The post Apple’s OLED iPad Pro may come packing an M4 chip and an emphasis on AI appeared first on Best News.
]]>“I believe Apple will position the tablet as its first truly AI-powered device — and that it will tout each new product from then on as an AI device,” Gurman wrote. Doing it this way for the May 7 event would set the stage for Apple to go all-in on AI at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. This all builds on Gurman’s previous reports that Apple has been in talks with OpenAI and Google to potentially tap their AI tech for new features with iOS 18.
The “Let Loose” product showcase is also expected to bring updates to the iPad Air and iPad accessories like the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil. According to Gurman, the upcoming Apple Pencil may introduce haptic feedback.
The post Apple’s OLED iPad Pro may come packing an M4 chip and an emphasis on AI appeared first on Best News.
]]>The post The Morning After: How many Vision Pro headsets has Apple sold? appeared first on Best News.
]]>Hah, no. As Sam Rutherford laid out just before the weekend, while reports and rumors can’t nail exact numbers, based on financial figures from Apple’s last earnings, Vision Pro sales likely equate to around one percent of the company’s revenue. It’s almost as if early Vision Pro sales numbers don’t matter. Remember: The first iPhone wasn’t great either.
— Mat Smith
The biggest stories you might have missed
Apple’s OLED iPad Pro may pack an M4 chip and AI tricks
Playing Fire Emblem Engage on easy mode got me back into gaming
Budget doorbell camera manufacturer fixes security issues that left users vulnerable to spying
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Drake deletes his AI-generated Tupac track after legal threat
He deepfakes Shakur and Snoop Dogg’s voices to diss Kendrick Lamar.
Drake has deleted an X post with his track “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which used an AI-generated recreation of Tupac Shakur’s voice to needle Kendrick Lamar. The takedown came after an attorney representing the late hip-hop legend’s estate threatened to sue the Canadian rapper for his “unauthorized” use of Tupac’s voice. Drake used Snoop Dogg’s voice too, but… he’s still alive.
Aaron Sorkin is working on a Social Network sequel focused on January 6
He blames Facebook for the Capitol attack.
Aaron Sorkin has announced he’s writing a follow-up script to The Social Network, once again about Facebook / Meta but with a fun, miserable focus on the January 6 insurrection attempt. Sorkin is cagey on the actual details of the new script but pretty much lays the blame for the attack at Meta’s feet. Sorkin hasn’t announced a partnership with any studio to make the film, but my big question: Who’s going to play Trump?
Nikon’s Z8 is a phenomenal mirrorless camera for the price
A cheaper alternative to Sony’s A1.
Nikon is arguably the world’s most famous camera brand, but with the decline of DSLRs, it has struggled. In 2022, it released the Z9, a flagship mirrorless camera that could finally hold its own against rivals, but the $5,500 price tag put it out of reach for most. Now, we’re testing the Z8, which has the same sensor and specs for $1,700. The Z8 may also be better than Sony’s A1 for many hybrid shooters, particularly for video. But don’t ask me: Check out Steve Dent’s full test-shoot right here.
The post The Morning After: How many Vision Pro headsets has Apple sold? appeared first on Best News.
]]>The post The best high school graduation gifts in 2024 appeared first on Best News.
]]> Quick Overview
Anker Soundcore Space A40
$59 at Amazon$100 at NeweggSee more options
OluKai Kipuka Hulu Slippers
Instant Pot Vortex Mini Air Fryer (4-in-1, 2-quart)
Tomtoc Defender-A13 Laptop Sleeve
Anker 733 Power Bank
LapGear Designer Lap Desk
Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand
Roku Streaming Stick 4K
Timbuk2 Lane Commuter Laptop Backpack
Blue Apron gift card
Bookshop.org gift card
Hulken Bag
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
$15 at Xbox$15 at AmazonSee more options
Away Carry-On
Moshi Digits
YouTube Premium
$14/month at YouTubeMore options
GrubHub Gift Card
$50 at Amazon$50 at GrubHubSee more optionsSee 12 more
Anker Soundcore Space A40
If your grad needs a new set of wireless earbuds that’ll work during the commute, at the gym or just while listening to music at home, the Anker Soundcore Space A40 should satisfy. The top pick in our budget wireless earbuds guide, this set is compact and comfortable, with a pleasantly bassy sound and strong active noise cancellation. It doesn’t have the best mics for phone calls, but it gets a good eight hours of battery life per charge, and it can connect to multiple devices simultaneously. Provided your grad doesn’t insist on getting AirPods, it should be a great value for you as well, as it usually costs around $60.
$59 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$100 at NeweggOluKai
OluKai Kipuka Hulu Slippers
For keeping warm during the cold winter months or simply not walking around the dorm barefoot, a set of OluKai slippers should be a great gift to make your grad’s day-to-day more comfortable. The Kipuka Hulu (for men) and Ku’una (for women) both slip over the whole foot easily and have delightfully soft interiors (the latter has a bit more fuzz around the heel). Both have simple yet attractive leather exteriors, plus sturdy rubber outsoles that will allow your grad to make quick jaunts to the bodega or around campus with minimal discomfort.
