A couple of years ago, Motorola introduced its first phone with a built-in stylus, which quickly became one of the company’s best-selling handsets. And now TCL is jumping on the trend with its first attempt at making a budget Galaxy Note alternative wi…
YouTube’s TV app now uses your phone as a second screen
If you watch YouTube on your TV, there’s a good chance you’re tracking down that video on your phone to leave a comment or drop a like. Now, though, you won’t have to go to such great lengths. The company is rolling out a feature that lets you use your Android phone or iPhone as a second screen for YouTube’s TV app. Tap “connect” in the mobile app and the video will be synced between the two devices — you can comment, donate, shop or otherwise interact with a video playing on the larger display.
You’ll need to sign into the same YouTube account on both devices. The second screen feature isn’t tied to specific TV platforms, though, so you shouldn’t have to worry about using the ‘wrong’ set or media box.
The upgrade is a recognition that you often want to do more with a video than just watch it, and that you probably have your phone in hand while you’re sitting on the couch. About 88 percent of people use a phone or tablet while they’re watching TV, according to Nielsen data. YouTube is relatively late in that regard, but this is still a useful upgrade.
Amazon no longer offers in-app Kindle and Music purchases on Android
If you use Amazon’s Kindle app on Android, you may have noticed the software doesn’t offer the option to buy and rent ebooks or subscribe to the company’s Kindle Unlimited service anymore. Amazon announced the change last month and more recently began notifying customers of the move via email.
If you’re curious about what’s going on, the change puts Amazon in compliance with a policy Google will begin enforcing on June 1st. Starting next month, the company will require all developers to process payments involving “digital goods and services” through the Play Store billing system. Previously, Amazon was among a handful of developers Google allowed to use third-party alternatives to collect in-app payments. Rather than give Google a commission for every ebook it sells on Android, Amazon has decided to remove purchases altogether. It has done the same in its Music app. In Audible, meanwhile, you can still purchase credits through the app, but it’s no longer possible to buy audiobooks directly with your credit or debit card as of version 3.23 of the software. In the US, Amazon doesn’t offer Kindle in-app purchasing on iOS either.
It’s worth noting Amazon isn’t the only company that has stopped sales on Android. In April, for instance, Barnes and Noble removed direct purchasing from the Android version of its Nook app. Some companies have legally challenged Google on the matter, with Tinder parent company Match Group filing a suit against the search giant in May.
There’s the possibility that direct purchasing could return to Amazon’s Android Kindle, Audible and Music apps at some point in the future. In March, Google partnered with Spotify to test third-party billing systems. However, how soon that pilot could expand to include other companies is unclear.
Update 3:40PM ET: Added clarification about how purchasing works in Audible following Amazon’s response to Google’s policy change.
Google Pixel 7 原型機現身 eBay 放售
Pixel 7 原型機現身 eBay 上放售。消息瞬間傳到 Reddit 討論區去，所以即使這台 Pixel 7 已經在 eBay 下架，但我們還是能看到原來的圖片。
Apple’s MagSafe Battery pack is the cheapest it’s been this year
For iPhone users looking for extra power plus wireless charging who want to stay in the Apple ecosystem, the MagSafe battery pack is the best (and only) way to go. It’s pretty expensive at $99, but Amazon now has it on sale for $80 ($19 off the regular price), the cheapest we’ve seen it this year.
Buy MagSafe battery pack at Amazon – $80
The MagSafe battery pack snaps magnetically onto the back of all iPhone 12 or 13 models and starts charging the handset once attached with about 5 watts of power. It fits onto the back of even the iPhone 13 mini, so you can continue to use your phone with one hand while powering up. If you plug in the battery pack while charging your iPhone, you’ll get up to 15W of power and you can keep track of your phone’s and the battery pack’s recharge on your iPhone’s lock screen.
The main downside to the MagSafe battery pack is the 1,460 mAh battery that can’t fully charge any of the supported iPhones, and charging speed limited to 5 watts — lower than some third-party models. If you need more juice, take a look at Anker’s $60 5,000 mAh MagGo model or the bulky but powerful $60 Belkin 10,000 mAh magnetic charger and portable power bank. Apple’s MagSafe model is certainly more elegant and portable than those options, so if you’ve been looking to buy one, it’d be best to act soon.
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IKEA made a Matter-ready hub with a new smart home app to match
IKEA continues its foray into smart home devices with the launch of a Google Matter-ready hub called DIRIGERA and a new IKEA Home smart app. With the new device and app, the Swedish company is promising to handle more smart device segments while making device integration easier. It says the app will be “convenient, easy to navigate and user-friendly” for anyone just getting into smart home tech.
“With the new DIRIGERA hub for smart products, users will be able to onboard all IKEA smart products to the system and steer them individually, in sets or in groups in the new IKEA Home smart app. This enables users to create different scenes with pre-set functions of the smart products and increases the personalisation options for the smart home,” according to the company.
