The murmurs were true: Apple will hold a second fall product event on October 18th at 1PM Eastern. The invitation for the virtual "Unleashed' presentation doesn't provide many clues, although many unofficially expect Apple to introduce 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro based on souped-up M1X processors.
The new portables are rumored to be significant redesigns that also harken back to the "good old days" of Apple's pre-2016 models. While they'd have cutting-edge designs, they'd also bring back MagSafe-like charging and legacy ports like an SD card slot. To no one's surprise, the M1X would also be far more powerful than the M1 with 10 CPU cores (eight performance and two efficiency) and either 16 or 32 graphics cores. There's a chance Apple might drop the Touch Bar, too.
Now that the Lucid Air is finally in production, its creator is eager to tout the EV's semi-autonomous driving assistance — although it may be as much about what's missing as what's here. The new brand has provided further details of its DreamDrive system, now split into regular and Pro versions. Both variants will include 14 regular cameras, four surround cameras, five radar sensors and a string of ultrasonic sensors, but you'll need the Air in Dream Edition or Grand Touring trim to get DreamDrive Pro's LiDAR and the advanced features that will come with it.
Every Air buyer will get core features like Highway Assist (adaptive cruise control with lane centering), Traffic Jam Assist (lane centering at low speeds), cross-traffic protection and Auto Park (for both parallel and perpendicular parking). The combination of an infrared driver camera and hands-off detection will make sure your head, eyes and (of course) hands are focused on the road. If you're incapacitated or simply ignore the warnings, DreamDrive will ultimately bring the car to a complete stop, switch on hazard lights and unlock the doors. These will sound familiar on a basic level if you've ever used Tesla's Autopilot.
You'll need DreamDrive Pro to get the most out of Lucid's platform, however. The Pro tier will include 21-speaker directional alerts as well as the upcoming Highway Pilot system and its "conditional" hands-free driving. Cars with Pro will also get more Highway Assist features through software updates, although Lucid didn't say when those upgrades might arrive.
The technology as described won't yet match all the features from its most advanced rivals, such as Tesla's Full Self-Driving or GM's upcoming Ultra Cruise. LiDAR could give Lucid an edge, but it could take a long while before the sensor reaches its full potential. Instead, Lucid's greatest advantage might simply be its more realistic (if still fluffy) marketing. Where Tesla is in trouble for implying its cars are autonomous, Lucid is careful to position DreamDrive as a driver assistance system and not much more.
E-bike maker VanMoof is looking to help riders get from A to B more swiftly with its first high-speed model. The VanMoof V is the company’s first hyperbike, which will be able to hit a top speed of 31 MPH (50 km/h).
VanMoof is pitching this as a car replacement for city life and longer commutes. The VanMoof V will have two-wheel drive, thicker tires, a new frame design and front and rear suspension, which could make lengthier trips more comfortable. Other features include intelligent motor control, VanMoof's Turbo Boost, a Kick Lock for keyless locking, automatic gear shifting and measures to combat theft.
Details about the e-bike's range haven't been revealed, but VanMoof noted the battery has a 700 wH capacity. The VanMoof S3 has a 504 Wh battery capacity and a promised range of 60-150 km (37-93 miles). The company sells a PowerBank accessory that can increase the range, but it's unclear whether that device will be compatible with the VanMoof V.
VanMoof
Speed limits vary across cities and counties, and the e-bike will have matching integrated speed settings. As it develops the VanMoof V, the company plans to work with lawmakers and local governments on e-bike rules, including geofencing and speed regulations.
VanMoof plans to start deliveries of the hyperbike in late 2022. The VanMoof V costs $3,498/£3,498/€3,498. The company is offering invite-only reservations for $20/£20/€20 starting today, with its current customers getting first dibs. Alternatively, you can join a waitlist on the VanMoof website. Reservation codes will be sent out periodically.
Waze has partnered with Mindspace in the hopes of making your commutes a little more pleasant. The Drive with Headspace experience includes five additional moods — Aware, Bright, Hopeful, Joyful and Open — and the option to change the in-app car icon to a relaxing hot air balloon. You can also listen to a dedicated Spotify playlist, which features music and content from Headspace, through the Waze Audio Player.
If you use the Headspace theme, the company's mindfulness teacher and director of meditation Eve Lewis Prieto will read the driving directions. Waze's Headspace features are available for a limited time starting today in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. You can switch on the experience by tapping the Drive with Headspace banner in My Waze. It might prove a bit more relaxing than the recent Halo and PAW Patrol experiences.
