Thanks to Amazon Prime Day, the second-generation Ring Video Doorbell is half off and on sale for only $50. That's the best price we've seen on the 1080p video doorbell that includes motion detection and night vision. The device also supports two-way audio, so you can communicate with anyone approaching your home.
This Ring model is battery-powered, so you won’t need to worry about a complicated wired setup. All you have to do is mount it and connect it to your Wi-Fi network through the Ring app. (You can still hardwire it to your existing doorbell system if you don’t want to bother with occasional recharging.)
When you pair it with the Ring app, you’ll receive notifications when someone rings the bell or triggers its motion sensors. The doorbell works with Alexa, including optional announcements when someone arrives. You can also view its live feed or recordings on Echo devices with screens and Fire TV products.
The doorbell has night vision for clearer shots when it’s dark. In addition, you can manually set its motion zones to avoid streets, sidewalks and other high-traffic areas outside of your home.
The Ring video doorbell comes with a mounting bracket and the tools required to get started. If you’re in a rental, you may want to consider a third-party mount that latches onto the side of your front door without requiring any drilling.
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/prime-day-deals-include-the-ring-video-doorbell-on-sale-for-50-194202740.html?src=rss
Soon you’ll have another means of playing Game Pass titles without breaking the bank for an Xbox Series X|S console. Microsoft and Amazon are teaming up to bring Xbox Gaming to select Amazon Fire TV devices in July. According to Microsoft, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers in over 25 countries will be able to access the Xbox app with the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Stick 4K..
Once the new functionality goes live you can sign in to your Microsoft account, connect a compatible Bluetooth controller and start playing hundreds of games, including Fallout 76, Fallout 4, Starfield and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. Current-gen Xbox and PlayStation controllers will both work.
Xbox Gaming will come to Amazon Fire TV two years after Microsoft released the Xbox app on Samsung smart TVs. The new integration with Amazon products also comes as Microsoft appears to be losing faith in its console business. The company's hardware refresh fell well short of its prior roadmap, and one of its biggest console-pushing series, Call of Duty, will have its next title appear on Game Pass at launch.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/xbox-gaming-coming-to-select-amazon-fire-tv-devices-in-july-182541532.html?src=rss
YouTube has recently launched a bunch of new features for Premium subscribers, including a quick way to skip the more boring parts of a video. When users double tap on a video, it will now skip ahead to what YouTube has marked as the more interesting portions of it based on a combination of AI and viewership data. The capability is now live in the US for Android users, though it's rolling out to iOS users in the coming weeks, as well. On Android, Premium subscribers can now also watch Shorts while checking their emails, browsing social media or doing things on other apps in general with the new picture-in-picture capability.
Paying users will get access to the video hosting website's latest experimental features, as well. One of YouTube's newest test features is smart downloads for Shorts, which automatically saves the service's short-form videos on users' devices that they could then watch offline. In addition, Android users now have access to a conversational AI experience that can answer their questions and suggest related content without having to stop watching whatever's playing on their screens. It's only limited to users in the US at the moment, however, and only for English videos that display an "Ask" button. Finally, Premium subscribers can access YouTube's redesigned watch page for the web that apparently makes it easier to find related content.
YouTube Premium removes ads from videos and gives subscribers access to offline viewing, Music Premium and other perks. In February, the Google-owned video sharing platform reported that it hit 100 million subscribers for both Premium and Music offerings, but it's been trying to get more people to pay for its services. Aside from introducing new perks, it's also waging a war against ad blockers and recently started preventing ad-blocking apps on mobile from accessing its videos.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/youtube-premiums-new-features-include-picture-in-picture-for-youtube-shorts-150029102.html?src=rss
The company released its Galaxy S24 devices earlier this year after its first Unpacked of 2024, so it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see new versions of the traditional smartphone format here (perhaps save for Olympics-branded models given Samsung's sponsorship of that event). However, there’s a decent chance that Samsung will show off its latest set of foldables. Rumors are suggesting that it’s ready to reveal a new smartwatch too. And then there’s the small matter of the smart ring that Samsung has been teasing this year.
What we expect from Samsung Unpacked July 2024
Samsung Galaxy Ring
Samsung’s smart ring is its most intriguing upcoming device. It’s a brand-new product category for the company, though Samsung has been preparing for it by refining its health and wellness tech in its other devices over the last few years.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring is slated to arrive “in or around August,” according to the company itself, so it would be more of a surprise if the device didn’t appear at Unpacked. After first teasing the wearable during January’s Unpacked, Samsung revealed more details about it in February. The Galaxy Ring will be available in three colors — platinum silver, gold and ceramic black — and multiple sizes.
