Category: Technologies

Just about every major smartphone company has released a foldable phone, or has announced plans to do so.

Except Apple.

Samsung is well aware of that fact, and it’s using the iPhone maker’s absence in an attempt to win over Apple loyalists. The South Korean tech giant just released an update for its Try Galaxy app that lets users simulate the experience of using Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold device by placing two iPhones side by side. The feature is available on Android phones too, but Samsung just expanded the Try Galaxy app to work on iPhones.

The update comes after Samsung launched its latest foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5, at a high-profile event in Seoul last month with appearances from celebrities such as BTS’ Suga and Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney. Samsung’s app may be a marketing ploy, but it’s also another sign that it sees foldables as being a key part of its strategy in competing with Apple, its biggest rival in the global smartphone market.

Using the app on your iPhone involves scanning a QR code from Samsung, which is available in the company’s press release. Doing so will allow you to add a shortcut to Samsung’s Try Galaxy app to an iPhone’s home screen. Launching the shortcut pulls up a simulation of Samsung’s One UI Android software. But those who have two iPhones handy can use them together to imitate how the software would look on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold.

There are a couple of short demos available to try in this mode, such as an air hockey game and an animated video of an ocean scene showing a whale and other aquatic creatures swimming across screens. These demos aren’t very reflective of what it’s like to actually use the Galaxy Z Fold, but Samsung is clearly trying to illustrate what apps can look like when spread across two displays.

Still, using the Galaxy Z Fold feels notably different. I’ve tried several generations of the Galaxy Z Fold, and its biggest advantage is the way regular apps, like Netflix, Chrome and YouTube, are displayed on a much larger screen. Putting two phones together doesn’t accurately re-create that experience.

But Samsung’s demo does show how apps work in split-screen mode, which can be helpful for those considering switching to a foldable device. In this demo, you are prompted to open the messages app on one iPhone and the photo gallery app on the other. From there, a prompt instructs the user to drag and drop photos from one iPhone into the messages app displayed on its companion iPhone. It provides a relatively realistic representation of what it’s like to use Samsung’s multitasking features. However, it’s worth remembering that the Z Fold’s shape is different from that of a regular phone, so apps in split-screen mode won’t look exactly like using two phones side by side.

Since the Try Galaxy app is a limited demo, I couldn’t re-create the exact experience on my Galaxy Z Fold 4. But the image below shows how three split-screen apps look on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 compared to Samsung’s app.

Samsung certainly has incentive to promote its foldable devices. It’s facing more competition than ever from new entrants like Google and OnePlus and existing rivals like Motorola and Oppo, all of which have released or are planning to launch new foldable phones this year.

Worldwide shipments of foldable phones are also expected to grow more than 50% in 2023, according to market research firm International Data Corporation, giving Samsung and others more motivation to invest in the space. IDC’s report also refers to foldables as the “one positive talking point” in the smartphone industry, considering the market declined more than 11% last year.

Apple hasn’t mentioned any plans to release a foldable iPhone. But the company is rumored to be working on a foldable device that could arrive in 2025, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is known for his Apple product predictions. He believes Apple could release a “foldable iPad” or an iPhone-iPad hybrid, as he posted on Twitter (now called X) in April 2022.

Still, it’s unclear if or when Apple will ever launch a foldable device. And Samsung is sure to keep reminding users of that until we hear from Apple.

Threads, Meta’s newest social networking app, made a splash when it launched in July, only to see its rapid growth taper off. But now, Threads is back in the news as the company rolls it out on the web.

It should be widely available in the coming days, but not every Threads user can see the new web version just yet. You may still see the mostly black homepage encouraging you to download the mobile apps.

To announce the update, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared a photo on Threads captioned, “Actual footage of me building Threads for web. Rolling out over the next few days.” The company also wrote about the news in a blog post shared Tuesday.

“The new logged-in experience for web lets you post a Thread, view your feed, and interact with other people’s Threads,” the post reads. “We’re working hard to bring this experience to parity with mobile and will add more functions to the web version in the coming weeks.”

This isn’t the only update Threads has received recently. Reposts have been added to the Following feed, and a Reposts tab has been added to user profiles, showing in one place all the threads they’ve reposted. And the platform earlier introduced a Your Likes tab, showing which posts users have liked. The changes help make the platform similar to Twitter, which has been rebranded X.

As we pointed out earlier, there’s an interesting reason why users may not want to sign up for Threads. If you one day decide you want to permanently delete your Threads account, you must delete the Instagram account you used to sign up for Threads. Threads and Instagram are both Meta platforms, and Threads was built by the Instagram team.

