Category: Technologies

The first time Outer Wilds made me say “holy shit” out loud was unforgettable.

I’d gotten into my spaceship for the first time. Still confused, still unsure. What’s happening here? What is this video game about? How does this all work? Where am I supposed to be going?

Still, I followed the prompts. I approached my spaceship — a rickety wooden shack of a thing. I pushed some buttons, and soon I was afloat, soaring effortlessly into the darkness of space. Still confused. Still unsure. What the hell is going on here? I don’t get this at all.

Then, in the distance, a planet. A vivid green dot splotched in the void. “I’ll head there I guess,” I said to myself, more out of confusion than anything else.

Struggling against the controls of the ship, I headed toward the green planet, eventually hurtling into its dense green atmosphere at top speed. “I can’t see shit,” I whispered, but then I emerged from the fog.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

I only had a split second before I splashed headfirst into the ocean, but I saw it. This was a water planet, toylike in size. But that didn’t startle me — it was the whirlwinds. Six of them at least, competing with one another in an otherworldly storm on the waves. As I floated back to the surface, water streaming down the windows, my eyes turned into saucers.

The wind whipped as the competing whirlwinds galloped across the surface, so powerful they launched entire islands into the atmosphere — literally into space — before they crashed back onto the planet. I’d never seen anything like this in a video game. I’d never seen anything like this before, period. But this was Outer Wilds. In Outer Wilds, the blisteringly imaginative becomes normalized.

“Holy shit.“

Outer Wilds is a video game about exploring space, but it’s also a mystery to unravel. Following in the footsteps of the Nomai, an alien race that perished thousands of years ago, Outer Wilds is a game that has you playing space detective, investigating the ruins of an extinct civilization in an attempt to find exactly what the hell happened? The twist: Outer Wilds is centered on a Groundhog Day-esque time loop. You have precisely 22 minutes to investigate before the sun implodes, taking your entire solar system with it. All that remains: The knowledge you acquired during those precious few minutes.

Outer Wilds is a mystery that reveals itself in a traditional video game manner — through audio logs, written notes and so on — but the execution is so inspired you barely notice the tropes. Through its inventive locales and subtle puzzles, Outer Wilds consistently inspires a level of awe unlike any video game I’ve ever played.

Outer Wilds has you traveling back and forth to a handful of different planets, each more bizarre than the last. Each is laden with strange advanced technology left behind by the Nomai. A clue found on one planet might lead you to a new locale in a planet you visited previously. Slowly you worm yourself deeper into these dazzling environments, and into a deeper understanding of the mystery you’re trying to solve. There’s no shooting, no complex platforming. In Outer Wilds the currency is knowledge, knowledge players use to figure out their next step and, consequently, solve this strange mystery on a meta level. The result: a constant, revelatory joy, a series of “holy shit” moments that make Outer Wilds unforgettable.

Outer Wilds is constantly evoking awe. There’s Giant’s Deep, the aforementioned planet with its competing hurricanes, but there’s also Brittle Hollow, a world collapsing before your eyes. Descending deep beneath the surface you watch as entire sections of the planet are swallowed by a black hole vibrating at its center. One false step and you yourself could fall through it.

And what happens when you fall through a black hole in Outer Wilds? Well, it would be rude to spoil the surprise. But it’s as mind-bending as you might expect.

Outer Wilds is punctuated by its holy shit moments. A quantum moon that disappears when you stop looking at it. Technology that allows you to warp instantaneously between two far-flung points. Twin planets connected by a pillar of sand that flows endlessly back and forth, dramatically reshaping both planets like a complex hourglass.

But unlike the cool, clinical sci-fi of, say, Interstellar or Arrival, Outer Wilds is a homely, almost acoustic invention: a small-scale snow globe of a universe, precisely imagined and executed. As if it expanded wholesale from the collapsing atoms in Bon Iver’s beard. That’s part of its charm. Its most outlandish moments inspire awe because they’re grounded in a world that’s familiar to us, almost anachronistic.

You sail into space in a craft made of wood, wearing a spacesuit that looks like it was built in the 19th century. Your home planet is a hipster’s dream, like a shrunken vision of the Canadian wilderness or a Grizzly Bear music video. Outer Wilds’ unique cast of characters swing on hammocks on alien planets and play the banjo at campfires as the universe collapses around them.

It all leads to this overwhelming feeling: You’re trapped in a universe where your traditional ideas don’t make sense. Where gigantic sci-fi ideas of space travel feel just beyond your primitive brain. All you can do is stare — in awe — as the sun implodes in a brilliant blue flash, your time loop complete. Before you awake once more with a gasp, ready to explore the strange universe of Outer Wilds all over again with fresh eyes.

Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory may have achieved a remarkable new high point for fusion reactions, generating more energy than was pumped in during a recent experiment, according to a report by the Financial Times.

The publication suggests scientists “with knowledge of preliminary results from a recent experiment” have discussed the result and analysis is ongoing. A major announcement is scheduled to take place at LLNL on Tuesday, Dec. 13. It’s expected to be livestreamed by the Department of Energy at approximately 7 a.m. PT.

The National Ignition Facility operates an “inertial confinement fusion” experiment which sees almost 200 lasers fired directly at a tiny capsule of hydrogen. According to Nathan Garland, a physicist at Griffith University in Australia, the lasers create a plasma around the capsule which eventually starts an implosion — it’s these conditions which allow for fusion reactions to take place.

Fusion is the reaction that powers our sun and it works by smashing two heavy atoms together. This requires extreme pressure and extreme heat but trying to recreate the conditions in a lab is “super difficult,” noted Garland.

The energy released by fusing the two atoms together is massive and, importantly, releases no carbon. Unlike fission — splitting atoms — used in nuclear power plants, fusion also leaves behind no radioactive waste and there’s no risk of meltdown, either. In short, if we could harness fusion power, it would revolutionize energy, allowing us to generate clean power without pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

If the FT report and chatter on social media is correct, scientists at LLNL could have achieved “fusion energy gain” which is denoted by the letter Q. In a fusion experiment, if Q > 1, then we’re on our way to a bona fide energy breakthrough, one that scientists have long been dreaming of reaching. “It is a big deal for sure, if true,” Garland said.

But, as with all science, it’s good to be cautious and not overhype results yet to be fully analyzed. We have been here before, after all. In 2013, reports swirled the NIF had achieved this exact feat. It wasn’t the case.

In more recent times, though, NIF has taken big strides toward achieving the goal. In August 2021, researchers reported they had, for a brief moment, re-created the power of the sun in a self-sustaining reaction. That’s a good pedigree and one that makes us here at CNET Science feel a little more confident in the rumors.

A spokesperson for LLNL told CNET “our analysis is still ongoing, so we’re unable to provide details or confirmation at this time” and provided a link to the media advisory — which, in all caps, suggests a “MAJOR SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGH.”

The result won’t mean that we suddenly have an endless supply of energy. It’s likely the reaction that took place at NIF lasted for just a fraction of a second or even less. But this is the first step in a journey toward fusion energy as a viable, serious technology to power our world. It provides a proof of concept that fusion experiments like this can reach Q > 1.

So while we’re always cautious to throw around the word “breakthrough” when reporting on cutting-edge science — especially in the realm of fusion energy — it does feel like it might be justified here. We’ll have to wait and see.

Google is a part of all our lives. All you need to do is take a look at Google Maps. It’s how we get directions, explore city landmarks in 3D, read and leave restaurant reviews, find public transport arrival times and so much more.

But there’s one feature within Google Maps that can quickly become a real privacy issue.

If you’ve ever used Street View, you know that you can enter any address into Google Maps and look at a recent image of what’s there, whether it’s a business or a residence. And while it’s useful for knowing what a building looks like when you’re getting directions there, it makes it easier for stalkers or criminals to plan their way inside of your home.

They’ve got a free ticket to examine your home online, look for any cameras and find a possible window to pry in through. Anyone can do this in person, but Google Maps makes it easier because you can spy on someone’s home from the comfort of your phone or computer.

Fortunately, there is an easy way to blur your home on Google Maps and help prevent others from seeing too many details of where you live. Here’s how to do it.

For more, here are seven essential Google Maps tips for the holidays and how Google Maps can help you figure out dinner.

How to blur your home on Google Maps

You’ll need to do this on your computer, as the blurring feature isn’t available in the Google Maps application on iOS or Android, and while it is accessible through the web browser on your mobile device, it’s rather difficult to use, so use a trusted web browser on your Mac or PC instead.

At maps.google.com, enter your home address in the search bar at the top-right, hit return, then click the photo of your home that appears.

Next, you’ll see the Street View of your location. Click Report a Problem at the bottom-right. The text is super tiny, but it’s there.

Now, it’s up to you to choose what you want Google to blur. Using your mouse, adjust the view of the image so that your home and anything else you want to blur is all contained within the red and black box. Use your cursor to move around and the plus and minus buttons to zoom in and out, respectively.

Once you’re finished adjusting the image, choose what you’re requesting to blur underneath:

• A face
• My home
• My car/license plate
• A different object

You’ll be asked to give a bit more detail as to what exactly you want blurred, in case the image is busy with several cars, people and other objects.

Also, be completely sure that what you select is exactly what you want blurred. Google mentions that once you blur something on Street View, it’s blurred permanently.

