Google’s hardware launch event takes place today at 10am ET, and Team Engadget is covering it live from Brooklyn, New York. Deputy editor Cherlynn Low and Sam Rutherford will be there taking in the company’s announcements live, and we’ll post the breaking news here (and maybe some jokes. Just a few.) We’ll also share pictures from the event of any fun or newsworthy behind-the-scenes happening. Stick around!
Follow all of the news from Google’s Pixel 7 event right here!
After months of teases and leaks, Google is finally ready to show off the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel Watch. Those who are curious about what Google has in store can find out the full details as soon as the company announces them by watching the Pixel Event livestream. The festivities start at 10AM ET and you can watch via the video embedded below.
Engadget Deputy Editor Cherlynn Low and Senior Reporter Sam Rutherford will be breaking down the news as it happens on our liveblog. We’ll have full coverage of everything you need to know from the showcase on our Pixel 7 event page as well.
Google has already confirmed that the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will run on a next-gen Tensor chip and Android 13. The Pixel Watch, meanwhile, is the first smartwatch that Google has designed and built in-house. It will blend Google features with Fitbit’s health and fitness knowhow, and have an overhauled Wear OS experience.
It might be worth keeping close tabs on the event if you’re already interested in buying a Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel Watch or new Nest device (Google will have some announcements on that front too). All the devices that Google will show off during the event are going on sale today.
Follow all of the news from Google’s Pixel 7 event right here!
Amazon has been slashing the prices of its own products over the past few days as we approach its second Prime Day event for the year. After holding a sale for its Fire tablets, Kindle Paperwhite and Fire TVs, the company is now also selling the Eero Pro 6E tri-band mesh WiFi devices at heavily discounted prices. Among all the options available, the three-pack bundle of Eero devices seems to be the standout deal — at $419, it’s even cheaper than the pack with two nodes that’s currently selling for $499. That’s also $280 or 40 percent lower than its usual price, and it’s the lowest we’ve seen the three-pack go for on the website.
Buy Amazon eero Pro 6E tri-band mesh Wi-Fi 3 Pack at Amazon – $419
This is the first Eero model to support WiFi 6E, which allows eligible devices to access a new 6 GHz band. Amazon said 6E support results in lower latency across the network, so even devices that don’t support the extended standard will stand to benefit from the capability. The model supports network speeds of up to 2.3 Gbps, can cover up to 6,000 sq ft of space and can handle over 100 connected devices. Eero also uses TrueMesh technology to route traffic in order to reduce drop-offs and prevent dead spots. In addition to serving as a mesh router, Eero Pro 6E can be used as a smart home hub, allowing you to control compatible Thread and Zigbee devices with Alexa voice commands.
While the three-pack bundle is obviously the best deal you can get, you can also purchase one node at a discount. A single Eero Pro 6E node will set you back $179, which is $120 less than its regular price. The single node option has been widely available at that price over the past few days, but the discounted three-pack deal is only available today exclusively for Amazon Prime subscribers.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
Uber has signed a 10-year agreement to use autonomous Ioniq 5 EVs from Hyundai’s Motional for ride-hailing and deliveries, the companies announced. The vehicles will be “strategically deployed” in cities around the US and start offering passenger rides later this year.
“This agreement will be instrumental to the wide scale adoption of robotaxis,” said Motional CEO Karl Iagnemma. “Motional now has unparalleled access to millions of riders and a roadmap to scale significantly over the next ten years.”
The companies are already working together. Late last year, Uber announced that it would test autonomous food delivery with Motional (a joint venture between Hyundai and Aptiv) sometime in 2022. Motional is also working with Lyft, having started public tests in Las Vegas with the ride-hailing firm. (Uber used to have its own autonomous vehicle division called Advanced Technologies Group, but sold it to Aurora Innovation back in 2020.)
Uber will provide Motional with data to help it best allocate and position vehicles. In turn, Motional said its autonomous vehicles will allow for “reduced vehicle downtime and unnecessary miles traveled.” It’ll also supposedly lead to a better customer experience, with lower wait times and fares.
