Tech Gadget: August 2020

Monday, 31 August 2020

Sennheiser brings its top-notch sound quality to less expensive true wireless earbuds

Image: Sennheiser

Sennheiser is today introducing a lower-cost set of true wireless earbuds that slot in below the company’s flagship Momentum True Wireless 2. At $199.95, the new “CX 400BT True Wireless” — so much for simple names, eh Sennheiser? — aim to retain the strong sound quality of the pricier set, though you’re losing out on active noise cancellation.

The CX 400BT True Wireless are not what you’d call subtle. They come in either black or white, but there’s no getting around how big they look in the ear no matter which finish you choose. There’s been a trend recently of companies progressing towards more discreet true wireless earbud designs, but Sennheiser obviously isn’t going in that direction.

Image: Sennheiser

I don’t...

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Apple will soon release two Apple Watches and a new iPad Air: report

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Apple is planning to ship between 75 and 80 million 5G iPhones this year, according to a new Bloomberg report. The figure is in line with or slightly higher than iPhone launch shipments for the last couple of years, suggesting that Apple doesn’t expect the coronavirus pandemic to dampen demand — even though the company has already said the phones will be delayed into October.

Bloomberg’s report also contains a broad roundup of what Apple is said to be planning for its fall hardware announcements. Here’s what Mark Gurman and Debby Wu expect:

Four new iPhones with OLED screens coming in sizes of 5.4, 6.1, or 6.7 inches; the 6.1-inch size will be an option for both the steel-edged “Pro” line and the lower-end aluminum equivalent to the...

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Sennheiser's CX 400BT are its most affordable true wireless earbuds yet

While some headphone companies have gone all in on true wireless earbuds, Sennheiser has taken a more measured approach. The company has released two versions of its Momentum True Wireless buds thus far, with an improved model debuting back in March....

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What's on TV this week: 'Mulan,' 'The Boys,' 'Tony Hawk' and 'NBA 2K21'

September has arrived and with it, we’re seeing more new games launching for the fall season, as well as some new options for binge watching. The big highlight this week is Disney’s “premium VOD” release of its live-action Mulan flick, which will cos...

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'Pokémon Go' will stop working on old Android and iOS devices in October

An upcoming Pokémon Go update for October could mean you won’t be able to access the game anymore if you’re using an older iPhone or Android device. Niantic has announced that the game will stop supporting devices running Android 5, iOS 10 and iOS 11...

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Motorola Razr 2: Everything we know right now (Update: New battery details)

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Facebook may block news from being shared on its platforms in Australia

Illustration by James Bareham / The Verge

Facebook plans to block the sharing of local and international news stories on its platforms if legislation requiring tech platforms to pay publishers for content becomes law, the company said in a blog post Monday.

“Australia is drafting a new regulation that misunderstands the dynamics of the internet and will do damage to the very news organisations the government is trying to protect,” Will Easton, managing director of Facebook Australia and New Zealand wrote in the blog post, arguing that the commission overseeing the process “ignored important facts,” including the relationship between social media and news media.

“Assuming this draft code becomes law, we will reluctantly stop allowing publishers and people in Australia from...

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Facebook threatens to block all news in Australia

Facebook users in Australia could lose their ability to share news on the social network, the company is warning. The threat is the result of a proposed law from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) that would require Facebook an...

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Twitter makes sure Quote Tweets are just one click away

Twitter’s ever-evolving approach to conversation on its platform has another tweak, as now you’ll see a Quote Tweet button in between the count of Retweets and Likes when you zoom in on a particular tweet. The standardized quote tweet arrived about f...

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10 best Instagram Story apps for Android

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Google’s Android TV dongle could cost just $50, according to this leak

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Google’s Chromecast is a fantastic way to fling streaming video from phone to TV — but these days, you can often get a Roku Streaming Stick or Amazon Fire Stick with a dedicated remote control for the same money. But what if Google launched an Android TV dongle with its own remote control for the same $50 you’d pay for a high-end Roku or Fire stick?

That’s exactly what 9to5Google seems to have discovered, thanks to a new Home Depot leak. The home improvement story briefly listed a Google “Sabrina” for $49.99, and 9to5Google’s sources were able to provide pictures of that price tag in the Home Depot’s internal systems as well.

Sabrina, of course, would be that Android TV dongle that leaked in June, only to seemingly appear again at the...

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Facebook and Instagram reveal content ‘recommendation guidelines’

Facebook and Instagram are trying to peel back the curtain on what has long been one of the least understood parts of its platform: how it recommends content users don’t already follow. Today, the company published its “recommendation guidelines” for...

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Lenovo's latest flagship Yoga laptops are clad in leather

Around this time most years, we generally see an influx of news around this time as the world convenes in Berlin for the IFA electronics conference. While the pandemic has dampened that somewhat, companies like Lenovo still have announcements timed w...

