Category: Technologies

Apple and Samsung make some of the most popular phones on the market, but even their basic flagship models start at around $800. If you’re looking for a more affordable alternative, you may want to consider a smaller brand like Motorola. Its latest Moto G Stylus is one of our favorite phones available for under $500, and right now you can snag a previous-gen model for even less. Amazon currently has the blue color variant of the 2022 Moto G Stylus on sale for just $130, which saves you $170 compared to the usual price. 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.

While this 2022 Motorola phone doesn’t support 5G connectivity, it still boasts some pretty impressive specs for less than $150. It’s equipped with an octa-core MediaTek Helio G88 processor, as well as 6GB of RAM and 128GB of built-in storage, which is more than enough to handle the basics. The screen is a 6.8-inch full HD display, and it has a 90 Hz refresh rate for smooth and fluid visuals. It’s also equipped with an impressive 50-megapixel rear camera, and comes with a built-in stylus, which is great for taking notes, editing photos and more on the fly. And the 5,000-mAh battery means it can last for up to two days on a single charge. This phone comes unlocked, and is compatible with major carriers like Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, as well as plenty of smaller carriers like Cricket Wireless and Boost Mobile.

And if you’re looking for even more offers and discounts, you can check out our full roundup of all the best phone deals for even more bargains.

Last week’s Galaxy Unpacked event brought the official release of the Galaxy Watch 6, Samsung’s latest smartwatch. How does the new wearable stack up with industry-leading Apple Watch Series 8? Let’s take a look at the specs, features and price.

The big physical difference is that Samsung uses a round face for its watches, while Apple keeps its square look. But both are available in two sizes that are only a millimeter in difference, so there’s little to go on here. Both are waterproof to around 50 meters (roughly 165 feet), use aluminum in their construction and have interchangeable bands.

The features are closely matched too, with both models offering GPS tracking, heart-rate sensing, fall detection, sleep tracking, automatic workout detection and more. Both also offer contactless payments using either Samsung Pay or Apple Pay. The Galaxy Watch offers 16GB of onboard storage for saving songs locally to work out with, while the Apple Watch doubles that to 32GB. Samsung reckons its watch will last up to 40 hours between charges however, while Apple only promises 18. How that stacks up in real-world testing remains to be seen.

One of the biggest differences, though, is the price: the Apple Watch Series 8 costs nearly $100 more than Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6, in both sizes. We’ll be putting these through their paces in the full review soon to see whether it’s worth savingthat money, but you can check out the full specs comparison below.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 vs. Apple Watch Series 8

	Samsung Galaxy Watch 6	Apple Watch Series 8
Shape	Round	Square
Watch size	40mm, 44mm	41mm, 45mm
Materials/Finishes	Aluminum	Aluminum, Stainless steel, Ceramic, Sapphire glass
Display size, resolution	40mm: 1.3-inch, 432×432 Super AMOLED; 44mm: 1.5-inch, 480×480 Super AMOLED	41mm: 1.7-inch, 352×430 45mm: 1.9-inch, 396×484
Dimensions	40mm: 38.8 x 40.4 x 9.0 mm; 44mm: 42.8 x 44.4 x 9.0 mm	41mm: 41 x 35 x 10.7mm 45mm: 45 x 38 x 10.7mm
Weight	40mm: 28.7g; 44mm: 33.3g	41mm: 31.9g (aluminum, GPS) 45mm: 38.8g (aluminum, GPS)
Colors	40mm: Graphite, Gold; 44mm: Graphite, Silver	Midnight, Starlight, Silver, Red
Always On	Yes	Yes
Interchangable bands	Yes	Yes
GPS	Yes	Yes
Automatic workout detection	Yes (running, walking, rowing)	Yes
Compass	Yes	Yes
Altimeter	Yes	Yes
Water resistance	5ATM, IP68	50 meters
Calls	Yes	Yes
Microphone	Yes	Yes
Speaker	Yes	Yes
Voice assistant	Yes (Google Assistant, Bixby)	Siri
Mobile Payments	Yes (Samsung Wallet)	Yes (Apple Pay)
Sleep tracking	Yes	Yes
Period tracking	Yes	Yes
Sensors	Optical Heart Rate + Electrical Heart Signal + Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, Temperature Sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Light Sensor	Electrical heart sensor, Blood oxygen sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, light sensor,
Emergency features	Emergency SOS, fall detection	Emergency SOS, fall and crash detection
Compatibility	Android 10 and above	iOS
Software	WearOS 4	Watch OS 9
Processor	Exynos W930 Dual-Core 1.4GHz	Apple S8
Connectivity	LTE6, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 2.4+5GHz, NFC, GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galileo	LTE, UMTS, Wi-Fi 2.4+5GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, GPS/Glonass, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou
Memory and storage	2GB memory + 16GB storage	1GB memory + 32GB storage
Power	Faster wireless charging over USB-C	Faster wireless charging over USB-C
Battery life	Up to 40 hours (Always On Display off) / Up to 30 hours (Always On Display on)	Up to 18 hours
Battery capacity	40mm: 300 mAh; 44mm: 425 mAh	308 mAh
US price	40mm: $300 (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth); 44mm: $330 (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth)	41mm: $399 (GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) 45mm: $429 (GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth)
UK price	From 289	From 419
Australian price	From AU$549	From AU$629

NASA will be launching its own streaming service later this year, the US space agency said Thursday.

