TikTok is rolling out a feature that will make it easier for users to give appropriate credit to a creator who inspired one of their videos. A new button that’s rolling out over the next few weeks will allow you to tag, mention and credit a video in the description.
Users have long been able to tag each other, but this is a bigger push to encourage them to give proper credit to the original work. When you riff on someone else’s dance move, joke, meme or audio, adding attribution for their TikTok will be more straightforward.
After you create or edit a TikTok, you’ll see a new “video” icon on the posting page. Tap that, and you’ll be able to choose a video that you’ve favorited, liked or posted, or that shares the same sound as your TikTok. Once you pick a video that inspired you, TikTok will add it as a mention in the caption. The app will explain the crediting feature after you tap the video icon for the first time. Users will also be notified when one of their videos is tagged in this way.
TikTok
“Today, we’re introducing new tools to better enable creator credit and equitable attribution for our creator community and content originators,” Kudzi Chikumbu, TikTok’s creator community director, wrote in a blog post. “These features are an important step in our ongoing commitment to investing in resources and product experiences that support a culture of credit, which is central to ensuring TikTok remains a home for creative expression.”
Attribution (or lack thereof) is a thorny issue on TikTok and other platforms. Last June, many Black creators on TikTok went on strike. They stopped sharing dance challenges and instead called out the lack of credit they were receiving in an attempt to gain more recognition.
Rick Lewis, for instance, appeared in one TikTok as though they were about to share a dance they created for a Megan Thee Stallion song, before flipping the bird at the camera and switching to a caption that read “Sike. This app would be nothing without Black people.” Their TikTok, inevitably, was co-opted by another creator, who racked up nearly a million views (twice as many as Lewis’ original) with their spin on it.
The move follows the rollout of the YouTube Shorts remix feature, which automatically includes attribution for the original video’s creator. TikTok’s approach, however, will require users to manually add credit for the original work.
Meanwhile, Chikumbu says TikTok is working to lift up the creators of trends through initiatives like its Originators series. The Creator Portal also stresses the importance of including proper attribution for trend originators, including tips on how to find them.
It hasn’t been a great spring for Sony in terms of new product leaks. The company’s new flagship headphones, the WH-1000XM5, broke cover early, as did its latest earbuds. Today, the company officially announced the LinkBuds S: a set of $200 true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) and a host of handy features. Sony says they’re designed for a “never off wearing experience,” with transparency mode allowing you to tune into your surroundings as needed.
Joining the open wear LinkBuds that debuted earlier this year, the LinkBuds S have a more “traditional” closed design. The shape is similar to Sony’s other recent earbuds, the flagship WF-1000XM4 and the $100 WF-C500. The LinkBuds S are much smaller though, making them more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time, which also serves Sony’s mission of all-day use. In fact, the company claims the LinkBuds S are “the world’s smallest and lightest, noise-canceling, hi-res” true wireless earbuds. And the IPX4 rating means they can withstand workouts too.
Inside, 5mm drivers deliver “powerful bass and stunningly clear vocals,” according to Sony. The company’s Integrated Processor V1, which is also on the WH-1000XM5 headphones, works to maintain sound quality, minimize distortion and bolster noise cancellation. The LinkBuds S also support high-resolution listening via Sony’s LDAC codec and DSEE Extreme upscaling. The latter technology recovers finer details that are typically lost to compression of digital audio content. A low-latency mode is on the way for gaming and Sony is working with Niantic to bring spatial audio and head tracking to the AR mobile game Ingress.
Another key difference from the first set of LinkBuds is the addition of ANC. On the LinkBuds S, there’s enough noise-blocking ability to reduce background clamor, but Sony is clear the tech isn’t as robust as the WF-1000XM4. While this new model doesn’t let the outside world in by design, it’s equipped with transparency mode to get that job done. What’s more, the company’s Adaptive Sound Control can be configured to change noise canceling and ambient sound settings based on your activity or location. Plus, Sony’s handy Speak-to-Chat feature is available here, which automatically senses your voice, pauses the audio and activates ambient sound mode when you begin to talk.
