Category: Technologies

Soon, Whole Foods shoppers in the United States won’t have to bring their wallets to go grocery shopping. All US Whole Foods locations will be outfitted with Amazon One’s palm payment system before too long, Amazon said Thursday.

“By the end of this year, all 500+ Whole Foods Market locations in the US will offer Amazon One for payment and Prime membership benefits,” Amazon said.

Amazon One is a palm-based identity service that lets you verify your identity and pay by holding your hand over a scanner at stores and venues. Amazon began rolling out the technology at Amazon Go stores in Seattle in 2020 and has expanded to include some Panera Bread locations and Denver’s Coors Field.

Amazon One uses biometrics to scan palms as a way to authenticate an individual’s identity, similar to how law enforcement departments collect and store fingerprints.

Amazon’s handling of biometric data has raised some concerns, though. In March, Amazon was sued over New York City’s biometric surveillance law. The lawsuit alleges Amazon Go stores in the area failed to post signage that warned customers of biometric surveillance.

In 2021, a group of US senators also sent Amazon CEO Andy Jassy a letter questioning Amazon’s data collection practices and how secure these practices are.

“Amazon One reportedly uploads biometric information to the cloud, raising unique security risks,” the letter reads. “Ensuring the security of user data and protecting consumer privacy are of the utmost concern.”

In response to concerns, Amazon has said that Amazon One “was designed in accordance with Amazon’s long-standing privacy policies and controls.” The company also writes that palm prints aren’t stored on the palm-reading devices and that palm data is kept secure by both technical and physical means.

People can sign up for Amazon One for free.

Netflix has added over 7.6 million paid memberships globally in the six months ended June 30, the streaming giant said Wednesday in its earnings report.

The additions came from 1.275 million new accounts in the US and Canada, just over 3 million in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, 767,000 in Latin America and 2.523 million in Asia-Pacific.

It comes after Netflix began racking up hundreds of thousands of new subscribers since it started charging people extra if they have other users on their account in the US. Netflix began testing password-sharing fees in Latin America last year, then brought the fees to Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain in February and the US, the UK and Australia in late May.

The password-sharing crackdown appears to have had a significant impact in the US and Canada. In the three months from January to March, Netflix only gained 102,000 new accounts. But between April and June — the extra charge was introduced in May — Netflix saw 1.173 million new accounts added.

Read more: Crackdown on Netflix Password Sharing: What It Means for You

Netflix on Wednesday also announced it’s ending the cheapest subscription for new signups, removing its basic ad-free option in the US and the UK unless you already have it. Netflix phased out the ad-free version in Canada last month.

The only options on the US Netflix site are now: Standard with Ads ($7), Standard ($15.50) and Premium ($20). It also now costs you an additional $8 in the US on top of your subscription fee to have someone not from your household using your account.

Other streaming services, like Max, Disney Plus, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video, don’t currently have an extra charge for password sharing.

For more on streaming, here are CNET’s tips on how to pay less for your streaming service, and here are our picks for the best streaming services of 2023 and the best live TV streaming services if you want to get rid of cable.

Samsung is likely revealing a new generation of foldable phones — presumably the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 — at next week’s Samsung Unpacked event on Wednesday, July 26. The event is going to be the first Unpacked event that Samsung will hold from Seoul, Korea, making for a very early launch event if you’re watching from the US.

While Samsung’s entering its fifth consecutive year in the foldable phone market, the devices it’s launching at this year’s Unpacked arrive among a good deal more competition. Google’s $1,800 Pixel Fold is the first Pixel device to adopt a similar style to the Galaxy Z Fold series, in which a traditionally scaled phone unfolds to reveal an inner tablet-sized screen. OnePlus is also rumored to have its own foldable phone on the way, which could further disrupt the space.

And after taking a few years off from the US market, Motorola’s new $1,000 Razr Plus is now eyeing Samsung’s Z Flip series, with the newest entry including a larger cover screen that can run most Android apps. We also know Motorola has a more affordable Razr model on the way with a smaller cover screen.

