The promotions come after Google streamlined Nest Aware in May. Instead of paying per camera, the new subscription starts at $60 per year (or $6 per month) and provides 30 days of event video for all the Nest security devices inside your home. The more expensive $120 per year Nest Aware Plus subscription comes with 60 days of event history and 10 days of 24/7 history.
If you’re not a Nest Aware customer, don’t worry; you can still snag some free hardware. Until June 30th, YouTube Premium, YouTube Music Premium and Google Play Music subscribers can claim a free Nest Mini.
Last month, BBC Sport announced it would be showing some of these games — marking the first time Premier League matches will be shown live by the broadcaster. Amazon is picking up some of the rest. It’s not yet clear which matches Amazon and other broadcasters will add to their free roster.
Of the remaining 92 matches broadcast across Sky Sports, BT Sport, BBC and Amazon Prime Video Sport, 33 will be free-to-view, including a number of top-flight fixtures. The move clearly signifies all parties’ desire to get the season back underway, but will be a change for Amazon and other broadcasters, which have typically required a subscription for sporting events. It may also prove to be more softly-softly approach to gaining subscriptions, though. Giving people the opportunity to try out the service without commitment — especially in the knowledge that Prime is shaping up to be a long-term destination for sports events — may end up converting them anyway.
Chances are you’re washing your hands more than ever before right now, but if you like the validating assurance of technology to make sure you’re doing it right, Samsung’s got the app for you. Designed for its range of wearable Gears and Watches, the Hand Wash app reminds users to wash their hands at regular intervals throughout the day. The company cites a 2020 study by University College London, which claims six to 10 times a day is optimum — plus after-toilet visits and before eating.
The alarm will sound every two hours or so (you can add or modify the timings as you see fit) and once you’re at a sink, swiping the device will start a 25-second counter — five seconds for applying soap and 20 for scrubbing. Since all Galaxy Watches are waterproof, you won’t need to take your device off, either. It also comes with a bunch of data and tracking functions, too, so you can review your daily handwashing activity and get a weekly average.
That’s necessary, since it comes in four colors, each preloaded with a different set of games — do you want Sonic & Tails, Shining Force or OutRun? — and the set adds on a ‘Big Window’ magnifying lens. There’s no word on a US release date yet, but now that we’re up to the Game Gear, I’m just wondering what it would take for us to see some Sega CD, 32x or even Saturn Mini retro hardware.
— Richard
Why do people still think 5G makes them sick?
The rise of new technologies often brings up fears.
Professor Omer van den Bergh, a tenured professor of health psychology, said: “There is a group of people that tends to attribute… symptoms to environmental causes, and these are typically people who have what we call modern health worries.” Instead of the historically more-common sensitivities to things like perfumes and household cleaners, this group of people with modern health worries are increasingly attributing symptoms to electromagnetic radiation in the environment. This is where a natural alignment with 5G conspiracy theorists starts to arise. This is also the theme for this week’s Engadget podcast. Listen or continue reading here. Continue reading.
Streaming services join music industry ‘blackout’ over death of George Floyd
Some artists feel #theshowmustbepaused observance is “tone deaf,” however.
The music industry staged a “blackout day” in support of protests around the alleged murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. This included streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. Spotify used a black logo and headline image on its “flagship” playlists and podcasts, while adding to participating playlists and podcasts eight minutes and 46 seconds of silence — the length of time police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck.
Apple Music canceled its regular Beats 1 radio schedule, steering users toward a streaming station that celebrates the best in Black music. Continue reading.
Grindr drops its ethnicity filter, finally
Should it have even existed in the first place?
Dating app Grindr will finally remove its ethnicity filter, following years of criticism. The app currently lets users filter potential matches based on age, height, weight and ethnicity, but the company — which says it has a “zero-tolerance policy for racism and hate speech” — has confirmed the ethnicity filter will be dropped from the next version of the app.
The change appears to have been catalyzed by responses to a tweet in which Grindr said, “Demand justice. #BlackLivesMatter.” One response to the tweet said, “remove the ethnicity filter” and was subsequently retweeted 1,000 times. Grindr later deleted its original tweet, replacing it with a longer statement that included the decision to drop the ethnicity filter. People of color have taken issue with the ethnicity filter for years, but Grindr has failed to respond — until now. Continue reading.
