Tag Archives: Technology & Electronics

Spotify says it will refund Car Thing purchases

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Spotify says it has quietly begun offering refunds for its soon-to-be-bricked Car Thing. The company told Engadget on Thursday that, as of last Friday, customers with proof of purchase (like an emailed invoice) can contact customer service and get their money back for the vehicle streaming device.

Spotify has taken some heat for its announcement last week that it will brick every Car Thing device on December 9, 2024. The company described its decision as “part of our ongoing efforts to streamline our product offerings” (read: cut costs) and that it lets Spotify “focus on developing new features and enhancements that will ultimately provide a better experience to all Spotify users.”

TechCrunch reports that Gen Z users on TikTok have expressed their frustration in videos, while others have complained directed toward Spotify in DMs on X (Twitter) and directly through customer support. Some users claimed Spotify’s customer service agents only offered several months of free Premium access, while others were told nobody was receiving refunds. It isn’t clear if any of them contacted them after last Friday when it shifted gears on refunds.

Others went much further. Billboard first reported on a class-action lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on May 28. The suit accuses Spotify of misleading Car Thing customers by selling a $90 product that would soon be obsolete without offering refunds, which sounds like a fair enough point.

It’s worth noting that, according to Spotify, it began offering the refunds last week, while the lawsuit was only filed on Tuesday. If the company’s statement about refunds starting on May 24 is accurate, the refunds aren’t a direct response to the legal action. (Although it’s possible the company began offering them in anticipation of lawsuits.)

Regardless, anyone reaching out to customer service with a valid receipt should be offered a refund. If you have tried since then and have been denied, we recommend you contact them again.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spotify-now-says-it-will-refund-car-thing-purchases-193001487.html?src=rss

The TweetDeck clone for Threads is finally here

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The web version of Threads just got a whole lot more usable. Meta is rolling out the new Tweetdeck-like column view to all users, after it started testing the feature earlier this month.

The new look, which some Threads users have nicknamed “ThreadsDeck,” allows you to pin up to 100 different feeds to the Threads home page. Each column can also be set to auto-update so you can follow new posts as they come in.

While Tweetdeck fans will appreciate the familiarity, the new view also addresses some of the headaches of Threads’ “for you” algorithm. While the new column layout won’t let you eliminate the “for you” feed entirely, you can more easily hide it in the column view and put your “following” feed and any others side-by-side. It also vastly increases the number of posts you can view at any one time, making it a much more practical view for finding real-time information.

Threads’ “for you” feed has been a long-running source of complaints from many users, who question why the feed often seems to surface days-old posts and random stories from unconnected strangers instead of more timely updates. Meta’s controversial decision to automatically limit “political” content in its recommendations is also often criticized.

At the same time, the company does seem to recognize that users want to be able to find news and other timely updates. Threads has also recently gotten a “recent” filter for search results, and has a limited version of “trending topics.” Threads’ column view also makes both of these features more visible since you can set dedicated columns for specific search topics to track at-a-glance.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-tweetdeck-clone-for-threads-is-finally-here-191132892.html?src=rss

The TweetDeck clone for Threads is finally here

Posted on by

The web version of Threads just got a whole lot more usable. Meta is rolling out the new Tweetdeck-like column view to all users, after it started testing the feature earlier this month.

The new look, which some Threads users have nicknamed “ThreadsDeck,” allows you to pin up to 100 different feeds to the Threads home page. Each column can also be set to auto-update so you can follow new posts as they come in.

While Tweetdeck fans will appreciate the familiarity, the new view also addresses some of the headaches of Threads’ “for you” algorithm. While the new column layout won’t let you eliminate the “for you” feed entirely, you can more easily hide it in the column view and put your “following” feed and any others side-by-side. It also vastly increases the number of posts you can view at any one time, making it a much more practical view for finding real-time information.

Threads’ “for you” feed has been a long-running source of complaints from many users, who question why the feed often seems to surface days-old posts and random stories from unconnected strangers instead of more timely updates. Meta’s controversial decision to automatically limit “political” content in its recommendations is also often criticized.

At the same time, the company does seem to recognize that users want to be able to find news and other timely updates. Threads has also recently gotten a “recent” filter for search results, and has a limited version of “trending topics.” Threads’ column view also makes both of these features more visible since you can set dedicated columns for specific search topics to track at-a-glance.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-tweetdeck-clone-for-threads-is-finally-here-191132892.html?src=rss

You can now edit RCS chats in Android Messages

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Android’s RCS message capabilities are inching closer to iMessage’s. Google said today that you can now edit RCS messages, bringing parity with the iMessage editing feature Apple added two years ago.

