Author Archives: Will Shanklin

Prime Video gets a much-needed UI overhaul with a new content bar and AI recommendations

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For all its stacked selection of original content, like Fallout, The Boys and Rings of Power, Prime Video has historically pffered a cluttered, confusing and less-than-intuitive layout — especially compared to rivals like Netflix. That changes today as Amazon begins rolling out a new Prime Video UI that, in the company’s words, brings “clarity and simplicity back to streaming.”

The Prime Video redesign starts with a streamlined navigation bar that should make it easier to find your way around. To the left, the bar includes the general categories Home, Movies, TV Shows, Sports and Live TV. Immediately to the right, the nav bar continues with a dedicated tab for content bundled with your Prime membership, followed by sections for add-on subscriptions like Max, Paramount+, Crunchyroll and others. There’s a separate section to add new subscriptions — from Amazon’s more than 100 options — straight from the bar.

Meanwhile, a new “hero rotator” below the bar drills down to highlight content available within each selected bar section. It looks similar to rival services, which doesn’t sound like a big deal on paper but should be a welcome change for anyone who’s ever futzed around with the confusing old Prime Video UI.

Closeup of the leftmost section of a mounted TV showing the new Prime TV layout. Crunchyroll is highlighted.
Amazon

Unsurprisingly, Amazon is adding personalized AI-generated recommendations (“Made for you”) when navigating the bar’s Movies and TV Shows sections. Using the company’s Bedrock AI model, the machine learning recommendations will offer content tips based on your watch history and preferences.

AI will also power new show and movie synopses. Amazon says the change will make browsing their blurbs faster, preventing you from having to scroll around to learn more about a given piece of content.

Finally, Amazon says the UI has new animations, snappier page transitions and zoom effects to make the experience more “frictionless.” On living room devices, video content will auto-play on the hero rotator as you browse around (much like Netflix and other competitors). If you head to the Live TV tab, recommended stations will also play on their own, continuing until you pick something to give your full attention.

The UI update begins rolling out on Tuesday. You can read more in Amazon’s announcement post.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-video-gets-a-much-needed-ui-overhaul-with-a-new-content-bar-and-ai-recommendations-120019397.html?src=rss

iRobot’s newest cleaning machine is the first to wash and dry its mopping pad for you

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iRobot unveiled its most advanced and expensive robot vacuum yet on Tuesday. The (deep breath) Roomba Combo 10 Max Robot + AutoWash Dock automatically washes and dries the mopping pad, something you had to do manually on all its previous combo vacs. But at $1,399, many customers will want to wait several generations for the feature to trickle down to models that don’t cost nearly the equivalent of a MacBook Pro.

Cleaning robots exist to automate tasks that are a pain for us, and the Roomba Combo 10 Max Robot expands on that. iRobot says the dock, which contains “premium antimicrobial materials,” can empty its dirt into an enclosed bag, refill the mopping solution tank and clean itself after each pad wash. You can manually run self-cleaning, and its companion app will remind you when it’s time for standard maintenance or a deeper cleaning.

The robot can store dirt and debris for up to 60 days before emptying, and the mopping pad and self-cleaning tank hold up to seven days of water. At least in theory, the Combo 10 Max leaves less work for the user than any other Roomba before it.

A Roomba on a kitchen floor.
iRobot

iRobot says the new Roomba can seamlessly transition from vacuuming carpet to mopping floors, automatically boosting its suction power when it detects carpets. It can then move back and forth with consistent pressure and deeper scrubbing when it senses that it’s time to mop.

The combo vacuum is designed to retract its entire mopping system when it reaches carpet, “lifting its mop pad to the top of the robot to keep even high-pile carpets fresh and dry.” Meanwhile, it can vacuum and mop simultaneously on hard floors.

While other Roomba models have been able to sense particularly messy areas, the Combo 10 Max adds a camera to “visually pinpoint dirt on the floor.” The company claims this allows it to recognize the dirtiest spots up to eight times more frequently, making multiple passes on those areas more efficiently.

