Now's the time to act if you've pined for a Galaxy Z Fold 4 but couldn't quite justify spending nearly two grand for more than 256GB of storage. Amazon is selling the 512GB foldable for $1,500, a very nice $420 below the official price. That's substantially less than you normally pay for the base model, and matches an offer on Samsung's website.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is ultimately a refinement of its predecessor, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Samsung has patched up some of the enthusiast phone's remaining weaknesses with better rear cameras, improved battery life and added design polish. This remains the device to get if you want a powerful phone that can double as a tablet, particularly if you like to juggle multiple apps.
The catches at this point are the same ones you've seen for past models, and to some degree foldables in general. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is bulky compared to conventional smartphones, and you'll have to live with quirks like the display crease. The rear cameras won't beat what you get on the S22 Ultra, and the under-display selfie cam is mediocre (if better hidden). If you're an early adopter or are willing to pay for the biggest screen you can get, though, you'd be hard-pressed to find better hardware at this sale price.
You might soon need YouTube Premium for more than ditching ads, background playback and trying new features. As MacRumorsnotes, users on Reddit and Twitter have noticed that YouTube is asking some viewers to upgrade to Premium to watch videos in 4K resolution. It's not clear which countries, devices or videos are affected, but this won't be thrilling if you were hoping for better than 1440p on your computer or tablet.
It's not certain if this is a test or broader rollout. We've asked YouTube for comment, and will let you know if we hear back. Premium normally costs $12 per month, or $120 per year.
So, after testing up to 12 ads on YouTube for non-Premium users, now some users reported that they also have to get a Premium account just to watch videos in 4K. pic.twitter.com/jJodoAxeDp
A move like this wouldn't be unexpected. YouTube claimed a combined 50 million Premium and Music subscribers last September. That may sound like a lot of customers, but it's a modest amount compared to paid media services like Spotify Premium (188 million users as of the second quarter) and Netflix (220.7 million). In theory, locking 4K videos behind YouTube Premium could spur sign-ups and make it a larger revenue source for Google.
Google’s fall hardware event promises to be special this year. It not only marks the official debut of the Pixel 7, it will launch the company’s first self-branded smartwatch — the Pixel Watch. But what will those devices bring to the table, exactly? And will there be any surprises beyond that? We’re here to let you know what to expect when Google’s broadcast begins October 6th.
Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro
Google
The meat of the presentation will probably focus on Google’s latest phones, the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. An official preview at this spring’s I/O conference revealed that they’ll largely iterate on the Pixel 6 line. You can expect an updated but familiar-looking design with a seamless aluminum frame that extends to the camera bar. There will also be a new Tensor G2 chip that promises improved performance for media, speech recognition and other tasks. They’ll run Android 13. The base model will have two rear cameras like the regular Pixel 6, while the Pro adds a third.
But what kind of performance improvements can you expect? Subtle ones, apparently. Prototype leaks hint the standard Pixel 7 will carry 8GB of RAM and start with 128GB of storage, much like its predecessor. A variety of pre-release scoops also suggest the Tensor G2 isn’t a dramatic leap forward, with slight improvements to graphics, power efficiency and clock speeds. Likewise, developer Kuba Wojciechowski claims the cameras will remain largely unchanged. There could be little reason to upgrade from a Pixel 6, then, although this year’s phone may be worth the investment if you’re coming from a Pixel 5 or earlier.
The biggest news might be what doesn’t change: the price. A rumor from Android Police founder Artem Russakovskii maintains that the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will respectively start at the same $599 and $899 prices as last year’s phones. They’ll represent significant value for money if the report is true, particularly at a time when many device prices are creeping upwards.
It’s not certain just when the Pixel 7 range will reach customers. Pre-orders will start the day of the event, but Google hasn’t said when the phone will be available. WinFuture’s Roland Quant has heard the devices will start shipping October 18th, though, so you may only have to wait a couple of weeks before the hardware reaches your hands.