And it’s not only phones. Samsung’s summer Unpacked events often include an update to the Galaxy Watch series. While the Samsung Galaxy Watch now faces competition with Google’s Pixel Watch, on the software side Samsung and Google remain in a partnership towards the development of Wear OS. However Samsung often differentiates its watches by way of its own software enhancements, and it’s likely a new Galaxy Watch would provide a spotlight for any new Samsung Health updates.

CNET will be covering the next Samsung Unpacked event live as it happens, and here is how you can watch all of the reveals next week. This will include a live blog and a live watch party, which will cover the leadup to the next phone event and run through all of the new devices as they’re unveiled.

How to watch the next Samsung Unpacked event

Samsung’s next Unpacked event starts on Wednesday, July 26 at 7 a.m. ET, 4 a.m. PT and 12 p.m. in the UK. The early product launch time is because Samsung will be holding the event at 8 p.m. in Korea.

Samsung will be livestreaming the Unpacked announcements on Samsung.com and on Samsung’s YouTube channel.

CNET’s live blog will launch the day before Samsung Unpacked, and our live watch party will stream on CNET’s YouTube channel.

What are we expecting at Samsung’s Unpacked event?

Based on the Samsung Unpacked invitation, foldable phones are almost assuredly the focus of the next event.

Samsung is using the tagline “Join the flip side” to promote the July 26 eventwhile showing a phone that unfolds and flips around in its GIF graphic (watchful eyes may catch two silhouettes; possibly of both series of foldables). This is likely pointing to updates to the Galaxy Z Fold series and the Galaxy Z Flip series.

Samsung also traditionally debuts its latest Galaxy Watch alongside its foldable phones, and that could also come with announcements related to Samsung Health. Samsung has already teased that its upcoming One UI 5 Watch software will include a bigger focus on sleep and heart-rate tracking. Such features could point to the future of the next Galaxy Watch, even if the software updates will also be available to prior Galaxy Watch models.

What are rumors saying about Samsung’s Unpacked announcements?

The presumed Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 might receive minor redesigns to give each foldable phone better advantage of their shape.

An early Z Fold 5 rumor, reported late last year by Korean news outlet The Elec, pointed to the possibility of an S Pen slot that would harken back to the Galaxy Note series. If it does, this could enhance the positioning of the Z Fold 5 as a productivity device more akin to a mini computer. Samsung has already incorporated features like a mini trackpad into the Z Fold series, for use when the device is folded halfway to enable browsing as one would with a laptop.

Following the Pixel Fold’s ability to close completely, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 might also get a new hinge, which would allow for a less noticeable crease and a slimmer profile. That’s according to several Korean news outlets, including The Elec, ET News and leaker Ice Universe.

Meanwhile, rumors about the Z Flip 5 are primarily pointing toward a redesigned, larger cover screen. If true, this would allow the Z Flip 5 to be a lot more useful when closed — ideally using miniature versions of Android apps that fill its bigger screen. Several presumed renderings of the Z Flip 5, which include a SamMobile report from April as well as a more recent report by 9to5Google, purport to show a larger cover screen that can display a keyboard or widgets.

The rumored Galaxy Watch 6 could also have a number of changes to both its design and how it’s sold. According to a 9to5Google report, the Galaxy Watch 6 series could include a 47mm Watch 6 Classic model — which would be the largest Galaxy Watch so far. The Galaxy Watch 6 might also get a bigger battery, with Android Central reporting a possible 300-mAh and 425-mAh capacity for different models.

Leaker SnoopyTech is reporting that the Galaxy Watch 6 might also be sold as part of a “business model,” which could imply a number of possibilities. For instance, Google’s Fitbit Premium subscription unlocks additional features and statistics that aren’t available without being a subscriber. Amazon tried a similar subscription with its Halo wearables, which are now defunct.