Like other models, the robot cleaner can map your home, but iRobot says it can do so seven times faster than other models while automatically labeling each room type. Its software can even use past cleaning information to predict each room’s cleanliness, proceeding accordingly.

Exploded view of the Roomba Combo 10 Max's internals, against a black background.
iRobot

The robot works with Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant, and iRobot expects it to be Matter-enabled by the end of 2024. That should cover just about every type of smart home. Of course, it includes the company’s memorably branded Pet Owner Official Promise (P.O.O.P.). It provides a free device replacement if the robot accidentally plows through pet waste and ruins your day.

The Roomba Combo 10 Max is available for pre-order today on iRobot’s website in the US and Canada. (It’s also available to reserve in Europe and will launch there in “the coming months.”) However, as marvelous as the technological cleaning wonders sound, its $1,399 cost of admission prices it out of everything but the most well-heeled homes.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/irobots-newest-cleaning-machine-is-the-first-to-wash-and-dry-its-mopping-pad-for-you-110100150.html?src=rss

Samsung is freezing Galaxy Buds 3 Pro shipments amid quality control issues

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Samsung has temporarily shut down Galaxy Buds 3 Pro shipments. With memories of its flaming hot (and not in a good way) Galaxy Note fiasco eight years ago, the company is halting the earbuds’ launch while “urgently assessing and enhancing” the product’s quality control, according to a statement shared with Engadget and Android Authority, which first published the news.

Some users who received the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro before their July 24 launch reported that their ear tips tore easily. Considering how often they may need to remove and replace tips to find their ideal fit, material prone to ripping could have led to atrocious PR and an expensive recall had the company let the launch proceed as planned.

Samsung’s website has added a new release date of August 28, although it’s unclear if that’s a soft placeholder or a new hard target. In addition, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro Amazon listing has been pulled altogether.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro in hand at an event.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget

“To ensure all products meet our quality standards, we have temporarily suspended deliveries of Galaxy Buds 3 Pro devices to distribution channels to conduct a full quality control evaluation before shipments to consumers take place,” Samsung’s statement reads. Samsung Korea previously issued a statement apologizing for quality control issues and promising a full inspection. However, that remark didn’t mention a delay.

The company added that customers who already received the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and are having problems should contact Samsung or visit a Samsung Service Center. Android Authority also published an email sent to a pre-order customer confirming a delay and advising them to request a cancellation if they choose.

You can read Samsung’s full statement below:

There have been reports relating to a limited number of early production Galaxy Buds 3 Pro devices.

We are taking this matter very seriously and remain committed to meeting the highest quality standards of our products. We are urgently assessing and enhancing our quality control processes.

To ensure all products meet our quality standards, we have temporarily suspended deliveries of Galaxy Buds3 Pro devices to distribution channels to conduct a full quality control evaluation before shipments to consumers take place.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

For more on the flagship wireless earbuds, you can read Engadget’s hands-on coverage.

Update, July 19, 2024, 2:48 PM ET: This story has been updated to add Samsung’s full statement, which the company shared with Engadget.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-is-freezing-galaxy-buds-3-pro-shipments-amid-quality-control-issues-181407398.html?src=rss

FiiO reboots the old-school portable CD player, minus the AA batteries

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CD players are back, baby. As Gen Z absorbs the ‘90s it never experienced through retro nostalgia like Nirvana, Tamagotchi and wired headphones, audiophile brand FiiO is here to capitalize. The company’s new portable CD player, the DM13, builds on the blueprint of icons like the Discman. But it adds modern touches like high-fidelity wireless and a built-in battery, so Gen Zers are spared the pain of lugging around a small arsenal of AA cells to change at the top of every hour.

