DJI has launched the Osmo Mobile 6 gimbal, and it comes with a larger clamp than its predecessors to accommodate bigger phones or smaller ones with bulky cases. It has a new handle handle designed to be more comfortable to hold, but it kept the Osmo Mobile 5's built-in extension rod that lets you use it as a selfie stick. The Osmo 6 also features an improved version of DJI's ActiveTrack, which allows stable tracking for longer distances and enables the phone's front camera to track subjects that spin or turn to the side.

Another new feature is Quick Launch for the iPhone. So long as it's an iPhone that's attached to the stabilizer, the Mimo app instantly enters camera view when the gimbal is unfolded. DJI says it could dramatically reduce prep times and can get the phone ready to take photos three times faster than previous Osmo Mobile models can. 

DJI

The new gimbal has a built-in status panel that lets you quickly check battery levels, as well as a Mode button that gives you a way to cycle between modes with every tap. When in Follow mode, the camera view stays locked in during rolls but follows the gimbal's pan and tilt movements. Tilt Lock enables the camera view to follow the gimbal's pan movements but stays stable during tit and rolls. The camera view follows all the gimbal's movements in FPV mode for a more dynamic footage, while SpinShot lets you control the camera view by moving the joystick left or right. 

Just like its predecessor, the Osmo Mobile 6 also has a number of intelligent features, namely timelapse, gesture control, automatic dynamic zoom, panorama and story mode. Finally, the gimbal comes with a Side Wheel that lets you control and adjust the focal length and zoom in or out. The DJI Osmo Mobile 6 will be available starting today from the company's online store for €169/£145 (US$166) and will make its way to more retailers in the future. It will ship with a magnetic clamp, tripod, power cable, wrist strap and storage pouch.

Confirming rumors, Google has unveiled the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) device that offers features from the $50 4K model at a significantly cheaper $30 price. Unlike the original $35 Chromecast, it comes with a remote control that eliminates the need for a smartphone, though you can control it with a mobile device as well. The other key feature is right there in the name — lower 1080p resolution, albeit with HDR support.

The new device looks nigh-on identical to the 4K model, with an oval shape, short HDMI cable and a USB-C input. As before, it comes with all the popular streaming services including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Prime Video, YouTube and others. It supports Stadia games as well, and of course, you can cast compatible Android and iOS apps or mirror your Chrome browser tabs.

There's a Google Assistant button on the remote to control programming, ask questions or control smart home connected devices. Plus, it can be grouped with Nest speakers for multi-room playback around the home via music apps like Spotify, Pandora and YouTube Music. 

Back in January, it was rumored that the device could decode high-quality, low-bandwidth AV1 files (the 4K model doesn't currently support that), but there's no word yet on that. It's bound to appeal to buyers on a budget, but many people were hoping for a faster 4K model with more storage instead. Chromecast with Google TV (HD) is now available for $30.

The vinyl resurgence shows no sign of slowing down — but streaming services are still the preferred way for most people to listen to music these days. As such, smart speakers like the Amazon Echo, HomePod mini and the line of Sonos products make a ton of sense for most people. But most of those speakers don’t work with turntables, which can make things complicated if you want to both play records and stream tunes.

Victrola, a brand that’s been making record players for more than 100 years, is mostly known at this point for making entry-level turntables with built-in speakers in a variety of vintage-inspired designs. But today, the company introduced the Stream Carbon, a $799 turntable that can directly connect to a Sonos system, which means you’ll be able to stream your records all over your home. Victrola says this is just the first of more planned devices in the Stream lineup, too.

You’ll need to set up the turntable using a Victrola Stream app, but once that’s set, you’ll be able to control the Stream Carbon via the Sonos app or a control knob on the device itself. Just as you can play music on any single Sonos speaker, a group of speakers or everything in your system, you’ll be able to send music from the turntable to any combo of Sonos devices in the same fashion. As for compatibility, Victrola told me that it works with any Sonos speaker, regardless of whether it works on the older S1 system or the current S2. Given the vast majority of speakers work with the newer S2 system software, most people won’t even have to think about this — the Stream Carbon should just work with your existing setup without any issues.

Victrola

As for the Stream Carbon’s hardware, it’s a belt-driven turntable with an aluminum platter and Ortofon 2M Red cartridge. It has a built-in preamp and traditional RCA outputs, if you want to hook it up to older speakers. Naturally, it has wireless connectivity, but you can also hook it up to Ethernet if you want a more stable connection. Given the Sonos integration, the Stream Carbon unsurprisingly skips out on having a Bluetooth connection or USB output. 

