Web and Technology News
Jack Wallen shows you how it’s possible to build a Kanban-like board in Taskade to help more easily manage your projects.
The post How to create a Kanban-like board in Taskade appeared first on TechRepublic.
Google went all out today with a wall of launches of new hardware and tech. Here’s a collection of all the cool stuff Google launched, and you can watch the full event yourself if you have 90 minutes and a particularly deep curiosity streak for all things Google. Here is everything announced at the Made by […]
Phones and smartwatches and more, oh my: Here is everything Google launched at its Fall 2022 event today by Haje Jan Kamps originally published on TechCrunch
A notable changing of the guard is afoot at Intercom, the unicorn SaaS startup that powers the ubiquitous smiley customer service bots that sit on tens of thousands of company homepages: the company has reappointed co-founder, and current chairman, Eoghan McCabe as CEO. He’s replacing Karen Peacock, who is taking an advisory role for the […]
Eoghan McCabe, the controversial Intercom co-founder who left the CEO role in 2020, is stepping back in by Ingrid Lunden originally published on TechCrunch
EU parliament agrees to roll out tech reforms in an attempt to reduce e-waste and save costs for consumers.
The post EU lawmakers vote for common charging cable appeared first on TechRepublic.
Find out the best practices for securely deploying applications and managing data in the cloud.
The post Top 5 best practices for cloud security appeared first on TechRepublic.
The standard disclaimer here: look for a full review in the not-too-distant future. But now, let’s get a better look at the Pixel Watch in real life, through some quick photos and a hands-on squeezed in the press scrum at the Williamsburg Google Store, following today’s event. I had a few early thoughts about the […]
Let’s take a closer look at Google’s Pixel Watch by Brian Heater originally published on TechCrunch
Love ’em or hate ’em, selfies are an important aspect of photography; they help us connect with loved ones, and people spend an extraordinary amount of time thinking about how to look good in photos taken of yourself. (I should know; I wrote a whole damn book about ’em in a past life). People who […]
Google’s Guided Frame gives visually impaired folks a voice-over for selfies by Haje Jan Kamps originally published on TechCrunch
Learn Spanish, French, Italian or the other language options in Babbel’s app in as little as 21 days with this limited-time offer.
The post Get Babbel’s Language Learning App for 55% off a lifetime subscription appeared first on TechRepublic.
Honda has finally offered more than a tiny peek at the Prologue, and it might prove interesting if you’re not fond of overly flashy EV designs. The company has provided a full design preview indicating that the electric SUV is built to be practical, not ostentatious. The “neo-rugged” (yes, we know) styling isn’t special apart from the 21-inch wheels and spelled-out Honda badge on the back, and the focus is more on an interior with “ample” room for people and their gear. This is aimed squarely at first-time EV buyers who want the reassurance of a familiar design — you could switch from a CR-V or Passport without feeling like you’ve stepped on to another planet.
There will be plenty of technology inside. While Honda hasn’t shared full details of the interior, you can expect an 11-inch digital instrument display, an 11.3-inch infotainment display and USB-C ports. Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and a WiFi hotspot mode will be available. This isn’t a touchscreen-dominated vehicle like the cute Honda E, but the tech is clearly prominent. Again, it’s focused on practicality.
The Prologue is being co-developed with GM and is based on the American brand’s Ultium platform. It’s the first salvo in a larger electrification push that includes EVs built on the in-house “e:Architecture” in 2026, and lower-priced models (also involving GM) in 2027.
Much of the Prologue is still a mystery, including its range and pricing. It won’t reach North America until sometime in 2024. However, Honda characterizes it as a step up from the CR-V hybrid with a larger wheelbase (8in longer and 5in wider). We’d expect the company to price the pure EV accordingly, and it’s even planning a two-year lease for the 2023 CR-V hybrid in hopes of attracting shoppers who want to ease into electrified driving.
The publishing industry is in a weird spot. On one hand, you see Stephen King testifying against the controversial merger between Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, declaring that the looming deal would turn the publishing industry into an impenetrable monolith. On the other hand, TikTok’s community of book lovers — known as “BookTok” […]
What should you read next? Tertulia might hold the answer by Amanda Silberling originally published on TechCrunch
New Q3 2022 data from PitchBook on venture capital aggregates in the US make it a bit hard to square reality with the leading narrative.