The ring will measure heart rate, movement and breathing to help track your sleep. It’s expected to support fertility tracking too. The Galaxy Ring will also be able to pair with a Galaxy Watch, so if you wear both, you’re likely to get more accurate health data.
Samsung
Naturally, the Galaxy Ring will be compatible with Galaxy phones but Samsung is aiming to make it work with other Android handsets. As of February, iOS compatibility was to be determined, so perhaps rival device Oura will remain the go-to choice for many iPhone users. For what it's worth, some of the company's smartwatches are compatible with certain iPhones and non-Samsung Android phones.
Samsung has yet to reveal the exact release date and pricing for the Galaxy Ring. However, that information is almost certainly going to be announced at Unpacked.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6
It’s probably the right time for Samsung to roll out new foldables as we move into the back half of the year and (don’t say it out loud because summer has just started in the northern hemisphere) the holiday shopping season. We may very well see the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and and Galaxy Z Flip 6 at Unpacked.
The updates are expected to be relatively minor. Rumors suggest the Z Flip 6 will get a modest battery capacity increase to 4,000 mAh, an option to increase the RAM to 12GB and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Camera upgrades also seem likely, with Samsung said to be bringing the same 50MP camera seen in the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S24 to the Z Flip 6.
As for the flagship foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, that's expected to have the same size screen and thickness as last year's model. The cover screen may adopt Corning Gorilla Armor for improved durability along with anti-reflective tech.
It doesn't seem that the cameras will be upgraded, while there may only be a very small increase to battery capacity. It's a safe bet that there will be a chipset upgrade to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, though.
Meanwhile, one leak has suggested that both devices are getting a $100 increase compared with last year's models. We'll need to wait until Unpacked to find out for sure whether that's the case.
There has also been some chatter around a more premium Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra, as well as slim versions of both foldable formats. However, these may arrive alongside the Galaxy S25 lineup in early 2025. If they appear at the July Unpacked event, it's likely to be a tease at most.
Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch Ultra
Galaxy Watch 7 listings popped up early on some online stores, so we'll probably see that wearable show up at Unpacked too. It's expected to have a 3nm chipset that could improve power efficiency and performance. The health sensors are likely to get an upgrade too.
This being 2024, there will naturally be some AI-powered features. A listing detailed AI-powered sleep, exercise and communications features, including a smart reply function for the latter.
That's not all, though, as there are indications that a Galaxy Watch Ultra is on the way too. A number of leaked images suggest it'll be chunkier than standard Galaxy Watch models. The device is expected to have a rectangular design with a round watch face. Most intriguingly, the Galaxy Watch Ultra could have a digital crown-style dial and button combination on the side instead of a rotating bezel for navigation.
Rumors peg the price at $700, which would be far more expensive than other Galaxy Watch devices. Here's hoping Samsung has packed enough features in there to make it worthwhile.
Official Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra & Galaxy Ring Charger renders
Literally, almost all things about the Samsung Unpacked have been leaked as always pic.twitter.com/EXFZOnWRV1
It's been a couple of years since the last Galaxy Buds models (not counting last year's FE variant), so those are due for an upgrade. It's likely that we'll see both Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro at Unpacked on July 10.
The two models will be available in silver and white colorways and have an IP57 rating for dust and water resistance, along with SmartThings Find support, according to Android Headlines.
As with the Buds 2 Pro, it's expected that the Buds 3 Pro will have a two-way speaker designed to deliver richer audio, while the regular Buds 3 will have a one-way speaker. The higher-end model is also said to offer adaptive noise control, blade lights and ambient sound. Buds 3 Pro are also expected to deliver longer battery life than the more budget-friendly model, though both are believed to have active noise cancellation.
There's one other big anticipated change as word on the street indicates Samsung is set to mimic Apple's AirPods by adopting a stem design. Whether you're a fan of that format or not, there's one clear advantage of the stem: it places the microphone a little closer to your mouth, which should improve call quality. For what it's worth, when Samsung revealed the Galaxy Buds Live in 2020, it said those lacked an "awkward stem."
