Spotify's Car Thing, a dedicated player for the streaming service, first debuted last April after breaking from cover nearly two years prior. Back then, you needed to be part of a select few to get one. In October, the company expanded its invite list for all users in the US, but there was still a queue to wait in. Today, Spotify announced that the Car Thing is available for anyone in the States to purchase directly from the company. The device is $89.99 and requires a Premium subscription for you to be able to use it in your car, but you no longer need an invite to buy it.
As a refresher, Car Thing essentially a Spotify box for most cars — so long as you have an aux jack or Bluetooth connectivity. You'll also need easy access to a power source for the player. Car Thing then connects to your phone via Bluetooth and acts as a touch-screen controller for the Spotify app, just in a more car-friendly form.
There are plenty of easy to navigate menus, all of your favorites and a slew of convenient controls — including programmable preset buttons, a rotating dial and the company's own voice assistant. Think of it as one of those satellite radio receivers from the early aughts, only designed for the streaming age. It's built for die-hard users of the service, and it frees up your phone screen to stay on Waze or Google Maps even when you're scrolling over to another podcast.
There's won't be a big revival for BlackBerry phones anytime soon. OnwardMobility, the Austin-based startup that announced its plans to release a 5G BlackBerry device with a physical keyboard back in 2020, is shutting down. The company posted a notice of its closure on its website, making it clear that it won't be proceeding with the development of the smartphone. This comes a month after it responded to people asking about the status of the project with a blog post entitled "contrary to popular belief, we are not dead."
While OnwardMobility didn't expound on the reason behind its closure, Android Police reported a few days ago that its license to use the BlackBerry name had been canceled. Apparently, BlackBerry wants to distance itself from its past as a smartphone manufacturer after it sold off its remaining mobile patents for $600 million in the beginning of February. OnwardMobility reportedly decided not to push through with the development of a new smartphone without the BlackBerry name, especially since it won't be easy entering the market with an ongoing global component shortage.
OnwardMobility was never able to release images of the phone it was developing, but it was reportedly going to take design cues from the BlackBerry Priv. As Android Police notes, the Priv was BlackBerry's first Android phone and the only one it designed in-house before it outsourced the production of its mobile devices to TCL. If BlackBerry, in its current form, truly does want to distance itself from its past, then we might never see a new BlackBerry-branded phone again.
After a bit of a delay, Panasonic has finally revealed the 25.2-megapixel GH6, the highest-resolution Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera to date. One can think of it as a mini version of its S1H "Netflix camera," as it's loaded with pro video features like 5.7K ProRes V-Log video, a tilt-swivel display and CFexpress capture. However, it's still stuck with contrast detect rather than phase detect autofocus like most modern cameras. Luckily, I was able to get my hands on a preproduction unit to check out the new features and get an early feel for it.
First, let's talk about the most interesting changes. As mentioned, the GH6 has a 25.2-megapixel sensor with a high-speed readout, though it isn't stacked like its Micro Four Thirds rival, the OM-1. That obviously gives a much-needed image resolution boost, though photo burst performance is actually down a touch from the GH5 II (8 fps with continuous AF compared to 9 fps).
The GH6 still uses a contrast detect autofocus system (what it calls "depth from defocus" or DFD) rather than phase detect like nearly all its rivals. As with the GH5 II, it also includes face/eye/head/body/animal AI recognition. While Panasonic has pretty much perfected its DFD system, it's still not as fast or reliable as phase detect systems.
When shooting people pictures in relatively low light, it sometimes failed to get focus quickly enough to nail the shot, for instance. By comparison, Sony and Canon's latest cameras (the A7 IV and EOS R6) have no such difficulty, even in low light. And I still saw some wobble or hunting with video AF.
In terms of video, things are more positive. The GH6 can now shoot 5.7K video with V-Log at up to 30 fps with internal capture to either ProRes or ProRes HQ, or 5.7K up to 60 fps to MP4 10-bit H.264/H.265 recording (all-intra or longGOP). You can also shoot 10-bit 4:2:0 4K at up to 120 fps using the longGOP codec. All of these modes use the full sensor width with super-sampled video, though the 4K 120p setting introduces some pixel binning.