The US venture capital slowdown doesn’t look that bad by Alex Wilhelm originally published on TechCrunch
Pixel devices are adored for their punchy images and AI-powered photo features, and today, we get treated to a pair of new phones: The Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro. Both phones have a 50-megapixel main sensor and a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor. The Pixel 7 Pro has an additional 48-megapixel telephoto lens. With these new […]
Here are all new camera feature coming to the Pixel 7 by Ivan Mehta originally published on TechCrunch
Google showcased the Pixel 7 lineup and Pixel Watch today, which of course meant it had updates on the Assistant front. For one thing, Google’s Recorder app will be more helpful for those who use it to transcribe conversations between multiple people. Starting later this year, the app will automatically add speaker labels on Pixel 7. It will transcribe each person’s words separately.
Other AI-powered transcription services, such as Otter, generate labels for speakers too. It’s not yet clear if the speaker labels will be available on Pixel 6 or earlier devices at a later date. In addition, Pixel 7 will be able to transcribe audio messages.
Meanwhile, Google announced some updates to At a Glance, an Assistant-powered feature that automatically surfaces helpful information. You may see weather alerts if rain or snow is likely to fall in the next hour. That could help you know when to look for cover or whether to grab an umbrella as you head out. Other At a Glance updates include notifications of package deliveries from your Nest doorbell, as well as travel information, such as the weather forecast for your destination, flight updates and which baggage claim carousel to go to.
Follow all of the news from Google’s Pixel 7 event right here!
Google today announced its new Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro smartphones at a hardware event in Brooklyn. While the company focused a lot on the security, voice, and camera features of the phone, it also briefly showed a new health feature in a slide: coughing and snoring detection. On a daily bedtime summary […]
The Pixel 7 will have a snoring and coughing detection feature by Ivan Mehta originally published on TechCrunch
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At its Made by Google hardware event, the tech giant showed off its forthcoming Pixel Tablet that doubles as a smart home assistant and has a speaker charging dock.
Last year Google made a big change to its phone line with the introduction of its custom-designed Tensor chip. By focusing on increased AI and machine learning performance, the company was able to create more advanced apps and features for its handsets without needing help from the cloud. And now with the launch of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro alongside the Tensor G2, it feels like Google is deepening the marriage between its hardware and software.
On the outside, Google is using a similar template to what we got with the Pixel 6 with a couple of notable tweaks. On the Pixel 7, you get a screen made from Gorilla Glass Victus, while in back, there’s an even more pronounced camera bar that now extends seamlessly from the phone’s frame across the width of the device. This should provide some added durability while still allowing the device to lie flat (well, mostly) on a table.
Similar to last year, the finishes of the two phones vary slightly between models, with the Pixel 7 getting a brushed aluminum look while Pixel 7 Pro gets a shiny, polished chassis. That said, while the Pixel 7 Pro’s design is supposed to feel a bit more premium than its cheaper sibling, I actually kind of prefer the matte look on the standard Pixel 7. And for what it’s worth, I think the Pixel 7 has slightly more fun colors as well, with options including snow, obsidian and lemongrass, compared to the slightly more sedate snow, obsidian and hazel paint jobs on the 7 Pro. And while I’m sure I’m not the first person to notice this, I still can’t shake the feeling that the back of the Pixel 7 looks like a character from Among Us. So depending on your tastes, the Pixel 7’s design could be very hit or miss, but I’m enjoying it so far.
One notable change for the Pixel 7 specifically is that with a 6.3-inch 90Hz OLED screen, it’s actually a tiny bit smaller than the outgoing Pixel 6, which feels like a small win for compact phone fans. It’s not so much that it feels like a huge difference compared to the previous model, but it might be just enough to make the device feel a bit nimbler, especially if you don’t have huge hands.