Galaxy Reserve pre-order deals
Like it's been doing in recent years, Samsung has already made it possible to reserve "one of the next generation of Galaxy devices on Samsung.com." That'll make you eligible for "instant Samsung Credit" of $50 and "up to $1,500 in savings when they pre-order." Of course, this doesn't tell us much about what to officially expect from the company, but it's a sign there'll be at least something to reserve, right?
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/what-we-expect-from-samsung-unpacked-2024-including-galaxy-hardware-143014067.html?src=rss
Prime Day isn't until next month but Amazon is already discounting a lot of great items for Prime members. The latest steal comes courtesy of a 64 percent discount on the Blink Outdoor 4 and Blink Mini 2 bundle. It normally costs $140 for the duo but, right now, you can pick them up for $50.
The combination of the Blink Outdoor 4 and the Blink Mini 2 keeps you covered inside and outside your home. We named the Outdoor 4 one of the best smart home gadgets for 2024. The wireless device offers two-way audio, Alexa integration and 1080HD video. Plus, the lens expanded to a 143-degree field of vision, with improved low-light vision and a quicker movement pick up, compared to its predecessor.
The Blink Mini 2 is also a significant step up from the original. The plug-in security camera has improved day and night image quality, along with an LED spotlight to allow for color night vision. With a $3 monthly Blink subscription, you can access cloud recording, smart notifications and person detection.
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/get-a-blink-outdoor-4-system-with-a-blink-mini-2-for-50-in-an-early-prime-day-deal-140346588.html?src=rss
Twelve years on, Microsoft has finally made an Arm-powered Surface tablet that doesn’t send our reviewers into a rage. The 2024 Surface Pro, or the Surface Pro Copilot+, is the fastest and most efficient Microsoft tablet we’ve seen, especially when paired with its Flex keyboard. The new OLED screen is great, and its NPU allows for powerful AI features.
However, those much-hyped AI features are far less compelling than the one-two punch of speed and solid battery life. (Take note: That’s most of what we want, laptop/tablet makers.) You can use Cocreator in Paint to generate AI images alongside text prompts and doodles, and the device can translate 40-plus languages into English using Windows 11’s Live Captions feature. The controversial Recall capability, meant to help you find anything you were doing on your computer through a natural conversation, is nowhere to be seen. There are security concerns other accounts could get into your Recall data.
A shame the keyboards are sold separately, though. Check out the full review right here.
A team of scientists from the University of Tokyo and Harvard University is investigating how to create humanoid robots with skin that feels real. The process includes creating partly terrifying and partly adorable experimental machines with skin, like this smiley face. Broadly, the process tries to attach the skin to a layer beneath it, like real skin. The technique is called perforation-type anchors.
Of course, AI nonsense will be connected to this year’s Olympics. “Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock” will let you choose your favorite sports and highlight types for the 2024 Summer Olympics, and an AI-generated Michaels will read a 10-minute customized recap of the previous day’s events based on your preferences. In fairness, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the AI-generated speech from Michaels’ real voice.
Amazon may be working hard on a new chatbot called Metis. The company is using a different generation model, called retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). RAG “redirects the LLM to retrieve relevant information from authoritative, predetermined knowledge sources.” This means the model can tap into data that can be updated separately without retraining and could allow it to access up-to-date information. According to a Business Insider report, the model would be for consumers, not businesses, where it’s already offering its Amazon Q AI model.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-microsofts-surface-pro-copilot-is-the-best-surface-tablet-yet-111534749.html?src=rss
Apple is expanding access to its web-based diagnostic tool. The software (officially called “Apple Diagnostics for Self Service Repair”) is now available in 32 European countries, including the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands. They join the US, where the tool arrived in December.
As Apple describes it, the software “gives users the same ability as Apple Authorized Service Providers and Independent Repair Providers to test products for optimal parts functionality and performance.” It currently supports iPhone, Mac and Studio Display.
The tool can scan the device for display, camera, Face ID, software integration and audio output issues and tell you which parts may need repair. This is part of Apple’s recent push to be friendlier to self-servicing, likely to try to head off regulations.
The only catch is the diagnostics require a second Apple device. Both products need to be running iOS 17 or later or macOS Sonoma 14.1 or later. Beta software is a no-go. (Sorry, iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia early adopters.)
After initiating the process at this website from the second device, the tested one will be put into Diagnostics mode, and you can follow the prompts from there.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-self-repair-diagnostics-tool-expands-to-europe-202453216.html?src=rss
Apple is expanding access to its web-based diagnostic tool. The software (officially called “Apple Diagnostics for Self Service Repair”) is now available in 32 European countries, including the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands. They join the US, where the tool arrived in December.
