Ring has today announced that end-to-end encryption (E2E) has exited technical preview stage and is now available for many Ring users across the globe. Once activated, the footage captured by those doorbells is only viewable on the user’s enrolled mobile device, reducing the ability for third parties to see the clips. The news follows the rollout of a US-only technical preview from the start of the year, although it remains limited to the more premium versions of Ring’s connected doorbells.

At the same time, the company is rolling out support for third-party authentication apps for two-step verification. Similarly, users will now be greeted by CAPTCHAs when logging in to both the Ring app and Neighbors in order to further deter malicious types from trying to gain access. Plus, Ring is making it easier for you to sell your doorbell on by automating the system to transfer hardware within the app. 

The move comes shortly after the company announced a shift in how it dealt with requests for footage from law enforcement agencies. Rather than the previous system, officials now have a 12-hour window in which to ask users in the vicinity of an incident to submit footage via public feed. It comes in the wake of news that the company has partnerships with more than 2,000 fire and police departments, and that its Neighbors app was briefly publishing precise locations of people’s homes.

Don't despair if you've been yearning for a budget Google phone but wanted something more powerful than the current Pixel line. Amazon is selling the 64GB Pixel 4 for just $400, with B&H Photo matching that price. That's an all-time low for the former flagship, and makes it more affordable than a new Pixel 4a 5G — worth considering if processing power matters more than the latest wireless technology.

Buy Pixel 4 (64GB) at Amazon - $400

Buy Pixel 4 (64GB) at B&H - $400

You can also buy the 128GB version at a discount on both sites, although B&H currently offers a better deal at $430 versus Amazon's $470.

There are some caveats. The Pixel 4 is nearly two years old, so it won't get many more Android updates (Android 12 is one of them). Battery life and screen brightness are strictly so-so. And Google's Motion Sense gesture feature never really panned out — it's a nice bonus, but not something you'll likely use on a daily basis.

In return, though, this might be a better value than the current Pixel 4a and 5 models, especially with the premium Pixel 6 series likely on the horizon. You're getting a reasonably quick device with a smooth display and still-great cameras for as much or less than slower, typically less capable phones. So long as you can live with the quirks, it might deliver a better overall experience.

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Faster internet and mobile data speeds are cutting wait times for game and entertainment downloads. The two art forms helped people through lockdowns, so it makes sense for tech and media gatekeepers to maintain that momentum as life slowly returns to normal. Netflix did just that by allowing subscribers to watch partially downloaded shows and movies. Now, Google is doing the same for mobile games. The latest version of Android will allow you to fire up a game long before it completes downloading.

According to Google, you'll eventually be able to start playing Play store titles in seconds. More specifically, it says that games will be ready to open at least two times faster than before. One example shows a 127mb game being fit to play with just 20 percent downloaded. For now, developers can sign up to a beta for the feature, but Google says it will eventually become the default system for Play Store games.

The tech giant has tried to tear down some of the barriers around digital gaming in the past. Notably, it launched Instant Games in 2018 that loaded up ahead of the full installation process. While its Apple Arcade rival, Play Pass, allows subscribers to try a library of apps for a monthly fee. Then there's Stadia, Google's promising (but troubled) cloud gaming service that does away with game downloads.

More broadly, the play-as-you-download feature comes at an opportune time. Like their console and PC brethren, mobile games are increasing in size. A trend players may have spotted with the release of open-world and metaverse games like Genshin Impact and Roblox on iOS and Android. Research from Sensor Tower shows that the average file size of mobile games increased by 76 percent in the US since 2016. Helping players get to the action faster in the face of larger downloads is therefore a win-win for developers and the public alike.

Jabra's excellent earbuds may get all the attention, but it makes some solid headphones to boot. Take the Elite 85h, which are currently on sale at Amazon for $150, a $100 saving on their normal price of $250. We gave them a solid 84 rating with praise for their custom EQ and active noise cancellation modes and excellent battery life. 

