YouTube Shorts are about to get quite a bit longer. Starting on October 15, the platform is increasing video limits from one minute to three minutes. TikTok, arguably Shorts' biggest competitor, has allowed users to share 10-minute videos for over two years. The new update should work for any Shorts that are square or taller in aspect ratio, and it won't affect any videos you shoot before the 15th.
YouTube is also releasing a few other Shorts updates, including a preview of comments in the Shorts' feed. Plus, the company is working on letting you to pull clips from across YouTube through the Shorts camera and make remix clips. YouTube first released the remix feature in early 2024, letting you strip the audio, use the video as a background, cut a piece of it to use in your Short or put it side-by-side with your creation.
If Shorts aren't your thing, it's also going to be easier to skip them as YouTube is introducing a tool to show fewer Shorts. You can choose this option through the three dot menu on the upper right corner — though YouTube says the preference only lasts temporarily.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/youtube-shorts-can-now-run-up-to-three-minutes-160002081.html?src=rss
I’ve been wishing for a product like MyRow to come onto the market for as long as I can remember. I love rowing, and own a Concept2 Model D, which is one of the world’s most popular rowing machines. Concept2’s ergometers — which is the fancy word for “rowing machine” — are a mainstay of gyms all around the world. But the Vermont-based company has dragged its feet when it comes to embracing the smart fitness revolution. The best it offers is some clips on its latest machine that can be used to hold a third-party tablet in place.
Inspired by Peloton, plenty of other companies have bolted HD screens with live classes to their gym equipment. But Concept2 is still standing by the PM5, a little black box with a liquid crystal display that debuted in 2014 which displays stats like your split times and stroke rate. If you can’t quite imagine how I feel: It’s as if you own a Game Boy, and everyone else in the world is rocking a Steam Deck. To try and improve matters, I bought a little 3D-printed smartphone holder from eBay but, even so, it’s hard not to feel short-changed.
Step forward MyRow, the brainchild of Gary Simpson, founder of Transit Wireless, the company that brought cell service to the New York City subway. While sheltering in place from COVID, he had a Concept2 and a Peloton bike at home to help keep in shape. Back at CES, he told me, despite his love of rowing, he would often default to the bike with its glossy screen and video classes. Inspired, he founded MyRow in the spirit of bringing something similar to the Concept2.
The end product is an internet-connected display that can be retrofitted onto a Concept2 Model C, D, E or RowErg so long as it is equipped with the PM5. The package includes a 22-inch display, power adapter and the mounting arm you’ll need to bolt onto the rower. Once installed, you can access on-demand video classes and digital workout guides, as well as just a nicer way to stare at your rowing stats compared to the sub-Game Boy display you’re used to.
Installation took me less than half an hour, and most of that was just bolting the mounting arm onto the rower. Bear in mind, you’ll need to run a data cable from the PM5 to MyRow since the tablet can’t interface with the machine directly. I hope you’re good at cable management, since you’ll need to find a way to elegantly route the data and power cables along the body of the rower.
Photo by Daniel Cooper / Engadget
Under the hood, MyRow is just a skinned Android tablet which takes a minute to boot, with software updates taking another minute. Given the device is so new, there have been lots of updates, including the addition of plans and features. The UI is simple enough, with big target boxes and clean lines, which is ideal if you need to change a setting mid-row.
There’s a surprising amount of connectivity in this thing, too, with ports for Ethernet, USB-C, micro-USB, USB-A and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Plus, it’s Bluetooth and ANT+ compatible for any wireless headphones or heart-rate monitors you use. There’s a forward-facing webcam in the body that isn’t being used for anything right now. The company is looking to build a form analysis tool that’ll harness it eventually, and may also use the camera to enhance group rows.
Once your feet are strapped in and you’ve got one hand on the grab, it’s time to pick your workout. Users can select from video workouts, as well as preset and custom training plans that will just throw your intervals on the screen. The stats are laid out like pretty much every other on-demand fitness class, with your key vitals running along the bottom. That includes calories burned, distance rowed, stroke rate, pace per 500 meters, average pace, stroke length, power and average power.
On the left side of the display, you’ll get a timeline showing you when the next internal is, and on the right-hand side, a leaderboard for the video class you’re participating in. I surprised myself, because I don’t think of myself as someone who is that competitive, but the leaderboards brought something out in me. The fact I was able to leap into the top 10 in a number of classes is, I’m sure, just down to MyRow’s presently small user base. But, a win is a win.
