You or your kids might now have a good reason to try Apple's SharePlay feature. Disney+ has released an update that adds SharePlay group viewing to its iPhone, iPad and Apple TV apps, letting up to 32 people watch and chat together. This will help you discover the latest plot twists in Boba Fett or Hawkeye, of course, but it could also be helpful for young ones who want rewatch Frozen with their distant friends.
Before you ask: everyone in the call needs Disney+ to stream, and this only works if a given title is available to everyone in your virtual gathering. You can still choose audio and subtitles separately from everyone else — the group only shares the image and playback controls. Apple TV users can also watch on the big screen while using their iPhone or iPad to stay in touch.
The launch conveniently dovetails with a flurry of Disney+ show and movie releases. It's still a welcome addition, though, and it might be particularly useful during a holiday season when the pandemic still poses challenges for some in-person family gatherings.
The Google Glass vision isn’t dead. Or at least, it’s been resurrected by Oppo. Following last year's AR Glass concept, the new Oppo Air Glass will be available in Q1 2022 for a yet-to-be-announced price. It'll come in two parts: a detachable monocle (in black or white) and a separate frame. And no, you won't be able to attach the 30-gram device to your own glasses.
The focus here is on simple information, shown on a 640 x 480 image on a waveguide display. My favorite part might be the software Oppo is pitching, including a teleprompter display that you can set the scroll speed for. (Although, yes, you’d have to wear the thing in front of your audience…)
LG is teasing two new TVs with unusual designs at CES 2022, one of which is the recently announced premium OLED Evo TV with a motorized cover. The other is, literally, a wireless TV on wheels. The StanbyME has a built-in battery, and you can roll it in and out of any room in your home. The 27-inch display is on a moveable stand with concealed wheels, and you can adjust its height to customize its position.
You can also see how your stats this year compare to those in 2020.
Nintendo is getting into the end-of-year review mood, emailing many of its users about how they spent time with their Switch throughout the last 12 months.
The 2021 iteration isn’t widely different from last year’s iteration. You’ll once again see the total number of hours you put in through the year and a count of all the games you played. There’s also a breakdown of how many hours you played each month, in addition to a look back at your most active day. You’ll see how much time you spent between handheld and docked modes, as well.
Dell might not be the most-loved PC company in terms of customer service, but it frequently tops corporate charts for environmentally friendly initiatives. Working with Intel, the company has created a new laptop called Concept Luna, with the aim of making future PCs easier to repair, reuse and recycle.
Dell said if it incorporated all the design ideas, it could reduce a computer's carbon footprint by up to 50 percent compared to current laptop models. Redesigned components make better use of space and improve passive cooling, while also reducing power demands. This, in turn, allows for a smaller battery with deep-cycle cells with a "long charge that can be maintained across many years of use, increasing refurbishment and reuse beyond the first product life it services," Dell said.
It applies to models 2018 and later, with a free trial from 3 to 10 years.
To the consternation of some owners, Toyota's remote start key fob functionality requires a paid $8 per month subscription service. This applies to 2018 and later models, but recently came to light as the free trials of Toyota's Remote Connect subscription started to expire.
Toyota lets owners start vehicles like the RAV 4 PHEV remotely in two ways. One is over WiFi/LTE using its Remote Connect apps — these are what cost $8 per month or $80 per year. The other is by using the key fob. Unless they read the fine print, however, owners may not have known the key fob method was also part of the Remote Connect subscription. Toyota confirmed to The Drive that they need a paid subscription on every 2018 and newer Toyota model to use the function.
Samsung's three generations of foldable phones put it in a leading position in the field, so much that Huawei and Xiaomi eventually followed the same double-screen form factor. Having already shown a foldable prototype a couple of years ago, it was only a matter of time before Oppo, the world's fourth largest smartphone brand, would join the scene. After a teaser from earlier, today the Chinese company unveiled the Find N, which features a 5.49-inch external display and unfolds into a 7.1-inch flexible "Serene Display."