The service, called NASA Plus, will livestream NASA missions. It will also feature original video series, including new shows being produced for the streaming service.

It’s launching later this summer, the NASA Plus trailer says. According to the trailer, the titles of some of the series and channels will be NASA Talks, Space Out, The Color of Space, NASA Kids, NASA Explorers, WEBB Space Telescope, First Light, NASA En Español, Lucy, Mars Is Hard, NASA Explorers: Osiris Rex and Artemis I: Path to the Pad.

“Transforming our digital presence will help us better tell the stories of how NASA explores the unknown in air and space, inspires through discovery and innovates for the benefit of humanity,” said Marc Etkind, associate administrator for the agency’s Office of Communications.

NASA Plus will be free and have no ads. It’ll be on streaming media players including Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku, as well as on the iOS and Android NASA app and on desktop.

NASA also said an update of its website and app are coming. “This new web experience will serve as an ever-expanding yet consolidated homebase for information about the agency’s missions and research, climate data, Artemis updates and more,” NASA said in a blog post. You can see the beta version of the new website here.

Read more: Best Streaming Device for 2023: We Tested Roku, Amazon, Apple and More

I really like the idea of tiny pocket projectors such as the AAXA P7 Plus. They grant you the ability to watch a movie or TV show pretty much anywhere. I’ve reviewed a bunch of them, and unfortunately they’re all flawed in some way. The technology to make a huge, bright image in a handheld size for not a lot of money just doesn’t exist yet. That doesn’t make them useless, though — far from it.

Previous AAXA projectors I’ve reviewed were pretty good, at least from a budget perspective. The P8 did a great job for its price, and the P6X was surprisingly bright for its size. I was hoping the P7 Plus would do as well, or better, than those two. Maybe it wouldn’t be as bright as the P6X, or as cheap as the P8, but with 1080p resolution and a battery, maybe it’d find its own niche in this pico projector category. And it does… kinda.

The issue is that, while it does so many things right, its contrast ratio is really poor. It’s literally the worst I’ve ever measured. So the image looks extremely washed out and flat. It’s too bad because the color, detail and video processing are all better than the P6X or the P8. Here’s a closer look.

Big specs, small size

• Resolution: 1,920×1,080 pixels
• HDR-compatible: No
• 4K-compatible: Yes (4K30)
• 3D-compatible: No
• Lumens spec: 550
• Zoom: None
• Lens shift: None
• LED life: 30,000 hours

Full HD resolution is a rarity in projectors this size, with most companies picking more budget chips from Texas Instruments at 720p resolution or below.

The 550 lumens is a bit optimistic. In the bright Boost mode I measured approximately 201, which honestly isn’t bad for something this size. You can get 30 more lumens if you switch to the Cool color temperature. Normally I wouldn’t recommend such a thing, but every bit helps with a low lumen projector. Eco mode, to extend battery life, puts out about 85 lumens. AAXA claims approximately 150 minutes of battery life in said Eco mode. Given the brightness difference, I’d estimate less than half that time in Boost mode.

As you’d expect, there’s no lens shift or zoom on the little P7 Plus. The focus is via a vertical wheel on the side. This is a bit hard to dial in, as it feels like the full range of possible focus isn’t the full 360 degrees of this dial, but maybe 90. Thus, slight changes make a big difference. Not a huge deal for the price, but it does take a few extra seconds to “dial it in” (pun intended).

On the back is a small two-watt speaker. It works, but if you want any sort of volume you’re better off connecting an external speaker to the headphone output.

The AAXA features an LED light source which should last the life of the projector.

Surprisingly varied connections

• HDMI inputs: 1
• USB port: 1 USB-A, 1 USB-C
• Micro SD card slot: 1
• Audio output: Headphone output
• Internet: 2.4GHz/5GHz
• Remote: Not backlit

Into its tiny, hand-holdable body AAXA has squeezed a lot of inputs, HDMI being the most important one, but there’s also USB-A, USB-C, an SD card slot and a headphone jack. Unfortunately, you can’t recharge the P7 Plusvia USB, only via a separate power adapter. If the P7 Plusis plugged into the wall there’s a small recharging icon in the lower right corner of the projected screen that never goes away.

As far as apps go, there’s Netflix, YouTube, Tubi, Twitch, Haystack and Vimeo. These load fairly quickly. With Netflix you get a “Google Play services” warning that says the device isn’t supported, but the app loads anyway. It’s the mobile version, which has a questionable relationship with remotes. Generally you can navigate reasonably well, but occasionally there are glitches because the app is clearly meant for a touchscreen. Although you can stream downloaded movies from your phone, you can’t mirror streaming apps as they show up blank — seemingly due to copyright protections.

The small, credit-card size remote has identical domed buttons that makes it difficult to use in the dark until you memorize the locations of what you need.

Solar!

It’s an odd pairing, a device that absorbs light from the sun, and which creates an image that gets obliterated by the sun. Opposites attract, I guess. The foldable solar panel is roughly 50% taller than a large paperback book. It contains four panels and, in addition to two USB connections, there’s a cable that fits the P7 Plus. AAXA makes no claims about its power-generating potential, but it looks visually similar to this without the branding. I’ve tried a few of these solar USB-charging products and all of them drastically over-promised their potential power generating abilities.

