I’ll admit, I never believed that Apple would release a phone called the iPhone 13, or the 13 Mini, for obvious reasons. Now that the reviews for both handsets are out, it looks as if the company had no reason to think that it was tempting fate with the number. The esteemed Cherlynn Low has taken a deep dive into the pair and found two handsets brimming with refinements.

Naturally, the 13 isn’t as radical an upgrade as its predecessor, and could just as easily have been called the 12S should Apple have cared to dodge the cursed numeral. The focus here is on polishing these devices to an even higher shine, with the majority of the improvements visible in the improved imaging. All in all, however, the usual rule applies: If you’re ready to upgrade from an older iPhone, pull the trigger, but don’t go out of your way to break your contract early.

At the same time, Apple announced that it will let you incorporate your COVID-19 vaccination card into Apple Wallet in the near future. That should help weary would-be travelers looking to get around the world without worrying about losing their paperwork. Plus, as part of the iOS 15 rollout, Dynamic Head Tracking is now available in Apple Music if you’ve got the AirPods Pro or Max hanging from your ears (or head).

-Dan Cooper

Tesla drivers become 'inattentive' when using Autopilot, study finds

The temptations to take your eyes off the road are too great.

Roberto Baldwin

A team at MIT believes that drivers using Tesla’s Autopilot system are less attentive to the road when the feature is activated. Harnessing glance trackers, researchers found that drivers spent less time looking at the road, despite the fact that Autopilot is not a fully-autonomous system. Instead, their gaze was often found directed downwards and toward the center console, which is the sort of thing you’d do if you were playing with Tesla’s beefy touchscreen or your phone. Data like this is not likely to endear Tesla toward the safety authorities, especially when the new head of the NTSB has already said that the marketing for Autopilot is “misleading and irresponsible.”

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HP's Envy 34 All-in-One features a 5K widescreen display and RTX 3080 GPU

It also announced a new Spectre x360 2-in-1 with a 16-inch OLED display

HP

HP has pulled the dust sheets off a host of new gear, with the headline-grabbing Envy 34, uh, grabbing all of the headlines. The machine is packing a 34-inch, 5K widescreen display, a detachable webcam and a wireless charging plate built into the bottom of its stand.

Specs-wise, you can equip this thing with an 11th-generation Core i9 CPU, RTX 3080 GPU and 32GB RAM. Built to take advantage of Windows 11’s Snap Layouts, it should be the ideal sort of kit for the creative professional in your life.

At the same time, the company also unveiled a new Spectre x360 which gets the option of a beautiful, 16-inch 4K OLED display. That can be equipped with either Intel’s Evo graphics or an RTX 3050 GPU, but we’d wager the latter is better suited to drive all of those lovely pixels.

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Tenways’ e-bike debut blends value with style

It does not scream e-bike, and is all the better for it.

James Trew

As much as we’d all love to cycle to work, cut our carbon emissions and generally do better, the price of an e-bike is often a sticking point. When some companies are trying to charge $6,000 for a whip, you have to wonder at what point micro mobility will be available for the rest of us.

Tenways is looking to address this issue with the CGO 600, which is currently selling on Indiegogo (usual caveats apply) for $1,400. The CGO 600 has a 250W battery hidden in the downtube, and barely looks like an e-bike at all, both big pluses. Our James Trew has spent the last few weeks biking around on this thing and has nothing but praise for it.

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NASA reorganizes to prepare for future missions to the Moon and Mars

It’ll split into two divisions, one focusing on the ISS, and one on interplanetary jaunts.

NASA’s plans to get humans shuffling around the Moon and Mars means that the organization needs something of a shake-up. Administrator Bill Nelson has announced that the agency is forming two new directorates, one focused on space operations, the other on exploration. Put (very) simply, the former will focus on domestic matters like launch operations, missions to the ISS and, eventually, trips back to the moon. The latter, meanwhile, will have responsibility for building the technology that will eventually see Project Artemis take people to the Red Planet.

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The biggest news stories you might have missed

Akai built a 'cheap' controller for its MPC 2 software (updated)

GM details the motors that will power its electric Hummer and other EVs

Mercedes-Benz's EQS EV starts at $103,360 in the US

Amazon's new Kindle Paperwhites have bigger, brighter screens and USB-C charging

Back in 2019, Boston's Piaggio Fast Forward company released the first iteration of an automated cargo hauler for pedestrians, dubbed the Gita (pronounced JEE-tah). Two years, and multiple design improvements later, PFF is set to release a smaller, more nimble version which they're calling the Gitamini this October.

