Category: Technologies

Last year, Google warned users that it would stop supporting the Dropcam, Dropcam Pro and Nest Secure security devices on April 8, 2024. The date is next Monday, meaning people who still have these devices must figure out their next steps as device support is ending soon.

Once the date hits, a few things are going to happen. The affected devices will no longer record video. Users will have access to their prior video histories for the remainder of their subscriptions, which The Verge says can range from five to 30 days. Once the subscription end date passes, video history will become inaccessible, so if you want to save anything, you should do so as soon as possible.

Dropcam user instructions

For Dropcam owners, Google has two different offers. The first is a 50% discount toward the purchase of an indoor wired Nest Cam for people who aren’t subscribed to Nest Aware. Those who are subscribed to Nest Aware can get the Nest Cam for free. Google should have already emailed the promotion to users, but if you didn’t receive one, you may want to contact Google support.

The Nest Cam is Google’s least expensive camera, but it doesn’t lack in features. In our review, we called it a great little camera. Users who end up with one can get three hours of cloud storage for free along with smart alerts that detect people, pets and objects that are moving around the room. It should serve as a solid upgrade to the outgoing Dropcam.

Nest Secure user instructions

Nest Secure users also have two options when it comes to migration. The first is a free Self Setup System from ADT where you can transition into ADT’s service to keep using your device. Google will handle the bill, provided that the system costs less than $485, according to PCMag. Alternatively, Google is offering a $200 voucher that can be used on the Google Store to purchase newer Nest products to replace the Nest Secure.

Nest Secure users with Nest x Yale Locks have a few additional steps to perform. Once April 8 comes and goes, the Nest Guard keypad won’t be able to connect your lock to Wi-Fi anymore. To avoid being locked out, you’ll need to procure a Nest Connect if you don’t already have one. Google is giving people a free Nest Connect if they own a Nest Secure. Most people should’ve received their emails for it by now but if not, you may want to check your deleted and spam folders and then get in touch with Google support.

The final thing affected users will want to do is cancel their Nest Aware subscription if they no longer need it. To do so, head to home.nest.com or use the Google Home app. Google will not cancel your subscription automatically if you no longer own products that can use Nest Aware, so you’ll need to do that yourself if you no longer need it.

Why is Google ending support for Dropcam and Nest Secure?

In 2023, Google unified its smart home ecosystem under the Google Home and Google Assistant Umbrella. Google determined that the Nest Secure and the two Dropcam devices were too old to integrate properly with the new system and have thus ceased support. The rest of the Google Nest hardware family is still supported for the time being.

Google began its migration last year when the company asked Nest users to migrate their accounts from Nest to Google Home. Around that same time, Google released a script editor so that Nest users could continue using home automation. Nest account holders were also encouraged to migrate their Nest accounts to a Google account so that they wouldn’t lose functionality when the company shut down Works with Nest.

Since then, Google has migrated the rest of its Nest lineup to the Google Home app where they can be managed as they were in the Nest app. Anyone who still hasn’t migrated their Nest accounts yet is encouraged by Google to do so before support ends so they can continue using their tech after April 8.

Discord, the voice and video chat service for gamers that’s more recently expanded its scope, is joining the long list of free services that use ads to support their platform. The change is an about-face for a company that’s long held an anti-advertising view.

Ads should start showing up on Discord within the week, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The ad slots will be offered to game developers as a way for them to get Discord users and their friends to play their games, earning the developers money from sales, in-app purchases and in-game ads.

Instead of standard ads, however, the Discord advertisements will appear in the form of “sponsored quests,” Discord Senior Vice President Peter Sellis said in a blog post last month. When someone streams over Discord and they’re playing a game with a sponsored quest, they’ll have the opportunity to perform the quest while others watch. Viewers can then hop into the game and also complete the quest for rewards.

Discord reportedly said it’ll target ads based on a user’s gameplay, age and geographic location, but you can turn off your personalization in the app’s settings.

Here’s what we know so far about sponsored quests.

Sponsored quests aren’t new

Sponsored quests are something Discord has tried before. The chat service collaborated with Epic Games and Lucasfilm Games for a sponsored quest in May 2023. Players could share Fortnite gameplay with their friends in a Discord stream, complete the quests, and earn Star Wars-inspired skins that were exclusive to the event. It’s likely the new sponsored quests will work in a similar way.

