Category: Technologies

Black Friday may still be a few weeks off, but you don’t have to wait to save big. Multiple retailers have launched early sales, and this weekend QVC is discounting a ton of items, including smartwatches, laptops, air purifiers, small appliances and more during its Nonstop Holiday Party event. And the company is throwing in free shipping, too. Plus, today only (Nov. 4), if you’re a new QVC shopper, you can take an extra $30 off your purchase of $60 or more with promo code HOLIDAY30.

We’ve gone through the sale and have highlighted some of our favorite offers below. But be quick if you find a deal you love — these offers will expire Nov. 5.

More QVC discounts worth checking out:

• Keurig K-Slim Plus Iced coffee maker: $60 (save $19)
• Apple AirTags and silicone keychain case (4 pack): $165 (save $17)
• GreenPan Elite 6-quart electric multipot with steamer and tool: $190 (save $59)
• Lenovo 16-inch gaming Chromebook (256GB): $750 (save $129)
• Dyson Purifier Hot and Cool HP07 heater and fan: $550 (save $200)
• Bose smart soundbar 600 with Dolby Atmos: $399 (save $100)
• Tineco S3 Pro Floor One smart multisurface cleaner kit: $280 (save $109)
• Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 instant print camera kit: $90 (save $19)
• Samsung Galaxy Book3 15.6-inch laptop (512GB): $980 (save $320)
• Nintendo Switch Lite Super Mario Bros. Wonder bundle: $300 (save $50)
• Halo 5,000mAh lipstick power bank: $40 (save $9)

QVC has even more markdowns available, with discounts on thousands of items right now, so be sure to shop the entire sale selection at QVC to find everything you need heading into the holiday shopping season.

Bored with streaming? A new show from A24 and Showtime may be able to lift the curse.

Starring Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder, The Curse is a 10-episode, genre-bending series that follows a couple trying for a baby while co-starring in a socially conscious reality show, Fliplanthropy. Unfortunately, paths of off-camera destruction accompany the on-camera renovations in the twisted series, according to a Showtime synopsis. Fielder is known for the comedy series Nathan For You and The Rehearsal.

The Curse, which premiered at the New York Film Festival in October, also stars Benny Safdie, who co-created the show with Fielder. There are two main ways to tune into the premiere: You can stream it by signing up for a subscription to Paramount Plus with Showtime, or wait a couple of days until it debuts on Showtime. Here are the release dates, plus why using a VPN might make sense for you.

How to watch The Curse

In the US, you can stream the series with a Paramount Plus with Showtime subscription. The first episode arrives on Nov. 10 at 12:01 a.m. ET/Nov. 9 at 9:01  p.m. PT.

If you want to catch it on Showtime, you’ll have to wait until it airs on Nov. 12 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Paramount Plus with Showtime — not to be confused with Paramount Plus’ $6-a-month ad-supported Essential plan — costs $12 a month and comes with perks including downloads, Showtime programming and your local live CBS station. While the Essential plan is ad-based, Paramount Plus with Showtime only displays ads on “live TV and a few shows.”

How to watch The Curse with a VPN

Perhaps you’re traveling abroad and want to stream Paramount Plus while away from home. With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the series from anywhere in the world. There are other good reasons to use a VPN for streaming too.

A VPN is the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds by encrypting your traffic. Using a VPN is also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. Streaming TV can be a bit smoother with a reliable, quality VPN that’s passed our tests and security standards.

You can use a VPN to stream content legally as long as VPNs are allowed in your country and you have a valid subscription to the streaming service you’re using. The US and Canada are among the countries where VPNs are legal, but we advise against streaming or downloading content on illegal torrent sites. We recommend ExpressVPN, but you may opt for another provider from our best list, such as Surfshark or NordVPN.

Follow the VPN provider’s instructions for installation, and choose a country where The Curse will be streaming on Paramount Plus. Before you open the streaming app, make sure you’re connected to your VPN using your selected region. If you want to stream The Curse on more than one device, it’s possible you’ll need to configure each one to ensure you’re signed in. Go to settings and check your network connections to verify you’re logged in and connected to your VPN account. Now you’re ready to open Paramount Plus to stream.