It will also be able to record ProRes RAW to an external Atomos recorder via a future firmware update. More interestingly, the GH6 is one of the first mirrorless cameras with HDMI 2.1 output, so it'll eventually let you record 4K RAW externally at up to 120 fps via a future update. When it first ships, it'll support 4K at up to 60 fps, with simultaneous external and internal recording.
Steve Dent/Engadget
In terms of video quality, Panasonic is promising 13+ stops of dynamic range using ProRes and V-Log recording. It also claims you'll see less noise at higher ISO settings (ISO 6400 and up). For both video and stills, it wasn't quite as good in low light as the GH5s (which has less than half the resolution) but it wasn't far off.
Capturing 5.7K video at up to 30 fps in ProRes HQ uses internal data rates of 1,903 Mbps, far beyond SD UHS II capability. As such, the GH6 is the first Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera with a CFexpress Type B card slot. That's required for ProRes recording and many of the MP4 high-frame-rate codecs.
The drawback right now is that there's only one CFexpress slot, so you won't be able to get a backup for certain video resolutions unless you use an external recorder. However, the GH6 will eventually support recording to an external SSD recorder via the USB-C 3.2 port, which also allows you to power the camera while shooting.
If you're concerned about rolling shutter with the extra resolution, the high-speed sensor readout is supposed to reduce that more than ever. I confirmed that rolling shutter was very manageable, even at the highest 5.7K and 60p resolution. However, it is present if the camera or subject move too quickly.
As with past GH models, video quality is outstanding, with the 5.7K video particularly sharp and useful for editing. The ProRes option has also saved me an extra step compared to the GH5s, as I no longer need to transcode video. The drawback is that the video files are 4-5 times the size — so you'll want to invest in high capacity CFexpress Type B cards, which can get very expensive.
The GH6 has five-axis in-body stabilization like the other models, but now offers up to 7.5 stops of shake reduction with supported lenses, just behind the 8 stops on Canon's EOS R6. With boosted IS and E-stabilization, it really smooths out video well even for situations like walking, better than most mirrorless cameras I've used.
The GH6 kind of looks like the GH5 II, but it's quite a bit heavier (823 grams compared to 727 grams with a battery and memory card), and the body has changed in several notable ways. It's much thicker, to start with, thanks in part to an active cooling fan that ensures the GH6 doesn't suffer overheating issues like Canon's EOS R5 and R6. To that end, Panasonic is promising unlimited recording in all video modes, including 5.7K 60p and 4K 120p.
Steve Dent/Engadget
The other major change is with the grip that's considerably deeper than on the GH5 II (or GH5 and GH5s. With that, the GH6 is considerably more comfortable to use than any Micro Four Thirds camera I've tried, particularly with large lenses. Panasonic has made a number of other changes to the button and dial layout as well, most notably with the addition of a dedicated audio button that let you change things like gain levels and quality. It also has an extra record button on the front of the camera that's extremely handy for vlogging .
The GH6 now has a tilt-swivel display like the SH1, with the same 1,840K dot resolution as the one on the GH5 II. That makes the camera thicker, but more practical for low angle and other types of shooting, and the tilt option keeps the screen from being blocked by cables if you use an external recorder. It's also Panasonic's brightest display yet, and was highly visible even in sunlight.
The 3.68 million dot OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) is unfortunately unchanged from the GH5 lineup. While it's true that the GH6 is more of a video than a stills camera, a lot of shooters prefer to use an EVF in bright sunlight, so a sharper image would have been nice. Also unchanged is the BLK-22 battery that delivers fewer shots than the GH5 II (380 compared to 410) and slightly less shooting time — likely due to the fan and extra resolution.
Steve Dent/Engadget
The GH6 has a couple of other serious downsides compared to rivals. One of them is the relatively small sensor size compared to a full-frame camera. That offers fewer creative possibilities, though it's also more forgiving in terms of focus and makes for cheaper, lighter lenses.
The biggest flaw, however, is the contrast-detect autofocus. The good news is that Panasonic seems to have finally realized that buyers want phase detect and hinted that it's not out of the question for future models.