Pixel Watch
Google
The highlight for many, however, will be the Pixel Watch. It’s Google’s first official smartwatch, and promises to serve as a showcase for Wear OS 3. You can expect tight Fitbit integration that includes fitness, sleep and general health tracking. The company is taking some design cues from the Apple Watch with an upscale-looking case, a prominent crown and easily swapped (if proprietary) bands, but it’s using a circular display like many other Wear OS devices.
Google hasn’t shared much about what’s inside, but a prototype left in a restaurant points to heart rate, blood oxygen and ECG monitoring that might be borrowed from the Fitbit Charge 5. We wouldn’t be surprised to see tap-to-pay Wallet functionality, either. 9to5Googlesources believe the Pixel Watch might use a stock Samsung Exynos chip instead of a custom Tensor part, but that it might pack a large 2GB of RAM (even the Galaxy Watch has ‘just’ 1.5GB), 32GB of storage and a coprocessor that keeps battery life in check. Emulator code also points to the introduction of Google’s next-generation Assistant on Wear OS watches, although it’s not known just how the AI helper will evolve on your wrist.
As with the phones, Pixel Watch pre-orders should start October 6th. It’s not yet known if the hardware will ship at the same time as the Pixel 7, though, and established leaker Yogesh Brar warned of a possible “limited release” (that is, only in a few countries). You might have to pay a premium compared to other options, too. A 9to5Googleprice leak mentioned a $350 starting price, with a cellular version bumping the cost to $400. That’s significantly higher than the $280 Galaxy Watch 5, and not far behind the $399 Apple Watch Series 8. The Pixel is clearly pitched as Android’s answer to the Apple Watch, and might be priced accordingly.
Wildcards: More Pixel device previews and Nest hardware
Google
There haven’t been solid rumors of additional hardware at the event. Nonetheless, we wouldn’t rule it out. Few would have expected Google to preview the Pixel Tablet long before its 2023 release — it’s no longer out of the question that you might see a teaser for more products. But what, exactly? Besides more details for the tablet, there are longstanding murmurs of a foldable Pixel phone that might get an early peek. With that said, there’s no tangible evidence either Pixel product will make a cameo.
We also wouldn’t count on more Nest devices. Apart from a dearth of leaks, there are only so many things Google can do to upgrade some of its offerings, such as the audio-only Nest Mini and Nest Audio. That said, Google hasn’t touched some of its lineup for two or three years. The company may have an incentive to keep things fresh when Amazon just overhauled its smart home gear.
If there are any surprises, they’re most likely to involve AI-related features. At last year’s event, Google unveiled Pixel-first software tricks that included on-screen call center menus and as-you-type translation. A repeat wouldn’t be surprising this time around, even if some of those extras won’t require a Pixel in the future. Google used AI as a major selling point for the Pixel 6, and the sequel could easily get similar treatment.
Based on a successful feature on TikTok's sister app in China, Douyin, the social network is reportedly planning to launch a live shopping TikTok Shop in the US later this year. According to the Financial Times, Douyin hosts nine million live shopping broadcasts a month and sold over 10 billion products in a single year, from May 2021 to May 2022. That’s triple what it sold the previous year. The technology will supposedly be provided by the US company TalkShopLive and support livestreams hosted by influencers and brands. The agreements are still under discussion, however.
The report comes just a day after Facebook announced it was abandoning its own Live Shopping feature. Facebook is now suggesting merchants showcase products via Reels. TikTok has had mixed success with the method already. Last year, it launched in the UK – the only country with availability outside Asia. TikTok Shop hasn't fared especially well so far, and TikTok postponed plans to expand elsewhere in Europe.
This time: band designs, watch faces and Fitbit integration.
It seems an Amazon listing for the Pixel Watch went live early in Germany. The smartwatch is due to go on sale just after Google's October 6th event. There will be several colors in at least four band designs, including silicon, braided and leather. The Amazon listing, which has been removed, suggested users will receive six months free Fitbit Premium access, including deeper fitness metrics and other exercise goodies.
Getting rid of certain names may not make a huge difference.