With a cargo volume of up to nearly 2,000 cubic inches and capable of carrying up to 44 pounds of gear and traveling at a top speed of 22 mph, the original Gita was a startlingly large machine able to hold a shopping carts-worth of groceries and keep up with cyclists. However, the Gita's size made it a liability to other pedestrians when navigating on crowded sidewalks, especially the earlier versions that relied on a belt-mounted tracker to know where its owners were.

The Gitamini, on the other hand, is about the size of a Border Collie (990 cubic square inches of cargo space) and weighs just 28 pounds. It can carry up to 20 pounds of gear and thanks to external handles the mini can easily be hoisted over curbs, stairs and other obstacles even when fully loaded. The mini is rated for a maximum range of 21 miles or around six hours of use before needing a recharge. What's more, PFF has traded in the belt-based tracker for advanced optics and machine vision. With the push of an onboard button, the mini will autonomously find, recognize and follow its "leader" using only visual and radar cues like color and motion — the robot does not require a GPS, cell, or wireless network connection in order to do so. 

Piaggio Fast Forward

The mini is also equipped with what the company is calling "pedestrian etiquette software." This trains the robot to follow its leader at a safe distance and speed while proactively anticipating the movements of the people around them. The mini's wheels are independently powered, enabling it to make Rivian-esque zero-radius tank turns, while a third motor is dedicated to maintaining the robot's balance when accelerating and braking. 

"Seeing the initial consumer response to Gita proved to us what a pioneer the product was within the consumer robotics industry,” said Greg Lynn, PFF’s CEO, said in a prepared statement. “The ask to ourselves then became, ‘how do we take what we have heard from people and create something different for a new segment of consumers?’’ Gitamini is the company's answer.

The Gitamini is slated to go on sale for $1,850 on October 15th while the original, larger Gita will see a price reduction to $3,250 at the same time. 

There's a real chance you'll need proof of a COVID-19 vaccination to enter certain venues, and Apple is hoping it can save you the hassle of digging up an email or carrying a physical card in your pocket. The company is bringing verifiable COVID-19 vaccination cards to Wallet as part of a future iPhone software update. The feature will take advantage of the international SMART Health Cards standard (already in use in several states) to produce proof of vaccination, sign it with a private key and create a public key to verify your info.

The just-released iOS 15 already lets you store verifiable vaccination and test results in the Health app using the same standard. You'll receive your records through QR codes, downloadable files or healthcare providers who use Health Records on iPhone.

Apple is promising strict privacy for all your data. The company won't have access to your imported or shared records, and all info must be encrypted and securely stored when transferred elsewhere. The tech giant also can't see your vaccination card or how you've used it. You can share information with "approved" third-party apps, but only on a one-time basis.

Apple didn't say when it might release the card update. This won't thrill you if you're anxious about the very concept of sharing your vaccination status with a concert venue or restaurant. However, it should at least streamline the process — important when you're already running late for a show.

Google has released a handy Android Auto update for folks with vehicles where the driver sits on the right. The platform's version of Google Maps now shifts turn information and navigation bar closer to the driver.

Whether you have a left-hand drive vehicle or right-hand drive vehicle, the user interface will have more optimal orientation, Google says. As such, Brits, Indians, Aussies, Japanese drivers and those in the other dozens of countries where traffic moves on the left might find it a touch easier to reach the relevant buttons and enter a destination.

Maps will automatically switch the UI's orientation in right-hand drive vehicles, though you'll soon be able to return to the default look if you prefer. It's a relatively small quality-of-life update, but it's a thoughtful one. Google says the latest version of Android Auto also fixes some right-to-left language issues in the Maps app.

Apple is reportedly working on ways to help detect and diagnose conditions such as depression, anxiety and cognitive decline using an iPhone. Researchers hope that analysis of data such as mobility, sleep patterns and how people type could spot behaviors associated with those conditions, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Other measurements could include facial expression analysis and heart and respiration rates. All of the processing would take place on the device, with no data sent to Apple servers.

The company is working on research projects that could lead to the development of these features. The University of California, Los Angeles, is studying stress, anxiety and depression, with Apple Watch and iPhone data for 3,000 volunteers being tracked in a study that starts this year. A pilot phase that began in 2020 recorded data from 150 participants.

Researchers will compare data captured from iPhone and Watch sensors with questionnaires participants fill out about how they feel, according to the report. They're also said to be measuring the level of the stress hormone cortisol in participants' hair follicles. Apple and UCLA announced the three-year study in August 2020.

Another research project is underway that may factor into this Apple project. The company and pharmaceutical firm Biogen said in January they're working on a two-year study to monitor cognitive function and perhaps spot mild cognitive impairment, which has the potential to develop into Alzheimer’s. The plan is to track around 20,000 participants, around half of whom have high risk of cognitive impairment.

