Google’s big Android update offers voice pay for parking and offline live transcriptions

Google has released a bunch of new features and updates for several of its products, including the ability to pay for parking using your voice. You can now simply say “Hey Google, pay for parking” in ParkMobile street parking zones and then follow Assistant’s prompts. After you complete the transaction using Google Pay, you can ask Assistant to check your parking status or to extend your time anytime you want. 

The tech giant has also rolled out grammar check for Gboard on all Android devices. It was originally a Pixel 6 exclusive before making its way to other Pixel models earlier this year. Now all Gboard users will be able to use it to detect errors and suggest corrections while typing. Google says the feature works entirely on-device to ensure your privacy. 

The Android Live Transcribe app has been updated, as well, and now has an offline mode that you can use to generate real-time speech-to-text captions without an internet connection. It will give you a way to access its capabilities while on a plane, in the subway or in other areas where you don’t have access to mobile data or WiFi.

When you fire up Google TV, you’ll now see a Highlights tab containing a feed of entertainment news and reviews based on the movies and shows you watch. The articles link to the shows or movies they’re based on, and you can simply tap them to start watching. Meanwhile, an update for Nearby Share makes it easier to share photos, videos and other kinds of files to several people by letting you add multiple recipients during a transfer. This particular feature is rolling out to all devices running Android 6 or higher. 

If you’re trying to curb the time you spend on your phone, you may find Android’s new screen time widget useful. The widget itself shows a glimpse of the three apps you use most each day. You can also click through to set daily timers for you apps, set a focus mode to pause distracting apps at certain times and set a bedtime mode that silences your device and changes its screen to black and white. 

Finally, you’ll soon be able to use Portrait Blur on more subjects if you own a Pixel or have a Google One subscription. The editing tool blurs the background on photos of people after you’ve already taken them, but when the update goes out, it can also be used on photos of other subjects like pets, food and plants. You’ll even be able to retroactively apply the effect on old photos taken without the feature enabled. Unfortunately, Google didn’t say when the update will be available, but here’s a video showing how the feature works:

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra 評測：真有這樣的需要嗎？

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra 有著碩大的 14.6 吋巨屏尺寸、可比高階筆電的定價，直接跨界挑戰別個品項，企圖越過原本還有的一線。到底這是否一件好事呢？實際效果又是如何呢？這邊就讓小編跟大家分享一下體驗吧。…

Substack’s new iOS reading app helps you follow subscriptions

You no longer have to read Substack articles on the web. As 9to5Macnotes, Substack has released its first mobile reading app for iPhone and iPad. The software will help you follow your subscriptions, with notifications when a favorite writer publishes a new story. You’ll find all media formats in a single place, too. The app will also help you discover new writers if you’re eager for more.

Android users will have to be patient. You can sign up for a waiting list, but it’s not clear when Substack’s app will be available for Google’s platform.

The iOS app should be helpful if you’re an avid Substack reader who’d rather not fire up a web browser just to catch up — it’s arguably overdue when rivals like Medium have offered mobile apps for years. It may be just as relevant for writers, for that matter. They won’t have to worry so much that you might miss an email alert, or skip a piece when you’re away from your desk.

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8 devices are up to $75 off at Amazon

Samsung’s newest tablets have only been available for a few weeks, but they’re already receiving discounts on Amazon. You can snag both the Galaxy Tab S8 and S8+ for less right now thanks to clippable coupons that knock $50 and $75 off the tablets, respectively. Just make sure to clip the coupon on the product page before checking out and you’ll receive the discount. Amazon has credit codes for each as well that will give you up to $75 to use in the future. Use the code ZXDDSPWVWFRB if you’re buying the Tab S8 and the code 3SQB2LND8NEE if you’re buying the S8+ at checkout to get the respective credits.

Buy Galaxy Tab S8 at Amazon – $650Buy Galaxy Tab S8+ at Amazon – $825

We gave the Galaxy Tab S8+ the full review treatment and it earned a score of 85. It’s a powerful, premium Android tablet that more than holds its own against the competition thanks to things like Dex mode and Samsung’s S Pen. The slab is pretty sleek, measuring 0.22-inches thick and weighing only 1.24 pounds, and it has a gorgeous 12.4-inch OLED display that can hit 120Hz refresh rates. It runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip and 8GB of RAM, and you can choose from 128GB or 256GB of storage. You may want to spring for Samsung’s book cover keyboard if you want to use the tablet as a laptop replacement, but Samsung does include the S Pen in the box, which is a great perk.