Samsung might also show off a new iteration of the Galaxy Buds headphones, or additional features that would arrive to its other Galaxy phones. We’ll find out soon, when Samsung’s Unpacked event arrives on July 26.

On Thursday, Netflix added a new mobile game to its expanding games library with the release of Too Hot to Handle 2. This game is available for free and without ads or paywalls with a Netflix subscription (starting at $7, 7 or AU$7 a month) on Android and iOS devices.

This story-driven game is based on the popular Netflix dating game show, Too Hot to Handle, and Netflix released the game about a week after the premiere of the fifth season of the series. It released an earlier version of the game — Too Hot to Handle: Love Is a Game — back in December.

If you’re unfamiliar with the show, the contestants win a cash grand prize of $100,000 if they can go a month without having a physical relationship with anyone in the house. Instead, the contestants are encouraged to foster more meaningful connections with each other in other ways, and each time someone breaks the rules the cash prize goes down.

This sequel to the original mobile game follows the same formula laid out by the show, but there are more ways to customize your character and the kind of person your character is compatible with.

You can give your character beauty marks and medical prosthetics, and you can make the person of your dreams someone who likes to go to the gym regularly or someone who enjoys a quiet night in with their favorite book. You can even pick the astrological sign of the person of your dreams. So if you’re a Pisces, maybe you’d work best with a down to earth Taurus or an ambitious Capricorn?

Fans of the show will also recognize Chloe Veitch, one of the stars of the first season of Too Hot to Handle. She hosts workshops and is your personal love guru in the game.

You can access this game and others with any of Netflix’s subscriptions, which start at $7 a month. To access Netflix games, open the Netflix app on your Android or iOS device, scroll down the homepage until you see the Mobile Games carousel, and tap into the game you want to play.

Even though the M1 MacBook Air is now a few years old, it’s still one of our overall favorite laptops on the market thanks to its premium lightweight design, solid battery life and smooth performance. With a $999 starting price, it’s already relatively affordable for a Mac, and right now, you can snag one for even less. Amazon once again has this model on sale for just $750, which saves you $249 and matches the all-time low price we saw during Prime Day. There’s no telling how long this holdover deal will last though, so we’d recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

Despite being a few years old, this M1 MacBook Air still features some powerful hardware and impressive specs. It’s equipped with an advanced M1 processor, and the basic configuration comes with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB solid-state drive. The screen is a stunning 13.3-inch Retina display, which is coupled with a seven-core GPU. Plus, it features Wi-Fi 6 support (for compatible routers) for lightning-fast web performance. And it’s perfect for taking on the go, thanks to its slim, lightweight design and impressive 18-hour battery life. Other features include a backlit keyboard, touch ID fingerprint scanner, built-in HD webcam and two USB-C ports.

This deal has also been price-matched at Best Buy, where you’ll also score some free bonuses, including four free months of Apple Music, and three free months of Apple TV Plus and iCloud Plus if you’re a new or returning subscriber.

1Password has begun testing a way to access the app without its namesake password, adding an option to use newer passkey technology instead. The change, which uses a quick biometric check to unlock and use your password vault, could help improve the widely used password manager’s security.

The software’s primary job is to create, store, sync and autofill passwords for all the apps and websites you use. Until now, its password storage vaults have been protected by its own password (in combination with a secret key the first time you used 1Password on a new device). But now 1Password developer AgileBits has begun a private test that’ll let participants unlock their password vaults with a passkey instead.

The test works on iPhones, Macs and web browsers, but it’s a private beta and testers will have to set up a new account to try it. Android, Windows and Linux support will come later, as well as the ability to upgrade an existing account, the company said. 1Password aims to release the technology to everyone by the end of 2023.

Passkey unlock for 1Password is designed to be easier to use than passwords. By default, 1Password’s phone apps require you to retype your password every two weeks. But with a lower-hassle passkey authentication, you might be more inclined to keep your vaults locked, reducing risks from stolen devices.