We’ve heard similar promises before, but so far, only Alphabet division Waymo and GM’s Cruise are offering true driverless services at a reasonably large scale. The Waymo One service is operating in Phoenix and San Francisco, while Cruise rides are currently limited to San Francisco. Both operate only in specific areas of cities and some vehicles still use safety riders.
Motional got off to a later start than both those companies, but has completed more than 100,000 autonomous rides in Las Vegas using previous versions of its vehicles on the Lyft network, it said in August. However, the companies plan to ramp that up soon. “The scope of this partnership shows the important role that shared autonomous vehicles will play in the future of transportation, and in Uber’s strategy to be the global platform to help you go anywhere and get anything,” said Uber’s autonomous driving chief Noah Zych.
Update, 10/6/22 10:15AM ET: This story originally stated that Motional and Lyft were publicly testing in Los Angeles; the company is only doing these public tests in Las Vegas currently.
Even Blizzard has admitted that Overwatch 2’s launch has not met anybody’s expectations. In a new post detailing the latest status updates for the game’s rollout, the company has apologized to its players and discussed the lengthy list of issues it’s had to face since the first-person shooter went live. One of the biggest updates it’s making to the game is removing the need for for legacy players to link their phone numbers to Battle.net to be able to play. So long as they have a connected Battle.net account, which covers all players who’ve accessed the first Overwatch since June 9th, 2021, they’re exempted from the requirement.
Blizzard originally made SMS Protect, which requires players to link a phone number to their Battle.net accounts, a requirement to access Overwatch as a way to make it harder for people to cheat or to troll others. It doesn’t always work with numbers associated with prepaid plans, though, and therein lies the problem. While some Mint customers were able able to link their numbers to SMS Protect just fine, players on Cricket seem to be completely locked out of the game. As Kotaku reports, fans feel like they’re being punished or shamed for “being poor.”
The developer is removing the requirement in response, and it expects the change to go live on October 7th. Blizzard said, however, that it remains “committed to combating disruptive behavior,” which is why new accounts and old ones that had never been connected to Battle.net before will still have to meet SMS Protect requirements to be able to play.
The company also made changes to simplify the queueing process, so players will no longer see their queue numbers jump from hundreds to tens of thousands and vice versa. Plus, it’s working on making logins more stable to prevent players from being dropped from queues or from being able to login at all. A server update that’s also in progress will reduce the chances of players being disconnected once they’re already in the game. As for people’s missing items, Blizzard explained that the issue is caused by incomplete account merging or by items simply taking longer to transfer over from the old game.
These issues, Blizzard said in its announcement, were “exacerbated by DDoS attacks” upon the game’s launch. While the attacks didn’t directly cause any of them, they made “the environment in which [the team works] on these issues more challenging.” Overwatch 2 game director Aaron Keller said the team was working through a second DDoS attack late on launch day, but it sounds like the attackers have backed off. Blizzard said it has “not suffered any further attacks,” which hopefully means it can now resolve issues more quickly.
Apple’s most expensive Watch yet (if we ignore the Hermes and ceramic distractions of yesteryear) has landed. The Apple Watch Ultra is surprisingly comfortable for its size, and costs less than expected. Not only does it offer many impressive specialized features for outdoor adventurers but it also lasts longer than other Apple Watches. People who don’t dive, hike, bike or run outside regularly might not need to spend the extra cash on the Ultra — the Series 8 is more than capable.
Reviews Editor Cherlynn Low was frustrated by the new button layout but came away thinking that the Apple Watch Ultra may be the ultimate smartwatch. Check out the full review.
– Mat Smith
Stadia launch title ‘Gylt’ is heading to other platforms next year
Amazon’s Blink security cameras and bundles are up to 54 percent off
Tesla phasing out ultrasonic sensors as it moves toward a camera-only system
The notion of Intel getting into the world of discrete graphics cards once seemed ludicrous. This is the company that killed its last major GPU project in 2009 and spent the 2010s focusing on weak integrated graphics. However, the Arc A750 offers plenty of power for under $300. It can best NVIDIA’s RTX 3060 Ti in some benchmarks and games, making it one of the best deals in the GPU market today. Meanwhile, the Arc 770 excels at 1440p performance and has a decent amount of ray tracing support for a $329 card. We have reservations about long-term support from Intel, however.
