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At its “Awe Dropping” iPhone event today, Apple unveiled the AirPods Pro 3, which come with a number of improvements to audio, health tracking, and fit.

With the AirPods Pro 3, Apple has made improvements to its earbud design, and they now feature a new multi-port acoustic architecture. This architecture controls the airflow, which helps sound travel into the ear more accurately, while also improving spatial audio.

The AirPods Pro 3 also have a next-generation Adaptive EQ, which uses the new architecture to help improve the bass and widen the soundstage, so users can hear details in songs more clearly.

Active Noise Cancellation on the AirPods Pro 3 has also been improved, with the ANC supposedly being two times more effective than on the AirPods Pro 2, and four times better than on the original AirPods Pro. To do this, the AirPods Pro 3 uses ultra-low noise microphones, Apple’s own advanced computational audio, and new foam eartips, which help deliver better passive noise isolation. Apple will also be offering a new XXS size eartip with the AirPods Pro 3.

Additionally, the new AirPods Pro 3 now offer a promised eight hours of music playback with ANC on, which is a 33% increase over the previous model, which offered up to six hours with ANC.

For those who work out with their AirPods, the AirPods Pro 3 come with an IP57 sweat and water resistance rating, which is up from an IPX7 rating on the outgoing model. The earbuds also have a custom-built heart rate sensor, so you can track your heart rate during workouts.

And it wouldn’t be a tech product in 2025 if it didn’t have some kind of AI feature. With the AirPods Pro 3, Apple is adding Live Translation, which is powered by Apple Intelligence and computational audio. When speaking to someone in one of the supported languages, the AirPods will play the translation back in your ear. You’ll also be able to show the Live Translation transcription on your iPhone.

Supported languages include English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish, with support for Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified) coming by the end of the year.

Live Translation with AirPods isn’t exclusive to AirPods Pro 3; it’ll work on AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation and AirPods Pro 2 and later with the latest firmware and paired to an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone running iOS 26 and later.

The AirPods Pro 3 are available for pre-order today for $249 and will start shipping and be available in stores on September 19th.

Pfizer and BioNTech report that their updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for the 2025–2026 season produced strong immune responses, boosting neutralizing antibody levels by at least fourfold in older people and those with underlying medical conditions.

The positive results come as Americans face a confusing, state-by-state patchwork of access to the shots under the health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an ardent anti-vaccine activist who has unilaterally restricted access. Prior to the second Trump administration, all Americans ages 6 months and older had access to the vaccines. But under Kennedy, the Food and Drug Administration limited COVID-19 vaccine approvals to people 65 and older, and people under 64 years only if they have an underlying medical condition.

In Pfizer and BioNTech’s latest trial, the companies limited enrollment to these groups. The phase 3 trial included 100 people total, 50 people aged 65 or older and 50 people aged 18 to 64 with an underlying condition. Those conditions included asthma, diabetes, heart conditions, HIV, mental health conditions, Parkinson’s disease, obesity, or smoking. All participants had gotten last season’s COVID shot at least six months prior to the trial and had not gotten any other COVID-19 vaccines or a COVID-19 infection since then.

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Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event might not have been the company’s most groundbreaking keynote, but it sure did pack a lot of announcements into roughly 75 minutes. The company revealed new products in its lineup across a number of categories, including updated AirPods, Apple Watches, and iPhones. And it might not come as much of a surprise to say that the biggest announcement of the day was an iPhone—but not the iPhone 17.

AirPods Pro 3

Credit: Apple

Apple kicked off its keynote by introducing the AirPods Pro 3, the first new AirPods Pro in three years. The updated earbuds have a new “multi-port acoustic architecture,” which Apple said improves the air flow that sends sounds into your ears. They also come with new foam-infused tips the company promises will help the earbuds deliver two times better active noise cancelling (ANC) than AirPods Pro 2, and four times better ANC than the original AirPods Pro.

There are two huge features new to AirPods Pro 3 this year. The first is live translation, which can translate conversations you have with other people in real time. You hear the translations in your ears, while the other person can see the translation of what you say on your iPhone’s display. This isn’t a unique feature, as Google’s earbuds can do the same thing, but it is a fantastic addition nonetheless.

The other big feature is a heart rate sensor that gives your AirPods Pro some of the functionality of an Apple Watch, letting you track up to 50 different workout types. You may also notice that Apple has slightly redesigned these buds: They’re now a bit smaller, and include five sizes for the new foam tips. The AirPods Pro 3 are IP57 rated for water and sweat resistance. Apple also says the earbuds will offer have eight hours of ANC and 10 hours of Transparency before you’ll need to stick them back in the charging case.

What hasn’t changed is the price of the buds: They still start at $249, and are available for preorder today. They’ll start shipping Sept. 19.

Apple Watch

There were few surprises when it came to the Apple Watch this year. As the rumors suggested, Applelaunched three new watch models, each receiving some substantial upgrades over previous devices. While none may tempt you to upgrade if your watch is relatively new, there are some great additions here, especially on the more affordable SE.

Here’s what’s new:

Apple Watch Series 11

Credit: Apple

Apple launched the Apple Watch segment of the event with the Series 11. The watch looks just about the same as the Series 10 before it, though it now comes with support for 5G. If your carrier supports it—which Apple says most do—you’ll be able to access faster speeds if you pick up a cellular Series 11.

The Series 11 also introduces a blood pressure monitoring system for the first time on an Apple Watch. While the feature cannot detect all hypertension, it will analyze your blood stream and send you an alert if it thinks you experiencing chronic high blood pressure. The company expects FDA clearance to come soon.

The Series 11 also comes with a sleep score for the first time on Apple Watch. Other smartwatches and fitness trackers have this feature, but Apple says the Series 11 can analyze your sleep cycles and time asleep to determine an overall sleep score, and help advise you on better ways to sleep.

