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  • Google Drive Has a 5 Million Item Cap, Even if You Have Storage Space Left

    Google Drive Has a 5 Million Item Cap, Even if You Have Storage Space Left

    Google Drive now limits users to 5 million items. A Google Workspace spokesperson confirmed the change in an email Monday evening.

    This comes as a Reddit user posted a thread Monday saying Google had imposed a 5 million item limit on peoples’ Drive accounts, without prior warning. The Reddit user said people began receiving “Upload Failed” notifications around Feb. 14 for any action, including creating a new empty folder.

    “To maintain strong performance and reliability, individual users are limited to 5 million total created items in their Google Drive,” a spokesperson from Google Workspace said. The spokesperson went on to say this change affects only a small number of users and recommended deleting some files.

    For those with a plethora of files, suddenly being asked to remove millions of items is a major inconvenience, as noted in a report created on Google’s issue tracker. One user in the UK said their business in the animal health space has been critically hit by this change. It’s caused a major disruption for the “tens of thousands of users in-practice and their work on a daily basis.”

    Others are wondering why, if there’s a hard limit, Google didn’t provide any guidance. The rollout of this change may not be going smoothly either, with some users saying that even at 1 million items, they can’t create a new folder.

    For many users and businesses, storing files online is often more convenient than local storage. The overall cloud storage market was valued at $78.6 billion in 2022, according to Markets and Markets.

    People can upgrade their Google One account, the service that contains Gmail, Drive, YouTube and others, to have additional storage. This storage can go all the way up to 30TB. Google One competes with Microsoft’s OneDrive, Dropbox, Amazon Cloud Drive and Box. Of course, Google One integrates better with Google Workspace apps like Docs and Sheets.

    Some Google One competitors also have file limits.OneDrive for Business has a limit of 50,000 items per folder. But it’s uncertain if Microsoft has a hard cap on the number of items overall. Dropbox, on the other hand, says there’s no limit.

    Microsoft, Amazon and Box representatives didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

    It seems that regardless of a person’s Google One plan, whether it be 100GB or 20TB, the 5 million item limit applies. As a result, users with small file sizes are likely to hit the item limit before they hit the storage limit: Someone on a 2TB plan would have to exceed an average file size of 400KB to run out of storage before they hit the item limit. So, unless a person is storing large files like photos and videos on their drive, it’s possible that some are paying for more space than can realistically be used.

    Alternatively, other Reddit users pointed out that compressing files into a .ZIP folder ends up counting as one item.

  • iOS 16.4: The New Features That Just Hit Your iPhone

    iOS 16.4: The New Features That Just Hit Your iPhone

    The wait for iOS 16.4 is over. Apple rolled out iOS 16.4 on Monday, about a week after the company let developers and beta testers try the iOS 16.4 release candidate.

    CNET Tech Tips logoCNET Tech Tips logo

    The update comes with a handful of bug and security fixes, as well as some new features. Some of the new features include new emoji, voice isolation for cellular calls, and more.

    Here are some of the new features your iPhone gains with iOS 16.4.

    31 new emoji

    The iOS 16.4 update brings 31 new emoji to your iOS device. The new emoji include a new smiley; new animals, like a moose and a goose; and new heart colors, like pink and light blue.

    9 of the new emoji, arranged in a grid on a pink background: peapod, hair pick, goose, hand, smiley, gray heart, maracas, donkey, wifi signal9 of the new emoji, arranged in a grid on a pink background: peapod, hair pick, goose, hand, smiley, gray heart, maracas, donkey, wifi signal

    Some of the new emoji released in iOS 16.4.

    Patrick Holland/CNET

    The new emoji all come from Unicode’s September 2022 recommendation list, Emoji 15.0.

    Voice isolation comes to cellular calls

    Voice isolation was introduced with iOS 15 in 2021, and at the time it worked only on FaceTime calls. Now with iOS 16.4, you can use the feature on your cellular calls too.

    When enabled, voice isolation can help the person you’re on a call with hear you more clearly by muffling background sounds, like kids playing in the other room or construction outside your window. It could therefore cut back on the number of times you have to repeat yourself in a phone call because the other person can’t hear you.

    Easily find photo duplicates across shared albums

    In iOS 16.4, you can easily find duplicate photos in shared albums in Photos. If you share photos with family or friends via iCloud, iOS 16.4 will show you all the duplicates across albums. You can also Merge these duplicate photos.