What's special about this design is that Oppo went for a landscape aspect ratio — 9:8.4 (1,920 x 1,792), to be exact — for the flexible AMOLED screen, which offers a more practical split-screen usage. A bit like Microsoft's Surface Duo 2, except this is across one single panel. Similarly, the Find N's external AMOLED screen comes in a more familiar 9:18 aspect ratio (988 x 1,972), as opposed to something like the narrow 9:24.5 on Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3. The shorter body should also make the device more pocketable than its competitors.
Oppo
Oppo added that thanks to its special water-drop flexion hinge design, it's able to widen the angle of the flexible panel's fold, thus reducing the crease — "up to 80 percent less noticeable compared with other devices," which is apparently certified by TÜV Rheinland. The same mechanism allows for a no-gap design when folded. As for the flexible screen itself, its 12-layer structure apparently lets it withstand over 200,000 folds — even at temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius or -4 degrees Fahrenheit. Alas, there's no IP rating for the Find N, but Oppo reassures us that the device has passed the company's own humidity and splash tests.
To our surprise, the Find N is powered by Qualcomm's slightly older Snapdragon 888, as opposed to the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or the existing Snapdragon 888 Plus. Oppo explained that this is due to the longer development cycle of this project. To be fair, this 5G chipset is still plentiful, plus the phone also comes with up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage, along with ColorOS 12 based on Android 11, which should keep things running smoothly on that 120Hz flexible screen (though the external screen is capped at 60Hz).
Sanji Feng / Engadget Chinese
Other goodies in this 275g device include a 50-megapixel f/1.8 main camera (Sony IMX766 sensor; same as the Find X 3 Pro), a 16-megapixel (IMX481) f/2.2 ultra-wide camera plus a 13-megapixel (Samsung S5K3M5) f/2.4 2x telephoto camera on the back, and a 32-megapixel (IMX615) f/2.4 punch hole selfie camera on both the external screen and the inner screen. There's a 4,500mAh battery which supports 33W SuperVOOC rapid charging and 15W AirVOOC wireless charging; you can also use the phone for 10W reverse charging.
Unlike many recent flagship Androids, unlocking is done with a side-mounted fingerprint-scanning power button, rather than an under-display fingerprint reader, which makes sense since it'd be a bit ambitious to work that sensor into the large flexible screen.
Sanji Feng / Engadget Chinese
On the software side, this version of ColorOS 12 comes with a "FlexForm Mode" which lets you use the Find N in the form of a mini laptop. This applies to use cases like video calls, taking notes, taking 4K time-lapse photos of the sky and more. Likewise, you can use the external screen as a selfie viewfinder, though this is nothing new in the world of foldables.
Sanji Feng / Engadget Chinese
My favorite feature here is perhaps the split-screen gesture: simply use two fingers to swipe down the middle of the flexible screen, and you'll instantly split the screen into two. You can also tap the three dots in the middle of this virtual divider to create a shortcut for the current app combo. If needed, you can also use four fingers to pinch the large screen to turn the current app into a floating window.
Last but not least, there's a "seamless relay" feature which lets you easily go from the large screen to the smaller external screen. As soon as you fold the Find N, the external screen will offer a five-second window to let you swipe up and activate it.
Sanji Feng / Engadget Chinese
The Find N comes in black, white and purple, with the purple offering being exclusive to its higher-end model. In China, this new phone is immediately available for pre-ordering ahead of its December 23rd launch, with the base model (8GB RAM and 256GB storage) asking for 7,699 yuan (about $1,210), and the higher-end model (12GB RAM and 512GB storage) going for 8,999 yuan (around $1,410). That's surprisingly affordable — even more so than Xiaomi's Mix Fold.
Sadly, Oppo doesn't plan on bringing its first-ever foldable to outside of China just yet, but our review unit did just land on my doorstep a few hours ago. I'll be spending the next few days figuring out whether this device lives up to its hype (and whether I can even run Google services on it), so stay tuned for our further impressions.
Ahead of CES 2022, Dell is previewing a set of concept products like it usually does around this time every year. Previously, the company teased us with a Switch-like PC gaming console and a pair of dual-screen and foldable computers. This time around, Dell is showing off a few prototypes around "seamless work experiences" called Concept Flow, Concept Stanza and Concept Pari. I checked them out at a recent demo in New York (while abiding by COVID-19 protocols), and was surprised by how refined they are.