When it comes to wireless headphones, the best combine stellar audio with powerful active noise cancellation (ANC) and other handy tools. For this guide, we’ve focused primarily on the over-ear style and offer a range of prices, so you can decide how much you’re comfortable spending.
Inkbox Software has released a graphical operating system, NESOS, for Nintendo’s first home console. The mid-’80s technology restricts the OS to two apps (a word processor and settings – as dull as many personal computers were back then) and eight 832-byte files. There is a pointer, movable icons and customizable interface colors. NESOS fits into just 48K, and the files sit inside the 2K of NVRAM.
It’s only been a year since Amazon launched Glow, its kid-focused video calling device that can also be used for interactive gaming. And the company has already discontinued it, most likely due to lackluster sales. As Bloomberg notes, Glow, while highly rated on Amazon, only has a bit over 500 reviews on the website. The device was launched during the peak of the recent pandemic. There’s likely less demand for a specialized video calling device for kids. And maybe they could just use a phone?
Spotify has bought Kinzen, a company that uses machine learning to detect harmful content online. Spotify said that Kinzen will “help us more effectively deliver a safe, enjoyable experience on our platform around the world” and that the company’s tech is especially suited to podcasts and other audio formats. Looking for signs of harmful audio content is tricky, particularly since there may be nuances that certain systems and non-native speakers may not pick up on. As such, Spotify says Kinzen will help it to “better understand the abuse landscape and identify emerging threats on the platform.”
Nanoleaf, known for its modular wall lighting tiles, has teamed up with gaming company Corsair to make your setup more immersive and colorful. A new integration called Nanoleaf x CORSAIR lets you sync up Nanoleaf’s smart lights to in-game explosions, actions and sounds.
The integration works with Corsair’s portfolio of peripherals, including keyboards, gaming mice and headsets. Much as you can with your keyboard or PC peripheral lights, you’ll be able to program lighting effects on your wall using the Nanoleaf or Corsair iCue apps on your desktop. To give a flavor, they have names like “Rainbow Wave” and “Rain,” similar to what you may have seen for keyboard lighting effects.
To set it up, you install the iCUE software, then switch on the Nanoleaf integration and add Nanoleaf to iCUE lighting. At that point, everything will work together and provide “synchronized lighting across your whole setup,” according to Nanoleaf.
Nanoleaf offers kits for gamers, and already offers integration with Razer (using Synapse 3) and MSI via Mystic Light — so working with Corsair’s peripherals seems a natural extension of this. Aside from creating some extra vibes for game environments, they’ll let you get even more creative with your lighting setup.
Fast Company’s website finally came back online eight days after the publication took it down due to a cyberattack. The business publication was initially hacked on September 25th, but it wasn’t until the second security breach on September 27th that it had to take drastic measures to contain the situation. If you’ll recall, Apple News users who are subscribed to Fast Company received a couple of obscene push notifications with racial slurs in late September. The bad actors had also defaced the website with obscene and racist messages and posted details on how they were able to infiltrate the publication.
They said that Fast Company used an easy-to-crack password for its WordPress CMS and had re-used it for its other accounts. From there, they were able to grab the company’s Apple News API keys, as well as authentication tokens that gave them access to employee names, email addresses and IPs. In a forum the hackers linked to on the defaced website, a user called “Thrax” posted a database dump with 6,737 employee records that include mails, password hashes for some of them and unpublished drafts, among other details.
No customer or advertiser information was exposed as a result of the hack, though, Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan wrote in a new post announcing that the publication is back. The main Fast Company website, its corporate site Mansueto.com and its sister site Inc.com remained offline for eight days while an investigation was being conducted. During that period, the publication posted content on other platforms, such as LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Medium. Vaughan didn’t go into details with the result of the probe, other than saying that no customer or advertiser data was compromised and that the publication has “taken steps to safeguard against further attacks.”
Every year Apple has a surprise or two in store for its device lineup, and for 2022 one of those twists is the iPhone 14 Plus. That’s because instead of continuing to make a mini version of the basic iPhone, Apple has finally created a more affordable big-screen option starting at $899 for anyone who doesn’t need or want to shell out for a $1,099 iPhone 14 Pro Max.