How much would you pay for one of the fastest home wireless networks possible? More than you paid for your computer or phone? If so, Netgear has your solution. The company has introduced what it says is the first quad-band WiFi 6E mesh networking system, the Orbi Quad-band Mesh WiFi 6E. Pay a staggering $1,500 for a three-pack and you'll get 10.8Gbps of total bandwidth across the 2.4GHz, 5GHz and now 6GHz bands, plus the backhaul band (at 'just' WiFi 6 speeds) to keep the main frequencies clear. Your home network could easily outpace your internet connection, even if you have multi-gigabit service.
There are some improvements beyond pure speed. The three-unit bundle offers about 9,000 square feet of maximum coverage (up from 7,500sq. ft. for WiFi 6 models), and the WAN Ethernet port now supports up to 10Gbps. Accordingly, there are more 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports on the router and satellites to improve bandwidth for wired devices. You can create up to four distinct WiFi networks, including a 6E-only network to ensure newer devices run at full speed.
The Orbi Quad-band router is available for pre-order now, with shipping expected "in time for the holidays" (Netgear's store quotes an October 29th ship date). You can also buy additional satellites for $599 each. That's a massive amount to spend on your home network, but Netgear is clearly counting on at least some customers who'll pay whatever it takes to get no-compromise WiFi. Just know there are some good-enough alternatives. Linksys' AXE8400 doesn't have the backhaul band, but its one- and two-node options (plus lower overall pricing) could make it a better pick if you're more interested in WiFi 6E compatibility than raw throughput.
Seven years after it disappeared, G4 has a return date. The gaming and fandom TV network will be revived on November 16th on Xfinity TV, Cox and Verizon Fios (Verizon is Engadget's former parent company). You'll be able to stream the network on Philo too.
G4 also has a multi-year promotional and commercial deal with Twitch. The network will keep making dedicated content for social media channels, including YouTube, as well. G4 announced the return date in typically offbeat fashion, with gags about the Xbox Mini Fridge and the Nintendo Switch OLED.
Classic G4 series Attack of the Show! and Xplayare returning with their respective former hosts, Kevin Pereira and Adam Sessler. A weekly show called Boosted will focus on esports coverage, and you'll be able to watch ESL esports events such as IEM Katowice 2022. Also on the docket are a series in which G4 talent and guests play Dungeons & Dragons,along with all 167 episodes of Ninja Warrior (aka Sasuke).
As well as Pereira and Sessler, the G4 talent roster includes esports figures Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez, Ovilee May and Indiana “Froskurinn” Black; YouTube creators Kassem G, Jirard “The Completionist” Khalil and Gina Darling; Twitch streamers Fiona Nova and Will Neff; and WWE wrestler and gaming personality Xavier Woods (aka Austin Creed).
Carriers started dropping the original incarnation of G4 in September 2013. The network's gradual decline came to a head on November 30th, 2014, its final day on the air until now. Comcast announced plans to revive the brand in July 2020. Earlier this year, G4 started streaming shows on Twitch, YouTube and Twitter in the leadup to the relaunch.
Withings' ScanWatch has received FDA clearance, paving the way for it to be sold in the US starting in November, the company announced. The watches, available in regular and diver-style Horizon versions, have simultaneously been cleared to take electrocardiogram (ECG) and SpO2 (oxygen saturation) readings, in health and medical settings.
The original ScanWatch has been available in Europe since it came out a year ago, but FDA clearance has taken much longer. Both models use ECG readings to check for atrial fibrillation (heartbeat irregularities), and you can even download the results and mail them to your doctor as a PDF. If it notices any irregular heartbeats, it will advise you to take an ECG test.
Engadget
We found the ScanWatch to be the best hybrid smartwatch out there, offering a traditional analog watch look and a small PMOLED display to display activities, heartrate, ECG, SpO2 and more. As with Withings' scales and other health devices, it works with the company's Health Mate app.
Sales will commence in early November 2021, with prices starting at $279 for the original ScanWatch 38mm model. The Rose Gold and Horizon versions will will be available in early 2022 priced from $299 and $499 respectively.
GM may be replacing tens of thousands of Bolt EV batteries, but it won't have to pick up the tab for most of them. The automaker has reached a deal that will have LG pay nearly all the costs associated with recalling the Chevy Bolt EV and EUV, with GM estimating that LG will "offset" $1.9 billion of the $2 billion in expenses. GM will recognize that financial recovery in its third-quarter earnings.
The brand said it was happy to land an agreement with a "valued and respected supplier." With that said, there's little doubt GM is using the deal to redirect blame — it stressed that the recall was prompted by "manufacturing defects" in LG batteries. LG spotted anode and cathode-anode separator issues that, combined, could increase the chance of battery fires.
LG has since addressed the battery issues and restarted production. The immediate costs of the recall may be secondary, however. Both companies have taken a hit to their relatively fragile reputations in the electric vehicle space — it doesn't look good for GM in particular when its two main EVs have to be taken off the road, if only briefly. GM's Hummer EV and electric pickups could mend that image, but that won't help much in the short term.
