Category: Technology

We get it, new dads (like new moms) just need a break. Aside from volunteering for babysitting duties, there’s an easy way to help: Get them some new gear. Perhaps some wireless earbuds to listen to podcasts as they put the baby to sleep, or something that could help to distract the youngins so he can rest his back for a few minutes. Here are the products we think would be most useful to tired new dads.

10.2-inch iPad

Apple’s 9th-gen iPad is one of the most useful devices for any new parent. It can be your child’s gateway to video chatting with their grandparents (and with the new Center Stage cameras, they’ll always be in frame), or a life-saving distraction during long car rides. It could be a new dad’s way to catch up on their favorite show while stuck dealing with mealtime. Or it could be a way for growing kids to read interactive stories and play games. The iPad can be whatever you want it to be. And paired with a decent case, it can be durable enough to survive life with tiny humans. (And if it does break, at least it’s far cheaper to replace than an iPad Air, or a typical laptop.)

Jabra Elite 85t earbuds

There’s no question that we love Jabra’s lineup of wireless earbuds. The Elite 85t delivers solid active noise canceling, a slim and light design, and excellent sound. And best of all, they cost around $200 and you can often find them for around $150. No matter which smartphone you have, the 85t are an excellent way to catch up on podcasts while trying to rock a baby to sleep. And they’ll be even more useful during the rare bit of downtime for new parents. They’re perfect for rocking out to your favorite tunes, or pair them to your TV or set-top box to enjoy late-night movies without making much noise.

Apple AirPods Pro

The first AirPods Pro were a much-needed improvement over the original AirPods, thanks to a more secure bud design and noise canceling. The second-generation AirPod Pros are even better, with significantly improved sound and far more powerful ANC. They’re perfect for drowning out a crying infant as they’re being rocked to sleep, or quieting the cacophony of house noise while preparing dinner. Pop in one AirPod Pro, and it can help dad catch up on his podcasts while pushing a stroller around town, or chasing kids through a playground. And once the kids are asleep, they can deliver surprisingly powerful tunes. They also easily pair with Apple TVs to deliver immersive sound at night without waking the kids.

SmartNoggin Nogginstik

This relatively cheap rattle is deceptively useful. It has a light-up face to keep babies interested, multiple textures for them to explore, and a mirror on the bottom for them to learn their own faces. It was a secret weapon during my child’s first-year tantrums, so much so that I’ve gifted it to every new parent I know. It’s not high tech at all, but it’s a reminder that they’re called classics for a reason.

Apple Watch Series 8

The Apple Watch Series 8 is the perfect companion for any iPhone-toting dad. It’s not as flashy as the Apple Watch Ultra, but it’s still filled with useful features like automatic car crash detection. And then there are all the other great things dads can do with an Apple Watch: Keep tabs on notifications without pulling out their phone; check out with Apple Pay in a few seconds; and live out their sci-fi fantasies by taking calls on their wrist. It’s perfect dad tech: A little dorky, but eminently practical.

Kindle Paperwhite

We all wish we could read more, and sometimes it’s just nice to stop staring at a phone’s bright screen. Enter the Kindle Paperwhite, one of our favorite e-readers on the market. It has a large 6.8-inch E-Ink screen that’s purpose built for reading. The backlight is easy on the eyes, and the most recent model even features warmer lighting to avoid disrupting sleep patterns. It’s also waterproof, making it a great bath, beach or pool companion. After dealing with kids for the whole day, it may be worth just locking up your notification and social media infested phone to dive into a good book. And if you’re not an Amazon person, you have plenty of good e-reader options from Kobo to consider, like the Clara 2E.

Theragun Mini 2.0

Keeping up with a new baby can lead to aches and pains in muscles that dad never knew he had. The Theragun Mini can give him the opportunity to get a massage without leaving the house. While there are much bigger and more powerful Theragun machines, the Mini is a good size for beginners and those who want to take its muscle relief power wherever they go. It has a single button that dad can use to change the massage gun’s speed and its ergonomic design makes it easy to reach different parts of the body. And arguably the best part is its 150-minute battery life — while that might not seem like a long time, it truly is when you consider the fact that you don’t need to use it for more than a few minutes each day to feel the results. With that schedule, dad could use the Theragun Mini every day for a month or more before needing to recharge it.

Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Game controller

A perfect gift for any gamer dads in your life, the Laugh and Learn Controller is basically a baby-proofed version of a modern gamepad. There’s a joystick, directional pad, and array of buttons for kids to fiddle with. But like any good distracting toy, it also lights up and makes sounds to keep them entertained. It’s not exactly complex, but it’s inexpensive and effective. That’s particularly true for parents of little ones who always gravitate to their expensive console controllers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-gifts-for-new-dads-110049541.html?src=rss 

It’s only a few days until the beginning of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference next week, and we’re eager to see what the iPhone maker is cooking up. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra are joined by Engadget Senior Writer Sam Rutherford to dive into all of the Apple rumors: That fabled mixed reality headset, a potential 15-inch MacBook Air and more! But really, all eyes are on the headset. Is Apple setting itself up for failure, or for a future where smart glasses are actually a thing? Also, we discuss the late-breaking news about Meta’s Quest 3 headset, which sounds like it will offer better VR and color mixed reality support for $500.

Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

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Topics

Apple’s AR Headset, iOS 17, MacOS 14 and everything else we expect to see at WWDC 2023 – 1:16

Meta Quest 3 details drop ahead of Apple’s developer conference next week – 33:48

Oppo debuts MR Glass Developer Edition – 37:41

AI leaders issue dire warning on its risks, neglecting their own responsibility in its development – 41:46

Chatbot rolled out by National Eating Disorders Association taken offline after giving bad advice – 45:37

Working on – 52:17

Listener mailbag – 56:41

Pop culture picks – 58:39

Livestream

Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar
Guest: Sam Rutherford
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos
Graphic artist: Luke Brooks and Joel Chokkattu

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-podcast-apple-wwdc-2023-preview-123020712.html?src=rss 

Last year, Facebook parent Meta said it may stop Canadians from sharing news content in response to the country’s proposed Online Sharing Act. Now, the company has announced that it will begin tests on Facebook and Instagram that “limit some users and publishers from viewing or sharing some news content in Canada,” it wrote in a blog post. The testing will take place over several weeks and the “small percentage” of users affected will be notified if they try to share news content. 

“As we have repeatedly shared, the Online News Act is fundamentally flawed legislation that ignores the realities of how our platforms work, the preferences of the people who use them, and the value we provide news publishers,” the company wrote.

The proposed law, also known as Bill C-18, was introduced by the ruling Liberal government earlier this year. Modeled after a similar Australian law, it aims to force internet platforms like Facebook into revenue-sharing partnerships with local news organizations. It came about, in part, because of Facebook and Google’s dominance of the online advertising market — with both companies combined taking 80 percent of revenue.

Last year, Meta said it was trying to be “transparent about the possibility that we may be forced to consider whether we continue to allow the sharing of news content in Canada.” The company made the threat after a government panel failed to invite Meta to a meeting about the legislation. Google also temporarily blocked some Canadian users from seeing news content. 

In response, Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez called the tests “unacceptable,” Reuters reported. “When a big tech company… tells us, ‘If you don’t do this or that, then I’m pulling the plug’ — that’s a threat. I’ve never done anything because I was afraid of a threat,” he told Reuters. 

Facebook, Google and others eventually agreed to the Australian law, and now pay publishers to post news links with snippets. Before that happened, though, Facebook followed through on its threat to block users from sharing news links in the nation. It later reversed the ban following further discussions, after the government made amendments addressing Facebook’s concerns about the value of its platform to publishers.

For now, the test will only affect a small number of users and for a limited time. If it follows the same playbook it used in Australia though, Meta may block news sharing for all users in Canada, possibly as a way to force the government and publishers to the bargaining table.

“As the Minister of Canadian Heritage has said, how we choose to comply with the legislation is a business decision we must make, and we have made our choice,” the company wrote. “While these product tests are temporary, we intend to end the availability of news content in Canada permanently following the passage of Bill C-18.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-test-will-limit-news-posts-for-facebook-and-instagram-users-in-canada-104026273.html?src=rss 

Boeing’s Starliner was supposed to fly its first crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on July 21st, but a couple of technical issues has kept the company from pushing through with its plan. Together with NASA, the aerospace corporation has announced that it’s delaying the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft’s Crew Flight Test date yet again to address the risks presented by two new problems Boeing engineers have detected. 

The first issue lies with the spacecraft’s parachute system. Boeing designed the Starliner capsule to float back down to Earth with the help of three parachutes. According to The New York Times, the company discovered that parts of the lines connecting the system to the capsule don’t have the ability to tolerate the spacecraft’s load in case only two of the three parachutes are deployed correctly. Since the capsule will be carrying human passengers back to our planet, the company has to look at every aspect of its spacecraft to ensure their safety as much as possible. Boeing expects to do another parachute testing before it schedules another launch attempt.

In addition to its parachute problem, Boeing is also reassessing the use of a certain tape adhesive to wrap hundreds of feet of wiring. Apparently, the tape could be flammable, so engineers are looking to use another kind of wrapping for areas of the spacecraft with the greatest fire risk. 

The Crew Flight Test is the last hurdle the company has to overcome to regularly start ferrying astronauts to the ISS. NASA chose Boeing as one of its commercial crew partners along with SpaceX, but it has fallen behind its peer over the years. The Starliner has completed uncrewed flights in the past as part of the tests it has to go through for crewed missions. But SpaceX already has 10 crewed flights under its belt, with the first one taking place way back in 2020. In addition to taking astronauts to the ISS and bringing human spaceflight back to American soil since the last space shuttle launch in 2011, SpaceX has also flown civilians to space.