IKEA’s first smart home hub/gateway TRADFRI and app launched way back in 2014, so it was long overdue for a refresh. The company said that you’ll still be able to use that device, and current “products from IKEA can be connected to and work equally well with the DIRIGERA hub.”
IKEA’s smart home and device family continues to grow at a fairly rapid pace. Earlier this year it launched the VAPPEBY LED lamp that doubles as a Spotify-enabled Bluetooth speaker. It also recently refreshed the SYMFONISK bookshelf speaker, built in partnership with Sonos, along with smart blinds, a smart air purifier and other devices.
The DIRIGERA hub and new IKEA smart home app will launch in October 2022, the company said. It will also unveil remote “away from home” functionality in the first half of 2023.
Logitech accessories are up to 52 percent off on Amazon today only
If you’re keeping an eye out for discounted gaming and streaming accessories, you may want to check out Amazon’s deal of the day for Logitech devices. The brand’s headsets, mice and streaming gadgets, such as cameras and microphones, are currently on sale for up 52 percent off — and there’s less than 20 hours left as of this writing. You can get the Logitech G535 Lightspeed wireless headset for $80, which is $50 less its usual price of $130. The device comes with a USB connector and is compatible with PC, the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5. It will stay connected up to 12 meters away from the source and can last for up to 33 hours on a single charge.
Buy Logitech accessories at Amazon – up to 52 percent off
If you’re looking for an even cheaper headset, Logitech’s G435 Wireless over-ear headset is also currently on sale for $50, or $30 less its retail price. The Bluetooth device is compatible with PCs and smartphones, as well as PlayStation and Nintendo Switch gaming devices. It supports Dolby Atmos and Windows Sonic to deliver surround sound, and it can last for up 18 hours on a single charge.
In case ordinary wireless mice are too slow and aren’t able to keep up with your games, you can pick up the Logitech G Pro wireless gaming mouse from the sale, as well. It typically costs $130, but it’s currently on sale for $90. The device boasts pro-grade performance that Logitech says “overcomes the traditional limitations of wireless latency” and has a report rate connection of one millisecond.
Logitech’s G920 Driving Force racing wheel and floor pedals are also currently on sale, in case you take your racing games seriously. At $70 off, you can grab a set for $230 instead of $300. It has dual-motor force feedback designed to simulate the real feel of your car and tires, and it’s compatible with the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC and Mac.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
Motorola teases upcoming phone with massive 200MP camera
While I wasn’t all that impressed with its most recent pseudo flagship phone, it appears Motorola has much bigger ambitions for its next handset thanks to the addition of a super high resolution 200-MP camera.
In a post on Weibo (via 9to5Google), the general manager of Lenovo (Moto’s parent company) teased an upcoming device by showing a picture of a massive lens alongside a message about entering a new era of mobile photography. While the post doesn’t shed a lot of light on potential specs, it does mention a 200-MP sensor, suggesting the use of Samsung’s ISOCELL HP1 which was initially announced last fall.
That said, while putting a huge sensor on a phone is certainly intriguing, it’s important to remember that there’s a lot more to snapping a nice photo than packing in as many megapixels as possible. Recently, I’ve noticed that a lot of Moto phones including the $1,000 Edge+ have struggled with low-light photography, routinely capturing blurrier or more underexposed images than rival handsets. And while the ISOCELL HP1 supports an impressive 16x pixel binning technique that allows a 200-MP sensor to capture a 12.5-MP image with improved light sensitivity, it will still fall upon Motorola’s processing to produce a sharp and well-lit final pic.
Current rumors claim Moto’s upcoming 200-MP phone could be the Frontier, which was spotted back in January by TechnikNews. The phone is expected to feature a triple rear camera module with a huge main lens, along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, 125-watt fast charging and a 6.67-inch OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. Sadly, while all of this is speculation for now, we should know more real soon as Moto teased an announcement date for the phone sometime in July.
Speaking of phones with new Qualcomm chips, in a separate post on Weibo, Motorola teased another upcoming device — this time a foldable — that will feature a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. While it’s too early to say for sure, all signs point to this device being the long-awaited Razr 3, which is welcome news for flippy phone fans as the previous Razr has been somewhat neglected since its last refresh back in late 2020.
But for me, the biggest takeaway is that it finally looks like Motorola may be ready to take a break from pushing out the countless rehashes that have clogged up its device portfolio in recent years. And if all this results in a true new flagship phone and a proper update to the Razr, that’s something worth paying attention to.
小米、Leica 正式宣布合作，預告 7 月旗艦作
在華為和 Sharp 之後，經典德國相機品牌 Leica 再找到另一位讓小紅標在手機攝影出現的合作夥伴，這也是傳聞已久的小米。
WhatsApp will end support for iOS 10 and iOS 11 on October 24th
WhatsApp plans to end support for iOS 10 and 11. A new notification spotted by WABetaInfo prompts iPhone users to install the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system supported by their device to continue using the app after October 24th. A su…