Currently, you can disable quests in the app’s privacy settings. However, that setting may be altered or removed when sponsored quests officially launch.

In addition to adding advertising, Discord will also ramp up its efforts to sell things such as sponsored profile flair in its shop. This initiative began last week with the release of the Valorant collection, which includes avatar decorations and profile effects inspired by the game. Such sponsored collections will join the profile flair already available in the shop.

The move to advertising comes amid a push to generate more revenue for the chat service. Discord laid off 17% of its workforce back in January. The company has attracted plenty of investors, but it’s never posted a profit, despite large revenue gains over the last few years and hundreds of millions of registered users.

During an interview with Bloomberg, Discord CEO James Citron said Discord hopes “every game will offer quests on Discord.” He also told Bloomberg that Discord will likely file for an initial public offering at some point and become a publicly traded company.

For now, Discord likely hopes that sponsored quests and collections in its shop fare better than the company’s game store, which lasted two years before it was axed in 2021.

How will sponsored quests work?

Developers who pay for a sponsored quest from Discord are hoping to encourage a game-playing user’s friends who are watching the stream to also play their game. A sponsored quest will pop up, a game-playing user will be able to engage in the quest through Discord’s interface, and once they complete the quest, other users in the stream will have the opportunity to tackle the challenge. After they finish a quest, users will be able to claim rewards to redeem in-game.

What will sponsored quests look like?

Once you start streaming a game that has a sponsored quest, while friends are watching, you’ll receive a prompt to engage in the quest. Once you’re done, another pop-up will appear to let you know the quest is complete and that the rewards are available to redeem. People watching the stream may also get pop-ups inviting them to perform the quest once the streamer finishes. The exact graphics will be available after sponsored quests launch.

Can I turn off sponsored quests?

Yes, for now. Open Discord and navigate to the Privacy & Safety section of the Settings. There, you should see a selection for In-game rewards (aka Quests). Turn off that setting.

But know that this setting is likely to change when sponsored quests go live.

“Users can opt out of personalized promotions for quests based on activity or data shared with Discord,” a representative for Discord said in an email. “Users may still see quests, however, if they navigate to their gift inventory and/or through contextual entry points, like a user’s friends’ activity. They’ll also have the option to hide an in-app promotion for a specific quest or game they’re not interested in.”

When will Discord launch sponsored quests?

Discord didn’t give an exact release date, but it did tell The Wall Street Journal that it would be sometime during the first week of April.

Will I see advertising if I don’t stream?

We won’t know until the update fully launches. However, it appears that the majority of the advertising will be shown only to people who use Discord’s streaming feature. But if you don’t stream, you may still see pop-ups, as Discord does advertise events through its notifications.

OnePlus is jumping on the AI bandwagon. The Android phone-maker on Wednesday announced AI Eraser, a new tool for erasing unwanted objects in photos. The launch comes after Google and Samsung have introduced similar AI-powered editing tools for their respective Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices.

AI Eraser can remove objects from photos and generate a replacement background to blend in with the rest of the image. It’ll be available on the OnePlus 12, OnePlus 12R, OnePlus 11, OnePlus Open and OnePlus Nord CE 4 starting this month. The company says it uses its own proprietary model to power AI Eraser and plans to introduce more AI features later this year.

Read more: The iPhone May Get a Big Dose of AI This Year

Until now, OnePlus was one of the only smartphone-makers not pushing generative AI as a main selling point — a stance that my colleague Andrew Lanxon called “refreshing” in his OnePlus 12 review. The company’s biggest competitors, namely Samsung and Google, have been going all-in on generative AI and other AI-fueled tools.

Samsung, for example, introduced a suite of features on the Galaxy S24 series called Galaxy AI, which it recently began rolling out to select other Galaxy devices. Among those features is Generative Edit, a tool that similarly uses AI to delete or move objects in a photo and refill the leftover space. Before that, Google introduced Magic Editor on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, which is also designed for removing, relocating or resizing elements in a photo. Google’s Magic Eraser tool was introduced years ago on the Pixel 6, but has been made available as a cloud-based tool for Google One subscribers.