Running some charging tests in the brightest light of a Los Angeles summer, I calculated it would take around 10 hours to charge the P7 Plus. That’s 10 hours of peak sun, of which you don’t get all day long. If you’re further north, there are clouds, it’s not the middle of summer, and so on, it will take even longer. Which is to say, it’s going to be pretty slow to charge the P7 Plus’s battery.

However, I still like the idea of this — at least, for particularly outdoorsy folks. To be able to pack something this small and recharge it during the day (or more likely, several), and then watch a show or movie on the side of the tent at night. Helpfully, you can also use the solar charger to top off your phone, some USB-charged camp lights, and so on. Just keep in mind that it’s going to do so at a fraction of the speed of a real charger, and even slower if you connect more than one device.

Is it worth the extra $54 (at the time this is published) to get the solar charger? Only if you’re a really off-grid sort of camper. If you’re more of the weekend, car-camper variety, you’re probably better off getting a charger like this, which can more rapidly recharge all your devices. Plus, you can just plug in the AAXA wall charger to the outlet on the front. If you’re tempted to get a larger or cheaper solar charger, just remember the P7 Plusdoesn’t recharge via USB. The P7 Plus by itself is available without the solar charger.

Picture quality comparisons

• AAXA P6X
• AAXA P8

Well, this is different: Three AAXA projectors head-to-head-to-head.A rare, perhaps unprecedented, single-company comparison. When selecting the projectors to compare to the product under test, I try to keep the price and performance — and ideally both — close enough that the comparison makes sense. This far under $500 there’s not much I’ve found that’s particularly noteworthy. Even the better options have some serious flaws. The ones with batteries also typically wildly underperform those without. Which is all to say, I don’t plan on doing this single-company face-off again, but for now, these three make the most sense given the current state of projectors. The P6X is basically the same price and has a brighter image, but lower resolution. The P8 is even cheaper, but also dimmer and even lower resolution than the P6X. It doesn’t have a battery.

This is going to sound like I’m damning the P7 Plus with faint praise, but it has the least things wrong with its image in this group. The colors of the P6X are wildly inaccurate and the video processing is wonky. The P8 has some chonky pixels, badly crushed whites and even in the warm color mode, is quite cool.

The P7 Plusgets so many things right — the colors are somewhat accurate, especially for the sub-$500 portable set, and skin tones look human! Grass looks vegetative! I’ve seen far more expensive projectors look significantly less accurate. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not at all accurate, it’s just close enough that you can look at it and not think the settings are messed up. Certain colors are noticeably off. Lips look like everyone’s wearing particularly vibrant lipstick, for example.

Despite its lumen claims, the P8 is a touch brighter than the P7 Plusby a few lumens. The P8’s penchant for crushing the highlights makes it appear brighter than it is. To put that another way, things that are nearly white are “crushed” to be completely white. So the image has more fully white pixels, appearing brighter even though the image quality overall suffers. The P6X, however, blows them both away by a lot. By my measurements, about double. That goes a long way towards usefulness for a lot of people, despite its picture quality shortcomings.

The P7 Plus, logically, looks far more detailed too. I’m not going to turn down 1080p in a projector, but given the limited lumens and how small an image you’ll be creating the extra pixels are probably overkill. It is visually much sharper than either of the others, with far less noticeable pixels. So I’ll give it credit for that.

This brings us to the main issue: The P7 Pluslooks very washed out. The P8 and P6X aren’t exactly contrast ratio champions, but they look like it when compared to the P7 Plus. I measured its contrast ratio at 47:1. (That’s not a typo.) For comparison, the P6X was 210:1 and the P8 was 558:1. The P7 Pluslooks flat and as a result, looks dimmer than it actually is. As I said in the intro, it’s literally the lowest contrast ratio I’ve ever measured. The previous “winner” for that title was the $59 Elephas JingHuier, which had nearly three times better contrast numbers. That projector looked terrible in countless ways, however, so it still wasn’t worth comparing here.

Surprisingly, the poor contrast of the P7 Plusdoesn’t render it unwatchable. It’s gray and flat for sure, but the ultimate goal of any display is to let you watch things on it, and you can certainly do that. Since I doubt most people will be using this on a 100-inch glossy white screen, the lack of a contrast ratio maybe isn’t a huge deal. Can you watch an episode of your favorite show projected on the side of a tent? Yeah, definitely.

Pocketable PJ

There are so many aspects to the P7 Plusthat are huge improvements over other projectors in its size and price. The resolution, color “accuracy” and image processing, are all solid building blocks of a good image. The contrast ratio though is just really, really bad. It largely negates the improvements made in the other aspects of the picture. It’s watchable for sure, but not more so than the P6X and P8 with their respective flaws.

This ends up being a tough choice. For the most part I think the best option for most people looking for something extremely portable is the P6X. Its image doesn’t look great, but it’s significantly brighter. For most uses I can imagine, that brightness will far outweigh its larger size and mediocre image quality. However, it doesn’t have any apps built in, so you’d need to bring a streaming stick (which can connect and be powered via the P6X), or watch noncopyrighted material mirrored from your phone.