Series 11 has 24 hours of battery life. The watch comes in Jet Black, Silver, Rose Gold, and Space Gray in aluminum, and Natural, Gold, and Slate in polished cases.

The Series 11 starts at $399, and is available to preorder today. The watch will be available starting Sept. 19.

Apple Watch SE 3

Credit: Apple

The Apple Watch SE is Apple’s “affordable” Apple Watch line. If all you want is an essential Apple Watch experience without needing to paying $399 or more, the SE tends to be the best pick.

This year, however, the SE 3 seems like a great deal. It comes with the S10 chip, the same one found in last year’s Series 10. It also has an Always-On display and support gesture controls, two firsts for the SE line. Apple is also adding a wrist temperature sensor to this watch, sleep apnea detection, and the new sleep score from the Series 11. Speaking of the Series 11, the SE 3 also supports 5G.

It even has a built-in speaker, something usually reserved for Apple’s more expensive watches. The SE 3 has 18 hours of battery life, and supports fast charging: 15 minutes of charging gets you eight hours of use.

It comes in Starlight and Midnight. The SE 3 starts at $249, and will be available Sept. 19. You can preorder it today.

Apple Watch Ultra 3

Credit: Apple

Finally, there’s the Apple Watch Ultra 3. This new Ultra is playing a catch-up a bit, as the Ultra 2 is missing features release on the Series 10. As such, the Ultra 3 now has a wide-angle OLED display with LTPO 3. That enables the Always-On display to refresh faster, so you can actually see the second hand changing. The screen is also a bit larger this year, without Apple having to adjust the size of the watch itself. Win-win.

The Ultra 3 also supports satellite connectivity for the first ever in a smartphone. Like certain iPhones, the watch can now message via satellite whenever a cellular connection isn’t available. To enable this feature, Apple says the Ultra 3’s radio is now double the signal strength of the Ultra 2.

The Ultra 3 can now run up to 42 hours on a charge. It also comes with 5G support, hypertension notifications, sleep score, and gesture controls. Apple doesn’t necessarily market the Ultra as its “pro” or “best” Apple Watch, but since it’s the most expensive model by far, you’d expect it to have all of the latest and greatest features.

The Ultra 3 starts at $799, and is available to preorder today. It’ll be available in stores Sept. 19.

iPhone

Finally, we have Apple’s iPhone segment. Tim Cook really amped up this part of the show, saying that one of these models was, “unlike anything we’ve ever created.” The presentation kicked off with the simplest iPhone in the lineup:

iPhone 17

Credit: Apple

The iPhone 17 looks about what you’d expect from an entry-level iPhone. It has a 6.3-inch display, with some major upgrades: It now supports 120Hz, which was previously only available on Pro iPhones—despite many Android phones having offered high refresh rate displays on cheaper models. Said display uses the new Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple says has three times better scratch resistance. It also can reach 3,000 nits of brightness, so you shouldn’t have trouble using it outside.

The iPhone 17 is powered by the new A19 chip, which has an upgraded display engine to power that new screen. It also has an improved neural engine, six-core CPU, and five-core GPU. Apple says the phone has “all-day battery life,” which apparently means eight more hours of video playback compared to the iPhone 16. With the right power adapter, you can charge up to 50% in 20 minutes, while 10 minutes of charging will get you eight hours of video playback.

Let’s turn to those cameras. The bottom camera is a “Fusion” camera; that means you get a 48MP main camera with a 26mm focal length, and a 12MP 2x Telephoto lens with 52mm focal length out of one camera. The ultra-wide angle is also a Fusion lens, offering a 48MP ultra-wide at 13mm, and 12MP 1x macro lens at 26mm.

The selfie camera also gets some huge upgrades this year. Apple is calling the new lens the Center Stage front camera. It has a wide field of view and a large, square sensor. It can take selfies up to 18MP with stabilization, More importantly, the shape of the sensor means you can take selfies in a variety of different orientations, and you can take landscape selfies in portrait mode—no more turning your iPhone sideways to fit more people in the frame. Video calls will be more stabilized as well.

iPhone 17 starts at 256GB for $799, and is now available to preorder Sept. 12. Apple will start selling it Sept. 19.

iPhone Air

Credit: Apple

The biggest announcement of the day was the iPhone Air. This is Apple’s thinnest iPhone ever, but you don’t need to read the tech specs to know that. Just from the photos and videos, you can tell, this is thin.

Like the iPhone 17, the Air comes with Ceramic Shield 2, but this time, it’s on both side of the phone. It also comes with a 6.5-inch, high-refresh rate display with up to 3,000 nits of brightness. It’s also made of titanium.

Apple put the new A19 Pro in the Air, with a six-core CPU and five-core GPU. Apple put “Neural Accelerators” in each GPU core, saying it enables “MacBook Pro levels of compute in an iPhone.” There are also new connectivity components here too, including N1, which enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, and the new C1X modem, which improves upon Apple’s first custom modem. Apple says its up to two times faster than C1.

You may notice that iPhone Air only has one camera, even though it seems positioned to be more advanced than the iPhone 17. Apple says that single camera is a 48MP Fusion camera system, and works like “multiple advanced cameras in one.” Like the iPhone 17, that Fusion camera can shoot 2x telephoto shots at 12MP. Because of the size of the sensor, you can choose between 26mm, 28mm, 35mm, and 52mm lenses for different crop sizes.

Like the iPhone 17, the Air comes with the new Center Stage selfie camera. But the Air can capture video from both the front and rear cameras at once. All iPhone Airs come with eSIM, even in countries that still use physical SIMs. The company says the iPhone Air has all-day battery life, but it hasn’t published true stats yet. That said, the company says with the new MagSafe battery pack, you can get up to 40 hours of video playback. That tells me without that battery pack, the Air struggles a bit with battery.