Finally, enter your email (this is required), verify the captcha (if needed) and click Submit.

You should then receive an email from Google that says it’ll review your report and get back to you once the request is either denied or approved. You may receive more emails from Google asking for more information regarding your request. Google doesn’t offer any information on how long your request will take to process, so just keep an eye out for any further emails.

For more, here’s how Google Maps can help you avoid crowded public transit.

A piece of the past has returned to haunt a Florida beach after a curious object made of wood and metal emerged in the aftermath of Hurricane Nicole last month. Initial speculation suggested the find might be part of an old pier or perhaps a shipwreck. Now researchers say it’s likely the remains of a cargo ship from the 1800s.

The debris attracted attention when beachgoers spotted it on Daytona Beach Shores. A team from the St. Augustine Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) investigated the remnants this week. “It would have likely sailed within sight of the coast and used lighthouses for navigation, though it was probably big enough to cross the Atlantic as well,” said LAMP archaeologist Chuck Meide in a Facebook statement on Tuesday.

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The ship was partially reburied in the sand by the time the LAMP team arrived, but reports had estimated the wreckage to be at least 80 feet (24 meters) long.

The Florida Public Archaeology Network, a state-supported program focused on studying and protecting the state’s archaeological resources, also commented on the shipwreck on Facebook, emphasizing that historic finds like this shouldn’t be seen as invitations to dig for further treasures, potentially disturbing important cultural heritage sites.

Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd echoed that sentiment in the LAMP statement, saying, “Please take only pictures and leave only footprints so as to preserve the integrity of archaeological sites for future generations of Floridians.”

Strong storms like Hurricane Nicole can scour beaches and uncover previously hidden pieces of history. Just as easily, the ocean and movement of sand can reclaim them. That seems to be what’s happening with the Daytona Beach Shores ship.

Its brief moment in the sun gave researchers a peek into Florida’s maritime past. “In these cases,” Byrd said, “our collective human story is brought to the forefront.”

Final Fantasy 7 fans got ready to eat well in the mid-noughties, as developer Square Enix released several spinoffs expanding the universe of the legendary 1997 PlayStation RPG. Unfortunately, most of the new stories — like PS2 shooter Dirge of Cerberus and CGI movie Advent Children — turned to be fast food next to the delicious and nutritious meal that was Final Fantasy 7.

The sole exception was the excellent 2007 action-RPG Crisis Core. This prequel cast you in the role of Zack Fair, a character with a small-but-crucial role in Final Fantasy 7’s main story, and explored his career as a member of megacorporation Shinra’s Soldier paramilitary group.

It offered roughly 25 hours of main story gameplay, a solid chunk of side missions and an inevitable emotional gut-punch of an ending that seared itself into fans’ brains.

The problem: It was only on PlayStation Portable (the PSP) and remained marooned on Sony’s now-obsolete handheld for more than 15 years. However, after the 2020 Final Fantasy 7 Remake and its downloadable content hinted at Zack’s playing a bigger part in the upcoming Rebirth, Square Enix is finally letting a new generation of gamers dive into Crisis Core.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion hits PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC on Dec. 13. I played a chunk of the game on PS5 over the weekend, and found this remastered classic to be a nostalgic joy.

Initially, I thought this was just the PSP game with some modern flourishes — 3D character models, upgraded environments and the ability to finally play it on a massive TV screen (or mirror the handheld original on Switch). Some of the prerendered cutscenes aren’t as well remastered, with graphical artifacts occasionally marring the image.

As I played, it became increasingly clear that Square Enix had made more subtle changes as well; developers have brought the combat closer to the Remake’s beautiful flow. Chaining physical, magical attacks and summoning god-like beings who perform super attacks feels natural and smooth — partially because all the modern systems’ controllers have more buttons to use than the PSP — making for a far more pleasant experience than it was in 2007.

You also have a new way to interrupt your most powerful enemies’ biggest attacks, by doing as much damage as possible when they’re charging up. It might not seem like a major addition, but it adds a layer of strategy to boss encounters you might otherwise have played defensively.

The slot machine-style Digital Mind Wave system that periodically gives you bonuses or summons an ally in combat remains inscrutable as ever — it also determines when Zack and his abilities level up. Rest assured that this isn’t random, so it seems that way you just can’t see how much experience points you have. Its link to Zack’s emotional effect also used to great narrative effect at a few key points.

All the cutscenes are fully voice acted now — chunks of the original were text-only — with the Remake’s excellent cast back in their roles. That includes Superman & Lois’ Tyler Hoechlin as future villain Sephiroth, who’s a pretty chill (if a bit aloof) dude for much of this game.