As an all-in-one solution the P7 Plusdoes work, and it does create a watchable image. Not a particularly great image, mind you, but considering its size and price, perhaps that’s not a total deal-breaker.

While Threads’ meteoric rise has mostly tempered down, that hasn’t stopped Meta from continuing to bring long-awaited updates to its users. This week, Threads got some pretty key updates to the platform that seem to have begun to level the playing field with Twitter.

The updates that are hitting Threads are fairly substantial, with the biggest being the addition of a Following tab. Previously, users could see threads only in a “For You” page, which allowed users to see only posts that were being recommended to them based upon an algorithm. The Following tab allows users to see threads from the people that they follow, in chronological order.

This update comes after the initial surge of sign-ups on Threads has begun to die down. Since then, Threads has added about 19 million new users over the past few weeks. However, it also looks like Threads’ daily usage has dropped off, as expected for a new platform in a fairly crowded market.

Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri took to Threads to announce the updates writing, “This is just the beginning,” and imploring users to continue to share ideas and hopes for the platform. Among the following tabs, other new changes include post translations, a new way to filter notifications in the Activity tab, a follow button and a new way to approve followers if you have a private account.

If you’re interested in setting up your own threads account, you’re in luck — joining Threads is pretty easy. All you have to do is sign in with your Instagram credentials and you get to keep your username, followers and verification status.

The rising popularity of Threads comes at the same time as more and more users are becoming dissatisfied with Twitter. As owner Elon Musk continues to make controversial changes to the app — like imposing a limit on the amount of tweets you could read per day or changing the iconic blue bird logo — more users are jumping ship to Twitter alternatives.

Threads joins a line up of several Twitter alternatives, such as Mastodon and Bluesky. Threads provides the option to post text, videos and photos, and the ability to engage in real-time conversations.

Read on to learn more about how to join Threads and what features are available. For more, here’s why you might want to wait to join Threads and how Meta is using AI to organize your feeds.

What is Threads?

Created by Meta’s Instagram team, Threads is a platform that allows you to publish short posts or updates that are up to 500 characters. You can include links, photos or videos up to five minutes long. The app is linked to your Instagram account, and according to Meta, you can “easily share a Threads post to your Instagram story, or share your post as a link on any other platform you choose.”

Your feed will include posts from people and accounts you follow on Instagram or Threads, as well as recommendations for undiscovered content. You also have the ability to filter specific words from your feed and restrict who is allowed to mention you.

Threads is free to use and is available to download from the App Store (iOS) and the Play Store (Android).

The app launched in more than 100 countries, but its release has been delayed in the European Union, reportedly due to data-sharing concerns between Instagram and Threads. Meta is also reportedly blocking attempts by people in the EU to access Threads using a VPN, telling TechCrunch in a statement that, “we’ve taken additional steps to prevent people based there from accessing it at this time.”

How to sign up for Threads

You must have an Instagram account to join Threads, as the service requires you to use your Instagram login credentials to sign in.

First, launch the Threads application and select the Instagram profile you want to make a Thread account for. If you have multiple Instagram accounts, you can switch at the login page.

Next, add your name, bio and any links you want to show on your Threads profile. You can also just hit the Import from Instagram button to port over that information from your IG profile.

Finally, choose to follow the same accounts you follow on Instagram, on Threads. You can do this one by one, by scrolling through the accounts you follow on Instagram or by searching for an account. You can also just follow every single account you follow on Instagram with a single tap — hit Follow all.

The last page will give you a bit of info about Threads and its future, like how Threads and Instagram are intrinsically tied and how you’ll soon be able to interact with other social media platforms, like Mastadon. You can hit Join Threads to begin browsing through your timeline.

A quick guide to using Threads

The Threads user interface is pretty simple for now. Everything you need you can find at the bottom in the navigation bar: home, search, new thread, activity and profile. There are also your settings, but we’ll get into that a little bit later. To start, let’s go through what each button in the navigation bar means.

The first, on the left is home, which is where your timeline lives. You may be a bit startled to see posts from users you don’t follow, but that’s how the current iteration of Threads works. Here you can like, leave a comment on, repost and share posts. Threads now has a For You tab, which is a series of recommended threads, and a Following tab. The Following tab displays posts from accounts you follow in chronological order.

Then we have search, where you’ll find recommended profiles and can manually search for other accounts. A few of the biggest existing accounts include Mr. Beast, Jennifer Lopez, the NBA, Marvel, the Kardashians and Zuckerberg himself.

Next is new thread, which is where you create posts. You can write up to 500 characters and include links, photos and videos. For now, hashtags aren’t a thing.

In activity, you’ll see who you recently followed, who recently followed you, replies to your posts, mentions and activity from verified users.

And last we have profile, where you can view your Threads profile. Here you’ll see your name, profile photo, biography, links, followers, threads and replies. You can also edit your profile and browse through various settings.

A little more about the settings in Threads

Speaking of settings, let’s spend a little more time on which settings you can adjust in Threads. In the profile section, hit the globe on the top-left or the two-dash icon on the top-right to access your settings, where you can configure your notifications, privacy and account.

Notifications is pretty straightforward. Toggle off push notifications for threads and replies and following and followers. You can also just pause all of them.