    Support for PlayStation 5 controller

    According to MacRumors, iOS 16.4 adds support for the PlayStation 5 DualSense Edge Wireless Controller. You can use the controller to play controller-enabled games from services like Apple Arcade — a CNET Editors’ Choice award pick — on your iPhone.

    Apple Books update

    The page-turn curl animation is back in Apple Books with iOS 16.4, after it was removed in a previous iOS update. Before, when you turned a page in an ebook on your iPhone, the page would slide to one side of your screen or it would vanish and be replaced by the next page. You can still choose these other page-turn animations in addition to the curl animation.

    Music app changes

    The Kid Cudi album Man On the Moon artwork with the track list belowThe Kid Cudi album Man On the Moon artwork with the track list below

    A small banner appears at the bottom of the screen when you choose to play a song next in Apple Music in iOS 16.4

    Zach McAuliffe/CNET

    The Music interface has been slightly modified in iOS 16.4. When you add a song to your queue, a small banner appears near the bottom of your screen instead of a full-screen pop-up like in previous iOS versions.

    Also, if you go into your Library in Music, you can organize your Library by Artist and tap into an artist, across the top of your page you will see an icon for that artist. A search bar used to be at the top of this page. Tap the artist’s icon and you will be taken to that artist’s Music page.

    Apple Podcasts updates

    Apple Podcasts also gets an update with iOS 16.4. Now you can access a Channels tab in your Library, which shows you different networks you follow. Tap into each channel and you see can the shows you subscribe to and other shows that channel produces.

    See who and what is covered under AppleCare

    With iOS 16.4, you can go to Settings > General > About > Coverage to check who and what devices are covered on your AppleCare plan. That way, if your AirPods break, you can easily check whther they are covered. You can manage your coverage from here too.

    Focus Mode filters added

    If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max, iOS 16.4 lets you enable or disable the always-on display option with certain Focus Modes. When creating a new filter, scroll down to the bottom of the edit page, tap Focus Filter, then tap Always-On Display to enable or disable the display for that Focus Mode.

    New Apple Wallet features

    You can add three new order-tracking widgets for Apple Wallet to your home screen with iOS 16.4. Each widget displays your tracking information on active orders, but the widgets are different sizes: small, medium and large.

    No Active Orders displayed in the Apple Wallet widgetNo Active Orders displayed in the Apple Wallet widget

    The medium-size Apple Wallet order tracking widget takes up three tile spaces on your iPhone’s screen.

    Zach McAuliffe/CNET

    More accessibility options

    The update also adds new accessibility options. One new option is called Dim Flashing Lights, and it can be found in the Motion menu in Settings. The option’s description says video content that depicts repeated flashing or strobing lights will automatically be dimmed. Video timelines will also show when flashing lights will occur. VoiceOver support has also been expanded to the maps and Weather apps.

    Apple ID and beta software updates

    Text that reads You can sign in with a different Apple ID that is enrolled in the Apple Beta Software Program or the Apple Developer ProgramText that reads You can sign in with a different Apple ID that is enrolled in the Apple Beta Software Program or the Apple Developer Program

    The latest iOS update lets you sign into another Apple ID to access other beta software.

    Zach McAuliffe/CNET

    With iOS 16.4, developers and beta testers can check whether their Apple ID is associated with the developer beta, public beta or both. If you have a different Apple ID, like one for your job, that has access to beta updates, iOS 16.4 also lets you switch to that account from your device.

    New keyboards, Siri voices and language updates

    This iOS 16.4 update also adds keyboards for the Choctaw and Chickasaw languages, and there are new Siri voices for Arabic and Hebrew. Language updates have also come to Korean, Ukrainian, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu.

    Here are Apple’s release notes for iOS 16.4.

    This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:
    • 21 new emoji including animals, hand gestures, and objects are now available in emoji keyboard
    • Notifications for web apps added to the Home Screen
    • Voice Isolation for cellular calls prioritizes your voice and blocks out ambient noise around you
    • Duplicates album in Photos expands support to detect duplicate photos and videos in an iCloud Shared Photo
    Library
    • VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app
    • Accessibility setting to automatically dim video when flashes of light or strobe effects are detected
    • Fixes an issue where Ask to Buy requests from children may fail to appear on the parent’s device
    • Addresses issues where Matter-compatible thermostats could become unresponsive when paired to Apple Home
    • Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone
    14 Pro models

    For more, check out what was included in iOS 16.3.1 and features you may have missed in iOS 16.3.