The GH6 was rumored to be priced at $2,500, but there's some good news on that front. It will go on sale in March for $2,200 (body only), making it relatively cheap to models that can match its video specs. It looks a solid choice for that, with video quality on par with any rivals. We'll take a closer look at everything in our upcoming review.
For the last couple years, Instagram and Facebook have offered ways to see how long you spend using the apps each day as well as an option to set a daily usage time limit. Now, it seems Instagram has increased the minimum daily time limit setting to 30 minutes, up from 10 or 15 minutes.
An Instagram user told TechCrunch that the app asked them to "set a new value" for their daily time limit, though noted that they could retain their existing setting. "The available values for daily time limits are changing as part of an app update," a pop-up read. The Instagram app currently offers me a minimum time limit of 30 minutes. Engadget has asked Meta for clarification on when and why it made the change.
The settings in the Facebook app are more granular. Users can choose any time limit in increments of five minutes. When a user reaches their chosen time limit in either app, a notification pops up to tell them, though they can ignore it.
At the time it rolled out the feature, Meta said the idea was to give people more control over the length of time they spend on its apps and to "foster conversations between parents and teens" about healthy online habits. In November, Instagram started testing a "Take a Break" feature to remind users, particularly teens, to put down their phone every so often.
It's unclear why Instagram seems to have increased the minimum daily time limit. However, the timing is interesting given Facebook daily active users dropped for the first time last quarter while user growth across Meta's family of apps (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) remained almost flat.
Meta expects slower revenue growth this year due to more competition for people's time and users paying more attention to features that generate less revenue, such as Reels. Upping the time limit, and keeping users scrolling through Instagram and viewing ads for longer, could be one way of counterbalancing those revenue concerns.
It remains to be seen what politicians may make of the move. In October, Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Meta (which was still called Facebook at the time) "knows its products can be addictive and toxic to children." Earlier this month, a bipartisan bill was introduced in the Senate with the aim of asking the Federal Trade Commission to study ways to reduce "the harm of algorithmic amplification and social media addiction on covered platforms."
Smart clocks are ideal devices for the bedroom, as they give key information like the time and temperature but often have no intrusive cameras. If you're looking for a deal on a good one, Lenovo's Smart Clock Essential with Alexa is on sale right now at Amazon for $50, or $20 (29 percent) off the regular $70 price.
The Smart Clock Essential with Alexa came out early this year to replace the previous model, with the main additions being a new pogo docking pin on the bottom and, well, support for Alexa instead of Google Assistant. It features an attractive, fabric-covered design in colors "Mistry Blue" and "Clay Red," both of which are on sale. On the top edge there are four buttons: volume buttons, a button for activating the assistant, and another for setting an alarm. There's also a USB port for charging.
It neither streams video nor has a camera, though it of course has a mic and speakers so that you can listen to music/podcasts or make voice calls. The entire front face is a dedicated 4-inch LED display, displaying the time, weather, real-time decibel levels and more in white text on a deep black background.
The docking accessories still aren't available, but once they arrive, you'll have two options. One is a basic pad with room for both the clock and another wireless-charging like a phone, while the other is what Lenovo calls the Ambient Light Dock, which doubles as a nightlight. It'll be available for $30 in two whimsical designs with either a sea lion and a squid, along with eight different lighting modes and a rainbow of colors — so it could work great in a kid's room.
Millions of WordPress sites have received a forced patch over the past few days, Ars Technica has reported. The reason is a vulnerability in UpdraftPlus, a popular plugin that allows users to create and restore website backups. UpdraftPlus developers requested the mandatory patch, as the vulnerability would allow anyone with an account to download a website's entire database.
The bug was discovered by Jetpack security researcher Marc Montpas during a security audit of the plugin. "This bug is pretty easy to exploit, with some very bad outcomes if it does get exploited," he told Ars Technica. "It made it possible for low-privilege users to download a site's backups, which include raw database backups."
He told UpdraftPlus developers about the bug on Tuesday last week, they fixed it a day later and started force-installing the patch shortly after that. 1.7 million sites had received it as of Thursday, out of 3 million-plus users.
The main flaw was that UpdraftPlus didn't correctly implement WordPress's "hearbeat' function by properly checking to see if users had administrative privileges. Another issue was a variable used to validate admins that could be modified by untrusted users. Jetpack provided more details about how a hack could work in a blog post.
