Welcome to the third edition of What’s New in AI, our weekly update where we bring you all the latest AI news, tools, and tips to help you excel in this new AI-driven future.
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Welcome to the third edition of What’s New in AI, our weekly update where we bring you all the latest AI news, tools, and tips to help you excel in this new AI-driven future.
In October, Google launched the Pixel 8 series of smartphones. During the launch, the company announced the Google Pixel 8 Pro Video Boost feature. This brings computational AI smarts to video for the first time on a Pixel. In order for it to work, you need to upload a video file to the cloud, where Google’s servers then process every single frame just like your phone would do on-device for a still photo. You then download the processed video.
Although Google announced this feature in October, the company said it wouldn’t be available until December 2023. Now, thanks to an APK teardown of the latest Google Photos app for Android (v.6.63.0.586138124), we can see Google is on track with this goal. We can also get a few ideas on how the feature might work.
There is a lot to watch on the various streaming services available in 2023 — sometimes, it almost feels like too much. To simplify things for you, we’ve compiled some of the best new streaming movies to watch that are new this week.
Check out our top picks from major streamers like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and more. In addition to the latest shows from this week, we also give you other recommendations for shows that have arrived on a new streaming platform in the last 30 days.
After reasonable success with last year’s Nothing Phone, the fledgling brand is back once more with the Nothing Phone 2. This time around, Nothing is spreading its reach further, formally bringing its phones to the US for the first time. Just like the Pixel 7a, the Nothing Phone 2 promises a high-end experience while keeping the costs significantly lower than the competition. But which phone is the better pick? We take a closer look in this Nothing Phone 2 vs Google Pixel 7a comparison.
Curious how the Nothing Phone 2 and the Pixel 7a compare? Here’s a quick summary of the key differences:
There are obviously hoops that you have to jump through to take full advantage of these amazing deals. The trade-in is a big one, but this is a very easy one to meet. The holiday offers give you maximum trade-in credit for any old phone, almost irrespective of its value. For instance, trading in the decade-old iPhone 6 scores you $1,000 off the iPhone 15 Pro, which is pretty crazy.
That same deal also lets you add the Apple Watch SE and an iPad for no extra charge. The only caveat is that you need to add a line of service for every device you’re getting for free. For the iPhone 15 Pro, an Unlimited Ultimate Plan is required.
Music is one of the more controversial applications of generative AI, and for obvious reasons — it can plagiarize other artists, it doesn’t necessarily require talent, and in some cases, it may not even express anything. But if you avoid those pitfalls it can be a legitimate creative tool, speeding up tasks or making it easier to experiment.
At the moment AI music tools are ideally used as plug-ins or full production suites, with little room in between. That’s not to say middleground tools don’t exist however, and in fact, the last two on our list certainly fit the bill. You’ll see what we mean.
Cyber Monday is off to a strong start with great deals on phones, earbuds, and many other products. If you haven’t snagged something for yourself yet, you may want to take a look at what Bose has to offer. Bose has some of the best audio equipment you can get, and on Amazon, a variety of the company’s best speakers and soundbars are on sale.
If you’re looking for a good Bluetooth speaker, then today’s your lucky day. Bose’s SoundLink Revolve is at its lowest price in history. There are also plenty of other great deals to take advantage of as well.
The Motorola Razr Plus (2023) was a revelation this year, giving the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 a serious run for its (and your) money. We liked it at its $999.99 retail price, so a record $300 price drop in the Motorola Cyber Monday sale is too good to miss.
Motorola Razr Plus (2023) for $699.99 ($300 off)
Looking for a pair of premium earbuds for your day-to-day needs? The Jabra Elite 10 is a great choice that competently rivals competitors like Apple’s AirPods Pro and Sony’s WF-1000XM5. While they can be a little on the expensive side, this Cyber Monday deal drops the price of the Jabra Elite 10 to a range that makes it hard to pass up.
Big Brother is Watching you. George Orwell’s words from the dystopian novel 1984 ring uncomfortably true after reading this recent investigative report published by Wired. The outlet has analyzed leaked police documents, a White House memo, and a letter sent by US Senator Ron Wyden to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to verify the existence of a secret government surveillance program run by the US government and executed by telecom carrier AT&T.
OnePlus has officially revealed the design of the OnePlus 12 ahead of the phone’s December 4 China launch. The device looks a lot like its predecessor with a massive circular camera island dominating the back of the phone. However, OnePlus has made one prominent change.
The Pixel Fold marks Google’s first foray into the foldable space and while it’s far from perfect, it’s a pretty solid first effort. Still, there are many things we’d like to see improved on the Google Pixel Fold 2. Although it’s likely still over a half year away, it’s fun to speculate what the new Fold 2 might bring to the table. Here is my wishlist for the Google Pixel Fold 2.
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Most brands have featured a Black Friday sale of some description, but one smartwatch manufacturer is setting the bar high. Some of the top Garmin watches are still at Black Friday prices as of today, with as much as $300 in savings to be had on the high-end wearables. Some of them are seeing their first price drop ever.