Apple is rolling out new accessories for the Air, including a bumper case that matches the iPhone Air’s colors: Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue. There’s even a lanyard that connects to the phone that lets you wear it on your body.

The iPhone Air starts at $999 for 256GB, and is available for preorder Sept. 12. You can buy one Sept. 19.

iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max

Credit: Apple

The last announcement of the day was the iPhone 17 Pro, and, true to its name, this is the iPhone with the most “new” features. First off, this is Apple’s first iPhone with a unibody design, similar to its MacBooks. You’ll immediately notice the new pro camera system, which is now shaped like a bar on the back of the phone. Don’t call it that, though: Apple calls this the plateau. (It does the same for the iPhone Air’s.)

One interesting “pro” feature is the new thermal cooling system: Apple places water inside the vapor chamber, and laser-welds in into place. This system helps dissipate heat generated by the A19 Pro chip, which comes with six CPU cores and six GPU cores. There’s less glass on the back of this iPhone than usual, but the glass you see is actually Ceramic Shield 2. The eSIM models, which you’ll find in the US, have larger batteries compared to physical SIM models, and can play video for up to 39 hours.

As you might expect both the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max come with the new Center Stage camera. This year, all three rear cameras are 48MP Fusion cameras. That means the telephoto lens gets you the longest optical zoom of any iPhone: 4x zoom at 100mm, and 8x zoom at 200mm.

Apple spent some time talking about the new pros’ video recording capabilities, as well. In fact, the entire event was shot on iPhone 17 Pros—though Apple is undoubtedly using some expensive equipment to facilitate that. The 17 Pro supports ProRes RAW capture, a standard that lets you edit image data directly from the camera sensor. The phones support Final Cut Camera, Blackmagic Camera, and Genlock, which supports multi-camera setups for effects like time splicing and bullet time.

Apple also announced new accessories here: There are clear and silicone cases, as well the new TechWoven case, which stitches together multiple yarn colors. The Pros also have their own lanyard you can use, like the Air.

The Pros come in Silver, Deep Blue, and Cosmic Orange. The iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099 for 256GB, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199 for 256GB. You can preorder them starting Sept. 12, and pick them up Sept. 19.

On Tuesday, Anthropic launched a new file creation feature for its Claude AI assistant that enables users to generate Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and other documents directly within conversations on the web interface and in the Claude desktop app. While the feature may be handy for Claude users, the company’s support documentation also warns that it “may put your data at risk” and details how the AI assistant can be manipulated to transmit user data to external servers.

The feature, awkwardly named “Upgraded file creation and analysis,” is basically Anthropic’s version of ChatGPT’s Code Interpreter and an upgraded version of Anthropic’s “analysis” tool. It’s currently available as a preview for Max, Team, and Enterprise plan users, with Pro users scheduled to receive access “in the coming weeks,” according to the announcement.

The security issue comes from the fact that the new feature gives Claude access to a sandbox computing environment, which enables it to download packages and run code to create files. “This feature gives Claude Internet access to create and analyze files, which may put your data at risk,” Anthropic writes in its blog announcement. “Monitor chats closely when using this feature.”

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Apple has unveiled the AirPods Pro 3 with heart-rate sensing, improved noise cancellation, a more compact case, and upcoming live translation features powered by Apple Intelligence. They’ll be available for preorder today at a price of $249. TechCrunch reports: One of the standout features of the AirPods Pro 3 is its heart-rate sensing capability, a first for the AirPods line. This addition will operate similarly to the Powerbeats Pro 2, using LED sensors to provide precise measurements. The collected data will sync with Apple’s Fitness app. The active noise cancellation, which reduces external noise, has been significantly improved. Apple says it removes twice the noise compared to Pro 2.

A noteworthy upcoming feature is a live translation capability, thanks to Apple’s iOS 26 software update. This lets you have conversations in different languages, using your iPhone to translate while the phone plays one language and the AirPods handle the other. Other notable updates include smaller, more comfortable earbuds. Apple now offers foam ear tips in five different sizes, and the company claims it’s “the best-fitting AirPods.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

A new independent report finds that although NASA’s ambitious mission to fly across the surface of Titan is delayed and over budget, the fault is due to the space agency’s management rather than the program itself.

Released Tuesday by NASA’s Office of Inspector General, the report found that the mission’s budget has soared from an initial figure of $850 million upon its selection in 2019 to $3.35 billion today. Additionally, the launch target has slipped from the year 2026 to 2028.

However, the cost increase and schedule slippages are not new. The space agency disclosed these issues nearly a year and a half ago. What is notable about the new report from NASA’s inspector general is that the cause of these problems was not a serious technical problem or a flawed design of a vehicle intended to spend years flying across Titan.

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Tucked away in Apple’s iPhone 17 press releases was a bonus for off-grid owners of older models. The company gave iPhone 14 and 15 owners free access to satellite features for another year. This is Apple’s third extension since Emergency SOS via satellite launched with the iPhone 14.

“The free trial will be extended for iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users who have activated their device in a country that supports Apple’s satellite features prior to 12AM PT on September 9, 2025,” the company’s copy reads. An Apple support page lists Armenia, Belarus, China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Russia as unsupported countries.

Apple’s off-grid feature set began in 2022 with Emergency SOS via satellite. In iOS 18, it expanded to include Messages via satellite, Find My access and roadside assistance. The features work through a partnership with Globalstar.

Apple

As for why Apple keeps extending the free access, a Redditor floated a logical-sounding theory after last year’s announcement. “I can’t see Apple ever charging for [Emergency SOS via satellite],” u/rotates-potatoes posted. “The positive PR of ‘saved by Apple’ is too good, and the negative PR of ‘died because they didn’t pay $3’ is too bad.” (It’s worth noting that the pricing was speculative. Apple hasn’t said how much it plans to charge.)