If you run into issues with streaming, first make sure your VPN is up and running on its encrypted IP address. Double-check that you’ve followed installation instructions correctly and you’ve picked the right geographical area for viewing. If you still encounter connection problems, you may need to reboot your device. Close all apps and windows, restart your device and connect to your VPN first. Note that some streaming services have restrictions on VPN access.

Apple makes some of the best tablets out there, and the 6th-gen iPad Mini is no exception. Not everyone want’s a mammoth screen size, which can be cumbersome for travel, and the latest-gen iPad Mini is our pick for the best smaller tablet you can get — especially because it still offers excellent performance. This iPad model typically goes for $649, but Woot has slashed the price to just $520 right now. That’s a $129 discount and $30 lower than the price at Amazon. This offer is available now through Nov. 11, while supplies last.

This particular model of the 6th-gen iPad Mini comes with 64GB of storage and features cellular capabilities, which means you can use it with a 5G carrier plan to stay connected on the go, even when there is no Wi-Fi available. It has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display, which is more compact and portable over other models, while still being conveniently larger than a phone. Plus, it has a fast A15 processor, a 12-megapixel ultrawide front camera, a USB-C port, Touch ID and all-day battery life.

It’s compatible with the Apple Pencil 2, which you can magnetically snap onto the side of this tablet to charge — but you’ll have to purchase that accessory separately. Our main gripe for this tablet came down to the price, so this deal makes it even easier to recommend.

I have been using, testing and reviewing 3D printers for the better part of a decade now, and I’ve seen a lot of 3D printer manufacturers come and go, especially those looking to capture the lower-end, budget sector. Two names have not only survived but flourished to become the leaders in this space.

Anycubic and Elegoo have always been part of the race to the bottom, and I don’t mean that negatively. Both of these Chinese companies have worked to bring as many advanced features as possible to 3D printers that are priced around the $300 mark. Auto bed leveling, power interruption alerts and material runout sensors were the purview of the best 3D printers, not the lower-end machines, until Anycubic and Elegoo started their contest.

Anycubic and Elegoo Spec Chart

	Anycubic Kobra 2	Elegoo Neptune 4	Anycubic Kobra 2 Pro	Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro	Anycubic Kobra Max 2	Elegoo Neptune 4 Max
Build volume (mm)	220 x 220 x 250	225 x 225 x 265	220 x 220 x 250	225 x 225 x 265	420 x 420 x 500	420 x 420 x 480
Nozzle max temperature	260C	300C	260C	300C	260C	300C
Build plate max temperature	110C	100C	110C	110C (segmented)	90C	80C
Official max speed	300mm/s	500mm/s	500mm/s	500mm/s	500mm/s	500mm/s
Typical speed	180mm/s	180mm/s	300mm/s	250mm/s	180mm/s	180mm/s
Supported material	PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG	PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG, nylon	PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG	PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG, nylon	PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG	PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG, nylon
Connectivity	USB, Wi-Fi, App	USB, LAN	USB, Wi-Fi, App	USB, LAN	USB, Wi-Fi, App	USB, Wi-Fi
Slicer	Anycubic Slicer	Elegoo Cura	Anycubic Slicer	Elegoo Cura	Anycubic Slicer	Elegoo Cura

As you can see, when comparing the different models from Anycubic and Elegoo, each one is essentially the same as the others. Each of them has a 0.4mm nozzle and a direct drive extruder, as well as auto bed leveling and filament runout sensors. The standard Kobra 2 and the standard Neptune 4 are comparable, as are the Pro and Max versions of both. This means that no matter which of these printers you buy, you are going to get a very similar experience.

While some might see this as negative, I see it as a huge win for anyone looking to start 3D printing. With the Neptune 4 and Kobra 2 series and their Pro versions, you have four 3D printers for under $300 that can print well and print fast. They may not be as good in terms of quality as the best fast 3D printers that cost $600 or more, but for an entry-level printer, you really can’t beat them. And then you have the Max versions, behemoths capable of printing enormous models at high speed with good accuracy, all for $600 or less. It’s staggeringly good value.

So whichever brand you choose, Anycubic or Elegoo, know that your 3D printer will be a good one, and, to give you a little more detail on each, we have them listed below and why we like them.

