Steve Dent
Engadget
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Recent articles by Steve:
Facebook fails its own audit over civil rights and hate speech decisions
Facebook has released a long-awaited civil rights audit that’s bound to ramp up pressure to change its policies. The report revealed that executive decisions caused “significant setbacks for civil rights” and that the site could become an “echo chamber” of extremism if it doesn’t take stronger measures. → Read More
Fire TV better integrates live programming on Sling, Hulu Live and YouTube TV
Amazon is making Fire TV a lot more useful for live TV streaming with direct integration of Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV and Sling TV. They’ll soon appear on Fire TV’s live TV discovery features, including the Live Tab, On Now rows and multi-app channel guide with Alexa functionality. → Read More
Amazon's Alexa app now works hands-free on Android and iOS devices
Alexa allows hands-free control of all manner of devices, but there’s been one glaring exception: its own smartphone app. Amazon has finally brought that feature directly to Android and iOS devices via a new update to the Alexa app. → Read More
Audi's Q4 Sportback e-tron concept will go into production in 2021
Audi wants to give prospective buyers of its electric Q4 SUVs plenty of options, so it has just unveiled the Q4 Sportback E-Tron concept — a “sexy back” coupé version of the Q4 E-Tron SUV it unveiled last year. → Read More
New H.266 codec uses half the data to stream 4K video
Fraunhofer, the German company that helped develop the H.264, H.265 and MP3 encoding formats, has unveiled a new video encoding standard that could severely reduce streaming bottlenecks. Called H.266/Versatile Video Coding (VVC), it’s specifically designed for 4K and 8K streaming and reduces data requirements by around 50 percent compared to H.265 HEVC (high-efficiency video coding). → Read More
Sega's Astro City Mini arcade cabinet comes with 36 games
With the Genesis Mini and Game Gear Micro, Sega is really into tiny consoles right now. It may have just outdone itself, however, with the launch of the Astro City Mini arcade cabinet. → Read More
TikTok will exit Hong Kong because of China's new security law
TikTok will exit the Hong Kong market and cut off access to all residents of the semi-autonomous region. → Read More
Tom Hanks: 'Absolute hearbreak' that 'Greyhound' won't debut in theaters
Tom Hanks, who wrote and stars in the upcoming film Greyhound, said it’s “an absolute heartbreak” that the film won’t debut in theaters. → Read More
Samsung begins offering support requests via WhatsApp in India
With the COVID-19 crisis continuing unabated in India, more folks than ever are relying on their smartphone. At the same time, the pandemic means it’s not easy to get help if you have a technical problem. With all that in mind, Samsung has introduced Customer Care for WhatsApp, an ultra-popular service in India. → Read More
Sony's excellent WF-1000MX3 wireless earbuds are just $170 right now
With powerful noise cancellation and excellent sound quality, Sony’s WF-1000XM3 wireless Bluetooth earbuds are still among the best you can get. They were already a good deal at the $230 retail price, but a new sale makes them more irresistible: Dell is offering them in silver for $170, the best price we’ve seen so far. → Read More
Uber reportedly acquires Postmates for $2.65 billion
Uber has acquired online food delivery service Postmates for $2.65 billion in stock. The deal is expected to help Uber better compete against food delivery giant DoorDash and will be a consolation prize after it failed to acquire GrubHub earlier this year. → Read More
Amped Studio offers 'experimental' VST plugin support for its online DAW
Online digital audio workstation (DAW) music production apps are popular because, unlike local apps, they can run on machines that aren’t necessarily super-powerful. However, a downside is that you can’t use powerful VST plugins that do functions like noise reduction, auto-tune or sampled instruments. Amped Studio has announced that it has solved that problem, albeit in a limited way, with a new… → Read More
A high-tech glove can translate sign language with 99-percent accuracy
Researchers at UCLA have developed an inexpensive, high-tech glove that can translate sign language into written and spoken words on a smartphone. → Read More
Lenovo's Virtual Care service helps chronically ill patients track their health
Lenovo has jumped into digital healthcare with a service called Virtual Care designed to help chronically ill patients better track their health. → Read More
Engadget readers can save $20 on August's fourth-generation smart lock
With its fourth-generation model, August has one of the best smart locks on the market. It’s easy to install, works with most digital assistants and lets you keep using your existing mechanical locks. At $249 it is more expensive than some other smart locks, but starting today you can save $20 by using the code ENGADGETLOCK at checkout. → Read More
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 review: The first good dual-screen laptop
Second-screen laptops are the cool new thing, but so far we haven’t seen a good reason to pay extra for one. However, ASUS made a good case with the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15. It has top-flight specs and a high-resolution second display that tilts up for better cooling and visibility. → Read More
LG's latest Bluetooth speakers have passive radiators for extra bass
LG has released the XBoom Go PL lineup that may give you pause for your next Bluetooth speaker buying decision. → Read More
Google Photos will no longer back up WhatsApp and Instagram images by default
Google Photos will no longer back up images from WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and other messaging and social media services, the company announced. → Read More
Amazon's brand new Fire HD 8 tablets are $30 off for today only
f you’re on the fence about purchasing the latest Fire HD tablets, Amazon has a deal that might sway you. For today only, it’s offering the all-new Fire HD for $59.99 and the Fire HD Plus for $79.99, or $30 each off the regular prices. → Read More
Amazon reportedly seals $1.2 billion acquisition of self-driving startup Zoox
Amazon will reportedly pay over $1.2 billion to acquire Zoox, one of the many companies working on self-driving technology. The acquisition represents Amazon’s strongest commitment to self-driving so far. → Read More