Google revealed its latest smartphones all of a sudden — and surprisingly quietly. Two new devices appeared on the company’s online store and we have deep dives on both phones and Tensor, a new system-on-chip that’ll power the next-gen of Pixel devices.

Google

What’s the most exciting part? New colors? A new Cyclops-esque visor that houses the camera sensors? That new chip? Even more AI smarts across the entire device might be a little predictable, but it didn’t stop Google from explaining exactly what its new SoC will offer.

We go into plenty of detail on Google’s new “four years in the making” chip right here, but expect more AI-based processes running simultaneously without overheating your phone. Improvements are teased across voice and speech processing — think Google Assistant — as well as photography and video recording, which all sounds like the sixth addition will continue to play to the Pixel series’ strengths.

Rick Osterloh, in conversation with Engadget, explained — but without getting specific — that the Pixel 6 series will include larger imaging sensors than before. He said the Pixel 6’s main camera will let in about 150% more light than previous Pixels. The Pro alone gets an extra telephoto option with 4x optical zoom, which will certainly help me decide between the two. All that’s really left to hear is the price and the release date.

- Mat Smith

Amazon's Lord of the Rings series arrives on September 2, 2022

Just over a year to wait.

Amazon Studios

Amazon's long-awaited The Lord of the Rings series finally has a release date. The show will premiere on the company’s Prime Video platform on September 2nd, 2022, with new episodes dropping on Prime Video each week. Filming on the as-yet-untitled series wrapped up yesterday. It takes place thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. A cast of familiar and new characters will fight an undisclosed evil in Tolkien’s fantasy world. Continue reading.

Scientists spot light behind a black hole

The discovery seems to confirm Einstein's prediction.

For the first time, scientists have seen the phenomena that takes place behind a black hole. Researchers were able to capture the light from the back of a supermassive black hole 800 million light-years away.

Stanford astrophysicist Dan Wilkins says this is a "key part of the puzzle to understanding" how the universe came to be. While studying the bright flares of x-rays emanating from the black hole, researchers spotted fainter flashes of light. These were the "luminous echoes" of the flares bouncing off the gas behind the black hole. These phenomena were first predicted by Einstein in his theory of relativity, published in 1916. Continue reading.

YouTube tests a cheaper subscription that only removes ads

Trials are happening in Europe.

YouTube is testing a lower-priced subscription plan that forgoes offline downloads and background playback but nixes all ads across videos. A Resetera user first spotted the new YouTube Premium Lite tier in Netherlands, Finland and Sweden while trying to cancel the paid-for service. The plan costs €6.99 ($8.32) per month, the same as the student tier. Continue reading.

R2-D2 is now a Tamagotchi

Coming November 11th.

Bandai/Disney

Instead of pooping, it gets dusty.

But wait, there’s more...

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Google is now offering a permanent Chromecast and Stadia Controller bundle

Google has rolled out a few updates for Chrome OS meant to make devices running the platform a more effective tool for communicating with friends and workmates. Chrome OS version 92 will make Google Meet a pre-installed Progressive Web App on all Chromebooks and computers running the software, allowing users to get on a video call right from the Launcher. Google says it also made performance improvements for the app, including the ability to adapt video calls to different network conditions and to adjust video performance during screen sharing.  

Since some people's employers or schools may prefer Zoom, Google has also teamed up with the business messaging app to release a version of the app tweaked to work better on Chromebooks. That app is now available on the Google Play Store. Chrome OS now also supports eSIMs, giving users the option to use one if they need cellular connectivity. The feature sounds especially useful for travelers who need to switch between networks while they're overseas. It's obviously only available on eSIM-compatible devices, which aren't that many at the moment, though we're hoping the feature's arrival means more Chromebooks will come with eSIM support in the future. 

The latest Chrome OS also adds a new emoji keyboard shortcut on Chromebooks. By pressing Search or Launcher key + Shift + Space, users can bring up the compact emoji picker where they can see their most recently used emoji. Finally, the Explore app on Chromebooks now includes a digital magazine curated for families, and each edition includes educational apps for kids. 

Streaming services are embracing cheaper subscription plans in a bid to turn free users into paying customers. Following news of a YouTube Premium Lite offering yesterday, Spotify is the latest streamer to confirm a cheaper tier. The world's biggest music streaming service is testing a $0.99 monthly plan that retains the ads but gives you infinite skips per hour and lets you select specific songs on an album or playlist for playback. Spotify, which confirmed the test to The Verge, is hoping it can convince you to put up with ads in return for more control over the listening experience. In other words, it wants to have its cake and eat it, too.

Currently, free users can only skip six tracks per hour and have to listen to shuffled songs on albums and playlists. That's a bummer if you're sick of hearing Justin Bieber or just want to put that one new Billie Eillish track on repeat. Despite those incentives, getting people to pay for an ad-supported service, even if it is just $0.99 per month, is still a big ask. Especially when they're accustomed to getting it for free. Then again, video streamers like Hulu and HBO Max have either successfully done it or are trying to do it.

