It's a good time for a home security update, as a bunch of Nest products are on sale at Amazon and Adorama for the lowest prices we've seen. The easy-to-install Nest Doorbell (Battery) and Nest Cam Outdoor have particularly steep discounts of $50, letting you grab them for just $130 each.
The Nest Doorbell (Battery) is a popular item because it's much easier to install than any wired doorbells. As with the cameras, it will send you alerts when you have a visitor and you can chat with them through your phone and the built-in speaker and microphone. Google's "intelligent alerts" can tell the difference between a visitor, a package being delivered, an animal sighting and more, so you can see if a situation requires your immediate attention. If the regular $180 price has made you pause, it's now on sale for $130, the lowest price we've seen to date.
Both the Nest Cam Indoor and Outdoor record video at 1080p and send alerts to your phone when they detect motion. They also have built-in microphones and speakers so you can hear what's happening and speak to anyone on the other end of the camera. However, the Nest Cam indoor is designed to blend in to your home, with a range of colors, built-in stand, wall mount and hinge. It's currently on sale for $80 or $20 off the regular price.
Meanwhile, you can pick up the Nest Cam Outdoor for just $129, or $51 off the regular $180 price. That model obviously has a weatherproof design so that you can install it outside your home, along with expanded Night Vision to better spot outdoor intruders. It also packs an internal battery that lets you set it up without the need for an AC plug, providing up to seven months of battery life before a recharge depending on usage.
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To make best use of the cameras and doorbell, you need to be able to see and hear anyone at the other end. A good way to do that is using the Nest Hub devices, which can also control your smart home devices, provide entertainment and more. Luckily, the Nest Hub 2nd Generation is on sale for $60 at Adorama, for a savings of $40. Finally, you can pick up the larger Nest Hub Max with a 10-inch touchscreen and built-In Google Assistant at $179 for a savings of $50, or 22 percent off.
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Nearly four years after it first announced the game, Blizzard released Diablo Immortalon Android, iOS and PC earlier this week. And shortly after the game made its way to mobile one day early, players with Samsung phones took to Reddit and other community forums to complain about technical issues. On some devices with the company’s own in-house Exynos chipsets, Diablo Immortal is unplayable, with one of the most prominent issues being textures not loading properly.
“We are exploring the issues people are experiencing with some Samsung Galaxy specific devices that use Exynos chipsets,” a Blizzard spokesperson said in a Reddit comment spotted by SamMobile. “For now, we may disable downloads for this set of devices while we work to address this. Apologies on this and we will be working on getting a fix up and ready as soon as possible.”
Among the list of affected handsets include older devices like the Galaxy S10, Note 10 and A51 5G, but people with models as recent as the Galaxy S22 have also complained of texture issues. If you own a Qualcomm-equipped version of one of those phones, you can download and play the game without issue. You can check what chipset your phone features by navigating to the “About Phone” section of Android’s system settings.
Apple has reportedly enlisted Hollywood directors like Jon Favreau to create video content for its long-rumored mixed reality headset. According to The New York Times, the filmmaker is developing an experience that brings the dinosaurs from Prehistoric Planet, the Apple TV+ original series he helped produced, to life on the device.
Corroborating recent reporting from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, The Times states the headset is “expected to ship next year.” It will reportedly feature a design that’s reminiscent of a pair of ski goggles. With the start of WWDC 2022 mere days away, it’s unclear if Apple will have anything to say about the device on Monday.
However, The Times reports the company plans to announce new software tools that would allow developers to add additional camera and voice features to their apps, thereby creating the framework for experiences that you could navigate without a visual interface.
Citing “two people familiar with the project,” The Times reports that “continuing challenges” with battery life made Apple decide to delay the headset to 2023. That broadly aligns with reporting Bloomberg published at the start of the year that said the company was likely to delay the device due to development issues like overheating.