Of the three, Pari is my favorite. It's a wireless camera prototype that can magnetically attach to a compatible screen so you can place it at eye level while Zooming your colleagues. Not only does this help keep a more natural gaze as you're talking, but it also allows you to keep your notes or script up behind the camera in a sort of teleprompter setup. The magnets won't work with just any standard monitor, though; you'll need to use one with magnets built in too.
I appreciate the elegance of Dell's approach. The webcam sits in a cradle perched atop the monitor, and you remove it when you want a different angle. When it's docked, the webcam wirelessly charges (and a light is supposed to glow to indicate it's juicing up, though this wasn't happening during our demo). You can also flip the camera around to face the back of the dock when you want some privacy, so if anyone is spying on you, they'll only see the black cover.
During my brief time with the prototype, I was able to easily pick up the webcam and attach it to the monitor. The magnets were strong enough to keep the camera in place and prevent it from sliding, yet not so strong that I had to struggle to take it off. I especially liked the stand that Dell made for Pari, which turns it into an overhead camera for top-down shots. It was convenient to pluck the camera off the screen and stick it to the magnetic disc on the stand, which looked like a thin, modern light. The version that I checked out at our demo felt slightly flimsy and I wish the disc swiveled on a hinge to offer more flexibility in angles, but given this is just a concept, I will withhold my complaints for now.
Though Pari is a prototype at the moment, Dell has some specs to share. The device weighs about an ounce (30 grams) and this iteration has an onboard microphone. It streams 1080p video over WiFi and has a light above the lens up front to indicate when the camera is level, so you can more easily ensure your scene is straight. The cradle uses USB-C for charging, too. Since this isn't currently something the company is ready to sell, it doesn't have details on battery life, much less a possible price.
Dell
Dell's two other concepts were more about multi-device environments. Flow, for example, uses a dock to link all the devices at your home office, like a monitor, keyboard, mouse and charger. Then, it lets your laptop wirelessly connect to them while also charging it. If you bring the laptop out of Bluetooth range, the external monitor locks and reconnects when you return with your computer. According to Dell, Flow is the result of bringing together "devices, industry standard wireless charging technology, intelligent software applications and Wi-Fi 6E docking technology to create a singular, seamless experience."
Finally, Stanza centers around an 11-inch "companion device" that's basically a thin and light tablet without ports. Dell said it "deliberately chose not to include cameras or speakers, for a distraction-free experience." You can write on it with a stylus and double tap to have your scribbles converted to digital text. As with many other note-taking apps, you can also draw a line through words to delete them. If you're drawing a Venn diagram, Dell's system can also convert your imperfect circles with squiggly lines into flawless spheres. The tablet can also serve as an additional screen onto which you can extend or mirror whatever's on your laptop screen.
Dell
Again, since these are all just concepts, Dell doesn't have pricing or availability info to share, but it's possible we'll see aspects of these designs show up in the future products. Additionally, the company showed off another Concept yesterday called Luna, and it's a way to make PCs more sustainable by making their parts easier to replace. Dell is clearly exploring how to make products that align with industry trends (like hybrid workforce, sustainability), and we'll hopefully see some of the benefits of these in its actual products soon.
You can now place some Microsoft Teams calls with the confidence they'll be reasonably secure. The Vergenotes Microsoft has made end-to-end encryption widely available for one-on-one calls after publicly testing the feature since October. If your company's IT administrator enables E2EE and both ends of the call choose to use the feature, it should be that much harder for intruders to spy on conversations.
Microsoft cautioned that you'll lose several significant features if you use the stricter encryption, including recording, call transfers, expanding to group calls and live captions. You'll have to disable E2EE to regain those options.
This could still be important. While Teams was already using encryption both in transit and at rest, it still offered a window for decrypting content so that approved services could honor data retention records. End-to-end encryption prevents anyone beyond the intended recipients from decrypting call data — that's great for privacy, but not so hot for companies, governments and law enforcement agencies that want backdoors. It won't be surprising if authorities bristle at Microsoft's move.