$130 at OluKaiInstant Pot
Instant Pot Vortex Mini Air Fryer (4-in-1, 2-quart)
An air fryer is a no-go in many college dorms, but for grads moving into a new apartment, it’s a fast and accessible tool for cooking many smaller meals. Among these, the Instant Pot Vortex Mini is a good option for cramped living spaces that we recommend in our guide to the best air fryers. It’s a two-quart model that takes up very little countertop space, and while it can’t cook a ton of food at once, it can still prepare things like wings, tofu and roasted veggies with minimal fuss. Its controls and pre-programmed settings are all dead simple to operate, and like most air fryers, it’s not a pain to clean. For grads who could use something beyond a microwave, it should make meal time easier. If you’d rather buy something bigger, consider the top pick in our guide, the Instant Vortex Plus.
$40 at Amazontomtoc
Tomtoc Defender-A13 Laptop Sleeve
Having a dedicated sleeve for their laptop can give your grad an extra bit of protection for one of the most important (and expensive) gadgets they have to carry around every day. There are a ton of suitable options here, but we’ve found Tomtoc’s Defender A-13 series to offer a tight yet secure fit, enough protection to fend off scuffs and scratches and enough water resistance to withstand spilled drinks. Plus, it has a pouch for holding accessories. Several colors and sizes are available, and at $30, it’s relatively affordable.
$27 at AmazonAnker
Anker 733 Power Bank
A portable power bank will keep your grad’s devices alive while they’re out of the house (and save you a little stress in the process). Anker’s 733 Power Bank is a particularly versatile take on the concept, as it can plug into an outlet and double as a wall charger. It has two USB-C ports and a USB-A port, so your grad can top up multiple devices at once. In wall-charger mode, it can deliver up to 65W of power, which is enough to charge some smaller laptops. As a portable battery, this drops to 30W, but that’s still enough to charge any iPhone at full speed. The 733 itself is fairly compact given its functionality, but if you think your grad would prefer something more pocketable, the Anker 511 Power Bank is a much smaller 2-in-1 option that we recommend in our guide to the best power banks.
$100 at AmazonLapGear
LapGear Designer Lap Desk
When your grad doesn’t feel like sitting at their actual desk, a lap desk can make working from the couch more comfortable. If nothing else, it’s a more organized solution than having them prop their laptop up on a throw pillow. If you think the graduate in your life could use one of these, the LapGear Designer is a fine choice. Its underside is soft yet stable, while its smooth top surface is easy to clean and large enough to fit a 17-inch laptop. There’s a stop at the bottom that helps keep their stuff from sliding off when the desk is slanted at an angle, as well as an elastic band for holding pens and notepads and a storage slot for phones. The accessory only weighs about two pounds on its own, while a built-in handle makes it easier to carry around.
$34 at Amazon
Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand
Belkin’s BoostCharge Pro is a sturdy wireless charger that can refill an iPhone, an Apple Watch and a set of AirPods (or any other wireless earbuds) at the same time. It supplies up to 15W of power to an iPhone, which is the fastest rate possible for this kind of device, and its MagSafe-compatible mount makes it all but impossible to align the device incorrectly. It also just looks nice, with a slick metal branch that extends from its base and makes the phone and watch look as if they’re floating in the air. If your giftee is all-in on Apple gear, it should be a stylish yet practical addition to their nightstand.
$127 at AmazonWill Lipman Photography for Engadget
Roku Streaming Stick 4K
It’s 2024, so we’re guessing there’s a good chance your grad won’t be subscribing to cable once they get an apartment. If that’s the case, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is a speedy and uncomplicated way to get streaming apps on their TV. It performs well, it’s dead simple to navigate and it supports just about all of the major services (Twitch aside). It also works with Apple AirPlay, so your grad can beam shows to it directly from an iPhone. An Apple TV 4K is faster and less ad-heavy if you can afford it, but the Roku stick gets most of the way there for less than half the price, and its smaller design is much more convenient for travel.
$48 at AmazonTimbuk2
Timbuk2 Lane Commuter Laptop Backpack
There are any number of backpacks that could work for a graduate in need of a bag refresh, but Timbuk2’s Lane Commuter Backpack is one we’ve recommended before. This 18-liter bag isn’t the largest pack, but it’s light, comfy and sturdily constructed, with a pair of bottle holders, a compartment for a 15-inch laptop and enough pockets for carrying the essentials to work or class. It has reflective panels on the front and shoulder straps to keep itself visible at night, and while it’s water-resistant on its own, it comes with a removable sleeve for full protection from heavy downpours.
