I’ve been a technology journalist for 10 years now and have written thousands of news articles, reviews and analysis pieces in that time. But lately I’ve wanted to change it up and do some writing that flexes different parts of my brain: things like short stories, essays or even a longer fiction piece.

But since I’m a tech nerd at heart, I couldn’t help but start thinking about new software or gadgets I could use to optimize my pursuit. I started using my favorite writing app, Bear, on the iPad Pro. I had read that minimizing distractions while writing can be crucial to making headway – and though my job means I’m almost always multitasking while writing, the luxury of my new hobby is that I can take the time to truly focus. But all those notifications and distracting apps lurk right beneath the surface, testing my resolve to actually sit down and get into the zone.

At the same time, I caught wind of a new product from a company called Astrohaus, the “Hemingwrite,” a limited-edition version of a device that Astrohaus has sold for about five years. The Freewrite (and the Hemingwrite edition, which is already sold out) combines an excellent mechanical keyboard with an e-ink display and is meant purely for drafting text. There aren’t even arrow keys, so editing anything more than a few words back is a non-starter. It has WiFi, so you can sync your drafts to Dropbox, Google Drive or Evernote, but that’s about the only concession it makes to the internet age.

My colleague Kris Naudus tried the Freewrite Traveler last year. As the name implies, it’s a portable version of the Freewrite with a clamshell, laptop-like design and a standard laptop-style keyboard. She did not love it, mostly because of the refresh rate on the e-ink screen.

The Traveler held little appeal to me, but the full-size Freewrite wormed its way into my mind. It’s expensive at $600, but it’s a beautiful machine with an aesthetic that spoke to me. I imagined starting my day with a large cup of coffee and the Freewrite, banging out my thoughts for an hour every morning before starting my work day. With my phone silenced, good music on my headphones and a blank page in front of me, I’d surely get into the writing flow.

By the beginning of August, I had decided to try the Freewrite for a month and see if it was a useful tool for me. My first impression of the Freewrite hardware was that it looked just as striking in person as it does online. The main chassis is a dark gray aluminum, while the underside is a bright white soft-touch plastic that matches the white keycaps. The e-ink screen is a little under five inches wide and a bit over two and a half inches tall. There’s also a smaller thin strip of a screen below that displays things like word count, a clock, a timer or the sync status of your drafts.

Flanking that screen are two pleasantly chunky physical switches: one for controlling WiFi settings and another to move between three different folders that drafts are saved in. The last button wakes up the Freewrite when you’re ready to go. Like the two switches, this button just feels great to press. At a time when so many of our devices try to do so many things, there’s something pleasant about a beautiful piece of hardware designed to do one thing well.

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Right away, I noticed the learning curve. For me, it was a combination of the mechanical keyboard and e-ink screen. Those are both two of the main selling points for the device, and they’re each very different from what I’m used to. After years of using thin laptop keyboards, the mechanical keyboard tripped me up a bit; my accuracy and speed were not the finest. Given the lack of a cursor and arrow keys, I tried to train myself to blast past small typos rather than delete words to go back and fix them.

This is just what the Freewrite’s creators intended. This isn’t a device for editing your thoughts, just for getting them out as quickly and efficiently as possible. Fine-tuning can happen later, on a laptop. It took some time to get used to this approach, and I still often find myself stopping to go back and fix small mistakes, but I can definitely appreciate the benefit of moving forward with whatever I’m writing rather than getting hung up on the details.

The e-ink screen presents its own challenges and benefits. I was originally worried about its size, but that turned out not to be an issue. You can adjust the text size, but the default setting let me see plenty of my draft. I’d occasionally have to page up a bit to refresh my memory on what I was working on, but it honestly never felt too cramped.

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

It’s sharp, clear and looks great with or without the light activated. I tried to train myself to write by natural light, and most of the time I found the built-in front-light (again similar to the Kindle) unnecessary. It’s still good to have you prefer working in darker conditions, but I try to do most of my work in a well-lit room.

