The next iPhone will be able to record video in Portrait Mode and shoot in ProRes, according to a new report from Bloomberg. Reporter Mark Gurman claims that the next model, which nobody is expecting to be called the iPhone 13 for obvious reasons, will also offer better filters for improving images after shooting.

Gurman’s sources also suggest that this phone will be more of an evolution compared to the revolution that was the iPhone 12. The design language, display sizes and model line up are likely to stay the same, with only the chip (A15) and screen technology changing. Gurman said that there will be a smaller notch for the FaceID cameras, and that the display will have a faster refresh rate.

Some of this lines up with a leak from February, when leaker Max Weinbach claimed that the new handset would get a low-power, 120Hz LTPO always-on display. As did analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and Weinbach added that the handset would be able to shoot live video in Portrait Mode, too. The fact that many of these leaks more or less corroborate each other gives weight to what we can expect to see in the next month or so.

Twitter is now in compliance with India’s new rules which govern IT companies, government lawyers have reportedly told a New Delhi Court. The move, as reported by TechCrunch, may bring to an end a months long battle between the government there and the messaging platform. This has seen the company hire a domestic compliance officer and an executive who can handle grievances from the authorities. The new rules are, broadly, designed to get social media platforms to delete content that officials deem unlawful within 36 hours of being reported and to aid in any subsequent police investigations.

India and Twitter’s relationship has been strained for much of this year, after Twitter refused to block critics of the Modi government. In April, the government threatened to jail Twitter employees unless they removed so-called inflammatory content around the so-called Farmer’s Protests. Shortly after, India successfully got the company to suppress tweets that criticized the company’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Things got worse in May when, as reported by The New York Times, a spokesperson for India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tweeted an image purporting to be a leaked document from (rival party) the Indian National Congress. This image, which depicted a plan for opposition leaders to destabilize the government, was widely-retweeted by major political figures. Of course, the image was a fake, and Twitter added a label to the original tweet saying that contained “manipulated media.”

In June, India threatened Twitter with the loss of its legal immunity (similar to Section 230 in the US) from being responsible for the content its users post. In July, those protections were finally withdrawn and Indian officials were quick to file lawsuits — in one example, targeting Twitter’s Indian head, Manish Maheswari, over publication of a map that displayed the disputed territory of Kashmir as a separate country.

Sony officially owns both Crunchyroll and Funimation. Its Sony Pictures division completed the $1.175 billion acquisition yesterday and the plan now, according to CEO Tony Vinciquerra, is to "create a unified anime subscription experience as soon as possible."

For anime fans, it might be a relief that Sony’s purchase has gone through. Funimation pulled most of its content from Crunchyroll when Sony acquired a majority stake. This move should mean all this content can happily coexist on the same service (again). 

Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Sony might have made a smart purchase. In an era of streaming services everywhere, it gets a dedicated audience that continues to grow. When Sony first announced the acquisition, Crunchyroll had 3 million subscribers. Less than a year later, there are 5 million paying for the service and 120 million registered users. 

-Mat Smith

'Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice' gets a surprise Xbox Series X/S patch

The update adds a ray-tracing mode and a chapter select screen.

Ninja Theory

A surprise Xbox Series X/S optimization patch for Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice has appeared, three years after the action-adventure game arrived on Xbox One. Along with enhanced visuals, you can take advantage of ray-tracing on your next playthrough. A PC update is also in the works, although no word on a PS5 upgrade. Lest we forget, Ninja Theory is now a Microsoft studio. Continue reading.

Facebook adds Photobucket and Google Calendar to its data portability options

Can I move those birthdays across?

Facebook has added two new destinations for when you want to move your data from the social network. In a blog post, the company said that users will be able to move their images to Photobucket and event listings to Google Calendar. It also promises a simpler and more intuitive process to move your data across. Continue reading.

UN report says most climate change effects are 'unprecedented' and 'irreversible'

Drastic reductions to greenhouse gas emissions are needed to avoid even more warming.