WordPress was previously breached earlier this year, but it was done indirectly via a GoDaddy hack that exposed 1.2 million accounts. If you're running WordPress with the UpdraftPlus plugin, you should definitely confirm that the plugin updated automatically to 1.22.4 or later on the free version, or 2.22.4 and up on the premium app.
Microsoft has released Skype version 8.80, and it comes with the ability to make 911 calls if you're in the US. As first noticed by XDA Developers, the app's release notes list its new emergency calling support in the United States for both PC and mobile. In addition to being able to dial emergency services for you, the app can also automatically detect and share your location with emergency operators.
The company included a disclaimer in the Skype support page that the app will only share your location if you dialed 911 for the purpose of calling emergency responders to where you are. Of course, you must be using a device that can share your location, and you must be in a place where sharing is available for the feature to work.
Skype has never supported emergency calling in the past, and this new ability could be especially useful if you have access to a computer but not to a mobile phone. Location sharing is switched off by default, though, and you'll have to opt in first. To do so, click on your profile picture on Skype, go to Privacy under Settings to toggle on 911 emergency location sharing. You can switch it off anytime you want.
The new emergency calling capability is now available for Skype on Windows, Mac, Linux, the Web, Android, iPhone and iPad.
A number of new tech deals have popped up across the web ahead of the Presidents' Day holiday. Apple's iPad mini with extra storage is $50 off and down to a record low, while the AirPods Pro are on sale for $175. Both the 40mm and 45mm cellular Samsung Galaxy Watch 4s remain $80 off, plus you still have time to pre-order and save on the Galaxy S22 smartphones, which officially come out on February 25th. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
AirPods Pro
Billy Steele / Engadget
The AirPods Pro are down to $175 right now, or 30 percent off their normal price. We gave them a score of 87 for their solid sound quality, strong ANC and more comfortable fit.
The 256GB iPad mini is $50 off and on sale for $599. We gave the small tablet a score of 89 for its revamped design, solid performance, Center Stage cameras and good battery life.
Both Samsung and Amazon will knock up to $100 off Galaxy S22 smartphones when you pre-order them. This discount applies only to the higher-storage variants, so you can essentially get extra onboard space at no additional cost.
The Stream Deck MK.2 is $10 off right now and down to $140. For a gadget that rarely goes on sale, this is a good discount and one that shouldn't be overlooked if you've had your eye on the controller for a while. It has 15 programmable hotkeys that let you easily do things like control audio and video feeds, launch apps, post to social media and more while you're streaming.
8BitDo's Pro 2 controller is 10 percent off at Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon, bringing the final price down to $45. That's the best price we've seen on the controller, which is leaps and bounds more comfortable to use than Joy-Cons if you're a Nintendo Switch fan. We like its ergonomic design, customization options and its compatibility with a bunch of platforms including PC, MacOS and Raspberry Pi.
Samsung's cellular Galaxy Watch 4 models are on sale for record-low prices right now. The 40mm model is down to $220 while the 44mm version is down to $250. We consider the Galaxy Watch 4 to be the best Android smartwatch you can get and it earned a score of 85 for its bright screen, comprehensive health tracking and new Wear OS features, like downloading apps directly from the Play Store.
Samsung's T7 portable SSD in 1TB is down to a record low of $110, or 35 percent off its usual rate. It's one of our preferred drives if you need something compact, speedy and compatible with a bunch of devices. We also like its aluminum unibody and its Dynamic Thermal Guard that helps control heat levels.
Samsung's 980 Pro internal drive in 2TB is 35 percent off and down to $280 — a great price for a powerful SSD that works with the PS5 (provided you have a heatsink). It has read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s, advanced thermal controls and works with Samsung's Magician Software, which lets you check its health and optimize settings as you'd like.
Google's Nest Thermostat is down to $99 right now, and the device with a trim kit will set you back $114. This version has a mirrored display and a touch-sensitive edge, and it can be controlled with the Google Home app. It also has features like Savings Finder, which suggests ways you can tweak your home system to conserve energy.
Prime members can get $20 off the Nintendo Switch at Woot right now. While the discount isn't on the OLED model, it's a good sale on a console that rarely sees sales like this. Just make sure to check out Woot's return policy before buying.