The new editing feature gives you 15 minutes (the same as iMessage) to edit a message in the Google Messages app. Hold down on the message to bring up a text box to fix your typos or add extra clarity.

RCS messages will soon whittle down the divide between green and blue bubbles on iOS. Apple said it would support RCS in the Messages app starting in 2024, giving iPhone owners typing indicators, read receipts and high-resolution media sharing when chatting with their Android phone-toting friends. Although Apple hasn’t provided a specific timeline, the assumption is RCS will arrive in iOS 18, which we’ll learn about in its June 10 WWDC keynote ahead of a fall launch.

Google had a few other new features to roll out. Android users with a Chromebook or Android tablet will soon get Instant Hotspot, similar to another feature Apple rolled out years ago (way back in 2014 in iOS 8 and macOS Yosemite). “Coming soon, with instant hotspot, you’ll be able to connect your Android tablet or Chromebook to your phone’s hotspot with one tap — without needing to go through the extra step of typing in your password,” Google product director Jan Jedrzejowicz wrote in the company’s blog post announcing the new features.

Along similar lines, Google Meet will soon let you quickly move devices mid-call. You can tap the Cast icon in the app to switch between an Android phone, tablet or web browser, which is handy when you want to switch locations during a video chat.

Left: A Pixel phone with a Google Home widget on its home screen. Right: A Pixel Watch with a Google Home complication (fan icon) to the left of the time.
Google

Android is also getting easier smart home controls. A new Google Home Favorites widget gives you access to room temperatures or lighting controls with one tap. This seems like a more intuitive placement than the lock screen shortcut for smart home controls that Google introduced in Android 13. You can sign up for a public preview to try the widget.

In addition, Wear OS will get a Google Home Favorites tile and complication for smart-home control from your wrist.

Google is also adding new Emoji Kitchen combinations. If you aren’t familiar with it, the clever feature lets you blend two emoji in Gboard to send franken-moji stickers to friends. The company didn’t provide a complete list of new options, but it said a disco ball and headphones combo was one example.

Other Android updates include using PayPal on Google Wallet from Wear OS watches. Android’s digital car keys are now available with some Mini models and will soon be available for “select Mercedes-Benz and Polestar vehicles.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/you-can-now-edit-rcs-chats-in-android-messages-160010553.html?src=rss

You can now edit RCS chats in Android Messages

Posted on by

Android’s RCS message capabilities are inching closer to iMessage’s. Google said today that you can now edit RCS messages, bringing parity with the iMessage editing feature Apple added two years ago.

The new editing feature gives you 15 minutes (the same as iMessage) to edit a message in the Google Messages app. Hold down on the message to bring up a text box to fix your typos or add extra clarity.

RCS messages will soon whittle down the divide between green and blue bubbles on iOS. Apple said it would support RCS in the Messages app starting in 2024, giving iPhone owners typing indicators, read receipts and high-resolution media sharing when chatting with their Android phone-toting friends. Although Apple hasn’t provided a specific timeline, the assumption is RCS will arrive in iOS 18, which we’ll learn about in its June 10 WWDC keynote ahead of a fall launch.

Google had a few other new features to roll out. Android users with a Chromebook or Android tablet will soon get Instant Hotspot, similar to another feature Apple rolled out years ago (way back in 2014 in iOS 8 and macOS Yosemite). “Coming soon, with instant hotspot, you’ll be able to connect your Android tablet or Chromebook to your phone’s hotspot with one tap — without needing to go through the extra step of typing in your password,” Google product director Jan Jedrzejowicz wrote in the company’s blog post announcing the new features.

Along similar lines, Google Meet will soon let you quickly move devices mid-call. You can tap the Cast icon in the app to switch between an Android phone, tablet or web browser, which is handy when you want to switch locations during a video chat.

Left: A Pixel phone with a Google Home widget on its home screen. Right: A Pixel Watch with a Google Home complication (fan icon) to the left of the time.
Google

Android is also getting easier smart home controls. A new Google Home Favorites widget gives you access to room temperatures or lighting controls with one tap. This seems like a more intuitive placement than the lock screen shortcut for smart home controls that Google introduced in Android 13. You can sign up for a public preview to try the widget.

In addition, Wear OS will get a Google Home Favorites tile and complication for smart-home control from your wrist.

Google is also adding new Emoji Kitchen combinations. If you aren’t familiar with it, the clever feature lets you blend two emoji in Gboard to send franken-moji stickers to friends. The company didn’t provide a complete list of new options, but it said a disco ball and headphones combo was one example.