“Unlocking 1Password with a passkey offers the best of both worlds: best-in-class security paired with maximum convenience,” AgileBits said in a blog post.

Passkeys are a newer authentication technology designed to leave behind the shortcomings of password-based login. They are the top example of products developed for the “passwordless” era that tech companies are trying to gradually move us toward.

Interested in trying it out? “We recommend that folks sign up for our passwordless newsletter so they can be notified if and when seats in this private beta become available,” the company said. If you’re not a 1Password customer, you can also use passkeys on Android, iOS and web browsers with Apple and Google software that doesn’t use 1Password at all.

How passkeys work

Apple, Google and Microsoft helped develop passkeys to be as easy to use as passwords but much more secure. To use a passkey, you typically perform a face or fingerprint biometric authentication step on a device that stores the passkey. If your biometrics don’t work, you can use the fall back to the device unlock procedure and type in your device’s passcode.

The combination of device possession and biometric check counts as strong two-factor authentication that’s more secure than a password alone or weaker two-factor authentication measures like login codes sent by text message.

In June, 1Password began testing the ability to store passkeys in its software and to sync passkeys across devices.

Password problems are abundant. Because they’re hard to remember, we tend to reuse them on lots of websites and services, multiplying the ability of a hacker who obtains a password. Password managers make it easier to create strong, unique passwords, but they can be complicated to use.

Passkeys aren’t without complications, though. For now, Apple can sync passkeys across Apple devices and its Safari browser, but Google syncs them across its own products. 1Password and another password manager adding passkey support, Dashlane, add extra management responsibilities.

You can set up separate passkeys to sign into the same site, though — for example logging into Gmail with your Android phone and with Safari on your Mac. Passkey proponents are working on passkey import and export tools to ease such hassles.

Passkeys use technology called public key cryptography that’s also used to secure countless online connections. Passkeys only work with the website or app they were set up with, blocking the use of fake websites to fool you into sharing your login credentials.

Google has enabled passkey login for its online services like Gmail, WorkSpace and YouTube, and its tests show passkey authentication is twice as fast as password login.

Apple, too, has embraced passkeys for signing onto iCloud and other Apple ID-based accounts with the upcoming iOS 17 and MacOS Sonoma.

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is finally here. This year, Australia and New Zealand will co-host the tournament, with both nations’ teams kicking off the festivities with matches on opening day.

The New Zealand squad is set to face Norway at 3 a.m. ET (12 a.m. PT) on Fox in the first game of tournament. Despite being a co-host, New Zealand are yet to win a game at a Women’s World Cup. They’ll have three chances to make history, as they’ll also take on the Philippines and Switzerland in Group A.

Superstar Sam Kerr and Australia are looking to make some noise at this World Cup and will begin their quest for a championship in Group B against Ireland on Thursday morning at 6 a.m. ET (3 a.m. PT) on Fox.

Another Group B matchup between Canada and Nigeria at 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT) on Fox will close out the opening day of the Women’s World Cup. Team Canada are the reigning Olympic champions and are hoping to win another title for their country.

Meanwhile, Team USA will begin play in Group E against Vietnam on Friday at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT) on Fox. Led by Sophia Smith, Alex Morgan and the retiring Megan Rapinoe, Team USA is looking for its third consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup title. But 2023 might be their toughest test yet, as Germany, France and Spain have dangerous squads that could threaten to topple the defending champs.

What channels do I need to watch the World Cup live?

Fox holds the English-language rights to World Cup games in the US, while NBC-owned Telemundo offers all the games in Spanish. Games in English will air on Fox and FS1, while games in Spanish will be on Telemundo and NBC’s Peacock Premium streaming platform.

What’s the schedule for the World Cup?