OnePlus’ announcement is yet another sign that generative AI is poised to play a larger role in upcoming smartphones. Apple is expected to announce new AI-based features as part of its next major iPhone update, presumably called iOS 18, according to Bloomberg. Market research firm IDC also expects we’ll see a surge in phones equipped to handle AI computing. It predicts that 170 million so-called “next-gen AI” smartphones will be shipped in 2024, compared to 51 million in 2023.

Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.

I was hoping that Apple-owned Beats would upgrade its Fit Pro earbuds this year. That could still happen, but if the latest report by Mac-enthusiast site 9to5Mac proves accurate, the next Beats headphones to drop will be the Solo4, the successor to one of the most popular headphones of all time, the Beats Solo 3.

According to 9to5Mac, the Solo4 are expected to retail for $200 and are pegged for a May 2 release date. They appear to be an on-ear version of Beats’ over-ear Studio Pro headphones that list for $350 but sometimes sell for as little as $200. Like the Studio Pro, I expect that the Solo4 will be geared towards both Apple and Android users and feature spatial audio (with head tracking) but will be powered by a custom Beats chip, not Apple’s H1 or H2 chips. Their redesigned case appears to be very similar to the case for the Studio Pro.

Read more: Beats Releases Beats X Alo Special Edition Fit Pro Earbuds

Like the Studio Pro, the Solo4 will also feature USB-C charging and both a 3.5mm port and a USB-C audio option for wired listening. Aside from a smaller form factor, the one big difference between the Solo4 and Studio Pro is that the Solo4 may be missing active noise canceling. The Solo3 didn’t have it; only the now-discontinued Solo Pro did.

9to5Mac says the Solo4 will weigh 217 grams, have upgraded 40mm drivers that deliver improved sound, and offer up to 50 hours of battery life — or 10 hours more than the Solo3’s.

In the past, Beats has faced leaks as images of its future products have appeared in beta iOS versions in advance of their official release. In this case, an image of the next-generation Solo, which looks very similar to the Solo3, turned up in an iOS 17.4 beta in February, and an FCC filing for the new headphones was spotted recently.

It’s unclear who gave 9to5Mac all the aforementioned specs for the Solo4, but it cited a “trusted” source. Based on my reporting experience, that could be an insider at a retailer, though I can’t confirm that.

Apple typically doesn’t respond to rumors, but CNET has reached out to Apple for comment, and we’ll update this post should we get a reply.

Read more: Best On-Ear Headphones of 2024

The Apple Watch has long been considered to be one of the best smartwatches you’re likely to find and it’s available in a few different sizes and configurations to suit different needs and budgets. But even the cheapest Apple Watch isn’t cheap and that’s why finding a great deal is vital. Right now Woot is the place to be if you want to bag an Apple Watch at a great price with the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Series 7, and Apple Watch SE all represented.

Those looking to get the cheapest Apple Watch possible need to look no further than the Apple Watch SE. Although this is the first-gen model, its discounted price of just $168 is hard to beat. That’s the 40mm model although the larger 44mm one is also available while multiple colorways are also offered.

The most modern model included in this sale is the Apple Watch Series 8. This watch comes in the 45mm size and includes cellular connectivity for just $290, but it’s worth noting that this is from excess carrier inventory. That means it’s going to come in a brown box with an OEM charger and watch band. If that isn’t an issue, this could well be the model to go for.

Looking to bag some cheap accessories? Multiple watch band and charger bundles are available from just $25. Still not sure that these deals are for you? Be sure to check out our collection of the best Apple Watch deals, we’re sure there will be something in there for everyone.

Deals on Nintendo are pretty rare, so we’re quick to shout them out. Woot has marked down the excellent Nintendo Switch OLED for a limited time, offering one of our favorite handheld consoles at a $30 discount. The white model is available at the reduced price of $320 right now at Woot. But this offer will only be available until April 10, or while supplies last.

Unlike many Woot deals, the Switch OLED models on sale right now are offered brand-new, so you don’t have to settle for a preowned or refurbished device. The devices will ship in the regular Nintendo retail packaging with all the accessories you’d expect a brand-new unit to come with. You’ll also get a year of Nintendo warranty coverage in case of any issues.