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Netflix offers a collection of original movies and shows for free

Over the last year, Netflix has faced increasing competition from streaming newcomers like Disney+, so the company is taking the somewhat surprising step of giving away some original content for free. Starting today, you can visit a “watch free” page...

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The Lenovo Legion Slim 7i is the world's lightest 15-inch RTX laptop

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Lenovo's leather-wrapped IdeaPad Slim 9i laptop packs Intel Tiger Lake and Xe inside

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Motorola’s latest budget 5G phone looks very familiar

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Samsung’s latest midrange phone has a whopping 7,000mAh battery

Samsung has opened up preorders for the Galaxy M51 in Germany, officially confirming that its latest midrange phone has an absolutely massive 7,000mAh battery. It costs €360.01 (about $429), and Samsung’s site says that it expects the phone to start shipping on September 11th. There’s no sign of preorder pages on Samsung’s other regional stores just yet, but a release in India seems likely given that Samsung teased the phone there last week.

At 7,000mAh, it isn’t the biggest phone battery we’ve ever seen. Last year, for example, Avenir Telecom showed off an Energizer-branded smartphone containing a bulbous 18,000mAh battery. But it’s almost unheard of in devices from mass-market manufacturers like Samsung, and we’ll be interested to see...

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Edison Mail’s new OnMail email service launches in public beta

OnMail — the new email service from Edison Mail — is officially launching today in a public beta, offering the company’s reinvented take on email to the masses.

Edison is best known for its regular email app (which recently debuted a new premium subscription service), but at the end of the day, the original app is effectively just a fresh coat of paint and some additional nice features onto the regular Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or iCloud mail experience. OnMail, on the other hand, is a more drastic attempt at fixing email from the ground up, offering a wholly new email service that’s designed around privacy and convenience.

Interestingly, OnMail is second major new email service to launch in 2020 with an eye towards fixing...

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Edison's new email app lets you block senders before they hit your inbox

Edison Software, the company behind the popular Edison email app (that recently suffered from a serious security bug) has unveiled a new privacy-focused email app called Onmail. Arriving in a public beta, it includes features that allow you to cut of...

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Samsung’s 7,000mAh phone lands, and more tech news you need to know today

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Huawei Watch Fit packs almost 100 sports modes for under $150 (Update)

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Netflix makes Two Popes, Bird Box, and more available to watch for free

Screenshot: Netflix

Some of Netflix’s original TV shows and movies, including the Oscar-nominated Two Popes and horror thriller Bird Box, are now available to watch for free without a subscription, Gadgets360 reports. The free content, which also includes the first episode of Stranger Things, can be found here, and is available globally.

Netflix confirmed the promotion in a statement given to Gadgets360. “We’re looking at different marketing promotions to attract new members and give them a great Netflix experience,” a spokesperson said. The free content includes a selection of films that can be watched in their entirety, but for TV shows only the first episodes are available.

Here’s a full list of the TV shows and films available to watch for free:

S...

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The Morning After: A Toyota-backed flying car completes piloted test-flight

SkyDrive is yet another flying car startup, but one that has the backing of auto giant Toyota. That means we kinda have to pay attention. Fortunately, we did: SkyDrive finally achieved the first public crewed test flight for its flying car prototype,...

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August 2020 top product alerts: Unprecedented SSDs, blistering Ryzen laptops, and much more

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Essential gear that makes distance learning and working from home much easier

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OnePlus Nord gets sixth Oxygen OS update: Still no August security patch

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Soundbar shoppers: Consider these 10 essential features

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SpaceX makes first polar orbit launch from Florida in 'decades'

While SpaceX didn’t pull off a doubleheader Sunday launch like it planned, the company still managed a rare feat. Instead of launching eastward like every other Cape Canaveral rocket, the Falcon 9 headed south toward Cuba, close to populated areas on...

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You can now watch select Netflix originals for free without a subscription

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Looks like Xiaomi’s budget smartwatch is all set to step out of China

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Rocket Lab's Electron rocket makes a successful return to flight

Rocket Lab has made a successful return to flight following a failure last month. The company’s Electron rocket launched a 100 kg (220 pound) Earth observation satellite from its facility on the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand at 11:05 PM EDT on Augus...

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Samsung Galaxy M51 is now official: Expect endurance for days

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Sunday, 30 August 2020

The best Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra skins you can buy

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SpaceX launches the first south-bound rocket from Florida in decades

This evening, SpaceX launched another rocket from Florida, but this vehicle took a very different kind of path than most flights from the East Coast. Rather than head eastward after launch as most Florida missions do, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket headed south after liftoff, skirting over Florida’s southeast coast and heading over Cuba.

That’s because this mission was headed to what is known as a polar orbit — a path that runs mostly north-to-south over the Earth’s poles. It’s a type of mission you don’t normally see taking place from Florida. In fact, this will be the first time since 1969 that a rocket taking off from Florida heads southward.

Up until now, most polar launches in the US have taken place from the southern coast of California....