You can demo the features on your iPhone right now. To test Emergency SOS, head to Settings > Emergency SOS, and scroll down to “Try Demo” (at the bottom). For the texting feature, go to Settings > Apps > Messages, and scroll down to “Satellite Connection Demo.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-gives-iphone-14-and-15-owners-an-extra-free-year-of-satellite-connectivity-202434416.html?src=rss

Microsoft reportedly plans to begin using Anthropic’s latest Claude models to power some of the Copilot features in its Office 365 apps. In a report published Tuesday, The Information said the tech giant would announce the change “in the coming weeks.” Microsoft currently relies on OpenAI’s tech to power the majority of AI features found inside of Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

As an outsider looking in, Microsoft’s embrace of Anthropic’s models would appear to signal a deepening split between the company and OpenAI. Microsoft is the AI lab’s largest investor, and was integral to Sam Altman’s rehiring as CEO following his brief ouster in 2023. However, in recent months reports of a growing impasse between the two in negotiations over OpenAI’s plan to restructure its for-profit division as a public benefit corporation have bubbled up. 

For its part, Microsoft denied the move is motivated by animosity. “As we’ve said, OpenAI will continue to be our partner on frontier models and we remain committed to our long-term partnership,” a company spokesperson told The Information.

Still, the decision likely comes as unwelcome news for OpenAI. The Information reports Microsoft is at least partly motivated by the fact it believes Claude 4 Sonnet “performs better in subtle but important ways” than GPT-5. For example, The Information’s source said Anthropic’s model tends to generate “more aesthetically pleasing” PowerPoint presentations. Notably, that’s coming from an older model, and one that isn’t even Anthropic’s flagship offering. 

Anthropic did not immediately respond to Engadget’s comment request. According to The Information, Microsoft does not plan to charge more for access to Anthropic models in Office 365, with Copilot pricing set to remain at $30 per user per month. That’s notable because the company will pay Amazon to access Claude Sonnet 4 through AWS, Anthropic’s primary cloud provider. As part of its investment in OpenAI, Microsoft can access the company’s models at no additional cost.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-reportedly-plans-to-start-using-anthropic-models-to-power-some-of-office-365s-copilot-features-202017205.html?src=rss

The announcement of the iPhone Air surprised exactly nobody during today’s Apple “Awe dropping” event. As we finally get officiall details about this lightweight smartphone model, one of the biggest questions is about the battery. Thin devices mean thinner batteries, so we’ve been curious to see how the iPhone Air will stack up. One thing we now know is that it’s less beefy than standard smartphones when it comes to wireless charging.

According to the tech specs provided by Apple on its website, the iPhone Air charges at 20W on both MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging, whereas the other iPhones announced today charge a little faster at 25W. Apple also shared fast-charging capabilities for the iPhone Air: “Up to 50 percent charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher (available separately) paired with USB‑C charging cable, or 30W adapter or higher paired with MagSafe Charger (both available separately).”

The spec sheet also says that the iPhone Air on its own offers up to 27 hours of video playback or up to 22 hours of streaming video. When coupled with a dedicated iPhone Air MagSafe battery pack, those figures jump to up to 40 hours and up to 35 hours, respectively.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-iphone-airs-top-wireless-charging-speed-is-20w-201804255.html?src=rss

There’s a marketing practice called Anchoring, where a mediocre product is offered at a similar price to the one the manufacturer actually wants to sell. Sure, you can buy the base model but the next model up, for just $50 more, offers so much more that buying the cheaper one feels like a bad deal. Apple is no stranger to this practice, but I do think that the iPhone Air is a fairly extreme example of it.

Apple’s iPhone strategy has, in recent years, centered on four models: That year’s model, its Pro sibling, and then larger-screened variants of both. This year, the Plus size version of the base model was ditched in favor of the iPhone Air. It’s a dramatically thinner phone, coming in at 5.64mm deep compared to the regular iPhone 17’s 7.95mm. It has a more powerful chip, packing Apple’s flagship A19 Pro compared to the regular iPhone 17’s A19. Oh, and it has a 6.5-inch display, slightly bigger than the 17’s 6.3-inch panel. But those are its only advantages.

Phones have been getting larger and larger for well over a decade and every time, consumers have bought them. The demise of the iPhone SE killed the idea a large number of people were clamoring for a handset smaller than five inches. But I’ve never heard anyone grouse about the thickness of their handset, given these objects also need to be held comfortably in the hand. Consequently, the Air’s main reason for existing is, fundamentally, one that offers a bunch of compromises to reach a target no-one asked it to.

In fact, it becomes embarrassing when you put the Air in a side-by-side comparison with the base model iPhone 17. The handset has a slightly smaller screen and is “only” using the regular A19 chip but, in every other metric, it’s a far better phone. It has a bigger battery and a longer promised runtime, dual 48-megapixel cameras over the Air’s single lens. But while the Air retails from $999, you can pick up an iPhone 17 for $799 with 256GB storage, which I think is a steal. In any logical world, the iPhone Air wouldn’t even get a second glance with 99 percent of buyers.

Of course, much like the MacBook Air this is going to be the shape of iPhones to come. You can already see Apple’s desire to slim down the form factor and ditch legacy technologies like physical SIM cards. It won’t be long before these changes come across to the rest of the iPhone line as users acquiesce to Apple’s desire to trim things down. It’s doubly obvious the Air is laying the groundwork for any planned Apple foldable, too, given that Samsung and Honor are releasing foldables that measure 9mm thick when closed.