The Nintendo Switch OLED is the best Switch console on the market right now. It has a larger screen than both the original Switch and Lite models, with a 7-inch OLED display offering more vivid colors and greater contrast. The device also has a redesigned kickstand and TV dock, along with 64GB of internal storage. Whether you’re investing in a Nintendo Switch for the first time, want to upgrade your current device or are buying a console as a gift, this deal makes it much more affordable — while supplies last.

Title-chasing Arsenal will be hoping not to slip on a potential banana skin as they take on relegation-threatened Luton at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

The Hatters provided Mikel Arteta’s side with a scare in the entertaining reverse fixture at Kenilworth Road back in December, with the Gunners having to come from behind to snatch a late 3-4 victory.

Arsenal look set to start with Gabriel Martinelli in favour of Gabriel Jesus, while long-term absentee Jurrien Timber is in line to make an appearance on the home side’s bench.

The visitors could meanwhile be without as many as 13 first team players for this match according to boss Rob Edwards, with key men Tahith Chong, Alfie Doughty and Reece Burke all doubtful after picking up knocks in their defeat to Tottenham at the weekend.

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

Arsenal vs. Luton Town: When and where?

Arsenal host Luton Townat the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, April 3. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. BST local time, which is 2:30 p.m. ET or 11:30 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 5:30 a.m. AEDT in Australia on Thursday morning.

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

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

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

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

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

Livestream Arsenal vs. Luton in the US

Wednesday’s Arsenal-Luton Townmatch is streaming on USA Network, which you can access as part of your cable package or at the NBC Sports website with a valid login, and can be streamed via Sling TV and other more expensive streaming TV services.

Livestream the Arsenal vs. Luton Towngame in the UK

Premier League rights in the UK are split between Sky Sports, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports (previously known as BT Sport). The Arsenal vs. Luton game is exclusive to TNT Sports — showing on its TNT Sports 2, and TNT Sports 2 HD channels.

Livestream the Arsenal vs. Luton Towngame in Canada

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

Livestream the Arsenal vs. Luton Towngame in Australia

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

Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN

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

Apple released iOS 17.4 in March, and the update introduced some useful new features to your iPhone, like Podcast transcripts and Apple Cash virtual card numbers. But when Apple released iOS 17 in September, the tech giant introduced a new feature that could help you take better care of your eyes, called Screen Distance.

The feature warns you when you’re holding your iPhone or iPad too close to your face, sort of like having a parent tell you to sit farther back from the television or computer screen. Although having a screen near your face might not harm your eyes, it could stress and irritate them, according to health care organization Cedars-Sinai. Thankfully, this new iOS 17 feature aims to help you reduce eyestrain, and according to Apple, it could even lower the risk of myopia, or nearsightedness.

Here’s how to turn Screen Distance on and give your eyes a break.

Read more: Screen Time Matters When It Comes to Your Eye Health

Turn on Screen Distance

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Screen Time.
3. Tap Screen Distance.

Then you’ll see two screens explaining what Screen Distance is and how it works. Tap Continue on both screens, and Screen Distance automatically turns on after these screens. Both screens appear only the first time you go into Screen Distance.

Now, after holding your iPhone too close to your face for a few minutes, your screen gets blocked by a message reading, “iPhone May Be Too Close.”

Your screen remains blocked until you hold your iPhone farther away. Then, your screen shows a checkmark, and you have to tap Continue to remove the block.

Read more: How to Beat Eyestrain, According to Optometrists

Turning off Screen Distance

Screen Distance is a useful iOS feature that may reduce eyestrain and even decrease the risk of nearsightedness. However, if you find the warnings more annoying than helpful, here’s how to turn Screen Distance off.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Screen Time.
3. Tap Screen Distance.
4. Tap the toggle next to Screen Distance.

Now you can go back to holding your iPhone as close to your face as you want without interruption from your phone — or your parents.

For more information on iOS 17, check out what features were included in iOS 17.4 and iOS 17.3. You can also check out our iOS 17 cheat sheet.

For years, I was a nuisance to anyone with an iPhone. While I proudly toted my Samsung Galaxy devices, my friends would deplore the havoc I’d wreak on any text or group chat by “turning everything green.” There is apparently nothing worse to an iMessage user than an Android user who crashes their precious blue bubble party.