The FiiO DM13 follows the company’s retro reboots of the vinyl turntable and (for unfathomable reasons) the cassette player. The upcoming CD player has a sleek design with a digital display across its front, making for a much sharper-looking modern aesthetic than the trash we Gen X old farts used when jamming out to timeless musical legends like Candlebox, Right Said Fred and the Squirrel Nut Zippers.

Product marketing image of the FiiO DM13 portable CD player. It sits closed against a waveform background.
FiiO / Starscream Communications

The DM13 supports 3.5mm single-ended 4.4mm balanced outputs for analog line-out listening. For those who prefer wireless, it supports high-quality aptX HD and is compatible with many Android phones and portable media players. (Apple uses its lower-bitrate AAC codec, so iPhone owners get less impressive wireless audio without an adapter.)

FiiO says the DM13 supports eight hours of playback per charge. It also has a USB output and a dedicated desktop mode that bypasses the battery and uses its main power at home.

The bad news for ‘90s retrophiles is the DM13 isn’t available just yet. After its official unveiling at this weekend’s CanJam event in London, the CD Player will go on sale in September for $179 (£179 in the UK). It begins shipping only in a silver finish, but FiiO says red, blue, titanium and black variants will arrive later in the year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fiio-reboots-the-old-school-portable-cd-player-minus-the-aa-batteries-202334462.html?src=rss

US college students can take half off a Max subscription

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US college students can shave half off a Max subscription. As long as you can confirm your active student status, you’ll get a 50 percent discount on the Max With Ads monthly plan. Usually $10, you’ll only pay $5 each month to stream classic and current HBO series (and more).

The promotion is through a partnership with UNiDAYS, a (strangely capitalized) service that verifies college and university student status. The company has also partnered with Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, Uber Eats, Nike and more.

After successfully verifying your status, the promotion will last for 12 months. But you’ll have the chance to re-verify your student status every year as long as you’re eligible to keep the discount. Once you’re in your last year with no plans to head to another school, you’ll graduate to the hard-knock life of $10 ad-supported streaming plans.

Max lets you stream classic HBO series like The Sopranos, The Wire, Sex and The City, Game Of Thrones, Six Feet Under and more. You also get current-run content from HBO, Warner Bros., DC, HGTV and Food Network. These include series and films like The Last of Us, Dune: Part Two, House of the Dragon, Barbie and Euphoria. You’ll also be able to stream the upcoming The Batman spinoff The Penguin, costarring Colin Farrell with his fat suit and a bunch of prosthetics.

Once you’re verified through UNiDAYS, you’ll receive a promotional code. Just follow the instructions you get with the code to begin your subscription.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/us-college-students-can-take-half-off-a-max-subscription-163906242.html?src=rss

The tinyPod transforms your old Apple Watch into an iPod-like minimalist phone

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The tinyPod is a case for your Apple Watch, which probably doesn’t sound too exciting on its own. However, its unique angle — a click wheel that controls the watch’s Digital Crown — makes Apple’s wearable look and feel (at least in its marketing) like the company’s first breakthrough product of the 21st century: the iPod. Although you can use it as a music player, it also works with everything else in watchOS, transforming Apple’s smartwatch into a minimalist, distraction-free “phone.”

The $80 tinyPod works with Apple Watch models in Series 4 through 9, along with the Apple Watch SE. (The 41/40mm and 45/44mm Apple Watches have separate tinyPods.) Meanwhile, another 49mm version for the Apple Watch Ultra — because who wouldn’t want to turn their $800 wearable into a minimalist phone? — costs $90. There’s also tinyPod lite, a $30 case sans click wheel.

That click wheel is its core gimmick, and its creator apparently believes it will be safe from Apple’s lawyers. (The fact that it relies on an Apple product probably doesn’t hurt.) The case’s wheel syncs its movement with the Apple Watch’s Digital Crown via “carefully mechanized components inside” that make “direct rotation contact with your Apple Watch crown.” In other words, anywhere on watchOS that lets you scroll with the crown will be scrollable with the tinyPod click wheel. In theory, anyway.