As for the Pixel 7 Pro, Google opted for a 6.7-inch 120Hz display. However, I must say it’s kind of hard to tell the difference in refresh rates even when you’re holding them side-by-side. And while it doesn’t show up on a spec sheet, the Pixel 7 Pro’s glass is 20 percent flatter, so there’s a bit less distortion around the edges of the screen. Both phones get the same 10.8MP front-facing camera, though it still has a fixed focusing system, which is a relatively minor inconvenience compared to the true autofocus system on the iPhone 14’s selfie shooter.
Around back, Google is using a familiar 50MP main cam alongside a 12MP ultra-wide shooter. But when it comes to photography, perhaps the biggest camera upgrade is the new 48MP 5x telephoto zoom on the Pixel 7 Pro. Not only is it longer than the Pixel 6 Pro’s 4x lens, Google also redesigned the way the camera pushes in to capture more detailed images throughout the phone’s entire range.
Similar to before, from 1x to 2x, the 7 Pro uses the 50-MP main sensor to take short-distance shots, and then crops as needed. But from 2x to 5x, the phone fuses images from both the main and telephoto lenses to create a more detailed composite. Then between 5x and 10x switches completely over to the zoom cam, with Google using pixel binning to reduce total resolution down from 12MP. And then above 10x, the phone uses full-res crops from the telephoto cam before the phone hits its full 30x magnification. I know this is all extremely techy, but the end result is a much smoother zoom experience across and more detailed shots that look better than anything I’ve seen from practically any other phone. That said, I’m going to want to do some more testing before I make any final judgments.
Some of the new camera software also looks impressive. There’s a Cinematic Blur feature for video that adds a soft bokeh to the background of your clips while still supporting full 10-bit color with HDR. And from what I’ve seen so far, it looks great, as if you’ve been using a much more expensive camera. And for more general use, Google says it has upgraded the Pixel 7’s image stabilization and noise correction as well.
Meanwhile for photos, Google says the Tensor G2 helps improve the Pixel’s Face Unblur tool and speeds Night Sight processing by up to 2x. There’s also a new Photo Unblur feature that can sharpen pics regardless of when it was taken or what camera they came from. Google says all the processing for Photo Unblur is done locally on the phone and, in a brief demo, some of the results were so good they were kind of hard to believe.
But that’s the best and worst thing about Pixels, because now that their hardware and software are so intertwined, it’s difficult to really get a sense of how they perform after only a brief hands-on. And that’s before we talk about other more niche features like faster menus for Direct My Call and the ability to transcribe audio messages into text, which I hear is popular in Europe, but less so in the US. Both the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro felt snappy and the phones’ high refresh rate displays made switching between apps feel super smooth. That said, it’s still up to Google to avoid any bugs or issues with future software updates like we experienced on the Pixel 6.
So for now, what I will say is that I’m definitely digging the Pixel 7’s tweaked design. Cinematic Blur makes videos look great and, as someone who loves telephoto lenses, I can’t wait to see what I can do with the 7 Pro’s new 5x zoom. And perhaps best of all, with the standard Pixel 7 retaining the $599 starting price (or $699 on Verizon for one with mmWave 5G), upgrading to Google’s latest flagship costs less than its competitors.
Follow all of the news from Google’s Pixel 7 event right here!
There have been no shortage of AirPods Pro deals in the past, but the previous-generation models have been hovering at $180 for the past few months. Now, you can pick them up for $160, which is only about $10 more than their all-time-low price. While, yes, Apple put some decent upgrades into the second-generation earbuds that just came out, those will set you back at least $240 right now. If you’re trying to stick to a budget, this is a good time to pick up the previous version — or the second-gen AirPods, which are back on sale and down to $90.
Buy AirPods Pro (1st gen) at Amazon – $170Buy AirPods (2nd gen) at Amazon – $90
These AirPods Pro still have a lot going for them, despite the introduction of their predecessors. They have good sound quality and solid ANC, which will block out a lot of environmental noise around you. Their IPX4 water resistance makes them good workout companions, as they’ll withstand sweat pretty well, and we like that they provide hands-free Siri access for when you need to set timers, make calls and do other things without pulling out your iPhone.
