Acer’s cloud gaming Chromebook is a solid laptop, even if you don’t game

Earlier this week, Google and hardware partners ASUS, Acer and Lenovo announced a somewhat surprising initiative to build Chromebooks expressly for cloud gaming. While many Chromebooks are a riff on the classic 13-inch laptop, the first round of these …

Google Fiber will offer 5Gbps and 8Gbps internet plans in early 2023

Google Fiber’s sudden revival will include a dramatic boost to internet speeds. Google has revealed that it will offer 5Gbps and 8Gbps plans in early 2023 at respective monthly rates of $125 and $150. Both tiers will include symmetric upload and download rates, a WiFi 6 router and up to two mesh network extenders. The upgrades should help with massive file transfers while keeping lag and jittering to a bare minimum, according to the company.

Current customers, particularly in Kansas City, Utah and West Des Moines, can try the speedier plans as soon as November if they sign up to become “trusted testers.” If you’re eligible, Google will ask you how you expect to use the extra bandwidth.

This is a big jump from the previous-best 2Gbps service Google introduced in 2020, and could make a big difference if you’re a gamer or thrive on cloud computing. If a 150GB Microsoft Flight Simulator download takes 11 minutes at 2Gbps, the 8Gbps plan could cut that wait to less than three minutes in ideal conditions. It certainly makes typical cable internet plans seem expensive. Comcast is already offering 6Gbps service in some areas, for instance, but that costs $300 per month on contract and doesn’t yet include symmetric uploads.

Either way, the new plans represent a declaration of intent. Alongside the first network expansions in five years, the upgraded speeds suggest Google is getting back to Fiber’s roots. That is, it’s both raising expectations for truly fast internet access and (to a degree) spurring competition among incumbent providers. This could help Google pitch its other services, of course, but you might not mind if it gives telecoms an extra incentive to roll out ’10G’ and similar upgrades sooner than they might have otherwise.

iRobot’s Roomba 694 is on sale for $199, plus the rest of the week’s best tech deals

While most of the Prime Early Access Sale deals have come and gone, there are a few sales still thriving on Amazon. Google’s Pixel 6a smartphone remains down to one of the best prices we’ve seen, while one of our favorite budget robot vacuums is close …

Apple’s mixed reality headset reportedly uses iris scanning for payments and sign-ins

Apple’s long-rumored AR/VR headset may have a few extra tricks. The Information‘s sources claim the mixed reality hardware will use iris scanning for signing in and making payments. This would make it easier to buy apps and could even simplify multi-user support, according to the tipsters. Apple has declined to comment, but it reportedly bought eye-tracking glasses creator SensoMotorics in 2017 with the headset in mind. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also said in 2021 that Primax would supply the eye tracking modules, and that they support iris detection.

The headset might also have a few advantages over Meta’s just-announced Quest Pro. Two of the previously claimed 14 cameras will supposedly track your legs, giving it an advantage in full-body tracking versus the 10-camera Meta device (which doesn’t have leg-focused cams). The goggle-like design’s combination of aluminum, fabric and glass is also said to be lighter than the 1.6-pound Quest Pro, although the tipsters didn’t say by how much.

Past rumors also hinted at other premium features, including very high-resolution displays, detailed face expression tracking and even a way to magnetically clip on custom prescription lenses. The headset might be powered by the M2 chip in recent Macs, but could use a low display refresh rate to extend battery life at the expense of a more natural-feeling experience.

Numerous reported leaks have pointed to a headset launch sometime in 2023. The question is whether or not any final product will be accessible. More than one rumor has floated a price tag as high as $3,000. You might get more features than the $1,500 Quest Pro, but you’d also pay for them. Even more so than with Meta’s hardware, that pricing could limit the initial Apple headset’s audience to developers and other pro creators.

The best fitness trackers for 2022

The fitness tracker isn’t dead, and if you’re reading this, you’re probably one of the people keeping these little devices alive. Smartwatches like the Apple Watch and the Samsung Galaxy Watch have all but taken over the mainstream wearable space, but …

The Morning After: Netflix with ads launches on November 3rd

Netflix’s ad-supported tier finally has a release date. The new Basic with Ads plan will be available November 3rd from 12 PM ET for $7 per month in the US. It launches at the start of November in 11 other countries: the UK, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Canada (November 1st), Mexico (November 1st) and Spain (November 10th).

The ads will run for an average of four to five minutes per hour, and you’ll be limited to 720p/HD resolution. That’s not the only limitation: Licensing will also prevent you from watching certain movies and TV shows on the ad plan.

While we don’t know what kinds of ads you’ll get, we do know they’ll initially be 15- to 30-second spots and will play both before and during shows. There’ll be “broad” targeting for those ads based on criteria like your country and the content genres you watch.

That list of caveats might stop existing Netflix subscribers from downgrading (the Basic plan starts at $10), but it could convince folks with other video subscriptions – or a lapsed Netflix sub – to start paying again.

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Microsoft Office is dead. Long live Microsoft 365

Because it’s more than just Word and Excel.

Back in 2020, Microsoft announced it would change the name of its Office 365 subscription to Microsoft 365, acknowledging it had become more than just a work app. Now, it’s removing most of the remaining Office branding. “In the coming months, Office.com, the Office mobile app and the Office app for Windows will become the Microsoft 365 app, with a new icon, a new look and even more features,” an FAQ says.

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Sony and Honda will open pre-orders for their first EV in 2025

Their joint company aims to make the first deliveries in the US by 2026.