Now that Android 12 is making its way to more devices, Google has announced Android 12 Go Edition. When it arrives in 2022, the OS for low-cost phones will make your device up to 30 percent faster, according to the company. That adds to the 20 percent improvement Google pulled off previously with Android 11 Go Edition. The company says it has also smoothed out launch animations.
Google
If space is an issue, a new feature allows the operating system to conserve both battery life and storage by hibernating apps you don’t use frequently. Additionally, you can use Files Go to safely delete something and then recover it after 30 days. Meanwhile, an update to Nearby Share allows you to save data by transferring apps between devices. Separately, if you ever need to translate a webpage, you can now do so quickly thanks to a newly added shortcut found on the recent apps interface.
Google
In addition to performance tweaks, Android 12 Go Edition is all about privacy enhancements. Android 12’s privacy dashboard is making the jump to Go Edition. You can use it to review all the permissions your apps have access to and revoke them as needed. Additionally, you’ll see if your phone’s microphone or camera is active thanks to new privacy indicators located on the status bar. The update will also allow you to limit apps to accessing only your approximate location instead of your exact one. And if you ever want to let someone use your device, you can now open a temporary guest account directly from the lock screen. Android Go Edition 12 will automatically reset your phone once they’re done.
With today’s announcement, Google also shared that more than 200 million people globally use an Android Go Edition device daily. That’s not bad when you consider Go Edition has only been around since 2017.
While they're slated to arrive after Christmas, Apple's second-generation AirPods have returned to a record-low price. Amazon has the earbuds for $90, which is only one dollar more than they were on Black Friday. If you can wait until after December 25th to get them, you'll get one of the best deals on these earbuds that we've seen all year.
These are the classic AirPods most people are familiar with by now. They have a similar design to Apple's old EarPods and they have the H1 chip inside that helps them quickly pair with iOS devices as well as switch in between devices like iPhones, iPads and Macs. While you can get better sounding earbuds at a similar price, AirPods remain one of the best options for those who primarily use Apple devices because they conveniently pair and switch between them. You'll also be able to monitor each buds' battery life, as well as the case's charge, from your iPhone. You'll get roughly five hours of use before needing to power up again, and the case provides more than 24 hours of total listening time.
While they don't have many of the new features that the latest, 3rd-generation AirPods have, the second-gen models remain a good option if you're on a budget and want those signature Apple perks. The latest AirPods are on sale for $150 right now, or about $30 off their normal price, and we'd recommend springing for those if you have the extra cash. We gave them a score of 88 for their more comfortable design, improved audio quality and longer battery life.
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iFixit announced today it will join forces with Microsoft to manufacture and sell official repair tools for some Surface models. The partnership will kick off with a display debonder, a display rebonder, and a battery cover.
The models these Microsoft-sanctioned tools are designed for aren't the friendliest to at-home tinkering. Many — like the Surface Laptop Go and Surface Pro 7+ — have neither guides nor repairability scores from the iFixit. This might explain why, at least for now, these pro-grade tools aren't being offered to consumers.
"iFixit Pro independent repairers, Microsoft Authorized Service Providers, Microsoft Experience Centers, and Microsoft Commercial customers," will be the only entities allowed to use these new devices, according to iFixit. "While not necessary to complete a DIY repair, these new tools are designed to prevent damage and will help technicians performing a high volume of repairs, and assist in improving accuracy and matching factory-level adhesion."
According to The Verge, it was Microsoft that approached iFixit about joining forces, despite (and because of) iFixit's vocal criticism of the Surface line's poor repairability. Wider availability of official repair tools, and the development of new ones, could be on the horizon if both companies see positive results.
Microsoft is the latest company to partner with iFixit. Previously the right-to-repair advocate has worked with HTC and Motorola as an official parts source for Vive headsets and smartphones, respectively.
Working with Intel, Dell has created a new laptop called Concept Luna with the aim of making future PCs easier to repair, reuse and recycle. Dell said that if it incorporated all the design ideas, it could reduce a computer's carbon footprint by up to 50 percent compared to current laptop models.