Sony
The main feature Sony is hyping for the LinkBuds S is called Auto Play. True to the rumors, this tool automatically plays or resumes audio based on your activity when you put the earbuds in or complete a call. If you’re on a walk, for example, you can have a specific playlist selected for that behavior. Auto Play is limited right now in two ways. First, it’s only available in the Sony Headphones Connect app on Android right now. The company plans to bring it to iOS in early June. Second, it only works with Spotify and soundscape app Endel.
For calls, Sony says its Precise Voice Pickup Technology “optimally controls the microphones on both earbuds.” Combined with a mesh cover for the mics, the company explains that you can expect clarity walking down a busy street or on a windy day. These claims vary widely from product to product, so we’ll be sure to put this through its paces during our review. Other convenience features include compatibility with voice assistants, a full suite of customizable touch controls and support for both Google Fast Pair and Windows Swift Pair.
In terms of battery life, Sony says you can expect up to six hours of use with active noise cancellation enabled. There’s another 14 hours in the charging case too, but the company didn’t specify any non-ANC listening times. The case doesn’t support wireless charging, but it does offer a quick-charge option. Just five minutes will give you an hour of use.
The LinkBuds S are up for pre-order starting today with general availability starting May 20th. You’ll have black and white color options to choose from at most retailers, but Best Buy will carry an exclusive beige (Ecru) version. This $200 model will sit in the middle of Sony’s true wireless lineup, with the flagship WF-1000XM4 at the top and the affordable WF-C500 below. The open design LinkBuds also occupy the mid-range for $20 cheaper, and Sony plans to deliver the Auto Play functionality to that model via firmware update.
Sous vide cooking has been the province of professional chefs for decades, and for good reason: A temperature-controlled water bath ensures perfectly cooked food. Instead of worrying about whether a steak is medium rare or whether that chicken breast will be dry, simply dial in the desired temperature, dunk in your vacuum-sealed food (“sous vide” is French for “under vacuum”), wait a while and your food will be done to perfection, with little to no guesswork required.
If you haven’t tried this method yet, it’s not as complicated as you might think. Wand-like immersion circulators have been on the market for several years now, making sous vide cooking affordable and accessible to home chefs. Several Instant Pot models even have a sous vide mode that holds the water at a set temperature, though it’s not quite as accurate as dedicated machines. If you’re curious about giving sous vide a go, we’ll walk you through the process of choosing the right machine for you and share some of the tips and tricks we’ve learned through our own experiments.
How to pick a smart sous vide machine
Almost all of the immersion circulators on the market work the same way, so you really can’t go wrong whichever you choose. That said, there are a few criteria to keep in mind when comparison shopping. For one, you’ll want it to keep an accurate temperature and to maintain that temperature for an extended period of time, especially for foods that take over a day to cook. (This isn’t uncommon, especially for tough cuts of meat.) It’s better if it’s powerful enough to heat up water quickly, though you could always help it along by using hot tap water to start.
Engadget picks
Several Engadget staffers tend to prefer the sous vide devices from Anova, as the company has a strong track record for precision and the interface is intuitive. Anova offers several different models at varying power levels (and price points). The lower-end Nano, for example, won’t heat up water as quickly and doesn’t have an adjustable clamp, but it’s only $129 and will likely suit most home cooks. If you’re a little more ambitious or see yourself cooking a lot of things via sous vide , upgrading to the higher-end Precision Cooker or Precision Cooker Pro might make sense.
We’d recommend the Anova Precision Cooker Nano for most people on account of its affordable price, compact size and intuitive controls. The companion app is helpful as well, as it comes with hundreds of recipes that will get you started on your sous vide journey. The Breville Joule is our runner-up because, while it lacks onboard controls, it’s a little more compact than the Anova, while the companion app has a “visual doneness” guide that lets you know what the food should look like when it’s cooked.
Another popular choice is the Breville Joule (formerly known as the Chefsteps Joule, until Breville acquired the brand), which is a personal favorite of mine due to its small size. It’s a little more powerful than the aforementioned Nano and can heat up water a few minutes faster. I also like that it has a magnetic base, making it easier to attach to certain pots. The one downside is that it lacks onboard controls; the only way to use it is via the companion app. I personally don’t find this to be a problem, but if you simply need to be able to see the temperature at a glance and dial it up or down with ease, this might not be for you.