The risk is that it could eat into Spotify's existing premium user base, which make up 165 million of its 365 million subscribers. Turning those remaining 200 million users into paying members is clearly the goal here. It could be that the low $0.99 price helps to ease that transition. We'll know if the gamble has paid off if Spotify expands the plan to more users. In the past, the company has done just that with new plans, including its $12.99/month Duo tier aimed at discouraging password sharing and its upcoming Lossless "HiFi" offering.

Pokémon Unite is getting an update just over a month after it landed on the Switch. The free-to-play battle arena game pits two teams of five players against each other in ten-minute brawls. Ahead of its arrival on mobiles in September, the Unite update is aimed at adjusting the balance of battles. 

As a result, over a dozen Pokémon are getting tweaks to their stats that reduce things like attack damage and HP restoration and fix bugs. They include Charizard, Talonflame, Venusaur, Absol, Wigglytuff, Eldegoss, Cinderace, Gengar, Zeraora, Cramorant, Machamp, Lucario, Greninja and Alolan Ninetails.

The update lands August 4th at 3AM ET. You can also expect a special spectate feature test release as well as text fixes. Check out the full patch notes via the link above. Of course, players also have the mobile release to look forward to next month, with plans for cross-platform play between the Switch and smartphones. Those who log in to a Nintendo Account or Pokémon Trainer Club account will also be able to cross save their game data and progress on any device.

Logitech has unveiled some new wireless (and wired) earbuds with some unique features designed for business professionals. The key product is the Zone True Wireless Earbuds, which the company says are the first to be certified by the three major video conferencing platforms: Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. Another unique feature is support for not just Bluetooth, but Logitech's wireless USB receiver as well, so that they'll work with almost any smartphone or computer — and let you flip easily between devices.

The wireless buds come with active noise cancellation (ANC) and a noise cancelling mic, allowing for high-quality sound on calls, Logitech claims. And unlike bulky wireless headsets designed for businesses (like Logitech's own Zone models), they're designed to provide a "stylish look" when you're on a Zoom or other conference call. Logitech also promises "double the battery life of leading consumer devices," though that's a meaningless statement without a figure to back it up. 

Logitech

"Current wireless solutions force consumers to compromise between either traditional headsets that are not aesthetically suited for video calling, or sub-optimal audio performance," said Logitech VP Scott Wharton. The audio quality remains to be heard and reviewed, of course, but they're certainly nicer looking than most business headsets. 

Along with the Zone True Wireless model, Logitech also debuted the Zone Wired Earbuds "for professionals and teams who want a professional-grade, plug-and-play option," the company said. They can connect to your computer or mobile device via USB-C, USB-A and 3.5mm connectors.

The Zone True Wireless Earbuds will be available in two colors, graphite and rose, but won't come cheap at $299. The Zone Wired Earbuds, meanwhile, run $99. Both arrive globally in the fall of 2021. 

DirecTV is now its own company again after AT&T closed the deal with private equity firm TPG, which it first announced back in February. Under their agreement, TPG would own 30 percent of the spinoff, while the mobile giant will retain a 70 percent ownership. As its own company, DirecTV will no longer operate under AT&T and will own and run the AT&T TV and U-verse video services under a single brand known as "DirecTV Stream" debuting later this month. The new spinoff says customers won't even feel the transition: The streaming services will continue being available and subscribers won't be blindsided by hidden fees.

AT&T received $7.1 billion in cash for the sale, which is but a tiny fraction of the $49 billion it originally paid when it purchased DirecTV in 2015. Back then, former AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said combining DirecTV with AT&T "is all about giving customers more choices for great video entertainment integrated with mobile and high-speed internet service." According to Los Angeles Times, AT&T has lost 40 percent of the DirecTV's original subscriber number since then, and in the second quarter of 2021, DirecTV reported having 15.4 million premium video subscribers.

The telecom giant has been trying to offload DirecTV since at least 2019, but it hasn't announced anything concrete until earlier this year. This deal doesn't include the HBO Max streaming service, which will be part of the company's separate WarnerMedia spinoff. In May, AT&T announced a $43 billion deal that would see its WarnerMedia division merge with Discovery. It's expected to close in mid-2022, four years after AT&T finalized its $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner. Both that deal and this DirecTV spinoff will help AT&T's debt reduction efforts. As Deadline notes, it has taken several steps, including selling off assets, over the past few years to reduce the debts it has acquired due to its massive multimedia acquisitions.

A National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) officer has recommended that workers at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama hold a new election because Amazon broke US labor laws, the New York Times has reported. It's still only a preliminary ruling, but provides hope that workers may still be able to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).

Last April, worker's at the fulfillment center voted against unionization by a margin of more than two to one. Following the vote, however, the RWDSU alleged that Amazon won because it “interfered” with the rights of its employees "to vote in a free and fair election; a right protected under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act."