A key feature of Concept Luna is the redesigned components and a new, more efficient layout. To start with, the motherboard is 75 percent smaller at just 5,580 square millimeters and has a 20 percent lower component count. Everything is rearranged, with the motherboard close to the top cover to expose it to a larger cooling area. It's also separated from the battery charging unit in the base, allowing better passive cooling that could eliminate the need for a fan.
Dell
The extra efficiencies also reduce power requirements, allowing the designers to use a smaller battery with deep-cycle cells that offer a "long charge that can be maintained across many years of use, increasing refurbishment and reuse beyond the first product life it services," Dell said.
On top of making the design more power efficient, Dell designers used less energy-intensive materials that are easier to recycle. The aluminum body, for instance, was processed using hydro power and a more efficient stamped construction. Dell also reduced the number of screws by tenfold, "with just four needed to access internal components." That not only reduces material count, but repair time (to disassemble, repair and reassemble key components) by around 1.5 hours.
Dell
Other features include a palm rest that's easy to repair and reuse, a keyboard mechanism that can be easily separated for replacement and recycling, and a bio-based printed circuit board (PCB) made with flax fiber in the base and water-soluble polymer as glue. "What's notable here is that the flax fiber replaces traditional plastic laminates... [and] the water-soluble polymer can 'dissolve,'" making for easier recycling.
Concept Luna is far from the first green laptop concept. Framework, for example, recently demonstrated an easy-to-repair laptop with features like removable ports and components that are labeled so you can repair it yourself.
Dell might not be the most-loved PC company in terms of customer service, but it frequently tops corporate charts for environmentally-friendly initiatives. Creating a concept that points the way to easy-to-fix, more recyclable PCs is a solid step toward reducing plastic waste and pollution in the PC industry. Now, Dell plans to take the best ideas from Concept Luna "and evaluate which have the greatest potential to scale across our product portfolio," the company wrote.
If you're still struggling to come up with gift ideas for the holidays, you can't go wrong with mobile accessories. With so much of our lives driven by our devices, gadgets that help keep smartphones and tablets going will be useful to almost anyone. Anker makes some of our favorite mobile accessories and Amazon has a one-day-only sale going on that knocks up to 36 percent off some of the company's latest devices. A bunch of gadgets in the new MagGo lineup have been discounted, including the gray 5,000mAh magnetic battery pack, which is 25 percent off and down to $45, and the magnetic desktop charging station, which is also 25 percent off and on sale for $75.
All of the accessories in the MagGo collection work with the latest iPhones that have MagSafe, meaning they'll snap onto the back of the handsets to provide power, extra grip and more. The 5,000mAh battery pack will come in handy for those constantly on the go as it snaps to the back of iPhone 13s and provides up to 17 hours of additional juice. It also has a built-in kickstand, so you can prop up your iPhone while it's wirelessly charging. We also appreciate that it doesn't add much heft to the iPhone, measuring just 12.8mm thick, and that you can use it with MagSafe-compatible phone cases, too.
If you know someone who could stand to clean up their nightstand a bit, Anker's MagGo desktop charging station could do the trick. It looks similar to Amazon's now-discontinued Echo Spot, but with a powerful magnetic pad instead of a smart display. The orb magnetically holds on to your iPhone, positioning it at an angle that makes it easy to see and use the screen. On its back, it has a bunch of ports: three AC outlets, two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports. That lets you plug in almost any other gadget you have lying around like a tablet or your smartwatch, and it keeps all of your cables mostly out of the way. Its small size and cute design make it a good choice as a catch-all charging device for your nightstand or the desk in your home office.
While the sale mostly includes magnetic accessories, there are a few standard charging gadgets included, too. Anker's new Nano Pro 20W USB-C charger is 25 percent off, bringing it down to $15, while a pack of 3-, 6- and 10-foot Powerline II USB-C to Lightning cables is 36 percent off, knocking it down to just under $30. Depending on when you place your order, you could still get these accessories before Christmas, too.