Marketing screenshot for the tinyPod. The iPod-like device sits next to icons for Phone, Music, Messaging and Mail, demonstrating its capabilities. White background.
Newar / tinyPod

The tinyPod website says it can support multi-day battery life by turning off the watch’s wrist detection (which you don’t need here). But living up to that may be a tall order, given how short the battery life of cellular Apple Watches tends to be when used without a phone in Bluetooth range. Of course, you could use a GPS-only model (or turn off cellular) and stick to locally stored music, but that would also limit what it can do.

tinyPod is the product of Newar, a former Snap designer and one-time jailbreak guru. In May, the creator posted that it began as a side project before being transformed into “a real, shipping product for one reason: Whenever I left the house with it, I loved how I felt.”

Whether the tinyPod lives up to its billing as a minimalist, distraction-free and nostalgia-laden “phone” or not, its creator appears to have put significant thought into aesthetics, clarity of purpose and consistency in marketing. Its website demonstrates an eye for detail that relishes in its iPod inspiration, including era-appropriate Apple fonts and a teaser video in a classic 4:3 aspect ratio. (Cue silhouettes dancing to Gorillaz.)

The tinyPod is available for pre-order ahead of shipments “this summer.” You can reserve one today at the product website.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-tinypod-transforms-your-old-apple-watch-into-an-ipod-like-minimalist-phone-201713024.html?src=rss

Fallout’s 16 Emmy nominations show that successful gaming adaptations are no longer a fluke

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Prime Video’s Fallout has followed The Last of Us in video-game adaptations making smashing freshman debuts at the Emmys. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences unveiled this year’s nominations on Wednesday, and Amazon’s adaptation of Bethesda’s franchise picked up an impressive 16 nods, including Best Drama, Best Actor - Drama (Walton Goggins) and Best Writing - Drama.

Fallout, which Amazon didn’t wait long to renew for a second season, follows Lucy (Ella Purnell), a vault dweller who ventures above-ground to try to rescue her father in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Walton Goggins scored the series’ only acting nomination for his scene-stealing performance as The Ghoul. Its writing nod went to Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner for the ironically (yet appropriately) titled premiere episode, “The End.”

Only Murders in the Building, Hulu’s popular comedy-mystery series, led all streaming-only series with 21 nominations. They include Best Comedy, two for Best Actor - Comedy (Steve Martin and Martin Short), Best Actress - Comedy (Selena Gomez) and Best Supporting Actress - Comedy (finally, Meryl Streep gets nominated for something!), Best Supporting Actor - Comedy (Paul Rudd), Comedy Guest Actress (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and Comedy Guest Actor (Matthew Broderick).

Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth in the final season of The Crown. Closeup.
Imelda Staunton in The Crown
Netflix

Netflix’s The Crown followed close behind for streaming-only series with 18 noms for its final season, which recounted the passing of Princess Diana and the Royal Family’s transition into the 21st century. It picked up nods for Best Drama, Best Actress - Drama (Imelda Staunton), Best Actor - Drama (Dominic West), two for Best Supporting Actress - Drama (Elizabeth Debicki and Lesley Manville), Best Supporting Actor - Drama (Jonathan Pryce), Guest Actress - Drama (Claire Foy in a memorable return), Directing - Drama (Stephen Daldry for the episode “Sleep, Dearie Sleep”) and Writing - Drama (Peter Morgan and Meriel Sheibani-Clare for “Ritz”).

In other streaming nominations, Amazon Prime’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Apple TV+’s The Morning Show each snagged 16 nods. Netflix’s Baby Reindeer, described as based on a true stalking story by series creator and lead actor Richard Gadd, received 11 nominations.

Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses. Standing in front of storefronts, wearing frumpy clothes.
Apple TV+

Netflix had the most total nominations of any platform, with a staggering 107. Among streaming-only ones, Apple TV+ came in second with 70. (In addition to The Morning Show, Apple’s Palm Royale, Lessons in Chemistry and Slow Horses all charted.) Amazon Prime Video landed 37 total noms, Hulu got 26 and Disney+ received 19.