The Garmin Fenix 7S is a particular highlight of the Black Friday sale, with the highly-rated smartwatch down from $700 to just $449.99. It boasts over 30 hours of GPS tracking and two weeks in smartwatch mode. It also features comprehensive wellness tracking, including heart rate, stress, and sleep monitoring. With reliable GPS accuracy and impressive battery life, this discount makes it a bit of a steal.
Finding the right pair of earphones to accompany you at the gym is critical. The right fit, the perfect amount of bass, and the ability to cut out background noise are essential for getting an optimum workout in. As a marathon runner and amateur fitness enthusiast, adrenaline-pumping metal, and pace-setting drums and bass music is my fuel. I always seek the best true wireless earphones to enhance my workout experience. Lately, the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 have been my gym buds. Here’s why.
A new smart TV is the quintessential Black Friday purchase, and we think we may have found the best TV deal of the whole event. Best Buy is currently offering the LG 48-inch Class A2 OLED 4K UHD Smart WebOS TV for just $549.99 — less than half the retail price. With winter drawing in and movies to be enjoyed, it could just be the best investment you make this holiday season.
LG 48-inch Class A2 OLED 4K UHD Smart WebOS TV for $549.99 ($750 off)
There’s something to be said for e-ink readers. In an age of TikTok, Netflix, Facebook, and YouTube, they not only encourage you to read, but shut out distractions and relax. At the moment there are only three major brands in North America — Amazon, Nook, and Kobo — and of those, only the first two have a substantial footprint. Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite and the Nook GlowLight 4 Plus are two of the most prominent readers available — so how do they stack up?
Kindle Paperwhite vs Nook GlowLight 4 Plus: At a glance
If you look around for the best audio products on the market, you’ll likely find some items from Bang & Olufsen. For example, B&O’s Beosound A1 is an excellent portable Bluetooth speaker that offers booming sound, long battery life, and can handle the elements. We don’t usually see great sales on this particular product, but this Black Friday is very different.
Some would say that Beats is more than headphones and earbuds; it’s a lifestyle. That might be a bit cringy for you, but what you are guaranteed is quality audio hardware. Black Friday is usually the best time to upgrade your Beats headphones, and 2023 is no different. Many of the top Beats products are at their best-ever prices today — some over 50% off.
The Beats Studio Pro deal below is probably the most eye-catching, but we really love the deal on the Beats Studio Buds. The wireless earbuds are just $89.95, representing a $60 discount and the joint-lowest price we’ve ever tracked. Not only do they have universal compatibility across Android and Apple devices, but also a lightweight design and secure fit make them ideal for active users. They feature IPX4 water resistance, effective active noise cancelation, and transparency modes, plus sound quality is on-point. At this deal price, they’re affordable for a lot of buyers.
The Google Pixel 8 is finally here! If you’ve picked up Google’s smaller 2023 flagship you’ll want a case to keep it safe. To help find the right one for you, we’ve rounded up the best Google Pixel 8 cases you can currently buy.
Want to learn more? Check out our in-depth guides to the best phone cases and the best phone accessories you can buy. While you’re at it, check out our list of Pixel 8 screen protectors to further protect your new device.
In its Soundcore line, Anker hit the sweet spot between functionality and affordability. So, for those looking to upgrade their audio this Black Friday week, this Soundcore sale will be music to their ears. There are dozens of headphones and earbuds deals from the brand to explore today, with as much as 53% in savings to be had.
The deal we were immediately drawn to was the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC for just $69.99. While the 30% markdown might not be the biggest of the sale, these impressive buds were only released in the summer, marking an all-time low price. Scoring an 8.1-star rating from our sister site, SoundGuys, is no mean feat for a pair of wireless earbuds in this price range, but they punch above their weight. Solid ANC, good sound, and strong battery life were just three of the standout features for the experts at SG.
Looking for a new smart TV and a sound bar to pair it with? Black Friday is one of the best times of the year to cash in on deals that bring these devices down to an affordable price. Right now, Amazon has a plethora of deals for one of the best brands in these two categories — Samsung.
Get up to 40% off on Samsung TVs and sound bars
The experts at our sister site, SoundGuys, know more than most about audio tech. Their list of the best Sennheiser headphones is topped by the Momentum 4 Wireless, which just happens to be getting its biggest price drop ever in the Amazon Black Friday sale. If you catch the deal in time, you can save a massive $150 on the premium cans.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless for $249.95 ($150 off)
Welcome to the second edition of What’s New in AI, our weekly update where we bring you all the latest AI news, tools, and tips to help you excel in this new AI-driven future.
This week’s news was largely dominated by Open AI’s huge drama and fallout over the firing of Sam Altman, though a few other small developments did occur amid the chaos. Let’s jump in and look at the biggest headlines from last week:
Pay has been a sticking point between Spotify and artists for years now. A new bill in Uruguay aims to fix the problem, but Spotify is threatening to leave the country if the bill isn’t changed.
According to The Guardian, Uruguay’s government voted on a budget bill in October that included two articles related to streaming media. Article 284 says that social media and the internet are to be added “as formats for which, if a song is reproduced, the performer is entitled to financial remuneration.” While article 285 states that the “right to a fair and equitable remuneration” will be added to copyright law. By remuneration, these articles are referring to authors, composers, performers, directors, and screenwriters.