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Apple resurrects its iPod 'Music Quiz' game for iOS 14

Apple is still feeling nostalgic for iPod games, it seems. The 9to5Mac team has discovered that iOS 14 brings back the classic Music Quiz game, where your device plays songs at random and asks you to name them and rack up a score. The company didn’t...

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New trailers: The Comey Rule, Never Gonna Snow Again, The Doorman, and more

Jeff Daniels as James Comey | Showtime

After the sad news of Chadwick Boseman’s death, I planned a marathon of his movies this weekend. We’re still definitely planning to re-watch 42 and Get on Up, but so far we can’t stop watching Black Panther.

Boseman is just so magnetic as T’Challa and everything about the movie is as stunning on the sixth or seventh watch as it was the first time— the acting, the cinematography, the music, the costumes, and of course the script— all amazing. If you have not seen it (honestly, why?) you should absolutely remedy that as soon as possible.

In addition to four other trailers to check out this week, a bonus:

Black Panther

That’s the original Black Panther trailer from 2017. The movie went on to earn a Best Picture nomination and three Oscar...

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Watch ULA abort a rocket launch at the last moment

Most rocket launch aborts are largely uneventful, but United Launch Alliance’s latest was... dramatic. The spaceflight outfit had to abort its NROL-44 mission (via Parabolic Arc) just three seconds before it was due to start, with the Delta IV rocket...

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Samsung says its latest mobile memory is a production breakthrough

Samsung is fond of bragging about its progress on memory chips, but this is one time where it made a particularly notable breakthrough. The Korean firm has started mass production of 16-gigabit LPDDR5 mobile RAM chips that are billed as the first mem...

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Republican leader shares faked video of disabled activist on Twitter

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

A Sunday tweet from Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) showing a video of activist Ady Barkan got a “manipulated media” label from Twitter. Barkan has ALS and speaks through voice assistance. In the video, a conversation between Barkan and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, Barkan asks “But do we agree that we can redirect some of the funding?” The version Scalise tweeted edits in the words “for police,” to the end of the question, words which Barkan says in a different context earlier in the video.

The video was first noticed by Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel.

There's a clip here of @AdyBarkan, who has ALS and speaks via voice assistance, asking Biden about "re-directing" public safety funding. The clip alters the quote. It...

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Sony WH-1000XM4 review: The best gets even better

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Samsung teases premium Thom Browne Edition of the Galaxy Z Fold 2

Samsung’s special edition Galaxy Z Flip definitely wasn’t a one-off. The tech giant has teased (via SamMobile) a Thom Browne Edition of the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 2. As you might imagine, it spices up the already premium-looking foldable phone with B...

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GoPro's Hero 9 Black might include a color front screen for vloggers

How does GoPro expand the audience for its Hero action cameras? By courting the vlogging crowd, according to a leak. WinFuture claims to have images of the Hero 9 Black that show a color front screen rather than the usual data-only monochrome display...

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ABC to air Black Panther ad-free on Sunday, followed by tribute to Chadwick Boseman

Photo by Matt Kennedy / Marvel Studios

ABC will show the 2018 movie Black Panther without commercials on Sunday night, followed by an ABC News special “Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King.” The Walt Disney Co., which owns ABC, said in a statement that the special will “celebrate Boseman’s storied life, legacy and career,” and will “shine a light on the medical condition he privately battled.”

Boseman died of colon cancer Friday at age 43, and according to a statement from his family, was first diagnosed with the disease in 2016.

Tonight, ABC will celebrate the legacy of Chadwick Boseman with a special presentation of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther followed by the ABC News Special: Chadwick Boseman - A Tribute for a King. It all starts tonight at 8/7c on ABC. p...

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This week in Android: LG Wing teaser, Google Pixel 4a giveaway

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Tesla rolls out software update to let its cars’ cameras see speed limit signs

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Tesla is pushing a software update that will let its vehicles’ Autopilot system detect speed limit signs using their cameras, Elektrek reported. When the camera detects a speed limit sign, it will be displayed on the driver visualization in the car and used to set a speed limit warning, according to the software release notes.

The latest software update also adds to its traffic light and stop sign control features, and will sound a chime when your Tesla is sitting at a stoplight that turns green. It’s only intended as a notification so it’s up to the driver to decide whether and when to actually move the car forward.

In April, Tesla rolled out a software update in beta for its newer cars to allow them to see and respond to stop signs...

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After Math: 15-Minute COVID tests and 27,000 not-so-great scots

Congratulations on making it through another seven days as the world burns around us — in California’s case, quite literally — so let’s take a look at some of the top headlines from the week that was. Engadget TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer quits just three...

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Twitter says Chadwick Boseman's final post is the most liked tweet ever

Twitter has a new record for the most liked tweet, but it’s a bittersweet moment. The social network has confirmed (via Deadline) that the late Chadwick Boseman’s last post, the news of his death by his family, is the “most liked tweet ever.” The Bla...

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History of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series: World-class Android processors

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Did you know: The Surface Duo wasn’t Microsoft’s first dual-screen foldable

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