Other Android updates include using PayPal on Google Wallet from Wear OS watches. Android’s digital car keys are now available with some Mini models and will soon be available for “select Mercedes-Benz and Polestar vehicles.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/you-can-now-edit-rcs-chats-in-android-messages-160010553.html?src=rss

Amazon has permission to fly its drones over longer distances

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given Amazon permission to fly its delivery drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). With that hurdle cleared, the company claims it can fly farther and expand drone service, providing customers faster delivery and a larger selection of items, Amazon announced in a blog post.

Until now, the FAA has only allowed Amazon to fly drones as far as someone could see them from the ground. That way, spotters or pilots could ensure that drones weren't interfering with aircraft. However, the constraint seriously limited how far the drones could travel.

To move beyond that, Amazon said it spent years developing "onboard detect-and-avoid technology." It submitted engineering information to the FAA including operation, maintenance and performance details. Flight tests were then conducted in the presence of FAA inspectors around airplanes, helicopters and a hot air balloon to "demonstrate how the drone safely navigated away from each one of them," Amazon said. 

With BVLOS approval in hand, the company plans to expand its delivery area around its drone facility at College Station, Texas. Later in 2024, drone deliveries will be integrated into its broader delivery network.

Last month, Amazon announced that it was halting drone deliveries at one of its first test sites in Lockeford, California, without providing a specific reason. At the same time, it said it would launch drone deliveries in the West Valley, Phoenix metro area.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-has-permission-to-fly-its-drones-over-longer-distances-133602573.html?src=rss

Amazon has permission to fly its drones over longer distances

Posted on by

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given Amazon permission to fly its delivery drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). With that hurdle cleared, the company claims it can fly farther and expand drone service, providing customers faster delivery and a larger selection of items, Amazon announced in a blog post.

Until now, the FAA has only allowed Amazon to fly drones as far as someone could see them from the ground. That way, spotters or pilots could ensure that drones weren't interfering with aircraft. However, the constraint seriously limited how far the drones could travel.

To move beyond that, Amazon said it spent years developing "onboard detect-and-avoid technology." It submitted engineering information to the FAA including operation, maintenance and performance details. Flight tests were then conducted in the presence of FAA inspectors around airplanes, helicopters and a hot air balloon to "demonstrate how the drone safely navigated away from each one of them," Amazon said. 

With BVLOS approval in hand, the company plans to expand its delivery area around its drone facility at College Station, Texas. Later in 2024, drone deliveries will be integrated into its broader delivery network.

Last month, Amazon announced that it was halting drone deliveries at one of its first test sites in Lockeford, California, without providing a specific reason. At the same time, it said it would launch drone deliveries in the West Valley, Phoenix metro area.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-has-permission-to-fly-its-drones-over-longer-distances-133602573.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Sony apologizes for fabricated ‘interview’ with Last of Us studio head

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Last week, Sony published a seemingly innocuous round of interviews that centered the company’s nebulous “creative entertainment vision”. Neil Druckmann, head of the Sony-owned game studio Naughty Dog, was one of those — but his interview wasn’t quite what it seemed.

Druckmann, who headed the team behind The Last of Us series, was apparently wildly misquoted by his own employers. A few days after the interviews were published, he took to X and said, “This is not quite what I said.” He even posted a section of the original interview transcript, which was hugely different.

Sony has since pulled the interview and issued an apology on the old page, saying the article had significant errors and inaccuracies, encompassing “animation, writing, technology, AI and future projects.” So, if all that was inaccurate, what was accurate?

— Mat Smith

The best VPN service for 2024

Fitbit’s new wearable for kids has a digital pet inside

Sony’s next PlayStation State of Play takes place May 30

Samsung’s largest union calls its first-ever strike

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

TMA
Takara Tomy

Japan’s hit virtual pet, Punirunes, comes to the US this summer. A play on puni-puni, which means ‘squishy’ in Japanese, it’s a slightly different kind of digital pet. There’s a doughy button at the center of the device that simulates physical contact with your Punirunes. When you pet it, your finger even appears on the device’s screen. Punirunes makes its US debut in August for $40.

Continue reading.

Amazon is permanently offering free Grubhub+ restaurant delivery as part of its Prime subscription. If you pay $139 per year for a Prime subscription and are up for spending more to eat, you’ll pay no fee for eligible GrubHub orders over $12. You’ll also see lower service fees, 5 percent credit back on pickup orders and, apparently, exclusive offers. Unlimited grocery delivery from Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh still costs an additional $10 per month.

Continue reading.

If you couldn’t access the Internet Archive and its Wayback Machine over the past few days, it’s because the website has been under attack. The nonprofit organization has announced it’s in its “third day of warding off an intermittent DDoS cyber-attack.”