Photo by Daniel Cooper / Engadget
As much as I enjoy using MyRow, I do have one gripe given the custom nature of the product. Concept2’s rowing machines use air resistance, so when you pull the chain you’re driving a fan. A fan which kicks out enough noise that it can drown out the instructor’s voice and music even when you turn the volume up to max. Maybe sharper-eared rowers won’t find it a problem, but I wish they’d have made more effort to compensate for the general noise of the rower.
Now, 2024 has been a year of rigorous self-examination and one where I’m humble enough to admit my flaws. I’m nearly 40 and I’m never going to magically evolve into one of those people who cares about their own marginal gains. I’m not going to look at a countdown timer, compare it to my previous lap’s best and then try to beat it on a regular basis. And as much as I love rowing, I get bored, and a big screen could alleviate that if I can watch the streaming service of my choice while I do so.
This is why I’m excited to know that MyRow has promised to integrate streaming videos into its platform by spring 2025. Because when you’re not taking an on-demand video class, you’re just staring at a well-designed stats screen. The sooner we can add any sort of entertainment to that, even if it’s just a clip of someone rowing down a beautiful river, the better.
Photo by Daniel Cooper / Engadget
I’m optimistic about MyRow’s potential to help turn the Concept2 into a machine that’s a little friendlier, even for its diehard users. It’s available to buy now, with the tablet setting you back $500 and the membership costs either $36 a month or $359.88 if you pay for the year, which represents a 20 percent discount. If you get the tablet on its own, however, you’ll still be able to use the Just Row feature, although it’s a hefty price for basically better data visualization.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/myrow-took-my-concept2-rower-and-made-it-smart-134503528.html?src=rss
Soon after launching AI playlists in the US, Spotify is adding a new way to keep the music going when you lose your internet connection. The new Offline Backup feature for iOS and Android automatically creates a playlist of your queued and recently played tracks, ready for listening on flights or off-the-grid excursions. Offline Backup is for Premium users only.
The feature complements Spotify’s existing offline mode for user-triggered downloads. In contrast, the Offline Backup playlist doesn’t require any manual downloads. So, think of it as more preparation with less planning. (And, of course, the standard offline mode will still be there.)
Spotify says the playlist will “evolve,” learning your habits as you continue to listen. It will also include the tracks already cached on your device from regular use.
Spotify
Once you go offline, the Offline Backup playlist will appear automatically in your Home feed. Once it populates, you can filter and sort songs within it to more easily nail down the artist, genre or vibe you’re feeling. Spotify also lets you add the playlist to your library for easier access.
You’ll need to turn it on manually to start using the feature. You’ll find it under Data Saving and Offline or Storage in the Spotify app’s settings. Turn on the toggle for Offline Listening to activate Offline Backup.
Offline Backup is available now for Spotify Premium subscribers globally. (And you’ll need to have listened to five songs or more recently.) If you don’t see it after toggling it on and going offline, the company recommends checking for updates to the Spotify app.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/spotify-can-now-automatically-create-a-playlist-for-airplane-mode-120038259.html?src=rss
Oura’s next-gen ring appears to be an upgrade in every way. It features a sleeker design, longer battery life and smarter sensors to offer deeper insights for wearers. No more squarish edges; it’s a perfect ring this time. Oura says Ring 4 has 18 signal pathways, up from eight in the Gen3, which is paired with its new Smart Sensing algorithm.
New features include automatic heart rate and activity detection for up to 40 activities. It’ll land in six colors: Silver, Brushed Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, Stealth and Black. All bar the Stealth is made of titanium. Oura Ring 4 is available to pre-order today, with shipping expected to begin on October 15, 2024. Prices start at $349.
Through an Instagram stream and publicly available information.
Two Harvard students used facial recognition tech and a large language model to unearth a subject’s name, occupation and other details. Their setup (dubbed I-XRAY) can use that information to pull data like addresses, phone numbers, family member details and partial social security numbers from various sources online.
In a demo video, AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio used the glasses to address people who appear to be strangers by name, discuss their work and bring up a place where they may have met in the past, based on information picked up. The students told 404 Media they developed I-XRAY to make people aware of what’s possible with current technology — they won’t release the code they used.
Following its first two cars of the same name, the Polestar 3 delivers what many of us were looking for. It’s a mass-market machine to fill the needs and wants of buyers looking for an all-electric SUV with proper dimensions — and yellow seat belts. After all the delays, we’ve got a test drive.