But I’d urge everyone else to restrain the desire to spend $999 of their hard-earned to be a beta tester for Apple’s hardware roadmap. Sure, I’ll probably buy the iPhone Air 5 (or 22) but probably only because I don’t have any other choice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-iphone-air-is-a-great-advertisement-for-the-iphone-17-201318112.html?src=rss

Though the Apple Watch announcements may have paled in comparison to the iPhone news at Apple’s event today, there were still some noteworthy updates to the smartwatch lineup to talk about. This year, we’re getting the Watch Series 11, Watch SE 3 and Watch Ultra 3, and each of them have some interesting features. At a hands-on session here at Apple Park, I spent some time with the devices, and believe the most intriguing is the Series 11.

At first glance, the Series 11 is no different from the Series 10 I wore to the event. They’re the same thinness and have pretty much the same dimensions, and the main change is that the new smartwatch has an IonX glass covering that’s a bit more scratch resistant. There’s also a new space grey case option that looked nice, though I was a bigger fan of the rose gold band and case pairing. I especially like the loop band that was on the unit I checked out. 

I put the Series 11 on my wrist next to my Series 10 and truly could not tell them apart. There might not be much reason to upgrade from last year’s model to this, which isn’t a bad thing. We don’t want to be too wasteful, anyway. The real updates coming to the Series 11 include the new “Possible hypertension” alerts, using data gathered from the existing optical heart rate sensors to study patterns in the constriction and expansion of your blood vessels in relation to your heart rate. This tells the watch whether there are differences in your blood pressure — keyword: differences. 

Cherlynn Low for Engadget

This tool isn’t meant to give you readings of your blood pressure. It’s more meant to tell if there are concerning variations and alert you to see a medical professional if so. This is similar to many other Apple Watch features like sleep apnea detection or high heart rate alerts, and since it requires data trends to work, wasn’t something I could just test here at Apple Park.

I also didn’t get to test the sleep score feature that’s coming watchOS 26, but that isn’t exclusive to the Series 11, and any Apple Watch compatible with the latest software will be able to get it. I did like how you’ll get scores once you’ve worn the watch to bed, and don’t have to wait for a required number of nights for the insights to surface.

This story is developing, please refresh for updates.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apple-watch-series-11-hands-on-feels-and-looks-the-same-but-real-changes-are-deeper-200438367.html?src=rss

As hackers exploit a high-severity vulnerability in SAP’s flagship Enterprise Resource Planning software product, the software maker is warning users of more than two dozen newly detected vulnerabilities in its other widely used products, including a security flaw with a maximum-severity rating of 10.

SAP on Tuesday said the highest-severity vulnerability—with a rating of 10 out of a possible 10—was found in NetWeaver, a platform that serves as the technical foundation for many of the company’s other enterprise applications. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-42944, makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to execute commands by submitting malicious payloads to an open port.

The maximum-severity threat stems from a deserialization vulnerability. Serialization is a coding process that translates data structures and object states into formats that can be stored or transmitted and then reconstructed later. Deserialization is the process in reverse.

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If you’re trying to decide whether to buy a new iPhone 17 model and looking at the camera updates, there’s mostly good news and a little bad following today’s big event. Apple did upgrade the telephoto camera on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models and introduced some new pro video features. It also boosted resolution on the base iPhone 17’s ultra wide camera — but that model still lacks a dedicated telephoto camera now available on rivals like the Pixel 10. 

However, the most welcome change across the lineup is the new front facing camera. It not only has a higher resolution square sensor, but a nice Center Stage feature that makes it far easier to switch between portrait and group photos. Video is also much improved on that camera. Here are all the details on camera changes across the lineup. 

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max

Apple

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max cameras received a major upgrade with a new telephoto sensor that’s 56 percent larger and boosts resolution from 12MP to 48MP — meaning all three Fusion Cameras now share that resolution. Optical zoom has also been expanded on the telephoto camera from 5x to 8x thanks to a new tetraprism lens. The larger hump that runs across the back of the phone (a camera “plateau”) is there to accommodate the new optics and sensor.

The other major upgrade is in the front-facing camera. All iPhone 17 models including the Pro models have a square-sensor “Center Stage” 18MP selfie camera, up from 12MP on the three previous generations. The lens has been updated as well with six elements instead of five as before. That will make for sharper selfie photos and more detailed video, a big plus for a camera that hasn’t got much love in past versions. 

The square front camera sensor will also change the way you take selfies. Instead of turning the phone sideways for wide group shots, you simply tap a setting to expand the field of view and orientation. Apple says that’s not only simpler but more likely to prevent mishaps since it’s easier to grip the phone vertically. In video mode, meanwhile, the front camera now offers ultra-stabilized 4K HDR video. The one drawback is that it’s harder to see details, as the image on the screen is much smaller when held vertically. 

Apple also made some key video changes to tempt filmmakers toward iPhones instead of dedicated cameras. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have a new photonic engine to preserve detail and color fidelity. Apple also introduced ProRes RAW capture, Apple Log 2 and genlock. The first two features will allow for improved dynamic range and easier grading, while genlock will make it easier to sync footage shot with multiple iPhone 17 Pros. Another key feature is Dual Capture that lets you film with both the front and rear cameras at the same time, so you can capture footage and vlog your reaction to it simultaneously.

iPhone 17

Apple

Compared to the Pro models, the base iPhone 17 received a milder camera boost. Primarily, the company has upgraded the Fusion Ultra Wide camera to 48MP, matching the 48MP Fusion Main Camera. That will deliver more detailed photos and video when shooting group and other wide shots. However, optical zoom on the telephoto camera is still limited to 2x, compared to 5x on Samsung and Google’s latest Pixel 10 and Galaxy S25 base models, something buyers are likely to notice. That said, the boosted resolution will allow for clearer pictures when zooming digitally. 

