As expected, Apple has introduced watchOS 9 at WWDC. The new Apple Watch platform includes a big upgrade to fitness features with distance and time intervals. You'll know when to slow down for a recovery, for instance. There are also heart rate zones (for both sleep and workouts), and personal bests can help you improve performance over time. You won't always need the wristwear, though— Apple has also promised to offer fitness features on the iPhone.
You'll also see some interface tweaks such as banner notifications. Apple has both revamped existing watch faces (such as Astronomy) and introduced new ones like Lunar and Playtime.
Apple is expanding its personal safety features in iOS 16 with Safety Check, a new feature meant to make it easier to lock down privacy and security settings. Safety check allows users to quickly review which contacts may have access to their location or calendar info, as well as the permissions being used by individual apps.
The feature is formatted into a checklist to make it easy to review and revoke access on an app-by-app or contact-by-contact basis. The company said the feature could be particularly impactful for people trying to flee an abusive relationship.There's also "emergency reset" that allows people to reset their Apple ID password and revoke access to specific apps and personal information.
Apple is reinventing the driving experience with a new generation of CarPlay features, deeply integrating the functions of the vehicle with your iPhone. The new system is reportedly capable of controlling the entirety of the vehicle's infotainment systems, regardless of the system that it is being run on, effectively making your phone the "core" of the in-cabin systems. The company is not sharing many additional details about what specific features and functions will be arriving first —those announcements will be teased out later in the year.
During the WWDC 2022 developers conference on Monday, Apple executives announced that that its Maps app will be receiving a number of feature updates, including one long sought after by users: the ability to add multiple stops to a route.
Apple is adding Pay Later functionality to its Wallet app, the company announced today during WWDC 2022. The feature will allow you to split the cost of Apple Pay purchases into four equal payments with no interest and late fees.
Reports that Apple was working on a pay later service first came out in 2021.
Apple will soon allow you to take back messages you didn't really want to send. The upgraded Messages app in iOS 16 is getting a new "undo send" feature, as well as the ability to edit chats you've already sent and mark threads as unread.
The company is also giving dictation a serious upgrade, which should make it easier to send messages on the go. With the updates, dictation can automatically add punctuation to longer messages, and can even add relevant emoji characters.
Google's newest Pixel feature drop is meant as much for spur-of-the-moment creativity as it is everyday conveniences. The company is rolling out a June feature update that, with a separate download, offers a free music-making tool from Teenage Engineering. The Pocket Operator for Pixel app (shown at middle) turns your videos into music and video "cut-ups" with a mix of sounds, patterns and visual effects. You'll need a Pixel 5 or newer to get started, but It could be worth a try if you'd like to craft beats during your downtime.
The feature drop also lets you see imagery from your Nest Doorbell on your Pixel phone's lock screen (pictured at left). You'll know right away if it's worth answering the door. And if you need to show proof of your COVID-19 shots, you can now take a screenshot of your digital vaccine card and create a shortcut for your home screen (right). This will only be available in Australia, Canada and the US, but could be helpful if you still need to show proof of vaccination to hop on a flight or enter a venue.
Other upgrades include a previously beta-only Conversation mode in the Sound Amplifier app (to enhance chats for people with hearing loss), a reminder to turn off your flashlight and (soon) air quality alerts for Australia, India and the US. You'll also find a trio of new Pride-themed wallpapers from Yann Bastard, while skin tone-friendly image filters are now active in Google Photos.
The update starts rolling out today to Pixel 4 and later devices. You can also expect broader support for existing features, including Car Crash Detection in Canada as well as new languages in Messages' chat translation (Dutch, Korean, Thai, Traditional Chinese and Turkish).
Just because you use a password manager doesn't mean you want to enter passwords every time you check that manager... and now, you don't have to. LastPass has launched an option to access your vault using a passwordless sign-in — it's the first password manager with this feature, the company claims. Grant permission through the LastPass Authenticator mobile app and you can update account info on the web without entering your master password.
The approach relies on FIDO-compliant password-free technology. The feature is available to both personal and business users. LastPass is also promising options beyond the Authenticator app in the future, such as relying on biometric scans or hardware security keys.
It may seem odd to rely on a phone app to check passwords on your PC, and LastPass already takes care of some headaches through its browser extension. Still, this promises to take more of the pain out of password managers. It might also convince you to use a stronger password for your vault knowing that you'll only rarely need to type it in.
It's hard to be a new parent even during the most idyllic times. So what can you do to help? How about gifting a new dad something to make their lives a bit easier. Maybe they just need a breather from the hellstorm of diapers and sleep training. Or perhaps they want a better way to distract their screaming spawn. Here are a few options to consider.
10.2-inch iPad
Apple
Apple's entry-level iPad is one of the most useful devices for any new parent. It can be your child's gateway to video chatting with their grandparents (and with the new Center Stage cameras, they’ll always be in frame), or a life-saving distraction during long car rides. It could be a new dad's way to catch up on their favorite show while stuck dealing with mealtime. Or it could be a way for growing kids to read interactive stories and play games. The iPad can be whatever you want it to be. And paired with a decent case, it can be durable enough to survive life with tiny humans. (And if it does break, at least it's far cheaper to replace than an iPad Air, or a typical laptop.)
There's no question that we love Jabra's lineup of wireless earbuds. The Elite 85t delivers solid active noise canceling, a slim and light design, and excellent sound. And best of all, they cost around $200 and you can often find them for around $150. No matter which smartphone you have, the 85t are an excellent way to catch up on podcasts while trying to rock a baby to sleep. And they'll be even more useful during the rare bit of downtime for new parents. They're perfect for rocking out to your favorite tunes, or pair them to your TV or set-top box to enjoy late-night movies without making much noise.