That said, we’ve already taken a big look at the vanilla iPhone 14. So in lieu of rehashing what is essentially the same phone but with a bigger display, this review is going to focus on the most important components along with what’s different on this year’s new Plus model.
Packing a 6.7-inch OLED screen with a 2778 x 1284 resolution, the iPhone 14 Plus is the same size as the Pro Max, but with a much lighter body (203 grams vs 240 grams). In fact, due to things like its triple rear cameras and heavy stainless steel frame, the iPhone 14 Pro actually weighs a tiny bit more (206 grams) than the 14 Plus, despite having a significantly smaller screen.
The iPhone 14 Plus has the same basic features as the standard iPhone 14. You get a more playful selection of colors (blue, purple, midnight, starlight and red) than the Pro line, but lose out on some more sophisticated tech such as Apple’s Dynamic Island, the new A16 Bionic chip or a dedicated telephoto camera. Instead, you get an A15 Bionic processor (the same as last year’s models), just two rear cameras (including the 12MP main sensor from the iPhone 13 Pro), and a new 12MP TrueDepth selfie cam in front.
The phone still feels premium though, and has more than enough performance to handle anything you can throw at it. And as another perk for all the butterfingered folk out there, the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus have a new mid-frame that makes it easier to replace front and back glass panels in the event of an accident.
Just don’t try to carry over the physical SIM card from your previous phone, because like the rest of the iPhone 14 line, the Plus only works with eSIMs. This change shouldn’t be a huge deal because Apple has supported eSIMs on its phone for years. But for those who haven’t made the switch, just remember to save time to contact your carrier in order to convert your physical card into a virtual one.
The most obvious advantage of the iPhone 14 Plus’ increased dimensions is its ability to fit a bigger screen, and over the course of about a week, using it has been a delight. When displaying HDR content, Apple says peak brightness can go as high as 1,200 nits. Meanwhile, using a light meter, I found that our review unit actually exceeded its claimed typical brightness of 800 nits, hitting just shy of 825 nits. And because it’s an OLED panel, you get superb contrast and bright colors.
Honestly, every now and then I find myself pleasantly surprised that a phone with a screen this big and vibrant is as light as it is. That weight reduction makes it just a little bit easier to hold than the Pro Max or similar big-screen phones while watching movies. The one downside to that is because the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus still feature 60Hz panels, display aficionados may more easily notice that fast action or UI animations don’t look quite as smooth as they might on an iPhone or iPad with a 120Hz ProMotion screen.
The other big upgrade on the iPhone 14 Plus over the standard model is battery life, which is simply awesome. A lot of device makers talk about making handsets that can last multiple days, but in my experience, the iPhone 14 Plus is one of the few that actually delivers. Even with me going through standard setup, running a slate of benchmarks, watching a handful of YouTube videos and plowing through a bunch of levels in Ustwo’s charming tactics game Desta, I still finished the day with more than 45 percent juice left. That meant even with moderate use, I didn’t have to worry about recharging until going to sleep the following night.
And while I’m primarily an Android user, I also want to commend the excellent standby times you get with iPhones. Typically I’m used to phones losing between three and five percent battery overnight, but on the iPhone 14 Plus, I’m looking at one, maybe two percent. I know that doesn’t sound like a ton, but it really goes to show how efficient Apple’s handsets are. And in our standard video rundown test, the iPhone 14 Plus lasted a whopping 21 hours and 17 minutes, which is the second longest time we’ve seen from any phone this year, only behind the OnePlus 10T’s mark of 22:59.
Unlike the Pro line, the iPhone 14 Plus only gets two rear cameras: a 12MP primary shooter and a 12MP ultra-wide with a 120-degree field of view. In daytime shots, the iPhone captured rich, punchy colors and lots of detail that doesn’t leave much room for critique. However, if I’m really nitpicking, I did notice that when compared to the Pixel 6 Pro, the iPhone 14 Plus occasionally overexposed some shots, which resulted in slightly more washed-out colors and a bit less dynamic range.