Zooming out from streaming-only to the broader field, FX’s Shogun led all series with 25 nominations, followed by The Bear with 23 (it was a good day for FX) as it broke the record for most nods for a comedy. HBO’s True Detective: Night Country landed 19, a new sketch-comedy show you may have heard of called Saturday Night Live received 17 and HBO’s Hacks got 16.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fallouts-16-emmy-nominations-show-that-successful-gaming-adaptations-are-no-longer-a-fluke-175555108.html?src=rss

Senate probe: Bernie Sanders claims nearly half of Amazon warehouse workers were injured during Prime Day 2019

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A US Senate Committee led by Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has issued a report claiming nearly half of Amazon warehouse workers were injured during the week of Prime Day 2019. The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman described the company’s behavior from five years ago as “incredibly dangerous.” For its part, Amazon claims Sen. Sanders is distorting and cherry-picking facts while ignoring others to fit a narrative.

The report cites internal company data, including injuries Amazon isn’t required to document for OSHA, allegedly showing warehouse workers suffered nearly 45 injuries per 100 workers during the week of Prime Day 2019. Meanwhile, of the “recordable” injuries serious enough that the company has to report them to OSHA, the report claims Amazon’s were more than double the industry average — over 10 per 100 workers.

“The incredibly dangerous working conditions at Amazon revealed in this investigation are a perfect example of the type of corporate greed that the American people are sick and tired of,” Sanders wrote Tuesday in a HELP Committee announcement. The Senator said Amazon treats its workers as “disposable” and “with complete contempt for their safety and wellbeing.”

Meanwhile, an Amazon spokesperson’s statement, shared with Engadget, claims the committee’s findings paint a misleading picture. The company says the committee’s conclusions drew from unverified anecdotes, misrepresented years-old documents and included factual errors and misguided analysis.

“For example, one of the false claims in the report implies that we’re not adequately staffed for busy shopping periods,” company spokesperson Kelly Nantel wrote in Amazon’s statement. “This is just not true, as we carefully plan and staff up for major events, ensure that we have excess capacity across our network, and design our network so that orders are automatically routed to sites that can handle unexpected spikes in volume.”

Amazon says it’s made “significant progress” in the five years since the data the report cited, including reducing its recordable incident rate (those requiring OSHA reports by law) by 28 percent in the US. The company says it also lowered its “lost time incident rate” (workers who suffer more significant injuries that require time off) by 75 percent.

No matter whose framing you prefer, this isn’t the first time Amazon has been criticized for its warehouse working conditions. Last year, a coalition of labor unions, citing OSHA data, claimed the company was responsible for 53 percent of all serious warehouse injuries recorded in the US in 2022. That report claimed Amazon’s warehouse workers were injured more frequently (and often more severely) than their non-Amazon counterparts.

Last month, the California Labor Commissioner’s office fined Amazon nearly $6 million for violating a state law requiring large companies to notify warehouse and distribution workers in writing about their expected quotas, how often they’re expected to perform certain tasks and what consequences they would face for failing to meet their quotas. That law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021, was drafted in reaction to Amazon workers claiming they would skip bathroom breaks or risk injury to optimize their output.

That followed a 2021 report by The Washington Post (ironically, owned by Jeff Bezos), claiming data shows Amazon's warehouse workers "suffer serious injuries at higher rates than other firms.” The company, still helmed by Bezos at the time, quickly changed its “Time Off Task” policy in response.

In addition, as CNBC notes, OSHA and the US Attorney’s Office are investigating conditions at some Amazon warehouses. The Department of Justice is also investigating whether the company underreports injuries — an accusation echoed by Sanders in the HELP Committee’s findings.

