Category: Technology

Health tech company Abbott has been working on a number of biometric wearables for regular consumers. Now, we can get our hands on one. The company just released the Lingo continuous glucose monitor. 

This is an over-the-counter device, so you can just order it without prior approval. However, it’s not intended for diabetics, as it isn’t designed for insulin pumps or serious medical alerts. Rather, it’s for curious people who want to keep an eye on their glucose levels. 

Here’s how it works. The biosensor gets stuck to the back of the arm and can stay there for up to 14 days straight. During that time, the device continuously streams glucose data to the affiliated smartphone app. This should, in theory, translate the “body’s reaction to food, exercise and life’s daily stressors.”

The app looks particularly robust, providing access to all kinds of related health metrics. There are glucose graphs that update in real time and something called Lingo Count, which displays data related to glucose spikes.

There’s even a place for food and activity logging and the app syncs with Apple Health to automatically track workouts. Once there’s enough information in the system, it’ll provide tailored recommendations and create challenges to encourage healthy habits.

Each Lingo biosensor costs $49, but they only work for two weeks and aren’t reusable. The company is offering combo packs, with two sensors available for $89 and six for $249.

Abbott’s Lingo device isn’t the first over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor on the market. A company called Dexcom received FDA approval for a similar sensor earlier this year. The company’s Stelo Glucose Biosensor is also $89 for two units, each working for two weeks. 

It’s worth noting that there’s little evidence to suggest that this type of glucose monitor is actually useful. Additionally, there isn’t much to suggest that there’s even a meaningful way to “optimize” blood sugar.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/abbotts-otc-glucose-monitor-is-now-available-in-the-us-170036887.html?src=rss 

Beware: The most addictive game of 2024 is coming to a device that’s always within reach. Balatro, a clever combination of poker, deck-building and roguelikes, will arrive on iOS — as a standalone purchase and Apple Arcade — and Android later this month. (That’s plenty of time to shop for a power bank or battery pack.)

Created by Canadian solo developer LocalThunk and published by Playstack, Balatro (styled as Balatro+ on Apple Arcade) is one of Engadget’s picks for best PC games. It’s one of the great indie gaming success stories of 2024.

Unlike poker, Balatro’s spin includes magical tarot cards and unique Jokers that can dramatically alter your hands. For example, one might increase the pool of cards to build your hand from, and another could raise your score if your hand hits a particular sequence. Depending on which Joker you draw, you may be forced to rethink your entire strategy. (But play them strategically because you’re limited to five per hand.)

Its presentation adds to the fun. It includes a synthwave soundtrack, trippy animations and a delightfully retro CRT filter.

If you don’t know much about poker, don’t sweat it. First, poker is only one element of the game — and, even then, it encourages you to break its rules. Balatro also includes tutorials and help pop-ups to make learning the unique deck game (and throwing away all your free time) as easy as possible.

Balatro launched in February on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch (and on macOS in March). It arrives on Android and iOS on September 26. It will be a $10 standalone purchase on either mobile platform or free on Apple devices for Apple Arcade subscribers. Those in the Apple ecosystem can also play it on iPad, Mac, Apple TV and Vision Pro.

NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition, which continues the franchise’s mobile-friendly spinoffs for Apple devices, is also coming soon to Apple Arcade. This year’s version adds The Neighborhood, the open-world, skill-building environment first seen in the standard version of NBA 2K18. It also adds a revamped version of Greatest Mode, where you can relive iconic moments from NBA legends, past and present. 2K Sports promises new Great Mode players will be added throughout the season.

NBA 2K Arcade Edition arrives on Apple Arcade on October 3.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/balatro-is-coming-to-mobile-and-its-going-to-ruin-my-life-173039968.html?src=rss 

Lenovo has just revealed its latest lineup of laptops at IFA Berlin. The standouts seem to be Aura editions of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 and Yoga Slim 7i. The Aura software, which is the result of a collaboration with Intel, can quickly shift these machines into various modes to optimize for specific tasks, like safe internet browsing, better video call quality or distraction-free work.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition, It’s a 14-inch laptop with a 16:10 2.8K (2880×1800) OLED display and a refresh rate of 120Hz. It also has DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification and reaches 400 nits of brightness. The CPU is an Intel Core Ultra 9, and the Intel Arc Xe2 GPU handles graphics. The battery is rated at 57Wh and is a replaceable unit.

The Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is larger at 15.3 inches and also has a screen resolution of 2.8K. The display can be an OLED or LCD touch panel, with a refresh rate of 120Hz and brightness of 500 nits. An Intel Core Ultra 7 processor powers this laptop and uses integrated graphics. With a battery life of 70Wh, it should last all day for web browsing and streaming video content.

Another laptop to look out for is the IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1. It’s equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus 8-core processor and integrated Adreno GPU. The 14-inch WUXGA (1920×1200) OLED screen can reach 400 nits of brightness, and the battery is rated at 57Wh. Best of all, the whole package only costs about $850.

The Yoga Pro 7, IdeaPad Slim 5x and the 13- and 15-inch IdeaPad Slim 5s are among the new arrivals as well, but unfortunately, these models won’t be available in the US.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/lenovo-announces-new-aura-edition-laptops-150005439.html?src=rss 

Last year, Lenovo showed off a fantastically futuristic concept gadget called Project Crystal, which was the world’s first laptop to feature a transparent MicroLED display. But today, in what has become a tradition for Lenovo during IFA, the company is back with yet another demo notebook, this time equipped with a motorized rotating hinge.