In privacy, you can make your profile private, which means only approved followers can check out and interact with your posts and replies. You can also choose who mentions you, mute accounts and hide offensive words and phrases. At the bottom, you’ll see two settings: one for blocking profiles and the other for hiding likes. If you configure any of these two settings, changes will apply to both Threads and Instagram.

Account is where you can set up reminders to take a break from Threads and deactivate your profile. There are other settings that apply to both Threads and Instagram, including two-factor authentication and password changes.

Can you really not delete your Threads account?

If you’ve seen the news, many users are upset about Meta’s policy regarding deleting your Threads account. Yes, you can delete your Threads account, but you also have to delete your Instagram account, because they’re tied together as one. If you don’t want to delete your Instagram, you do have the option to individually deactivate your Threads account.

This won’t delete your account and data for good, but it will hide your profile, posts and comments from everyone until you decide to come back. Here’s how to deactivate your threads account.

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, posted that although Threads is powered by Instagram, the company is looking for a way to allow users to delete their Threads account separately.

What about Hashtags? And Lists?

In Mosseri’s Threads post where he announced the latest updates to the app, he encouraged users to keep sharing their ideas and hopes for the platform. Two of the most commonly mentioned features are hashtags and apps. It seems like users are fairly spilt on whether hashtags should be added, but most agree on the value of the list feature.

Given the number of mentions, users could see these features added in future updates. Mosseri has indicated that hashtags are “on the list,” but there has been no indication about the status of the list feature.

Are there advertisements on Threads?

According to Mosseri, advertisements are currently not a priority. “So humbled by everyone signing up, but we gotta make sure this is an app people want to keep using before we worry about making money…” The company is reportedly talking to advertisers.

What features are coming to Threads?

Mosseri and others have posted about what features may eventually make it to Threads, because according to Mosseri, this current Threads is just the first version. Below are a few of the features and settings mentioned as in the works for Threads:

• Delete Threads account without also having to delete Instagram account
• Improved search
• Hashtags
• Graph syncing
• Messaging (maybe)
• Support for ActivityPub (allows Threads to be part of the fediverse, “a social network of different servers operated by third parties that are connected and can communicate with each other”)
• Multi-account options
• Web interface

Meta’s Threads vs. Twitter

Competition between the two tech giants is going beyond the proposed cage match between Musk and Zuckerberg. With Threads’ built-in connection to Instagram, it can make it much easier to gain users within a short period of time.

Forrester analyst Mike Proulx said that Meta is taking advantage of the current wave of dissatisfaction with Twitter, but noted that the company has had shaky launches of other services.

“While credit should be given to Meta’s steadfast test and learn strategy, the company doesn’t exactly have a successful track record launching standalone apps outside its core family,” Proulx said in a statement to CNET, pointing to projects like Slingshot and IGTV.

Proulx added that the market is inundated with Twitter challengers such as Bluesky, Mastodon and Hive. “This only serves to fracture the Twitter alternative-seeking user base,” he said.

Twitter is clearly aware of the challenge from Threads. A lawyer for the social network sent a letter to Zuckerberg last week threatening legal action over the app, accusing Meta of intentionally stealing “Twitter’s trade secrets.”

For more, check out CNET’s coverage on social media platforms, including TikTok rules and Meta’s paid verification system for Instagram and Facebook.

To be honest, streaming is a little dry this month unless you love anime or want to catch a one-off movie release. Hulu and Netflix are your best bets in August though if you want to be entertained, as shows such as Reservation Dogs, Only Murders in the Building and The Lincoln Lawyer are back. I’ll admit that I’ll be streaming Max for Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake because Jake, PB and other OGs are supposed to make an appearance. Otherwise, August is a wise time to keep your money and get ready for what’s coming in September and October (like Loki’s return).

You probably spend time each month deciding whether to cancel a streaming service because of the cost and content selection. I’d like to offer one budget-friendly strategy: Churn like ice cream.

How do you churn? Subscribe, cancel, stream on a different platform, then resubscribe. Rotating streaming services as needed helps save money when Netflix, Disney Plus, Max and others don’t have the content you want to watch at a given time. Just remember to shut off autorenewal for your monthly subscriptions. Churning may not work well if you’re sharing your accounts with people outside your household. But if you can work out an arrangement with your crew, go for it.

Here are my suggestions for which streamers to keep or cancel in August, based on new shows and movies (I didn’t consider sports and live TV streaming services) coming to each platform. Your tastes may be different, but if nothing else, I urge you to at least consider the concept of rotating for savings. It’s easier than you might think.

Read more: Best Streaming Service of 2023

August Streaming Service Rotation

	Keep	Cancel
Hulu	X
Netflix	X
Apple TV Plus		X
Disney Plus	X
Max		X
Peacock		X
Starz		X
Prime Video	X
Paramount Plus	X

Keep these streaming services in August

Hulu: Anime fans can continue with Zom 100 or Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. Lollapalooza will livestream Aug. 3-6. There are several big premieres happening this month too: Breeders season 4 (Aug. 1), Reservation Dogs season 3 (Aug. 2), and Only Murders season 3 (Aug. 8). A new K-drama called Moving will be released on Aug. 9, and FX’s A Murder at the End of the World premieres on Aug. 29.