    Now playing:Watch this:iOS 16: Powerful Features You May Have Missed

    6:28

  • 12 iOS 16 Features That Will Help You Make the Most of Your iPhone

    12 iOS 16 Features That Will Help You Make the Most of Your iPhone

    This story is part of Focal Point iPhone 2023, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Apple’s most popular product.

    Apple’s iPhone software keeps adding new features, and you don’t even need a new iPhone 14 to take advantage of them. With iOS 16.3, first released in January, Apple added a number of small but significant updates to the iOS 16 iPhone software, including security keys for iCloud and new wallpaper options. A smaller iOS 16.3.1 update in February then threw in a few bug fixes and security updates as well. And now the release of iOS 16.4 and its new emojis are available for the iPhone, too.

    All of these updates continue to add onto Apple’s iOS 16, which first came out in September for anyone with a compatible iPhone. Installing the operating system software on your iPhone gives you new features and settings, such as a more customizable lock screen, a way to edit sent messages and a magic photo editing tool. Plus, iOS 16 brings back the battery percentage icon.

    iOS 16 was announced last spring at Apple’s WWDC conference prior to its public launch alongside the iPhone 14. If you’re curious about what else iOS 16 offers, read on as we break down the 11 best new features on your iPhone. Just make sure you’ve already completed these three steps first, and check out the lesser-known features lurking in iOS 16 too.

    New emoji include animals and a new smiley

    9 of the new emoji, arranged in a grid on a pink background: peapod, hair pick, goose, hand, smiley, gray heart, maracas, donkey, wifi signal9 of the new emoji, arranged in a grid on a pink background: peapod, hair pick, goose, hand, smiley, gray heart, maracas, donkey, wifi signal

    A sample of the new emoji arriving with iOS 16.4.

    Karisa Langlo/CNET

    After downloading iOS 16.4, your iPhone’s emoji keyboard will expand to include 31 new symbols to decorate your chats — many of which have a festive theme. Maracas, Pink Heart, Light Blue Heart and Folding Hand Fan arrive alongside animals like the Donkey, Moose and the Goose. Meanwhile the Shaking Face could help you express shock and confusion.

    The ability to edit and ‘unsend’ messages

    “Embarrassing typos are a thing of the past,” Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, said at WWDC as he introduced three of the most requested features for the Messages app.

    First, in iOS 16 you’re able to edit sent messages. So if you notice a typo after a message, you’ll be able to edit the message after the fact. A tiny “edited” appears in the status under the message.

    A screenshot of the iOS 16 Messages app showing one that's been editedA screenshot of the iOS 16 Messages app showing one that's been edited

    In Messages, you can edit previously sent messages.

    Apple

    Next, and this might be my favorite new feature, you can immediately recall a sent message. If you accidentally send an unfinished message, you can use the Undo Send tool to prevent it from being read and hopefully look less chaotic to your friends and family.

    Last, you can mark messages and threads as unread. This could be an excellent tool for when you don’t have time to respond to a message in the moment, but want to make sure you come back to it later.

    Now playing:Watch this:Testing iOS 16 (Edit/Delete Sent Messages, New Lock Screen…

    16:22

    A new customizable lock screen

    One of the things you look at the most on your iPhone is the lock screen, especially if you have a Face ID-equipped iPhone. iOS 16 brings the most substantial update to the iPhone’s lock screen yet. Press and hold to edit your lock screen. You can swipe to try out several different styles. Each style changes the color filter for the background photo and the font on the lock screen so everything complements each other. This feels a bit like Apple’s take on Google’s Material You, which launched with Android 12.

    You can also customize the fonts for the time and date, and add lock screen widgets like temperature, activity rings and a calendar. The widgets are akin to complications on the Apple Watch lock screen.

    Your iPhone will become more customizable in iOS 16. You’ll be able to choose how your lock screen looks, down to the font and color.

    Apple

    You can even set up multiple customized lock screens with different widgets and easily swipe to switch between them. There’s also a photo shuffle option that automatically changes the pictures on your lock screen.

    One feature we’d been hoping to see Apple add was an always-on display. It’s something nearly all Android phones have; even the Apple Watch does. Well, with the new iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, the always-on display has finally arrived.

    A screenshot of the Live Activities tool on the bottom of the lock screenA screenshot of the Live Activities tool on the bottom of the lock screen

    iOS 16 adds a feature that developers can use called Live Activities. This is essentially a mini view of the real-time progress of a workout, sporting event or Uber ride from your iPhone’s lock screen.