This morning, we reported on the Galaxy A54 getting the One UI 6 stable update. Now the time has come for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 to be updated to Android 14.
Verizon has announced that Samsung’s latest folding phones are ready to get the stable One UI 6 update. Flip 5 owners in the US will get software version F731USQU1BWK9, while Fold 5 owners in the US will get F946USQU1BWK9. This update will also come with November’s security patch.
Currently, Google is in a court fight with Epic Games, being accused of stifling app competition. Since the case kicked off, there have been some interesting revelations, but the latest discovery about Google and the Fortnite creator may be the most surprising yet.
The Verge has obtained internal emails from Google that reference a 2018 strategy called “Project Elektra.” It appears that Project Elektra was a plan to obtain influence over Epic Games by purchasing a controlling stake in the company or buying it outright.
With Black Friday sales in full swing, everyone is getting excited about high-end smartphones and premium earbuds. But what do you actually need? Most of us could use something a bit less flashy, like a portable SSD to store our stuff offline or maybe even a bit of extra memory for our tablet. Samsung has you covered in its Black Friday event, with massive discounts on some of its top memory and storage devices.
There are some fantastic savings on various forms of internal and external storage, but one particularly stood out to us. While many of the discounts are in the 30% to 40% range — still rather amazing for Samsung — the Samsung Portable T7 Touch 2TB SSD is marked down by a massive 66%, dropping from $290 to just $99.99 in the sale. The CES 2020 Innovation Awards Honoree offers AES 256-bit encryption and gives you the option of unlocking it via fingerprint.

Android 14 officially arrived on October 4th to select Pixel devices but what about Android TV 14? Google has reportedly canceled its plans to roll out Android TV 13 and is now focusing on Android TV 14, but it’s yet to officially roll out.

While Apple has continually made improvements to its tvOS platform, the last two years have seen relatively minor updates. Thankfully, that’s not the case this time. The latest version of the Apple TV’s OS brings several new improvements to the mix. Let’s jump in and discuss everything we know about tvOS 17, from features to compatibility and more.
The pre-order and sales schedule of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series has leaked. According to The Elec, Samsung has apparently confirmed a January 17 launch for the Galaxy S24 lineup. We checked all of Samsung’s official sources to see if the company has made an announcement regarding the upcoming launch, but it seems this information is exclusive to publication.
I’ve used dozens of Chromebooks over the years, including budget machines, high-end models, and even a gaming Chromebook. As someone who works from home, I’ve found there’s much to like about Chromebooks.
Chromebooks are not only much more affordable than similarly spec’d Windows machines or MacBooks, but they also tend to be more stable thanks to the simplified nature of Chrome OS. When I heard about the new Chromebook Plus initiative, it piqued my interest. After about two weeks of using Lenovo’s new Chromebook Plus, I wanted to share my impressions in this short Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus review.
The OnePlus Open is probably my favorite foldable phone right now. It gets so many things right thanks, in part, to OPPO’s head start with the Find N series — but it’s not perfect. In fact, it has one flaw that’s so silly it stands out like a sore thumb against the rest of the well-polished package. Let’s talk about stylus support on the OnePlus Open or, rather, the lack thereof.

OpenAI has been on a bit of a rollercoaster over the last 48 hours. On Friday, Open AI announced it had fired CEO Sam Altman. After major upheavals following the announcement, the board that fired him is now in talks to bring him back.
According to The Verge, multiple sources close to the matter say the OpenAI board is in discussions with Altman to return as CEO. However, Altman is reportedly “ambivalent” about coming back to the company and wants significant governance changes.
One perk of reviewing wearables is garnering insight into all the top brands available. That also means the ability to help friends and family choose the best smartwatch or fitness tracker to toss into their own carts. Historically, Garmin has been my go-to brand for athletes and big fitness enthusiasts. Apple’s watches I’ve primarily recommended to those who want an extension of their phones on their wrist. In the last few years, though, Apple has been moving in on Garmin’s territory and I see myself recommending the Apple Watch more and more instead of Garmin. Here’s why.

During Meta Connect 2023, the company announced WhatsApp would be getting an AI chatbot. Since then, only select beta testers have been able to use the AI-powered chats feature. It’s unknown when we’ll see a broader launch, but a new shortcut suggests that day is getting closer.
WhatsApp has started rolling out the latest beta for the Android app — version 2.23.24.26. Currently available for download in the Google Play Store, the fresh update appears to have a new shortcut for the AI assistant, according to WABetaInfo.
You have to feel for the graphic designers and digital artists. AI may be coming for all of our jobs eventually, but AI image generation already gives everyone with an internet connection fantastic capabilities beyond our imagination a few years ago. Midjourney was one of the first AI image generators, and remains a leading player to this day, but the competition is heating up fast. If you’re wondering what other options you have, we’ve compiled a list of the best Midjourney alternatives out there.
Use the links below to jump directly to each option in our list. Some of these services require a paid subscription, some are free, and some have both options. We’ll make those differences clear in each instance.