If your grad needs more space for stuffing lots of tech, Timbuk2’s Authority Laptop Backpack Deluxe (28L) might be a better buy. SwissGear’s 1908 ScanSmart is another hefty option (32L) that has served yours truly well for years and costs less than $100, though it doesn’t look as nice and is more likely to show more signs of wear over time. You can read our roundup of our favorite backpacks for other suggestions, too.
$189 at Timbuk2Blue Apron
Blue Apron gift card
A meal kit service is a relatively approachable way to get your grad in the habit of cooking for themselves. There are roughly two quintillion meal kit services to choose from these days, few of which are actually bad, and some of which may be better than others depending on your grad’s preferences. If you just want us to pick one, Blue Apron is a particularly no-fuss choice for newbie cooks, with straightforward recipes, various menu options, generally high-quality ingredients and an intuitive website. While none of these services deliver meals on par with a good restaurant, they should still please most tastes.
$70+ at Blue ApronBookshop.org
Bookshop.org gift card
Reading! Sources say that it’s something your grad should continue to do, even when they don’t have a professor forcing their hand. Gifting them a free book or two with a Bookshop.org gift card is a good way to keep them going, or reignite their love of reading for fun. Apart from having a wide selection, the marketplace doles out a percentage of its profits to independent booksellers, so you and your grad can feel a bit better about supporting a good cause (or, if nothing else, a better cause than Amazon’s). It also allows you to order books from one local bookseller and direct the full profit to that specific store alone.
$10+ at Bookshop.orgHulken
Hulken Bag
The Hulken bag is a big rolling tote that your grad can use to more comfortably wheel around groceries, laundry or any other large hauls. It’s available in three sizes, and while it’s not exactly cheap, it feels comfortably durable. (Anecdotally, mine has shown little sign of wear after about a year of weekly use.) The bag folds up for tidier storage, and there are a few built-in handles that make it easier to lift up stairs or carry around campus. All told, Hulken says the bag can carry up to 66 pounds. Something like this might be most useful for city dwellers, but if your grad hasn’t done their own laundry and grocery shopping much before, it should take some weight off their shoulders, literally and figuratively.
$90 at AmazonXbox
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass remains a great value for any grad who owns an Xbox or gaming PC. The subscription’s library includes big-name series like Halo and Minecraft alongside more experimental gems like Hi-Fi Rushand Pentiment, and it still gets you access to first-party Xbox games on day one. Everything is available to download on-demand. The Ultimate tier includes perks like cloud gaming and online play, but there are cheaper options for just Xbox consoles or PCs as well.
If your graduate plays more on PlayStation or the Nintendo Switch, there are similar services you can gift: PlayStation Plus for the former, Switch Online for the latter. These will almost certainly be appreciated if you’re buying for someone who games frequently, though they’re not quite as strong a value as Game Pass in terms of cost or included games.
$15 at XboxExplore More Buying Options$15 at AmazonAway
Away Carry-On
The popular Away Carry-On is a stylish and sturdy hard-sided suitcase your grad should appreciate when it’s time to come back home. Its polycarbonate shell is tough but not overly stiff, and it’s available in several bold colors. Its zippers, adjustable handle and fully rotatable wheels all feel substantial. As a 40-liter suitcase, it can fit enough items to last a week or so on the road, plus it comes with a breakaway bag for dirty laundry. Away sells larger models as well, and it backs all of them with lifetime limited warranty.
The Carry-On has been my personal suitcase for several years now, and while it has caught some scuffs over time (like most polycarbonate cases), it hasn’t shown any major signs of degradation after several international trips. You can get luggage with more compartments if efficiency is your main concern, and it’s hard to call this a strong value, but as a gift, the Carry-On should delight any grad who’d like a fashionable and lightweight suitcase.
$275 at AwayMoshi
Moshi Digits
Your grad probably won’t need them for a few more months, but the Moshi Digits are the rare winter gloves that are both warm and not impossible to use with a smartphone. Their knitted exterior and microfleece lining are sufficiently protective from the cold, while a set of rubber strips make it easier to keep hold of a phone. Typing with the Digits on isn’t as fast as using your bare hands, but it’s responsive enough to pull off brief texts and searches without constant typos. The gloves aren’t perfect: They’ll run tight for those with large hands, and they can be susceptible to loose threads. But if your grad is heading somewhere cold and needs to text on the go, they should help.
$30 at AmazonEngadget
YouTube Premium
If your grad spends a good chunk of time on YouTube, the first thing you should probably do is remind them that there are much better ways to spend their time. (I speak from experience.) But the second, and more practical, thing you can do is buy them a YouTube Premium subscription. This will let them download YouTube videos for offline viewing and play videos in the background on a mobile device and, most importantly, remove ads across the service. It also includes access to YouTube Music, a full-on Spotify competitor and a recommendation from our guide to the best music streaming services.