Dubbed the Auto Twist AI PC, Lenovo’s latest concept looks almost exactly like a traditional clamshell when closed. However, with a simple voice command, its lid raises automatically and rotates into practically any position — even all the way around into tablet mode. While there is no official pricing, or even plans to bring the device to full production just yet, Lenovo says the Auto Twist is designed to provide enhanced adaptability, improved ergonomics and possibly better security. But for now, the company’s main goal is simply to see what environments or use cases might be able to best take advantage of a laptop with this kind of novel design.

Thanks to built-in object tracking, for example, the Auto Twist can move its display and follow people as they walk around a room, which could be very helpful when making presentations. It can also detect a person’s body, and possibly even their posture, before moving its display into the best position to reduce fatigue or strain. 

Alternatively, the laptop can detect when it’s not being used and then close its own lid to prevent unwanted users from gaining access. And while the Auto Twist’s AI tag feels a bit spurious, Lenovo hopes the laptop will be able to do many of these things on its own or through simple natural language voice control (the laptop currently supports commands to transform into laptop mode, clamshell mode and more).

After seeing it in person, the most immediate use case that came to my mind was in POS (point-of-sale) payment terminals. Here, employees often have to manually flip a screen around so that the customer can see their total or add in things like a tip. Granted, the Auto Twist does seem like overkill in that situation considering how easy it is to rotate a screen around the old-fashioned way with your hands a basic hinge. And at least from what I saw, the built-in motor wasn’t quite as smooth as you’d probably want for commercial applications. But, it is an interesting idea with potential for high-end luxury outlets.

Then there’s just the fun of it. During my demo, I watched as the Auto Twist played a clip of a dancer as its motorized hinge attempted to make its display match the person’s movements. I also saw the laptop swivel its display horizontally to present an ultra-wide panoramic photo in a more engaging way. Additionally, while other bleeding-edge tech like laptops with foldable displays suffer from a ton of added weight and bulk, the rotating servo on Lenovo’s latest concept is relatively unobtrusive and there isn’t a huge impact on the device’s overall portability.

So while it remains to be seen how useful the Auto Twist really is or what it might turn into down the line, I appreciate that Lenovo is still trying to come up with new ways to evolve the classic clamshell laptop.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/lenovos-auto-twist-concept-laptop-has-a-lid-that-can-swivel-and-bow-down-at-your-command-150022971.html?src=rss 

Panasonic TVs have been missing from the US market for over a decade, which is odd because, well, the company makes good stuff. In any event, our national nightmare is over. The Japanese electronics giant just released a bunch of new televisions for US customers.

The releases break down into two lines of OLED displays and another line of Mini-LED TVs. The televisions range in size from 55 to 85 inches and they’ve all been designed and developed in Japan. As expected, all of the TVs boast a 4K resolution, to showcase Panasonic’s “outstanding picture quality.”

Panasonic has also teamed up with Amazon for these displays. Each model comes with Fire TV built in. This partnership likely gave Panasonic an easy way to add an America-friendly UI into the mix, being as how the company’s been missing from these shores for ten years.

Why come back now? The company says it was “driven to re-enter the US by a strong belief in the unmet demand for their televisions, particularly among consumers seeking the highest possible picture quality.” That’s just corporate mumbo jumbo, but the real reason is likely one word that rhymes with “shmoney.” The US is a huge market.

Though Panasonic’s TVs have been absent for ten years, the company has maintained an active presence in America. It sells a bunch of well-regarded standalone cameras and is building a giant EV battery plant in Kansas.

The company’s new TVs are available to order right now, though it looks like shipments won’t go out until September 16. Prices range from $1,300 to $3,200, depending on the model and size.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/panasonic-just-returned-to-the-us-market-with-new-oled-and-mini-led-tvs-152614684.html?src=rss 

Sony’s MDR-7506 headphones have become a go-to option for recording studios and creators. The set of cans are only $100 and they offer crisp, clean sound so you know exactly what your audience is going to hear. Today, the company announced a more robust option for studio headphones, the MDR-M1, that has a slightly updated design, new drivers, wider frequency range and improved bass response. 

Inside, the MDR-M1 packs newly developed drivers capable of frequency response of 5Hz – 80kHz. Sony explains that this ultra-wide range is crucial for things like subtle details in various recorded sound sources (Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio especially). More specifically, the drivers here have a soft edge for those super low frequencies and a hard dome shape for accurate reproduction in the ultra-high range. There’s also a “tuned port” on the outside of the ear cups, or Beat Response Control as Sony calls it, that provides the ventilation needed for improved low frequency control. That component works in tandem with an optimized diaphragm for “very tight bass response,” according to the company. 

“In recording sessions, it is important to care what musicians or singers are listening to when they play or sing,” explained Akihiro Nishimura, an engineer at Power Station at Berklee NYC who worked with Sony to develop these headphones. “MDR-M1 gives you the same impression of listening in a control room headphone, which makes it easier to create music by listening to each other.”

These are closed-back headphones, so you won’t have to worry about sound leakage or ambient noise creeping in. Sony enhanced the replaceable ear pads for both increased comfort and better noise isolation. It also reduced the overall weight compared to the 7506, which means longer recording sessions shouldn’t be as much of a burden. The MDR-M1 will come with two detachable cables with machined aluminum connections, one that has a stereo mini-plug and plug adapter (stereo mini to stereo standard) and the other a shorter option for connecting to various professional gear. Sony also took care to make the MDR-M1 more durable, as they’re like to get dropped or flung around a studio or other recording and editing environments. 

The MDR-M1 is available for preorder now for $250, a significant increase over the MDR-7506. If open-back headphones are more your thing for recording and editing, the MDR-MV1 carries a similar spec sheet to this new model. But, the price tag is even higher at $400. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sonys-mdr-m1-studio-headphones-offer-an-audio-and-comfort-upgrade-over-the-mdr-7506-150052628.html?src=rss