    Apple

    Notifications and live activities

    Sometimes notifications can cover up your lock screen’s photo, so iOS 16 moves notifications to the bottom of your display. As you receive them, instead of being compiled into a list, they appear like a vertical carousel. This not only looks better but should be a big help for one-handed use of your iPhone.

    iOS 16 also aims to solve another notification problem. Sometimes you get a bunch of notifications in a row from one app, like the score of a basketball game. A new tool for developers called Live Activities makes it easier to stay on top of things happening in real time from your lock screen, instead of getting a series of interruptions.

    Live Activities should make it easier to follow sporting events, workouts or even the progress of an Uber ride.

    Skip CAPTCHAs using Private Access Tokens

    The CAPTCHA — which stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart — has been a necessary evil across the internet. CAPTCHAs are designed to make sure that a person is accessing a website or service, and not a bot. I find them annoying, as they often involve reading strangely written letters or having to find all the images that have a truck. With iOS 16, Apple plans to start replacing these awkward interactions with Private Access Tokens.

    According to a video on Apple’s website demonstrating Private Access Tokens, websites that support the token will essentially log in and authenticate that you are indeed a human without your having to play any of the usual CAPTCHA games. Apple says in the video that the company is working with other companies to roll out support for this feature, so we can’t say the CAPTCHA will be dead after iOS 16 rolls out to the public. But the concept could provide some relief if it gets adopted.

    Wallet and Apple Pay Later

    ID cards from more states will be available in your Wallet app along with more security and privacy features. In iOS 16 you can also protect your identity and age. So rather than showing your exact birth date, the Wallet app will display your ID and that you’re over 21.

    iOS 16 makes sharing keys easier with apps like Mail and Messages. When your friend receives the key, they can add it to the Wallet app on their iPhone. Apple said it’s working to make sure that shared keys are an industry standard and free for others.

    A screenshot of cards in the Wallet app for iOS 16A screenshot of cards in the Wallet app for iOS 16

    The Wallet app in iOS 16 gets a bunch of small but notable updates, including the Apple Pay Later payment plan.

    Apple

    Apple Pay will support new types of payments and adds a new feature called Apple Pay Later, a Klarna-like service that lets you split the cost of an Apple Pay purchase into four equal payments spread over six weeks, with zero interest and no fees. Upcoming payments are managed through the Wallet app, making it easy to keep track of dates and payments.

    But Apple Pay doesn’t stop there. A new feature will also help you track Apple Pay orders and lets merchants deliver detailed receipts and tracking information. This should make it easier to stay up to date on the status of all your orders.

    A screenshot of a thread in Messages where a cutout of a dog is addedA screenshot of a thread in Messages where a cutout of a dog is added

    You can tap and hold on the subject of a photo and separate it from the background. Then you can drag it into another app like Messages to share it.

    Apple

    Visual Look Up’s tap and drag for photos

    In iOS 15, Visual Look Up analyzes your photos and can identify objects like plants, landmarks and pets. iOS 16 takes this to the next level. When you touch a photo’s subject like the dog in the image above, you can lift it away from the background and add it to apps like Messages. Essentially it’s a tap-and-hold tool that removes a photo’s background.

    Apple sometimes overuses the word “magic,” but this feature truly seems like it.

    Craig Federighi introduces SharePlay in Messages in front of a giant screenCraig Federighi introduces SharePlay in Messages in front of a giant screen

    During the keynote for WWDC, Apple executive Craig Federighi introduces SharePlay for the Messages app.

    Apple

    SharePlay comes to Messages

    SharePlay, which debuted in iOS 15, lets you have a shared experience while connecting with someone over FaceTime. You can watch TV shows, listen to music in sync and other things. iOS 16 adds the ability to discover more apps that support SharePlay from within FaceTime.

    But perhaps one of the coolest things Apple did for SharePlay was to make it work within the Messages app. Apple said that this was one of the biggest requests from app developers. Now when you want to share a movie on Disney Plus, you can start SharePlay together with a friend while chatting in Messages.

    An Apple executive presents the Safety Check feature during the WWDC keynoteAn Apple executive presents the Safety Check feature during the WWDC keynote

    Safety Check lets you quickly reset location sharing and access to passwords. It’s intended to be helpful for people in abusive relationships.