The base model now records 4K 60 fps Dolby Vision with creative features like Cinematic and Action modes, along with Spatial Audio. The Audio Mix function automatically boosts voices and reduces ambient noise, while providing a wind noise reduction feature.

The iPhone 17 gets the same front camera upgrade as the Pro models, including the square 18MP sensor and Center Stage tricks that let you should wide or portrait shots without turning the camera, along with ultra-stabilized 4K HDR video. 

iPhone 17 Air

Apple

Apple kept the iPhone 17 Air so thin by using a single 48MP Fusion Camera, but it did try to make it as versatile as possible. It has a large 2 micrometer quad-pixel sensor that excels in low light, along with an optical quality 2x telephoto. That gives users “the equivalent of four lenses in their pocket,” Apple said, including wide and telephoto models, via digital and optical zoom. 

Like the other models, you can capture 4K 60 fps Dolby Vision HDR video, and get support for Action mode, Spatial Audio capture and Audio Mix mode to boost voices and reduce ambient noise. The new Photonic Engine improves image detail and color accuracy and a new Bright style adds clarity to skin tones and increases vibrance. 

The iPhone 17 Air also has the 18MP Center Stage front square sensor camera as the other models, with all the benefits that entails. Those include switching from wide to portrait photos without rotating the camera, 4K HDR video capture with ultra stabilization and Dual Capture to take video from both the front and rear cameras at the same time. Center Stage can also be used during video calls to keep you stable and positioned in the frame. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-iphone-17s-new-selfie-camera-lets-you-take-group-shots-without-rotating-your-phone-195345475.html?src=rss

Apple introduced two new wireless chips in the iPhone Air, a preview of a world where all the key components of the company’s products are custom-designed. The C1X and N1 chips enable wireless features like 5G connectivity and Wi-Fi 7, building on the original C1 modem the company introduced in the iPhone 16e.

At least one reason Apple was able to pull off the thin design of the iPhone Air was the power-efficiency these new chips offer. The C1X modem supports sub-6Ghz 5G and 4G LTE and is up to two times faster than the C1 modem, according to Apple. It’s also faster than the Qualcomm-designed modem in the iPhone 16 Pro “for the same cellular technologies.” Apple says the chip is able to achieve these performance improvements while “using 30 percent less energy overall,” which seems key for a phone with a smaller battery than normal.

Whereas the C1 on the iPhone 16e also enabled Wi-Fi 6, Apple’s offloaded Wi-Fi support to the new N1 chip on the iPhone Air. The N1 chip enables Bluetooth 6 for connecting to accessories, Wi-Fi 7 and Thread for controlling your smart home. Both these chips combine with the new A19 Pro, which has a 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine, to give the iPhone Air pro-level power in a thinner profile.

While Apple is using these new components to pull off a radical redesign this year, all-custom-everything is also where the company is headed overall, Bloomberg reported in 2024. That’s both to avoid paying Qualcomm for components, and to enable new features and efficiencies in its products. Apple would even like to combine its modem and processor into a single chip at some point, though that’s reportedly still a few years off.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apples-new-wireless-chips-give-it-even-more-control-of-the-iphone-194820274.html?src=rss

Apple might not admit it (at least not yet), but the iPhone Air is more than just a slimmed-down version of the company’s latest handset or a more sophisticated take on its usual Plus model. It’s a super sleek preview of its upcoming foldable.

Now this might seem like a stretch and there’s something to be said about the difference between a traditional OLED display and one that’s meant to be bent. However, the arrival of a foldable iPhone has become one of the tech world’s worst-kept secrets. Still not convinced? Well, consider this. If you were in charge at Apple and were faced with the task of figuring out how to engineer and design the company’s first phone with a flexible display, how would you do it? Would you try to re-invent the wheel? No, you’d check out your competitors to see if there was a formula that you could re-purpose for your needs. Enter Samsung, which is not only one of Apple’s biggest rivals but also a foldable phone maker that’s already seven generations deep.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Furthermore, if we look back to this spring when Samsung released the Galaxy S25 Edge, you might already be noticing some similarities. Just like the iPhone Air, the S25 Edge is a thinner and more elegant take on Samsung’s middle-child flagship phone: the S25+. It has a lot of the same shortcomings like a smaller battery and fewer cameras than you’d otherwise expect on a premium device that costs around $1,000.

But the biggest clue that Apple might be taking a page out of Samsung’s playbook is the iPhone Air’s thinness. The idea of simply making a slimmer iPhone with worse specs without lowering its price doesn’t really make sense in 2025. Unless you’re doing so in preparation for a future product. So if we consider the S25 Edge again (which measures just 5.88mm thick) and then compare that to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (which came out just a couple months later and measures 4.2mm thick when unfolded), suddenly an unmistakable pattern begins to form. The iPhone 17 Air is one half of Apple’s upcoming foldable and if the rumors are correct, next year Apple is essentially going to smash two of them together while adding a hinge and a flexible screen. Voila, there’s your iPhone Fold (or whatever Apple ends up calling it).

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

OK, enough speculation, what about the iPhone Air itself? In short, this thing is deliciously thin at just 5.6mm. It really is one of those things that you can’t fully appreciate until you hold it in your hand. It has beautifully polished edges and while I don’t love the term camera plateau, there’s a lot of engineering that went into creating the subtle slope that rises up to meet the phone’s lone 48MP rear camera.