Telecoms have been slow to hop on the 5G bandwagon — your smartphone normally relies on 4G or LTE for old-fashioned phone calls. But T-Mobile is venturing forward by launching its commercial Voice over 5G service today in limited areas of Portland and Salt Lake City. For now, only customers with Samsung Galaxy S21 5G phones will be able to access the technology. So while this is a truly small sample size, T-Mobile says it plans to keep rolling out the feature to other areas and other brands of 5G phones later this year. Support for the Samsung Galaxy S22 will arrive later this year.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 with 5G has HD Voice+, but as some customers have noted, there’s no ability to use this nifty feature over 5G. For customers who don’t use T-Mobile, you’ll likely face an even longer wait for 5G voice calls. As FierceWireless noted, both AT&T and Verizon haven’t made 5G voice calls a priority yet. “We plan to implement VoNR when we believe we can offer a voice experience that rivals our HD Voice capabilities,” AT&T toldFierce in a statement.
It’s unlikely customers will notice a wild difference in sound quality between 5G voice calls and LTE voice calls. According to T-Mobile, callers may notice “slightly faster call set-up times," or a shorter amount of time between when they dial a number and the phone starts to ring. But as more carriers build standalone 5G networks, we’re likely to see major advances in voice technology to follow, such as the use of 5G in immersive audio and conference calls.
Mozilla has created a translation plugin for Firefox that works offline. Firefox Translations will need to download some files the first time you convert text in a specific language. However, it will be able to use your system's resources to handle the translation, rather than sending the information to a data center for cloud processing.
The plugin emerged as a result of Mozilla's work with the European Union-funded Project Bergamot. Others involved include the University of Edinburgh, Charles University, University of Sheffield and University of Tartu. The goal was to develop neural machine tools to help Mozilla create an offline translation option. "The engines, language models and in-page translation algorithms would need to reside and be executed entirely in the user’s computer, so none of the data would be sent to the cloud, making it entirely private," Mozilla said.
One of the big limitations of the plugin as things stand is that it can only handle translations between English and 12 other languages, according to TechCrunch. For now, Firefox Translations supports Spanish, Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, German, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian Bokmal and Nynorsk, Persian, Portuguese and Russian.
Mozilla and its partners on the project have created a training pipeline through which volunteers can assist out by helping train new models so more languages can be added. They're looking for feedback on existing models too, so Firefox Translations is very much a work in progress.
For the time being, though, the plugin can't hold a candle to the 133 languages that Google Translate supports. Apple and Google both have mobile apps that can handle offline translations as well.
On the surface, it's a little odd that a browser, which is by definition used to access the web, would need an offline translation option. But translating text on your device and avoiding the need to transfer it to and from a data center could be a boon for privacy and security.
Memorial Day may have come and gone, but you can still pick up some of our favorite electronics for less thanks to some holiday deals that are still available now. Apple's third-generation AirPods are still down to $150, and the AirPods Pro have returned to a sale price of $180. Two pairs of Samsung wireless earbuds are down to new all-time-low prices, and Solo Stove's extended Memorial Day sale allows you to get up to 46 percent off its fit pits. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
AirPods Pro
Billy Steele / Engadget
Apple's AirPods Pro are back on sale for $180, which is about $70 off their original price. These buds earned a score of 87 from us for their solid audio quality, comfortable design and hands-free Siri capabilities.
The latest AirPods are $30 off and down to $150, which is only $10 more than their all-time-low price. We gave the buds a score of 88 for their improved audio quality, more comfortable design and longer battery life.
The classic AirPods are down to $100 right now, or 37 percent off their usual price. We gave these a score of 84 when they first came out for their solid battery life and improved wireless performance.
The latest Apple TV 4K is $30 off and down to $150. The model with extra storage is also $30 off and down to $170. The set-top box earned a score of 90 from us for its improved performance, Dolby Vision and Atmos support and redesigned Siri remote.
Apple's MagSafe battery pack for iPhone is down to $80 right now — the cheapest it's been all year. The pack magnetically attaches to the latest iPhones and will start powering them up instantly once attached. While its capacity isn't enough to fully charge an iPhone from 0 percent, it provides a convenient way to top up your phone's battery.
Both the 41mm and 45mm versions of the Apple Watch Series 7 are $70 off right now and down to record lows: $329 and $359, respectively. We gave the wearable a score of 90 for its larger display, faster charging capabilities and powerful watchOS 8 features.