    Apple

    Safety Check aims to help people in abusive relationships

    Safety Check is a new feature intended to be helpful for people in abusive relationships. It lets you review and reset who has access to location information as well as passwords, messages and other apps on an iPhone.

    Focus mode updates and Focus filters

    Focus mode gets several updates. The first applies Focus behaviors to widgets and lock screen looks. So you could have one lock screen set for when your Work Focus is enabled and another for workouts.

    Apple added specific Focus filters that apply your iPhone’s Focus mode within apps. For example, in Safari, you can limit what tabs are shown depending on what Focus mode you have active.

    Apple Maps adds transit fare cards

    Maps gets several updates. You’ll be able to plan trips with up to 15 different stops along the way. If you start planning a trip with the Maps app on your Mac, you’ll be able to share that to your iPhone.

    And in something similar to what Google announced for Google Wallet in Android 13, you’ll be able to see transit fare estimates as well as add more money to a fare card from within Apple Maps.

    Craig Federighi shows off the new Quick Start feature during the WWDC keynoteCraig Federighi shows off the new Quick Start feature during the WWDC keynote

    In iOS 16 you’ll be able to customize Quick Start with a specific child’s iCloud parental controls and settings.

    Apple

    iCloud family checklist

    iCloud gets several new features. One of the more interesting ones is the option to quickly set up a new device for your child. When Quick Start appears, you have the option to pick a user for the new device and use all the existing parental controls you’ve previously selected and configured. However, this is not what many of us still want: the ability to set up separate users for the same device.

    There’s a new family checklist with tips for updating settings for your kids as they get older, like a reminder to check location-sharing settings or share your iCloud Plus subscriptions.

    For more, check out everything Apple announced at its Sept. 7 “Far Out” event. Plus, here’s how to download iOS 16.

  • Select Samsung Odyssey Gaming Monitors Are Discounted by Up to $450

    Select Samsung Odyssey Gaming Monitors Are Discounted by Up to $450

    If you’re serious about gaming, you ought to have a monitor that can do your games justice. Not only do you want a picture that allows titles to look great and feel immersive, but you also need the screen to be responsive enough that it’s not going to throw you off your game.

    For a limited time, Samsung is discounting an array of gaming monitors at its site so you can upgrade your setup for less. The sale offers 15% off select Odyssey monitors with promo code ODYSSEY15. That means as much as $450 in savings is up for grabs — with sizes ranging from 27 to 55 inches included.

    Samsung/CNET

    For a limited time, a variety of Samsung Odyssey gaming monitors are seeing steep discounts with 15% off regular prices with promo code ODYSSEY15. That equates to a $450 saving on the flagship 55-inch Odyssey Ark monitor and drops smaller screen prices to as little as $467.

    Notable deals include:

    The monitors on sale include some premium features like OLED or Mini LED panels, 4K resolution, curved screens and more. Other gaming-specific features include Nvidia G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, 240Hz refresh rates and speedy response times as low as 0.03 milliseconds.

    The deals are slated to expire on Thursday, March 30, so you don’t have long to secure these discounts.

    Welcome to CNET Coupons, the first stop before you shop, featuring a multitude of deals and discounts from top online retailers. Simply head over to our coupon page and type in your favorite store or brands to find all the deals available for the week.


    Get the best price with CNET Shopping.

    Love shopping online but don’t have time to compare prices or search for promo codes? Our CNET Shopping extension does that for you, so you always get the best price.


  • Gucci Teams With Bored Ape Creator To Take High Fashion to the Metaverse

    Gucci Teams With Bored Ape Creator To Take High Fashion to the Metaverse

    Gucci is venturing deeper into the metaverse, and it’s teamed up with Bored Ape Yacht Club creator Yuga Labs.

    The luxury fashion house tweeted an image on Monday (seen below) of a bottle emblazoned with Gucci and Yuga Labs branding. The image was also seen in the trailer of Otherside, Yuga’s upcoming Bored Ape-themed metaverse game designed for PC and mobile browsers.

    “Continuing to explore the metaverse, the House comes together with YugaLabs,” the tweet read. “Stay tuned as a new narrative takes shape, blurring the boundaries between the physical and digital.”

    Details on the specifics of the partnership remain scarce, but a Business of Fashion report says the multifaceted deal is “meant to extend engagement between each company’s communities ‘by exploring the intersection between fashion and entertainment in the metaverse.’”