The catch here is that there’s no easy way to actually gift the subscription, so you may have to just pay their bill for however long you’re comfortable doing so. Premium costs $14 a month for individuals, which isn’t cheap, though it drops down to $8 a month for students. You could also put multiple users on a family plan, though that hikes the price to $23 a month. Regardless, for those who watch YouTube almost as much as traditional TV, most of Premium’s features are borderline indispensable once you’ve had them. Yes, that’s partly because the ad experience on YouTube is so terrible, but an upgrade is an upgrade.
$14/month at YouTubeGrubHub
GrubHub Gift Card
Here’s a simple one: Regardless of their current culinary skills, your grad is probably going to use a food delivery service like GrubHub sooner rather than later. We’ve yet to find a young adult who will say no to free food, so gifting them a couple of meals is an immediate and practical way to make their early days of independence more manageable.
$50 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$50 at GrubHub
The post The best high school graduation gifts in 2024 appeared first on Best News.
]]>The post The DJI Mini 4K is a $299 drone aimed at beginners appeared first on Best News.
]]>Not to be confused with the Mini Pro series, which is several hundred dollars more, the $299 Mini 4K weighs less than 249g, is foldable and requires no FAA registration.
DJI Mini 4K
The specifications won’t move the Mini series forward, but they cover all the essentials for beginner drone pilots, including 2x digital zoom while recording in 4K, a 3-axis gimbal and electrical image stabilization. DJI says it can transmit 1080p video up to 10km away. There’s also level-5 wind resistance, once again, and it can fly for up to 31 minutes (or up to 93 minutes with DJI’s $449 Fly More bundle, which includes two extra batteries and a standalone charger.)
The Mini 4K will also include one-tap movements and features like helix, dronie and panoramic shooting support. If you’re a total rookie, DJI’s companion app has flight tutorials and one-tap takeoff and landing.
A lot of this will sound familiar to anyone following DJI’s ever-growing drone family over the last 10 years, but it’s probably not aimed at you — this is for newcomers. The Mini 4K is priced substantially less than its Mini Pro iterations, and it’s actually less than the rest of the Mini drones from DJI. It’s available to order now for $299 / £269.
The post The DJI Mini 4K is a $299 drone aimed at beginners appeared first on Best News.
]]>The post Gadgets that make great Mother's Day gifts appeared first on Best News.
]]> Quick OverviewMore options
Ember Mug 2
$114 at Amazon$140 at Verishop$120 at Abt ElectronicsSee more options
Levoit Core 400S air purifier
Trade Coffee subscription
Mpix photo books
Instant Vortex Plus air fryer
$130 at Amazon$152 at Walmart$100 at BelkSee more optionsMore options
Fitbit Inspire 3
$89 at Amazon$97 at Walmart$100 at AdoramaSee more optionsMore options
Echo Show 15
$280 at Amazon$280 at Kohl’s$280 at TargetSee more optionsMore options
Breville Control Grip Immersion Blender
$130 at Amazon$130 at Sur La Table$130 at Bloomingdale’sSee more optionsMore options
OluKai Ku’una Slippers
$130 at Nordstrom$176 at AmazonSee more optionsMore options
iRobot Roomba 694
$180 at Walmart$180 at Wayfair$180 at AmazonSee more options
Apple Watch Series 9
$299 at Walmart$299 at Amazon$399 at AdoramaSee more optionsMore options
Beats Fit Pro
$160 at Amazon$181 at Groupon$200 at VerizonSee more options
Anker Nano Power Bank (10,000mAh)
Breville Juice Fountain Plus Juicer
$140 at Amazon$140 at Macy’s$150 at WayfairSee more options
Headspace subscription
$70/year at Headspace
JBL Flip 6
$100 at Adorama$94 at Walmart$100 at AmazonSee more options
Hatch Restore 2
Universal Yums subscription
$15 at Universal YumsSee 13 moreEmber
Ember Mug 2
Take your mother’s morning coffee routine up a notch with the Ember Mug, a self-heating smart mug that keeps beverages at just the right temperature for up to 1.5 hours or all day if the mug is kept on its charging coaster. It has a temperature range between 120 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit, which lets your mom dial in just how hot she wants her brew. There’s also a companion app which lets her save preset temps for her favorite drinks, track her caffeine intake, customize the color of the LED light on the front of the mug and more. The latest version comes in a pretty rose gold color as well as white, black, gold, silver and copper. — Nicole Lee, Commerce Writer
$114 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$140 at Verishop$120 at Abt Electronics
Levoit Core 400S air purifier
When I tested air purifiers for our guide, I found the best way to clear the air was by opening windows — but if the mom in your life deals with allergies or lives where the air quality can get bad, an air purifier can be the next best thing. The Levoit Core 400S Smart Air Purifier was one of the quietest models I tested and performed on a level with models three times as expensive. It has a three-stage filter (including an activated carbon layer and particulate filter), and the internal particulate matter sensor can automatically adjust fan speed as air gets murkier. The companion app both shows historical air quality readouts and makes the unit itself easy to control and schedule. Plus, the replacement filters aren’t overly expensive like they are with other units. — Amy Skorheim, Reporter, Buying Advice