The Apple Watch SE in 44mm is down to a record-low of $229 right now, or $80 off its normal price. We gave it a score of 88 for its powerful performance, comfortable design and handy watchOS features.
A pack of four AirTags is down to $89 right now, or $10 off its regular price. If you have a few things you want to keep track of, this is a good opportunity to pick up a few AirTags that can help you do so. AirTags show you the location of your things in Apple's Find My app, and if you have an iPhone that supports Precision Finding, it can lead you directly to your stuff.
Most Eero 6 WiFi packs are 20 percent off right now. That means you can grab the router for only $71 or a pack of three routers for only $199. This dual-band system supports WiFi 6, speeds up to 900Mbps and comes with a built-in Zigbee smart home hub.
The latest in Logitech's MX Master line — the MX Mechanical keyboard and the MX Master 3s mouse — have received their first discounts. You can pick up the keyboard for $133, or 12 percent off, and the mouse for $90, or 10 percent less than usual.
Solo Stove's Memorial Day sale has been extended so you can still get up to 46 percent off fire pits.You'll find the deepest discount on the big Yukon, which is $350 off and down to $400. We like these fire pits because they create much less smoke than their cheaper competitors and, out of the three models available, two of them are pretty portable, too.
Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 in olive and graphite are down to $95, which is $55 off their regular price and a new all-time low. We gave them a score of 84 for their improved sound quality, adjustable ambient sound mode and wireless charging capabilities. You can also pick up the higher-end Galaxy Buds Pro in phantom violet for only $120.
The Nest Learning Thermostat is $50 off at Wellbots when you use the code ENGDT50 at checkout, so you'll get it for $199. It's a good smart device to add to your home if you want to save on energy costs in the long run. You can also pick up the battery-powered Nest Doorbell for $130 using the same code to knock $50 off its usual price, or the wired version for $149 with the code ENGDT80 at checkout, which will discount it by $80.
iRobot's Roomba j7+ is down to a new low of $589 at Amazon, or $210 off its normal price. We included the Roomba j7 in our best robot vaccums guide because it did a good job cleaning both carpeted and hard floors, plus it has good obstacle avoidance and an easy to use companion app. The j7+ adds a clean base into the mix, so the robot will automatically empty its bin into the clean base after every job.
Sonos has discounted a bunch of refurbished speakers and soundbars. You can pick up the Arc soundbar for $718, or $180 less than the cost of a new model, and the Sonos Five speaker for $439, or $110 less than a new unit. Sonos' refurbished program tests all devices to make sure they're as good as new and these devices come with the same one-year warranty as new products do.
Sony's Days of Play sale on Amazon discounts a bunch of PlayStation accessories, including all six PS DualSense controllers. You can pick up any of them, including the vibrantly colored ones, for $59, which is up to 21 percent off their normal prices.
The Tile Essentials four-pack of Bluetooth trackers is 15 percent off and down to $68. These small devices let you keep track of your things via the companion mobile app. You can see the last known location of your items in the app, and if you're within Bluetooth range, you can force the Tile tracker to ring so you can more easily find your stuff.
A robot vacuum can take one chore off your hands, and now you can grab one of iRobot's most affordable machines for less. The Roomba 694 robot vacuum is back down to $180, which is just about an all-time low (we've seen it $1 cheaper in the past). That's $94 off, making it a great deal if you've had your eye on a robo-vac for a while but have been hesitant to drop a lot of money on one.
The Roomba 694 is one of iRobot's most basic machines, but don't let that fool you. It earned a spot on our list of favorite affordable robot vacuums thanks to its good cleaning power and easy to use companion app. Its three-stage cleaning system and dual multi-surface brushes do a good job sucking up dirt and debris on both carpeted and hard floors, and it has sensors that can detect furniture and "cliffs" (stairs, really) so it can avoid or maneuver around those obstacles.
You can control the robo-vac via its on-device buttons or from within the iRobot mobile app, and when it has finished cleaning your home, it'll automatically return to its charging base to power up. Even if you've never used a robot vacuum before, you'll likely be able to learn the ins and outs of the iRobot mobile app pretty easily. It'll be your portal for doing things like setting cleaning schedules, checking the status of your machine and more. And if you have an Alexa or Google Assistant smart speaker in your home, you can use voice commands to control the Roomba 694.