    Yuga Labs is the biggest NFT company in the world. NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, are blockchain tokens that certify ownership of a digital good. Their proposed purpose is to grant digital goods the same property rights as physical items: An NFT allows you to sell an in-game costume, for instance, just as you’d be able to sell a real-life costume once you’re done with it.

    In recent years, luxury fashion brands have strengthened their Web3 ties. Luxury fashion houses, including Louis Vuitton, Prada and Gucci, have created NFT collections and immersive experiences in the metaverse. This underscores a willingness to experiment with the metaverse, which proponents tout for its business potential as an entirely new platform on which to sell digital goods and services.

    Gucci’s participation in Otherside is set to begin this week.

  • Best Road Trip Camera Gear

    Best Road Trip Camera Gear

    Whether you’re planning a once-in-a-lifetime experience, an epic road trip across the United States, or just a quiet weekend getaway, you’ll want the best camera to document your adventure. The best camera can elevate your photos and videos from the vacation with higher quality. It can also help you capture amazing slow-motion footage and, most especially, rugged waterproofing so your phone stays safely in your pocket. You don’t need to spend a fortune on high-end cameras either. Often a GoPro can do the trick.

    I travel a lot, and I’ll be the first to admit I bring more camera gear than I need to. However, there are only a few I use all the time, and those are what I recommend here. One of them will probably be all you need for your next road trip.

    Óscar Gutiérrez/CNET

    You can’t go wrong with a GoPro. They have excellent image quality, are quite rugged and their app is pretty solid in letting you edit your photos and footage to look its best. The main reason I’m recommending the Hero 10 over one of the less expensive options is because of the Max Lens Mod. This lens swaps in and records an even wider angle of view. Plus, it improves the already excellent stabilization.

    I’ve been using it not only to capture scenic vistas, but also as a dash camera, as you can see in the video below.

    The newer GoPro Hero 11 has a few improvements, but for most people the Hero 10 will look pretty much the same and will save you some money.

    Read our GoPro Hero 10 Black review.

    You’re receiving price alerts for GoPro Hero10 Black

    Insta360

    I’ve used 360 cameras for years. They’ve come a long way. This is the first I’d consider using without a backup action camera. 360 cameras capture everything in a sphere around the camera. Later, with the app, you can pick and choose what to show and how. So basically you record everything, and then crop to show just the interesting parts.

    One of the coolest tricks a 360 camera can do is automatically remove the selfie stick, so it looks like you have a drone following you. For more, check out:

    Insta360 X3 Action Cam Uses 5.7K 360 Video, AI Smarts to Get All the Social Shots.

    You’re receiving price alerts for Insta360 One X3

    This is a unique and tiny action camera that I’ve been using a lot. It’s not really a main camera, but definitely an excellent secondary camera. It’s about the size of your thumb — and magnetic. You can hang it on your shirt while wearing an included magnetic pendant, or attach it to anything metal, or use one of the myriad clever mounts. The case that recharges and controls the camera even has a built-in tripod. The footage is wonderfully stabilized and looks far better than you’d expect for something so small.

    Because of its size, it can record perspectives other cameras can’t, like the model train POV in the video below.

    Read our Insta360 Go 2 review.

    You’re receiving price alerts for Insta360 Go 2

    Josh Goldman/CNET

    For most people the GoPro Hero 10 Black is all the action camera they’ll need. If you don’t mind spending a bit more, the newer Hero 11 improves on the 10 in a few minor ways. For one, there’s a new image sensor. The primary difference is it’s more square. So if you often post vertical content for, say, TikTok or Instagram, but still want to be able to post standard horizontal content to YouTube, this allows you to more easily do both without a significant loss in quality.

    You can read more about it here:

    GoPro Hero 11 Black Hands-On: A Super-Sized Sensor Adds Value for Everyone.

    You’re receiving price alerts for GoPro Hero 11 Black

    DJI

    If you don’t want to invest in a new camera, or don’t want the bulk of one (fair), consider a gimbal. You can really improve the quality of your videos with a gimbal. They smooth out your hand’s movements while you’re walking around, and can do slick, professional-looking pans and tilts. They’re an absolute must-have if you’re primarily using your phone. I have the OM 3, but the 5 is the current model and is easier to connect to your phone.

    Read our DJI OM 5 review.

    $139 at Amazon

    You’re receiving price alerts for DJI OM 5

    Sarah Tew/CNET

    If you’re recording a lot of video, your camera and phone’s storage are going to fill up fast. Cloud storage is one option, but if you’re bringing a laptop, consider a tiny portable hard drive. I have one of these and they seem impossibly small for how much they can store. They’re also reasonably rugged.