Perhaps The Coalition for Workplace Safety (CWS), an organization that tries to balance corporate and regulatory priorities (good luck with that), found a spin we can all agree on. “If [Sanders] wants to improve safety for delivery workers, he should start with the US Postal Service, as OSHA’s own data shows the USPS by far has the highest percentage of investigations resulting in citations compared to other large employers in the industry.”

The moral of the story? No matter what a company is accused of, there’s a good chance the US Postal Service sucks even more.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/senate-probe-bernie-sanders-claims-nearly-half-of-amazon-warehouse-workers-were-injured-during-prime-day-2019-204028410.html?src=rss

This is the one Prime Day phone deal you shouldn’t miss

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An Amazon Prime Day deal has the Google Pixel 7a down to a record-low price. The phone, which only launched last year, typically costs $500 but is available now for half off at $250.

Even at its full price, the Google Pixel 7a is a well-rounded device that balances cost and power. At half off, it’s worth looking at if you have an older (or lower-end) Android phone and want features and specs that won’t be dramatically inferior to many flagship handsets.

The phone resembles the Pixel 7, which it riffs off of, and has a two-tone design with a similar camera bar. The build uses thermal-formed polycarbonate (or, as Engadget’s Sam Rutherford called it, “nice plastic”) that feels premium.

The Pixel 7a is also a solid entry point into Google AI if that’s your thing. The phone supports Circle to Search, Photo Unblur, Magic Eraser and more.

Two Pixel 7a phones on top of one another (backsides). On a table.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget

If you’re more interested in hardware than AI tricks, the Pixel 7a offers an impressive 6.1-inch OLED screen with 2400 x 1080 resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate for smoother visuals. ( The latter isn’t something you always see in mid-ranged handsets.) The phone uses a Tensor G2 chip with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Performance won’t likely let you down unless you’re coming from a higher-end model from the last year or so.

It also includes fast charging, IP67 water and dust resistance and a 64MP rear camera (with all of Google’s machine-learning photography magic). Its camera held up surprisingly well against the Pixel 7 Pro and Galaxy S23 Ultra, its pricier generational peers. Its battery lasted over 17 hours in our video rundown tests, passing the Pixel 7 Pro.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/this-is-the-one-prime-day-phone-deal-you-shouldnt-miss-173215863.html?src=rss

The best Amazon Prime Day phone deals include up to $325 off Samsung Galaxy S24 smartphones

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We're seeing steep discounts for Amazon Prime Day on the latest Samsung Galaxy smartphones — the regular ones, not the Z Flip or Z Fold that were just announced. You can get a whopping $325 off the Galaxy S24 Ultra right now, which brings the final price down to a record low of $975. Prime Day phone deals have also brought all-time-low prices to the Galaxy S24 and S24+, knocking them down to $600 and $750, respectively.

Engadget’s pick for the best premium Android phone, the S24 Ultra has the best display available on a phone today: a 6.8-inch color-rich AMOLED screen with razor-sharp QHD+ resolution. In addition, this year’s model takes a page from Apple’s book by switching from an aluminum to a titanium frame, and its camera has a 5x optical zoom. It even includes an S-Pen (stylus) for more precise and versatile input.

Perhaps more intriguing than traditional phone specs is the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s suite of AI tools. The phone’s Galaxy AI features include proofreading texts, editing images, transcribing recordings and more.

The Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ are also heavily discounted for as part of the Prime Day deals. Although not quite super-premium like the Ultra, these are still flagship-quality phones with the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. In addition, they carry over much of what already worked in the S23 series, including similar camera hardware and battery life.

The standard S24 models also include Samsung’s Galaxy AI suite. You can run some generative AI tools locally, and there’s an additional option to set them to never leave for phone, which is handy for privacy. Features include live translation for voice calls, a live interpreter for in-person conversations, note assist for summaries and formatting, writing assist from the keyboard and image editing.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-amazon-prime-day-phone-deals-include-up-to-325-off-samsung-galaxy-s24-smartphones-101533773.html?src=rss