If data from the studies lines up with symptoms of depression or anxiety, Apple could use it to create a feature that warns users if it sees signs of a mental health condition. The iPhone could prompt users to seek care, which could be important as early detection can improve quality of life in the long run.

Apple and its partners are in the early stages of this work, so it'll likely be a few years at least before the company adds mental health monitoring features to the iPhone. There's no guarantee the research will lead to such features at all.

Some previous studies have indicated people with certain conditions use devices differently than other folks. It's not yet clear whether developers can build algorithms that can detect mental health conditions reliably and accurately.

Still, there's no smoke without fire. Health has been a growing focus for Apple over the past few years, so there's a chance features based on this research will eventually emerge.

Facebook’s Portal devices have proven surprisingly popular over the past year, largely due to the pandemic and our dependence on video calls. It’s no surprise, then, that the company is doubling down on the concept. Today, Facebook is announcing two new Portals: an updated Portal+ for $349, plus a brand new $199 Portal Go that is also the company’s first-ever portable smart display.

Yes, in brief, that means the Go can actually be taken out of its charging dock and toted around. There’s also an integrated handle on the back for easy carrying. Despite the handle, it has a relatively compact form factor, with a 10-inch, 1,280 x 800 display housed inside a soft fabric-wrapped enclosure. 

The idea behind this portable Portal, according to Facebook, is that you can keep the device in, say, a kitchen or an office, and it can then be moved around the house if the family is congregating in a different room. Of course, since it’s portable, it can also be brought outdoors as long as you have a relatively strong WiFi signal. Since it can stream music from sources like Spotify, you can also use the Go as a portable speaker.

Facebook

As for battery life, Facebook says that you will likely get up to five hours of one-on-one Messenger calling on a single charge and up to 14 hours of music playback if the screen is off.

In addition, the company unveiled a new Portal+, which hasn’t been updated since the original debuted in 2018. While we thought the first-gen model was a bit of an eyesore, the new Portal+ brings a much-improved design. With a 14-inch, 2,140 x 1,440 display, it still has the largest screen out of all the Portals, but its footprint is much smaller than before. The Portal+ display can also be tilted up and down to accommodate different heights.

Both the new Portals have a 12-megapixel camera with an ultra-wide field of view. Like the other Portals, these make use of Facebook's so-named Smart Camera technology, which uses AI to follow you around the room, panning and zooming to keep you in frame the entire time. There’s also a smart sound tech that allows you speak at a normal volume, regardless of the distance between you and the device, and still have your callers hear you clearly. 

Of course, with any Facebook product, privacy and security are obvious concerns. To help allay those fears, both the new Portals have built-in camera lens covers, and there are buttons at the top that disconnects the camera and the microphone. The smart camera AI technology mentioned earlier runs locally on the device and not on Facebook’s servers. WhatsApp calls are end-to-end encrypted by default. On Messenger, however, you’ll have to specify the contacts and groups you want to enable the end-to-end encryption (and even this feature is still in the roll-out phase).

Aside from new hardware, Facebook also detailed some incoming software updates. One of them is Household Mode, which essentially lets you share the Portal with the whole family. In Household Mode, you can allow access to a selection of shared apps and contacts, while keeping the rest personal. For example, then, you can let the whole family use apps like Messenger and WhatsApp, and allow them to call grandma and grandpa, but they won’t be able to contact anyone else unless you let them. You can set up a screen lock passcode to control access to the device as well.

Facebook

The Portal home screen has also been redesigned to be more personalized, with a top row of favorite contacts, and a card interface similar to the one on other smart displays. There’s a card for Messenger Rooms, one for Spotify playlist shortcuts, another for most used apps, and more. As for Portal TV, the company will soon be updating it so that you can see calling notifications like a pending Rooms invitation or a missed video call.

Additionally, Facebook has updated the Watch Together experience on Portal so it can be used not just on Portal-to-Portal calls, but also with Messenger pals on the phone, laptop or tablet. On top of that, the company says it’s bringing WhatsApp multi-device support to Portal in the next few months. This lets you use WhatsApp on your phone as well as four non-phone devices at the same time.

Facebook is aware that Portals can be used not just in the home context, but also for business purposes. That’s why it will be adding support for Microsoft Teams for all Portal devices starting this December. (It added support for Zoom, WebEx, BlueJeans and GotoMeeting last year.) There will also be a new Calendar app, which lets you view your Outlook or Google calendar on Portal. The beauty of this is that you could then jump in on your next meeting with a single tap on the screen.

Facebook

In addition, Facebook is introducing Portal for Business specifically for small businesses to deploy and manage Portal devices. They can create and manage Facebook Work Accounts which lets employees use company email addresses to set up the Portal. IT admins can use a Portal Device Manager to manage the devices remotely.