And, if you didn’t already know, the AirPods Pro do work best with iPhones and other Apple devices. They’ll quickly pair when you first unbox them, and you’ll be able to switch between taking a call on your iPhone to listening to music on your MacBook fairly seamlessly. As for battery life, you’ll get about five hours of use in one go, and with the included charging case, you’ll get a total of 24 hours of listening time. Also, these AirPods Pro come with a MagSafe case, so you can wirelessly power them up if you have a compatible charger.
If you’re looking to spend even less, the second-gen AirPods are a good option now that they’re on sale for $90. We saw them briefly drop to $79 earlier this week, but that deal came and went within hours. This remains a good sale price for these buds, which provide decent sound quality, a good battery life and convenient Apple-ecosystem features like fast pairing and switching.
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We’ve been waiting years and years for the Pixel Watch to finally be real. Because it’s taken so long for Google to show us its own smartwatch, expectations are high for the company to deliver something impressive. We were able to get a preview of the Pixel Watch ahead of its full launch at the Made By Google event in Brooklyn today, and honestly I’m very taken by its design.
The device is only available in one size: 41mm, though there are various band options. It’s fairly dainty, at about the same size as the small Apple Watch, but even on wrists larger than mine it didn’t look comically tiny. More importantly, its design is clean and attractive. The case without its strap feels like a polished pebble and I flipped it over and over in my hand, all while caressing its smooth edges and curves. I didn’t attempt to scratch or break the screen during my time with it, but the fact that it’s covered in a custom “3D Corning Gorilla Glass 5” gives me some assurance that it’ll survive a fall.
The case on its own has no lugs. To attach straps, you’ll have to twist attachments into grooves on the side like you’re screwing a lens onto a DSLR’s body. You’ll have to find the spot where they line up, push the head of the band slightly into the slot, then slide it in horizontally. It takes a bit of learning, but once you get it the action is easy to master.
Because it doesn’t have lugs, the Pixel Watch offers plenty of variation in design and can also fit more snugly on your wrist. The stainless steel case is available in matte black, polished silver and champagne gold, and the last one is my favorite. Loads of straps are available too, from the typical rubbery sports bands to those made from leather, metal mesh and links. Some of these come with lugs, so you can add a classic touch back to the timepiece.
Google’s stretch/woven band is pretty low profile, and wearing it is like gluing a pebble onto a rubber band and pulling it over your wrist, except elegant. I liked this combination — not only was it easy to wear, it was also light enough that I imagine it would be comfortable to wear to bed.
That’s important because Google has built in sleep-tracking features to the Pixel Watch, which runs what the company calls Wear OS 3.5. It’s a variation of the software that it co-engineered with Samsung last year, with some tweaks that incorporate Fitbit’s health and fitness tracking tools. You’ll get background heart rate monitoring at a rate of once every second, auto workout detection and more, thanks to the onboard blood oxygen sensor and a “multipurpose electrical sensor.”
But that’s not all that’s different about Wear OS 3.5. Google has made some new watch faces — 18 families altogether — that allow for different views and customizable complications. You can add things like your steps progress, the weather and more. Features you’d expect, like GPS, LTE, Google Pay and third-party app support are all available. There’s also an Always On Display, and in spite of this and the higher rate of pulse reading, Google says the Pixel Watch’s 294 mAh battery should last 24 hours, thanks to a dedicated low-power co-processor for these types of tasks. When you run out of juice, the Pixel Watch should get up to 50 percent charged in 30 minutes, using Google’s USB-C magnetic cable.
For more intensive actions, the Watch taps its Exynos 9110 processor, and with 32GB of storage onboard, there’s plenty of room for apps or saving music for offline playback.
From my brief time with the Pixel Watch so far, the new Wear OS feels very similar to Apple’s watchOS. That’s not a bad thing — Android users have long lacked a smartwatch that’s comparable to the Apple Watch. Though Google’s Watch works best with Pixel phones, it’s also compatible with phones running Android 8 or newer.
So far, the Pixel Watch is one of the most beautiful smartwatches I’ve seen, and I’ve seen many. Though some Fossil wearables look nicer, I’m excited by what Google is offering with the new Wear OS and Fitbit app. We’ll need to spend more time with it in the real world for me to know if it’s a decent Apple Watch competitor, but for now, color me intrigued.
