Ring is rebranding its subscription products, ditching Ring Protect in favor of Ring Home, and to celebrate its bringing some new features along. The most notable change is the addition of 24/7 recording if you own select wired video doorbells, ensuring you dont miss anything if a motion alert wasnt triggered. Youll also get video clip previews sent through push notifications, rather than having to wait for the app to open.
In addition, users can now get Extended and Continuous Live View options for their cameras, letting them keep an eye on whats going on when they need it. Extended Live View, for instance, will up the time limit on watching a camera from 10 minutes to 30, while Continuous removes the limit altogether. Youll also get Doorbell Calls, which triggers a phone call thatll connect straight to your smartphone when someones at the door.
The prices for each of the new Ring Home tiers will remain the same as their Ring Protect predecessors, at last for now. Home Basic is $4.99 a month, while Home Standard is $9.99/month, and Home Premium is $19.99/month. Unsurprisingly, Extended Live View and Doorbell Calls are available at the Standard tier, while the Continuous Live View and 24/7 recording are unlocked at the Premium level.
As for why the tiers were changed, it's to enable users to bolt-on additional packages from Ring's growing ecosystem of security products. It says that, when the change kicks in on November 5th, you'll be able to add Virtual Security Guard and Alarm Professional Monitoring to the same plan. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/ring-brings-247-recording-to-some-of-its-wired-cameras-130003545.html?src=rss
You'd think making a good digital picture frame would be easy. All you need is a good screen and a seamless way to get images to the device. Combine that with an inoffensive, frame-like design and you're good to go.Despite that, Amazon is positively littered with scads of digital photo frames and I can tell you that many of them are awful. It's basically the 2020s version of what we saw with knock-off iPods back in the 2000s. There are loads of options that draw you in with a low price but deliver a totally subpar experience that will prompt you to shove the thing in a drawer and forget about it.The good news is that you only need to find one smart photo frame that works. From there, you can have a pretty delightful experience. If you're anything like me, you have thousands of photos on your phone of friends, family, pets, vacation spots, perhaps some lattes or plates of pasta and much more. Too often, those photos stay siloed on our phones, not shared with others or enjoyed on a larger scale. And sure, I can look at my photos on my laptop or an iPad, but there's something enjoyable about having a dedicated place for these things. After all, there's a reason photo frames exist in the first place, right? I tested out seven smart photo frames to weed through the junk and find the best digital frames worth buying.
What to look for in digital picture frames
While a digital photo frame feels like a simple piece of tech, there are a number of things I considered when trying to find one worth displaying in my home. First and foremost was display quality and size. I was surprised to learn that most digital photo frames have a resolution around 1,200 x 800, which feels positively pixelated in 2024. (That's for frames with screen sizes in the nine- to ten-inch range, which is primarily what I considered for this guide.)
But after trying a bunch of frames, I realized that resolution is not the most important factor; my favorite frame has a 1,280 x 800 resolution. More important than sheer pixel density are things like reflectivity, brightness, viewing angles, color temperature and so forth. A lot of these digital photo frames were lacking in one or more of these factors; they often didn't deal with reflections well or had poor viewing angles.
A lot of frames I tested felt cheap and looked ugly as well. That includes lousy stands, overly glossy plastic parts and design decisions I can only describe as strange, particularly for items that are meant to just blend into your home. The best digital photo frames don't call attention to themselves and look like an actual dumb frame.
Perhaps the most important thing outside of the display, though, is the software. Let me be blunt: a number of frames I tested had absolutely atrocious companion apps and software experiences that I would not wish on anyone. One that I tried did not have a touchscreen, but did have an IR remote (yes, like the one you controlled your TV with 30 years ago). Trying to use that to get on a Wi-Fi network was painful, and when I tried instead to use a QR code, I was linked to a Google search for random numbers instead of an actual app or website. I gave up on that frame, the $140 PixStar, on the spot.
Other things were more forgivable. A lot of the frames out there are basically Android tablets with a bit of custom software slapped on the top, which worked fine but wasn't terribly elegant. And having to interact with the photo frame via touch wasn't great because you end up with fingerprints all over the display. The best frames I tried were smart about what features you could control on the frame itself vs. through an app, the latter of which is my preferred method.
