Microsoft will hold its next event on September 22nd, where it will show off the latest Surface hardware. The event starts at 11AM ET.
The company didn't explicitly say this is about Surface, but the signs are clear. A teaser image shows a side-on look at what appears to be a Surface Pro. Microsoft usually holds a hardware-centric event in the fall. On top of that, the event takes place two weeks before Microsoft releases Windows 11, and what better way to showcase the latest OS than on shiny new hardware?
As for what to expect, we might see a refreshed Surface Duo. Recent leaks suggest the Surface Duo 2 will have an upgraded camera system and it may be available in black. The Surface Book lineup is due for an upgrade, and, given the teaser image, it won't be surprising if we learn what's next on the Surface Pro front. In any case, Engadget will cover all the big news out of the event.
Residents of some states will soon be able to add their driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet, and Apple has revealed which states will support the initiative at the outset. Arizona and Georgia will be the first to let their residents use IDs stored on Wallet, with Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma and Utah to follow.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will let travelers use an ID stored in Wallet at some security checkpoints and lanes at certain airports. Apple says these will be the first places where people can use a driver’s license or state ID they add to Wallet. The company says retailers and venues will add support later.
You’ll be able to share ID details by tapping your iPhone or Apple Watch, which could help you avoid carrying the physical copy with you or digging around in your pocket or bag to find it. “The addition of driver’s licenses and state IDs to Apple Wallet is an important step in our vision of replacing the physical wallet with a secure and easy-to-use mobile wallet,” Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, said in a statement. “We are excited that the TSA and so many states are already on board to help bring this to life for travelers across the country using only their iPhone and Apple Watch, and we are already in discussions with many more states as we’re working to offer this nationwide in the future.”
Adding an ID to Wallet is similar to the process of saving credit cards and transit passes. You’ll need to scan the card with your phone and take a selfie for verification by your state. When you tap your device at TSA checkpoints, it will display a prompt listing the info that the agency is asking for. Once you authorize the request with Face ID or Touch ID, your iPhone or Apple Watch will share those details with the TSA, so you don’t even need to show your device to an agent or scanner.
Apple says it will store your ID securely. The function will be available as part of iOS 15, which Apple will likely release this month, if past release dates are anything to go by. The latest major version of the firmware will also allow you to add work badges and unlock some smart locks and door locks. Apple Wallet already lets students at some schools store their IDs.
One of Samsung's latest ultra-short throw projectors has been discounted by $1,000 as part of a larger sale on Amazon. The Premiere Projector with a 4.2.2 channel sound system is down to $5,498 — yes that's still quite expensive even for a projector, but it's a much better buy now than at it's normal $6,500 price. We've only seen it cheaper in June during Prime Day when it was an additional $300 off. If you feel comfortable sacrificing on sound, the same model with a 2.2 channel system has dropped to $2,998. Samsung's matching both prices, so you could buy direct from the company if you prefer.
The Premiere made it onto our list of favorite projectors in a premium category, and it's worth the price if you want one of the best big-screen experiences available. It includes separate red, green and blue lasers so it can cover the full Rec.2020 color range, which is something even most high-end TVs cannot boast. This is as close as you'll get to a true 4K projector too, and it supports HDR10+ and up to 2,800 lumens of brightness.
That 4.2.2 surround sound system completes the package, allowing you to get close to a theatrical experience in your living room or backyard. We also like its relatively attractive and compact design — it looks nice enough to keep out in your home and, being an ultra-short throw machine, you can place it close to a wall and still get a crisp image.
The Premiere also has most smart features you'd expect a projector to have today, including virtual assistant support and streaming apps. Running on Samsung's Tizen operating system for smart TVs, you can ask Alexa, the Google Assistant or Bixby to do things for you as well as stream from services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and others. So while it's not cheap by any means even when on sale, the Premiere is an investment gadget that will provide an excellent entertainment experience for a long time.
In the future, Chromebooks may be powered by Google's own CPUs: According to Nikkei Asia, the company is developing processors for Chrome OS-powered laptops and tablets in-house. It's not such a far-fetched story, seeing as the tech giant recently announced its own mobile chip called Tensor that's slated to debut on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Google hired chip engineers from around the world for that endeavor, including talents from its suppliers like Intel and Qualcomm. The company may have decided to use their expertise to work on a processor for Chromebooks, as well.
Nikkei says the tech giant was inspired by the success of its rival when it comes to developing its own chips for the iPhone, iPad and, most recently, Mac computers. The first Macs and iPad Pros powered by Apple's M1 processor launched in 2020, while the first iMacs with the chip became available earlier this year. Google's in-progress Chromebook chip is reportedly based on designs from Softbank's ARM, like most mobile processors out there. By building the processor itself, the company will be able to customize it to meet its needs and to add its own features. It'll lessen Google's reliance on third-party suppliers, in other words, allowing it to control production as it sees fit.
Google plans to release the processors it's developing for Chromebooks in 2023, Nikkei says. The first devices powered by the chips could be available soon after.
Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 will be available on October 5th as a free upgrade for qualifying Windows 10 systems, as well as on new PCs shipping after that date. But it isn’t for everyone; a gradual rollout will prioritize newer hardware and use "intelligence models" to determine who gets the upgrade first. Microsoft will apparently factor in reliability and device age. It could be the case that friends and family utterly disinterested in an OS update could be offered it ahead of anyone chomping at the bit for the latest edition of Windows. Check out Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar's preview on what to expect from Windows 11.
All supporting machines will get the update by mid-2022, if you can think that far ahead. For those at the head of the line, you’ll still miss out on Android app support, which won't be available on launch. Microsoft plans to introduce the feature in a Windows Insider preview build sometime in the "coming months."
But the service may not be ready for the next iPhone.
A rumored satellite feature for future iPhones is reserved for emergency uses only, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. A few days ago, another report said the next iPhones will come with support for Low Earth Orbit satellite calls and messages. Other sources said, however, that Apple is reportedly developing at least two emergency-related features relying on satellite networks.
The first feature, Emergency Message via Satellite, will be added as a third protocol, alongside iMessage and SMS, to the Messages app. Apple is also reportedly working on a second satellite feature for users to report crisis situations, like plane crashes and fires.
You can now visit Best Buy’s website to purchase powered bicycles, as well as electric scooters and mopeds from brands like Unagi, Bird, Segway and SWFT. In October, Best Buy will begin stocking those same EVs in select stores across the US, including Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. The company’s Geek Squad will even offer a $100 service where it comes to your house to adjust the brakes, seat height and handlebars for you.
The $150 snapper works with the redesigned Polaroid app.
Polaroid
Polaroid’s Now+ is a $150 analog camera with Bluetooth connectivity and five physical lens filters. It's the first time the company has included the latter out of the box. You can clip the filters on to the camera's lens to saturate or deepen the contrast of your photos or add new effects, like starburst, red vignette, and orange, blue and yellow colors.
One new tool lets you record your own voice to train the tone of an AI voice
The voices on Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant and other AI assistants are far ahead of old-school GPS devices, but they still lack the finer qualities that make speech sound, well, human. NVIDIA has unveiled new research and tools that can capture those natural speech qualities by letting you train the AI system with your own voice.
To improve its AI voice synthesis, NVIDIA’s text-to-speech research team developed a model called RAD-TTS. The system allows an individual to train a text-to-speech model with their own voice, including the pacing, tonality, timbre and more.
(Maybe it’s time to build an AI voice so I don’t have to record Engadget’s The Morning Edition podcast each day. Don’t tell anyone, OK?)
South Korea has today passed a law requiring major app stores to allow alternate payment methods. The bill, due to be rubber-stamped by President Moon Jae-in, forces platform holders to open up their stores, which will affect their lucrative commissions on digital sales. Apple and Google are facing lawsuits and regulator investigations in multiple countries, many focused on how their app stores operate.
The new model also has better battery life and a lower price.
Finally, 2017’s QuietComfort 35 II headphones have a proper replacement: the QuietComfort 45. Bose says these headphones "maintain the hallmarks of their predecessor" when it comes to audio quality, comfort, reliable controls and more. The QC45 also keeps nearly the same design as the QC35 and QC35 II except for a few subtle changes — and a longer battery life estimated to be around 24 hours. At $329.95, they'll debut at a lower price than the previous two QuietComfort models.
The QuietComfort 45 headphones will be available in black and light gray on September 23rd. Pre-orders begin today at Amazon and Bose's website.
Ambient sound, customizable settings and good battery life.
When it comes to true wireless earbuds, Jabra has continued to improve design, features and technology since the Elite 65t. But there was one thing it was still missing: a low-cost model for around $100. So say hello to the Elite 3: an $80 set of true wireless earbuds with more features than we’re used to seeing at this price.
You won't have to buy a Galaxy Z Fold 3 or Flip 3 to get their software upgrades. Samsung is rolling out a One UI 3.1.1 update that brings many of those phones' multitasking and app resizing features to the original Fold, Fold 2, Flip and Flip 5G.
The Fold line unsurprisingly benefits the most thanks to its larger, tablet-like screen. Features like Multi-Active Window (up to three apps at once) and App Split View (seeing extra content for an app) make that folding display much more useful. You can also force apps to resize and rotate on your Fold, pin your favorites with the Taskbar and mirror your internal display on the cover screen.
Not that Flip owners are out of luck. Drag & Split lets all Samsung foldable owners create a new window for an already-open app, and you can invoke Flex Mode to bring up media controls when the phone is partially folded.
Most of these features are deploying now, although you'll have to wait an extra week if you're using the first Galaxy Fold. Not that you'll likely mind. This could significantly improve the usefulness of your older foldable, and suggests Samsung is eager to earn the loyalty of early adopters — if just to increase the chances that you'll buy another Fold or Flip when you're due for an upgrade.
Social fitness network Strava has made one of its most useful safety features available to all users. Starting today, anyone — not just those with a subscription — can use the app’s Beacon feature to share their location with friends and family members.