This year, the tournament has expanded from 24 to 32 teams, which have been drawn into eight groups of four teams. Group winners and runners-up move on to the round of 16 knockout phase, which begins on Aug. 5. The quarterfinals begin on Aug. 10, with the semifinals starting on Aug. 15. The losers of the semifinal games will play in a single game for third place on Aug. 19. The World Cup final will conclude the tournament on Sunday, Aug. 20.

Here’s the schedule for the first week of group play (all times ET):

Thursday, July 20:

• Group A: New Zealand vs. Norway (3 a.m. on Fox)
• Group B: Australia vs. Ireland (6 a.m. on Fox)
• Group B: Nigeria vs. Canada (10:30 p.m. on Fox)

Friday, July 21:

• Group A: Philippines vs. Switzerland (1 a.m. on FS1)
• Group C: Spain vs. Costa Rica (3:30 a.m. on FS1)
• Group E: USA vs. Vietnam (9 p.m. on Fox)

Saturday, July 22

• Group C: Zambia vs. Japan (3 a.m. on FS1)
• Group D: England vs. Haiti (5:30 a.m. on Fox)
• Group D: Denmark vs. China (8 a.m. on Fox)

Sunday, July 23

• Group G: Sweden vs. South Africa (1 a.m. on FS1)
• Group E: Netherlands vs. Portugal (3:30 a.m. on FS1)
• Group F: France vs. Jamaica (6 a.m. on Fox)

Monday, July 24

• Group G: Italy vs. Argentina (2 a.m. on FS1)
• Group H: Germany vs. Morocco (4:30 a.m. on FS1)
• Group F: Brazil vs. Panama (7 a.m. on FS1)
• Group H: Colombia vs. South Korea (10 p.m. on FS1)

Tuesday, July 25

• Group A: New Zealand vs. Philippines (1:30 a.m. on FS1)
• Group A: Switzerland vs. Norway (4 a.m. on FS1)

Wednesday, July 26

• Group C: Japan vs. Costa Rica (1 a.m. on FS1)
• Group C: Spain vs. Zambia (3:30 a.m. on FS1)
• Group B: Canada vs. Ireland (8 a.m. on FS1)
• Group E: USA vs. Netherlands (9 p.m. on Fox)

Thursday, July 27

• Group E: Portugal vs. Vietnam (3:30 a.m. on FS1)
• Group B: Australia vs. Nigeria (6 a.m. on FS1)
• Group G: Argentina vs. South Africa (8 p.m. on FS1)

Click here for the full World Cup schedule.

When does Team USA play?

Team USA is in Group E, along with Vietnam, Portugal and the Netherlands. Each team plays one game against every member of the group. The team with the most points at the end of group play, along with the runner-up, moves on to the round of 16. Here’s Team USA’s schedule:

• Friday, July 21: USA vs. Vietnam, 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT) on Fox
• Wednesday, July 26: USA vs. Netherlands, 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT) on Fox
• Tuesday, Aug. 1: USA vs. Portugal, 3 a.m. ET (12 a.m. PT) on Fox

Can I watch live World Cup matches for free in the USA?

Not really. Many of the live TV streaming services, listed below, allow free trials that would allow you to watch games for free before having to pay for a subscription.

Peacock Premium is the cheapest way to stream all the games live, though the broadcasts are in Spanish as part of NBC’s Spanish-language coverage.

However, you will be able to watch full-length replays of the games in English minutes after they end on the free ad-supported streaming channel Tubi TV. You’ll have to sign up for an account on the service in order to get the games, but you won’t need a credit card or subscription.

How to watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view the tournament locally, you may need a different way to watch matches — 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. 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 Australia, 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.

Watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 for free in the UK

Viewers in the US might not be able to watch the Women’s World Cup for free, but those in the UK can. Football fans in the UK are among the luckiest in the world, as all matches of the FIFA Women’s World Cup being shown live on free-to-air channels, with the BBC and ITV sharing broadcast duties. This therefore means all games will be available to stream for free on either on BBC iPlayer or ITVX.

