Tag: tech

The Hubble Space Telescope has been imaging the outer planets of our solar system for a decade, learning about their strange weather conditions.

We could see the newest Samsung phones arrive in just a few weeks. Here’s what we learned from the latest release date rumor.

Samsung’s One UI 7 is removing a feature: full-size lock screen widgets. Here are the details.

Creative pushes its computer speakers into bookshelf territory with the Pebble Nova.

From Carol to Edward Scissorhands, there are several unconventional Christmas movies for viewers looking for something more offbeat this holiday season.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League had a rough start. Its launch was delayed, and it lost Warner Bros. $200 million. In more recent news, the developers have announced that Season 4 Episode 8, which comes out in January 2025, will be the last seasonal Episode of the game. Players will finally get to fight Braniac in a final battle.

Not to worry, though. The game isn’t shutting down just yet, as all online features will stay up, meaning you can still play with your friends. If you prefer playing alone, the new offline mode is coming with Episode 8. Offline mode works by starting a new profile or copying your current progress into a new one, letting you pick up where you left off.

You might be wondering if there will be any new content that isn’t a new season in light of this news. This FAQ page seems to avoid a direct answer, only stating what was said above. It neither confirms nor denies “any new content.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/suicide-squad-kill-the-justice-leagues-current-season-is-its-last-161356174.html?src=rss

Video creators on Instagram now have a new way to test out content. The app is introducing “trial Reels,” which allows creators to publish Reels that bypass their followers’ feeds and are instead recommended to non-followers.

Given that so many Instagram creators complain about Meta not showing their content to their followers, this may seem like an odd feature. But in a blog post, the company said that trial Reels was created in direct response to feedback from creators who “feel nervous” about posting videos that may not perform well. Meta said the new feature is meant to make it easier for creators to experiment with different genres and “easily get a gut check on how your content might perform.”

Now, creators will be able to select a “trial” toggle before publishing a video. These Reels won’t show up on a creator’s grid and will be recommended to accounts that aren’t followers (Meta notes that it’s impossible to guarantee a follower won’t come across a particular video somewhere else in the app, like their DMs.)

After 24 hours, creators will be able to revisit the video and see metrics about how it performed, including the total number of views, shares, likes and comments. While Meta says that this type of “trial” content can take longer to gain traction than other posts since it won’t be shown to an account’s followers, it could still be useful for creators that want to post in a more low-pressure format.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-will-let-video-creators-make-trial-reels-for-non-followers-160016725.html?src=rss

Amazon sells practically everything, including tiny homes, so why not add cars to the mix? Starting today, users in 48 cities across the continental US can buy a new Hyundai car from a local dealership via Amazon Autos.

You can check out which models are available at your local dealership and browse by make, model, trim, color and features. The marketplace has finance options and a way to schedule a pick-up from a local dealership. You can even get an instant valuation of your current vehicle’s trade-in value, then just drop it off when you collect your new ride.

Amazon is also offering transparent pricing and promising that this will remove the need for haggling with a salesperson. Talking to a human in 2024? How passé. Since this all takes place using the familiar Amazon interface, you’ll be able to see user reviews of cars and dealerships (aka sellers).

The metropolitan areas where Amazon Autos is available at the jump are Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Birmingham, Boston, Champaign/Springfield, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbia, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, El Paso, Fond Du Lac, Ft. Myers/Naples, Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, Harrisonburg, Hartford, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Providence, Raleigh-Durham, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Sheboygan, Springfield, St. Louis, Tampa, W. Palm Beach, Washington DC.

Amazon says it will add more Hyundai dealerships over time (the two sides reached a deal last year to offer this service). Next year, Amazon Autos will include more manufacturers, brands, cities and features.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/you-can-now-buy-your-next-ev-on-amazon-155634838.html?src=rss

If you recently bought yourself an iPhone 16, now is a great time to pick up a wireless charger for it. Amazon has discounted Apple’s new, more powerful MagSafe charger. After a 29 percent discount, the model with a 2m (6.6 ft) cable is $35, down from $49. That’s a return to the all-time low price we saw for the accessory during Black Friday. The more affordable 1m (3.3 ft) model is also on sale. Thanks to a 23 percent discount, you can get it for $30.

Apple refreshed its MagSafe charger alongside the iPhone 16 lineup this fall. Provided you own an iPhone 16 and an adapter that offers at least 30W of power, the charger reaches charging speeds of up to 25W. According to Apple, that’s enough to allow iPhone 16 Pro users to charge their device to 50 percent in 30 minutes. With older iPhones and Qi-compatible accessories, power delivery speeds are limited to 15W. 

Apple’s official MageSafe charger is one of our favorite iPhone accessories. Even at full price, it’s a great purchase for getting a little more out of your new smartphone. With Amazon’s current discount, there’s no reason not to buy one if you prefer wireless charging.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apples-latest-magsafe-charger-is-on-sale-for-35-154041686.html?src=rss

Earlier this year, Apple finally offered third-party developers access to its Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology. Not only are iPhone users in the EU receiving access, but other regions can also leverage this technology. Yesterday, Vipps MobilePay became the first Apple Pay alternative on the iPhone using its NFC technology for tap-to-pay transactions.

“Tap with Vipps” is the app’s NFC payment solution. It works for sending money to friends and making online purchases, but that’s not all. You can also pay organizations and associations with it. In other words, it’s PayPal combined with Apple Pay if you want to think of it that way.

The reason Apple is opening up access to its NFC technology is primarily EU pressure. Apple had signed an agreement with the European Commission to open up the iPhone’s NFC technology in July. By doing so, it avoided a legal fine of up to 10 percent of its $40 billion worldwide annual turnover.

With Vipps being the first Apple Pay alternative, Apple’s monopoly on tap-to-pay is finally over. Still, Vipps is a Norwegian firm, and it currently only works there. Customers belonging to more than 40 local banks will be able to use Tap with Vipps to pay, and the company is planning to add more banks to the list. MasterCard and Visa support are also coming before Summer 2025.

Vipps’ success story is likely the first example of a challenge to the Apple Pay monopoly on the iPhone. According to Apple Insider, UK company Curve said in May that it wanted to be the first Apple Wallet alternative. However, Curve hasn’t announced anything yet.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/theres-now-an-apple-pay-alternative-for-iphone-users-in-norway-153634514.html?src=rss