Follow all of the news from Google’s Pixel 7 event right here!
Jack Wallen shows you how you can increase the security of Bitwarden vault items with a simple configuration.
The post How to add an extra layer of protection in Bitwarden vault items appeared first on TechRepublic.
Google’s latest two smartphones are official. We break down all of the details, including where to find the best deals.
Google this morning teased its upcoming Pixel tablet, due to arrive next year, as well as a new piece of hardware designed to make the tablet a more useful home device: a Charging Speaker Dock. This magnetized base and speaker combination will allow Pixel tablet owners to charge their tablet while also using it as […]
Google’s new charging speaker dock will turn the Pixel tablet into a smart display for the home by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch
Google just launched its Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones, and as expected, the cameras haven’t changed much from the previous model, hardware-wise. As usual though, Google has introduced a bunch of new and useful AI software camera tricks powered by the new Tensor G2 chip, including updates to Real Tone, along with the new Super Res Zoom, Photo Unblur and Cinematic Blur features. It also unveiled the very cool “Guide Frame” feature that helps visually impaired people take selfies.
One that’s bound to be popular (and maybe overused) is Cinematic Blur. This gives you the same portrait-like blurred backgrounds for video that you get in photos, helping the subject stand out better. It’s apparently made possible by the high speed and low latency of the Tensor G2 chip, delivering a “beautifully shallow depth of field,” Google said.
Also new is Photo Unblur, essentially a version of the Pixel 6’s Face Unblur feature that works on any type of photo — and will only be available on Pixel 7 devices for now. With just a few taps, you can remove blur and other issues from older photos, potentially giving them a new life.
Next up is an update to Real Tone, first introduced last year, that improves skin tones on a diverse range of people. Google has added thousands of new sample images to its dataset to improve the feature for a wider range of skin tones. And now, it works with Google’s low-light Night Sight mode and Portrait mode as well.
The Super Res Zoom, meanwhile, doubles the optical resolution at a given zoom range, while letting you zoom up to 30x. It fixes potential noise by “remosaicing” the image to maximize sharpness. The result is a full 12.5-megapixel resolution photo at a 2x on the Pixel 7 and 10x on the Pixel 7 Pro. The aim is to provide the highest quality across the zoom range, rather than having only certain zoom levels (2x, 5x, etc.) looking good.
Zoom stabilization is another new feature that effectively upscales wide zoom photos while providing steadier shots than you’d get on. It also added 10-bit HDR capture, letting you capture brighter and more colorful photos and take best advantage of the HDR display. And finally, for the Pixel 7 Pro, Google introduced a new Macro focus that takes advantage of the wider field of view to allow for improved closeup shots.
Finally, Guided Frame is a new accessibility feature that tells visually impaired users exactly where to move their device to take a well-composed selfie. The voice coach will ask you to go up, down, or to the side, until its AI believes you’re in the best place to shoot. Along with True Tone, it’s one of the new features Google revealed to burnish its accessibility and inclusivity.
Apart from that, both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro still come with 50-MP main and 12-MP wide cameras, with the Pixel 7 Pro using the same 48-MP telephoto camera as before. Both the pro and regular models have the same 10.8-MP front camera, compared to the 8-megapixel camera on the Pixel 6 Pro.
Vori, a SaaS solution for independent grocers and small grocery chains, shared the pitch deck it used to raise a $10 million Series A.
Pitch Deck Teardown: Vori’s $10M Series A deck by Haje Jan Kamps originally published on TechCrunch
If anyone knows how to weather a crypto winter, it’s probably Yat Siu, the co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands — the Hong Kong–based web3 conglomerate and investment powerhouse. While implosions like the Terra ecosystem’s $40 billion collapse and the 97% plunge in NFT trading volume send a bone-chilling wind across the cryptoverse, the […]
Animoca Brands’ Yat Siu storms Disrupt with tips for thriving in a crypto winter by Lauren Simonds originally published on TechCrunch