Stream the Women’s World Cup 2023 in Australia for free

Stream the Women’s World Cup 2023 in New Zealand for free

Live coverage for the co-host nation is with free-to-air channel Prime.

Quick tips for streaming the 2023 Women’s World Cup using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming the Women’s World Cup action live 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.

How can I stream live World Cup games in the USA without cable?

A few of the major live TV streaming services carry all of the channels you need to watch every game of the World Cup, but not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries Fox in your area.

Unlike cable, live TV streaming services allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live-TV streaming services guide.

On my home desk is an iPhone 14 Pro running iOS 17 on a MagSafe charger. The screen shows a giant clock that every so often fades into an alert for a new message from my friend. I can swipe up and down to change the style of the clock between one that looks chic to one that’s more artistic and another that’s straight out of the ’80s. Apple calls this screen StandBy, and I adore it. StandBy is different from using your phone’s always-on display. It transforms the iPhone into a bedside clock or a smart display showing photos and widgets. Its versatility is compelling because it feels contemporary and looks more like a miniature iPad than my iPhone.

The new feature is one of many additions coming in iOS 17 that Apple announced last month and just publicly launched in beta. Though iOS 17 was largely overshadowed by Apple’s Vision Pro headset announcement, there are many new features worth your time and attention in this upcoming iPhone update. The software is in beta and you shouldn’t install it onto your primary iPhone as you may experience the occasional bug or glitch.

For me, nearly everything in iOS 17 falls into one of four categories that I made up: delightful features, intuitive improvements, personal additions and helpful tools. Those sound like Jeopardy categories, but they all add up to an iOS that’s a major quality of life improvement.

Like the last few years of Apple software updates, iOS 17 doesn’t alter your iPhone in major ways and instead adds a bunch of customizations and features you can choose to use or just plain ignore. There are still features I’d like to see Apple add, like an onscreen volume button for the iPhone’s virtual Apple TV remote. The final version of iOS 17 will be out this fall, likely when the rumored iPhone 15 is announced. For a more comprehensive deep dive into everything that’s new in iOS 17, check out my previous story here.

iOS 17 delightful features

The iPhone has a number of features, apps and utilities that are just plain fun to use. And iOS 17 adds even more to what’s already available.

With iOS 17, your iPhone has a home screen, a lock screen, an always on display (if you have a 14 Pro) and that new StandBy screen. When I turn my iPhone on its side while charging, the StandBy screen automatically pops up in lieu of the always-on display. It’s basically a giant clock that can also show photos, a calendar, widgets and notifications. It’s perfect for a nightstand, desk or kitchen counter.

I’ve been using the Belkin Boost Charge Pro 2-in-1 stand, but any physical stand that charges via MagSafe should work.

I like how everything flows in StandBy mode. If I receive a notification while the clock is on screen, my phone displays a simple animation that transitions between the two. If I want to change up the StandBy screen, I can swipe up to select a different style or layout. It can display my photos and live activities, too. When it’s dark (like when you’re sleeping) the StandBy screen turns red, reminiscent of a red light in a darkroom for developing photos.

Another delightful feature is Stickers in Messages. Though message stickers aren’t new, iOS 17 brings many more of them, including emoji stickers. These are useful when you want to be more specific with your expression rather than just responding to a message with a Tapback thumbs up, thumbs down, heart, laugh, question mark or exclamation points.

iMessage apps are no longer located above the keyboard. Instead, they now have their own dedicated menu, which is where you’ll find the Stickers section. Tap the plus sign button on the bottom left of the Messages app to pull it up, and then select Stickers. A Stickers tray pops up with tabs for all your existing iMessage stickers, another tab for emoji stickers and, my favorite, one for customized stickers. And it’s the customized stickers that are truly amazing.

To make a new one, I tapped the Stickers drawer’s plus sign, selected a photo and tapped the Add Sticker button. The subject of my photo was then lifted out of the picture and transformed into a sticker, while the original photo remained unchanged. From there, I could add an effect right away or edit the sticker later. And it’s now saved in my Stickers’ drawer for future use.