It’s also worth mentioning the Monoprice Strata, which is the cheapest of the lot at only $70. There’s no WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity here, but it gets the job done all the same.
What else to consider
At a minimum, the other items you need to cook sous vide are a large metal pot (big enough to fill with water) and zipper-lock freezer bags to put the food in. Alternatively, you can use reusable silicone bags such as these from Stasher. Rather than using a vacuum sealer to get rid of air, you would use the water displacement method: Immerse the bagged food in the water while partially unsealed, and water pressure will push the air through the opening. Once everything is mostly underwater, you can seal the bag and it’ll stay submerged.
If it still floats, you can stick one or two spoons in the bag, and that will hopefully weigh things down. (J. Kenji Lopez-Alt from Serious Eats also suggests using a large binder clip attached to the bottom of the bag along with a heavy spoon.) If you’re concerned about water getting in the bag, you can attach the bag tops to the pot with binder clips, thus keeping the bag upright.
If you’re really serious about sous vide, you might want to invest in some specialty equipment. Instead of pots, for example, you could opt for large restaurant-grade plastic containers by Cambro or Rubbermaid. Not only is plastic a better insulator than metal, but there’s generally more space for more food, which is handy when you’re cooking for a crowd.
Whether you use a pot or a plastic container, it’s best to cover the vessel with plastic wrap when cooking for long periods, to keep evaporation to a minimum. Some companies, like Chefsteps, offer custom silicone pot lids that are made specially to accommodate their sous vide cookers. Alternatively, Lopez-Alt offers a much cheaper and more ingenious solution: cover your water in ping pong balls. They’ll slow down evaporation.
Additionally, while zipper-lock bags work well for most tasks, it’s still not a bad idea to get a vacuum sealer along with thicker plastic bags designed specifically for sous vide. For one, this lets you sous vide vegetables or braised meats, which typically require a higher temperature. (Zipper-lock bag seams might fail when it’s that hot.) This also lets you freeze a bunch of food, vacuum seal them and sous vide packets straight from the freezer, which is convenient for batch cooking.
You likely already have this at your disposal, but another handy tool is a good skillet to sear your meat. That sous vide device might be able to cook your steak to medium rare, but it won’t be able to brown it. A cast iron skillet, on the other hand, will. You could also consider a torch like the Bernzomatic TS8000, and we’ve seen others use a Searzall — but a cast iron skillet is far more affordable than either option. Of course, if you have a grill, you can use that too.
There are other miscellaneous items that could prove useful. Lopez-Alt likes having a pot lid organizer immersed in the container to help separate several submerged bags. If you want to make custard, yogurt or breakfast cups with your sous vide cooker, you should get yourself some mason jars too.
One more indispensable item worth considering: a trivet to rest your water vessel on so you don’t destroy your countertop.
Sous vide recipe resources
Since affordable sous vide cookers have been in the market for a few years now, there’s no shortage of recipes and guidelines online to help you figure out what to do with your newfangled kitchen gadget. The links below are some of our favorites, though bear in mind that a lot of this is based on personal taste. Your mileage may vary.
It only makes sense that the maker of one of the most popular sous vide machines also has a deep library of sous vide recipes. If you’re ever at a loss as to what to make via sous vide, simply peek at this website, where you can search for recipes from professionals and amateurs alike.
We’ve mentioned it several times here already in this guide, but Serious Eats truly is a remarkably useful resource for all things sous vide. Its guide to sous vide steak is a favorite among Engadget staffers, as is its take on slow-cooked sous-vide style eggs, which results in some of the best eggs I’ve ever had.
Years before making the Joule, Chefsteps made a name for itself as a cooking school with a heavy emphasis on food science, tech and molecular gastronomy. That’s probably why the sous vide recipes from Chefsteps are some of the more creative ones we’ve seen. One recipe, for example, teaches you how to make that perfect chicken breast along with the perfect accompaniment for said chicken breast — perhaps a crunchy apple fennel salad and a buttery carrot puree. Other favorite recipes include wonderfully tender salmon filets, juicy pork chops and Chefsteps’ own interpretation of the “sous vide egg bites” you sometimes find in certain Starbucks shops.