Another important software note: many frames I tried require subscriptions for features that absolutely should be included out of the box. For example, one frame would only let me upload 10 photos at a time without a subscription. Others would let you link a Google Photos account, but you could only sync a single album without paying up. Yet another option didn't let you create albums to organize the photos that were on the frame it was just a giant scroll of photos with no way to give them order.
I can understand why certain things might go under a subscription, like if you're getting a large amount of cloud storage, for example. But these subscriptions feel like ways for companies to make recurring revenue from a product made so cheaply they can't make any money on the frame itself. I'd urge you to make sure your chosen frame doesn't require a subscription (neither of the frames I recommend in this guide need a subscription for any of their features), especially if you plan on giving this device as a gift.
How much should you spend on a digital picture frame
For a frame with a nine- or ten-inch display, expect to spend at least $100. Our budget recommendation is $99, and all of the options I tried that were cheaper were not nearly good enough to recommend. Spending $150 to $180 will get you a significantly nicer experience in all facets, from software to design to screen quality.
The best digital picture frames for 2024
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-digital-frame-120046051.html?src=rss
Microsoft is discontinuing production of its HoloLens 2 headset, according a report from UploadVR. The company has no plans for a follow-up device, telling customers this will be the last chance to purchase the headset before stock runs out. At launch, it was advertised as a device for enterprise consumers, so it never really entered the mass market. The move isnt that surprising, considering Microsoft scrapped plans for a HoloLens 3 headset back in 2022. Were waiting for the official line from the company.
Its not exactly indicative of a death knell for VR and AR, though. Apples Vision Pro isnt yet a year old, while Meta and Snap have both announced new glasses hardware in the last month. However, those last two companies take on AR are substantially smaller (and lighter) than the HoloLens if not exactly subtle.
Mat Smith
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Watch it here.
Netflix
Netflix has finally shared a full-length trailer ahead of Squid Games second season premier on December 26, calling for viewers to Get back in the game. It centers on the mysterious salesperson from the start of the series, reprised by Gong Yoo and he wants to play again.
Continue reading.
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Its a leap ahead of its rivals.
Engadget
reMarkables new pro e-paper tablet has a color screen, creating a best-in-class distraction-free writing experience. Combined with a stylus and a folio keyboard, its built for ideas and writing. Is it as powerful as an iPad? No. Is it expensive? Yes.
Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-microsoft-is-killing-off-hololens-2-111629324.html?src=rss
Women of color running for Congress in 2024 have faced a disproportionate number of attacks on X compared with other candidates, according to a new report from the nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and the University of Pittsburgh.
The report sought to compare the levels of offensive speech and hate speech that different groups of Congressional candidates are targeted with based on race and gender, with a particular emphasis on women of color. To do this, the reports authors analyzed 800,000 tweets that covered a three-month period between May 20 and August 23 of this year. That dataset represented all posts mentioning a candidate running for Congress with an account on X.
The reports authors found that more than 20 percent of posts directed at Black and Asian women candidates contained offensive language about the candidate. It also found that Black women in particular were targeted with hate speech more often compared with other candidates.
On average, less than 1% of all tweets that mentioned a candidate contained hate speech, the report says. However, we found that African-American women candidates were more likely than any other candidate to be subject to this type of post (4%). That roughly lines up with Xs recent transparency report the companys first since Elon Musk took over the company which said that rule-breaking content accounts for less than 1 percent of all posts on its platform.
Notably, the CDTs report analyzed both hate speech which ostensibly violates Xs policies and offensive speech, which the report defined as words or phrases that demean, threaten, insult, or ridicule a candidate. While the latter category may not be against Xs rules, the report notes that the volume of suck attacks could still deter women of color from running for office. It recommends that X and other platforms take specific measures to counteract such effects.
This should include clear policies that prohibit attacks against someone based on race or gender, greater transparency into how their systems address these types of attacks, better reporting tools and means for accountability, regular risk assessments with an emphasis on race and gender, and privacy preserving mechanisms for independent researchers to conduct studies using their data. The consequences of the status-quo where women of color candidates are targeted with significant attacks online at much higher rates than other candidates creates an immense barrier to creating a truly inclusive democracy.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/women-of-color-running-for-congress-are-attacked-disproportionately-on-x-report-finds-043206066.html?src=rss
Juno, a widely praised (unofficial) YouTube app for Vision Pro, has been removed from Apples App Store after complaints from Google, according to an update from Junos developer Christian Selig. Google, Selig says, suggested that his app violates their trademark.