You can use a live photo to make an animated sticker, which might now be the best part of Stickers. This is addictive, and I foresee a future where there are hundreds, thousands, millions(?) of customized animated stickers being sent between iPhones. I exaggerate, but you’ll see once you try it. I have definitely bombarded most of my friends with a bunch of these already.

iOS 17 intuitive improvements

In iOS 17, Apple improved a number of existing features and added a number of new tools that make using your iPhone more intuitive and easier. One of these is the ability to swipe to reply in the Messages app. Inline replies are nothing new, and they definitely help keep group threads from turning into a mess. But being able to swipe to respond to a specific message in iOS 17 is something I can’t believe we haven’t had before. It seems quite obvious.

Then there are home screen widgets, which have been available on the iPhone since 2020. Up to now, widgets have mainly been useful for showing glanceable information or serving as app shortcuts. With iOS 17, widgets become interactive. I can start or pause a podcast straight from the widget, and the same goes for music. Right now in the beta, most of the interactive widgets are Apple’s own apps, so I’m excited to see how non-Apple apps take advantage of the function. Here are the apps that have an interactive widget element so far:

• Apple Music.
• Apple Podcasts.
• Safari.
• Home.
• Contacts.
• Books.
• Apple News.

iOS 17 personal additions

Apple added a number of new tools and utilities on iOS 17 that make your iPhone more of a reflection of your style. One of these is contact posters, which basically turn your mundane contact card into a mini movie poster. You can select from a few different templates, like ones that show your initials, a Memoji or a photo of your choosing. This reminds me a lot of the lock screen customizations we got in iOS 16. Your contact card can have a contact poster and a contact photo. And you can share your contact poster using Name Drop, which is a cross between AirDrop and Apple Pay (sans the credit cards). I can hover my iPhone over someone else’s (similar to how you trigger Apple Pay at a contactless payment terminal) and share my contact poster.

I can select the specific phone number or email address I want to share when Name Drop is triggered, which can be helpful if I’m sharing my contact details with a professional colleague and don’t want to hand over my personal email address. And there’s an option to just receive someone else’s contact information, and not share your own.

There’s also another personal addition, aimed at people with pets. The Photos app can now identify and find pet photos better. If I type the word “cat” into the Photos search field, it pulls up all the photos of cats on my phone. Locating pet photos isn’t exactly new, but apparently it works better in IOS 17. For the record, I had 562 cat photos on my phone, which sounds like a lot, but I would’ve thought there were more.

Also, when you pull up a photo of a cat, there’s a new Visual Lookup icon with a tiny cat silhouette on it. There’s a similar icon for dog photos, too. The new icon doesn’t add any functionality but it’s just a nice touch.

There’s now a Photos widget for albums. Once you add the widget to your home screen, you can edit it to show photos from a specific album. Like the swipe to reply in Messages, why hasn’t this been on my iPhone before now?

iOS 17 helpful tools

Over 16 years, the iPhone has evolved from being three revolutionary devices in one, as defined by Steve Jobs, into an essential part of our daily lives that serves dozens of different roles, like showing you the weather, letting you hail a ride or letting you pay for a meal. iOS 17 adds even more useful tools, and one of the most conspicuous is live voicemail transcription; basically a modern day equivalent of screening phone calls using an answering machine in the ’80s, ’90s and early-2000s.

As someone who reviews both iPhones and Android, it reminds me of the Call Screen feature on Google Pixel phones. Essentially, when someone calls and starts to leave you a message, you’ll see a live transcription of the voicemail as the person speaks. You can pick up the call to talk to them at any time. I don’t get a ton of phone calls from people I don’t know, but this can go a long way toward minimizing the anxiety that rises when I get a call from an unfamiliar number.