To enable the feature, tap the “You” tab at the bottom of the main interface and then the cog icon that appears near the top right corner. Once you’re in the settings menu, scroll down until you see the relevant section and toggle the feature on. With Beacon, you can share your location with up to three people. When you add a list of safety contacts to the app, Strava will automatically notify those individuals when you start recording an activity. Another option is to manually text a Beacon link to a friend or family if you don’t want to flood them with notifications each time you go out for a spin.
As a free user, you won’t be able to use the Beacon functionality through a connected device like a Wahoo bike computer or Apple Watch. Strava says that’s something that you will still need a subscription to access “due to the added complexity of supporting those integrations.” One other thing to keep in mind is the software will only share your location as long as you’re recording an activity. Either way, making a safety tool like Beacon free in most contexts is a good move for Strava, particularly after the company moved some previously free features behind a subscription.
Most of us have had meetings that simply could have been an email. Google Calendar will soon provide insights on how you spend your work day, including how long you spend in meetings, so you can find out just how much time you could be saving if your bosses sent memos instead.
This idea behind Time Insights is for you to gain a better understanding of how your time is taken up, so perhaps you can make adjustments if you're spending too much time in Zoom calls or conference rooms. For instance, maybe you can consolidate meetings if you spend many of them with the same people.
The feature can highlight the days and times where you tend to be in meetings the most. You'll also see a time breakdown (including the average time spent in meetings each day) and details about the people with whom you're in meetings most often. When you hover over a person, Google Calendar will highlight all the meetings they're included in.
Time Insights will only be visible on computers, not mobile devices. The insights will typically only be visible to you, but if you manage other people's calendars and they've enabled the “manage sharing access” permission, you'll be able to see their Time Insights too.
Workspace admins will be able to turn the feature off, but other users won't have that option. You can, however, hide Time Insights by closing the bar on the right of the screen.
Time Insights is coming to certain Google Workspace accounts (i.e. Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus and Nonprofits users). It won't be available to those on other plans, including G Suite Basic and Business users. Workspace admins should see it within the next couple of weeks. Google will roll out Time Insights to Rapid Release domains and Scheduled Release domains on September 6th and 20th, respectively. The rollout will take up to 15 days on each type of domain.
After months of hype, Windows 11 has a release date. Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 will be available on October 5th, both as a free upgrade for qualifying Windows 10 systems as well as new PCs shipping with the OS pre-installed.
Don't assume you'll get the upgrade on day one, though. This is a gradual rollout that will prioritize newer hardware and use "intelligence models" to determine who gets the upgrade first, including reliability and device age. All supporting machines will get the update by mid-2022, but this suggests you may be toward the back of the queue if you're using relatively old hardware. At least some shipping Windows 10 PCs will be on the fast track for Windows 11 updates, including models from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung and (of course) Microsoft.
Notably, though, Android app support won't be available on launch. Microsoft now only expects to introduce the feature in a Windows Insider preview build sometime in the "coming months." That's not completely shocking given the challenges of translating mobile apps to a mouse-and-keyboard experience, but this still means one of Windows 11's tentpole features won't be available for a long while.
The voices on Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant and other AI assistants are far ahead of old-school GPS devices, but they still lack the rhythms, intonation and other qualities that make speech sound, well, human. NVIDIA has unveiled new research and tools that can capture those natural speech qualities by letting you train the AI system with your own voice, the company announced at the Interspeech 2021 conference.
To improve its AI voice synthesis, NVIDIA’s text-to-speech research team developed a model called RAD-TTS, a winning entry at an NAB broadcast convention competition to develop the most realistic avatar. The system allows an individual to train a text-to-speech model with their own voice, including the pacing, tonality, timbre and more.
Another RAD-TTS feature is voice conversion, which lets a user deliver one speaker's words using another person's voice. That interface gives fine, frame-level control over a synthesized voice’s pitch, duration and energy.
Using this technology, NVIDIA's researchers created more conversational-sounding voice narration for its own I Am AI video series using synthesized rather than human voices. The aim was to get the narration to match the tone and style of the videos, something that hasn't been done well in many AI narrated videos to date. The results are still a bit robotic, but better than any AI narration I've ever heard.
"With this interface, our video producer could record himself reading the video script, and then use the AI model to convert his speech into the female narrator’s voice. Using this baseline narration, the producer could then direct the AI like a voice actor — tweaking the synthesized speech to emphasize specific words, and modifying the pacing of the narration to better express the video’s tone," NVIDIA wrote.
NVIDIA is distributing some of this research — optimized to run efficiently on NVIDIA GPUs, of course — to anyone who wants to try it via open source through the NVIDIA NeMo Python toolkit for GPU-accelerated conversational AI, available on the company's NGC hub of containers and other software.
"Several of the models are trained with tens of thousands of hours of audio data on NVIDIA DGX systems. Developers can fine tune any model for their use cases, speeding up training using mixed-precision computing on NVIDIA Tensor Core GPUs," the company wrote.