That said, NASA and Boeing remain optimistic about Starliner’s future. In a statement, NASA Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich said:

“Crew safety remains the highest priority for NASA and its industry providers, and emerging issues are not uncommon in human spaceflight especially during development. If you look back two months ago at the work we had ahead of us, it’s almost all complete. The combined team is resilient and resolute in their goal of flying crew on Starliner as soon as it is safe to do so. If a schedule adjustment needs to be made in the future, then we will certainly do that as we have done before. We will only fly when we are ready.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/boeing-starliners-first-crewed-iss-flight-delayed-due-to-technical-issues-114023064.html?src=rss 

If you’ve been debating whether to pick up some Apple AirTags, now might be the time finally to go for it. The AirTag 4-pack currently has a 20 percent discount, dropping from $100 to $80. Not only does this bring the pack close to its all-time-lowest price, but it makes each AirTag only $20 — $8 less than buying one on its own. So, in a sense, it’s a buy three get the fourth free sale, with four extra dollars saved for a coffee.

AirTags pair to your iPhone or iPad in one tap with their live location available in the Find My app alongside your friends and other devices. Its small frame — about an inch and a quarter in length and width — is water and dust resistant with an included battery that requires replacing about once a year. You can get detailed instructions to reach your AirTag on newer iPhone models thanks to Ultra Wideband technology or put it in “Lost Mode” to immediately receive notifications if it pings off another person’s device.

You can slip your AirTag into your wallet or purse as is or pick up a case to connect it to your keys or pet’s collar. Either way, it’s one of the better Bluetooth trackers on the market, especially at such a low price.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-airtag-4-pack-is-just-80-right-now-095027025.html?src=rss 

Twitter has lost another head of trust and safety after Elon Musk purchased the company last year. According to Reuters, Ella Irwin, the website’s top executive for content moderation has resigned. Fortune has also reported earlier that her company Slack account has already been deactivated. While Irwin has confirmed her resignation to both organizations, she didn’t elaborate on the reason for her departure. The executive took over the role as head of trust and safety after Yoel Roth left the same position in November 2022, publicly walking back on his previous statement that Twitter would be safer under Musk. 

Like Roth, Irwin seemed to be supportive of the Twitter owner — who sees himself as a “free speech absolutist” — and defended him from critics of his approach to content moderation. She said in the past that Musk gave her team the go-ahead to prioritize safety and not to worry about affecting user numbers. The Center for Countering Digital Hate recently reported that Twitter has been failing to properly and quickly address 99 percent of hate speech, including neo-Nazi, racist, homophobic and transphobic content, posted on the website by Twitter Blue users. 

Although Irwin hasn’t revealed why she left the company, her departure seemed to have taken place right after conservative publication The Daily Wire said Twitter canceled their deal to premiere its What is a Woman? film on the website. The outlet’s co-founder said Twitter offered it the opportunity to “buy a package to host the movie on a dedicated event page and to promote the event to every Twitter user over the first 10 hours.” However, the website reportedly withdrew its offer after reviewing a screener and told the outlet that it could no longer purchase the package. Twitter also apparently told the outlet that it will limit the reach of the film, as well as label it with “hateful conduct” due to “misgendering.”

To note, Twitter’s hateful conduct policy states that it considers “hateful imagery to be logos, symbols, or images whose purpose is to promote hostility and malice against others based on their race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or ethnicity/national origin.” Anything “depicting hateful imagery is not permitted within live video, account bio, profile or header images.”

As a response to The Daily Wire co-founder’s post, Musk tweeted that the decision was a “mistake by many people at Twitter” and that the film was “definitely allowed.” He added that not using someone’s pronouns is “at most rude and certainly breaks no laws” and that he objects “to rude behavior, ostracism or threats of violence if the wrong pronoun or name is used.”

In follow-up tweets, Musk said Twitter is updating its system so that The Daily Wire’s followers will see the film in their feed. However, it will not be recommended or advertised to non-followers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/twitters-head-of-safety-and-content-moderation-has-left-the-company-053113054.html?src=rss 

It’s no secret that Vimeo has shied away from challenging YouTube in favor of serving as a business-friendly video platform, and now that’s affecting its living room apps. The company is ending support for its current TV apps on June 27th, including the versions for Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku devices. They’ll no longer be available in app stores, and you won’t see any updates. If you want to watch a clip on the big screen, you’ll have to stream it from a mobile device using Apple AirPlay or Google Cast. We’ve asked Vimeo for comment.

The company is fairly clear about its reasoning. The focus on creatives and corporations means those TV apps aren’t a priority, and Vimeo shelves products that are “no longer consistent with [its] standards.” Vimeo isn’t about to maintain apps that don’t fit its strategy and will increasingly fall behind, in other words. Casting will provide a “better ongoing experience,” the firm claims.

The catch, of course, is that you might still use Vimeo for watching your favorite videos. There won’t be an easy way to browse the “Watch Later” queue from the living room. While this won’t stop you from watching videos on a TV, this could make marathon viewing sessions more of a hassle. Like it or not, Vimeo is happy to steer you to your computer or phone for any extended streaming.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/vimeo-will-stop-supporting-its-tv-apps-on-june-27th-194846561.html?src=rss