The group that oversees USB wants to make it easier for you to understand what various cables and ports actually do. The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) wants cable makers to use “USB 10Gbps” instead of “SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps” and “USB 20Gbps” instead of “USB4 20Gbps." USB-C cables certified by the USB-IF will need to list both data transfer speeds and charging wattage. Knowing which cable you need is already complicated enough. Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 connectors and ports look exactly the same as USB-C ones, for instance. The updated guidelines don't clarify whether a cable supports DisplayPort or certain fast-charging standards, either.
After pandemic-related disruptions in Q2, Tesla ramped up its manufacturing capacity again last quarter, leading the company to make a record number of deliveries between July 1st and September 30th. The company built 365,923 electric vehicles during that period. That marks a year-over-year production increase of nearly 54 percent.
Magic Leap has started selling Magic Leap 2 in 19 countries, including the US, UK and EU nations. The glasses are still for developers and pros, with a design 50 percent smaller and 20 percent lighter than the original. This should ensure they're more comfortable to wear over long periods. Magic Leap also promises better visibility for AR in bright light (think a well-lit office) thanks to dynamic dimming, which makes virtual content appear more solid. The Magic Leap 2 Base model costs $3,299, and developers who want extra tools will have to pay $4,099 for the Developer Pro edition.
NASA and SpaceX have signed an agreement to study the possibility of using a Dragon spacecraft to lift the Hubble telescope to a higher orbit. The Hubble telescope's orbit decays over time due to atmospheric drag, and boosting it to a more stable one could add years to its life.
The Pixel 7 is being unveiled this week, but if you're looking for a new but more budget focused phone, Amazon has an excellent deal on the Pixel 6a. You pick one up at just $349 for a savings of $100 (22 percent off) — $21 cheaper than the lowest price to date. That's a significant savings on a smartphone that only came out a couple of months ago.
If you're in the market for a mid-range smartphone, the Pixel 6a is a top pick. It offers the same Tensor chip as the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, while giving you the purest Android experience possible. At the same time, you get excellent camera quality for the price, thanks to the two 12-megapixel rear cameras and 8-MP front sensor delivering bright, colorful pictures and video. It also comes with a distinctive design, sharp 6.1-inch OLED screen covered with Gorilla Glass 3, long-lasting battery, IP67 water/dust protection and more.
You don't get everything available in the flagships, of course. The 60Hz refresh rate isn't as smooth as the higher-end Pixels or Samsung's A53. Storage is limited to 128GB, there's no wireless charging and Google dropped the headphone jack we loved on the Pixel 5a — so you'll need a dongle for wired audio. Still, at this new low price, there aren't many other phones that can match it.
Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is the best e-reader for the money bar none, and you can now pick one up at the lowest price we've seen. It's back on sale at its Prime Day price of $135, for a savings of $55 (29 percent). Amazon has also knocked 29 percent off the regular Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Oasis devices, so if you're in the market for an e-reader, it's a great time to pick one up.
The Paperwhite Signature Edition scored an exemplary 97 in our Engadget review thanks to a number of nice features. With smaller bezels, it has a big and responsive 6.8-inch E Ink touchscreen, with gentle backlights you can turn on and off or adjust to suit your reading conditions. It offers USB-C and wireless charging (with up to 10 weeks of reading on a single charge), 32GB of storage, waterproof reading, automatic brightness and warm light options. The only complaint we had was the $190 price, but it's an easy decision at the $135 sale price.
If you don't need quite that much storage, the regular Kindle Paperwhite is also on sale with 8GB of memory ($100, or $40 off) and 16GB ($105, or $45 off). You get most of the features of the Signature Edition, like the warm light, 10 weeks of battery life and waterproof reading, though it lacks the wireless charging and extra storage.
Also on sale is the Kindle Oasis, available at $200 for the 32GB model instead of the regular $280 price. We called it "the perfect e-reader for the 1 percent" in our review because although it's insanely thin and light and comes with a charging case, $280 is quite expensive. The sale goes a fair way to mitigating that problem by knocking $80 or 29 percent off the price, making it a far more affordable indulgence.
Twitter has started rolling out some changes for its Android app that gives people sliding into DMs a more visually appealing interface. The social network's Android app has remained largely the same over the years, but this update, while pretty minor, was meant to give users "a smoother, more consistent experience overall." Twitter says it set to work redesigning its DMs on Android after its teams evaluated the experience on the OS and determined that it needed an improvement.