Dex mode has come a long way since Samsung first debuted it, and now it’s a handy feature for multitasking. It switches from the standard Android UI to one that’s more desktop-like, with support for things like multiple windows and a taskbar. You’ll likely spend a lot of time in Dex mode if you plan on using the Tab S8 as an on-the-go productivity machine. And if you’re a fan of handwritten notes, Samsung’s S Pen is better than ever on these tablets. The company reduced the input latency to only 2.8ms, making the pen an even better, smoother tool with which to take notes, doodle and more. As far as battery life goes, we got nearly 9.5 hours out of the Tab S8+, which should be enough to get you through most of a work day.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Apple’s AirPods Pro are back on sale for $180

If you’re on the market for a new pair of true wireless earbuds, Woot’s latest electronics garage sale has a couple of compelling offers right now. The site knocked Apple’s AirPods Pro with the MagSafe charging case down to $180 — not a record low, but a decent sale for this time of year — and discounted Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro to their record low of $105. As usual, be sure to check out Woot’s return policy before making a purchase. Woot may be owned by Amazon, but it has a much different return policy than the online retail giant.

Buy AirPods Pro at Woot – $180Buy Galaxy Buds Pro at Woot – $105

These are solid options for iPhone and Android users, respectively. The AirPods Pro remain Apple’s best sounding earbuds, and chances are they’ll fit your ears better than standard AirPods thanks to their interchangeable ear tips. We were impressed by the clarity in the sound quality, which can be attributed in part to Apple’s Adaptive EQ feature, which automatically tunes more low- and mid-range frequencies to each user’s ear. Active noise cancellation does a good job of blocking out environmental noise, and Transparency mode makes it easy to jump in and out of conversations when necessary. Battery life is decent, too: you can expect up to five hours of listening time and up to 24 hours total when you employ its charging case in between sessions.

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro are a good alternative to the AirPods Pro for Android users. We gave them a score of 85 when they came out last year and called them the company’s best sounding earbuds yet. They have a wider audio range than previous models along with solid active noise cancellation and improved calling features with three microphones and Wind Shield technology. We also liked their comfortable fit, five-hour battery life, wireless charging case and their IPX7-rated design, which should allow them to withstand sweaty workouts and accidental dunks in water.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

The Morning After: Apple reveals Mac Studio, new iPhone SE and more

Apple events can sometimes fizzle out. Besides the ceremony of a new iPhone series each year, it’s a little harder to get excited for Macs and iPads with slightly better chips and minor design tweaks. We saw a splash of color and some redesigns in the last year, but this March event was packed with devices for elements of the Apple audience that aren’t always catered for. For them, this might be an important Apple reveal.

I say this in hushed tones as a phone guy, but the Mac Studio could be the standout. It’s a pro-level desktop built to showcase Apple’s most powerful chip, the new M1 Ultra. The company says its new desktop runs up to 60 percent faster than a Mac Pro with its 28-core Intel processor. Also, counter to some of its laptops, it’s filled with ports. There are four Thunderbolt 4 connections, two USB-A ports, HDMI and 10Gbps Ethernet. Also! There’s an SD card slot and two additional USB-C connectors on the front of the computer. The bad news might be that it starts at $2,000, but it still isn’t quite the Mac Pro beast some creatives are waiting on. That’s “for another day,” according to Apple. Oh, and there’s a new display to go with it.

At the other end of the scale, the iPhone SE makes a return. And it’s still got a home button. This means it looks like its predecessor, mostly. However, it’s now got 5G (welcome to 2022) and an updated quad-core A15 Bionic processor — the same processor as Apple’s iPhone 13 series, but now in a phone that costs $429. Finally, Apple’s iPad Air also sticks to its 2020 redesign. It has a new front-facing camera sensor and, like the 2021 iPad Pro, features Apple’s M1 chip.

We go into finer detail below, or if you need a swift overview, we’ve pulled all the bullet points together right here.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

The new iPhone SE adds 5G but keeps the home button

Apple’s budget-friendly phone looks exactly like its predecessor.

TMA
Apple

As I mentioned in the intro, there are no major design shakeups here. The new iPhone SE is a more affordable version of the flagship range, now packing an A15 Bionic processor, some new camera tricks (despite the single lens) and a familiar home button. With the upgraded internals (including power efficiencies from iOS 15), Apple says we’ll see better battery life performance compared to the last model. The 4.7-inch screen is covered with what Apple calls the “toughest glass in a smartphone on both the front and back.”

Continue reading.

Apple unveils its most powerful chip yet, the M1 Ultra

It’s basically two M1 Max chips fused together.