$220 at AmazonTrade Coffee
Trade Coffee subscription
If you think mom would enjoy upgrading her morning cup of java, a Trade Coffee subscription can help. It offers a curated selection of more than 450 coffees from across the US and smartly personalizes which ones it recommends to each subscriber. Upon redeeming her gift, she’ll be prompted to take a brief quiz that asks about her flavor and brew preferences, information Trade will use to suggest a specific bag catered to her taste. Mom can then give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to any coffee she receives, which the company will use to hone its future recommendations. Managing her coffee queue online is easy enough, too. You can gift anywhere from two to 24 bags, and Trade says any gift subscriptions will not automatically renew so neither you nor mom will have any surprise charges to deal with down the line. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Reporter, Buying Advice
Mpix photo books
So many of us take hundreds of photos with our phones and then never do anything with them. They’re left to languish in our camera rolls, only to be uncovered when you have to scroll back months to find that one image you’re searching for. If you want to give mom a more polished way to look back at her favorite photos, an album from Mpix will do the trick. You can customize your photo book from the ground up, choosing the best images of her family and friends and laying them out on each page in a neat way. You can also pick from different types of cover options and paper weights, making the final product as premium as you want it to be. With options starting at $20 per book, it’s pretty easy to make mom a gift she’ll want to revisit long after Mother’s Day is over. – Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor, Buying Advice
$20 at Mpix
Instant Vortex Plus air fryer
Some moms cook multi-course dinners every night. Others, like me, are proud when the evening’s meal is more elaborate than a PB&J. The microwave is a perfectly fine way to get food on the table but I’ve found an air fryer makes low-effort dinners feel fancy. Instant’s Vortex Plus crisps the exterior of the veggie corn dogs my kid loves and gives chicken nuggets a golden patina that looks nice next to my signature (microwaved) broccoli and cheese. There’s even a viewing window to peek at food’s progress and the replaceable filter does a good job tamping down odors and smokiness. I got my Vortex Plus because it tops our guide to air fryers and couldn’t agree more with my team’s assessment. — A.S.
$130 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$152 at Walmart$100 at BelkWill Lipman Photography for Engadget
Fitbit Inspire 3
After the past few years, your mom is likely excited to get out of the house more often – especially as the weather improves – and maybe she wants to take more regular walks and runs in her neighborhood. The Fitbit Inspire 3 is a low-cost and easy-to-use way to track her steps and sleep, along with other stats that indicate our overall fitness level. New users can also snag six months of Fitbit Premium to add even more fitness guides and meditation features to the already-great app. — Kris Naudus, Commerce Writer
$89 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$97 at Walmart$100 at AdoramaWill Lipman Photography for Engadget
Echo Show 15
The Echo Show 15 is 2024’s answer to the tiny TV so many of us remember our parents having in the kitchen back in the day. It’s small enough to mount on the wall in even a tiny space, but the screen is big enough to do justice to a casual sitcom or silly reality show while you make pesto. In addition to smart TV duties, it can handle all the stuff Alexa can do: tell you the weather, set timers and remind you when it’s trash night. On top of that, it can control compatible smart home gadgets and check in on your connected cameras and video doorbells. When you’re not using it, the Photo Frame feature cycles through pics you upload to the Alexa Photo app. Since getting one as a gift from my own mother, washing dishes no longer feels like such a slog. — A.S.
$280 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$280 at Kohl’s$280 at TargetBreville
Breville Control Grip Immersion Blender
If your mom already knows her way around the kitchen, a new toy like the Breville Control Grip could inspire her to experiment and try out new recipes. Our favorite immersion blender has a powerful 280-watt motor and comes with a separate bowl for chopping and mincing, as well as a larger jug for preparing soups and smoothies. It supports 15 different speeds, making it versatile enough to craft all kinds of dishes, and the included whisk attachment turns it into a makeshift hand mixer, too. It’s one of those unicorn-like multipurpose kitchen gadgets — it does a lot of different things and does them well. And, unlike a high-powered blender or stand mixer, it won’t take up too much space in a cabinet. — V.P.