You can also check out the CNET guide to Threads, plus information on how to filter your feed to only show posts from people you follow.

Logitech’s update to its most performance-focused wireless gaming headset, the Logitech Pro G X 2 LightSpeed, wins at almost everything that matters from precise sound to all-day comfort to terrific battery life. It’s slightly more expensive than before at $250 ( 250, AU$450) — not cheap, but while the feature set is a bit narrow compared to other headsets in the same price range, some of the tradeoffs make a lot of sense in light of the intended audience of serious gamers.

Its popular predecessor is still around if you want something a little cheaper, currently at $160.

One of the biggest, most novel changes from the G Pro X is the driver construction. Logitech switched the diaphragm material from Mylar to Ora’s GrapheneQ, a more rigid membrane — graphene is an atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms bonded into hexagons — and a matching, more rigid suspension mechanism. The combination theoretically provides more precise control over the vibrations; since the vibrations create the sound waves, in theory more precision means better accuracy and less distortion.

While it’s possible that the power of suggestion colors my experience, I do think I heard a different, sharper attack (not in the shooting sense, in the “hits peak volume fast” sense) than other headsets. That seems to deliver extra clarity for noises which is really the point for this headset.

But it also seemed like there was longer decay — again, not in the zombie sense, in the “sounds persist longer than usual” sense — almost like a leadfoot on a piano’s damper pedal. It is especially effective for horror, though, and makes the soundstage seem larger (or at least I do, because persistence can help convey distance).

Logitech says it also delivers a bigger soundstage (how big the audio bubble around you sounds), and in that respect it didn’t seem a whole lot larger than any other headset with 50mm drivers and decent construction. But it does sound really good, and I couldn’t hear any distortion on either the lows or highs.

The headset supports DTS Headphone:X for surround, though like its predecessor, it can’t work with the DTS Sound Unbound app. Instead, you control it via Logitech’s G Hub software. The best thing about the controls is the ability to adjust the volume of each of the 7.1 channels separately, which effectively can let you make noises sound nearer or farther away. Overall, the directionality is pretty effective, though I do wish I could adjust the HRTF for location as well as volume to distinguish position of sounds coming from the rear. (As with all things related to sound, YMMV.)

The mic hasn’t changed, but you can make adjustments and process the sound with Logitech’s extensive Blue Voice built into G Hub. It only has a three-band equalizer, but you can create your own ranges for the bands, which is nice. Its noise reduction is less than stellar, though. It’s good at blocking noise entirely — unless you’re talking. Then it doesn’t seem to be able to filter out noise while keeping voice in, or it just doesn’t try. The mic sounds really good, though; crisp and precise, exactly what you want for chat.

Though you can’t cycle through different headset profiles in hardware, it does remember the last settings that were activated in the software, including surround.

Design

The Pro X 2 is also lighter than before, with rotating earcups, better battery life and Bluetooth 5.3. At 12.2 ounces (345g) the headset doesn’t fall on the feather-light end of the scale, but thanks to its very HyperX-like ear cushions and rotating cups, it feels similarly comfortable for all-day wear. And speaking of all day, the battery life is one of the best I’ve encountered: After at least 24 hours of use, it still hasn’t dropped below 75%.

There are some tradeoffs for weight and battery life. For instance, it doesn’t support simultaneous Bluetooth and PC wireless; you have to toggle devices via an on-ear button. That’s not unusual, at least at lower prices, and is similar to the approach Razer takes with its competing BlackShark line. But I still miss at least hearing notifications and reminders on my phone, and prefer Turtle Beach’s method for its (significantly more expensive) Stealth Pro wireless — the ability to mute notifications while gaming.

It connects almost instantaneously to the receiver, though — it doesn’t try to automatically reconnect to Bluetooth unless that was the active connection when you turned the power off — which is a benefit of the toggle-only Bluetooth. There’s no built in mic for using on calls, but that’s common in this class of headsets.

Switching between the two connections is fast as well. Logitech rates the wireless range up to 98 feet (30m). Through pretty solid walls I got about 30 feet before the signal started to break up, though it never fully disconnected.

There are a set of fabric-covered ear cushions in the box if the leatherette gives you the ear sweats. The leatherette isn’t very sound isolating; you don’t really give anything up if you switch. But because I didn’t expect them, I didn’t look and now there’s probably a recycling machine picking them out of its teeth. If you need to re-pair the headset with the receiver, though, you have to remove the earcup and apply the paperclip-pinhole method.

There’s also basic analog input through a 3.5mm jack, but there’s no splitter in the box. You can also mix in another audio source via a 3.5mm jack on the dongle. You can charge the headset while in use, but you can’t listen via the USB connection.