One word of caution

While I firmly believe all of these printers are worthy of your time and money, they all suffer from one glaring issue: the software. While Elegoo uses a version of Cura that it has reskinned for itself, Anycubic currently has profiles for Prusaslicer that don’t always work the best. Both company’s slicer solution is not perfect, and for a beginner, they can be frustrating.

Anycubic and Elegoo need to spend some of their resources on making slicers they can be proud of or invest in heavy testing and working with Cura and Prusaslicer — two of the best 3D printing slicers — to produce quality profiles that are easy for users to understand and implement. It is the biggest barrier to entry for these budget-friendly 3D printers and one that can be solved with a bit of money.

Note: Normally, I’d tackle this kind of announcement with studied journalistic stoicism, but this new product from Elegoo is just too much fun for me to do that.

Today, Nov. 4, 2023, Elegoo, maker of excellent, albeit normally quite tame, 3D printers, is launching a Kickstarter for a printer that is, frankly, outrageous. Dubbed the OrangeStorm Giga (the greatest Kaiju name ever), it’s a printer with a build area of 800 by 800 by 1,000mm or 2.6 by 2.6 by 3.2 feet. Though Elegoo has said it’ll be aimed at the commercial market, there are plenty of reasons for small businesses and even hobbyists to jump on this if they can.

The sheer size of the Giga is enticing. With an 800mm square plate, you could print a full-size chest piece for an Iron Man outfit in one go, or produce prototypes for any number of projects. With a 1-meter tall build space, you can make giant vases for your home or full-size busts and artwork for your walls.

You can also add more print heads, to a max of four total, that can be used to print multiple models at the same time in various colors, making it a great way to mass-produce models for your small business. Those print heads can currently be used only to clone models, not make multiple color prints, and the standard model comes with only one head for now.

The Giga has a max print speed of 300mm/s, though Elegoo recommends 150mm/s, which is plenty fast enough when printing objects as large as this could conceivably print. If you were using the multihead version, you’d be printing four models at 150mm/s, increasing your output by 400%

This Kaiju 3D printer also has a segmented heated bed — parts of it can heat to different temperatures independently — so you can save money and power by heating only the section you need. If you’re printing smaller parts, you can print on one quadrant, and only that quadrant will heat.

The OrangeStorm Giga is available to back through Kickstarter as of Nov. 4, 2023, and though the retail price will be several thousand dollars, the earliest of early bird prices is $1,250, bringing it into the range of a small-business owner or even a hobbyist with money to spare. Remember, though, it is a Kickstarter, so it’s not a sure thing.

I love it when companies move out of their comfort zones and swing for the fences. Elegoo makes solid, dependable, budget 3D printers that work well and are great for beginners. Now, though, it also makes Kaiju. I love it, and I’ll be following along with interest.

Tragically, Netflix password sharing is a thing of the past. After hemming, hawing and testing out its new policy in foreign countries, Netflix finally cracked down on password sharing in the US in early summer 2023.

Even though the streaming giant put an end to unofficial password sharing, you can still share a password with someone outside your household, for a price. Sharing a password with a user outside of their household will cost the owner of the account $8 per extra person on top of what they would already pay for their Netflix plan. If you’re on the standard Netflix plan you can add one person outside your household, while premium users can add up to two.

If you were one of many who lost access to a shared Netflix account in the crackdown earlier this year, this might be putting cramp on your holiday season streaming. The good news is, even if you got booted off a shared account, you can still transfer your profile over to a new account or another existing account to keep your recommendations, save lists and other settings.

We’ll show you how to find and enable Netflix’s Transfer Profile feature on your profile, and how to transfer your existing profile to a different account.

While you’re here, check out the best live TV streaming services of 2023 and the best TVs of this year.

First, enable the Profile Transfer feature on Netflix

Before you can transfer your Netflix profile to a different account, you must enable the feature. You can do this on both the web and your mobile device (phone or tablet).

If you’re on a computer, go to the web browser of your choice, access the Netflix website and go into the profile that you want to transfer. Next, hover your cursor over your profile icon in the top right and click Transfer Profile in the dropdown menu. On the next page, click the Allow button.