Buy Jabra Elite 85h at Amazon - $150

The only major caveat we had was the price. Upon their launch, the true wireless headphones cost $300, but more recently they've sat at the sub-$160 range, even briefly dropping to $120. This latest deal marks an all-time low for Amazon and essentially cements their appeal.

If you missed them in 2019, the Elite 85h offer EQ and noise-cancellation presets within Jabra's Sound+ companion app that actually boost their audio profile. The headphones can automatically switch between these so-called "Moments" by analyzing noise to detect which location you're in. In addition, the software lets you choose between different voice assistants and helps you find your headphones if you lose them.

The Elite 85h also offer on-ear detection. When activated from the app, you can automatically answer calls or resume audio by putting them on. What's more, the headphones boast a heaving 36 hours of battery life with ANC on, topping Sony's 1000XM3 by six hours and Bose's QC35 II by an impressive 16 hours. Turn off noise-cancellation and you can up that to 41 hours between charges.

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Cars are loaded with cameras these days, including on the front and rear, mirrors, side-sensing cameras and driver monitoring cameras. Samsung is trying to attack that market with a specially-designed automotive sensor that uses some unique technology to adapt to both low and bright lighting situations, the company announced. 

A touch smaller than sensors used on smartphones, the ISOCELL Auto 4AC offers 1,280 x 960 resolution but has a unique "CornerPixel" arrangement. Within a single pixel areas it uses both 1 micron and 3 micron photodiodes, with the latter used for capturing images in low light situations. Much like Sony's HDR automotive sensor, it can capture video at night while also adapting to fast-changing lighting situations like in tunnels. 

Samsung

"With two photodiodes capturing images in different exposures simultaneously, the sensor offers up to 120dB HDR with minimal motion blur, allowing smoother transitions between dark and bright areas while preserving more details of the road ahead," according to Samsung. At the same time, it can mitigate flicker issues with LED lights over 90 hertz used in headlights, street lamps and other sources. 

Samsung is rumored to have won a $436 million dollar contract to supply "the largest US EV maker" with camera modules that would replace rearview mirrors, according to the Korea Economic Daily. That automaker is rumored to be Tesla and the vehicle may be the Cybertruck, which has cameras in the front fenders rather than rearview mirrors, as Electrek has noted. All that said, however, the new sensor launch may be unrelated and for now, cameras still can't legally replace side mirrors in the US. 

As with other automotive-grade sensors, it can withstand temperatures ranging from -40 to 125 degrees Celcius, and can be adapted to both human (mirrors, backup cameras etc.) and machine (self-driving) systems. The sensor is currently in production so it could appear in cars in the near future. 

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713, one of our more recent Chrome OS favorites, is on sale at Best Buy. The retailer has discounted the laptop by $80, marking one of the first times we’ve seen it on sale since it came out earlier in the year. With the discount, the Spin 713 is currently $619 instead of $699. The model that Best Buy is selling features an 11th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. It also comes with plenty of ports, including two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 connections, a microSD slot, as well as HDMI and headphone jacks.

Buy Acer Chromebook Spin 713 at Best Buy - $619

Engadget gave the Spin 713 a score of 85 when we reviewed it last month. Part of what makes it stand out in the crowded Chrome OS market is that it features a display with a 3:2 aspect ratio. Most Chromebooks feature 16:9 displays, making them well-suited for watching video content but less than ideal if you need to do any work on them. The display on the Spin 713 is also bright and sharp with a pixel density of 200 pixels per inch. The taller screen also means you get a more generous trackpad than you’ll find on your average Chromebook. Combine that with a solid keyboard, a capable processor and just the right amount of RAM for Chrome OS and you have a device that’s solid. Aside from average battery life, one of the few complaints we had with the Spin 713 was the asking price. At $619, it's a better value.  

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Sony has revealed a cheaper model of its speaker that looks like a lamp. Style-conscious audiophiles will be able to order the LSPX-S3 glass sound speaker starting in August.