Most people will find all of their semi-autonomous vacuuming needs met by the Roomba 694, but if you want to splurge, the Roomba j7+ is also on sale right now for $589. That's $210 off its regular rate and a new record low. The j7+ is one of iRobot's newest machines and its first "pet poop-detecting" robot vacuum. It has advanced obstacle avoidance which should allow it to avoid unexpected things on your floors, including a robo-vac's arch nemesis: pet poop. It also comes with a clean base into which the machine will automatically empty its dustbin after each job.
Hopes are riding high for WWDC 2022. Rumors are Apple may deliver huge upgrades to its operating systems. Moreover, the company is nearing the end of a roughly two-year transition to ARM chips, and many anticipate there will be some long-awaited upgrades to the Mac. Throw in murmurs of a mixed reality headset and the June 6th keynote could prove to be one of the most memorable in recent years. Here’s what to expect when executives take to the virtual stage.
iOS 16 and iPadOS 16
David Imel for Engadget
Apple’s iPhone and iPad software updates are often the centerpieces of WWDC, but this year they may be more important than usual. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently claimed that iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 will represent “fairly significant” upgrades that touch on many aspects of the interface.
Key apps, such as Health and Messages, as well as notifications should see improvements. We may also see Android-style car crash detection that automatically dials an emergency number. More importantly, iOS 16 could also deliver the first meaningful changes to the lock screen in years. Gurman hinted at “major enhancements” that could include wallpapers with widget-style functionality. However, rumored always-on display features might be limited to the future iPhone 14 Pro.
The OS updates may also refine multitasking, particularly for iPad users. Code sleuth Steve Troughton-Smith noticed that the WebKit team recently added hooks for an iOS “multitasking mode” that allows for freely resizable windows. While we wouldn’t count on a full Mac-like experience with iPadOS 16, Apple’s tablets may become more useful for heavy-duty computing.
The likely release schedule is predictable, at least. Apple has historically offered its first developer previews of iOS and iPadOS around WWDC, and public previews a few weeks later. The finished software tends to arrive in September alongside new iPhone and iPad hardware. We’d expect iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 to follow a similar pattern.
MacBook Air M2
Jon Prosser x Renders by Ian
Macs started moving to Apple’s in-house silicon a year and a half ago. While the processing power has held up, there’s no question that early M1-based systems like the MacBook Air are starting to feel outdated as x86-powered Windows PCs catch up or surge ahead. Thankfully, you might just see a refresh at WWDC. Gurman previously said Apple was testing nine or more Macs, and planned to launch a redesigned MacBook Air using the M2 at the conference.
The new Air could represent the first big rethink of the thin-and-light portable since the Retina Display model arrived in 2018. As Jon Prosser and others have claimed, it’ll supposedly have a more squared-off design reminiscent of last year’s 24-inch iMac, and come in multiple bright colors with a white keyboard. It’s not clear if the camera notch will carry over from the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro, but there’s a chance you’ll see a MagSafe power connection and more Thunderbolt ports. Sorry, the SD card reader and HDMI port from the newer Pros might not make the cut.
As for the M2? Don’t expect a giant leap in performance. The new system-on-chip is still believed to use eight CPU cores, and would bump up the GPU from a maximum of eight cores to 10. Any other speed boosts are more likely to come from minor architectural changes. The new MacBook Air may be more competitive with its 2022-era rivals, but you probably won’t feel much regret if you bought the M1 model.
If a new MacBook Air does premiere at WWDC, there’s no guarantee it will ship in a timely fashion. Apple’s supply chain (like many others) has been affected by COVID-19 shutdowns in China.
MacOS 13, tvOS 16 and watchOS 9
Cherlynn Low/Engadget
As important as iOS and iPadOS may be, there are indications Apple’s other platforms are in line for overhauls.
Bloomberg’s Gurman has hinted that watchOS 9 may receive some of the largest changes. You could see a low power mode that extends battery life without limiting you to basic timekeeping (as with the existing power reserve mode). More recently, the reporter claimed the new Apple Watch software will have tangible navigation improvements You might also see more robust health tracking that brings more running stats, better sleep tracking and a “burden” feature that detects how long you’re in a state of atrial fibrillation.