Its the latest setback for Selig, who shut down his popular Reddit client Apollo last year after the company changed its developer policies to charge for use of its API. The shutdown of Apollo and other apps like it ignited a sitewide protest from Reddit users and moderators.
This time, Selig says he doesnt want drama, noting the $5 app was a hobby project for him to tinker with developing for visionOS. I really enjoyed building Juno, but it was always something I saw as fundamentally a little app I built for fun, Selig wrote on his website. Because of that, I have zero desire to spin this into a massive fight akin to what happened with Reddit years ago.
Its unclear what aspect of Juno may have been the issue. Selig says that Google referenced its trademarks and iconography in a message to Apple, stating that Juno does not adhere to YouTube guidelines and modifies the website in a way thats not permitted. I dont personally agree with this, as Juno is just a web view, and acts as little more than a browser extension that modifies CSS to make the website and video player look more visionOS like, Selig explains. No logos are placed other than those already on the website, and the for YouTube suffix is permitted in their branding guidelines.
Google hasnt made its own YouTube app for Vision Pro, though the company said in February such an app was on our roadmap. The company didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.
Selig says that people who have already paid for the app should be able to keep using it for the time being, though theres a chance a future YouTube update could end up bricking it.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/google-allegedly-got-the-juno-youtube-app-removed-from-the-vision-pro-app-store-232155656.html?src=rss
Meta has been steadily improving Threads compatibility with the fediverse over the last year. Now, the company is taking another significant step with an update that allows users to see more details about their followers and interactions with people from other servers across the fediverse.
Up to now, Threads has surfaced replies from Mastodon and other servers, and has alerted users to likes on their posts from other fediverse apps. But there was no way for a Threads user to see details about their followers from those services. Thats now changing, Adam Mosseri explained in a post.
With the update, anyone who has opted-in to fediverse sharing on Threads will be able to see a detailed list of their followers from other servers and view their profiles. This will give people on Threads a better sense of their reach and audience on Mastodon and other apps.
Threads fediverse support is still somewhat limited overall. Users still cant reply to replies that originate on apps outside of Threads, and theres no way to search for people on other servers from Threads. Theres also still a delay in cross-posting; it will now take 15 minutes for a post from Threads to appear as Meta also expanded the edit window for posts.
Elsewhere, third-party developers are also making it easier for users who want to post on multiple decentralized services. A new app called Croissant enables cross-posting to Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky all at once. The paid app, first spotted by TechCrunch, aims to replicate the functionality of enterprise social media management apps like Buffer.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-will-show-how-many-followers-you-have-in-the-fediverse-215441432.html?src=rss
Nintendo has shuttered another emulator, this time putting an end to Ryujinx. The program was an open-source emulator for playing Nintendo Switch games on Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems. A message shared today with the emulator's Discord server stated that the developer was contacted by Nintendo with a deal to cease work on the project. No additional details were given about the conditions of that agreement. The same message was also posted on X:
pic.twitter.com/2Ggt9SWoDI Ryujinx (@RyujinxEmu) October 1, 2024
The emulator will still function for anyone already running it, but the Github repository has been removed. Ryujinx also made some headlines last month for running the new Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom game at more than 120 frames per second, vastly outstripping the Switch's capabilities.
Nintendo has taken an aggressive stance on emulators, even teaming up with a cybersecurity firm in 2023 to try and curb game piracy. Ryujinx is one of the more popular emulators it has taken on, but the game company also reached a $2.4 million settlement with the emulator Yuzu in March. It issued a whopping 8,535 DMCA takedowns in May to try and remove all the Yuzu code hosted across different Github repositories.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/switch-emulator-ryujinx-is-kaput-after-nintendo-pressure-211524968.html?src=rss
A new joint venture between Ubers Serve Robotics sidewalk delivery drones and Alphabets Wing flying drone service will do a dual test run. Both tech companies hope that flying and sidewalk drones can cover areas its counterpart cant and speed up delivery times.
TechCrunch reported that Serve Robotics and Wing will start making deliveries in Dallas, Texas sometime in the coming months. The test will include a select number of customer orders being delivered by a combination of sidewalk and flying drones.
One of the biggest challenges for drone delivery is coverage. Flying drones can only travel a certain distance away from its headquarters. Sidewalk drones can find it hard to navigate densely populated areas and certain rocky terrains. Drone companies often have to upgrade their facilities to meet these distances and obstacles.