David Swanson / reuters

According to a new report from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it's no longer possible to prevent the planet from heating over the next 20 to 30 years. Since the mid-19th century, the planet's temperature has increased by 1.1 degrees Celsius, or 2 degrees Fahrenheit, as a direct result of greenhouse gas emissions related to humans burning coal, oil and other fossil fuels for energy. "We can expect a significant jump in extreme weather over the next 20 or 30 years," climate scientist Piers Forster told The New York Times. "Things are unfortunately likely to get worse than they are today." Continue reading.

Microsoft will host a Gamescom Xbox event on August 24th

Ahead of the all-digital gaming event.

Before Gamescom 2021 gets officially underway on August 25th, Microsoft will kick off the all-digital event with a livestream of its own. The company will share an update on its holiday Xbox lineup on August 24th at 1PM ET/10AM PT. “Holiday lineup” will probably translate to more details on two of its biggest upcoming games, Starfield and Halo Infinite. Continue reading.

But that's not all

Roku will release most of Quibi's remaining library on August 13th

SpaceX is buying an Internet of Things smallsat company

Record labels sue Charter over copyright infringement claims

Engadget Deals: Beats Studio Buds drop to a new record low of $130

Engadget Deals: Apple's AirPods with the wireless charging case are on sale for $130

As an ‘80s and ‘90s kid, I have a special affinity for Disney Television’s animation lineup of the time, packaged as the “Disney Afternoon” on my local station (WPIX, aka PIX 11). My favorite was Gargoyles. I have a special place in my heart for TaleSpin, but DuckTales was the undisputed king of the lineup. One hundred episodes and a movie with plenty of race cars, lasers, airplanes, robots, super suits, caveducks and, of course, Scrooge’s Lucky Number One Dime.

Plenty of cartoons from the ‘80s have seen reboots in the past decade, but few have failed to outshine the original or gain a real fandom. So when a DuckTales reboot was announced, I was admittedly a bit wary, though the cast announcement certainly was enough to get my jaded self at least a little excited, with David Tennant as Scrooge McDuck and Beck Bennett as Launchpad McQuack.

The show debuted in July 2017 and I have to say they nailed it. It straddled the line between giving fans all the little in-jokes and callbacks to the original show they loved, but also introducing new characters (like tech mogul Mark Beaks) and plotlines to make the show feel fresh and modern. Huey, Dewey and Louie were given different color-coded outfit designs, distinct personalities and separate character arcs. Mrs. Beakley was upgraded from Scrooge’s housekeeper to also being a former secret agent he used to work with. And Webby was aged up and made more adventurous, so she could hold her own on any journey and even make a few friends along the way.

The show’s biggest strength was how heavily it drew from its source material, not just the original series but the original Carl Barks comics that inspired it in the first place. DuckTales (2017) marks the first animated appearance of Huey, Dewey and Louie’s mother (and Donald’s sister) Della. She was also modernized, made into an adventuring pilot with a short temper, not unlike her brother’s. The show also referenced other Disney Afternoon shows like TaleSpin, Chip ’N’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers and Goof Troop. It was truly a love letter to fans, but one with a solid plot and some wicked humor that today’s kids could still enjoy.

The show came to an end earlier this year, with the third season hitting Disney+ back in March. While the first season dealt with Magica DeSpell and season two was all about the Moon, season three pit Clan McDuck against the evil agency F.O.W.L. The creators knew this would be the last season, so it also pulls double duty on tying up stray plotlines and checking off their bucket list. That included bringing back Darkwing Duck and setting up a possible spinoff show, telling us the story of how Scrooge met Donald and Della, and even giving us a pseudo-sequel to TaleSpin.