If you’re using a phone or tablet, open the official Netflix application, go into your profile and then tap your profile icon in the top-right corner to access your account settings. Next, tap Account, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and tap Turn on profile transfers. This will redirect you to the official profile transfer page, where you can then hit the Allow button.

You should then get a notification saying that profile transfers will soon be coming to your account. For my account, it said I would get the feature in two days. However, it also said I could enable the profile transfer feature instantly if I clicked the confirmation link sent to me via email, which I did.

Now transfer your profile to another Netflix account

Once the Transfer Profile is enabled, you can transfer your profile to your own new Netflix account or a different existing account. To transfer a profile, log in to your original Netflix account (web or mobile) and go into the Transfer Profile page found in your settings. You should then see the start of the Transfer Profile process, which will give you a brief summary of what the feature does:

• Transfers over your recommendations, viewing history, saved games, settings, My List and more to a separate account.
• Creates a backup of your profile on the original account.

Begin the process by hitting the Start Profile Transfer button — you’ll then be asked whether you want to move your profile to a new account or an existing account. Make your selection then hit Next again.

If you’re creating a new account, you’ll then enter the credentials for your new account. Verify your email and then follow the prompts you see on the screen to finish setting up your new account. Once this is finished, your profile will be transferred and you’ll have instant access to your new Netflix account.

If you’re transferring to an existing account, you’ll need the account login and password of that other account in order to connect your profile.

The owner of the original account will be notified once the process is complete, as will the owner of any existing account you transfer your profile to.

If you get logged out of Netflix while attempting to transfer your profile, you can continue the process by logging back in and using the Finish Transfer setting.

Check out the best TV shows to currently watch on Netflix, as well as the secret hack you need to get better Netflix recommendations.

When Apple launched the new M3 chip series for its Macs alongside new MacBook Pros and iMacs at its Scary Fast event earlier this week, it wasn’t a new product that made a big splash, but one released in September. At the end of the presentation a title card appeared that stated: “This event was shot on iPhone and edited on Mac.”

The fineprint under the text said that all the presenters, locations and even drone footage were recorded with an iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple has used slickly shot and edited prerecorded videos in lieu of in-person live presenters for product launch events since 2020. But this is the first time Apple ever broadcast a keynote event video that was filmed entirely with an iPhone.

Yes, the same phone you use to record your kids playing around the house, or concerts or your pets being cute was used to record Apple CEO Tim Cook and other executives launching updated Macs. But this wasn’t the case of an eager Apple employee holding their new iPhone 15 Pro Max in landscape orientation, recording video and helping Cook find his best light.

The $1,199 phone was mounted on pricey accessories like a camera crane, drone, gimbal and dolly, all while feeding video previews to multitudes of monitors. The iPhone 15 Pro Max was in a BeastGrip cage, which, depending on the specific model, costs anywhere from $140 to $325. There were external hard drives connected to the iPhone to save recordings, external mics used to record the audio, professional lighting and modifiers to make everyone from Cook to Issa Rae look their best.

The video shoot and post-production involved a small army of professionals. Meaning that everything else, aside from the iPhone, still costs tens of thousands of dollars if not more.

Apple isn’t shy about promoting videos shot on an iPhone. Steven Soderbergh used an iPhone to shoot full-length films like Unsane and High Flying Bird. There’s no shortage of iPhone-shot music videos for singers like Lady Gaga and Olivia Rodrigo. Heck, Steven Speilberg shot his first music video (Marcus Mumford’s Cannibal) on an iPhone.

In a press release that provides a behind-the-scenes look, Apple mentions that an iPhone 15 Pro Max with the free Blackmagic Camera app was used to record ProRes video in Apple Log, which allows a lot of leeway to color grade videos and minimize image noise in the shadows. Even with all the lighting, large stretches of Apple’s event video were filmed in darkness, with Cook standing outdoors under a night sky and wishing us all a “good evening” instead of his usual “good morning.”

You can learn more about how Apple made the prerecorded event video here.

The stress and chaos of holiday travel happens every year it seems. And when you bundle that with the potential for winter storms to cancel or delay your plans, the panic continues to rise. So if you’re planning to catch a flight or spend several hours on the road, you can use Google Maps to help you navigate to help ease some of the stress of traveling.

