Fitbit is leveraging its new Google support to try to put itself back on top of the fitness-minded wearable market, announcing Wednesday its latest version of the Versa and Sense smartwatch series alongside the return of the Inspire budget fitness tracker. There’s some impressive sounding features here, but many are…
It’s been a hot minute since Fitbit really showed off an updated wearable that wasn’t a slender fitness tracker. The Sense, Inspire 2 and Versa 3 all debuted in 2020, with only the Charge 5 and Luxe appearing between then and now. Today, however, the Google-owned company is sharing details about a trio of new devices: The Inspire 3, Versa 4 and Sense 2. As usual, Fitbit’s emphasis is on comfort and battery life, as well as some much-needed additions for life on the go.
It makes sense to talk about the Sense 2 and Versa 4 as one, since both are getting plenty of useful iterative updates. Both offer continuous heart rate monitoring paired with activity, stress and sleep tracking, boasting of more than six days worth of battery life. But these new models will also soon hook into Google Maps allowing you to see turn-by-turn directions on your wrist. The pair also get access to Google Wallet, and while it’s not mentioned in the release, you might think that Fitbit Pay will be left on the wayside as a consequence. The Sense 2 also grabs a continuous electrodermal activity sensor, much like the one found on the Charge 5. Oh, and the pusher, which had been excised from the Versa 3, has returned for the 4.
Naturally, with wearable hardware all much of a muchness these days, Fitbit is hoping that it has the edge on its rivals on the software and services side. Premium subscribers with both devices can take a look at Sleep Profile, which uses 10 different metrics to identify how you sleep, and offer ways for you to improve your shut-eye. Similarly, a Stress Management Score will help you keep an eye on your tension levels while at work, telling you when you take a breather.
The Sense 2 and Versa 4 are both up for order right now, with the former setting you back $299.95 and the latter $229.95 — buyers can expect a six-month trial of Fitbit Premium thrown in for good measure — with deliveries expected to begin in the fall.
Meanwhile, the Inspire 3 tracker is the company’s latest entry-level device, with a slender-er design, 10 days of battery life and six months of Premium thrown in for good measure. As before, you shouldn’t expect many of the gee-whizz features found on Fitbit’s other devices, and you’ll lean pretty heavily on the companion app to log your vital statistics and check your vital signs. That’ll set you back $99.95, and will begin shipping at some point in September.
Most devices that use an electronic paper screen are built for specific tasks like reading, note-taking, or even just displaying price tags on grocery store shelves. The Bigme InkNote Color has greater aspirations, and with two cameras, microphones, and a multi-function stylus, it’s the best and most versatile e-note…
When the actor was just 12, a grown man posed as a girl her age and befriended her.
Facebook looked different for at least a couple of thousands of users when they logged in earlier today. Instead of seeing posts from their friends and from the groups they’re in, they saw their feeds spammed with random people’s posts on celebrities’ pages instead. As UK news organization Sky News reports, users posted about their dilemma on other social networks like Twitter, showing the state of their News Feeds with screenshots.
Apparently, everyone following a certain celebrity page — say, The Rock’s — were getting everything other people were posting on it in their timelines. Since users tend to follow multiple celebrities, their feeds got clogged with posts from strangers on the website. Some reportedly even used the opportunity to promote their businesses or look for jobs.
While there are no official stats on what percentage of users was affected, over 2,600 people have reported the issue to DownDetector over the past few hours. Over 80 percent of the reports came from people using the desktop version of the social network, with the rest reporting issues with the app.
Sky News also says outages had been reported not just in the UK, but also in the US, Spain, Canada, Mexico, Italy, France, Poland and Australia. Facebook told the news organization that it’s aware of the issue, but it didn’t elaborate on what went wrong. In a newer statement provided to Metro UK, a Meta spokesperson said that the problem was caused by a “configuration change” earlier today. They added: “We resolved the issue as quickly as possible for everyone who was impacted, and we apologize for any inconvenience.”
What the hell is this @facebook ? My whole timeline is Full with people posting On Celebrities walls 🤔 #Facebook#facebookdown#FacebookAdspic.twitter.com/giR93tYIya
— ZeeshAni (@Zeeshan0961) August 24, 2022
Is anyone else’s Facebook broken or have I been hacked. This is my entire feed pic.twitter.com/nQwvtLqRjT
— chris🧣 (@chrismearle) August 24, 2022
Sanna Marin has apologized after the publication of a photo that showed two women kissing and posing topless at the prime minister’s official summer residence.