If you’ve ever used a Kindle, you know the big downside of e-ink screens: the refresh rate. It’s not as big an issue on a Kindle, where you flip the page every 30 seconds or so, but on a typing device the screen is updating constantly. It’s far different than the instant feedback you get when typing on a traditional computer, and I can absolutely see how it would be off-putting to some people.

It’s worth taking the time to get used to, though. Most experienced typists probably don’t need to watch every single character appear; I just tried to type and get into a flow and only really pay attention to the screen when I wanted to go back and read something. In my mind, I think the trade-off between a traditional LCD screen here is worth it. We have more than enough blue-light screens in our lives.

Another benefit of the e-ink display is that it means the battery life is measured in weeks, not hours (yup, like the Kindle). I’ve been using the Freewrite pretty heavily over the last month and I think I’ve given it a full charge twice. Astrohaus says it’s rated to run for four weeks with 30 minutes of daily usage. My sessions were usually longer but less frequent; I definitely didn’t hit four weeks between charges, though. Regardless, unless you use the device for multiple hours every day, you shouldn’t have to worry about running out of juice.

Overall, I’d say the hardware delivers what Astrohaus promises. But I’m not trying to review this like an iPad or other modern gadgets. For me, the question has been whether this thing will help me become a more disciplined writer, and if it is better suited to that task than other tools at my disposal.

By one very important metric, the Freewrite is a success: I’ve written over 15,000 words on it in less than a month, the vast majority of which were not for work. Aside from this story and one other, everything else I’ve created on the Freewrite has been words I would not have written if I wasn’t trying to write creatively.

Of course, that’s not to say I couldn’t have done the same thing with my iPad, a laptop, or various other gadgets. From that perspective, it’s hard to spend $600 on a Freewrite, as it doesn’t offer any truly new features compared to a laptop.

But, in the same way that a Kindle, Nintendo Switch or a high-end digital camera are better for specific purposes than a smartphone or iPad, the Freewrite is optimized for its singular purpose better than other options. Because the hardware is so gorgeous and easy to use, I found myself wanting to pull it out – it has been a positive reinforcement tool that has helped me build my habit.

That said, I still have to have the discipline to use it and block out potential distractions. If I set up with a laptop on my desk while trying to write with the Freewrite, I’m just screwing myself.

That’s why the Freewrite hasn’t been an essential tool for my work. Even on days when I need to get writing done, I’m often multitasking, keeping an eye on our Slack channel and the news in a broader sense. I realize this doesn’t make for an optimal writing environment, but it’s the reality of being an online journalist.

Practically speaking, I’m often flipping between my writing and a browser for research or another document with notes on my piece. There simply aren't a lot of stories that I work where I can just sit down and write uninterrupted. This story is one of them, though, and a workflow where I do my drafting on the Freewrite while also having my iPad handy for research, notes and an occasional Slack check has worked pretty well thus far.

There’s no way to quantify how much of this is due to the Freewrite and how much of it is simply me finding the willpower to start developing a new habit. People are creatures of habit, and I, too, enjoy a good ritual. I haven’t fully transformed my life where I can write uninterrupted every morning like I imagined, but I have found myself making more time for my new hobby. The other night, I had a few hours free after work, and instead of blowing them on video games, I worked on a story I’ve been writing – a small victory over my lowest impulses, but I still think it counts.

Lately, I find myself waking up thinking about when I can squeeze in 30 minutes or an hour of writing time without the distractions of news and work, and the Freewrite is my first choice for that. It’s a joy to type on, and it’s a prime example of hardware that just gets out of your way and lets you focus on the task at hand. There’s no doubt that it’s an expensive device, and one that is more limited than a comparably priced laptop. It’s a luxury, but for a specific type of person, it might also end up being an invaluable tool for your work. For me, it's been a great help in fostering a new hobby. It's not an essential tool, but it's something that makes me want to write more when I'm not, and something that makes me want to keep writing when I am using it.