Design-wise, it’s a minimal turntable without a full dust cover; there’s just a protector for the arm. It should look right at home next to any of Sonos’ similarly minimalist speakers. The aforementioned control knob is located right on the front of the device — it’s not clear yet how exactly it works, but Victrola says it can control both volume as well as speaker playback groups so you don’t have to hunt around in the app once you’re up and running. 

Victrola

Sonos has long positioned its flagship Five speaker as a good option to use with turntables, as it has an auxiliary input jack; the company even sells a $950 set with a Pro-Ject TI Phono SB turntable and a Five speaker. That’s a lot of money, but considering the Stream Carbon costs $799 on its own, it’s worth considering as an alternative. Sonos also sells the Port, a $449 device that connects a stereo, receiver or turntable to Sonos speakers. But if you already have existing Sonos products, the Stream Carbon should be an easy, albeit expensive way to play records across multiple speakers. 

You can pre-order the Stream Carbon now, and the company says they’ll start shipping in October. And if the $799 price puts you off, Victrola says more Stream turntables will be coming — hopefully at a lower price point.

At CES 2021, LG revealed it was working on a phone with a rollable display and that it was going to be available later that year. Unfortunately, the company shuttered its mobile business before that happened. Now, a hands-on video by Korean tech reviewer BullsLab shows just how close LG’s Rollable got to launching.

The Rollable went a different way with flexible screen tech. Instead of folding, the screen, well, rolled out of the device. The screen was able to stretch out until the phone becomes a small tablet. In the video, you'll see how responsive the device is and how quickly it expands after the YouTuber swipes at the screen with three fingers. The reviewer even shows how strong the motor is, inching books away from the phone as it unfurls. Alas, it was never meant to be. I’d definitely be concerned that anything motorized would also struggle with longevity – there’s a reason that motorized pop-outselfie cameras quickly disappeared from smartphones.

Oppo also showed off a rollable phone prototype back in 2021, but that project has also gone silent. Maybe CES 2023?

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• The best video streaming services in 2022

• Amazon's new Fire HD 8 tablets let you use Alexa without speaking

• Logitech reveals a $100 Litra Beam key light for creators

• Meta is reportedly cutting staff and reorganizing teams

• XPeng claims its G9 SUV is the world's fastest charging EV

• Bo's futuristic e-scooter will gain a solar-powered charging stand in late 2023

• Getty Images bans AI-generated art over copyright concerns

Logitech’s cloud gaming handheld costs $350 and launches in October

Preorders for the device went live a little early in Canada.

Logitech

Logitech has revealed all the details of its handheld console. Logitech and Tencent (who built the device together) collaborated with Microsoft and NVIDIA to ensure there's native support for Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce Now. You can also use the Steam Link app to play games from your PC remotely, while the Xbox app supports remote play from consoles.

You'll be able to stream games in 1080p at up to 60 frames per second on the seven-inch, 450-nit touchscreen.The system will be available from Amazon in the US, where it costs $350 USD, or $300 if you preorder. That's fairly pricey for a dedicated cloud gaming handheld, though it also has access to the Google Play Store to play Android titles.

Continue reading.

Take a look at the best image of Neptune's rings in decades

The images from James Webb Space Telescope are already providing new insights.

Researchers have shared the James Webb Space Telescope’s first image of Neptune, offering the best view of the planet’s rings in over 30 years. The picture is not only clear, but offers the first-ever look at the dust-based rings in the near-infrared spectrum. At these wavelengths, the planet doesn't look blue — it absorbs so much infrared and visible red light that it takes on a dark, ghostly appearance. Neptune is a particularly important target for scientists. At roughly 2.8 billion miles from the Sun, it's far enough to deal with conditions that aren't present for nearer planets, such as very low temperatures and a very long (164-year) orbit.

Continue reading.

Google lets you request removal of search results that contain personal data

Results with your address, phone number or email will be reviewed 'more quickly.'

Google is releasing a tool that makes it easier to remove search results containing your address, phone number and other personally identifiable information. It first revealed the "results about you" feature at Google I/O 2022 in May, describing it as a way to "help you easily control whether your personally identifiable information can be found in Search results."

If you see a result with your phone number, home address or email, you can click on the three-dot menu at the top right. That opens the usual "About this result" panel, but it now contains a new "Remove result" option at the bottom of the screen. It’s rolling out to users in the US and Europe now.

Continue reading.

Microsoft will host its next Surface event on October 12th

Our first proper look at the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5?

Microsoft isn't going to be left off the fall hardware event calendar. The company will hold a Surface event on October 12th at 10AM ET. While it's not completely clear what Microsoft plans to show off beyond "devices," we may get our first official look at the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5. It’s going to be a chaotic couple of weeks: Amazon has a hardware showcase on September 28th, Google has set a Pixel event for October 6th and Meta is expected to show off its next-generation VR headset on October 11th.

