Peak Design’s latest bags have clever integrated hooks
Peak Design's new City Line collection includes six lightweight bags designed for everyday carry. There's a 15-liter and 22L City Backpack, 15L City Tote, 6L and 12L City Crescent crossbody bags, and 2L City Sling. All are available starting today and feature a new BagLev hook that can suspend the bags from a table ledge or chair to keep them free of cafe sludge and park filth.
The bags are available in a variety of colors - I'm a a fan of the natural "Moon" (whiteish) color, which will benefit from the BagLev hook. The vibrant "Lapis" blue color is definitely a choice.
"Rather than adding more features, Peak Design refined every material, …
Nothing CMF is launching its first open earbuds
Open earbuds are having a bit of a moment right now, and Nothing is the latest company jumping on the trend. Its budget sub-brand has introduced the CMF Clip Pro, CMF's first open earbuds that are designed to provide comfort and sound quality for people who don't want to sacrifice their situational awareness.
The $99 CMF Clip Pro is available starting today in the US, and comes in three color variations: white, black, and orange (which are described as light gray, dark gray, and coral, respectively). That's the same price as Nothing's Ear 3A and original Ear (a) buds, so you're not paying an additional premium for an intriguing design here. …
Apple briefly yanked Telegram from the App Store over CSAM violations
Telegram is back on the App Store after Apple briefly removed it on Monday night over concerns about child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In a statement to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple says a review found that Telegram "violates our strict guidelines prohibiting child sexual abuse material," adding that it restored the app "after the developer promptly removed the content and banned the user who posted it."
Telegram responded to Apple's statement in a post on X, saying: "I'm sure this stance will be applied equally to all other apps in the store, in the future, right?" Telegram also includes a link to its safety overview page, which says …
OpenAI drags Apple’s lawsuit into the court of public opinion
Apple's legal battle against OpenAI just got messier now that the ChatGPT-maker has publicly aired receipts to counter Apple's version of events. In a blog post published overnight titled "Apple is getting this wrong," OpenAI said that Apple's lawsuit accusing it of stealing trade secrets is "careless, aggressive, and oddly personal," sharing iMessage and email exchanges to challenge allegations central to the case.
This isn't a legal response from OpenAI, but it's an attempt to sway the court of public opinion by poking contradictions into Apple's case using cherry-picked communications.
The lawsuit filed by Apple last month primarily rev …
The next Xbox could play every Xbox game ever made
The next Xbox, Project Helix, could theoretically have the largest library of any home console. Not only will it play PC games, but we now know, courtesy of a leaked memo obtained by The Verge's Tom Warren, that it will run games from every generation of Xbox: the original 2001 Xbox, the 2005 Xbox 360, the 2013 Xbox One, and the 2020 Xbox Series, as well as any new Helix titles.
We already knew that Microsoft was bringing a limited sample of original Xbox games to PC, and we already knew it was prepping a way to digitize your Xbox One and Xbox Series discs. The leak fills in the missing puzzle pieces.
Microsoft is bringing Xbox 360 games …
Can Reddit fend off a new wave of AI SEO spam?
Earlier this year, a Reddit user had asked members of a skincare-focused subreddit if anyone had tried a specific hypochlorous acid spray, a product often used for acne. There were dozens of responses; one from a user named Primary-Taro4254 seemed innocuous enough, at least at first.
"I haven't personally tried [that brand] so I can't fully compare, sorry," they commented. "But I have been using a similar hypochlorous acid spray from Honeydew Labs and I've honestly really liked it."
Primary-Taro4254 helpfully shared their experience using the spray to calm their skin's redness and irritation, and even threw in some of Honeydew Labs' crede …
The studio behind Pokémon struggles to find its voice in Beast of Reincarnation
You have to imagine that the team at Game Freak is bursting with ideas. The studio puts out new mainline Pokémon adventures with a machinelike precision. But every so often it launches a curious experiment, whether it's an action title about a militarized elephant or turning horse races into a card game, showing that it's capable of more than the latest generation of pocket monsters. That's part of what makes the idea of Beast of Reincarnation so enticing. Here is an established studio breaking free of the franchise it has become known for to make its take on a blockbuster action game. Unfortunately new ideas are in short supply in Beast, an …
Your Fitbit data can now connect directly to Apple Health
Google is rolling out an update that will finally allow you to connect your Fitbit workouts, steps, vitals, and other data to Apple Health, as reported earlier by 9to5Mac. With Google Health's 5.05 update, you can now tap your profile icon, select "Partner apps," and choose Apple Health to link your data directly.
Previously, you could only import your Apple Health data into Google Health, but not the other way around. That meant using third-party apps - like Power Sync for Fitbit or Fitbit to Apple Health Sync - or some other kind of workaround to connect your Google Health information to Apple Health.
Google Health replaced the Fitbit ap …
Samsung’s discounted smart monitor is $349.99, its lowest price yet
Samsung makes a variety of TVs and computer monitors, but if want both and you’re limited on space, you might want to consider the M80F. This capable 32-inch 4K panel combines features commonly found on both types of screens, and Amazon and B&H Photo both have it discounted to $349.99, where it’s usually $400 or much higher. In addition to acting as a standard 4K screen for your computer or console, the M80F has a full suite of video streaming apps you’d expect to find on a television, with picture-in-picture support for multitasking, plus a removable webcam for video chats.
The M80F has above-average connectivity for a monitor. In addition to the ports like HDMI 2.0, USB-C for charging devices up to 65W, and USB-A for your keyboard and mouse, you can also connect the Tizen interface to Wi-Fi to directly communicate with your network (it also supports Bluetooth headphones). Speaking of gaming, the M80F supports apps like Xbox and Nvidia GeForce Now, letting you pair a controller to the display to play games over the cloud. The VA panel is better suited for work than play, but HDR10 Plus support will help your movies and TV shows pop.
My colleague Cameron Faulkner reviewed a previous version of the M80F and appreciated its versatility, but the $699.99 launch price was a bit off-putting, so a discount on a newer, improved model is definitely worth calling out.
Europe’s AI labeling and transparency rules are now in effect
The European Union has ushered in some additional rules that aim to make it easier for people to identify chatbots and AI deepfakes online. The new transparency obligations under the bloc's landmark AI Act came into effect on August 2nd, requiring companies to disclose when people are interacting with AI models, and if content has been generated or altered by them.
The transparency rules differ between providers (companies that develop and market AI systems) and deployers (platforms and services that use those AI systems), though some companies like Meta and SpaceXAI are classified as both.
Providers must design AI systems to explicitly no …