We rarely see the MacBook Air M1 drop below $900, but that's the case today on Amazon. Apple's thin-and-light laptop is on sale for $850 right now, or $150 off its normal price. The base model has been hovering at $900 on Amazon for the past few months, likely to stay competitive with Apple's education pricing during the back-to-school season, but this is the first time since a brief moment at the end of July that we've seen the Air M1 this low. At the time of writing this, only the gold model is in stock — both silver and space gray have sold out.

This is far and away the best Apple laptop for most people thanks to its slender body, lack of fan noise and killer performance. We gave it a score of 94 in part for those attributes, plus we also like its lovely Retina display, comfortable keyboard and trackpad and excellent 16-hour battery life.

The star of the show here is Apple's M1 chipset, which makes the Air run incredibly fast. The notebook wakes almost instantly when you open the lid, native apps run super smoothly and the machine as a whole is impressively responsive. You're also able to run iOS apps with the M1 chip, which is a fun feature to have. Graphics performance is noteworthy, too: MacBook Airs have not been gaming machines in the past, and we probably still wouldn't use it to run intense titles, but it performed well while playing Apple Arcade games and even Fortnite. And since the laptop doesn't have a fan inside, it'll be much quieter than most previous Apple laptops you may have had.

Our biggest complaints about the MacBook Air M1 are its paltry 720p webcam and its limit of two USB-C ports. While living the dongle life can get frustrating, it's a small price to pay for an otherwise stellar laptop that can handle most things you'll through at it.

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The humble computer keyboard might feel utilitarian, but given it’s the part of your setup you interact with the most, it’s kinda wild that we don't often give it thought. Fortunately, there’s a vibrant scene of small (and not so small) companies that understand everyone’s needs are different and that getting the right size, shape and ergonomic layout can upgrade your working or gaming life in significant ways. Keychron is one such company.

Keychron has earned a reputation for making affordable yet feature-rich mechanical keyboards, and the Q1 (starting at $169) is the latest member of the family. The Q is a nod to QMK, a popular open-source firmware that lets you customize compatible keyboards to your liking. It’s Keychron’s most ambitious deck yet, and a direct competitor to something like the GMMK Pro or the KBDFans Bella, both of which cost north of $250 depending on your preferred configuration.

The Q1 is a 75-percent keyboard, which means there’s no number pad and the home cluster and arrow keys are placed a little more tightly compared to a tenkeyless deck (that gives those keys a little more space of their own). The Q1 is Mac- and Windows compatible and comes with an Aviator style USB-C cable so that people know you really mean business. Alas, there’s no Bluetooth option here if that’s something you wanted.

As customization is the key here (no pun intended), it’s no surprise that the switches are hot-swappable. Keychron already offers a decent range of keycaps, though you can of course grab your own if you have a preferred set already. If you already own switches you like, you can order the barebone deck and save $20. You can also choose from three aluminum case colors: black, navy and space gray. Both ANSI and ISO layouts are available depending on your preference (or, more likely, location).

James Trew / Engadget

One thing I love about all Keychron keyboards is that they not only come with a keycap puller tool and a switch remover tool (where applicable), but you’ll also get the keycaps for both Windows and MacOS layouts. This makes it easy for the company just to stock one SKU and possibly helps keep costs down. If, like me, you use both operating systems — you can then repurpose any of their keyboards without having to buy new caps later. Or worse, live with a CMD key when you want a Windows key or vice versa.

A fancy keyboard isn’t anything without RGB lighting, of course, and naturally, that’s included here too. Keychron opted for a more subtle “south-facing” integration, which pretty much means what you think: The lights are only visible from below. I don’t need or use RGB, so I tend to turn it off. The implementation here is subtle yet bright enough to still remain useful if it’s something you want.