Wing
Serve Robotics and Wings idea is to use both types of drones for delivering orders to cover areas traditional delivery services cannot. A Serve bot picks up the order from a restaurant and carts the food to an AutoLoader where the Wing drone, a flying drone that can carry five pounds and fly at speeds up to 65 mph, picks up the order and completes the delivery.
Its not known which restaurants or merchants will be part of the test, the areas in Dallas where the drones will deliver orders and any post-test plans for the new drone delivery fleet. Serve Robotics makes deliveries for 300 restaurants in Los Angeles. Wing also works with Walmart in Dallas and participated in a pilot program with DoorDash and Wendys in Virginia.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/uber-and-wing-will-partner-for-drone-delivery-pilot-in-dallas-205628584.html?src=rss
An early Amazon Prime Day deal lets you save $40 on the Ninja Creami Deluxe ice cream maker. The 11-in-1 kitchen accessory, one of our favorite kitchen gadgets, is on sale for only $210 (usually $250).
The Creami is based on a patent for an innovation previously only found in the restaurant biz. Once it expired, Ninja leaped at the chance to incorporate its design into a relatively affordable consumer product. The result is fast, easy and surprisingly yummy ice cream made from home.
Instead of the churning method used in most ice cream makers, the Ninja Creami uses a drill-like utensil to blend a frozen liquid base into a tasty dessert. Although its pretty loud while doing its thing, its still quieter than most countertop blenders and only stays noisy for a few minutes.
When reviewing the standard Creami model (this Deluxe one includes extra containers and settings), Engadgets Sam Rutherford concluded that tasting its resulting ice cream was the best part. It produces desserts with intense flavors and smooth textures. This higher-end model also makes smoothies and Frappuccino-style coffee drinks.
Because the base is spun instead of churned, theres less air inside your finished product, our reviewer wrote. This is good because it increases flavor intensity and delivers a slightly denser, more luxurious mouthfeel. Its almost closer to a frozen custard than ice cream.
You can get the Ninja Creami Deluxe right now on Amazon for $210.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice in the lead up to October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/save-40-on-the-ninja-creami-ice-cream-maker-with-this-prime-day-deal-195620493.html?src=rss
Devolver Digital puts out a lot of good games and its looking to spread that magic around to licensed content. The company just announced a sub-label called Big Fan Games that will specialize in developing indie titles based on pre-existing IPs.
Devolver describes Big Fan Games as a brand new label giving developers license to create original game adaptations using the worlds and characters of iconic film, television, and comic properties. To that end, the team is staffed with industry veterans who have worked with companies like Disney and Dark Horse Comics.
Announcement time.Today we launch Big Fan ( @BigFanPresents ) - a brand new label giving developers license to create original game adaptations using the worlds and characters of iconic film, television, and comic properties. pic.twitter.com/A6h3IGOk3p Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital) October 1, 2024
The label already has a few games in its library, all of them based on pre-existing IPs. These titles include Reigns: Game of Thrones, Hellboy Web of Wyrd and John Wick Hex. These games were already released before being moved to the new label. For instance, Reigns: Game of Thrones came out six years ago, but back then it was published by Devolver. John Wick Hex came out in 2019 and Hellboy Web of Wyrd hit digital store shelves last year.
Todays announcement doesnt bring any new games, but the company website currently features a big coming soon tab, though its currently empty. We should expect some reveals in the near future. Big Fan Games wrote in a press release that its goal is to nurture fun and inventive games that stand on their own, rather than serving as marketing tie-ins for other media launches.
Licensed games have been hit and miss since the dawn of modern gaming. For every DuckTales, theres a Superman 64. Recent releases, however, have been well-received. Respawns Star Wars games were bona-fide hits, as was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredders Revenge.
While we dont know what Devolver and Big Fan Games are cooking up, we do know of some upcoming licensed games. MachineGames will release Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on December 9 and Arkane Lyon is busy working on a game based on Marvels Blade.
I personally think its pretty great that Big Fan Games will give indie developers a chance to work on licensed properties. To that end, the company encourages developers to reach out with ideas for a licensed game. "Have a favorite game youve always dreamed of rebooting or a cult classic film or book you'd love to see adapted into a game? Wed love to hear from you," the studio writes on its website. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/devolver-has-a-new-publishing-label-for-licensed-indie-games-183352439.html?src=rss