However, for good or ill, Crisis Core Reunion is fundamentally the same game we got in 2007. It’s still divided into easily digestible story chapters where Zack goes out on assignments for Shinra, unlocking bite-size missions along the way — it can’t quite shake off its roots as a portable game designed for quick sessions.

It feels a little stop-start in the early hours, especially as the game’s various systems are introduced to you, but you’ll soon get into the groove.

The gameplay loop of doing a chapter, then blasting through a bunch of unlocked missions and talking to the various characters in the hub around Shinra headquarters is satisfying — similar to Mass Effect, another classic 2007 RPG. It’s basically a few rooms and streets, greatly enhanced by the game’s magnificent art direction (without the slow loading of the PSP version).

Zack is also an ultra-charismatic protagonist, and his enthusiasm is a breath of fresh air compared to Final Fantasy 7’s moody Cloud. Fans who know about the relationship between these two will find getting to know Zack particularly rewarding.

The other characters are a mixed bag — Zack’s Soldier mentor Angeal is so stiff that I practically drift off whenever he’s on screen, and main villain Genesis is a dorky Sephiroth wannabe. The voice actors do their best, but the writing around these two just isn’t compelling. However, Cloud and Aerith make up for it when they enter the story.

And seeing the early adventures of these gaming icons, and how Zack helped to shape them, is the best reason to play Crisis Core Reunion. It’s still a 2007 PSP game at heart (as evidenced by the beautiful mid-noughties flip phones), but Square Enix’s ambition made it one of the best games on that system. I’m so glad it’s not trapped there any more. It’s a game every Final Fantasy 7 fan needs to play before Rebirth arrives late next year.

After the Rams rallied and took down the Raiders to open up Week 14 on Amazon’s Thursday Night Football, Sunday brings another day of exciting NFL action, though it will be a little less crowded than usual as six teams (the Bears, Colts, Commanders, Falcons, Packers and Saints) are on byes. That said, there are still a number of interesting divisional games, particularly in the early window, when the Giants host the NFC East-leading Eagles (on Fox) and the Jets visit the AFC East-leading Bills (on CBS).

The NFC South-leading Bucs heading out to Santa Clara to take on the NFC West-leading 49ers is the highlight of the late window (4:25 p.m. ET, 1:25 p.m. PT on Fox).

NBC closes out the day with Sunday Night Football. This week’s contest will see the 8-4 Dolphins head to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers at 8:20 p.m. ET (5:20 p.m. PT) on NBC.

Here’s what you need to know to watch and stream the games, and our recommendations for the best ways to watch the rest of the 2022 NFL season, including RedZone, week in and week out without cable.

What are my streaming options for NFL games in 2022?

Paying for cable is the easiest solution, but not the cheapest. For cord-cutters looking to save some money, NFL football streaming options can get complicated, with games played across three different days and nights each week on different channels and streaming services.

Most NFL games are played on Sunday, with a game each week on Thursday night and another each week on Monday night. On Sundays, games start at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) and 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. ET), with most AFC teams on CBS and most NFC teams on Fox.

Although the first Thursday night game was on NBC, the rest of the games for Thursday Night Football (with the exception of Week 12’s Thanksgiving Thursday games) will be shown on Amazon Prime Video. Unlike last season, Prime Video is now the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football and the games are no longer available on Fox or NFL Network, though the games will be available on TV in teams’ local markets.

As in previous seasons, Monday Night Football games will be on ESPN.

All five of the live TV streaming services carry ESPN and Fox, and all but Sling TV carry CBS. All but DirecTV Stream carry NFL Network. For the games on CBS and Fox, keep in mind that not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries CBS and Fox in your area.

In addition to Prime Video, there are three other streaming services that cord-cutting NFL fans should consider. The paid Premium plan of Paramount Plus will show CBS games on Sundays, and the paid Premium plan of Peacock will show NBC’s broadcasts of Sunday Night Football.

Wait, there’s one more streaming service to consider for the remainder of the year. Prior to the season, the NFL launched a new streaming service for watching games on your phone or tablet — no casting to your TV. In past years, you could do this for free with the Yahoo Sports app, but now you’ll need to pay $5 a month or $40 for the season for the NFL Plus subscription. With it, you’ll be able to watch every local game on Sunday and the national games on Sunday, Monday and Thursday nights as well as the playoffs and Super Bowl — again, only on your phone or tablet.

Lastly, there’s NFL RedZone, a channel that springs to life each fall and shows live NFL action during the Sunday afternoon games. It pops in and out of the live games and attempts to show each touchdown scored in each game. RedZone is available as an add-on on four of the five major live TV streaming services — all but DirecTV Stream.