While Google Maps can’t prevent a winter storm, there are a variety of ways it can help to make the journey easier, from quickly getting around the airport to using the Maps app offline. Check out some of the app’s best features for holiday travelers below.
For more travel advice, here’s the best time to shop for airline tickets.

1. Navigate through airports and train stations

If you need to quickly find a store in a large mall or transit center, Google Maps has a Directory tab for all airports, malls and transit stations. This can help when you’re running around the airport trying to find a place to eat or grabbing a last-minute souvenir before catching your flight.

The tab will tell you a destination’s business hours and what floor it’s on. You can look through restaurants, stores, lounges and parking lots.

2. See how busy an attraction is

To see how busy a spot is, check out Google Maps’ Busyness tool. Already you could search for a location, like a business, to see a chart that shows how crowded it is in real time. But a feature called Area Busyness lets you see when entire map areas are clogged with people.

To use the feature, open the Google Maps app on your Android or iPhone (or your computer’s browser) and move around the map to find a general area, say, downtown, a riverwalk or a quaint nearby town. The busyness information will now automatically appear on the map, so you don’t need to specifically search for a place to see how crowded it is. Google Maps may say something like “Busy Area” and when you click for more details, it could say, for example, “As busy as it gets” or “Not too busy.”

However, you can also search the location you’re after and scroll down to see busy times versus non-busy times.

3. Input your itinerary into Google Maps

Google Maps can chart your holiday travels, but it can also quickly show you your flight, hotel, car rental and restaurant reservations, saving you the hassle of searching through your email for check-in times and confirmation numbers.

To see your upcoming reservations, all you have to do is search for “my reservations” in the Google Maps search box to see a list of what you’ve booked. Maps pulls this information from your emails in Gmail. You can also select an item to see more about the reservation, including date and location.

4. Make a restaurant reservation

Planning a dinner night out with a large group for the holidays can be a hassle, especially when you go at a busy hour. Google Maps can help you book a lunch or dinner reservation. Here’s how.
1. In Maps, tap the Restaurants button at the top of the map to see a list of places to eat.

2. Select a restaurant that looks good, and in the window that pops up, reserve a table or join a waitlist, if it gives you that option (not all do).
Remember you can use the busyness feature mentioned above to pick the least packed place. Also, note that some restaurants that are closed to dine-in may still allow delivery, curbside pickup or outdoor seating.

5. Use Google Maps offline

Heading someplace remote where you may not have a mobile network connection? Google Maps can still give you directions when you’re offline.

1.Before you head out, search in Maps for the location where you’ll want directions.

2.In the location’s window, pull up the menu at the bottom.

3.Scroll right through the tabs and tap Download offline map, and then in the next window tap Download again. Maps will download a map to your phone for the area you selected.

Now, as you use Google Maps for directions in the area you downloaded a map for, when you lose your cellular connection Maps will switch to the offline map to guide you. Note that because you’re offline, Maps won’t be able to offer real-time traffic info.

6. Find EV charging stations anywhere

If you’re taking your electric vehicle out for shopping, dinner or a vacation, Google Maps can help you find EV charging stations on your route, along with estimated wait times for a charging port. You can also filter your search by connector type — such as J1772, CCS (Combo 1 or 2) and Tesla — to see just the stations that are compatible with your EV. Note you can also search for gas stations by following these same directions. (Here’s how you can save money at the pump.)

1. In Maps, scroll through the tabs on the top of the screen and tap More.

2. Scroll down to the Services section and select Electric vehicle charging.

3. Maps will display nearby charging stations and how many are available.

4. Tap a charging station on the map to have Maps add it as a stop on your trip.

You can also use this trick to search for other places along your route, like a coffee shop.

7. Share your location with others

Is anything more frustrating during a group activity than when the group gets split up and no one can find each other? Google Maps can help bring you all back together.

1.In Google Maps, tap your profile icon in the top right corner and tap Location sharing.

2. Tap Share location, and select who you want to share your location with and for how long you want to share it.

3.Tap Share, and Google Maps will send your location to everyone you’ve selected.