Continue reading.

Study: Surgery patients wearing VR headsets needed less anesthetic

Virtual worlds could distract you from the pain.

MIT

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center researchers in Boston have published a study indicating that patients wearing VR headsets required less anesthetic during hand surgery. While the average conventional patient needed 750.6 milligrams per hour of the sedative propofol, people looking at relaxing VR content (such as meditation, nature scenes and videos) only required 125.3 milligrams. They also recovered quicker. The scientists claimed VR distracted the patients from the pain that would otherwise command their full attention. Researchers admitted that the headset wearers may have gone into the operating room expecting VR to help, potentially skewing the results. Further trials are planned.

Continue reading.

Microsoft isn't going to be left off the fall hardware event calendar. The company will hold a Surface event on October 12th at 10AM ET. While it's not completely clear what Microsoft plans to show off beyond "devices," we may get our first official look at the Surface Pro 9 and Surface Laptop 5 in a few weeks. Some details about the upcoming products emerged this week via retailer leaks.

According to WinFuture, the devices will likely use 12th-gen Intel CPUs, though the Surface Pro 9 may have an ARM-based processor option with 5G support. Microsoft may offer up to 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM in both devices. It seems there are new color options too.

Microsoft is adding its name to a busy event schedule. Amazon will hold a hardware showcase on September 28th, while Google has set a Pixel event for October 6th. Apple is also expected to run a Mac- and iPad-focused event in October.

Video game publisher 2K is warning the public not to open any emails from its support account after confirming it had been hacked. “Earlier today, we became aware that an unauthorized third party illegally accessed the credentials of one of our vendors to the help desk platform that 2K uses to provide support to our customers,” the official 2K Support Twitter account posted on Tuesday.

News of the security breach broke yesterday after Bleeping Computer shared screenshots of phishing emails sent to 2K customers. The emails took the form of unsolicited support tickets. Those who opened the message were subsequently sent a second email prompting them to download “the new 2K games launcher.” Putting the 107MB executable through VirusTotal and Any.Run, Bleeping Computer found it contained malware designed to steal any passwords its target may have stored on their browser.

For anyone who may have clicked on a link in the emails, 2K recommends immediately changing any passwords stored in your browser, enabling two-factor authentication where possible, installing anti-virus software and checking that the forwarding settings on your email accounts haven’t been changed.

2K shares the same parent company as Rockstar Games. Over the weekend, the studio suffered an unprecedented security breach that saw early gameplay footage of Grand Theft Auto VI shared widely online. While there’s no evidence to suggest the two incidents are linked, the Rockstar Games hacker claimed they were also responsible for the recent Uber security breach. On Monday, the company said it was working with the FBI to investigate the incident.

Logitech has unveiled two new products aimed at creators, including one designed to help them look their best while streaming or recording videos. Litra Beam is a key light that has a three-way adjustable desktop stand, which should help you find the right height, tilt and rotation for your needs. Logitech notes that, by adding one or more of the lights to their setup, creators can employ various lighting techniques, such as Front, Split, Butterfly or Rembrandt.

The key light employs TrueSoft tech. According to Logitech, that helps to provide "balanced, full-spectrum LED light with cinematic color accuracy for a natural, radiant look across all skin tones." The company also claims the Litra Beam can do away with harsh shadows thanks to its frameless diffuser. Since it can run on either USB or AC power, you'll have more flexibility over where to place the device.

There are buttons on the rear, which provide a way to quickly switch between five brightness and five color temperature settings. Alternatively, you can control the Litra Beam via the Logitech G Hub desktop app. From here, you can tweak brightness by percentage value, adjust the color temperature by Kelvins, control multiple key lights at the same time and manage presets.

Logitech

You might want your streams, videos and calls to sound good too. Logitech also announced a Blue Sona XLR broadcast mic. It has a built-in preamp that offers a +25dB gain boost, a dual-diaphragm capsule and supercardioid pickup pattern (designed to reduce or eliminate background noise) and a 290-degree swivel mount. It's available in graphite and off-white finishes with swappable red and graphite windscreens.

The Litra Beam, which follows the $60 Litra Glow light Logitech announced earlier this year, won't break the bank. It costs $100/£99/€119, so it's perhaps a more budget-friendly alternative to Elgato's lights. As for the Blue Sona, that will run you $350/£329/€349. Both products are available starting today in the US, Canada and some European countries.

Framework, the company spearheading a new generation of modular, repairable products, has made a Chromebook. It teamed up with Google to produce a ChromeOS-friendly version of the standard Framework machine with the same promise of modularity and repairability.