My only quibble with the design is that there are no tones or voice prompts; all the connection and battery indicators are LEDs on the left earcup. Since I tend to put the headset on before powering up, which is when you would see that the power is low (the LED glows red for 5 seconds when it’s down to 10%), it’s annoying. Then again, see exceptional battery life. Or connect to your phone if you’re not in front of your PC.

There’s very little I don’t like about this headset; I don’t even have a lot of nitpicks. I wish it had a flip-up mic instead of removable, but that’s a personal preference and can even be a point of failure. Everything in the Logitech G Pro X 2 seems to focus on comfort, reliability (both physical and audio) and battery life for its esports and enthusiast gamer target demographic, and it succeeds — at least as far as I can tell without another year of use.

AT&T is finally expanding its use of 5G for home internet. On Tuesday, the wireless carrier announced that it is expanding its fixed wireless offering to 16 new markets, offering home broadband over 5G for $55 per month.

Called “Internet Air,” the new markets include “areas of Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon, Pennsylvania; Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, Phoenix (Prescott), Chicago, Detroit, Flint-Saginaw-Bay City, Michigan; Hartford-New Haven, Connecticut; Minneapolis-St. Paul, Portland, Oregon; Salt Lake City, Seattle-Tacoma and Tampa-St. Petersburg (Sarasota), Florida.”

In a blog post, Erin Scarborough, president of AT&T’s broadband and connectivity initiatives, said the carrier determined its 5G home broadband locations by looking for areas in its network that had “enough wireless coverage and capacity to deliver not only a great in-home experience, but also maintain a top-notch wireless service for our existing mobile users.”

Those who also have AT&T wireless service and sign up for automatic payments will be able to lower the bill to $35 per month. Similar to offerings from T-Mobile or Verizon, AT&T’s 5G home internet does not have overage fees, equipment charges or annual contracts. AT&T also says that it won’t increase the price “at 12 months.”

The carrier previously was experimenting with the Internet Air product in parts of Los Angeles and Philadelphia, pitching the product in some locations as an upgrade to its older, DSL home broadband service, particularly in areas where its fiber-based internet isn’t available. The carrier tells CNET that it expects download speeds over 5G to be between 40Mbps and 140Mbps and that upload speeds will be between 5Mbps and 25Mbps. While not as fast as fiber or cable, this would mark a noticeable speed boost from the “generally 6Mbps or lower” speeds it says its DSL users experience.

AT&T says it currently has around 6 million nonfiber broadband customers.

Read more: What is 5G Home Internet?

For reference, Netflix says it needs speeds of at least 15Mbps for 4K streaming, while Zoom says it requires download speeds of 3.8Mbps and upload speeds of 3Mbps for HD group video calls. It was not immediately clear what kind of upload speeds or latency AT&T’s Internet Air product might offer.

Setting up AT&T’s Internet Air also appears to be similar to how its rivals’ deliver their respective home internet offerings, with the carrier shipping users a modem/Wi-Fi router combo device and guiding setup, installation and management through an accompanying app. If you decide to cancel the service, you will simply need to return the device to AT&T.

Those with larger homes can get Wi-Fi extenders that connect to the router for an additional $10 per month, per extender (with a max of five extenders). Users can also connect their existing Wi-Fi routers to the AT&T device’s ethernet port if they would prefer to use their own setups. AT&T says its app can also guide users on ideal extender placement and that it will be able to send notifications to let users know that moving the router or extender could be useful to optimize the network.

While 5G hasn’t lived up to its significant hype in a number of areas, it has delivered some much-needed competition for consumers in home broadband as wireless carriers looked to compete with big cable companies such as Comcast, Charter and Optimum (plus in the case of T-Mobile, even wired offerings from Verizon and AT&T).

AT&T’s home internet news comes only a few days after the carrier confirmed that it was giving its 5G network an earlier-than-expected speed boost. Scarborough told CNET that the earlier clearance of C-band spectrum “did not play into our decision” to expand into these markets and that it has been planning this move for “several months.”

“We’ve been very thoughtful in how we’ve modeled this and where we believe we can provide the best in class customer experience.”

Alright sports fans, if you’re ready for kickoff, here’s a deal you won’t want to miss. NFL.com is currently offering 20% off an annual subscription to NFL Plus Premium for new subscribers, which drops the price to just $80 for a year of access and includes the popular RedZone channel with your subscription so that you can catch every touchdown each Sunday of the regular 2023 season. We don’t know how long this offer will last, so we recommend making your purchase sooner rather than later.