Meanwhile in low light, the iPhone 14 Plus almost matched the performance of Google’s Night Sight mode on the Pixel 6 Pro, capturing bright images with good detail. In one shot at night of Grogu (aka baby Yoda), the iPhone 14 Plus captured a lovely golden glow from nearby lights. Unfortunately, that effect was somewhat exaggerated as evidenced by the Pixel 6 Pro’s image, which looks more balanced while also featuring slightly sharper details on Grogu’s robe and the plants in back.
I think the biggest upgrade to the iPhone 14 Plus’ general photo experience, though, is the Photonic Engine. Low light photo processing is up to two and a half times faster, which means there’s less waiting around between shots, and more importantly, there’s also a smaller chance you’ll miss out on capturing that magic moment.
Apple’s improved camera experience carries over to the iPhone 14’s 12MP front-facing camera as well. That’s because thanks to the addition of a true autofocus system (instead of a fixed focus distance like on a lot of other phones), you can take sharper selfies with way less effort. And for someone like me who doesn’t have a tried-and-tested selfie-taking posture like our resident selfie queen Cherlynn Low does, this makes it a lot easier to grab a decent looking shot when I do.
Now I know that the addition of a slightly larger basic iPhone to the line is far from a game changer. But, the introduction of the iPhone 14 Plus really fleshes out the lineup. Previously, if you wanted an iPhone with a big screen, you had no choice but to shell out for the Pro Max model, which costs over $1,000. But with the 14 Plus, you can get the same size screen without having to pay for fancy features you might not want or need. As a bonus, its thermal management is even better than the standard model, so you almost never have to worry about getting sweaty hands.
I’m still a little bummed that it seems like the Mini line had to die to make way for the Plus, because then the iPhone family would have a truly great range of sizes and prices. I should also point out that Google offers a similarly sized screen and a dedicated telephoto lens for the same price in the Pixel 6 Pro (and soon, the Pixel 7 Pro, probably). But I know asking longtime Apple users to switch OSes is pointless. So for all the iPhone fans who just want a familiar device with a bigger screen and outstanding battery life, well then you’re in luck because the 14 Plus is your new champion.
Joseph Sullivan, who used to serve as Uber’s security chief, was convicted of federal charges for hiding a 2016 data breach from authorities. According to The New York Times, a jury in a San Francisco federal court has found Sullivan guilty of obstructing the FTC’s ongoing investigation into Uber at the time for another breach that occurred in 2014. He was also found guilty of actively hiding a felony from authorities. Sullivan’s case, believed to be the first time an executive has faced criminal charges over a hack, revolves around how the former executive dealt with the bad actors who infiltrated Uber’s Amazon server and demanded $100,000 from the company.
The hackers got in touch with Uber shortly after Sullivan sat for a deposition with the FTC for its investigation of the 2014 cybersecurity incident. They told him they found a security vulnerability that allowed them to download the personal data of 600,000 drivers and additional information linked to 57 million drivers and passengers. As The Washington Post reports, it was revealed later on that the hackers found a digital key that they used to get into Uber’s Amazon account. There, they found an unencrypted backup collection of personal data on passengers and drivers.
Sullivan pointed them to the company’s bug bounty program, which had a max payout of $10,000. The hackers wanted at least $100,000, however, and threatened to release the data they’d stolen if Uber didn’t pay up. The former security chief paid them the amount they demanded in bitcoin and made it appear as if they’d been paid under the bug bounty program — an action reportedly sanction by then Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick. He also tracked them down and made them sign nondisclosure agreements.
The former executive’s camp argued that Sullivan felt Uber’s user data was protected after the hackers signed an NDA. “Mr. Sullivan believed that their customers’ data was safe and that this was not some incident that needed to be reported. There was no coverup and there was no obstruction,” his lawyer David Angeli said. But prosecutors disagreed and viewed his use of NDAs as a way to cover up the incident. Further, they stressed that the incident shouldn’t have been qualified for a payout under the bug bounty program, which is meant to reward friendly security researchers, when the bad actors threatened to release users’ personal information if they didn’t get paid the amount they wanted.
In the end, the jury agreed with the prosecutors that Sullivan should have notified the FTC about the data breach. It wasn’t until Dara Khosrowshahi took over as CEO that the FTC was informed of the event. A sentence hasn’t been handed down yet, but Sullivan now faces five years in prison for obstruction and up to three more years for failing to report a felony.