    Read our list of the best external hard drive and SSDs.

    You’re receiving price alerts for SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD

    Selfie stick

    I don’t have a strong recommendation for this one, other than to say selfie sticks are great (when you’re not in crowds, that is) and you should find one you like. Even I, who has what one friend describes as “freakishly long arms,” find great use in a selfie stick. They let me capture photos and videos that would be impossible any other way, especially with a 360 camera that automatically deletes the stick from the final image or video.

    Precariously perched over the Badlands, thanks to a 360 camera and a selfie stick.Precariously perched over the Badlands, thanks to a 360 camera and a selfie stick.

    Precariously perched over the Badlands, thanks to a 360 camera and a selfie stick.

    Geoffrey Morrison/CNET

    I recommend getting one with tripod-mount screws on both ends, which gives you more options on what you can mount and how you can mount the stick itself. Similarly, make sure you get one that can hold all your cameras and phones.

    Camera remote

    I find these to be super handy, though depending how you’re recording, it might not be. It’s a simple Bluetooth remote that lets you control when the camera starts and stops recording along with changing modes, settings, and so on. True, you can use the camera’s app on your phone instead, but I feel like I spend half my life trying to get cameras to connect to their apps, so sometimes a remote is easier. Sometimes the remote won’t connect either. It’s a hassle either way. Oh well.

    joby gorillapodjoby gorillapod
    Joby

    Tripods and other mounts

    One last thing. Tripods and mounts. You probably don’t need a full-size tripod, few people do. A small bendable model can be super handy though, letting you mount the camera to just about anything and get a great shot with you in it. I’ve had good luck with Joby GorillaPods. I have an older version of this one.

    Also check out suction-cup and dash mounts. I have a tiny dashboard and tiny windshield, so it was a lot harder to find something that worked. So what I’m using probably won’t work for you. Generally I’d recommend mounting the camera as high as possible, if you can, for a better view.

    I’ll end with my favorite, an antenna mount. Unscrew your antenna and install this mount. When paired with a 360 camera, it lets you get an exciting and unique view of your adventure. I got one of these and put a selfie stick on top of it, plus a 360 camera, to get the drone-like footage of me and my car in Grand Teton National Park. How well this works is going to depend on your particular vehicle, however.

    Read more: Best Tripod for Photography and Video in 2023


    As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000-mile road trips, and more. Check out Tech Treks for all his tours and adventures.

    He wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines and a sequel. You can follow his adventures on Instagram and his YouTube channel.

  • iOS 16.4 Is Out. How to Download the Latest iPhone Update

    iOS 16.4 Is Out. How to Download the Latest iPhone Update

    This story is part of Focal Point iPhone 2023, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Apple’s most popular product.

    Apple has just released iOS 16.4. The latest software update for the iPhone brings several new features to iOS 16, including 21 new emoji, including the pea pod, light blue heart and jellyfish, and voice isolation for cellular phone calls, which blocks out ambient noises to make your voice clearer.

    CNET Tech Tips logoCNET Tech Tips logo

    iOS 16.4 also adds Safari-based push notifications, duplicates album support for the iCloud Shared Photo Library, crash detection optimizations for the iPhone 14 series, VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app, bug fixes, security updates and more.

    Read on for a step-by-step guide to the process of putting iOS 16.4 on your compatible iPhone. You can also check out some of the best existing features on iOS 16 and a few hidden features we were surprised to find. And if you recently got a new iPhone, here are the best iPhone 14 cases so far.

    Now playing:Watch this:Testing iOS 16 (Edit/Delete Sent Messages, New Lock Screen…

    16:22

    Before you start, is your iPhone even compatible?

    Not every iPhone will receive the iOS 16.4 update. You need at least an iPhone 8, which was released back in 2017, to run iOS 16. That also includes the iPhone X, iPhone 11, iPhone SE (second generation and up) and the new iPhone 14.

    iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro MaxiPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max

    The iPhone 14 comes preinstalled with iOS 16.

    James Martin/CNET

    Next, back up your iPhone

    Getting your hands on new software can be exciting, but there are precautions you should take before updating. You may not be happy with some of the features that iOS 16.4 has to offer (although you can fix some of the most annoying ones), so you need to be able to downgrade back to an earlier version of iOS 16 for whatever reason — and that requires you to back up your iPhone before you update.