Following the M1, M1 Pro and M1 Max, Apple is adding a new member to the family: the M1 Ultra. The M1 Ultra is essentially two M1 Max chips put together, making it even better for intensive creative applications like video editing and 3D rendering. Apple says the M1 Max chips feature a die-to-die interconnect, dubbed UltraFusion, and its specs are basically what happens when you sandwich two M1 Max chips: the Ultra features a 20-core CPU (16 high-performance and 4 high-efficiency cores) and a 64-core GPU. Apple says it should offer up to eight times faster graphics than the original M1 chip.

Continue reading.

Apple announces the 27-inch 5K Studio Display for Mac Studio

It starts at $1,599.

TMA
Apple

As expected, Apple is adding a new display to its product lineup. The Apple Studio Display is a standalone monitor with a 5K retina panel with 14.7 million pixels, 600 nits of brightness and P3 wide color gamut coverage. It’s more for work, less for gaming, topping out at a 60Hz refresh rate. We’re sure Apple thinks it’d go really nicely with a new Mac Studio desktop.

Continue reading.

Gogoro unveils the first swappable solid-state EV battery

Electric scooters could deliver more range without bigger batteries.

Some Apple respite. Gogoro, best known for its scooters and charging stations, has announced what it claims is the world’s first swappable solid-state EV battery. Using solid-state batteries, the lithium ceramic prototype is compatible with Gogoro’s current scooters but should deliver a much higher capacity — the two companies are targeting 2.5kWh versus the 1.7kWh of existing hardware. The end result is greater range and improved safety.

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Eargo 6 review: Tiny hearing aids that don’t scrimp on features

It’s closing in on the incumbents.

Eargo 6
Engadget

In the world of hearing aids, Eargo stands out. The company operates more like a technology company than a slow, plodding medical-device provider — it has a rapid annual release cycle more similar to Apple, Samsung and the rest. In version 6, it’s added customizable sound profiles, as well as sound adjustment features to help make the Eargo better fit with your own hearing levels and preferences.

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Here’s everything Apple announced at its ‘Peek Performance’ event

On Tuesday, Apple held its first event of 2022. What initially seemed like it would be a low-key affair turned into something a bit more exciting. Yes, Apple updated the iPhone SE and iPad Air, but it also had a new Mac to show off and a matching display. Here’s everything the company announced at its Peek Performance keynote. 

iPhone SE

iPhone SE
Apple

Apple opened the event with the announcement of the third-generation iPhone SE. Like its 2020 predecessor, the 2022 model looks like an iPhone 8 but features some of the company’s latest technologies, including its blazing fast A15 Bionic processor. The SE also includes a new modem that can connect to 5G networks. Additionally, Apple claims it features a “new” camera system that includes a handful of computational photography features found on the iPhone 13, including Smart HDR 4 and Deep Fusion for better low-light shots. At $429, it’s also $30 more expensive than its predecessor. Pre-orders for the iPhone SE open on March 11th, with general availability to follow on March 18th.

Alongside the SE, Apple announced it would offer the iPhone 13 in two new green colors. Those too go on sale on March 18th.

iPad Air

The 2022 iPad Air is available in a slick new purple color option.
Apple

After its glow-up in 2020, the iPad Air became one of the most compelling products in Apple’s lineup. At its Peek Performance event, Apple announced a minor refresh of the tablet that adds a couple of handy upgrades. Likely the most impactful is the inclusion of a new front-facing camera sensor that supports the company’s Center Stage feature for ensuring that you’re in the center of the frame during FaceTime calls. Internally, the 2022 iPad Air, like the 2021 iPad Pro, features Apple’s M1 chip. The company claims that should make its tablet about twice as fast as a similarly priced Windows laptop. Apple will also offer the iPad Air with optional 5G connectivity.

The iPad Air starts at $599. It will be available to pre-order starting March 11th, with general availability to follow on March 18th.

Mac Studio and Studio Display

Apple Studio Display
Apple

Thankfully, Apple’s Peek Performance event didn’t only consist of refreshes to existing products. The company also had something fresh to show in the Mac Studio, a pro-level desktop that features its new M1 Ultra. Thanks to its most powerful chip to date, Apple claims the Mac Studio is up to 60 percent faster than a Mac Pro with a 28-core Intel processor in CPU tasks. Outside of performance, a highlight of Mac Studio is all the I/O it includes. On the back of the computer, you’ll find four Thunderbolt 4 connections, two USB-A ports, HDMI and 10Gbps Ethernet. Meanwhile, there’s an SD card slot and two additional USB-C connectors on the front of the computer.

Of course, power and versatility come at a cost, and the Mac Studio is no exception. It starts at $2,000 before you include upgrades and optional accessories. All in, you’re looking to pay as much as $7,999 when you include peripherals and a matching display.