As Apple describes it, the software “gives users the same ability as Apple Authorized Service Providers and Independent Repair Providers to test products for optimal parts functionality and performance.” It currently supports iPhone, Mac and Studio Display.
The tool can scan the device for display, camera, Face ID, software integration and audio output issues and tell you which parts may need repair. This is part of Apple’s recent push to be friendlier to self-servicing, likely to try to head off regulations.
The only catch is the diagnostics require a second Apple device. Both products need to be running iOS 17 or later or macOS Sonoma 14.1 or later. Beta software is a no-go. (Sorry, iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia early adopters.)
After initiating the process at this website from the second device, the tested one will be put into Diagnostics mode, and you can follow the prompts from there.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-self-repair-diagnostics-tool-expands-to-europe-202453216.html?src=rss
Google is making subtle quality-of-life improvements to the Chrome mobile apps. The Android and iOS versions of the browser now offer quicker access to crucial info, trending searches and live sports scores in the Discovery Feed.
Chrome Actions, preset tasks that appear in the browser’s address bar when cued by trigger words, now include one for local businesses. When you search for something like a nearby restaurant, a shortcut will appear at the top of the bar showing the eatery’s name and address, along with buttons to call, get directions or read reviews.
The feature is available now in Chrome for Android, and Google says it will arrive on iOS this fall.
Google
Chrome mobile is also getting new usage-based shortcut suggestions. If you typically type a particular phrase to get to a specific website, the browser will learn it and include a link to it high in your search suggestions. As the example above shows, if you usually enter “schedules” to see the City Metro’s webpage, its link will appear more prominently in the recommendations.
Mobile Chrome’s Discover Feed, the contextual cards you see when opening a new tab or the Google app on mobile, will now include live sports scores. When a team Google has learned that you like is playing, a Discover card now shows the live score, which will be automatically updated.
Trending searches, something Android devices already show in the Chrome address bar (before you type anything), are now available on iOS. Finally, the browser’s tablet address bar better matches the company’s Material You design language. The bar on tablets also now includes the current website at the top — always visible — to make it easier to stay put.
You can read more about Google’s Chrome additions on the company’s blog.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/chrome-for-mobile-adds-handy-action-shortcuts-for-local-businesses-192248053.html?src=rss
An ID verification company that works on behalf of TikTok, X and Uber, among others, has left a set of administrative credentials exposed for more than a year, as reported by 404 Media. The Israel-based AU10TIX verifies the identity of users by using pictures of their faces and drivers’ licenses, potentially opening up both to hackers.
“My personal reading of this situation is that an ID Verification service provider was entrusted with people's identities and it failed to implement simple measures to protect people's identities and sensitive ID documents,” Mossab Hussein, the chief security officer at cybersecurity firm spiderSilk who originally noticed the exposed credentials, said.
🔍🕸️ The latest discovery by spiderSilk covering an incident affecting AU10TIX.
The set of admin credentials that were left exposed led right to a logging platform, which in turn included links to identity documents. There’s even some reason to suspect that bad actors got ahold of these credentials and actually used them.
They appear to have been scooped up by malware in December 2022 and placed on a Telegram channel in March 2023, according to timestamps and messages acquired by 404 Media. The news organization downloaded the credentials and found a wealth of passwords and authentication tokens linked to someone who lists their role on LinkedIn as a Network Operations Center Manager at AU10TIX.
If hackers got ahold of customer data, it would include a user’s name, date of birth, nationality, ID number and images of uploaded documents. It’s pretty much all an internet gollum would need to steal an identity. All they would have to do is snatch up the credentials, log in and start wreaking havoc. Yikes.
AU10TIX has issued a statement on the matter, writing that the “data was potentially accessible” but that it sees “no evidence that such data has been exploited.” The company said that impacted customers have been notified and that it’s decommissioning the current operating system in favor of a new one that focuses more on security.
Some of its partners switched verification companies before this issue popped up. A spokesperson for Upwork said that it has “been working with a different service provider for some time now.” X, however, just signed up with AU10TIX back in September and it uses government-issued IDs to verify premium users. Others, like Fiverr and Coinbase have said they aren’t aware of any data exposure, though they still work with AU10TIX.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/an-id-verification-service-that-works-with-tiktok-and-x-left-its-credentials-wide-open-for-a-year-171258438.html?src=rss