As you can see in the screenshots below, the messages view on the app look cleaner now, with rounder speech bubbles and text box at the bottom. The inbox itself also looks much less cluttered and is devoid of line breaks. Ditto for the message requests view, which now also shows an "x" button for each request that makes it easy to delete them.
Twitter
Twitter didn't just give DMs on Android a shiny new veneer, though. The company said it also worked on its back-end and rebuilt it with proper architecture, improving its responsiveness and its scrolling performance. Twitter said it also redesigned the message composer, as well as the app's tweet forwarding capabilities.
The company has historically been slow to bring new features to the Android app — search, for instance, had been available on iOS and the web for almost a couple of years before it came to the mobile platform. Earlier this year, Twitter expanded search's capability to make it easier to find the exact conversations users are looking for. That feature is available for both iOS and Android users.
While the Fire HD 10 is the older of the two devices, the deal on that tablet is still the highlight here. For the money, you get a 10.1-inch display with full HD resolution, an eight-core 2GHz processor, 3GB of RAM, 12 hours of rated battery life and up to 64GB of internal storage (expandable to as much a 1TB via a microSD card).
As for the Fire 7, we need to caution you that it earned a lackluster score from us when we reviewed it last summer. Although we acknowledged the then-$60 tablet got some basics right, including battery life, USB-C charging and, well, the affordable price, we dinged it for its unimpressive display quality and sluggish performance. If we were to review it fresh today with a $45 list price, perhaps we'd be a little more generous in our rating.
It's unclear when Amazon will refresh either its 10- or 7-inch tablet line. At its hardware launch last month, Amazon only mentioned a new $100 8-inch model, which promises 30 percent faster performance, slightly improved 13-hour battery life and a new Tap to Alexa feature that allows you to summon the voice assistant without speaking.
Amazon's most powerful streaming stick is on sale yet again for Amazon's second Prime Day sale in 2022. You can grab the Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $35, or $20 off its regular price. That's how much it went for at this year's first Prime Day event back in July, and it's also the lowest price we've seen for the device on the website. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max supports Dolby Vision, HDR and HDR10+ content, as well as Dolby Atmos audio. It can also join WiFi 6 networks, and Amazon says it can start apps faster and has more fluid navigation than the basic Fire TV Stick 4K.
Like other models, this one comes with a remote control that has preset buttons for Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Hulu. Said remote is also powered by Alexa and can search content and launch them with just voice commands. You can even ask Alexa through the remote to dim your connected lights or check the weather. And if you have a compatible doorbell or security camera around your home, you can use its picture-in-picture capability to view its live feed on your screen without having to pause or remove whatever it is you're watching.
Out of all the Fire TV streaming devices, only the Cube set-top box is more powerful than the 4K Max. The Fire TV Cube is also on sale for $60 at the moment, or half off its original price. But if you want something cheaper, you can also get the non-Max Fire TV Stick 4K for $25 or the base Fire TV Stick for $20.
Apple's Watch Ultra, with its 2000-nit digital display and GPS capabilities, is a far cry from its Revolutionary War-era self-winding forebears. What sorts of wondrous body-mounted technologies might we see another hundred years hence? In his new book, The Skeptic's Guide to the Future, Dr. Steven Novella (with assists from his brothers, Bob and Jay Novella) examines the history of wearables and the technologies that enable them to extrapolate where further advances in flexible circuitry, wireless connectivity and thermoelectric power generation might lead.
As the name implies, wearable technology is simply technology designed to be worn, so it will advance as technology in general advances. For example, as timekeeping technology progressed, so did the wristwatch, leading to the smartwatches of today. There are certain advances that lend themselves particularly to wearable technology. One such development is miniaturization.
The ability to make technology smaller is a general trend that benefits wearables by extending the number of technologies that are small enough to be conveniently and comfortably worn. We are all familiar by now with the incredible miniaturization in the electronics industry, and especially in computer chip technology. Postage-stamp-sized chips are now more powerful than computers that would have filled entire rooms in prior decades.