Speaking of that matching display. Alongside Mac Studio, Apple announced its new Studio Display, a 27-inch monitor that features a 5K Retina panel capable of 600 nits of brightness and P3 wide color gamut coverage. It also features a built A13 processor, six-speaker sound system and a 12-megapixel front-facing camera with Center Stage. The Studio Display starts at $1,599. If you want a height-adjustable stand, that’s an extra $400. Like everything else Apple announced today, both the Mac Studio and Studio Display will ship on March 18th.

Friday Night Baseball

Apple TV+ Friday Night Baseball
Apple

Provided MLB owners and the players association can agree on a new collective bargaining agreement before the 2022 season is canceled, Apple will offer two weekly doubleheader baseball games through its TV+ streaming service. Those games will be available to watch in eight countries and won’t be subject to local broadcasting restrictions.

Catch up on all of the news from Apple’s Peek Performance event right here!

Apple’s new iPad Air vs. the Galaxy Tab S8 and Fire HD 10

Since you’ve been spending so much time at home these past two years, you could probably use a better tablet for when you’re kicking back on the couch or hanging out in the yard. And Apple’s new iPad Air might just be the screen you need in front of yo…

The iPhone SE vs. the competition: Battle of the mid-range

The past few years have seen the major phone manufacturers release handsets that were low on price but big on features — basically flagship phones at a mid-range price. Today Apple announced an update to its own offering, the iPhone SE. It packs in the powerful Apple A15 Bionic, 5G connectivity and a dedicated home button, while coming in at a nice affordable $429 to start. 

But the SE isn’t the only stunning midrange phone; Samsung has offered up a slew of affordable handsets for years now, and Google continues its line of “a” phones with the 5a. And if you’re outside the US, you may even have the option of picking up a OnePlus Nord 2. We’ve taken all of these outstanding affordable phones and lined their specs up in the table below so you can get an idea of the power on offer, but make sure you check out our review of the new iPhone SE when it drops later this spring.

iPhone SE

Pixel 5a with 5G

Galaxy A52 5G

OnePlus Nord 2

Pricing

$429 / $479 / $579

$449

$500

£399 (no US release)

Dimensions

138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm (5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches)

156.2 x 73.2 x 8.8 mm (6.1 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches)

159.9 x 75.1 x 8.4 mm (6.30 x 2.96 x 0.33 inches)

159.12 x 73.31 x 8.25 mm (6.26 x 2.89 x 0.32 inches)

Weight

144g (5.09 ounces)

183g (6.46 ounces)

189g (6.67 ounces)

189g (6.67 ounces)

Screen size

4.7 inches (119.4 mm)

6.34 inches (161 mm)

6.5 inches (127 mm)

6.43 inches (163.3 mm)

Screen resolution

1,334 x 750 (326 ppi)

2,400 x 1,080 (413 ppi)

2,400 x 1,080 (407 ppi)

2,400 x 1,080 (410 ppi)

Screen type

Retina HD LCD

OLED

AMOLED

Fluid AMOLED

Battery

Up to 15 hours, mAh unknown

4,680 mAh

4,500 mAh

4,500 mAh

Internal storage

64 / 128 / 256 GB

128 GB

128 GB

128 / 256 GB

External storage

None

None

microSD up to 1 TB

None

Rear camera(s)

Wide: 12 MP, f/1.8

Dual pixel: 12.2 MP, f/1.7
Ultra-wide: 16 MP, f/2.2

Main: 64 MP, f/1.8
Ultra-wide: 12 MP, f/2.2
Macro: 5 MP, f/2.2
Depth: 5 MP, 2.2

Main: 50 MP, f/1.88
Ultra-wide: 8 MP, f/2.25

Front camera(s)

7 MP, f/2.2

8 MP, f/2.0

32 MP F/2.2

32 MP, f/2.45

Video capture

4K at 60 fps

4K at 60 fps

4K at 30 fps

4K at 30 fps

SoC

Apple A15 Bionic

Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G

Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G

MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI

CPU

3.23 GHz hexa-core

2.4 GHz octa-core

2.2 GHz octa-core

3.0 GHz octa-core

GPU

quad-core Apple GPU

Adreno 620

Adreno 619

ARM G77 MC9

RAM

4 GB

6 GB

6 GB

6 / 8 / 12 GB

WiFi

802.11ax

802.11ac

802.11ac

802.11ax

Bluetooth

v5.0

v5.0

v5.0

v5.2

NFC

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Operating system

iOS 15

Android 11

Android 11

Android 11

Other features

IP67 certified, Lightning port

IP67 certified, USB-C

IP67 certified, USB-C

USB-C

Catch up on all of the news from Apple’s Peek Performance event right here!