4. If you want to see someone else’s location, tap that person’s icon at the top of the window and then tap Request.

Read more: New Google Maps Immersive View Update Is Coming Soon. Here’s the Latest

It’s a potentially crucial test for Arsenal’s title aspirations on Saturday, as the Gunners take on Newcastle at St. James’ Park.

Arsenal remain unbeaten in the English Premier League, but will have been jolted by their stinging 3-0 EFL Cup defeat away to London rivals West Ham on Thursday.

While currently somewhat off the pace of the leading pack, a win here for Newcastle would pull them back into the mix, with the Magpies coming into this clash off the back of a confidence-boosting 3-0 win away in the EFL Cup against Man United on Thursday.

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch all of the action live wherever you are in the world.

Newcastle United vs. Arsenal: When and where?

Newcastle United host Arsenal at St James’ Park on Saturday, Nov. 4. Kickoff is set for 5.30 p.m. GMT local time. That’s 1.30 p.m. ET or 10.30 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 4.30 a.m. AEDT early on Sunday morning in Australia.

How to watch the Newcastle vs. Arsenal game online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, non-blackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.

Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.

Livestream the Newcastle vs. Arsenal game in the US

Sunday’s Newcastle-Arsenal match is streaming on Peacock. You’ll need a Peacock Premium or Premium Plus account to catch the game live.

Livestream the Newcastle vs. Arsenal game in the UK

Premier League rights in the UK are split between Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports (previously known as BT Sport). Newcastle vs. Arsenal is exclusive to Sky Sports, showing on its Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League and Ultra channels. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via its Sky Go app, but cord-cutters will want to get set up with a Now account and a Now Sports membership to stream the game.

Livestream the Newcastle vs. Arsenal game in Canada

If you want to stream this match live in Canada, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo Canada. The service has exclusive rights for this Premier League season.

Livestream the Newcastle vs. Arsenal game in Australia

Football fans Down Under can watch this EPL fixture on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every single Premier League game live in Australia this season.

Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming EPL matches may vary.
• If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
• If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
• And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.

Apple released iOS 17.2 beta 1 to public beta testers on Oct. 27, and the beta includes at least a dozen new additions, including long-awaited features including the Journal app and Contact Key Verification. There’s no word on when iOS 17.2 will be released to the public, but developers and beta testers can download and try the beta and all the new features now.

We recommend downloading a beta on something other than your primary device. Since this isn’t the final version of iOS 17.2, these features might be buggy and battery life may be shortened, and it’s best to keep that on a secondary device.

If you’re a developer or public beta tester, here are some of the new features you can find in the first iOS 17.2 beta. Note that these might not be the only new features to land on your iPhone when iOS 17.2 is released.

The Journal app

Apple announced the Journal app at the company’s WWDC event in June alongside iOS 17, but the app was absent from the update’s launch on Sept. 18. But it now appears the Journal app will be included in iOS 17.2.

Apple said at WWDC that the app uses on-device machine learning to create personalized writing suggestions. Some of these suggestions are created using information on your iPhone, like photos you’ve taken and music and podcasts you’ve listened to throughout the day. And if you forget what podcast you listened to earlier in the day — like I regularly do — the app shows you that information when you go to make an entry.

The app also shows you a handful of topics to write about, called Reflections. Some of my Reflections included, “Write about a time you gave someone an unexpected gift,” and “Who cheers you up when you’re feeling down?”

But if you don’t want to write about whatever you listened to or use a Reflection, you can just write by tapping the New Entry button. In New Entry, you can write whatever you want, or create a voice note, take a photo or create a video to add to your journal entry.

You can also lock the app after it’s closed for a set amount of time for some privacy. So if you close the app and don’t reopen it for a certain amount of time, like five minutes, it will ask for your Face ID or passcode to open it again.

Contact Key Verification in Messages

Apple announced Contact Key Verification in December 2022, but the security feature is just now appearing in iOS 17.2 beta 1.

“With iMessage Contact Key Verification, users who face extraordinary digital threats — such as journalists, human rights activists, and members of government — can choose to further verify that they are messaging only with the people they intend,” Apple said in a news release in December.