For the more hardcore enthusiast, inside there’s a gasket-based design with a noise-reducing foam deck between that and the PCB. For those who really like to get into details, know that the stabilizers here are screw-in (rather than plate), which usually means the larger keys are steadier. There’s also the option for a customized metal “badge” where the Insert key would be. If you send Keychron a design, it’ll etch it onto that badge for you to make it truly personalized. There will also be an option to add a rotary dial here (much like on the GMMK Pro), or you can just switch it back to the Insert key if none of that tickles your fancy.

For all its changeable parts, arguably the most useful way to customize the Q1 is with the Via app, or with the aforementioned QMK. (Via is basically a graphical interface for the latter.) With Via you can reassign any key to pretty much anything else as well as design and assign macros to the function layer (i.e., press Fn and a target key to trigger more complex key combinations). More on this later.

James Trew / Engadget

With all this talk about gaskets and stabilizers, it might seem that the Q1 is designed for advanced users. And it certainly will appeal to those with specific requirements. But Keychron’s popularity, in my opinion, is born out of making the geeky and exotic accessible to the normies out there. The Q1, then, is perhaps marketed toward those who have dabbled with mechanical keyboards and want to dip a toe into deeper waters, while still offering enough for the avid keyboard tinkerers.

That said, the first thing you’ll want to do with the Q1 when you take it out of the box is… put it down. At 3.5 pounds (1.6kg) it’s definitely on the chunky side. For context, Keychron’s K2 wireless keyboard has a similar footprint but is a svelte 1.5 pounds (663g) — less than half the weight. The Q1 isn’t really designed for portability, though, so that extra heft just glues it to your desk and makes you feel more confident that this isn’t going to rattle itself apart as you bash out fanfic/code/school essays on it. The weight is also pretty standard for this category.

The model I was able to test came pre-installed with Gateron brown switches. Before then I had been using Gateron reds but I’m an instant convert. Of course, the very point of the Q1 is that you can put in whatever switches you like. Keychron also included a set of blue switches, which I used to test out how easy it was to swap ‘em out. Not only was that process pretty easy (once you get used to the very firm pull required to get them out), but I found myself fond enough of the blues for certain keys that I left them in. They’re generally a little too loud for my taste to have across the board, but being able to mix things up that way is the very spirit of customizable keyboards like these.

On that theme of noise… for me that was one of the bigger turn-offs for mechanical keyboards. Until I experimented myself, my main exposure to them was hearing someone across the office frantically clacking their way through an email. This is why I gravitated toward red switches at first. On the Q1, though, even something clicky like a blue switch isn’t too audible thanks to the gasket design and the foam insert on the Q1. Even the noisier switch flavors won’t alert your neighbors to your frantic typing during the small hours. If, like my former officemate, you are unencumbered by such worries, know that the same design makes for a keyboard with comfortable flex, giving it a much smoother action than plate-based designs.

James Trew / Engadget

As alluded to earlier, though, perhaps one of the more exciting features here for those looking to take their keyboard customization to the next level is the support for VIA/QMK firmware noodling. If you get tired of doing the same convoluted keyboard shortcuts for regular tasks (like Windows’ Ctrl+Win+Arrow combo to switch between desktops), this is for you.

I already mentioned you can pretty much map any key to another. So if you wanted to swap Z and X around… you could. More usefully, you can also change which keys control media etcetera. Out of the box, the Q1 uses the standard “Fn+F10” combo to mute audio. My stubby fingers found this a little unnatural, so I used Via to remap it to Fn+Left Arrow. Much more manageable for my typing style.

Taking things a bit further, you can also enter much more complicated key combinations with macros. An explanation of this is beyond the scope of this article, but as an example, I was able to set up a simple key combo to launch one of my favorite chat apps. This was more of an experiment for someone who hasn’t done anything remotely like programming in a number of years. You’ll need to do some reading up to figure out how to tell a macro what to do, but once you have (and it’s really not that hard), you’ll find yourself thinking of evermore clever ideas.