$130 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$130 at Sur La Table$130 at Bloomingdale’sOluKai
OluKai Ku’una Slippers
If your mom doesn’t like to walk around the house barefoot or literally gets cold feet with any regularity, a set of OluKai slippers should make her day-to-day more comfortable. The Ku’una pair slip over the whole foot easily and have a delightfully soft interior. The understated leather exterior is attractive, and the sturdy rubber outsole makes it so mom can walk the dog or mosey around the backyard with minimal discomfort. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Commerce Writer
$130 at NordstromExplore More Buying Options$176 at AmazonPhoto by Valentina Palladino / Engadget
iRobot Roomba 694
While a robot vacuum won’t eliminate all the cleaning your mom might already do around the house, it definitely makes one portion of it easier. The Roomba 694 is one of our favorite budget robot vacuums in part because it provides a ton of value for its $274 price. Most importantly, it does a great job cleaning both hard and carpeted floors and it runs long enough that it should get to most areas in your home before needing to recharge. It connects to WiFi so you can control it either with its companion mobile app, or using Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands. Your mom can even use the mobile app to set a cleaning schedule, so she doesn’t even have to think about the machine — it’ll scurry around the house, sucking up dirt and debris, all on its own time. — V.P.
$180 at WalmartExplore More Buying Options$180 at Wayfair$180 at Amazon
Apple Watch Series 9
The Apple Watch Series 9 will be the ultimate iPhone accessory for mom, and one that may actually reduce the number of times she has to pick up her phone during the day. It’ll deliver all of your texts right to her wrist, along with any other notifications that ping her handset throughout the day. She may also appreciate that it passively tracks her activity all day, every day, and she can use it to record almost any workout from yoga to HIIT. And then there are the features that are nice to have, but hope she’ll never have to use, like fall and crash detection. If you’re looking to gift your mom the best smartwatch on the market right now, the Series 9 is the way to go. — V.P.
$299 at WalmartExplore More Buying Options$299 at Amazon$399 at AdoramaWill Lipman Photography for Engadget
Beats Fit Pro
The Beats Fit Pro may be our favorite wireless earbuds for working out, but your mom doesn’t have to be a regular running or pilates enthusiast to get a lot of use out of them. These buds have a comfortable, secure fit thanks to their flexible wing tips, plus a great sound profile out of the box thanks in part to Adaptive EQ technology. Active noise cancellation is solid as well, which will come in handy when she wants to block out distractions at work or while running errands, and she’ll be able to quickly jump into any conversation she deems important by using Transparency Mode. If your mom has an iPhone, she’ll benefit from the H1 chip inside the Beats Fit Pro, which enables things like quick pairing and switching between Apple devices and hands-free Siri. But Android toting mothers won’t be left out either — the Fit Pros have their own Android app that supports many of the same features. — V.P.
$160 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$181 at Groupon$200 at Verizon
Anker Nano Power Bank (10,000mAh)
Nobody wants to be left with a dead smartphone, moms included, but having to carry a cable alongside a portable battery can be a hassle. This Anker Nano power bank fixes that with a built-in USB-C cord, giving your mom one less thing to take with her before leaving the house. She’ll need to own an iPhone 15 or Android handset to make use of that cable, and the battery itself isn’t the absolute fastest thing out there. But its 30W power output is enough to top up Apple’s latest phones at full speed, and its 10,000mAh capacity is enough to supply about two refills. There’s a little display that shows its current charging status as well, and at four inches tall and roughly half a pound, it’s easy to toss in a bag. A device like this isn’t the flashiest gift, but it should be practical. — J.D.
$40 at AmazonPhoto by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Breville Juice Fountain Plus Juicer
What is it with moms telling everyone to eat their vegetables? In my experience, it’s an involuntary response to motherhood. The Breville Juice Fountain Plus is a way for moms to make drinks loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that actually taste good too. The Juice Fountain Plus’ titanium and steel extraction disc works with an 850 watt motor to squeeze a lot of juice from even tough root veggies. The three-inch chute accepts big chunks of produce, which cuts down on prep time, but even more importantly, the machine disassembles easily and isn’t a pain to clean. – A.S.
$140 at AmazonExplore More Buying Options$140 at Macy’s$150 at WayfairHeadspace
Headspace subscription
Nobody needs to pay for an app to practice better mindfulness and flush out bad vibes, but if your mom has expressed interest in guided meditation, Headspace is our favorite service of the bunch. It offers a buffet of exercises aimed at different life goals and situations, from boosting creativity to increasing relaxation to creating a soothing sleep environment. Most of the meditations let you choose between different instructors, and we’ve found the multi-step courses to gradually build on themselves well. All of it comes in an app that’s clean and easy to navigate. Headspace costs $70/year for an annual subscription, so it may not be something your mom wants to stick with forever. Still, it should be a welcome gift for those looking for a more structured way to get (and stay) in the mental self-care habit. — J.D.
JBL Flip 6
Laundry, dishes, garden maintenance and garage tinkering all take place in different locations. JBL’s Flip 6 is about the size of a crowler and easily relocates with me so I can listen to music as I take care of what needs doing. The portable Bluetooth speaker made the list in our buyer’s guide because it puts out a good amount of volume for its size and delivers balanced sound with crisp highs and solid lows. I like how it fills a room but you can still pick out the layers in a Grouper track and enjoy the lows on a Low album without muddiness. The cylindrical design stands on its end or lays flat (without rolling around), so the mom in your life can plonk it down wherever she needs to be. — A.S.