This is actually a cookbook from the people behind the Nomiku WiFi sous vide machine (which has since been discontinued), but the recipes in it will work with any sous vide device. Not only does it have beautiful photographs, but it also offers fantastic recipes like jerk chicken wings, duck confit and chocolate pots du creme.
Aside from immersion circulators like the ones mentioned here, you could also opt for multi-purpose appliances that offer sous vide-like functions. Several Instant Pots, for example, offer such a feature. They include the Instant Pot Pro, Duo Plus, Pro Plus, Duo Crisp and Max. Unfortunately, however, they do not circulate the water like the aforementioned immersion circulators, and the temperatures aren’t quite as precise (which is a definite downside if you need something cooked to a specific temperature). But if you don’t really care about that, or you just want to dabble occasionally in sous vide, this might be a viable option.
If you’re dead set on a multi-tasking appliance and you have the money to spend, consider the Anova Precision Oven. Thanks to its use of steam, you can indeed use it to cook foods via sous vide but without the need for plastic bags. It also uses a fan to circulate the moist air around the food and a probe thermometer helps keep foods at a precise temperature. And, of course, the Precision Oven can be used as a regular oven as well, and is great for baking breads and bagels. It is, however, quite expensive at $600 and takes up a lot of counter space.
Images: Will Lipman for Engadget (Anova / holiday light background)
Russia is supposedly using its invasion of Ukraine to try new technology on the battlefield. As Reutersreports, the Russian government says it’s using a new wave of laser weapons to counter the Western technology aiding Ukraine’s self-defense. Deputy prime minister Yury Borisov claimed Russia was using prototypes for a drone-destroying laser weapon, Zadira, that can burn up drones. One test incinerated a drone 3.1 miles away within five seconds, according to the official.
A more established system, Peresvet, reportedly blinds satellites up to 932 miles above Earth. This was already “widely deployed,” Borisov claimed. The deputy leader maintained that new lasers using wide electromagnetic bands could eventually replace traditional weapons.
This isn’t the first reported use of cutting-edge tech in the war against Ukraine. CNNnoted that Russia has fired multiple Kinzhal hypersonic missiles at Ukrainian targets. This variant of the Iskander short-range ballistic missile can be launched from a fighter jet (the MiG-31K). Russia has maintained that Kinzhal is virtually impossible to stop due to its very high speed, but US and UK officials have dismissed its effectiveness and argued that it’s really just an air-launched variant of a conventional weapon.
As with those hypersonic weapons, it’s difficult to know how well the lasers work in practice. Russia has routinely made false claims about its overall capabilities and the war in Ukraine, where it has struggled to gain ground despite a large military. However, these uses may be less about turning the war around and more about symbolism — Russia wants to boast about its technological prowess and discourage further material support for Ukraine.
It was last August that Saints Row developer Volition unveiled its vision for a more grounded reboot of the open-world series. The new title was intended as a swerve away from the series’ trademark preposterousness and juvenalia. Now, with the game set…
As one of the leading makers of Chromebooks, this spring Acer is refreshing its lineup with two new offerings in the Chromebook Spin 714 and the Chromebook Tab 510.
Starting at $750 (or $1,100 for the enterprise model), the Chromebook Spin 714 is the more premium of the two, featuring up to a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU and a 14-inch 2560 x 1600 display. And as an added bonus, the Gorilla Glass used on its display includes an antimicrobial coating designed to resist stains and bacteria. At the same time, the screen’s 16:10 aspect ratio gives you a little extra vertical screen space for productivity.
Acer
Meanwhile, because the Spin 714 is part of Intel’s Evo platform, the laptop includes good connectivity thanks to support for Wi-Fi 6E, an HDMI jack and dual Thunderbolt 4 ports. As for battery life, Acer is claiming up to 10 hours on a single charge, with fast charging that can add four hours of additional runtime after being plugged in for 30 minutes. And for people who want a quick and easy way to login to their laptop, there’s also an optional fingerprint reader.