The RWDSU filed 23 objections in total, including one complaint that Amazon had a ballot collection box installed in an employee parking lot “without authorization” from the NLRB’s regional director. It noted that the box was placed under the view of Amazon security cameras, creating "an impression of surveillance."

The NLRB officer sided with the union, saying Amazon violated US labor laws. "Throughout the NLRB hearing, we heard compelling evidence how Amazon tried to illegally interfere with and intimidate workers as they sought to exercise their right to form a union," said union president Stuart Appelbaum in a statement. "We support the hearing officer’s recommendation that the NLRB set aside the election results and direct a new election."

Amazon, however, said it would dispute the decision and take steps to ensure that the initial vote held. "Our employees had a chance to be heard during a noisy time when all types of voices were weighing into the national debate, and at the end of the day, they voted overwhelmingly in favor of a direct connection with their managers,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. “Their voice should be heard above all else, and we plan to appeal to ensure that happens.”

The decision doesn't yet have any legal force until a full ruling is made by the NLRB's acting regional director, something that could take up to a month. During that time, parties will be able to file exceptions. 

Since the Bessemer vote, Amazon's situation has caught the attention of the Teamsters union, which created a special division to focus on organizing Amazon's delivery drivers. Amazon has been criticized for the working conditions of drivers and warehouse workers alike, along with its union-busting efforts that were exposed in a New York Times report earlier this year. 

Twitter is partnering with The Associated Press and Reuters to help its curation team put credible information in front of users. Made up of employees who work together to contextualize some of the most popular topics people are discussing on Twitter, the curation team oversees some of the platform’s more visible and sometimes controversial features, including Trends and the Explore tab.

As a Twitter user, the company says you can expect to see it work faster to ensure there’s more and better contextual information to see as people discuss things on the service. As a starting point on that front, the company says Trends will include contextual descriptions and links to reporting from reputable publications more frequently. Additionally, the company says the program will help it proactively identify topics that could become a wellspring of misinformation. “Rather than waiting until something goes viral, Twitter will contextualize developing discourse at pace with or in anticipation of the public conversation,” the company said.

Twitter also expects the partnership will help some features, where context is vitally important, work better. Here, the company points to tools like Birdwatch. Initially, The Associated Press and Reuters will focus on helping the company with English-language content, but it’s worth noting the curation team contextualizes Japanese, Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese content as well.

In trying to support its curation team better, Twitter wants to avoid a repeat of a situation like the one it found itself in last year following the death of Jeffrey Epstein. The social media network was overrun with conspiracy theories about Epstein’s suicide, and the company was seemingly unable to stop hashtags like #ClintonBodyCount from trending. Even when you take blatant disinformation out of the picture, Twitter trends are frequently easy bait for trolling, as was on display when US gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics. While trolls are likely to continue trying to game the service, enlisting the help of The Associated Press and Reuters could make those efforts less visible

Amazon has quietly introduced a new Smart Soap Dispenser that works with its Alexa voice-activated assistant. Spotted by AFTVnews, the gadget includes a set of 10 LED lights that will count down as you wash your hands for the 20 seconds recommended by the CDC to keep germs and harmful bacteria away.

As an Alexa Gadget, you can also pair the Smart Soap Dispenser with a compatible Echo device to access a supporting Alexa Routine that will play your favorite song or tell you a joke or fun fact while you scrub away. That’s an optional feature and the dispenser itself doesn’t include a microphone or speaker. You also don’t need an Echo device to access its best gimmick. Depending on how far underneath the nozzle you hold your hand, the device will provide you with more or less soap from its 12-ounce reservoir. The closer you place your handle to the nozzle, the less soap it will dispense.

Outside of those features, the Smart Soap Dispenser comes with 802.11n WiFi connectivity like 2009 never came and went, and a micro-USB port (shudder) for when you need to charge the device. Amazon says the internal battery can last about three months on a single charge.

At $54.99, the Amazon Smart Soap Dispenser is significantly more expensive than many of the “dumb” automatic soap dispensers you can buy, including a lot of the ones you’ll find on Amazon’s own marketplace. It also feels like it’s a year late. Many tech companies added hand washing-related features last year, and the latest science suggests the coronavirus rarely spreads on surfaces. All the same, you can pre-order the Amazon Smart Soap Dispenser starting today, with orders expected to ship on August 4th.

Amazon's long-awaited The Lord of the Rings series has a release date, but don't go rushing to stake out the best spot in your living room just yet. The show will premiere on September 2nd, 2022, with new episodes dropping on Prime Video each week. 

Filming on the as-yet-untitled series wrapped up today. Production began in February 2020, but it was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The series takes place thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. A cast of old and new characters will have to resist a newly resurgent evil during the Second Age of Middle-earth.

Along with the release date, Amazon revealed the first proper image from the show. It depicts a figure looking at a vista with a white city and, much further away, the outline of two curious trees. With no sign of a trailer yet, expect the internet to analyze every pixel of the image for hints.

Even before filming started, Amazon renewed the series for a second season. So, whatever happens in this first batch of episodes, you can be rest assured that there will be much more of the story to come.