The Bluetooth-enabled device features an organic glass tweeter with three actuators that enable it to emit sound in all directions, according to Sony. The company claims the tweeter "produces clear and powerful high tones" and spreads sound evenly throughout a space. The LSPX-S3 has a 46mm speaker unit and you can adjust the levels via the Sony Music Center app. It also has LDAC support for high-resolution audio.

Sony

The speaker won't light up an entire room, but the flickering candlelight-style illumination should provide a cozy ambiance for nighttime reading. The LED can pulse in sync with music and there are several lighting modes and brightness levels.

You can take the LSPX-S3 outdoors, too. It weighs around 1.1kg and has a battery that Sony says can power the device for up to eight hours on a single charge. You can recharge it via the USB-C charging port.

There's also an option to link two units for stereo playback and it can form part of a multi-room audio system. In addition, the speaker has a built-in microphone for calls, a metal base and a fabric bottom.

Almost six years ago, Sony first showed off a prototype for the stylish product. The company released the LSPX-S2 in Japan in 2019 and brought it to the US the following year. The LSPX-S3 will cost $350/£315/€350, which is around $100 cheaper than the previous model. It's not yet clear when Sony will start shipping the speaker.

Microsoft is buying RiskIQ, a cybersecurity firm best known for working with organizations like Facebook and the US Postal Service to identify where and how they’re vulnerable to online attacks. The company didn’t disclose the terms of the deal, but according to Bloomberg, Microsoft agreed to pay approximately $500 million. Outside of its software, RiskIQ is known for publishing an annual report called the Evil Internet Minute that looks at just how much malicious activity can happen in 60 seconds or less.

Following last year’s SolarWinds data breach, which saw state-sponsored hackers access its source code, Microsoft has bought several companies to bolster its security offerings. Just last month, it acquired ReFirm Labs, a company that specializes in IoT resilience. The need for better enterprise security was highlighted (yet again) earlier this month with the Kaseya attack. While Kaseya has tried to downplay the severity of the event, security response firm Huntress has estimated that “thousands of small businesses” could be impacted by what happened.

Google is streamlining how Drive users backup and sync their files. The company is rolling out the new Drive for desktop app on Mac and Windows.

Drive for desktop will replace the Backup and Sync app (which supplanted the Google Drive desktop app in 2018) as well as Drive File Stream, which is for business users. Given that Google Workspace is now available to everyone, it doesn't make a lot of sense to have separate sync methods.

The new app combines the best parts of Backup and Sync and Drive File Stream, according to Google. You will be able to upload and sync your photos and videos across Google Photos as well as Drive. There's the option to sync external storage devices with the cloud as well. In addition, you'll be able to mirror Drive files on your computer, with locally stored versions of files for faster access.

On top of that, you can sync local folders such as your desktop and documents. There's also integration with Microsoft Outlook and Meet scheduling, and you'll be able to see who's editing Microsoft Office files in real time.

Drive File Stream users won't have to do much. Google renamed the app to Drive for desktop, and it will gain features from Backup and Sync in the coming months. Google will prompt Backup and Sync users to switch over to Drive for desktop. From October 1st, Backup and Sync will stop working, so you'll need to make the transition to keep backing up your files with Drive.

Spoofed scam calls are bad enough, but neighborhood spoofing is worse — it can all be too tempting to answer when you see a number eerily similar to your own. Verizon (currently Engadget's parent company) might have a solution. It's updating its free Call Filter app with a "Neighborhood Filter" that blocks calls from numbers that share your area code and prefix. Scammers who try to reach you will go straight to voicemail.

You can specify other neighborhood numbers if you know scam artists use them, provided you pay $3 per month for Call Filter Plus. And yes, you can make exceptions. Any number in your contact list or allowed numbers will still get through, and you can correct an accidental block by telling the app to ignore the filter for future calls.

The updated app is available now for Android and iOS. Neighborhood filtering isn't the most sophisticated defense against scam calls, but it's arguably overdue. This kind of spamming is frequent, to the point where you might get multiple calls per day. A simple filter could lead to far fewer annoyances, not to mention greater trust in those calls that do come in.