Blink home security cameras are up to 30 percent off, meaning you can get a one-camera Blink Outdoor kit for $70. In addition to being weatherproof, these cams are wireless and support 1080p video, night vision two-way audio and motion alerts. The wired Blink Mini is also on sale and down to only $25.
Fitbit's Charge 5 is on sale for a record low of $120 right now. We gave the fitness tracker a score of 82 for its large, full-color display, built-in GPS, standard Fitbit Pay and long battery life. The Fitbit Sense smartwatch is also on sale for $100 less than usual, bringing the price down to $200.
Apple's magnetic battery pack for iPhones is down to $88, which is 11 percent off its normal price. We have seen it cheaper in the past, but this is the best price we've seen since December. The accessory attaches magnetically to the back of the latest iPhones and provides up to 15W of wireless charging.
Woot knocked 34 percent off LG's 65-inch C1 OLED smart TV, bringing it down to $1,650. You're getting the deepest blacks and high contrast that are signature of OLED sets, plus LG's α9 Gen 4 AI processor 4K, Game Optimizer with Auto Low-Latency Mode and HGiG, and the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built in. Just make sure to check Woot's return policy before buying.
GameStop has two Star Wars wireless charging pads that are up to 50 percent off right now. If you or someone you love is a super fan, either the Millennium Falcon or The Mandalorian accessories will spice up their charging setup.
It's not on sale, but Dyson's AirWrap Complete in Nickel/Fuchia is available to order once again after being out of stock for along time. The high-tech hair gadget has become quite popular since its launch in 2018 for its versatility. Depending the attachment you choose, the device can curl, straighten or dry hair. It also uses continuously flowing air around the barrel that guides your hair around it, so you don't have to put your fingers near the hottest parts of the gadget.
The on-demand fitness service Alo Moves has an offer few new members that knocks 50 percent off the price of a one-year membership, bringing it down to $99. The platform has dozens of yoga, pilates, barre and strength training classes, along with guided meditations and series that help you master specific skills over the course of longer periods of time.
NordVPN's latest sale knocks the price of a two-year subscription down to just under $96, plus you'll get a free gift on top of it. The prize isn't anything physical, but rather additional subscription time on top of the two-year plan you paid for. Prizes are chosen at random, but after you make your purchase, you'll get either an extra month, and extra year or an extra two years added on to your subscription.
It’s all about Samsung this week! Cherlynn, Devindra and Engadget Senior Editor Sam Rutherford dive into the company’s newest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S22 and S22 Ultra. It’s jam-packed with new features, we just wish they were easier to use. (And what the heck is “Vision Booster” anyway?) Also, Sam gives us his thoughts on Alienware’s x14 gaming laptop, and Cherlynn is introduced to the infamous Bitcoin cryptocouple.
Listen above, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
New productivity tools in Google Smart Canvas – 43:38
Chrome OS Flex – 46:36
Motorola and Verizon’s weird 5G neckband – 47:32
Cryptocouple scammers caught trying to launder 25,000 BTC – 52:54
Working on – 57:33
Pop Culture Picks – 1:02:00
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Credits Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar Guests: Sam Rutherford Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos and Luke Brooks Graphic artists: Luke Brooks, Kyle Maack
Snapchat is adding a new location-sharing feature as it looks to build up its safety features. The app is introducing live location sharing, which allows users to share their exact whereabouts with select friends for short periods of time.
The Snap Map has had location sharing for years, but the current version of the feature only updates the location when the Snapchat app is opened. The new “live location” will allow select friends to see exactly where you are in real-time for a set period of time, much like Apple’s “Find My” app. Location details can be shared for 15 minutes, one hour or eight hours at a time.
Snap says the optional feature could make it easier to meet up with friends, or help people “stay safe” in situations when they may want the extra reassurance of knowing a friend or family member can see where they are. The company notes users will need to be friends, and mutually opt into the live location sharing in order to use it.
The update comes as Snap has tried to build up its safety features in recent months. The company recently announced it would limit friend recommendations for teens in an effort to deal with drug dealers targeting teenage users. The app is also expected to launch new parental control features later this year.