According to Facebook, the 8-inch Portal Mini will be discontinued, but the Portal TV and the 2019 10-inch Portal that requires a power cord will still be available. 

Pre-orders for both the Portal Go and the new Portal+ start today. They will begin shipping October 19th.

The iOS 15 release brings an added treat if you're a fan of immersive audio: a better soundstage for your tunes. As hinted at WWDC in June, iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 users now have dynamic head tracking for spatial audio in Apple Music. So long as you're using the AirPods Pro or AirPods Max, instruments and vocals will have a fixed-in-place virtual presence — turn your head and that guitar or vocal will pan accordingly.

Apple had promised Apple Music head tracking in the fall, but hadn't directly linked it to iOS 15 at the time. You don't need Apple's higher-end AirPods if you're content with 'regular' spatial audio, although you will need some form of AirPods or Beats earphones if you want automatic Dolby Atmos support.

Yes, it's a not-so-subtle sales pitch for higher-end AirPods. It's only useful for that subset of the Apple Music catalog with spatial audio support, for that matter. All the same, it could be appreciated if you want a more natural-sounding (or at least, less jarring) approach to 360-degree audio.

Neat Microphones has unveiled its first truly new mic since Turtle Beach bought the company in January, and... it's not what you'd expect. The normally quirky Neat has unveiled the Skyline, a USB condenser mic billed as an "elegant" design reminiscent of skyscrapers but, frankly, is rather generic. It looks a little too much like everyday office audio conference hardware, a beard trimmer or (if you're feeling generous) a pen in an inkwell. It's certainly a far cry from the whimsical Widgets and Bees you've come to know from Neat so far.

The functionality is solid, at least. The Skyline is built with videoconferencing and podcasts in mind, and the 24-bit, 96kHz audio should be a huge upgrade from your laptop's built-in mic. The large, illuminated mute button should also be very helpful when you need to step away from a Zoom chat.

The Skyline's greatest advantage might be its $70 price. It potentially offers higher quality output than the 48kHz Blue Yeti Nano in a more affordable package. With that said, appearances can matter — you may want to pay more for the Yeti (or AKG's new Ara) if you're a livestreamer or otherwise concerned as much about form as function.

Comcast has expanded Internet Essentials' coverage to include Federal Pell Grant recipients within areas where it's available. By doing so, it's giving undergraduates from low-income households access to low-cost internet connection at a time when they may have a huge need for it and in time for Internet Essentials' 10th anniversary. "These additional initiatives arrive as the COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated far-reaching effects that disproportionately impact those who have traditionally lacked access to the tools, resources, and skills needed to get online," the company wrote in its announcement.

The Internet Essentials program launched in 2011 and has expanded its coverage several times since then until, according to the company, it has connected "a cumulative total of more than 10 million people to the internet." Earlier this year, the company doubled the package's speed, giving subscribers access to download speeds of up to 50 Mbps and uploads of up to 5 Mbps.

In addition to giving Pell Grant financial aid recipients access to Internet Essentials, Comcast has also pledged $15 million worth of internet service and equipment. Its pledge includes over 25,000 laptops that will be donated to low-income students, seniors and vets. The move is part of the company's Project UP, which is an initiative aiming to "advance digital equity." The laptops will be distributed in cities nationwide, including Houston, TX; Sacramento, CA; Seattle, WA; Philadelphia, PA; Hartford, CT; Baltimore, MD; Memphis, TN; Atlanta, GA; Detroit, MI; Chicago, IL; Jacksonville, FL; Minneapolis, MN; Oakland, CA; Boston, MA; Pittsburgh, PA; and Grand Rapids, MI.

Akai's MPC hardware is normally an expensive investment — you're looking at $699 for the 'entry' One production studio. That ecosystem just became much more affordable if you have a computer, however. The company has introduced an MPC Studio controller built solely to tie in with MPC 2 software on your Mac or PC. Plug it in and you can produce tunes with the signature 16 drum pads (with pressure, velocity and aftertouch control) as well as an assignable touch strip that lets you twist instruments and synths. A color LCD helps keep your focus on the controller when you're chopping samples or fine-tuning effects.

The software, unsurprisingly, plays a key role. Akai has been pouring much more of its energy into its MPC 2 software, including a large update in July that added AIR plugins and on-device pitch correction. You'll have access to eight plugin instrument engines as well as sampling, MIDI sequencing, arranging and other parts of the MPC workflow. Think of the MPC Studio as Akai's answer to Ableton's Push — it's hardware that brings out the software's full potential.

The MPC Studio is available today for $269. You'll still need MPC 2 (normally $200, currently $100), but it's still a relative bargain so long as you have a production-ready computer. This could make Akai's universe considerably more accessible if you're new to this kind of music making.