Internally, the Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition comes with a 3:2, 2,256 x 1,504 display, a 12th-generation Core i5-1240, 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. You can order up to 64GB RAM and 1TB SSD, although you’re also at liberty to upgrade those components yourself at a later date.

You’ll also, as before, be able to spec the machine how you want, including USB-C, USB-A, MicroSD, HDMI, DisplayPort and Ethernet. Plus, if you're looking to bolster the storage beyond the SSD, you can buy dedicated storage expansion cards, blanked-out port modules that can hold a 250GB or 1TB of additional solid-state storage.

The one major change really is the fact that this model comes with the Titan C security chip baked into its chassis. It’s not clear yet if that’ll have any noticeable impact upon your ability to swap out the mainboard when it’s time to upgrade.

The Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition is available to pre-order in the US and Canada from today, with the base model priced at $999. Would-be buyers can expect their shipment in late November or early December, and folks are required to put down a $100 refundable deposit to hold their place in the shipment line.

Logitech is hosting a event today, during which it’s expected to reveal some new products for gamers and streamers. One of those may be the company’s handheld device for cloud gaming. A preorder page for the Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld is live on Amazon Canada, seemingly a little earlier than planned (though it's listed as out of stock at the time of writing).

According to the listing, which was spotted by Lbabinz on Twitter, the device will arrive on October 18th and cost $400 CAD. That's around $300 USD. The Amazon US page for the Cloud Gaming Handheld isn't live yet. We'll update this story with US pricing once Logitech announces it.

The page includes some specs for the device, which align with leaked details from late August. You'll be able to stream games in 1080p at up to 60 frames per second on the seven-inch touchscreen. The handheld, which appears to be an Android tablet housed inside a controller unit, offers haptic feedback, gyroscope controls and remappable buttons. The page suggests the battery will run for up to 12 hours on a single charge.

Because games run from the cloud, the Cloud Gaming Handheld doesn't require a ton of processing power. That's one likely reason why Logitech has been able to limit the weight to 463g, or just over a pound. For comparison, the Nintendo Switch weighs 0.88 pounds (398g) when the Joy-Cons are attached and the Steam Deck weighs around 1.5 pounds (669g).

Logitech and Tencent (which worked with the former on the device) collaborated with Microsoft and NVIDIA to ensure there's support for Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce Now. You'll be able to use the Steam Link app to play games from your PC remotely. The Xbox app also supports remote play from consoles. Logitech notes that users will be able to download apps from the Google Play Store. So, you should be able to access the likes of Google Stadia and Amazon Luna, as well as social media apps and streaming video services such as YouTube and Netflix.

We should get some more details about the Cloud Gaming Handheld and the rest of what the company has up its sleeve during the Logi Play event, which starts at noon ET. You'll be able to watch the stream on Twitch or below:

Amazon is revamping its 8-inch tablets for the first time in two years, but their biggest improvement might rest in the software. The company has introduced new Fire HD 8 models that introduce a "Tap to Alexa" feature. You can not only control the assistant exclusively using touch, but pair with a supporting Bluetooth switch or use text-to-speech to have commands spoken for you. This is particularly helpful for people with speech and mobility disabilities, but could also be useful if you just don't want to speak (say, to avoid waking your baby).

There are some meaningful hardware upgrades. Amazon claims 30 percent faster performance through a new six-core processor, and the design is billed as thinner, lighter and more durable than its predecessor. You can also expect a slightly longer 13-hour battery life. You're limited to 2GB of RAM and wired charging on the base model , but an uprated Fire HD 8 Plus (pictured above) bumps up to 3GB of RAM while adding wireless charging, faster wired charging and a higher-quality five-megapixel camera.

Don't expect dramatic improvements in other areas. The 2022 Fire HD 8 starts at $100 with the same 32GB of (thankfully expandable) storage, and tops out at 64GB. You'll pay $120 for the 32GB Plus model, which also has a 64GB option. You don't need to buy one to get Tap to Alexa, at least. Amazon is making the feature available today for 8th-generation or newer Fire tablets in the US, UK, Germany and Japan.

Amazon

Parents may appreciate the expanded child-friendly selection, though. The Fire HD 8 Kids includes the familiar two-year "worry-free" warranty, year-long Kids+ subscription and rugged case for $150, but there's now Disney Princess- and Mickey Mouse-themed variants for $160. You can also buy a $150 Kids Pro tablet (shown at middle) for ages 6-12 that provides parent-controlled store access in addition to the other Kids edition perks. As in the past, these may represent the best values — you can give young ones a tablet that will hopefully survive years of rough-and-tumble use.