But the feature that sets the Spin 714 apart from a lot of other Chromebooks is its stylus, which features 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and has a built-in garage for easy storage. And despite having a flexible 360-degree hinge, the laptop has MIL-STD 810H durability designed to guard against drops and splashes.
Alternatively, for people looking for a more affordable convertible Chromebook, there’s the $400 Chromebook Tab 510. Instead of sporting a 360-degree hinge, the Tab 510 features a detachable 2-in-1 design powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 chip. That said, for those wanting to use the Tab 510 as a laptop-like hybrid, just remember its Keyboard Folio Case is an optional accessory.
Acer
Sporting a 10.1-inch 1920 x 1200 screen, the Tab 510 is a lot more portable than the Spin 714, and it gets slightly better battery life too, with Acer promising 11 hours on a single charge. And in addition to its front-facing 5-MP webcam, there’s 8-MP camera in back. However, even with its lower price, the tablet also supports MIL-STD 810H durability, along with bumpers on each corner and a reinforced chassis for even more rugged credibility. And similar to the Spin 714, the Tab 510 also comes with a built-in stylus.
In North America, the Chromebook Tab 510 is slated to go on sale sometime in July starting at $400, with the Chromebook Spin 714 arriving slightly later in August starting at $750.
You don’t need to pay a hefty sum (or go large) to get OLED in a laptop. Acer has unveiled a refreshed laptop line headlined by the Swift 3 OLED, an enhanced version of its thin-and-light mainstream portable. The highlight, as you’d guess, is a 14-inch “2.8K” display that promises OLED’s signature high contrast, accurate color (100 percent of DCI-P3) and 500-nit HDR. Add in a 92 percent screen-to-body ratio and it might be a good fit if you want lush visuals without buying an exotic PC.
The Swift 3 OLED runs on 12th-gen Intel Core H-series chips with Iris Xe integrated graphics, PCIe Gen 4 SSDs and as much as 16GB of LPDDR5 memory. It ships to the US this July starting at $900. While we wouldn’t call it a budget laptop, that’s a relative bargain given the display tech.
Acer
The are upgrades for convertible machines, too. The 14-inch Spin 5 (shown at middle) comes with a 1600p display and configurations that offer up to a 12th-gen Core i7, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD. You’ll also get two Thunderbolt 4 ports and an improved cooling system that should net more performance under heavy loads. Opt for the Spin 3 and you’ll get ‘just’ a 1080p 14-inch display, but you’ll also have the twin Thunderbolt 4 ports, SSD storage and a range of 12th-gen Core CPUs.
The updated Spin 5 arrives first, shipping in July with a $1,350 starting price. Acer delivers the new Spin 3 in August at an $850 base sticker.
And yes, Acer is expanding its eco-friendly Vero line. You’ll find new 14- and 15-inch Vero laptops that meld 12th-gen Core, Thunderbolt 4 and 1080p displays with bodies made partly from recycled and ocean-bound plastic. Desktop users can spring for a 24-inch Veriton Vero all-in-one with up to a 12th-gen Core i9 and GeForce MX550 graphics. The Vero portables ship to the US in September starting at $750 regardless of size, while the Veriton Vero will wait until October to sell for $799.
3D TVs may be dead, but Acer isn’t giving up on the dream of going beyond 2D just yet. It’s spent years hyping up its SpatialLabs technology, which lets you view stereoscopic 3D content without any clunky glasses. Now that innovation is headed to the company’s gaming laptops, starting with the new Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition. The company says you’ll be able to play more than 50 modern and classic games in 3D, including Forza Horizon 5, No Man’s Sky and God of War (no Halo Infinite yet, sadly).
Naturally, though, you’ll have to pay a huge premium to be an early glasses-free 3D adopter. The Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition will start at $3,400 when it arrives in the fourth quarter. You’ll get some killer hardware under the hood, like Intel’s latest 12th-gen CPUs, 32GB of DDR5 RAM and up to NVIDIA’s RTX 3080, but it’s clearly not meant for the typical gamer. It weighs a hefty 6.6 pounds, and the small amount of supported 3D titles makes this laptop seem even more like a niche product.