Tesla’s Model 3 Standard Range Rear-Wheel Drive is no longer available in its online configurator. Electrek first reported on the absence of the cheapest option from the electric vehicle brand, with a price tag of $39,000. Now the Model 3 with Long-Range Rear-Wheel Drive takes that title with a retail price of $42,500.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-ouras-return-to-the-smart-ring-fight-111642885.html?src=rss
Oura, the Finnish company that has done more than most to put smart rings on the map, is ready to show off its fourth-generation Ring. The new model gets a sleeker design, longer battery life and smarter sensors producing even smarter insights for wearers. But the thing I really care about is that the company has finally made a perfectly-round ring that doesn’t include any ugly-ass etchings on the outside.
The biggest change made to the Ring 4 is in the sensors, which were previously housed in raised bumps that kept contact with your finger. Now, the sensors are flush with the body, making the whole thing a lot smoother and sleeker than it was before. And while I haven’t seen it in the flesh yet, the press images seem to suggest it’s a decent chunk thinner than its predecessors.
Those sensor improvements aren’t just focused on making them smaller, but also improving their ability to peer into our bodies. Oura says Ring 4 has 18 distinct signal pathways, up from eight in the Gen3, which is paired with its new “Smart Sensing” algorithm. The ring will automatically optimize which of those 18 pathways to use to maintain a constant reading, given how much jewelry moves around through the day.
This is a real issue for some Oura users, because if the ring shifts around too much, you’ll get inconsistent readings. The company claims that the new hardware offers a 30 percent increase in blood oxygen sensing, 31 percent fewer gaps in nighttime heart rate and seven percent fewer gaps during the day. Oura hasn’t said what battery size the Ring 4 has, but says the above tweaks should help it get up to eight days of life on a single charge.
Oura
Ring 4 is available in 12 sizes (4-15) and in six colors; Silver, Brushed Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, Stealth and Black. All bar the Stealth is clad in titanium with physical vapor deposition coating, with the outlier draped instead in titanium with diamond-like carbon coating. Much like its predecessor, its water-resistant to depths up 100 meters, and is suitable for saunas and swimming, but not deep-sea diving.
The company is also redesigning its mobile app to group all of the data it collects about you into three distinct categories: Today, Vitals and My Health. The first two of those help you explore your vital signs for the day in aggregate or in detail. My Health, meanwhile, will offer longer-term insights including your cardiovascular age, cardio capacity, stress and sleep. This will start rolling out today for all users, regardless of which generation of ring they own.
When I reviewed the third-generation Ring, I griped about the company’s decision to paywall features behind a monthly subscription. Look, I get you can’t build a sustainable hardware business on device sales alone and this sort of recurring revenue helps keep the lights on. But that only works if what you’re offering is compelling enough to justify the $5.99 a month, or $70 per year, which is why the Ring 4 is getting some new membership-only features.
Oura
That includes automatic heart-rate and activity detection for up to 40 different activities, removing the need for users to manually log their stats after a workout. When the app detects symptoms of high stress, it’ll now place that data in context with your movement, activities and tags. There’s also a better-developed suite of features for people who menstruate, with new insights for fertility windows — the company adding that this is designed to aid pregnancy, not prevent it.
Of course, while Oura’s never been the only game in town, it’s now got competition from Samsung’s Galaxy Ring. You can see that Samsung got to the integrated sensors ahead of the company it’s drawing inspiration from, but the Galaxy Ring is fairly basic, features-wise. Oura CEO Tom Hale told Bloomberg he feels the Korean giants are two years behind his company as things stand.
Oura Ring 4 is available to pre-order today, with shipping expected to begin on October 15, 2024, with prices starting at $349. The first month of membership is free, with users asked to cough up $5.99 a month or $69.99 for the year. Even if you already have an Oura Ring sizing kit, the company urges you to get the new updated sizing kit before ordering your ring, which is available in sizes 4-15.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/ouras-fourth-generation-smart-ring-gets-smaller-and-smarter-070005477.html?src=rss
It's little wonder that investors were clamoring to plow money into OpenAI. Alongside an announcement that the company had raised $6.6 billion in funding, OpenAI revealed that "every week, over 250 million people around the world use ChatGPT to enhance their work, creativity, and learning." That's a sharp rise since late August, when OpenAI said the chatbot had 200 million weekly users — double the number it had last November. As of June, 350 million people were using OpenAI's tools each month, according to internal documents obtained by The New York Times. It's unclear how many people are paying for access versus those using the free tier.