    By default, your iPhone should back itself up every time it’s connected to power and Wi-Fi during your regular sleep hours. However, if this backup feature is disabled, you can go to Settings > Your Name > iCloud > iCloud Backup and then hit Back Up Now to back up your device.

    Backup page on iPhoneBackup page on iPhone

    You can (and should) also back up your iPhone on your Mac.

    Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET

    Additionally, you can back up your iPhone via Finder on your Mac. Simply connect your device to your computer, open Finder, choose your device and then create a backup. Apple also recommends archiving your backup, so that it’s not overwritten by other backups.

    Also, make sure to do these three things

    You want the download and installation process to go as smoothly as possible, and the best way to do that is to do the following:

    • Make sure your iPhone is connected to power. You won’t be able to download iOS 16.4 if you’re under 50% battery, so it’s best to just plug in your phone while you update. And even when you’re plugged in, the battery needs to be over 20%.
    • Connect to Wi-Fi. You also won’t be able to download iOS 16.4 with cellular data, so connect to a stable Wi-Fi network.
    • Clear up enough storage space. If you’re running out of storage, you’ll need to clear some up before you can download and install iOS 16.4. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to delete large files and apps.

    Here’s our guide on how to get more iPhone storage.

    How to download and install iOS 16.4

    Now once you have all that set, open your iPhone and go to Settings > General > Software Update, wait a few seconds (or minutes) for the update to appear and then hit Download and Install for iOS 16.4.

    iOS 16.4 download pageiOS 16.4 download page

    You can also use Finder on your Mac to download iOS 16.4 on your iPhone.

    Nelson Aguilar/CNET

    You should then see a loading bar, along with a rough estimate of how long the download process will take. Once the download is complete, reboot your device and wait for iOS 16.4 to install. When your iPhone boots up, follow any prompts and you should then see iOS 16.4 downloaded on your device.

    For more on the new OS, here’s a look at our iOS 16 cheat sheet and some of the most annoying features and settings on iOS 16 (and how you can fix them).

  • You Can Now Bundle YouTube TV With Frontier Internet in One Bill

    You Can Now Bundle YouTube TV With Frontier Internet in One Bill

    YouTube TV and Frontier are getting even cozier. The streaming service and the internet company will now offer customers the ability to pay for both services under one bill. Now, existing Frontier internet users are eligible for $10 per month off a YouTube TV subscription for a year, while Frontier TV customers get $15 per month off for 12 months of service.

    The partnership between Frontier and YouTube TV began in 2021 and allowed Frontier customers to add YouTube TV as part of their other cable services — though they still had to pay both providers separately.

    “Our partnership with YouTube TV makes it easier for customers to ditch cable,” John Harrobin, Frontier’s executive vice president of consumer, said in a blog post on Monday.

    Frontier Cable is currently available in 25 states across the US, though the majority of its coverage is in the midwest. Frontier’s fiber internet coverage is only available in 15 states and is mostly restricted to major metropolitan areas.

    YouTube TV partners with other cable companies, including Verizon, to offer similar services. The partnership with Verizon began in 2019 and was offered to its wireless, 5G home and Fios customers.

  • Apple Demos AR/VR Headset to Top Executives, Report Says

    Apple Demos AR/VR Headset to Top Executives, Report Says

    Some of Apple’s top executives gathered in Cupertino, California, recently for a special demonstration of the company’s unreleased AR/VR headset, according to a report from Bloomberg.

    “The demonstrations were polished, glitzy and exciting,” Mark Gurman, Bloomberg’s Apple reporter, wrote.

    Gurman noted that the demonstration took place in the Steve Jobs Theater, Apple’s largest venue. According to Gurman, this might suggest the headset is close to a public unveiling.

    The headset will have a starting price around $3,000, and it will have an external battery that’ll need to be replaced after a few hours of use, Gurman wrote. The headset is also reportedly uncomfortable and would lack a standout app upon release.

    According to the report, some Apple executives are aware of the challenges the headset and company might face, and they are trying to set realistic expectations. But executives expect interest in the headset to grow over time.

    Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Gurman also reported in his Power On newsletter that Apple’s iOS 17 will likely be a larger release than expected. Initially, iOS 17 was thought to focus on bug fixes and performance improvements. But Gurman wrote that the goal of iOS 17 now will be to bring some of users’ most requested features to iPhones.

    For more on Apple, check out what else to expect from Apple’s AR/VR headset and iOS 16.4 beta features testers can try now.

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