James Trew / Engadget

Some keyboards, like the GMMK Pro, offer their own software for customization. You can generally expect these apps to be a little more tightly integrated with the makers’ products, but VIA is easy enough to use that you can get most things done without much hassle.

Support for VIA/QMK is far from unique to the Q1: The GMMK Pro and KDBFans Bella both offer it too, along with many other customizable keyboards. But considering the price of the Q1, it rounds out an impressive spec sheet making it both a very accessible yet technically capable choice.

Some potential buyers might lament the lack of wireless connectivity, or the fact you can’t adjust its height (it measures just shy of two inches/45mm at the back). But both of these things are fairly standard for barebones and customizable keyboards. The fact that you can configure pretty much anything else to your liking makes this a great entry into the world of barebones keyboards at a price that’s very competitive.

The Q1 is available now directly from Keychron starting at $1.69. The rotary dial add-on will come in the following weeks.

Amazon is ushering in the weekend with a one-day-only sale on a bunch of Razer laptops and gaming accessories. Everything from headsets to mice to microphones has been discounted, but the biggest savings you'll find are on some of the 2020 Razer Blade 15 laptops. Of note is the Raze Blade 15 Advanced gaming laptop with a 10th-gen Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q graphics, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which is down to a record-low of $1,700.

Those looking for slightly better graphics and more storage have another option. The Blade 15 Advanced with the same specs as listed above but with NVIDIA RTX 2080 Super Max-Q graphics and 1TB of storage has dropped down to $2,200, or $285 off its normal price. The 2020 Blade 17 Pro is also on sale: a model with a 10th-gen Core i7 processor, RTX 2080 Super Max-Q graphics, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage is $950 off, bringing it down to $2,250. If you're just looking to get your foot in the door with one of these gaming laptops, you can snag the Razer Blade 15 base with a Core i7 processor, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics, 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $1,048 (although we did it about $50 less on Prime Day back in June).

The Blade has been one of our favorite gaming notebooks for a while. It's on the pricier side, but it's worth it if you want a slick-looking laptop with a bunch of customization options when it comes to specs. And since it is on the higher end of the price spectrum, it's always better to wait for a sale like this so you can get the model you want while saving a bit of cash. Just keep in mind that these discounted models aren't the latest from Razer. The 2021 laptops came out recently, decked out with 11th-gen Intel processors, NVIDIA RTX 30-series graphics and QHD displays — along with steep price tags to match.

If you already have a solid gaming machine, there are a bunch of Razer peripherals on sale, too. The BlackWidow V3 mechanical keyboard is down to an all-time low of $90, and it has yellow switches, a a digital roller and media key, Chroma RGB lighting and an included wrist rest. Also discounted are the Kraken headset, which is down to $50, and the DeathAdder Essential wired mouse, which you can grab for only $20.

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A vulnerability in Microsoft's Azure cloud computing service left several thousand customers susceptible to cyberattacks. The tech giant has warned its clients of the flaw in its flagship database service Cosmos DB after it was discovered and reported by security company Wiz. In the blog post Wiz has published, it said it was able to use the vulnerability, which it has named "ChaosDB," to gain "complete unrestricted access to the accounts and databases" of thousands of Azure clients.

Azure customers, including Fortune 500 companies such as Coca-Cola and Exxon-Mobil, use Cosmos DB to manage the massive amounts of data they get in real time. The company explained that it found a series of flaws in the Cosmos DB feature called Jupyter Notebook that gives customers a way to visualize their data. That feature has been around since 2019, but it was switched on for all Cosmos DB customers just this past February. Wiz said that a series of misconfigurations in the notebook created a loophole, which allows any user "to download, delete or manipulate a massive collection of commercial databases, as well as read/write access to the underlying architecture of Cosmos DB." 