A proposed class action lawsuit filed against Google is accusing the company of violating federal wiretap laws by tracking users’ online activities even when they’re in Incognito mode. The complaint says the tech giant uses tools like Google Analytics, Google Ad Manager, smartphone and PC applications, as well as website plug-ins, to monitor users even if they don’t click on Google-supported ads. It also says that “millions” of users who went online in Chrome’s Incognito mode since June 1st, 2016 have likely been affected.
“Google tracks and collects consumer browsing history and other web activity data no matter what safeguards consumers undertake to protect their data privacy,” the lawsuit reads. The plaintiffs argue that by tracking users’ info when they’re in Incognito, Google has been intentionally deceiving customers into believing that they have control over the information they share with the company. According to Reuters, the lawsuit is seeking $5 billion in damages or at least $5,000 per affected user for violations of federal wiretapping and California privacy laws.
The Golf app’s new Driving Zone feature links to the user’s smartphone to show the best part of the course to target based on past rounds. Each previous tee shot will be overlaid onto a map, helping the player to hone their swing. The company says the app features 40,000 maps — 99 percent of the golf courses in the world. The app isn’t exclusive to TAG Heuer’s watches though — it’s available for other Wear OS watches and the Apple Watch.
It’s not clear how much the Connected Golf Edition will cost, but last year’s model was priced at $1,850. It will be available June 4th at select retailers, TAG Heuer boutiques and the company’s website. Last year’s Golf Edition was well received by players, so hopefully the updates that came with the company’s third-generation Connected watches will improve a niche — but useful — gadget.
The One Metro New York (OMNY) system was supposed to be available across NYC’s entire subway system by October, but coronavirus-related concerns forced the local government to halt its installation. According to The Wall Street Journal, the MTA had to suspend the installation of OMNY’s digital readers out of concern that workers could become infected by the virus. While work on the contactless payment system — something that would be immensely helpful to have right now — resumed in May, installation now won’t be complete until the end of December.
OMNY gives commuters a way to pay their fare with a tap of their phones, smartwatches or credit cards. Users won’t have to touch MetroCard vending machines anymore, though the fare payment cards will continue to work until 2023. The local government started rolling out the system in 2019, so there are quite a few stations that already offer contactless payment as an option. As MTA official Al Putre explained, though: “Unless you have OMNY at both ends of your destination you’re not going to use OMNY.”
If you don’t want to choose between different variants of Sonic, Shining Force, Gunstar Heroes or OutRun, then the solution is to buy all four, which I’d recommend because that package also includes a Big Window Micro lens that mounts on the console to make its 240×180 1.15-inch screen more usable. It has a mono speaker, headphone jack and, like the Genesis Mini, it can provide save states for your games that go beyond what was possible back in the 90s.
The four-console pack is priced at 21,912 yen, or about $201 and will go on sale October 6th via Amazon Japan, Rakuten or Sega’s official online shop. If you get it from Sega, a collector’s edition pack adds a fifth shell option, an appropriately retro “Smoke” clear plastic frame, while the other retailers have bonuses including collectible pins or special t-shirts.
Sports fans can tune in for UFC 250 on PPV as champ Amanda Nunes takes on Alicia Spencer, or check out various esports action, some IndyCar and, of course, Korean baseball. ESPN’s next 30 for 30, Like Water, digs into the life of Bruce Lee. Finally, movie fans can get Bong Joon-Ho’s Oscar-winning flick Parasite on Ultra HD Blu-ray, or go old-school and grab Jaws in 4K. Look below to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
The Cyberpunk 2077 Night City Wire livestream will now occur June 25th in light of recent anti-racism protests. Scheduled as part of Summer Game Fest, the event was originally set for June 11th and would have given fans a new look at CD Projekt Red’s forthcoming RPG.
We decided to move Night City Wire to Jun 25th. We still look forward to sharing new information about CP’77, but more important discussions are happening right now and we want them to be heard. We wholeheartedly stand against racism, intolerance and violence. Black Lives Matter.
“We still look forward to sharing new information about CP’77, but more important discussions are happening right now and we want them to be heard. We wholeheartedly stand against racism, intolerance and violence. Black Lives Matter,” the Cyberpunk 2077 account tweeted Tuesday.