$100 at AdoramaExplore More Buying Options$94 at Walmart$100 at AmazonHatch
Hatch Restore 2
Assuming the mom in your life has moved beyond the mother-of-a-newborn phase, she might be looking for ways to get better rest each night. The Hatch Restore 2 covers three areas: wind down, sleep sounds and a gentle wake up. Each segment is programmable through the app and offers choices like chillout routines, meditations and stories to help her fall asleep; white noise and nature soundscapes help her stay asleep; and lights, tones and guided stretches to wake up to. The device itself is an attractive domed shape with a textured linen face and a few subtle, yet easy-to-find buttons. Accessing the full library of routines requires a $5 monthly subscription, but there’s enough free, included content to make the device effective without it. – A.S.
$200 at HatchUniversal Yums
Universal Yums subscription
A Universal Yums subscription is a way to make mom’s snack time a little more exciting. Each month, this service ships out a bundle of goodies from a different country (April’s was / is Belgium) alongside a tour guide-style booklet with little games and information about the highlighted nation. Not every treat will be a home run, but if your mom has a more adventurous palate, getting a literal taste of somewhere new can be fun. Gift packages are available in several different sizes and lengths of time. — J.D.
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]]>The post The Apple Watch Series 9 is back on sale for $299 appeared first on Best News.
]]>Photo by Cherlynn Low / Engadget
Apple Watch Series 9 (41mm, GPS)
This is one of the lowest prices we’ve seen for Apple’s latest wearable.
We gave the Apple Watch Series 9 a score of 92 in our review last September, and it’s currently the top pick in our guide to the best smartwatches. It runs fast, it’s water-resistant and it can still handle many tasks that’d normally require an iPhone, from checking iMessages to calling on Siri to using Apple Pay. Most of the essential health and fitness tracking features are still here as well, as are safety-related tools like fall detection and an emergency SOS function. Compared to the lower-cost Apple Watch SE, it has a slightly larger display that can stay always-on, which makes it less cumbersome for checking the time at a glance.
New to this model is a handy Double Tap feature, which lets you respond to notifications without having to physically touch the device, and the ability to complete many Siri requests on-device, without having to always be online. It also has double the internal storage (64GB) as the Series 8, and its display’s peak brightness rating (2,000 nits) is twice as high.
That said, the usual caveats with any Apple Watch still apply. The whole thing will only work with iPhones. The battery will last most of a typical day but not much longer. There are better options for sleep tracking. Due to an ongoing patent dispute, Apple has also had to disable the watch’s blood oxygen monitoring feature. In general, there’s no huge need to make the switch if you own an Apple Watch today and are still happy with it. But if you’re looking to upgrade today, this should be a nice value.
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]]>The post OpenAI hit with another privacy complaint over ChatGPT’s love of making stuff up appeared first on Best News.
]]>The chatbot allegedly spat out incorrect birthdate information for the individual, instead of just saying it didn’t know the answer to the query. Like politicians, AI chatbots like to confidently make stuff up and hope we don’t notice. This phenomenon is called a hallucination. However, it’s one thing when these bots make up ingredients for a recipe and another thing entirely when they invent stuff about real people.
The complaint also indicates that OpenAI refused to help delete the false information, responding that it was technically impossible to make that kind of change. The company did offer to filter or block the data on certain prompts. OpenAI’s privacy policy says that if users notice the AI chatbot has generated “factually inaccurate information” about them that they can submit a “correction request”, but the company says that it “may not be able to correct the inaccuracy in every instance”, as reported by TechCrunch.
This is bigger than just one complaint, as the chatbot’s tendency toward making stuff up could run afoul of the region’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which governs how personal data can be used and processed. EU residents have rights regarding personal information, including a right to have false data corrected. Failure to comply with these regulations can accrue serious financial penalties, up to four percent of global annual turnover in some cases. Regulators can also order changes to how information is processed.
“It’s clear that companies are currently unable to make chatbots like ChatGPT comply with EU law, when processing data about individuals,” Maartje de Graaf, NOYB data protection lawyer, said in a statement. “If a system cannot produce accurate and transparent results, it cannot be used to generate data about individuals. The technology has to follow the legal requirements, not the other way around.”
The complaint also brought up concerns regarding transparency on the part of OpenAI, suggesting that the company doesn’t offer information regarding where the data it generates on individuals comes from or if this data is stored indefinitely. This is of particular importance when considering data pertaining to private individuals.
Again, this is a complaint by an advocacy group and EU regulators have yet to comment one way or the other. However, OpenAI has acknowledged in the past that ChatGPT “sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers.” NOYB has approached the Austrian Data Protection Authority and asked the organization to investigate the issue.