In front, the Air’s 6.5-inch display looks as colorful and vibrant as you’d expect and I’m delighted to see it get ProMotion support as well. And for selfies, I really like Apple’s new Center Stage system which uses a square 18MP sensor so you can smoothly transition between typical portrait style shots to landscape photos. Plus, if you don’t want to control things manually, there’s also an automatic setting which could seriously streamline future social media photo and video shoots.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

The shiny finish on the Air’s titanium frame is a rather nice, though if Apple hadn’t said so, I might have thought it was stainless steel. That said, at just 165 grams, titanium was one of the few ways to get the Air’s weight down that low while increasing durability. I also want to add that the sky blue model is my favorite color for the Air because depending on the light, its hue shifts from bright robin’s egg to a more understated gray. The only downside to its overall design is that the chassis is a bit of a fingerprint magnet.

However, I still have a few remaining questions that will need to be answered after further testing. The addition of a A19 Pro chip and a ProMotion screen should give the phone a big boost in power efficiency. But it remains to be seen how the Air’s battery life will hold up in real life. Apple is claiming continuous video playback of up to 27 hours, but it’s sort of telling that during the keynote, the company showed a new super sleek MagSafe battery pack, which may end up being a must-have accessory for people who push their phones hard.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Additionally, from the handful of camera samples I’ve seen, the iPhone Air’s 48MP rear camera has excellent image quality, though I’m still not sure about the move to a single lens system, even if it does support up to a 4x zoom.

Regardless, with the iPhone Air filling in the gap where the standard Plus model would normally be, Apple has taken its traditionally underappreciated middle child and turned it into the most sleek and stylish handset the company has ever made. Unfortunately, all that sophistication does come with a slightly higher price of $999, up from the $899 for last year’s iPhone 16 Plus.

The iPhone Air will start at $999 with 256GB of storage. Pre-orders begin this Friday, September 12 at 8AM ET followed by official sales slated for September 19.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-air-hands-on-the-super-sleek-precursor-to-apples-upcoming-foldable-185851102.html?src=rss

Canon will rerelease its 2016 PowerShot Elph 360 HS point-and-shoot camera as the PowerShot Elph 360 HS A in late October for $379 — $169 more than the original’s $210 launch price. The camera retains the same 20.2-megapixel CMOS sensor, Digic IV Plus processor, 12x optical zoom, 1080p video recording, and USB Mini port.

The new version switches from SD to microSD cards and removes Wi-Fi image transfer and direct printing capabilities. The rerelease comes after celebrities including Kendall Jenner and Dua Lipa popularized the original model on social media. The camera will be available in black or silver only; the original purple option has been discontinued.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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If you’re looking for a robot mop/vacuum hybrid that has serious mopping power, the Narwal Freo Z Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop is currently 47% off on Amazon. While it’s still pricier than your average robot vacuum/mop, its features and superior mopping performance make it a standout choice for anyone who wants a deeper clean.

Narwal Freo Z Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop

$799.99
at Amazon

$1,499.99
Save $700.00

$799.99
at Amazon

$1,499.99
Save $700.00

The Narwal Freo Z has top-notch obstacle avoidance thanks to upgraded dual RGB cameras and LiDAR navigation. Compared to its predecessor, the Freo X Ultra, it now delivers 12,000Pa suction power (up from 8,200). It also runs quietly at just 58dB on lower settings, with excellent mopping and vacuuming performance on hard floors. Users do report mixed results on carpeting and an inability to deep-clean rugs. The mopping process, while diligent, can be slow and have a long runtime, especially if the robot needs to go back to its base multiple times. The mop function does guzzle water, according to our writer’s review, requiring frequent water tank refills. 

Beyond that caveat, the automation features are impressive; you don’t have to zone off carpets to prevent them from getting wet or manually adjust settings on your own, as the “Freo Mind” AI handles dirt detection and mode switching with ease. This model also self-empties, washes, and dries the mop heads on its own, keeping the base station clean. And despite all these features, users report that it’s easy and straightforward to set up.

The main tradeoff is size: Its large base station footprint is significantly larger than similar models, and may not be ideal for smaller apartments and homes. And while automation is a perk, if you want to manually send the robot somewhere to clean, you need to do so in video mode, which can occasionally be glitchy. If these aren’t dealbreakers (and you don’t mind topping up the water tank more often), the Narwal Freo Z Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop is one of the most advanced models on the market, especially at $700 off.

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Meta Connect 2025, Meta’s annual big two-day event to reveal new technology, will begin with a keynote from CEO Mark Zuckerberg on September 17 at 8 p.m. ET and continue through the 18th. You can stream the keynote and developers conferences on Facebook or the official Meta Connect site.

Predicting event announcements is naturally full of speculation, but it’s informed speculation based on online rumors and sources that have been accurate with past leaks and rumors. If you plan to watch the event—or just want an idea of what might be coming—here’s what I expect to see at Meta Connect 2025.

Hypernova smart glasses

The biggest hype at Meta Connect 2025 is likely to be about Meta’s next generation of smart glasses, code-named “Hypernova,” or maybe “Meta Celeste.” According to online rumors, the next Meta glasses will feature a dedicated display on one lens for alerts and mini-apps, as well as all the AI, audio, and camera/video features of the current generation of Meta Ray-Bans and Meta Oakley smart glasses. All of this will be facilitated via a wireless wristband that will let you control various aspects of the glasses with small wrist movements.

The display glasses will supposedly retail for $799, but when they’ll hit the market remains to be seen. Sources report they’ll be on sale this month (Zuckerberg adding, “…and they’ll be available tonight” at the end of his keynote would be cool), but it could be anytime later this fall. These glasses would mark a definite step forward in smart glasses, but they won’t be the full augmented reality that Meta has shown off in its “Orion” smart glasses.

New details on the third-generation Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta smart glasses

If you’re more interested in a better version of the Meta Ray-Bans and Meta Oakleys, Meta Connect could feature details on third-gen Meta smart glasses. Along with expected improvements like longer battery life and maybe a better camera, the biggest innovation to Meta glasses may be improvements to the glasses’ AI.