For a while, BlackBerry phones were the phones to have, used corporate bigwigs and heads of state to answer emails and do tasks they couldn’t normally do on other cell phones. Those days are long gone. Now, film studios want relive the rise and fall of the company from the time it was still known as Research in Motion until it lost its fight against Google and Apple in a new movie. According to Variety, the upcoming film that’s simply entitled BlackBerry is directed by Operation Avalanche director Matt Johnson and has recently wrapped production.
It stars Jay Baruchel (This Is The End) and Glenn Howerton (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Variety says. And though it’s not confirmed, they’re likely playing the company’s founders and co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie. The screenplay is based on the book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry by The Globe and Mail reporters Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff. Since the book was published in 2015, the movie likely won’t include all the failed attempts to revive the brand that happened in the years thereafter.
In 2019, TCL manufactured new BlackBerry phones until the company decided not to renew its contract and stopped selling the devices merely a year later. Security startup OnwardMobility then announced that it was planning to release a 5G BlackBerry smartphone with a physical keyboard in 2021 for North America and Europe. In the end, however, those plans never came to fruition. OnwardMobility reportedly lost its license to use the BlackBerry name and ultimately shut down the company in February this year.
We’ve spent some time with Samsung’s latest foldable phones, and both continue to refine and improve. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 still unfurls into a squareish tablet for bigger web browsing, Google Maps navigation and more but has improved multitasking features. The main screen is brighter, and the battery life is much improved, but it’s still very expensive – $1,800. Read our full review right here.
If you’re looking for a smaller price and device footprint, the Z Flip 4 is another foldable that’s very pocketable and, well, chic. Its versatility makes it more fun to use, but you’ll have to live with shorter battery life than traditional smartphones. Despite that, Engadget’s Cherlynn Low says she’s ready to ditch her Pixel (gasp!) for Samsung’s newest flip phone.
– Mat Smith
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Sony is already upgrading its PlayStation 5 gamepads with the DualSense Edge. The Edge is all about customization – this seems to be Sony’s take on the Xbox Elite controller. You’ll be able to remap and deactivate buttons, adjust stick sensitivity and dead zones and save these settings to unique profiles. There’s no word on availability or pricing for the new gamepad. Sony says it’ll share more information about the Edge in the months ahead.
Alongside Sony’s new pro controller, there were plenty of new game announcements at Gamescom’s kick-off show. Everywhere had an intriguing trailer where the game seemed to be split in two: First, there are multiple characters shooting, jumping and driving across biomes, with an obvious metaverse-like social component built into the gameplay. So far, so Fortnite. However, in the final third of the trailer, the game’s art style changes, more photo-realistic graphics… and no explanation yet about the difference.
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Meta accounts have arrived. “The update will roll out globally on a gradual basis, so if you don’t have the option to create a Meta account and Meta Horizon profile right away, you’ll get the update soon,” the company said. If your headset is currently tied to an Oculus account, you’ll need to register for a Meta account to continue using your device after January 1st, 2023. The company announced the new system last month, reversing its decision to require a Facebook login to use Oculus headsets.
After nearly 10 million people watched the premiere of HBO’s House of the Dragon, Amazon wants to remind you it has dragons and fantasy on the menu. It just shared a new trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Perhaps more than anything, the clip is a showcase for the $465 million Amazon spent. So far.
Peiter “Mudge” Zatko, Twitter’s former head of security, says in a whistleblower complaint the company has misled regulators about its security measures. As part of an FTC settlement, Twitter had agreed to implement and monitor security safeguards to protect its users. However, Zatko says half of Twitter’s servers are out of date and running vulnerable software and that thousands of employees still have wide-ranging internal access to core company software, which had previously led to huge breaches. Hackers logged into the accounts of some of the most high-profile users on the website in 2020, including Barack Obama and Elon Musk, by targeting Twitter employees for their internal systems and tools.
You might want to put down that diet soda.
Gamescom 2022 opened with the reveal of Everywhere, a new game from Grand Theft Auto producer Leslie Benzies. “We want the community to build this. We want it to be their world. We want them to tell their stories in our game,” Benzies said before sharing a trailer that seemed to show off two very different games.
At first, we see an experience that looks similar to Fortnite. There are multiple characters shooting, jumping and driving across different biomes, with an obvious metaverse-like social component built into gameplay. However, in the final third of the trailer, the game’s art style changes and we’re treated to more photo-realistic graphics. In an interview after the clip played, assistant game designer Adam Whiting didn’t provide many other details about the project, but did say developer Build a Robot Boy hopes to release Everywhere sometime next year.
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