Sony and Honda have announced they’ll open pre-orders for their first electric vehicle model in the first half of 2025. Their joint venture, Sony Honda Mobility Inc., hopes to begin deliveries in the US by spring 2026. The companies didn’t give us a glimpse of the vehicle they’re working on during the event, and they didn’t mention anything about its pricing or its battery technology and range. They did say, however, they’re planning to focus on online sales, like Tesla.

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Microsoft accuses UK regulator of adopting Sony’s complaints in Activision probe

The regulator focused on ‘Call of Duty.’

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Activision Blizzard

Microsoft’s $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard will have to gain approval from various regulators around the world before the deal can go through, including the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA has recommended a more in-depth inquiry. Shortly after the CMA published its decision, Microsoft accused the regulator of relying “on self-serving statements by Sony.” In a response it shared with Ars Technica, the tech giant said the CMA’s decision was rooted in the concern that Activision’s catalog of games, specifically the Call of Duty franchise, will allow Xbox to “foreclose its competitors.” Microsoft called that concern “misplaced.”

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Sony’s ZV-1F is its most affordable vlogging camera yet

At $500, it’s designed as a smartphone step-up cam.

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Sony

Sony has unveiled the ZV-1F, its third and most affordable vlogging camera. At just $500, it’s slotted below the $700 ZV-1 compact, with a Type-1 Exmor 20.1-megapixel sensor, 4K video and a raft of Sony camera features. Those include the “product showcase” feature, which lets you place a product in front of the camera to quickly get focus and background defocus, for quick-and-easy bokeh backgrounds. And a new Shot Mark feature lets you grab a 15-, 30- or 60-second clip and send it to a smartphone. The camera arrives on October 24th.

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The best smart light bulbs for 2022

Ditch the dumb bulbs for ones you can control from anywhere.

One of the best places to start when building a smart home ecosystem is smart light bulbs. Not only are they relatively affordable compared to other IoT gadgets, often costing between $10 and $50 a bulb, but they can also completely change the feel of your home. And there are now more players in smart lighting than ever before. Here are our top picks.

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Framework is selling refurbished versions of its modular laptops

Framework, which make modular, easy-to-repair laptops with the idea of reducing e-waste, is now selling refurbished models. They come from “the small number of returns we get from our 30-day return guarantee,” and promise a like-new laptop with decent specs, a full guarantee and a discount from all-new models. The company is also selling refurbished version of its expansions packs (USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, etc.)

The returns go through a detailed testing process, and the company replaces any parts that fail to meet its specifications. They’re then tested to confirm functionality and cleaned. There are what Framework calls “cosmetic limitations,” but the company has set “pretty stringent” limits for the initial set of refurbed laptops.

Framework starts selling refurbished versions of its modular laptops
Framework

The cheapest refurbished model available has an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor for $600, without memory, storage, WiFi, a power adapter, the OS and expansion cards. In comparison, the same model new costs $680. With 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, 1TB of storage, WiFi, a power adapter and a refurbished expansion card pack (2 USB-C, 1 USB-A and 1 HDMI), you’re looking at $905 in total — not bad for a decently equipped laptop that’s easy to repair and upgrade. The other options are a Core i7-1165G7 model for $800 and a Core i7-1185G7 model for $1,069.

Allowing the sale of previously purchased devices is part of the company’s pledge to “remake consumer electronics to respect people and the planet,” while letting buyers contribute to the circular economy. The refurbished program is only available in Canada and the US so far — it hasn’t received enough returns to launch the program in Europe yet.

Framework has always said that it wants to sell PCs to compete with models like the Surface Laptop or Dell XPS 13, and spec-wise, its latest 12th-generation Intel models are at least competitive. And so far, the company has offered mainboard updates you can install yourself, should you desire more performance down the road. In any case, most buyers will likely be just as interested in playing a part in reducing e-waste, and the refurbished models give Framework another way to do that.

Apple slapped with a $19 million fine in Brazil for not selling iPhones with a charger

Apple keeps on losing court battles in Brazil over its decision to stop shipping iPhones with a charger. The São Paulo state court has ruled against the tech giant and slapped it with a 100 million real ($19 million) fine in a lawsuit filed by the Brazilian Consumers’ Association, a group of borrowers, consumers and taxpayers. In addition, the court has ordered Apple to supply all customers in Brazil who purchased the iPhone 12 or 13 over the past couple of years with a charger, as well as to start including them with all new purchases. Apple, as you’d expect, told the news organization that it will appeal the decision. 

According to Barron’s, the judge in charge of the case called the non-inclusion of chargers in phone purchases an “abusive practice” that “requires consumers to purchase a second product in order for the first to work.” Apple has been at odds with Brazilian authorities over the issue for a while now. In 2021, São Paulo consumer protection agency Procon-SP fined Apple around $2 million for removing the power adapter from the iPhone 12, telling the company that it was in violation of Brazil’s Consumer Defense Code.

This September, the country’s Ministry of Justice issued an order that bans Apple from selling iPhones that don’t come with a charger. It also fined the company another $2.38 million and ordered the cancelation of iPhone 12’s registration with Brazil’s national telecoms agency. The tech giant is also appealing that decision. 

Apple stopped bundling its iPhones with power adapters back in 2020 with the release of iPhone 12. The company cited environmental concerns for removing chargers with every purchase of the device and claimed that the decision will save 861,000 tons of copper, zinc and tin. The Brazilian Ministry of Justice remained unmoved by that reasoning, telling Apple that it could help the environment in other ways, such as giving its devices USB-C support. In Europe, Apple has a couple of years to do just that after the European Parliament voted to make USB-C the common charging standard in the EU. Mobile devices like the iPhone sold in the region will have to come with USB-C charging posts by the end of 2024.