Signing up for a subscription for the 2023 season will give you access to the NFL Network, which means you can watch live local and primetime regular and postseason games on your phone or tablet, live out-of-market preseason games, live game audio, on-demand content and more. And the popular NFL channel RedZone is a part of that deal. It toggles between all games on a given Sunday and highlights the teams inside the 20 yard line — “the red zone” — on all of your home devices, including your TV. You’ll also be able to see game replays and score 30% off your next purchase from the NFL Shop.

It’s worth noting that if you have (or are planning to subscribe to) one of the NFL Sunday Ticket packages, some of them will include RedZone for you and you should pass on this offer. However, those ultra-premium packages come with pricing to match — with plans starting at $339. For everyone else, this is a solid deal to help you catch all the action this season — basically just $20 a month to watch a full season of RedZone on your TV.

The AirPods 3 are Apple’s best yet and they’re a wonderful way to get many of the AirPods Pro features without spending AirPods Pro money. And right now you don’t even have to spend AirPods 3 money thanks to an Amazon deal that brings the price right down to just $140.

That price is the lowest that Amazon has ever offered these particular wireless earbuds for, and it’s a deal that doesn’t require any work on your part. Just order your new earbuds and they’ll arrive at your door in no time. All you have to do then is choose which songs you’re going to test them out with.

The AirPods 3 come with a lot of features that you might expect to pay even more for, especially if you’re coming from the older AirPods Pro model. You’ll of course get features like personalized spatial audio, sweat and water resistance, and instant device pairing and switching when using Apple gear. But you’ll also enjoy up to 30 hours of battery life when you make use of the Charging Case that comes in the box. You’ll also get a Lightning to USB-C cable included as well.

Still need to be convinced? There’s quick access to Siri with the “Hey Siri” command, and the force sensors in each earbud make it quick and easy to control audio and accept or end calls.

If after all that you still need the higher-end features of AirPods Pro or even AirPods Max, be sure to check out our collection the best AirPods deals before ordering anything.

T-Mobile in April added a pair of new premium 5G plans that provided more data and roaming perks. Now the carrier has a third offering at the top of its list that brings back a beloved feature from phone plans of yore: getting a new device every year.

Go5G Next, as the new plan is called, has essentially the same perks as the higher-priced of the two plans introduced in April, Go5G Plus, which itself had the best parts of the Magenta plans but with additional hotspot data and more data for roaming in Mexico and Canada. Go5G Plus’ big draw was to let subscribers trade in and upgrade to a new phone every two years. Go5G Next shaves that down to just one year.

The caveat is that you’ll need to pay off half of your phone’s value before getting to trade it in for a new device. That shouldn’t be a problem for most subscribers. With a 24-month installment plan, half is paid off after a year anyway. If subscribers opt to pay more per month and reach that milestone earlier, they can trade in for a new device as early as six months after getting their last one, according to T-Mobile’s press release.

Go5G Next’s other perk carried over from Go5G Plus is guaranteed access to the same promotions the carrier offers new subscribers. If T-Mobile dangles an attractive deal on the upcoming iPhone 15 to lure customers away from other carriers, Go5G Next and Go5G Plus subscribers can use that promotion, too.

You’ll pay extra for the privilege of upgrading your phone every year: Go5G Next costs $100 a month for a single line (when signed up for auto pay), which is $10 above Go5G Plus’ $90 monthly rate.

T-Mobile won’t users “mix and match” unlimited plans for an account, the carrier confirmed to CNET. For example, if you have four lines and only one wants to upgrade every year, they all must be on Go5G Next. Unlike its rivals, T-Mobile has generally required all users on an account to be on the same plan instead of allowing for flexibility.

T-Mobile didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

It’s also a little more difficult to directly compare T-Mobile’s plans to its competitors. For a single line’s $100 monthly subscription (including taxes and fees), Go5G Next includes Apple TV Plus and Netflix subscriptions among other perks. Verizon’s comparable updated 5G Unlimited Plus plan starts at $65 for a single line (plus taxes and fees) including 30GB of hotspot data and lets you pick streaming options like the Disney bundle (Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus) or Apple One (including Apple TV Plus) for $10 per option. AT&T Unlimited Premium is priced at $85 a month for a single line (plus taxes and fees) and doesn’t include a streaming service, but has 50GB of hotspot data.

But for people eager to upgrade their phone annually, paying a bit more every month for Go5G Next might be worth it. By comparison, Verizon’s and AT&T’s phone installment plans offer new devices every three years.

Last month, there were also small price hikes for older Verizon and AT&T plans.

Read more: Understanding Your Cellphone Bill’s Extra Charges and Fees

Microsoft is leaning into the Starfield hype by bringing new wraps for Xbox Series X consoles that allow gamers to add some customization, the company said Monday.