This relatively cheap rattle is deceptively useful. It has a light-up face to keep babies interested, multiple textures for them to explore, and a mirror on the bottom for them to learn their own faces. It was a secret weapon during my child's first-year tantrums, so much so that I've gifted it to every new parent I know. It's not high tech at all, but it's a reminder that they’re called classics for a reason.
Sonos' most portable speaker is an excellent choice for new parents, especially if they’ve already bought into the Sonos ecosystem. It's small enough to throw in a bag, giving new parents a way to play some tunes during a picnic. It relies on Bluetooth, so pretty much any device can connect to it. But the best part is that it also works over Wi-Fi with an existing Sonos setup. So if you start playing some songs on your larger Sonos speakers, you can easily pipe that over to the Roam and bring it to your backyard. And since it's from a brand that's known for excellent sound quality, you can expect everything to be much richer than other cheap Bluetooth speakers.
The Apple Watch is great for working out — but it can also be a handy tool for new parents. It's a simple way to keep tabs on texts and other notifications when your hands are full with a baby or baby-related ephemera. It lets you start and stop podcasts when you can't reach your phone. And — here's the kicker — it's also a perfect way to distract youngins and de-escalate shouting matches. It turns out, having a tiny screen on your wrist that can display photos is pretty useful! And it's also a relatively safe device for babies to fiddle with, thanks to its touchscreen. (Of course, you can take your pick of any competing smartwatch for Android users, but we'd recommend Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4.)
Action cameras are great for vacations and high-impact sports, but they can be just as useful for new parents. It's the sort of thing you can strap onto a hat when you go out for a light hike with a little one, or just leave it running in your backyard to capture their first steps. Sure, we've all got smartphone cameras, but it's tough to leave those running for extended periods, and they're still a bit distracting if you're dealing with a child. A camera like the Hero10 Black, on the other hand, is something you can just set, forget and discover little video treasures later.
Keeping up with a new baby can lead to aches and pains in muscles that dad never knew he had. The Theragun Mini can give him the opportunity to get a massage without leaving the house. While there are much bigger and more powerful Theragun machines, the Mini is a good size for beginners and those who want to take its muscle relief power wherever they go. It has a single button that dad can use to change the massage gun’s speed and its ergonomic design makes it easy to reach different parts of the body. And arguably the best part is its 150-minute battery life — while that might not seem like a long time, it truly is when you consider the fact that you don’t need to use it for more than a few minutes each day to feel the results. With that schedule, dad could use the Theragun Mini every day for a month or more before needing to recharge it.
It’s hard to keep up with comics when kids are around, but Comixology makes it easy to catch up on your favorite releases. If you know a comic nerd who’s eager to see what the X-Men are up to, or who just wants to catch up on long-running graphic novel series, it’s worth sending them an Amazon gift card that they can use with Comixology. It’s particularly useful for anyone who has an iPad or a decent Android tablet. Not surprisingly, bright and portable screens are one of the best ways to appreciate comic art!
A perfect gift for any gamer dads in your life, the Laugh and Learn Controller is basically a baby-proofed version of a modern gamepad. There's a joystick, directional pad, and array of buttons for kids to fiddle with. But like any good distracting toy, it also lights up and makes sounds to keep them entertained. It's not exactly complex, but it's inexpensive and effective. That's particularly true for parents of little ones who always gravitate to their expensive console controllers.
Coffee, tea or another caffeinated beverage is an essential for many new dads and Greens Steel’s insulated tumblers can keep their drink of choice hot or cold for hours. While we all appreciate that luxury, it’s especially important for parents who often find themselves sipping tepid coffee hours after they brewed their first cup because they got distracted with kid duties. These tumblers are made of 18/8 food grade steel and they have a double wall vacuum that maintains temperatures for up to 12 hours. And regardless of which size you get (20-, 30- or 40-ounce) they all fit into standard-sized cup holders, so dad can bring his drink with him when he runs out for an emergency diaper restock.
While we know the Google Pixel 7 is on the horizon, that knowledge isn't going to help you if you're in need of a new smartphone immediately. But Amazon has a new sale on the Pixel 6 Pro 5G that may be just what you're looking for. You can pick up the flagship smartphone from the online retailer for $799 right now, or $100 off its normal price. That's the cheapest we've seen the smartphone, making it a good time to get all of the latest features a Google phone has to offer before the Pixel 7 comes out.
The Pixel 6 Pro earned a score of 91 from us and we consider it to be one of the best Android phones you can get. Its two-toned design with the horizontal camera bar may be polarizing, but it's also striking and pretty slick. The 6 Pro has a 6.7-inch, 120Hz display that will automatically adjust refresh rates depending on what you're doing. It also has an under-display fingerprint sensor that, while a tad slow, provides an extra layer of security. The 6 Pro runs on Google's Tensor Processing Unit and we found it to provide excellent performance overall. Along with its strong performance, you can expect an equally strong battery life from the handset. We managed to get over 17 hours of use before needing to power up again.
One of the stand-out features of Google's Pixel smartphones is the camera array, and that remains the case for the Pixel 6 Pro. It has a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 12MP wide-angle lens and a 48MP telephoto shooter with a 4X optical zoom. These cameras work together to take lovely photos that are on-par with those taken by the iPhone 13 Pro's camera array. Android 12 also brings a number of handy photography features including Magic Eraser, Face Unblur, Long Exposure and more.
Yes, you could save even more money and opt for the Google Pixel 6, but you'd be forging the 6 Pro's 120Hz screen, telephoto camera and ultra wideband chip in the process. If you've had your eye on a Pixel phone for some time, now's a good opportunity to pick up the best model available right now for less.
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