It's not exactly clear why there was such a sharp increase in user numbers in just a couple of months. However, kids just went back to school and might be using the chatbot to cheat do some quick research. OpenAI can probably expect ChatGPT's user numbers to get another major boost when Apple eventually incorporates it into Apple Intelligence, which will happen in the coming months.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpt-added-50-million-weekly-users-in-just-two-months-181012894.html?src=rss
An unsettling report from 404 Media has shed light on some ways that the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses could be used to violate people's privacy. Two Harvard students used facial recognition tech and a large language model to unearth a subject's name, occupation and other details. Their setup (dubbed I-XRAY) can use that information to pull together other data about the person including their address, phone number, family member details and partial Social Security Numbers from a variety of sources on the web. All of this is said to happen automatically.
While this would be possible with a variety of cameras, AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio opted to use Meta's smart glasses since "they look almost indistinguishable from regular glasses" and have a camera built in. A demo video shows the students using the glasses to swiftly find out information about people they meet in public. Nguyen and Ardayfio address people who appear to be strangers by name, discuss their work and bring up a place where they may have met in the past, based on information gleaned through the facial recognition setup.
In the video, it's explained that the students stream video from the glasses to Instagram. The stream is monitored by a computer program. Once AI detects someone's face, their I-XRAY system pulls more photos of that person from the web along with public information about them. The program then feeds those details back to a mobile app that Nguyen and Ardayfio built. It can take just a couple of minutes for this process to play out.
The students told 404 Media that they developed I-XRAY to make people aware of what's possible with this technology and they won't release the code that they used. Nguyen said that while some of the people they showed the tech to suggested they might use it to network or prank friends, others pointed out some serious safety concerns. “Some dude could just find some girl’s home address on the train and just follow them home," Nguyen pointed out.
In a Google Doc that explains some of the tech behind their system, Nguyen and Ardayfio provide resources detailing how to remove your information from the services that they used for I-XRAY. Those concerned about their privacy may also want to consider using personal information removal services such as DeleteMe or Incogni.
This kind of technology isn't inherently new — 404 Media points out that Meta and Google have had the ability to apply facial recognition to a camera feed for years, but didn't release it publicly. But the ability to use it in off-the-shelf smart glasses that appear relatively innocuous (save for a light that is active when the camera is recording) may give cause for concern.
When asked for comment, Meta referred Engadget to this section of its terms of service regarding Facebook View, an accompanying app for the smart glasses:
Your responsibility for your use of Facebook View. You are responsible for complying with all applicable laws when using Facebook View, and for providing any notice or obtaining any consents, as required under video recording, audio recording, biometric data, or other privacy, data protection, or other applicable laws, from other individuals who use your Facebook View or interact with you while you are using Facebook View. You are also responsible for using Facebook View in a safe, lawful, and respectful manner. You may not tamper with the Glasses, or otherwise obscure or modify any of the features on the Glasses that signal to others that the Glasses are recording (including the external-facing LED light).
Facebook View is intended for purely personal or household use. You may only use Facebook View for personal non-commercial purposes subject to the Terms and any other terms made available by us relating to Facebook View. Except to the extent such restriction is prohibited under applicable law, you will not disassemble, decompile, reverse engineer, decrypt, or attempt to derive any code or extract software from Facebook View. Except to the extent expressly permitted by us, you will not prepare derivative works based upon, distribute, license, sell, rent, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, stream, broadcast or otherwise exploit Facebook View or any software, content, or services made available on or through Facebook View.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/students-used-metas-smart-glasses-to-automatically-dox-strangers-via-instagram-streams-170228496.html?src=rss
Garmin has just announced its Lily 2 Active smartwatch, which is currently the company’s smallest model with built-in GPS functionality. It boasts nine days of battery life when used without GPS and nine hours with GPS mode on.
This sleek metal watch has two buttons and a display that activates with a tap or wrist turn. The buttons are used to select activities or switch screens. As with many smartwatches out right now, the Lily 2 Active can also gather information on your last night’s sleep and grant insights on improving sleep quality. The sleep function also records heart rate, sleep stages, stress and respiration, among other factors useful for calculating your sleep score. You can also use Body Battery monitoring to check your energy levels.
For those who like to follow workout videos or routines, you can download workouts for strength, yoga sessions and high intensity interval training (HIIT). You can view these workouts on the watch screen to ensure you follow the planned workout correctly.