While the security company praised Microsoft for disabling the notebook within 48 hours after it was alerted about the issue and for notifying around 30 percent of its customers, it warned that more clients may be at risk. Microsoft only notified the customers that were affected during Wiz's week-long research period this early August. However, the security firm believes the vulnerability has been exploitable for months, possibly even years. It's now advising Azure customers to rotate and regenerate their access keys even if they didn't get an email from Microsoft. That said, the tech giant said it found no evidence that the flaw has been exploited. It told the customers it emailed that there's no "indication that external entities outside the researcher (Wiz) had access to the primary read-write key

As Reuters notes, this is the latest in a series of bad security news for Microsoft over the past year. In February, the tech giant has revealed that the SolarWinds hackers accessed and downloaded source code for Azure, its cloud-based management solution Intune and its mail and calendar server Exchange. The Chinese Hafnium hacking group also exploited a vulnerability in Exchange to infiltrate at least 30,000 organizations around the world, including police departments, hospitals and banks.

Following the class-action lawsuit between Apple and app developers, the company has agreed to change several App Store rules, including allowing developers to email users “about payment methods outside of their iOS app” — think Netflix and Spotify offering subscription setups through the internet browser, all without Apple taking a cut. This was a key part of the Epic vs. Apple trial.

The company is also promising more transparency around its app review process and offer more price points to app makers from “fewer than 100 to more than 500.” The agreement also includes a $100 million payout, split among smaller developers who earned $1 million or less. It’s not money for Spotify, Epic and the bigger, most vocal, app owners. There are a few more wrinkles to the App Store changes. Engadget’s Karissa Bell elaborates on what's going on.

— Mat Smith

The Rock has some new Under Armour headphones

Noise cancellation and 45-hour battery life.

Under Armor

Hollywood's busiest man Dwayne Johnson has found time to release another pair of headphones with Under Armour branding and, well, JBL tech. The cans are essentially an updated version of the durable over-ears released in 2018, but now with adaptive noise canceling and 45-hour battery life. With speed charging, you should get two hours of playback time in five minutes.

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Amazon Prime Gaming's free titles for September include 'Knockout City'

Subscribers will also get new loot for 'Genshin Impact' and other games.

Amazon is adding some more free titles for Prime Gaming subscribers. One of the latest additions is Knockout City, a recent release from Velan and EA. It's a cross-platform dodgeball brawler launched in May that's already available through Xbox Games Pass Ultimate and EA Play. Anyone addicted to Genshin Impact — which is free to play everywhere — can get a nice grab bag of loot if they’re a Prime Gaming subscriber.

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After nearly 40 years, the designer of the NES and SNES retires from Nintendo

Lance Barr also helped shape the Wii.

Jason Leung on Unsplash

NES and SNES designer Lance Barr has retired from Nintendo after 38 years and eight months at the company. Although relatively few know his name, he played a role in the rise and rise of Nintendo.

Barr made his biggest mark when he was asked to design the outside of the NES to make the Famicom more palatable for American audiences. As requested, he made it look like it belonged next to a stereo system (complete with a VHS-style cartridge loader) compared to the "soft" Japanese model.

His influence continued at Nintendo, and in more recent times he helped design the Wii and its nunchuk controller.

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HP Pavilion Aero review

It's an affordable laptop that punches well above its own weight.

Daniel Cooper / Engadget

HP’s use of AMD’s speedy mobile processors means this machine can do a lot more than other ultraportables in its class. Available for less than $1,000, the cost alone will let you see past some of its more pedestrian features. There are plenty of ports, and while it’s not exactly an inspirational design, you might be pleasantly surprised.

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Finally, all iOS users will get YouTube’s picture-in-picture mode

Only for Premium users to start with.

YouTube is promising picture-in-picture (PiP) viewing to all iPhone and iPad users in the US, starting with volunteers using Premium. You'll have to opt into the test through the experiments website on your computer, but you're all set after that — you can watch clips in a floating window. It’s just the first step: The company hasn't said when it plans to enable PiP for non-Premium subscribers.