Best for everything: YouTube TV ($65)

Our pick from the last two years remains our go-to choice in 2022.

At $65 per month each, YouTube TV checks all the NFL boxes. Local channels CBS, NBC and Fox are included in many markets, and ESPN and the NFL Network are also included so you can watch Sundays and Monday nights. The next best options are FuboTV and Hulu Plus Live TV; both offer the same channels as YouTube TV for NFL fans, but for $70 a month.

Want to follow your fantasy team with RedZone? That’s available on all three services as part of an add-on. If you’re a YouTube TV subscriber, you can add the $11 per month Sports Plus add-on by clicking on your profile and going to Settings, then the Membership tab. FuboTV subscribers can go into My Profile and choose Manage Add-ons to get its $11-per-month Sports Plus with NFL RedZone offering. And Hulu users can now add RedZone for $10 per month with its Sports add-on.

Both YouTube TV and FuboTV allow three people to watch at once (Hulu allows two live streams) and all three have apps on nearly every mobile device and major streaming platform, including Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, Roku and Apple TV.

While all three are largely similar, we like YouTube TV for its superior DVR — unlimited storage compared with 30 hours on FuboTV and 50 hours on Hulu. We also like YouTube TV because it gives you an option to stream in 4K for an extra $20 a month. FuboTV does, too, with its $80-a-month Elite plan. Keep in mind that only Fox and NBC offer 4K NFL broadcasts; CBS and ESPN do not.

DirecTV Stream offers the main broadcast channels for NFL games, but it starts at $70 per month and lacks NFL Network and RedZone.

Sling TV’s Orange and Blue plan for $55 a month gets you ESPN and the NFL Network, and, in select major markets, Fox and/or NBC, but you’ll still lack CBS. You can also add RedZone for $11 per month with the Sports Extra add-on.

The cheapest way to stream NFL RedZone

A frequent fan-favorite method of following all the NFL action on Sundays, RedZone is a way to catch every big play around the league. The cheapest road to RedZone is to get Sling TV Blue for $40 per month and add the $11 per month Sports Extra add-on.

This option can also be streamed on a host of devices including iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and web browsers.

Note: If you only subscribe to Sling’s Orange package you won’t be able to get RedZone in Sports Extra. Your base package needs to be either Sling Blue or its larger Sling Blue Plus Orange bundle for you to be able to get RedZone as an add-on. If you choose the latter, the Sports Extra add-on is more, $15 per month, as you will also get additional channels like the SEC Network, ACC Network and PAC 12 Network.

If you mainly plan to watch on a phone, you can also check out RedZone Mobile, which is in the NFL app. This is a separate subscription from NFL Plus and runs $35 for the season (which breaks down to around $7.78 per month for the roughly four-and-a-half months of regular season football). While this is one of the cheapest ways to get RedZone, be aware that — similar to NFL Plus — you will not be able to AirPlay or Chromecast it onto a larger screen and will need to watch on your phone.

Budget alternative for NFC fans in big cities: Sling Blue ($40) or antenna ($20 one-time)

Those looking to save some cash might want to check out Sling Blue for $40 a month. While it lacks ESPN, meaning you’ll miss out on Monday Night Football, in select markets you’ll be able to get Fox and NBC. The catch is that those markets are mainly in big cities, so if you live outside one of those areas, Sling Blue might not be for you.

You can also add RedZone through the company’s $11 per month Sports Extra add-on.

Fox broadcasts most NFC games on Sundays, while NBC has Sunday Night Football. CBS, which broadcasts the bulk of AFC games, isn’t included on Sling at all. But an antenna can fill those local channel gaps without a monthly charge.

Budget alternatives for AFC fans: Paramount Plus (or an antenna)

There are some apps that offer CBS’ slate of Sunday AFC games live, including Paramount Plus’ Premium tier for $10 per month. Depending on where you live, however, your local CBS station (and those NFL games) might not be available. CBS offers livestreaming services in many markets; you can check for yourself if your area has live CBS streaming here.

An antenna is another option for getting CBS. And as we mentioned above, an over-the-air antenna connected to your TV provides another option, no streaming or monthly fee required, as long as you have good reception.

Thursday Night Football: Amazon Prime Video

In past years, Thursday Night Football games were shown on Prime Video but were also available on Fox or NFL Network. This year, starting Week 2, the games on Thursday nights are available only on Prime Video, giving NFL fans more incentive than free two-day shipping to sign up for an Amazon Prime account for $15 a month or $139 a year. You can also subscribe only to Prime Video for $9 a month.

What about Sunday Ticket?