Motorola launched a pair of Edge phones in 2020 that stood out for their “waterfall” displays. But it wasn’t the flagship that we preferred of the two. Instead, we were impressed by the more modest Edge. It wasn’t perfect, but you got a lot of phone for the price. So it’s not surprising to see Motorola seemingly skip the Edge+ this year and focus instead on the more affordable model. But what comes as a pleasant surprise is just how much of an improvement the 2021 Edge is. Most important among the updates is a 144Hz screen, a feature normally reserved for top-tier phones. When you add a better fingerprint sensor, superior cameras, and the promise of longer software support, the 2021 Moto Edge is a phone well worth checking out.
The display
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
The 2020 Edge was defined by the fact it featured the same 6.7-inch curved “Endless Edge” OLED display as the more expensive Edge+. This year, Motorola has gone with a flat 6.8-inch LCD that makes this new model easier to use. With no rounded edges for your palm to touch, you don’t have to worry about accidentally tapping on an icon or swiping to another part of your home screen.
Besides a more practical design, the panel is faster than the one on last year’s model. It can refresh at up to 144Hz, up from 90Hz on the 2020 Edge. Like phones from Samsung and Apple, the panel defaults to an adaptive mode, which limits the refresh rate to 120Hz. Two additional options lock the display to 144Hz and 60Hz, allowing you to prioritize either performance or battery life. I preferred pushing the panel to 144Hz, for reasons I’ll get into in a moment.
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
On paper, the 144Hz panel is an impressive spec that sets the new Moto Edge apart from phones in its price range like the OnePlus Nord 2 and even more expensive devices like the iPhone 13 Pro. The tradeoff is that it’s a phone with an LCD screen, so you’re missing out on the advantages OLED displays offer, including deep blacks and better power efficiency.
The Moto Edge’s 144Hz screen also presents some issues I haven’t seen on other devices. With the default adaptive mode enabled, it didn’t always render animations at the same speed. For example, sometimes I would scroll through Instagram and my timeline would breeze by as expected. Other times, it felt like that same action would play out at 60Hz. I suspect this is an issue with the software Motorola wrote to dynamically adjust the refresh rate between 60Hz and 120Hz. We have asked Motorola for comment.
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
Locking the display to 144Hz helped address this issue, but there were still moments where I witnessed slight hitching. The faster panel does make the Moto Edge feel smooth and responsive, but don’t expect the same seamless experience you can find on more expensive devices like the Galaxy S21 and iPhone 13 Pro.
One other thing I want to note is that the Edge’s 144Hz display does not necessarily make it great for gaming. Unless a developer goes out of its way to update a game for the Moto Edge’s display, as Epic Games did with Fortnite on the OnePlus and Samsung devices, you won’t see a benefit from the faster panel.
Beyond the fast refresh rate, there’s a lot to like about the Moto Edge’s display. It’s vibrant, bright and supports HDR10, but there are a couple of things that may irk some people. Out of the box, the screen is set to a saturated color mode that overbakes sRGB content. You can switch it to a “Natural” color setting to make images and videos look more realistic. I also recommend playing with the color temperature settings since my unit came with the display too warm.
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
You’ll also either love or hate the Moto Edge’s 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The extra real estate is great for scrolling through Instagram, Twitter and other vertical apps but unwieldy when it comes to video content. I’ve been watching a lot of guides and gameplay videos of Diablo II: Resurrected on YouTube, and it quickly becomes evident that there’s no ideal way to consume 16:9 content on a 19.5:9 display: You either leave the image as is and accept the fact that there’s about a thumb’s worth of wasted space on each end of the screen, or you use YouTube’s pinch-to-zoom functionality to crop into the image. The 19.5:9 aspect ratio may also be too tall for some people to use in one hand.
If you don’t mind that, the Moto Edge is a great media consumption device. That said, you’ll want to use Bluetooth headphones for watching movies or TV. This year’s model only has a single speaker that sounds tinny and unsatisfying. Oh, and there’s no longer a headphone jack here, one of the few steps down from last year’s model.
Other upgrades
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
Motorola has made two other notable changes. First, it replaced the finicky in-display fingerprint sensor found in last year’s model with a capacitive scanner that’s integrated into the new phone’s side-mounted power button. The company also moved the camera cutout to the center of the screen, which makes taking selfies and video calls feel more natural. But it’s the transition to a traditional fingerprint scanner that makes the most impact.