As is evidenced by the high-quality cameras on a typical smartphone, optical technology has already significantly miniaturized. There is ongoing research into tinier optics still, using metamaterials to produce telephoto and zoom lenses without the need for bulky glass.
“Nanotechnology” is now a collective buzzword for machines that are built at the microscopic scale (although technically it is much smaller still), and of course, nanotech will have incredible implications for wearables.
We are also at the dawn of flexible electronics, also called “flex circuits” and more collectively “flex tech.” This involves printing circuits onto a flexible plastic substrate, allowing for softer technology that moves as we move. Flexible technology can more easily be incorporated into clothing, even woven into its fabric. The advent of two-dimensional materials, like carbon nanotubes, which can form the basis of electronics and circuits, are also highly flexible. Organic circuits are yet another technology that allows for the circuits to be made of flexible material, rather than just printed on flexible material.
Circuits can also be directly printed onto the skin, as a tattoo, using conductive inks that can act as sensors. One company, Tech Tats, already offers one such tattoo for medical monitoring purposes. The ink is printed in the upper layers of the skin, so they are not permanent. They can monitor things like heart rate and communicate this information wirelessly to a smartphone.
Wearable electronics have to be powered. Small watch batteries already exist, but they have finite energy. Luckily there are a host of technologies being developed that can harvest small amounts of energy from the environment to power wearables (in addition to implantable devices and other small electronics). Perhaps the earliest example of this was the self-winding watch, the first evidence of which comes from 1776. Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Perrelet developed a pocket watch with a pendulum that would wind the watch from the movement of normal walking. Reportedly it took about fifteen minutes of walking to be fully wound.
There are also ways to generate electric power that are not just mechanical power. Four types of ambient energy exist in the environment—mechanical, thermal, radiant (e.g., sunlight), and chemical. Piezoelectric technology, for example, converts applied mechanical strain into electrical current. The mechanical force can come from the impact of your foot hitting the ground, or just from moving your limbs or even breathing. Quartz and bone are piezoelectric materials, but it can also be manufactured as barium titanate and lead zirconate titanate. Electrostatic and electromagnetic devices harvest mechanical energy in the form of vibrations.
There are thermoelectric generators that can produce electricity from differences in temperature. As humans are warm-blooded mammals, a significant amount of electricity can be created from the waste heat we constantly shed. There are also thermoelectric generators that are made from flexible material, combining flex tech with energy harvesting. This technology is mostly in the prototype phase right now. For example, in 2021, engineers published the development of a flexible thermoelectric generator made from an aerogel-silicone composite with embedded liquid metal conductors resulting in a flexible that could be worn on the wrist and could generate enough electricity to power a small device.
Ambient radiant energy in the form of sunlight can be converted to electricity through the photoelectric effect. This is the basis of solar panels, but small and flexible solar panels can be incorporated into wearable devices as well.
All of these energy-harvesting technologies can also double as sensing technology—they can sense heat, light, vibration, or mechanical strain and produce a signal in response. Tiny self-powered sensors can therefore be ubiquitous in our technology.
The Future of Wearable Tech
The technology already exists, or is on the cusp, to have small, flexible, self-powered, and durable electronic devices and sensors, incorporated with wireless technology and advanced miniaturized digital technology. We therefore can convert existing tools and devices into wearable versions, or use them to explore new options for wearable tech. We also can increasingly incorporate digital technology into our clothing, jewelry, and wearable equipment. This means that wearable tech will likely increasingly shift from passive objects to active technology integrated into the rest of our digital lives.
There are some obvious applications here, even though it is difficult to predict what people will find useful versus annoying or simply useless. Smartphones have already become smartwatches, or they can pair together for extended functionality. Google Glass is an early attempt at incorporating computer technology into wearable glasses, and we know how it has been received.
If we extrapolate this technology, one manifestation is that the clothing and gear we already wear can be converted into electronic devices we already use, or they can be enhanced with new functionality that replaces or supports existing devices.