Acer
Still, the display nerd in me is eager to see how Acer actually implements this technology. I was impressed by some early SpatialLabs demos years ago, but it’s another thing to transform a game into a fully 3D experience. The technology relies on a combination of eye tracking (which helps the image stay in focus without additional glasses), real-time rendering and a stereoscopic 15.6-inch screen. Acer is also bringing SpatialLabs’ 3D hardware to its ConceptD7 laptop this year.
If you’re just looking for a thin gaming laptop, without any fancy 3D screens, Acer is also updating the Predator Triton 300 SE with 12th-gen Intel chips, RTX 3000-series GPUs and 16:10 OLED panels. A 16-inch model with a 240Hz 1,440p display is joining the existing 14-inch version, giving the company options for gamers who want the lightest possible machine or something with a bit more breathing room. The smaller model tops out with an RTX 3060, but the larger one can squeeze in a beefier 3070 Ti.
We’ve generally liked Acer’s gaming hardware over the years (except when they introduce useless concepts like swiveling screens). Based on my brief hands-on time with the Triton 300 SE, it seems like yet another solid option for a stylish-yet-portable gaming rig. The new OLED screen is clearly the star of the show, delivering deep black levels and glorious colors in a few Halo Infinite matches, but its 90Hz refresh rate may disappoint gamers used to faster LCDs. Those folks can just opt for the 165Hz 1080p and 1,440p LCDs, instead. The 14-inch Triton 300 SE is lighter than the Razer Blade 14, clocking in at 3.7 pounds instead of 3.9, and its overall build quality feels just as premium.
You’ll find the 14-inch Triton 300 SE in July starting at $1,600, while the 16-inch version will arrive in August for $1,750.
Acer’s creativity-oriented ConceptD laptops are joining the wave of OLED upgrades. The PC maker has updated its ConceptD 5 and ConceptD 5 Pro portables with a 16-inch, 3,840 x 2,400 OLED screen that promises very high contrast while preserving the all-important color accuracy for visual editing. You can expect 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage, Pantone Matching System colors and Delta E<2 calibration. Acer also promises HDR support, although the display’s 400-nit brightness will limit that output.
Both systems promise up-to-the-minute specs, including 12th-gen Intel Core chips (up to the i7-12700H), up to 32GB of LPDDR5 memory and as much as 2TB of PCIe Gen 4 SSD storage. Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1 and a full-size SD card reader should also help creatives. The differences largely come down to GPUs. The ConceptD 5 is more mainstream with GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics, while the Pro version uses the workstation-focused RTX A5500.
The ConceptD 5 comes to North America in August with a $2,500 starting price. The Pro edition will only be available in Europe and the Middle East this September, when it will sell for €2,599 (about $2,740). That’s not a small expense, but it could be easy to justify if your livelihood depends on a powerful laptop.
Acer’s no-glasses 3D is finally available beyond a laptop. The company has trotted out SpatialLabs View and SpatialLabs View Pro portable monitors that bring the more immersive screen tech to gamers and creators. Both 15.6-inch displays deliver stereoscopic 3D for content that either has a profile (for over 50 games) or the right export plugin. The screens can convert 2D content to 3D, and they’ll still be useful as 4K monitors with a 400-nit brightness and 100 percent Adobe RGB color coverage.
The differences largely come down to tweaks for particular audiences. The Pro builds on the regular SpatialLabs View with both creative tech and an “intelligent industrial design” to help deploy in the field. You can even use a VESA wall mount when you want a more permanent presence than the integrated kickstand (present on both models) can provide.
You’ll have to wait until summer for either model. Acer hasn’t yet outlined pricing, but these stand-alone monitors should be considerably more affordable than the $1,700 the company originally charged for its lowest-priced 3D laptop. It’s just a question of whether or not you want a 3D monitor in the first place. The glasses-free visuals could add a pleasant spin to otherwise familiar experiences, but there’s little doubt they’ll carry a premium compared to ‘plain’ 2D screens.