Where I live, masks are still mandatory on public transit as well as in stores and restaurants. Coming from inputting my passcode every time I unlock my iPhone or pay for something, the Moto Edge made doing things like buying a croissant at a coffee shop feel, well, normal. The sensor also works well; It’s fast and accurate and I didn’t have to register the same fingerprint multiple times to get it working efficiently, which was a problem we ran into with last year’s model. If companies learn nothing else from the pandemic, I hope it’s that the humble fingerprint sensor has a place on every phone.
Another highlight of the Moto Edge is battery life. Motorola says you can get up to two days from the phone’s 5,000mAh battery. I found that was possible when I limited the display to 60Hz. On our video rundown battery test, it lasted 19 hours and 45 minutes, which puts it in good company among the phones we’ve tested. Only the Pixel 5a put up a better result, but it’s worth noting it features a more power-efficient OLED display.
Cameras
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
Motorola has also managed to improve the camera system on this year’s Edge, but not in the same meaningful way as the display. The 2021 model features three rear sensors: a 108-megapixel primary system with f/1.9 aperture, an ultra wide-angle and a depth sensor.
Unsurprisingly, it’s the primary camera that’s the highlight. It can take stunning shots during the day and Motorola’s HDR mode does a commendable job of preserving detail. In particularly challenging scenes, the camera tends to blow out highlights while brightening shadows to the point of making them look unrealistic. But when it properly exposes a scene, the results can be eye-catching. Colors appear vibrant and life-like, and there’s almost a physical texture to small details. Unfortunately, Motorola didn’t add OIS to the main camera, which means it can sometimes struggle when there isn’t as much light.
The 32-megapixel selfie camera is also great. It takes vibrant shots that are sharp and pop with detail. But again, the issue here is when you try to use the camera in a dark room or at night. Without OIS, I found most selfies I took in those situations ended up blurry.
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
Lastly, there’s the 119-degree wide-angle camera that still feels mostly like an afterthought. It offers plenty of horizontal and vertical space but is almost unusable when there isn’t plenty of light. I used the camera extensively on a dark and cloudy morning, and most of the shots I took that day looked smeared.
I ended up using the wide-angle camera more for macro photography. Unfortunately, that mode has some useability issues too. Focus hunting is a problem; it often took multiple attempts for the camera to lock onto my subject.
The camera app can be slow to launch and switch between lenses, which is one of the few areas where the Edge’s Snapdragon 778G didn’t have a great showing. My review unit came with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, though you can buy it with up to 8GB of RAM. Besides the issue I noted around the refresh rate, I didn’t run into any other notable performance issues.
Wrap-up
Igor Bonifacic / Engadget
A Motorola spokesperson told Engadget the company plans to support the 2021 Edge with two OS upgrades and two years of security updates. That’s a significant change from its predecessor, which only got one Android update.
When you add that to all the hardware updates the 2021 Edge features, it’s a far more compelling phone than its predecessor and an easier recommendation. For the time being, you can get the unlocked 256GB model for $600. It will eventually cost $700. On October 14th, Verizon will also start selling a 5G UW variant that will go for $550.
At $600, the Moto Edge is a good option if you don’t mind sacrificing on camera quality and can live without wireless charging. It’s $150 more than a device like the Pixel 5a, but you’re getting a phone with a better display, faster processor and bigger battery. Even at $700, it still represents good value with specs comparable to devices like the OnePlus 9. It’s not without its flaws, but it’s still one of the best mid-range phones on the market.
Password sharing in the workplace and at home is a common practice, but doing so securely can be tricky. 1Password aims to address that with its new feature that gives you a way to share log-in credentials in a secure way even with people who don't have an account with the service. It's called Psst!, which is short for Password Secure Sharing Tool, and it's apparently one of the company's most requested features.
Based on a research the company conducted, most workers reuse corporate credentials. Of those people, 36 percent admitted to sharing log-ins with other workers and clients via insecure channels, including emails, chat apps, spreadsheets, documents and texts. In another survey, 1Password found that most families share passwords between members and also use insecure methods, such as writing them down and messaging them to each other.
Psst! allows you to share credentials with anybody by generating a link with the information that other people can access, even if they don't have a 1Password account. You can choose how long the link remains valid, from an hour to 30 days, after which it will automatically expire. You can also choose to share the credentials with anybody who has the link or with specific people only. If you choose the latter, the service will require the recipient to confirm their identity by verifying their email addresses before giving them access.
The service has launched this new feature alongside its announcement that it now has over 100,000 business customers and that it's growing its employee headcount to 500. Jeff Shiner, CEO of 1Password, said in a statement:
"Having the ability to share passwords and other credentials outside of a business or family has been one of our most highly-requested features, and I’m very excited by today’s launch of Psst! as it helps keep everyone, not just 1Password customers, safe online. Crossing the 100,000 business customers mark is a clear indication that businesses understand the need to safeguard their passwords and other sensitive information online."