Internally called “super sensing,” Meta’s improved AI will stay on for longer periods, seeing what you see and interpreting it. Your glasses might tell you left the oven on, or tell you where you left your car keys (the single feature I most want from smart glasses). Another rumored addition to Meta’s AI could be facial recognition (another thing I’d use all the time).

The technology already exists for smart glasses to tell you who you’re looking at, but Meta has supposedly been leery of pulling the trigger due to privacy concerns. Generation 3 Meta smart glasses are expected to hit stores this fall.

Ray-Ban Meta – Wayfarer Large glasses with Meta AI, Audio, Photo, Video Compatibility – Polarized Gradient Graphite Lens (Refurbished) – Matte Black

$263.00
at Best Buy

$263.00
at Best Buy

Third-party apps for Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta glasses

If third-party app support for Meta smart glasses is revealed at Connect 2025, it might be through “the future of computing” developer keynote to be held on September 18 at 1 p.m. ET. Meta opening its smart glasses to other developers’ apps could low-key be the biggest announcement at the show, as it would expand what you could do with your glasses in ways that can be hard to even imagine.

New improvements to Meta Horizon OS

There doesn’t seem to be much evidence that Meta will announce a Quest 4 VR headset at Connect 2025, but that doesn’t mean Virtual Reality Gang will be totally ignored. Tech site VRUpload recently did some data mining and dug up evidence that Meta is planning to revamp both the Home and Worlds components of the Meta Horizon.

Meta is supposedly re-vamping the “starting space” for Quest users, taking it from its current static state to something that makes it “easier to connect with others and transition smoothly into Horizon Worlds and immersive apps.” Other potential Horizon announcements may include a more responsive and better-looking Horizon Worlds social hub, and a new theater space within Horizon Worlds called Events Arena. If you want to tune in live, you can stream Connect 2025 on Facebook or the official Meta Connect site.

After a slow couple of years on the Apple Watch front, today’s “Awe Dropping” event announcing the new iPhone models actually included a renewed focus on Apple’s ubiquitous wearable.

As expected, Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 11 smartwatch, along with a new Apple Watch Ultra 3, and an Apple Watch SE 3. And while the designs mostly look the same, there was some worthwhile news when it came to features and battery life—and in case of the SE 3, quite a lot of other upgrades across the board. Apple has even added yet another potentially life-saving feature to the mix, bringing passive blood pressure notifications to the Apple Watch.

Here are all the biggest updates worth discussing.

Apple Watch Series 11 gets 5G and new medical features

The Apple Watch Series 11 looks and seemingly works quite similarly to the outgoing model, with a few feature upgrades. The glass on the front is now twice as scratch resistant. The Series 11 also features 5G, for faster connectivity and download for music, podcasts, and apps. Battery life is improved, with up to 24 hours of usage between charges.

Credit: Apple

New health features

The Series 11 also has two interesting health features. First is a new Blood Pressure Monitoring system that provides a notification when chronic high blood pressure, or hypertension, is detected in the user. The notifications use data from the heart rate sensor to analyze how the blood vessels repot to the beats of the heart. An algorithm passively works int he background reviewing data over 30 day periods, and notifies the user if it notices a patter of hypertension. This is not an active blood pressure monitor, like you’d get from a medical device. Instead, it’s data-analysis over a long period of time. Apple says that the training data came from multiple studies with over 100,000 participants. The feature is pending regulatory approval, but Apple says it will ship to more than 150 countries in the coming month.

Credit: Apple

Sleep Score is another potentially useful fitness metric. The feature takes in multiple data points, like sleep duration, bedtime consistency, how often you wake up, and how much time you spend in each sleep stage, so you can understand (and hopefully improve) the quality of your sleep.

Pricing

The Apple Watch Series 11 starts at $399 for the 42mm version, and $429 for the 46mm version. Cellular connectivity will cost you $100 more. There’s a new lineup of colors this time around: Jet Black, Silver, Rose Gold, and Space Gray. Pre-orders start today, and the device will start to ship Sept. 19.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 goes longer and harder

The Apple Watch Ultra wasn’t upgraded at all last year, leaving lots of room for improvement. The new model comes with a slightly larger screen but the same profile: Apple managed to reduce the bezels so they can fit it a larger screen in the same body. It’s also getting a screen upgrade from the Series 10 and bringing in features from the Series 10, that the Ultra missed out on last year. The screen now uses LPTO3 OLED display with ultra-fast refresh rate, enabling Always-on watch face display that can show the second hand. Apple is also adding a new Waypoint watch face that can help users navigate using a live compass, which is also updated by the second.

Credit: Apple

The OLED display optimizes each pixel to emit more might at wider angles, making it easier to read when your watch is resting on the table.

The Ultra 3 has the same 5G modem, but goes one step further with Satellite connectivity. So you’ll be able to send messages, or contact Emergency SOS to contact emergency services. There’s also a massive boost in battery life, as the Ultra 3 can now go up to 42 hours without charge.

Pricing

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 starts at $799 for the 49mm model. Pre-orders start today, and it’s going to be available on Sept, 19. It comes in two colors: Natural Titanium and Black Titanium.

The SE 3 gets always-on display and a lot more

Credit: Apple

The SE 3 might be the sleeper hit of the entire lineup. The new entry-level Apple Watch now features a S10 chip and an always-on display, a first for the SE series. The Cellular version also gets 5G, and both models will gets the new sleep quality and temperature sensing features (but not blood pressure monitoring). It also gets the Ion-X glass that’s reportedly twice as resistant as before, and support for double-tap and wrist flick gestures. According to Apple, it will also charge up to two times faster than the previous model.

Pricing

The Apple Watch SE starts at $249 for a 40mm model and is available for preorder today, with deliveries starting on Friday, Sept, 19.