Netflix: It’s a smaller selection, but here are some titles you may want to stream on Netflix this month.

• The Lincoln Lawyer season 2, part 2 (Aug. 3)
• Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead live-action movie (Aug. 3)
• Heartstopper Season 2 (Aug. 3)
• Zombieverse K-drama series (Aug. 8)
• The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh part 2 (Aug. 8)
• Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop (Aug. 9)
• Painkiller (Aug. 10)
• Heart of Stone — action movie starring Gal Gadot (Aug. 11)
• The Upshaws part 4 (Aug. 17)
• Ragnarok season 3 (Aug. 24)
• One Piece live-action series (Aug. 31)

Disney Plus: Two new debuts that you’ll probably want to stream include Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Aug. 2) and Star Wars: Ahsoka (Aug. 23). Otherwise, you can cancel after watching GotG or skip Disney Plus altogether if you’re not into Star Wars. Secret Invasion’s full first season is also now available to binge.

Prime Video: If you haven’t streamed Good Omens season 2 yet, binge it this month. And three book adaptations are coming to your TV screen in August:The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart (Aug. 4), Red, White & Royal Blue (Aug. 11) and Harlan Coben’s Shelter (Aug. 18).

Paramount Plus: Keep this only if you love watching Big Brother, Special Ops: Lioness or Billions. Streaming customers can watch the Billions season 7 debut on Aug. 11.

You can cancel these services this month

Starz: Outlander’s mid-season finale airs Aug. 11. Other than that, Minx and Heels are still airing. I still recommend subscribing in September for Starz to binge these titles and to watch Power Book IV: Force.

Max: You can actually cancel Max unless you want to watch one of these shows: Winning Time season 2 (Aug. 6), Rap Sh!t season 2 (Aug. 10) or Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake season 1 (Aug. 31). For Sex and the City fans, note that Kim Cattrall will appear in the season 2 finale of And Just Like That on Aug. 24.

Apple TV Plus: Hijack’s season finale and Physical’s final season premiere on Aug. 2. If you like aliens, Invasion returns on Aug. 23 and runs through October. I suggest waiting until September or October to subscribe to Apple TV Plus for The Morning Show season 3, The Changeling or Killers of the Flower Moon.

Peacock: The Super Mario Bros. Movie lands here on Aug. 3. Remember the service now starts at $6 per month for a premium subscription, so decide if Peacock is worth it in August for this film, Love Island or any of Bravo’s reality shows.

Save money if you wait a bit

If you’re not someone who routinely gets FOMO, then a smart method is to wait until the bulk or all episodes of your favorite series arrive on a platform. That way, rather than pay for a service for two or three months to cover the six- to 10-week run of a show, you can catch up on everything by subscribing for one month. And then repeat the cycle.

For example, there will be eight episodes of Star Wars: Ahsoka. The finale drops Oct. 4, so all episodes of the show will be available to stream at that time. Though it premieres on Aug. 23 and runs into October, save yourself three months of fees by waiting to stream it in full anytime in October. Likewise, Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake has 10 episodes that stream into September, while Only Murders in the Building airs weekly into October with 10 episodes. Hold off and binge it all and save some money too.

Note how much you’re paying per month for each streaming service and do the math. Paramount Plus starts at $6. Apple TV Plus is $7. Netflix is $7 to $20 (plus fees for extra members), Disney Plus is anywhere from $2 to $11 depending on bundles, Max costs $10 to $20, Hulu starts at $8 and Starz runs $9. Peacock has a base rate of $6 a month. Should you decide to churn, set yourself a calendar reminder to alert you when it’s time to resubscribe or cancel. We’ll see you in September for another streaming breakdown.

Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic debuted last week during the company’s Unpacked event, and they will be joining the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, which remains available. The three watches occupy different parts of the pricing scale, with the higher-end Watch 5 Pro including additional sports modes that could be particularly helpful for more active wearers.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 starts at $300 ( 289, AU$549) for the smaller 40mm size and $330 ( 319, AU$599) for the larger 44mm size. The step-up Galaxy Watch 6 Classic — which includes a physical, rotating bezel — starts at $400 ( 369, AU$699) for its 44mm model and $430 ( 399, AU$749) for the 47mm model. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro occupies the high end of this list, at $450 ( 429, AU$799) for its 45mm size.

Both Galaxy Watch 6 editions will ship with Google’s Wear OS 4, and the Watch 5 Pro will be getting an update to that software version. In addition to the various size differences between each of the watches, the batteries range from 300 mAh for the smaller Galaxy Watch 6 and 6 Classic, 425 mAh for the larger watches and 590 mAh for the Watch 5 Pro. We’ll have to test the Galaxy Watch 6 to see how their batteries hold up, but my colleague Lexy Savvides found in her Galaxy Watch 5 Pro review that the battery would usually last about two-and-a-half days.