The company is facing a similar complaint in Poland, in which the local data protection authority began investigating ChatGPT after a researcher was unable to get OpenAI’s help with correcting false personal information. That complaint accuses OpenAI of several breaches of the EU’s GDPR, with regard to transparency, data access rights and privacy.
There’s also Italy. The Italian data protection authority conducted an investigation into ChatGPT and OpenAI which concluded by saying it believes the company has violated the GDPR in various ways. This includes ChatGPT’s tendency to make up fake stuff about people. The chatbot was actually banned in Italy before OpenAI made certain changes to the software, like new warnings for users and the option to opt-out of having chats be used to train the algorithms. Despite no longer being banned, the Italian investigation into ChatGPT continues.
OpenAI hasn’t responded to this latest complaint, but did respond to the regulatory salvo issued by Italy’s DPA. “We want our AI to learn about the world, not about private individuals,” the company wrote. “We actively work to reduce personal data in training our systems like ChatGPT, which also rejects requests for private or sensitive information about people.”
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]]>The post Getir is getting out of everywhere but Turkey appeared first on Best News.
]]>Getir’s business model, distinct from traditional shopping services like Instacart (which has problems of its own), involves establishing micro-fulfillment centers in urban areas that carry groceries and household essentials. This often lets them fulfill orders within minutes —hence the “instant delivery” moniker. Once valued at $12 billion, the startup experienced a surge in growth during the pandemic as investors bet on COVID-era consumer shopping habits enduring after lockdowns. So much for that.
“This decision will allow Getir to focus its financial resources on Turkey,” the company told TechCrunch in a statement. The startup said the markets it’s exiting made up about seven percent of its revenues.
Even as it slashes jobs and hits the undo button on its global expansion, Getir has secured funding to focus on Turkey. Mubadala (Abu Dhabi’s state-owned investment firm) and G Squared are reportedly among those financing the Turkish-only pivot.
Getir says its US subsidiary, FreshDirect, which it bought late last year, will continue to operate. But the company suggested to Reuters it was open to offers for its existing assets in the markets it’s leaving.
The startup was founded in 2015 and exploded in popularity in Turkey. From 2017 to 2023, it raised over $2.3 billion from investors as it sought global corporate conquest, scooping up smaller competitors along the way. TechCrunch says that, in early 2023, Getir had 32,000 employees.
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]]>The post OpenAI will train its AI models on the Financial Times' journalism appeared first on Best News.
]]>“It is right, of course, that AI platforms pay publishers for the use of their material,” said Financial Times CEO John Ridding in a statement and added that the Times is “committed to human journalism.” Neither company disclosed the financial terms of the agreement. Earlier this year, The Information reported that OpenAI offers publishers between $1 million and $5 million a year to license their content to train its AI models.
Generative AI is only as good as the training data used to train the models that power it. So far, AI companies have scraped everything they can from the public internet often without the consent of creators, and are constantly on the hunt for new data sources to keep the outputs generated by these models current. Training AI models on news is one way to achieve that, but some publishers are wary of giving up their content to AI companies for free. The New York Times and the BBC, for instance, have OpenAI from scraping their websites.
As a result, OpenAI has been striking financial deals with leading publishers to keep its models trained. Last year, the company partnered with German publisher Axel Springer to train its models on new from Politico and Business Insider in the US and Bild and Die Welt in Germany. The company also has deals with the Associated Press, France’s Le Monde, and Spain’s Prisa Media.
Subscribing to the Financial Times costs at least $39 a month for. But, as some pointed out, its partnership with OpenAI effectively means a dismantling of its own paywall for general readers through generative AI.
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]]>The post The European Union will reportedly open a new investigation into Meta over election policies appeared first on Best News.
]]>According to the Financial Times, the EU has also raised concerns about Russia’s “efforts to undermine upcoming European elections” and other foreign interference campaigns. The EU is set to hold parliamentary elections in June. If the company is found to have run afoul of the Europe’s Digital Services Act, it could be hit with large fines.
EU officials are also “particularly concerned” about Meta’s plan to shut down CrowdTangle in August. The tool has been widely used by researchers and fact checkers for years to study how content spreads across Facebook and Instagram. Dozens of researchers and fact-checking groups signed an open letter to the company last month saying that shutting down the tool ahead of dozens of global elections would be a “direct threat” to election integrity efforts around the world.
“We have a well-established process for identifying and mitigating risks on our platforms,” a Meta spokesperson told Engadget in a statement. “We look forward to continuing our cooperation with the European Commission and providing them with further details of this work.”
Elsewhere, the EU is also investigating Meta over its ad-free subscription plan available to European users. That investigation, which could last up to a year, will look into whether the social media company has violated Europe’s Digital Markets Act, by not offering users a “real alternative” to opt out of data collection.
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