Other platforms might not see equally sweeping changes. MacOS 13 will supposedly include a revamped System Preferences pane more in sync with iOS’ settings, not to mention some redesigned default apps. Apple TV owners, meanwhile, should anticipate more (if unspecified) smart home features.
Wildcards: Mixed reality headset and more Macs
JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images
There’s a mounting volume of hype surrounding Apple’s long-rumored AR/VR headset, but we wouldn’t bet on a WWDC debut. Although the company appears to be registering trademarks and otherwise gearing up for an introduction, Gurman and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have both voiced doubts. The technology doesn’t appear ready for a public debut; late 2022 or 2023 appears more likely. We wouldn’t rule out a brief peek to help developers prepare apps, but that seems doubtful without more evidence.
Likewise, we wouldn’t anticipate computers beyond the MacBook Air. Despite those rumors of Apple testing nine M2-based Macs, there haven’t been signs of imminent releases for most of them. An ARM-based Mac Pro still looks distant, and Gurman doesn’t expect any other M2-based refreshes until later in 2022. With that said, be prepared for surprises — Apple launched the M1 with three Macs.
You likely won’t see other consumer hardware. WWDC is still a developer-first gathering, and Apple typically reserves new iPhones, Watches and most other mainstream devices for the fall. The hardware that does surface is either aimed at professional content creators (such as the Mac Pro previewed in 2019) or meant to familiarize developers with new technologies (like 2020’s M1-based testbeds). If the MacBook Air M2 arrives on June 6th, it will represent an exception to a normally firm rule.
Samsung fans looking for a new pair of wireless earbuds can get a couple of the company's latest models for less. Amazon has the Galaxy Buds 2 in graphite and olive at the lowest price we've seen — just $95, which is $55 off their usual rate. If you prefer earbuds with a more power and perks, the Galaxy Buds Pro in phantom violet are also down to a new low of $120, which is $80 off their normal price.
Both of these wireless earbuds came out last year, with the Galaxy Buds 2 being the newer of the two. Samsung brought a number of premium features down to these relatively affordable earbuds, including adjustable ambient sound mode and wireless charging. The Buds 2 are 15 percent smaller and 20 percent lighter than the Galaxy Buds+ that came before them, plus they have much improved sound and an IPX2-rated design. Just keep in mind that the Buds 2 don't have any iOS integration — while you could use them with an iPhone, you'd be stuck with thee default settings. Those with Samsung handsets will get the most out of these buds.
Same goes for the Galaxy Buds Pro, which we dubbed Samsung's best earbuds yet when they first came out. Normally $200, these are the company's direct competitor to the AirPods Pro and they hold their own against Apple's offering. Sound quality is excellent and ANC is strong enough to block out surrounding noises like those from a fan or running dishwasher. The Buds Pro also have an IPX7-rated design and support for 360 Audio and wireless charging. If you're on a tight budget, we recommend opting for the Galaxy Buds 2, but if you can spend a bit more, you'll appreciate the extra perks that come with the Galaxy Buds Pro.
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Soon, sellers using Square's Point of Sale app can accept payments with only an iPhone. The mobile payment company has announced that it's working with Apple to enable the feature within its application and will launch the service to the public later this year. It will provide sellers with an easy-to-use payment solution, since they'll no longer need to use Square's add-on devices and terminals. All customers need to do is to tap their credit cards, debit cards or phones with digital wallets such as Apple Pay on the seller's iPhone. It does require sellers to have an iPhone XS or later device, but there'd be no extra expenses on hardware if they already have one.
When Apple introduced Tap to Pay in February, it was seen as a product that could disrupt the business of companies like Square. The tech giant promised back then, however, that it will "work closely with leading payment platforms and app developers across the payments and commerce industry," and it looks like Square is part of that list. Apple was testing the feature at its visitor center in Cupertino as recently as last month, allowing staff members to accept payment using the method.
While the general public won't have access to the feature for a while, Square has opened an Early Access Program to give select sellers the chance to try it out. The company has a sign up page on its website where sellers can submit their details to learn more about it.