We’ve outlined the specs for each of these watches side by side in this comparison table, so you can further check out the differences between the Galaxy Watch 6, Galaxy Watch 6 Classic and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 vs. Galaxy Watch 6 Classic vs. Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

	Samsung Galaxy Watch 6	Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic	Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
Shape	Round	Round	Round
Watch size	40mm, 44mm	43mm, 47mm	45mm
Materials, finishes	Aluminum	Stainless steel	Titanium
Display size, resolution	40mm: 1.3-inch, 432 x 432-pixel Super AMOLED; 44mm: 1.5-inch, 480 x 480-pixel Super AMOLED	43mm: 1.3-inch, 432 x 432-pixel Super AMOLED; 47mm: 1.5-inch, 480 x 480-pixel Super AMOLED	1.36-inch, 450 x 450 pixels
Dimensions	40mm: 38.8 x 40.4 x 9.0 mm; 44mm: 42.8 x 44.4 x 9.0 mm	43mm: 42.5 x 42.5 x 10.9 mm; 47mm: 46.5 x 46.5 x 10.9 mm	43.3 x 44.4mm
Weight	40mm: 28.7g; 44mm: 33.3g	43mm: 52g; 47mm: 59g	33.5g
Colors	40mm: graphite, gold; 44mm: graphite, silver	Black, silver	Graphite, sapphire, silver
Always On	Yes	Yes	Yes
Interchangable bands	Yes	Yes	Yes
GPS	Yes	Yes	Yes
Automatic workout detection	Yes (running, walking, rowing)	Yes	Yes
Compass	Yes	Yes	Yes
Altimeter	Yes	Yes	Yes
Water resistance	5ATM, IP68	5ATM, IP68	Yes, IP68 rating
Calls	Yes	Yes	Yes
Microphone	Yes	Yes	Yes
Speaker	Yes	Yes	Yes
Voice assistant	Yes (Google Assistant, Bixby)	Yes (Google Assistant, Bixby)	Bixby, Google Assistant
Mobile Payments	Yes (Samsung Wallet)	Yes (Samsung Wallet)	Yes
Sleep tracking	Yes	Yes	Yes
Period tracking	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sensors	Optical heart rate + electrical heart signal + bioelectrical impedance analysis, temperature sensor, accelerometer, barometer, gyro sensor, geomagnetic sensor, light sensor	Optical heart rate + electrical heart signal + bioelectrical impedance analysis, temperature sensor, accelerometer, barometer, gyro sensor, geomagnetic sensor, light sensor	Optical heart rate + electrical heart signal + bioelectrical impedance analysis, temperature sensor, accelerometer, barometer, gyro sensor, geomagnetic sensor, light sensor
Emergency features	Emergency SOS, fall detection	Emergency SOS, fall detection	SOS, hard fall detection
Compatibility	Android 10 and above	Android 10 and above	Android 8.0 or higher
Software	WearOS 4	WearOS 4	Wear OS 3.5
Processor	Exynos W930 dual-core 1.4GHz	Exynos W930 dual-core 1.4GHz	Exynos W920 dual-core
Connectivity	LTE6, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 2.4+5GHz, NFC, GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galileo	LTE6, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 2.4+5GHz, NFC, GPS/Glonass/Beidou/Galileo	LTE, Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi, NFC
Memory and storage	2GB memory + 16GB storage	2GB memory + 16GB storage	1.5GB memory + 16GB storage
Power	Fast charging (WPC-based wireless charging)	Fast charging (WPC-based wireless charging)	Faster wireless charging over USB-C
Battery life	Up to 40 hours (Always On Display off); up to 30 hours (Always On Display on)	Up to 40 hours (Always On Display off); up to 30 hours (Always On Display on)	2.5 days
Battery capacity	440mm: 300 mAh; 44mm: 425 mAh	43mm: 300 mAh; 47mm: 425 mAh	590 mAh
Price (USD)	40mm: $300 (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth); 44mm: $330 (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth)	43mm: $400 (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth); 47mm: $430 (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth)	$450 (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth); $499 (LTE)
Price (GBP)	From 289	From 369	429
Price (AUD)	From AU$549	From AU$699	AU$799

I hate remotes for one simple reason — they get lost, in the sheets, on the sofa, anywhere and everywhere. But there is a way to make them more likable. Thankfully, there are Apple TV remote cases with a spot built in for an AirTag, so that you don’t have to worry about losing the remote ever again. We’ll go over some of the best Apple TV remote cases for AirTags in this article.

The newest Apple TV remote is as perfect as it can be, with dedicated buttons and touch controls integrated nicely together. It’s also slightly bigger than previous generations, making it easier to hold and use without accidentally pressing things you didn’t mean to. However, there still isn’t a way to easily locate it if it goes missing in another room or in the couch.

Remotes get lost all the time — no matter the size. Products like the Roku Remote Pro make it easy for you to find them again. Apple’s AirTag technology opened up tons of new possibilities when it comes to tracking down lost items. And though the new remote doesn’t include a built-in U1 chip to help you locate it, there’s an easy way to get the same benefit: Combine it with an AirTag.

Rather than just relying on a piece of tape, you can turn to a number of companies that’ve filled the hole Apple left open. They’ve created new Siri Remote cases that let you place an AirTag inside.

We’ve tested four different options, for people who never want to lose their remote again.

What you’ll need

• An Apple TV Siri remote.
• An AirTag.
• The Find My app on an iPhone, ideally an iPhone 11 or later so you can use Apple’s “precision finding feature” that points you exactly where to go.

Note: None of these cases came with an AirTag, so you’ll want to add $29 for that, on top of whichever case you buy for your $59 remote.