For one more season, NFL Sunday Ticket is still largely limited to DirecTV satellite subscribers. While that is expected to change in 2023, those who live in buildings that can’t add a satellite dish can already get a streaming version to watch football starting at $294 for its To Go package for the season, or $396 for a Max package that includes the RedZone channel (a student version is also available at a discount). You can check your address on the Sunday Ticket site. Both packages have a one-week free trial.

With the season at the halfway point, those prices have dropped to $220.47 for the To Go option and $281.97 for Max.

The problem here, however, is that even if you’re eligible, it doesn’t include local games. You can only watch Sunday games that aren’t being broadcast on CBS, Fox or NBC in your area. They also won’t be helpful come playoff time — as you’ll need your local stations and ESPN to catch all those games.

If you bought a new Pixel 7 or 7 Pro, there are some settings you’ll want to change. Making just a few adjustments to your Google Pixel can make it feel more convenient, useful and tailored to your needs. You can customize your home screen’s palette to match your favorite color, save some battery life and preserve storage space, for example.

Google launched the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro in October, and both phones include a refreshed design, face unlock, the new Tensor G2 processor and improved cameras. But many of these settings options below should also be available on older devices too, including the Pixel 6 lineup.

Follow the steps below to learn more about how to get the most out of your new Pixel.

Turn on themed icons to make your icons match your wallpaper

One of the biggest features that debuted in 2021’s Android 12 update is Material You, which customizes the software’s color palette to match your wallpaper. To give your app icons a colorful refresh, long-press any empty space on your Pixel 7’s home screen. Then tap Wallpaper & style and make sure the switch next to Themed icons is toggled on. Now app icons on the home screen should match your wallpaper. You’ll notice that some elements within certain apps — like the keyboard in Messages and Gmail’s Compose button — will have colored accents that match your wallpaper, too.

Unlock your Pixel 7 just by looking at it

Google’s Pixel 7 and 7 Pro both support face unlock, unlike last year’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. If you own a Pixel 7 and haven’t set it up yet, you can do so by launching the Settings menu and tapping Security. Tap Face and fingerprint unlock and enter your PIN. From there, choose the Face Unlock option to register your face to your phone.

Google cautions, however, that your phone can be unlocked by someone who looks like you, such as a sibling, when using this feature. As such, the Pixel 7’s face unlock functionality is meant just for quickly unlocking your phone rather than authenticating payments and other transactions. That makes it significantly different than Apple’s Face ID, which creates a depth map of your face by “projecting and analyzing thousands of invisible dots,” according to Apple’s support page.

Use Quick Phrases to dismiss an alarm or phone call without saying, ‘Hey, Google’

We’ve all been there. It’s 6 a.m., your alarm starts blaring and you barely have the energy to reach for your phone. Google makes this a little easier on the Pixel lineup by enabling you to pause or dismiss an alarm by simply saying, “Snooze” or “Stop” without requiring the “Hey, Google” trigger phrase. You can do the same for phone calls by saying “Answer” or “Decline” without having to grab your device.

To turn this on, open the Settings menu and choose Apps. Then, select Assistant and tap Quick phrases. You should see options for alarms and timers and incoming calls. Tap the switch next to each one to enable this feature.

Have Google Assistant wait on hold for you and transcribe automated phone menus

Tired of waiting on hold? Try using Google’s Hold For Me feature, which has Google Assistant wait on hold and then notify you when a customer representative becomes available. If you don’t want to remember which number to punch the next time you’re sitting through automated voice prompts, you can also turn on Direct My Call. This transcribes automated menus so that you don’t have to remember which number to press to get directed to the correct extension. Direct My Call should work even faster on the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, since Google says these phones may show some transcriptions before they’re even spoken.

Both of these features are accessible from the Pixel’s phone app. Hold For Me works on the Pixel 3 and later, while Direct My Call is available on the Pixel 3A and later. Open the Phone app and tap the three dots in the top right corner to get started. Choose Settings and you should see Hold for Me and Direct My Call under the Assistive section.

The Direct My Call feature seems promising, but it only works for toll-free numbers in English right now. That can make its transcriptions a bit confusing since many automated phone menus typically read options in Spanish, too.

Choose whether you want to extend battery life or boost performance

Google’s Pixel phones can optimize battery life depending on how you use your phone. While that’s a useful perk, there may be times when you’d prefer to turn this feature off so that you can get better performance out of your device. You can turn this setting on or off anytime by opening the Settings menu, choosing Battery and tapping Adaptive preferences.

Turn on Smart Storage to avoid running out of space

If you take a lot of photos and videos, you know how precious your device’s storage space can be. As one way to deal with that problem, you can choose to have your Pixel phone automatically delete old photos to free up space. If you enable this feature, your Pixel device will erase photos backed up to your Google Photos account that have been on your device for 60 days if your phone’s storage is less than 25%.