Family was also a constant theme in the last season, with the show delving into Della’s newfound parenthood as well as where Webby ultimately sits within the family. I didn’t quite cry during the finale, but I came close. One thing that kept me going in the end was the knowledge that the story would continue in some form, not just in comics but in a weekly podcast featuring all the original voice actors. Seven episodes of This Duckburg Life are available (yes, it is a parody of Ira Glass), and a nice thing about the program is that it contains no spoilers for the cartoon so you can check it out even before you binge the show on Disney+. The episodes are fairly short, less than 15 minutes, which is fine because DuckTales has always been good at packing a lot of adventure into its 22-minute runtime.

If you subscribe to the 2TB / $10-per month (or higher) Google One plan, then you get a little something extra over those who do not: Access to Google’s mobile VPN. This feature has, until now, been limited to customers in the US, but now Google is letting a far greater number of countries get their hands on the goodies. As of today, the Google One VPN is available to Android users in Mexico, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.

This particular product is designed to encrypt all of your mobile traffic when you’re out and about to prevent sniffers from getting access to your personal data. The VPN itself is baked into the Google One app, and the company says it will encrypt and protect you no matter what app you’re using. Plus, if you’re unsure how exactly to get connected, you can schedule a Pro Session for an expert to coach you through the basics.

At the same time, Google is reminding folks that the VPN has seen a number of feature upgrades since its launch, including the ability to block internet traffic when the VPN is inactive. You can also bypass the VPN in specific situations or with specific mobile apps, and set timed controls for when you need to be free from its protective embrace. Google added that the VPN has been independently audited and found to be robust enough for most folks to trust it. 

Google has announced that it is retiring the Bluetooth version of its Titan security key in order to streamline its security product line. The search giant will now only offer two editions; one with USB-A and USB-C, both of which will pack NFC to enable it to be used by most mobile devices. That should reduce any confusion that would-be purchasers had with the current lineup, where some models packed the Near Field standard, and others did not. Google’s Christiaan Brand said that the company was going to focus on the “easier and more widely available NFC capability” going forward, although support and warranties for the existing Bluetooth keys would be “honored per their terms.” The new keys are now available on the Google Store.

Titan keys were initially launched in 2018 as Google’s take on the sort of hardware security key made by Yubikey and others. They’re designed to be far more secure than standard methods of two-factor authentication and, when implemented, Google said that their use had completely eliminated internal phishing attacks. In the run-up to the 2020 US elections, Google even pledged to hand out Titan keys to political groups to help them secure their campaign data.

Amazon is updating its return policy to make it easier for customers to file complaints over defective products from third party marketplace sellers. Starting September 1st, you'll be able to contact Amazon directly with a property damage or personal injury claim, and then Amazon will connect you with the seller. If it determines a complaint is valid, Amazon will directly pay out any claims under $1,000, the company wrote in a blog post. 

"Claims under $1,000 account for more than 80 percent of cases in our store, and Amazon will bear these costs and not seek reimbursement from sellers who abide by our policies and hold valid insurance," the company wrote. "Sellers will be kept informed at every step so they can continue to ensure their products are safe." 

Amazon noted that it may also step in for claim over $1,000 if the seller is unresponsive. It may also address customer concerns if a claim is rejected by the seller, though "sellers will continue to have the opportunity to defend their product against the claim," it said. The company will vet the claims using independent insurance fraud experts and its own fraud and abuse detection systems.

Currently, Amazon encourages customers to contact third-party sellers directly with complaints about products. That left users to fend mostly for themselves following accidents caused by faulty or dangerous products. A short list of those includes defective carbon monoxide detectors, hair dryers without required shock protection and flammable clothing for kids, according to a complaint from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The new policy comes after complaints from lawmakers and consumer organizations about the proliferation of counterfeit, faulty and even dangerous products sold on Amazon's sprawling third-party marketplace. Last month, the CPSC sued Amazon to force it to recall faulty items that posed safety risks. Regulators said they had warned Amazon about the hazardous items on its site, but deemed its response insufficient.