The Internet Archive has yet to identify the source of the attacks, but it did talk about how libraries and similar institutions are being targeted more frequently these days. One institution it mentioned was the British Library, whose online information system was held hostage for ransom by a hacker group last year.

Continue reading.

After teasing PC compatibility earlier this year, Sony has apparently created a PC adapter for the PS VR2, according to a Korean filing unearthed by VR and mixed-reality enthusiast Brad Lynch. There are no details on how the adapter works, what it looks like or how much it will cost, but it lends credence to previous evidence that the headset would have a wired PC connection. The company will be hoping that PC support will drive sales of its headset, which hasn’t exactly set the world alight.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-sony-apologizes-for-fabricated-interview-with-last-of-us-studio-head-111549333.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Sony apologizes for fabricated ‘interview’ with Last of Us studio head

Posted on by

Last week, Sony published a seemingly innocuous round of interviews that centered the company’s nebulous “creative entertainment vision”. Neil Druckmann, head of the Sony-owned game studio Naughty Dog, was one of those — but his interview wasn’t quite what it seemed.

Druckmann, who headed the team behind The Last of Us series, was apparently wildly misquoted by his own employers. A few days after the interviews were published, he took to X and said, “This is not quite what I said.” He even posted a section of the original interview transcript, which was hugely different.

Sony has since pulled the interview and issued an apology on the old page, saying the article had significant errors and inaccuracies, encompassing “animation, writing, technology, AI and future projects.” So, if all that was inaccurate, what was accurate?

— Mat Smith

The best VPN service for 2024

Fitbit’s new wearable for kids has a digital pet inside

Sony’s next PlayStation State of Play takes place May 30

Samsung’s largest union calls its first-ever strike

​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

TMA
Takara Tomy

Japan’s hit virtual pet, Punirunes, comes to the US this summer. A play on puni-puni, which means ‘squishy’ in Japanese, it’s a slightly different kind of digital pet. There’s a doughy button at the center of the device that simulates physical contact with your Punirunes. When you pet it, your finger even appears on the device’s screen. Punirunes makes its US debut in August for $40.

Continue reading.

Amazon is permanently offering free Grubhub+ restaurant delivery as part of its Prime subscription. If you pay $139 per year for a Prime subscription and are up for spending more to eat, you’ll pay no fee for eligible GrubHub orders over $12. You’ll also see lower service fees, 5 percent credit back on pickup orders and, apparently, exclusive offers. Unlimited grocery delivery from Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh still costs an additional $10 per month.

Continue reading.

If you couldn’t access the Internet Archive and its Wayback Machine over the past few days, it’s because the website has been under attack. The nonprofit organization has announced it’s in its “third day of warding off an intermittent DDoS cyber-attack.”

The Internet Archive has yet to identify the source of the attacks, but it did talk about how libraries and similar institutions are being targeted more frequently these days. One institution it mentioned was the British Library, whose online information system was held hostage for ransom by a hacker group last year.

Continue reading.

After teasing PC compatibility earlier this year, Sony has apparently created a PC adapter for the PS VR2, according to a Korean filing unearthed by VR and mixed-reality enthusiast Brad Lynch. There are no details on how the adapter works, what it looks like or how much it will cost, but it lends credence to previous evidence that the headset would have a wired PC connection. The company will be hoping that PC support will drive sales of its headset, which hasn’t exactly set the world alight.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-sony-apologizes-for-fabricated-interview-with-last-of-us-studio-head-111549333.html?src=rss

Google makes it easier to multi-task with minimized in-app Chrome tabs

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Sometimes, having to open a link from within another app on mobile could be disruptive and take you away from the task you were trying to accomplish. Now an update for Chrome could help keep you focused with the task at hand. When you click on a link within Gmail, for instance, and open a Chrome tab within the app, you can tap on the chevron icon in the toolbar right next to the "x" or the close button to minimize the browser. That turns the open tab into a compact, floating picture-in-picture window that you can drag anywhere on the screen. 

You can keep it minimized while you use the original app, and the moment you're ready to look at its contents, you only have to tap the floating window to restore the tab to its original size. We were already able to use the new feature on Android within Gmail. You'll also be able to take advantage of it soon if you don't have it yet, as long as your default browser is Chrome and you keep it updated. The feature is even enabled by default, so you don't have to do anything to switch it on. Of course, you can always send an in-app tab to the Chrome browser if keeping different tasks open in separate windows makes you more productive.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-makes-it-easier-to-multi-task-with-minimized-in-app-chrome-tabs-060209780.html?src=rss