To turn this on, open Settings, choose Storage and tap Free up space. Then tap the menu icon in the top left corner and select Settings. Toggle the switch next to Smart Storage.

Use Storage Saver to optimize your Pixel’s photo and video storage

If you want to save space, there’s another option: Enable Storage Saver on your Pixel device. This changes settings that use large amounts of storage, such as saving RAW images as JPEG and recording videos in 1080p instead of 4K. If you care more about saving space than having the best resolution possible, you might want to try this.

Launch the Camera app and tap the settings icon in the top left corner. Then, tap More settings and select Device storage. Toggle the switch next to Storage Saver.

Customize what happens when you press the volume key while taking photos

You can use the volume button to snap a photo, adjust the zoom or control the audio volume on your Pixel device. Open the Camera app, press the Settings icon and choose More settings. Then, choose Gestures and select Volume key action to choose your preferred option.

Make sure your Pixel’s screen automatically switches orientation when needed

Few things can be more annoying than having your phone stuck in portrait mode when you’re holding it in landscape mode to watch a video. Avoid this on your Pixel phone by opening the Settings menu, choosing Display and tapping Auto-rotate screen. You can also choose to turn on face detection to make autorotate more accurate. Google says images used in face detection are never stored or sent to the company.

Identify songs playing nearby on the lock screen

Ever heard a song playing at a restaurant and wondered what it’s called? Google Pixel devices can recognize songs and display the name of the song and artist on your phone’s lock screen. Open the Settings menu, choose Display and tap Lock screen. Press Now Playing and toggle on the switch next to Identify songs playing nearby.

Choose whether you want smoother scrolling or longer battery life

Certain Pixel devices can boost their refresh rates to enable faster scrolling and smoother animations, which makes the software generally feel more responsive. The Pixel 7 can bump its refresh rate up to 90Hz like the Pixel 6, while the Pixel 7 Pro can go up to 120Hz just like the Pixel 6 Pro. But since this feature increases battery usage, there are times when you might want to turn it off.

To access this option, open the Settings menu and choose Display. Scroll down to Smooth Display and toggle the switch to turn it on or off. This feature isn’t available on the Pixel 6A.

Add captions to videos, podcasts and phone calls

Google’s Live Caption feature generates captions for media playing on your device, and it works on older Pixels dating back to the second-generation model. It’s an accessibility feature, and it can also be useful for times when you’re stuck without headphones and need to hear the content of a video or podcast in a public setting. To turn this on, press the volume button and tap the Live Caption icon, which looks like a speech bubble. Just remember that using Live Caption can use additional battery resources.

Edit your quick settings to easily access shortcuts

Pulling down from the top of the screen will launch the quick settings menu. Tap the pencil icon to edit this menu and add the settings you use most often. Google offers a wide variety of options ranging from battery saver to enabling and disabling the microphone and accessing alarms. Here you’ll find staples including airplane mode, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Looking for more advice for your other Google devices? Check out our tips for boosting your productivity on Chromebooks and getting the most out of your Google Nest.

While the Orion spacecraft, a key part of NASA’s Artemis I mission, is on its way back to Earth after going far beyond the moon, a new lunar lander from Japan and a small rover from the United Arab Emirates are now en route for a visit to our planet’s lone natural satellite.

The Hakuto R mission, led by private Japanese company iSpace, launched from Florida early Sunday atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to send its M1 lander to the surface of the moon. The lander is 8.5 feet by 7.5 feet (2.6 meters by 2.3 meters) when fully unfolded.

Liftoff took place at 12:38 a.m. ET (11:38 p.m. Saturday PT). The first stage booster from the Falcon 9 returned for a landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station about 9 minutes later and a little less than an hour after launch, SpaceX announced that Hakuto R M1 had been deployed and was officially on its way to the moon.

“Our first mission will lay the groundwork for unleashing the moon’s potential and transforming it into a robust and vibrant economic system,” Takeshi Hakamada, founder and CEO of iSpace, said in a statement.

Hakamada added that the company is hoping to contribute to the Artemis program. The US space agency has already committed to buying moon rocks that M1 will collect.

The company confirmed on Sunday it had established a stable communications link with the lander.

The launch had been set for last week, but the company postponed it, first to Wednesday morning and then again to Sunday, so that SpaceX could perform additional preflight checks of the launch vehicle.

iSpace was one of the finalists in the Google Lunar X Prize competition, which ended back in 2018 without any winners being declared. But it did raise funds to continue on its own and secure some customers with similar lunar ambitions. That’s how a rover named Rashid from the UAE’s space program wound up on board M1.

Rashid is set to study moon dust and will send images and data back to Earth.