We may, for example, continue to use a smartphone as the hub of our portable electronics. Perhaps that smartphone will be connected not only to wireless earbuds as they are now, but also to a wireless monitor built into glasses, or sensors that monitor health vitals or daily activity. Potentially, the phone could communicate with any device on the planet, so it could automatically contact your doctor’s office regarding any concerning changes, or contact emergency services if appropriate.
Portable cameras could also monitor and record the environment, not just for documenting purposes but also to direct people to desired locations or services, or contact the police if a crime or disaster is in progress.
As our appliances increasingly become part of the “internet of things,” we too will become part of that internet through what we wear, or what’s printed on or implanted beneath our skin. We might, in a very real sense, become part of our home, office, workplace, or car, as one integrated technological whole.
We’ve mostly been considering day-to-day life, but there will also be wearable tech for special occupations and situations. An extreme version of this is exosuits for industrial or military applications. Think Iron Man, although that level of tech is currently fantasy. There is no portable power source that can match Iron Man’s arc reactor, and there doesn’t appear to be any place to store the massive amounts of propellant necessary to fly as he does.
More realistic versions of industrial exosuits are already a reality and will only get better. A better sci-fi analogy might be the loader exo-suit worn by Ripley in Aliens. Powered metal exosuits for construction workers have been in development for decades. The earliest example is the Hardiman, developed by General Electric between 1965 and 1971. That project essentially failed and the Hardiman was never used, but since then development has continued. Applications have mostly been medical, such as helping people with paralysis walk. Industrial uses are still minimal and do not yet include whole-body suits. However, such suits can theoretically greatly enhance the strength of workers, allowing them to carry heavy loads. They could also incorporate tools they would normally use, such as rivet guns and welders.
Military applications for powered exosuits would likely include armor, visual aids such as infrared or night-vision goggles, weapons and targeting systems, and communications. Such exosuits could turn a single soldier into not just enhanced infantry, but also a tank, artillery, communications, medic, and mule for supplies.
Military development might also push technology for built-in emergency medical protocols. A suit could automatically apply pressure to a wound to reduce bleeding. There are already pressure pants that prevent shock by helping to maintain blood pressure. More ambitious tech could automatically inject drugs to counteract chemical warfare, increase blood pressure, reduce pain, or prevent infection. These could be controlled by either onboard AI or remotely by a battlefield medic who is monitoring the soldiers under their watch and taking actions remotely through their suits.
Once this kind of technology matures, it can then trickle down to civilian applications. Someone with life-threatening allergies could carry epinephrine on them to be injected, or they could wear an autoinjector that will dose them as necessary, or be remotely triggered by an emergency medical responder.
Everything discussed so far is an extrapolation from existing technology, and these more mature applications are feasible within fifty years or so. What about the far future? This is likely where nanotechnology comes in. Imagine wearing a nanosuit that fits like a second skin but that is made from programmable and reconfigurable material. It can form any mundane physical object you might need, on command. Essentially, the suit would be every tool ever made.
You could also change your fashion on demand. Go from casual in the morning to business casual for a meeting and then formal for a dinner party without ever changing your clothes. Beyond mere fashion, this could be programmable cosplay—do you want to be a pirate, or a werewolf? More practically, such a nanoskin could be well ventilated when it’s warm and then puff out for good insulation when it’s cold. In fact, it could automatically adjust your skin temperature for maximal comfort.
Such material can be soft and comfortable, but bunch up and become hard when it encounters force, essentially functioning as highly effective armor. If you are injured, it could stem bleeding, maintain pressure, even do chest compressions if necessary. In fact, once such a second skin becomes widely adopted, life without it may quickly become unimaginable and scary.
Wearable technology may become the ultimate in small or portable technology because of the convenience and effectiveness of being able to carry it around with us. As shown, many of the technologies we are discussing might converge on wearable technology, which is a good reminder that when we try to imagine the future, we cannot simply extrapolate one technology but must consider how all technology will interact. We may be making our wearables out of 2D materials, powered by AI and robotic technology, with a brain-machine interface that we use for virtual reality. We may also be creating customized wearables with additive manufacturing, using our home 3D printer.