Messages gets a new arrow button that lets you instantly jump to the first unread messages in a conversation. It’s great for long threads where you need to catch up fast. Just tap the arrow to go to the first unread message.

And then there’s Check In, which lets a friend know automatically when you’ve arrived at a destination safely. It’s location sharing taken to another level, and I found it easy to use. In my tests, I found it straightforward, especially since it’s right there in that new Messages pop-up menu.

iOS 17 arrives in full this fall

iOS 17 still has a month or two of testing and tweaks before it’s fully ready for prime time, but I’m impressed with it so far. Like previous iOS releases, there are far more features, tools and improvements that are still waiting to be discovered. But if you have an old iPhone lying around (iOS 17 works with the iPhone XR and newer), or don’t mind dealing with a few glitches here and there, it’s worth downloading the public beta. iOS 17 pushes your iPhone experience forward not by being a radical reimagining of phone software, but rather by refining and expanding on a number of features we already enjoy.

US regulators have launched a nationwide crackdown on companies inundating US consumers with billions of unwanted and illegal telemarketing robocalls.

The action, known as Operation Stop Scam Calls, was announced Tuesday by the Federal Trade Commission and involves more than 100 federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country, as well as the attorneys general of all 50 states and Washington, DC.

In addition to telemarketers, the action will target so-calledconsent farms that provide your personal information to robocallerswhile falsely saying consumers agreed to receive the calls. Thecrackdown also targets Voice over Internet Protocol providers thatfacilitate illegal robocalls, which often originate outside the US.

“We are taking action against those who trick people into phony consent to receive these calls and those who make it easy and cheap to place these calls,” Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement announcing the crackdown.

The FTC received more than 1.8 million complaints about robocalls in 2022, down from 3.4 million the previous year. More than 2.5 million people signed up last year to the Do Not Call Registry, which allows consumers to register their numbers with the FTC to let telemarketers know they are not to be called with solicitations. As of November, the registry contained more than 246 million phone numbers.

See Also: How to Stop Those Annoying Spam Calls You Get Every Day

The FTC said it’s brought 167 cases against illegal robocallers and violators of the Do Not Call Registry, with defendants being ordered to pay more than $2 billion.

One such target of the FTC is Fluent, a New York-based media company that allegedly operated a consent farm that lured consumers to its websites with the promise of job interviews and $1,000 Walmart gift cards. Instead of providing the promised job opportunity or reward, the websites tricked consumers out of their personal information and “consent” to receive robocalls, which they then sold to third-party marketers, the FTC said.

Fluent used these tactics to obtain and sell more than 620 million telemarketing leads between January 2018 to December 2019, the FTC said. Fluent faces a $2.5 million fine and ban on robocall activity under a proposed settlement.

Fluent didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

For tips on keeping robocalls to a minimum, check out how to block unknown callers on iPhone and how to set up Google’s call screen feature.

If you’ve been waiting for a sale to pull the trigger on a new high-end TV, your wait could be over. The LG C2 OLED TV, which is my current pick for the best high-end TV for the money, just dropped in price for Amazon’s Prime Day sale to levels that either match or come close to its all-time lows.

I review TVs for CNET and in my side-by-side comparisons the C2 was superb, outperforming any non-OLED model and holding its own against other OLED TVs that cost a lot more. It also has just about every important feature I recommend in a high-end TV, including state-of-the-art gaming extras, along with sleek style and all the connections you need. It’s a 2022 model, but it performed just as well as the 2023 C3, which costs hundreds more.

The links above lead to Amazon, but the C2 is available at similar pricing from other retailers, including Best Buy. Every size in the C2 series is discounted now with the exception of the 77-inch model, which remains at its standard price of around $2,800.

I can’t predict the future but if I had to guess, these will likely be the lowest price available on a TV this good until the Black Friday season, which hits in mid-November.

Editor’s note, July 13: The 42-, 48- and 65-inch models previously featured on this page are now out of stock, though the two remaining sale models are still available.