Hasta La Gadget!

Despite some missteps with Instagram, Meta is marching forward with its plan to make Reels a bigger component of its apps in an attempt to better compete with TikTok. It’s rolling out several updates to Reels, particularly on Facebook’s side. For one thing, everyone can now cross-post Reels from Instagram to Facebook with the tap of a button. Meta suggests that this may help creators to grow their audiences on the apps and monetize their content across both platforms.

In addition, Facebook now offers a way to automatically create Reels using Stories you have already shared. The idea is to help folks create Reels with little additional effort. On top of that, Facebook has gained more Reels remix options, which Meta previously introduced to Instagram. You can now show your video after the original Reel that you’re remixing in addition to having the side-by-side option.

Elsewhere, the Add Yours sticker that became popular in Stories is coming to Reels on Instagram and Facebook. The idea is to nudge other users to take part in a trend. If you create your own Add Yours prompt, every Reel that uses the sticker will appear on a dedicated page. The person who created the prompt will be displayed prominently on the page as well. So, if an Add Yours trend takes off and you’re behind it, that could help you to grow your audience.

Meanwhile, the Facebook Stars tipping feature will soon be available to all eligible creators on the platform. Creators will also have access to more Reels insights via Creator Studio (with metrics including reach, minutes viewed and average watch time) to help them figure out what content is working for their audiences.

Meta has a long way to go to catch up to TikTok, but perhaps these features will help, especially since engagement with Reels is growing across both platforms. TikTok is gobbling up almost every other social media app’s lunch. A recent Pew Research report suggested that 16 percent of US teens “almost constantly” use the app, compared with 10 percent for Instagram and two percent for Facebook. 

Over-the-counter hearing aids in the U.S. are officially becoming a reality. On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration finalized the regulations needed for hearing aids to become widely available without a prescription. These OTC aids may save money for millions of Americans with poor hearing and are expected to…

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Following an eleventh-hour delay earlier this year, the Nintendo Switch version of Life is Strange: Remastered Collection will arrive on September 27th. The bundle – now titled the “Arcadia Bay Collection” on Switch — brings together enhanced versions of the first two entries in the episodic adventure series.

2015’s Life is Strange stars Max Caulfield, a teen who finds she has the ability to rewind time after returning to her hometown of fictional Arcadia Bay, Oregon. At the center of the game is Max’s relationship with her childhood friend Chloe Price, played by voice actor Ashly Burch. In Life is Strange’s 2017’s prequel, Before the Storm, Chloe returns as the protagonist of the story.

While many people love the series, the Remastered Collection has earned few fans. On console and PC, the release was mired by technical issues that made the games look worse than their originals. Square Enix went on to release multiple patches for the remasters, all of which are included in the new Switch bundle. Life is Strange: Arcadia Bay Collection will be available in both digital and retail versions. You can also play the remasters on PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia and PC.

Jonas is the latest celebrity to offer candid insights about what they do to look a certain way.

James Bond fans looking to take on the role of Agent 007 on the road might not need to spend their entire life’s savings for the privilege.