Apple wrote that many people won’t be the target of a cyberattack, but Contact Key Verification gives people who might be a target an additional security layer.

React with Live Stickers

Live Stickers is a new feature Apple introduced with the launch of iOS 17. The feature lets you create your own stickers from pictures you’ve taken. In iOS 17.2 beta 1, you can now react to texts in Messages with your Live Stickers. To react with a Live Sticker, long-press on a text like you would to add a reaction, then tap Add Sticker in the dropdown menu to pull up your stickers.

More Memoji customization

In iOS 17.2 beta 1, there’s a new menu in the Memoji editor called Body that lets you edit the appearance of your Memoji’s body. You can adjust your Memoji’s waist, bust, shoulders and arms in this menu. However, there are only three options in each of these sections as of the time of this writing, so Memoji isn’t a full-on character creator menu like you’d see in a video game.

Catch-up arrow in Messages

A new feature in iOS 17.2 beta 1 can help you understand what’s happening in a texting group or if someone sends you a lot of messages. The beta brings the catch-up arrow back to Messages, so if you wake from a nap with a lot of messages, you can jump to the beginning of the new messages and follow the drama for context.

The catch-up arrow was in some early iOS 17 betas, but it has been absent since.

iPhone 15 Pro action button updated

According to the Apple news blog iSoftware Updates, iOS 17.2 beta 1 updates the iPhone 15 Pro’s action button. With the beta, the action button now has a translate function. The new function will reportedly allow you to translate phrases or have a conversation with someone in another language.

Sharing content between your iPhone and Apple Vision Pro

Apple announced its Vision Pro headset at the company’s WWDC event in June. While you can’t buy the Vision Pro yet — Apple plans for the headset to be available in the US in early 2024 — iOS 17.2 beta 1 introduces a setting to allow your iPhone to work as an additional screen for it.

The setting is called AirPlay Receiver and can be found under AirPlay & Handoff in Settings. Apple writes that AirPlay Receiver allows you to stream or share content from your Vision Pro headset to your iPhone.

Collaborative playlists in Apple Music Music

With iOS 17.2 beta 1, Apple Music subscribers can collaborate on playlists with other subscribers. To collaborate together, you go into a playlist and tap a symbol in the top right corner of your screen that shows a person with a plus sign.

Updated Weather widget

In previous iOS versions, you’d have three options for a Weather widget: a small tile, a medium size tile bar and a large tile that took up half your screen. All showed the current weather conditions in more detail as they went up in size.

In the first beta of iOS 17.2 though, you have six Weather widgets to choose from. The first three are the original small, medium and large tiles. The three new widgets are all the same size as the small tile, but show more details for the day.

One tile shows the current condition, precipitation, UV index, wind levels and air quality index. Another tile shows the current conditions plus the expected conditions for the next four days. And the final new tile shows when you can expect the sunrise and sunset.

New digital Clock widget

In iOS 17.2 beta 1, the Clock widget gets an update as well. The Clock widget now gives you the option for a digital clock to easily read the time.

News app supports Live Activities

The News app also gets an update in iOS 17.2 beta 1. Now, you can enable Live Activities for the app, so you can follow news events, like elections, as they happen on Live Activity-enabled iPhones.

Apple TV app updated

The Apple TV app also gets an update with iOS 17.2 beta 1. If you open the app and tap Store in the bottom menu, you’ll see the Movies and TV Shows sectionsacross the top of your screenare gone.

Local Awareness option in Emergency Alerts

With iOS 17.1 beta 1, there’s a new option in the Emergency Alerts menu called Local Awareness. Apple writes that if you enable this option, it uses your approximate location to improve the accuracy, timeliness and reliability of emergency alerts you receive.

More Contact Poster customization options

Contact Posters is another new feature Apple introduced with iOS 17. With iOS 17.2 beta 1, you can customize your Contact Posters even more by giving you the option to give a contact poster rainbow-colored text.

Apple hasn’t announced a release date for iOS 17.2. The company might include more features in iOS 17.2, and there’s no guarantee that these features will be included in the update, either.

For more Apple news, here’s what Apple announced at its ‘Scary Fast’ October event, what was included in iOS 17.1 and our iOS 17 cheat sheet.