Though the Elago is the best option, there are others. The next two cases are generic options purchased on Amazon. While the brands and prices are different, the products themselves seem to be virtually identical — to the point where both came in the same style boxes from China with the same markings and branding despite being listed by different sellers.

For DIY fans: 3D printed case (price varies)

Our fourth case comes from CNET’s senior managing editor — and 3D printing enthusiast — Dan Ackerman. If you already have a 3D printer and spool, this could be the easiest and cheapest option with CAD files available online for you to assemble one yourself.

Ackerman says that the process didn’t take him “too long, because I didn’t change the design I found online, I just sliced and optimized it in a 3D program.” He adds that all told it was “maybe an hour for all the research and setup, two and a half hours to print.”

As with all 3D printing jobs, your mileage will vary on how many tries it will take to get this right. For our test, Ackerman says that the first print worked OK, though he didn’t have a remote on hand when he did the print. In using it, I found the case definitely feels more rigid than the rubber options and was a bit harder to insert and remove both the AirTag and remote. You may need some trial and error to get a more suitable fit.

It may not be the most polished solution out the gate, but for those looking to DIY a fix, it can work.

Sony is pushing out a beta software update for the PlayStation 5, bringing 3D Audio to Dolby Atmos sound systems as well as increased M.2 SSD storage support up to 8TB, the company said in a blog post on Monday. The update will release worldwide later this year.

3D Audio, which aims to give you the feeling of sound coming from natural directions, is supported by Sony’s Tempest 3D AudioTech, which previously only worked on headsets. With the new beta update, those with Dolby Atmos sound systems can enjoy more immersive audio experiences.

It should be noted that while Tempest 3D AudioTech does work on any headset, it’s best on these compatible headsets. There’s also only a handful of games that support 3D Audio.

Along with the 3D Audio features, there’s now support of M.2 SSDs, up to 8TB. Of course, not every M.2 SSD will fit in a PS5, and it’s important to buy the right one.

The new PS5 beta update comes as Sony continues to dominate the gaming space. The PS5, which launched in the height of the pandemic in November 2020, struggled to meet the intense demand as many people were stuck at home. Almost three years later, supply chain issues have eased and Sony is closing in on 40 million PS5 units sold. Microsoft hasn’t been as forthcoming with sales data for its Xbox Series X and S consoles, but during a developer’s conference in Brazil, the software giant showed a slide saying that 21 million units had been either shipped or sold.

With the PS5, Sony put much onus on its fast SSD speeds and new audio tech. While it’s taken a few years to fully realize, it could partially explain why gamers are excited to drop $500 for a PS5 over an Xbox Series X. In a bid to expand Xbox’s market presence, Microsoft purchased Activision Blizzard, makers of Call of Duty, last year for nearly $69 billion. While the US Federal Trade Commission attempted to block the merger over antitrust concerns, the agency may drop the case.

Sony also recently said its accessibility controller is coming this December for $90. This gives people with disabilities a new way to play games. With this new beta update, Sony is adding a different kind of accessibility option, allowing gamers to assign a second controller to one account. This means that two controllers can be used to control the actions of one character onscreen, as if using one controller. This also means that a second person can assist the person playing in difficult sections of games.

How to sign up for PS5 beta program and update your console

1. Sign in to your PlayStation account and sign up for the beta program here. (You can also back up your PS5 data just in case.)
2. Once you get your confirmation email, go to the PlayStation Store.
3. Navigate up to the three dots in the upper-right-hand corner and tap on Redeem Code.
4. Enter the code that came in your email.
5. Exit the PlayStation Store and scroll all the way to the top right until you get to the gear icon for Settings.
6. Go to System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings.
7. Select Update System Software (beta) > Update.
8. Accept the beta software agreement.

How to enable 3D Audio for Dolby Atmos systems

1. Scroll up and to the right towards the gear icon for Settings.
2. Scroll to Sound > Audio Output > Audio Format (Priority).
3. Select Dolby Atmos.

How to activate a second controller for assistance

1. Scroll up and to the right towards the gear icon for Settings.
2. Go to Accessibility > Controllers > Use Second Controller for Assistance.
3. Turn on Use Assist Controller.

Amazon has devised a new alert system that aims to make it easier to know when something you’ve bought on the site has been recalled.

Customers will now see a banner alert at the top of the Your Orders page if a product they ordered is the subject of a recall. Clicking it will lead you to a new page titled Your Recalls and Product Safety Alerts, where users will find more details about the issues the product has, as well as options for a refund, a return or a repair. You’ll also get a personalized email from Amazon.

In the past, users would have to rely on third-party sites to get information about recalled products. In many cases, they would also have to submit personal information to these sites to receive instructions on returns, repairs or product disposal.

“With these and other innovations — such as our robust seller vetting, product safety and compliance verification, and expanded A-to-Z Guarantee — customers can shop confidently knowing we stand behind all products in our store and will make it right in the rare event a product does not meet expectations,” Amazon wrote in a blog post last week about the new alerts page.

While the new service applies to all products sold by Amazon, products sold through third-party sellers don’t automatically get the same treatment. Amazon’s selling partners have the option of using the new service, but they’ll have to opt into the company’s Recalls Logistics Service for their customers to get the same experience.