If the mission succeeds, Japan and the UAE will join the US, Russia and China as the only countries that have managed to put a robot on the lunar surface. Another Lunar X Prize finalist, Israel’s SpaceIL, attempted its own lunar landing in 2019, but the mission ended with a crash into the moon that destroyed the spacecraft.

The lander has a long journey between blastoff and lunar touchdown, performing months’ worth of tests in space before arrival at the Atlas crater on the near side of the moon, which is scheduled for April.

If you already run your calendar, email and cloud storage through Google, then it just makes sense to use Google devices as well. And whether you’re in the market for a new phone, are looking to add a sleek smartwatch to your lineup or want a pair of earbuds optimized for Androids, right now’s a great time to pick one up with Amazon offering up to $150 tons of Google’s latest devices. Many are even back down to the all-time low prices we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year. There’s no set expiration for this sale, but with deals this good, we don’t expect it to last for long. Get your order in sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

All three of Google’s latest phones claimed a spot on our list of the best phones overall for 2022. The newest model in its flagship lineup is the Pixel 7, which features a 6.3-inch full HD display, a 50MP camera and 8GB of RAM. Right now, you can sang the 128GB model for $499, which is $100 off the usual price. Or, if you don’t mind spending a little more, you can upgrade to the more advanced Pixel 7 Pro. It’s slightly larger with a 6.7-inch QHD display, and has upgraded hardware including 12GB of RAM and an improved camera with a that supports high-res zoom up to 30x. Prices start at $749 for the 128GB model, which saves you $150 compared to the usual price.

And if saving money is your number one priority, you can also save on Google’s already-affordable Pixel 6A. It’s the latest model in it’s budget-friendly “A” series, and while the specs can’t quite measure up to the powerful Pixel 7, it’s still an excellent option for most people. It has a 6.1-inch full HD display, 6GB of RAM, a 12MP camera and right now you can snag it sale for $299, saving you $150 compared to the usual price.

There’s more than just phones on sale, too. This is also a chance to shop the biggest discount we’ve seen so far on Google’s new Pixel Watch smartwatch and fitness tracker. Because Google owns Fitbit, it offers many of the same fitness tracking capabilities, which includes monitoring your heart rate, sleep patterns, calories burned, activity levels and much more. And because it’s powered by Google’s Wear OS, it’s compatible with tons of Google apps, including Gmail, Calendar, Maps, Wallet and more. It’s currently $50 off, dropping the price down to the new all-time low of $300.

And if you’re looking to complete your collection of Google devices, you can also snag a pair of Pixel Buds A-Series while they’re on sale for $69, $30 off the usual price. They’re equipped with 12mm dynamic drivers, adaptive sound that automatically adjusts the audio based on your surrounding environment and have a battery life of up to 24 hours on a single charge. And because they’re optimized for Android devices, you can use them to get directions, check your notifications and more just by asking “Hey Google.”

I can barely move a muscle. My feet, tied into cycling shoes, are locked behind me. My hands are clenched around metal grips, while my chest is pressed against a padded support bar.

“Go ahead and press Cowboy,” my instructor Jonathan says.

I release one hand from its grip and reach out to tap “Cowboy Mode” on the tablet that’s suspended a few feet from my face. With the sound of motors whirring to life, everything starts vibrating.

“The mech is yours.” Jonathan shouts.

The mech is an 18-foot-tall, 9,000-pound human-driven exosuit called Prosthesis. It can scale hills, cross rivers and flip cars. Jonathan is Jonathan Tippett, the co-founder of Exosapien Technologies. He spent more than a decade designing and building Prosthesis and is the self-described world’s leading mech pilot.

“I wanted to make a machine that captured that age-old pursuit of human skill and mastery but combined it with supermodern technology, and in a novel way that was not automated.”

We’re at a ranch that belongs to a friend of Jonathan’s east of San Francisco, where he’s agreed to give me a crash course in piloting Prosthesis.

I ask him what makes a good mech suit pilot. “People with good body awareness. Gymnasts, snowboarders, mountain bikers.” he says. “Having good rhythm. If you’re a good dancer or you play a musical instrument, that seems to help because there’s a rhythmic element to the kinematics of the machine.”

Pilots control Prosthesis’ four identical limbs with their own human limbs. Their arms operate the two outside legs, and their real legs operate the two mechanical legs on the inside. It sounds pretty simple. Spoiler alert: It isn’t. In fact, almost no one manages to take an actual stop on day one. Watch the video above to see my experience.

Though anyone can book a training session with Prosthesis (lessons start at $1,500 for 90 minutes), Jonathan envisions mech suit piloting as a competitive sport with pilots racing obstacle courses and solving puzzles. “Picture American Ninja Warrior meets monster trucks,” he says.