How to pre-order Apple’s iPhone SE with 5G

Apple’s “peek performance” event today brought a bunch of new hardware across many of its product families. The new iPhone SE 5G brings long-awaited features to the small handset, including 5G support and an upgraded processor. The new iPad Air may look the same as the previous model, but it also has significant performance improvements thanks to the M1 chipset and 5G capabilities. On the Mac side, the new Mac Studio is powered by the most powerful M1 chip Apple’s made yet, and the Studio Display sports over 14.7M pixels. Here’s how to pre-order the iPhone SE 5G and everything else Apple announced today.

iPhone SE 5G

iPhone SE 5G
Apple

The new iPhone SE 5G will be available for pre-order starting at $429 on Apple’s website on Friday, March 11th. It’ll be widely available on March 18th.

Pre-order iPhone SE 5G at Apple starting at $429

As expected, Apple didn’t reinvent the wheel here. The latest iPhone SE looks much the same as the previous model, featuring a 4.7-inch inch display and a physical Home button with TouchID. The biggest changes are inside the small handset, where Apple put an A15 Bionic chipset and support for 5G. The new processor should make the smartphone feel much zippier than before, and 5G support is a much-needed addition.

iPad Air M1

Apple iPad Air M1
Apple

The new iPad Air with the M1 chipset will be available for pre-order starting at $599 on Apple’s website on Friday, March 11th. It’ll be widely available starting March 18th.

Pre-order iPad Air M1 at Apple stating at $599

Much like the iPhone SE, the new iPad Air will look familiar as all of the pertinent updates are inside the device. The updated tablet features the same 10.9-inch LCD display as the previous model, along with flat edges and a TouchID-toting power button. Inside, Apple upgraded the machine with its M1 chipset, a 16-core Neural Engine, 5G support and new front-facing cameras that support Center Stage. The M1 processor along with 5G will make this iPad even more viable as a productivity tool and laptop replacement, while Center Stage will keep you in frame during FaceTime calls.

Mac Studio & Studio Display

Apple Mac Studio
Apple

The new Mac Studio desktop and Studio Display are available to pre-order today starting at $1,999 and $1,599, respectively, from Apple’s website and both will be widely available on March 18th. 

Pre-order Mac Studio at Apple starting at $1,999Pre-order Studio Display at Apple starting at $1,599

Apple’s latest desktop is designed for creative professionals and those that want a ton of power in their main computer. It looks like a taller Mac Mini, featuring an aluminum body with a rounded-square design. It’ll come powered by either Apple’s M1 Max or new M1 Ultra chipsets, with the latter being the most powerful M1 chip Apple has made yet.

In addition to the performance gains you’ll get from either chip, the Mac Studio has a variety of connectivity options. On its back edge are four Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 10GB Ethernet port, two USB-A connectors, an HDMI port and a pro audio slot. Apple also added a few connectors to the front edge, too — M1 Max machines have two USB-C ports on the front, while M1 Ultra devices have two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and both tote an SD card slot, too. On top of that, the Mac Studio supports WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5 and connecting to up to four Pro Display XDRs or a 4K TV.

Unsurprisingly, Apple’s positioning the Studio Display as the ideal companion screen for the Mac Studio. The “all-screen” monitor has an aluminum enclosure and a 27-inch 5K Retina panel that has 14.7M pixels, a peak brightness of 600 nits and support for TrueTone. You’ll be able to tilt the standard model up to 30 degrees, but Apple’s also offering a tilt- and height-adjustable model as a $400 upgrade if you need more control over your screen. There will also be a VESA-mount option as well.

Inside the Studio Display are some powerful components, too. It runs on an A13 Bionic chip and it has the same 12MP ultra wide camera found in the latest iPads, so it supports Center Stage. There’s also a three-mic array, which should help keep your voice loud and clear during video conferences. The display also has a six speaker sound system that supports Dolby Atmos and spatial audio, along with three USB-C ports and one Thunderbolt port. While it’s designed to work with the Mac Studio, the Studio Display can be used with MacBooks as well — and you can connect up to three of the monitors to a MacBook Pro.

iPhone 13 (green)

iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro green
Apple

Apple’s adding two green hues to its iPhone 13 lineup. The regular iPhone 13 will get a colorway simply known as “green,” while the Pro family will get the Alpine Green color. You’ll be able to pre-order both the iPhone 13 and 13 Pros in the new green colors this Friday, March 11th, and they’ll be widely available starting March 18th. 

Pre-order iPhone 13 (green) at Apple starting at $699

Catch up on all of the news from Apple’s Peek Performance event right here!