I’ve since given up the fight and switched to the iPhone, and now reap the many benefits of iMessage, including sending high-resolution photos and videos, seeing typing indicators and sharing reactions. These perks are limited to messaging fellow iPhone users. I’m now the one who, much to my chagrin, laments getting green texts from anyone on the “outside.” Exclusivity brings out the worst in us.

Read more: Best iPhone to Buy in 2024

Now that Apple has said it’ll adopt Rich Communication Services messaging, things should get better. RCS is a protocol that replaces SMS (Short Message Service) and has a lot of the same features as iMessage, including typing indicators, high-resolution media sharing and end-to-end encryption. It’s already available across Android devices and, after years of pressure from iPhone users, competitors and lawmakers alike, Apple has said it’ll adopt RCS on iPhones, too.

This update might arrive with iOS 18, which Apple is expected to debut during its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10. And it’s also possible that, in light of a recent Department of Justice antitrust suit against Apple, the iPhone maker will use the event to tout its efforts to bridge the divide between its devices and Android phones.

Here’s everything to know about how Apple’s adoption of RCS could improve messaging.

RCS will replace SMS texting on iPhone

When RCS arrives on iPhones, it should transform basic messaging with Android users into a more modern, sophisticated experience by replacing SMS and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service).

Instead of getting small, grainy photos and videos from Android friends, you’ll see high-quality photos and videos. RCS could also bring perks like read receipts and typing indicators, and will improve group messaging.

But there’s a big caveat: adopting RCS won’t solve the blue-bubble-green-bubble issue. iMessage will continue to be available only to Apple’s customers, meaning texting anyone who doesn’t have an iPhone will still be a separate (but hopefully more comparable) experience.

Some features will remain exclusive to iMessage or Google’s Messages app. For instance, while you can edit or unsend texts in iMessage, you probably won’t be able to do so for messages sent via RCS. And Google Messages-exclusive features like drafting texts using the Gemini AI model likely won’t transfer across devices either. It’s also not clear yet whether messages sent across Android phones and iPhones will be end-to-end encrypted.

Still, this update should make messaging across Android phones and iPhones feel less archaic.

When will RCS become available on iPhones?

That’s still unclear, though the update is likely to arrive in the fall. In fact, Google seems to have accidentally leaked RCS’s arrival on iPhone in a new landing page for Google Messages.

According to 9to5Google, the search giant noted the new messaging protocol is “Coming soon on iOS,” and that “Apple has announced it will be adopting RCS in the fall of 2024.” This mention has since been removed, but it’s as if Google can hardly contain its excitement.

Either way, it’s possible we’ll get RCS-related updates during Apple’s WWDC on June 10.

Will the DOJ’s antitrust suit open up iMessage?

In its sweeping complaint against Apple, the DOJ accuses the iPhone maker of hindering competition, delving into a range of practices it sees as monopolistic. This includes allegations that Apple “undermines cross-platform messaging” by not extending its iMessage service to Android.

Apple has maintained that keeping iMessage exclusive to its own devices is in the interest of privacy and security, noting it wouldn’t be able to ensure that encryption and authentication measures on third-party devices meet its standards. It’s also pointed to the company’s ongoing work to support RCS, which it says will allow for an improved messaging experience with non-iPhone users.

And if that’s not enough to make people happy, Apple noted the range of other messaging platforms people can use to communicate across devices, including WhatsApp, Messenger and Snapchat. But, depending on where you live, it might be more intuitive to reach for the native text app on your phone, whether that’s Apple’s iMessage or Google Messages.

Whether or not the DOJ’s complaint will force Apple to open up its walled garden remains to be seen. The European Union has also been applying pressure on Apple and other tech giants as part of its Digital Markets Act, which is designed to promote fair and open competition in the tech sector. Last month, the EU determined Apple’s messaging platform doesn’t qualify as a “gatekeeper” service, meaning it won’t have to connect directly with other chat apps. (Meanwhile, Meta’s WhatsApp and Messenger apps do fall under the EU’s gatekeeper label and will therefore have to allow for conversations across other services.) Time — years, perhaps — will tell how Apple fares in the face of the DOJ’s allegations, and whether or not changes are in store for iMessage.

In the meantime, iPhone and Android users alike can find reprieve in Apple’s imminent adoption of RCS, which should hopefully make talking to your friends on different devices less painful. And even if the texts stay green, hopefully the grass on the other side looks a little less so.