Most gyms and fitness clubs turned to Zoom and online classes to make it through the early stages of the pandemic. That's something Barry's did with its At Home program, and now it's building on that work with the release of a new app called Barry's X. Much like Apple Fitness+, Peloton and Daily Burn, you can use the software to access live and on-demand workouts. But in trying to replicate the in-person experience it's known for, you can also turn on your phone's camera and a built-in "Red Room" filter during a class. Barry's says the feature will allow its instructors to offer personalized attention. 

In-app privacy settings allow you to control who sees you when you're on camera. You can set it so only your instructor can access your feed. It's also possible to include your friends in the mix. And if you're the type of person who wants to show off, you can let the whole class see you. The company says it will also cap class sizes to ensure instructors can help every participant.

Outside of the camera feature, the app includes a "FitFam" social media component where you can add friends to see their schedules and stats, as well as invite them to classes you want to try. Pricing will depend on how much you plan to use the app. Monthly memberships start at $39. The entry-level package includes access to four classes every 30 days. If you already pay for an in-studio membership, you can buy a $20 add-on that gives you access to the app's on-demand content. Another option is to pay for classes individually, though that will set you back $20 per session.

Samsung has unveiled the Exynos W920, a new processor designed specifically for smartphones and wearables. It has an integrated LTE modem and is the first chip designed for wearables to be built on a 5-nanometer EUV (extreme ultra-violet) process, according to Samsung. 

The new chip features dual Cortex-A55 cores, a Mali-G68 GPU and a Cortex-M55 processor dedicated to always-on displays that's designed to reduce power consumption. The company claims that it offers a 20 percent improvement in CPU performance and tenfold GPU boost over its last wearable chip. It's also the "smallest package currently available in the market for wearables," it said.

In its press release, Samsung explicitly wrote that "the Exynos W920 supports a new unified wearable platform Samsung built jointly with Google, and will be first applied to the upcoming Galaxy Watch model." That's no doubt going to be the Galaxy Watch 4 that leaked out last month and is expected to be announced tomorrow at Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event. 

Samsung will likely also reveal its latest smartwatch software that marries Tizen and Wear OS, developed jointly with Google. We're expecting to see navigation changes, new Tiles for third-party apps, improved battery efficiency, improved health and fitness tracking and a more open interface. 

After jumping into comics earlier this year, Substack is entering in a bigger way by signing several major creators to its platform, the New York Times has reported. The new slate of writers includes Saladin Ahmed, Jonathan Hickman, Molly Ostertag, Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV, with other writers and artists to be announced at a later date. 

As with other Substack writers, comics creators will send their work out in a newsletter format and charge subscribers directly for their work. During the first year, they'll be paid by Substack which will take most of the subscription revenue, and after that, the platform will take a 10 percent cut. Creators will retain ownership of all their materials.

Tynion IV, who recently won the Eisner award for his work on DC's Batman and other titles, said he'll work on Substack exclusively. "This wasn’t an easy decision," he told the NY Times. "In order to invest my time in new material, I needed to choose. I could not do both."

DC had presented me with a three-year renewal of my exclusive contract, with the intent of me working on Batman for the bulk of that time. I was grateful of the offer, but I couldn’t help but look at the success of my original, creator owned titles and wonder if it was the right choice.

Substack first got into comics back in June when it signed Marvel's Amazing Spider-Man writer Nick Spencer. Spencer reportedly spearheaded the idea and was the liaison between Substack and newly signed creators. On top of comic book stories, they'll publish, essays, how-to guides and other content on the platform.

Until recently, Substack has mostly focused on newsletters covering politics, technology and more. Comics, meanwhile, have been around forever on the web, but have largely been funded by ads and merchandise sales. By joining with Substack, creators will be able to engage directly with readers in a model that more closely resembles comic book sales. 

In his Substack launch post, Tynion said that he effectively turned down a three-year renewal of his DC Batman contract when Substack signed him "to create a new slate of original comic book properties directly on their platform, that my co-creators and I would own completely," he wrote. "I’m going to dedicate my whole brain to building a bunch of really cool stuff on my own terms, without having to get permission from any publisher to make it."