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The biggest tech news you might have missed

Apple will take a smaller cut of in-app fees from publishers who use Apple News

Engadget Deals: Apple Watch SE (44mm with cellular) is down to $300 at Amazon

Electrify America's charging station app finally supports Android Auto and CarPlay

'Star Trek: Lower Decks' wants you to know it's OK to like 'Voyager'

Tesla's redesigned iPhone app features two new home screen widgets

Palantir glitch allegedly granted some FBI staff unauthorized access to a crypto hacker's data

Google's YouTube Music app for Wear OS only works with Samsung's upcoming smartwatches

Apple has agreed to change several rules that govern its App Store as part of a settlement with developers who filed a class action lawsuit against the company. The most significant change is that Apple is “clarifying” that developers are permitted to email users “about payment methods outside of their iOS app.” The company has also agreed to publish transparency reports detailing App Store rejection rates and the app review process.

Developing...

Pokémon fans now have even more ways to enjoy the sprawling franchise's offerings on Nintendo Switch. The Pokémon TV app has, at long last, hit the console. It includes hundreds of episodes of the Pokémon anime series, including some full seasons, as well as animated specials. 

Kids (and adults, if we're being honest) can also kick back and stream Pokémon Trading Card Game and video game competitions. They can pick up some training tips too. There's plenty for the youngest Pokémon fans as well. The Junior category includes sing-along songs, nursery rhymes and more. Content in the free app is refreshed periodically.

Pokémon TV emerged in 2010 on the brand's official website. Android and iOS apps followed in 2013.

Though the Switch eShop has hundreds and hundreds of games, there are precious few media apps. You can fire up YouTube, Hulu and Funimation but Netflix and Prime Video are nowhere to be seen (unless you jailbreak your Switch). Another streaming app from a brand that's so entwined with Nintendo's DNA could keep people hooked on their Switch for even longer. Still, it feels like the Pokémon TV app should have been on the console long before now.

Snapchat is upgrading its visual search features, and putting them at the center of its app. The app is now rolling out changes it announced back in May during its Partner Summit event. The updates include more prominent placement of the “scan” feature — now located directly under the camera’s shutter button — and new capabilities that will suggest lenses and music based on your surroundings.

Snap has been experimenting with visual search, called “scan” since 2019. The feature allows Snapchat users to identify plants and music, solve math problems, and scan food and wine labels with the in-app camera. But up until now, much of this functionality was easily overlooked as it required a few extra taps to access. With the update now rolling out, “scan” visible whenever the camera is open.

Snapchat’s also adding a few new features it previewed earlier this year, like the ability to shop for outfits by pointing the camera at articles of clothing. It’s also adding Camera Shortcuts, which will suggest a combination of augmented reality lenses and music based on your surroundings. For example, pointing the camera at your pet may suggest AR lenses meant to work with dogs and music to go with your clip.

Though Snap has been working on its “scan” capabilities for some time, the fact that it’s now making the feature much more prominent underscores how big a priority it is for the company. Snap has also integrated scanning abilities into its latest AR Spectacles, which can similarly suggest lenses based on what’s around you (unlike previous versions of Spectacles, the newest ones aren’t for sale just yet). Visual search also help Snap compete for creative talent with rivals like TikTok and Instagram (which also happens to be working on its own visual search feature). The company told The Verge that it’s working on adding camera shortcuts to Spotlight to make it easier for people to riff on other users’ clips.

YouTube is making good on its promise to bring picture-in-picture viewing to iOS users. TechCrunchreports that YouTube is promising PiP viewing to all iPhone and iPad users in the US, starting with volunteers using Premium. You'll have to opt into the test through the experiments website on your computer, but you're all set after that — you can watch clips in a floating window while you check your social networks or otherwise get things done.

Premium testing ends on October 31st. You might have to reinstall the YouTube app if the feature isn't available right away.

The company hasn't said when it plans to enable PiP for non-Premium subscribers. This is still a step forward, mind you. YouTube's web-only support was limited at best — this should expand the audience and put YouTube's app more on par with competing video services.