasn't a hotly disputed issue. Not that the company was likely to fight a settlement that won't significantly impact its finances. And like it or not, this won't do much to help people who couldn't get full help in a moment of crisis.
In mere hours, NASA will attempt to launch one of its most interesting missions in recent memory. At approximately 1:21AM ET, a Falcon 9 rocket from SpaceX is scheduled to lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California carrying the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) craft. In about a year, NASA will attempt to intentionally crash DART into an incoming asteroid to see if it can alter its course.
The test will mark the first time humans have attempted to change the path of an asteroid. The binary system NASA will target as part of the test doesn't pose a threat to Earth, but what the agency learns from the mission could be vital in the future. NASA has identified at least 23 objects that could potentially collide with Earth over the next 100 years. And developing a feasible defense strategy is key to protecting humanity from that threat.
You can watch the entire launch unfold on NASA’s Live YouTube channel. Live coverage will start at 12:30AM ET on November 24th.