The wraps, which retail for between $45 and $50, deliver “an option that’s more affordable and more sustainable than purchasing a special edition or limited edition console,” Microsoft said in a statement. Unlike a vinyl skin, these wraps seem to be made of a thicker material and don’t sit nearly as flush as a sticker would on the gaming console.

The wraps will also be available in arctic camo and mineral camo colorways. Already for Starfield, Microsoft has released a limited edition wireless controller and headset, both of which are sold out.

The Starfield edition wrap will launch on Oct. 18, with the camo versions following on Nov. 10. You can preorder them now.

Microsoft isn’t the first console manufacturer to offer gamers ways to customize their consoles. Sony released PS5 console covers early last year in a variety of different colors. Limited covers include a Spider-Man 2 variant as well as a LeBron James edition. While Sony hasn’t given exact numbers on how well its console covers have sold, considering the company has sold over 40 million PS5 units, accessory sales are likely an important factor in PlayStation’s overall earnings. It isn’t surprising that Microsoft is offering its fans similar customization options.

Because the Xbox Series X console wrap isn’t a sticker, it can easily be folded around your console and removed. Microsoft said the exterior is wrapped in microfiber and has a “soft smooth white high-tech feel” secured “with a hook and loop enclosure.”

There are tons of great earbuds on the market that boast impressive noise-cancelling capabilities. But sometimes, tuning out your surroundings can be inconvenient or even downright dangerous. That’s why Sony’s LinkBuds feature a unique open-ear design, which made them one of our favorite pairs for running headphones for 2023. And right now, you can snag a pair for $128 at Amazon, which saves you over $50 and matches the all-time lowest price we’ve seen. There’s no set expiration for this deal, so get your order in sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

These Sony LinkBuds are great for runners, bikers or just about anyone who needs to be aware of their surroundings but still wants to enjoy some tunes during their workout or commute. They have a unique open-ring design that lets in some ambient sound, while still allowing you to hear your music. They even have adaptive volume control, and will automatically adjust the sound based on your environment. They’re also great for voice calls, and have a speak-to-chat function that automatically pauses your music when you start talking. Plus, they feature an IPX4 water-resistance rating, so they’re protected against splashing, and boast a battery life of up to 20 hours on a single charge.

And if you’re in the market for a different pair, you can check out our full roundup of all the best earbuds and headphones deals for even more bargains.

Ahsoka’s Disney Plus premiere date is no longer far, far away.

The Star Wars show following the former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano will debut the first two of its eight episodes on Tuesday. It takes place after the fall of the Galactic Empire — more specifically running “along the same timeline” as The Mandalorian’s third season, actress Natasha Liu Bordizzo told SFX magazine — and follows Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy, per a synopsis from Disney.

Tano is known from the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, as well as the live-action The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, and the new Disney Plus show continues her story.

Rosario Dawson reprises her role as Ahsoka, and the series also stars Bordizzo, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ray Stevenson, Ivanna Sakhno, Diana Lee Inosanto, David Tennant, Lars Mikkelsen and Eman Esfandi. Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau are executive producers, and Filoni serves as writer and showrunner.

If you want to stream something beforehand, Filoni told Collider that people could revisit season 4 of Star Wars Rebels before watching Ahsoka. But he also said, “I’ve been very aware of the fact that trying to write these things that you don’t need to have seen any of it.” Here’s how to watch Ahsoka, and why you may want to consider using a VPN.

How to watch Star Wars: Ahsoka on Disney Plus

Disney Plus will release the first two episodes of Ahsoka on Aug. 22 at 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET; 2 a.m. BST, 11 a.m. AEST on Aug. 23). The installments will be available at that time in every country Disney Plus is available in, according to Disney. Following the premiere, a new episode will drop each Tuesday (or Wednesday, depending on your time zone) through Oct. 3.

Price increases are coming to Disney Plus’ ad-free service in the US, but new subscribers can still lock in a year of ad-less Disney Plus for $110 or one month for $11. Starting Oct. 12, the tier will cost $140 a year or $14 a month, and existing subscribers will be charged the new price at their next billing cycle on or after that date.

The streamer also has an ad-based tier that costs $8 per month (there isn’t an option to pay annually), and the price won’t increase in October. Here’s what CNET’s Kourtnee Jackson found when she tested Disney Plus’ ad-supported tier last year.

How to watch Ahsoka from anywhere with a VPN

Perhaps you’re traveling abroad and want to stream Disney 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 encrypt your traffic and stop your ISP from throttling your speeds. 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 Ahsoka will be streaming on Disney 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 Star Wars series 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 Disney 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.