One final feature that impressed us was the morning report. The Lily 2 Active can provide all of the information above in the morning, as well as “women’s health tracking” information. For example, users can use the smartwatch to track their menstrual cycles and pregnancies.
The Lily 2 Active is compatible with the Garmin Connect smartphone app on iOS and Android. The app lets you check data collected by the watch, and you can even challenge friends who have Garmin products.
We didn’t forget to mention the colors. The Lily 2 Active smartwatch is available in two color schemes: Lunar Gold and Bone or Silver and Purple Jasmine. Those interested can purchase it now for $300.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/garmins-new-lily-2-active-smartwatch-is-pretty-cute-for-a-gps-watch-165410157.html?src=rss
None of these features are too surprising, but they seem useful and fun. There’s something called Writing Assist, which is exactly what it sounds like. This tool integrates with the on-screen keyboard and should be compatible with any app on the tablet. It provides grammar assistance and will transform copy into a number of pre-set styles. This is a quick way to turn “what’s up with my paycheck” into something a bit more professional.
The appropriately-named Webpage Summaries offers up automatic summaries of websites. This tool will “distill the key points in an article or on a web page” to give concise summaries. Amazon says it will catch readers up to speed “in a matter of seconds.” This kind of thing is generative AI 101, as there are plenty of pre-existing tools that mimic this functionality. Still, it’s nice to have it native on Amazon tablets.
Amazon
Finally, there’s Wallpaper Creator, which brings a chat prompt into the mix. Just type in what kind of background you want and let the power-hungry magic of AI do the work. Amazon says users can “choose from one of the curated prompts” or let their “imagination run wild.” The company says the algorithm will create “unique, high-resolution” images that can be used as a tablet’s wallpaper.
All of these features will be available for the just-revealed Fire HD 8 refresh, but Amazon says they are also coming to other “compatible Fire tablets later this month.” As for compatibility, Writing Assist and Wallpaper Creator are coming to tablets released since 2022. Webpage Summaries goes a bit further back to Fire HD 10 and Fire HD 8 tablets from 2018 and newer.
This isn’t Amazon’s only dip into the exciting world of artificial intelligence. The company recently unleashed a shopping-focused chatbot and is working on another chatbot which has been codenamed Metis. It has also been reported that Alexa will soon be getting an AI-centric makeover, powered by Claude AI.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/amazon-tablets-are-getting-ai-tools-like-writing-assist-and-automatic-website-summaries-164809318.html?src=rss
Amazon updated its Fire HD 8 lineup last week and has promptly discounted the slates for its October Prime Day sale. The new slab has more RAM, a better camera setup and built-in AI features to make it different from its predecessor. The device will normally start at $100 (with lock-screen ads), but Amazon is now selling the base model for $55 through October 9. An upgraded configuration with more memory and storage is also on sale for $85, down from its $130 MSRP.
As its name suggests, the new Fire HD 8 has an 8-inch display with a 1280 x 800 resolution (189 ppi). One of the 2024 model’s big upgrades is having 3GB of RAM in the base storage tier (32GB). The 64GB variant, meanwhile, slides up to 4GB of RAM. Of course, this is very much a budget tablet, so those aren’t close to barrier-breaking numbers. But it's still 50 to 100 percent higher than the 2GB of RAM in the 2022 model.
Amazon rates the Fire HD 8 for up to 13 hours of battery life. The tablet’s rear camera is 5MP. (That’s the same as the “Plus” version of its 2022 predecessor, but it’s higher than the 2MP in the old standard version.)
The tablets also include some generative AI capabilities. Like Apple’s early take on AI in its 2024 updates, these include a Writing Assist feature that can jot out messages based on prompts. It can also summarize web pages, make grammar suggestions and tweak brevity.
There are two kids’ versions of the tablet as well: the Fire HD 8 Kids and Fire HD 8 Kids Pro. As you’d expect from Amazon’s child-focused variants, these versions will include a “kid-proof” case in Disney-branded designs (including Pixar Cars, Disney Princess or Marvel Avengers). They also come with a subscription to Amazon Kids+, the company’s content delivery service (including mobile games!) for the kiddos. Between the two, the Kids version has a thicker case built for younger tykes, while the Kids Pro has a slimmer hard case designed for older children. Both Kids tablets will typically cost $140 but are currently down to $70 for Prime Day.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/october-prime-day-tablet-deals-discount-amazons-fire-hd-8-to-55-163611348.html?src=rss