ICYMI: the week’s 8 biggest tech stories, from the DJI Pocket 3 to Apple’s ‘scary’ event
It’s never too late in the year for tech surprises – and we got that this week when Apple announced a final launch event of the year with the tantalizing tagline ‘Scary Fast’.
The rest of our week consisted of wondering what exactly Apple has in store at that October 30 event. New M3 MacBooks? A 24-inch iMac refresh? Tim Cook takes his acting skills to the next level with a Dracula remake?
No one really knows for sure, but Apple hasn’t completely wrapped the rest of this week’s news in its mysterious cape. We also saw the DJI Pocket 3 arrive and charm us again with its video tricks, while Google Maps moved closer to a photorealistic clone of the real world with a major AI update.
Oh, and if you’re already thinking about Christmas shopping (apologies in advance), we also announced our favorite tech of 2023 at the TechRadar Choice Awards. So if you just want to get a quick update on this week And You’ve come to the right place for this year’s technical news…
Wow, that went fast: another year of technology is coming to an end. But on the plus side, it means it’s time for the 2023 TechRadar Choice Awards, where we’ll go through the completely definitive, indisputable list of the year’s best tech, as chosen by you.
We had more categories than ever this year, including Streaming Service of the Year (spoiler: it’s Max) and a Sustainability Award (rightly picked up by the Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition). Our Reader’s Choice Award, which you voted for 100%, was also presented to a well-known but deserving recipient.
So whether you want to buy a smart kettle or a soundbar, check out our full list of winners via the link below.
If you hoped so Apple TV Plus would remain the last bastion for cheap, non-ad-supported subscriptions, think again. That’s right, Apple TV Plus just got more expensiveand we are struggling to contain our frustration over this big price increase.
For US readers, this means you’ll have to pay an extra $3 per month (or $30 per year) to watch the series. best Apple TV Plus shows And best Apple TV Plus movies. Apple did not respond to our request for comment on price increases in Britain and Australia, but you should expect them there as well. Sad faces everywhere.
With that of the world best streaming services As they continue to compete for your attention, the streaming wars show no signs of abating. What does that mean to you? An endless *ahem* stream of movies and shows to watch, including plenty of reality TV-based projects.
Normally the term ‘reality TV’ would make us run for the hills (sorry, we’re not fans of The Kardashians. Or Love is blind. Or any other piece of reality-based TV series). But soon A a head-to-head reality game show competition between Netflix and Prime Video might prompt us to reevaluate our position.
Next month (that’s November, for those wondering), Netflix‘S Squid game: the challenge accepts Prime Video‘S James Bond-inspired 007: Road to a million in a showdown for the ages. Who will win this fascinating confrontation? That’s up to you, dear reader.
Sometimes you have to fly all the way to Hawaii to see the really cool stuff. Seriously, it was the only way to see Qualcomm’s exciting Snapdragon AR2 smart glasses up close at this year’s Snapdragon Summit.
Sure, it was a reference design and Qualcomm refused to let us wear them, but we think we finally understand Qualcomm’s endgame when it comes to wearable AR technology.
According to Qualcomm, such wearable technology won’t look like the bulky mixed reality headgear we’re used to. Instead, it will look very much like regular glasses, but with lots of smart features to sense and see your world and give you real-time information and feedback about it.
Perhaps most interestingly, Qualcomm finally explains why it’s taking so long for us to see these as consumer products and, surprisingly, battery life isn’t the biggest problem.
Google Maps is so familiar that most of us can use it in our sleep, but that doesn’t mean it’s not quietly getting some major AI upgrades – and this week we saw some of the biggest new features yet.
The highly anticipated Immersive View for Routes, first announced in May, is finally rolling out in 15 cities on Android and iOS starting this week. That means photo-real flyovers of routes you’ve planned in supported cities (including San Francisco, London and New York), complete with information like weather and traffic.
Google is also bringing its machine learning algorithms to Maps in a number of other ways, including making Lens in Maps more widely available and letting electric car owners know when chargers on their route were last used. Yes, chatbots are fun, but we’re happy with the boost AI gives to companies like Google Maps…
Bluetooth has improved a lot over the years, but one thing that still holds it back (quite literally) is its limited range. Fortunately, Qualcomm has a possible answer with its new S7 and S7 Pro Gen 1 sound platforms. Their trick? Have headphones switch from Bluetooth to your Wi-Fi network when you’re at home, taking you beyond the latter’s usual 10 meter (30ft) limit.
Since the chips also promise improvements in active noise cancellation, battery life, and AI-powered sound personalization, they could kick headphones up a notch when they arrive. We’ll definitely keep our eyes peeled for headphones with the S7 Pro Gen 1 badge when they arrive in 2024.
It’s been a long three-year wait, but the DJI Pocket 3 has finally arrived – and it’s now our favorite little camera for recording social media videos.
What’s so good about the Pocket series? Unusually, they are compact cameras with three-axis gimbals, meaning they’re great for recording super-smooth videos and performing creative camera moves that aren’t possible on your smartphone.
And now, with the Pocket 3, the series finally has the modern technology to solve our frustrations with its predecessor, including a new 1-inch sensor, a larger 2-inch screen, and support for 4K/120p video. If you make a lot of TikTok videos, this is one to put on your Christmas list.
This week, Apple announced its next product showcase, which will take place on October 30 and has the tagline “Scary fast.” Not only is that an unsubtle reference to Halloween taking place the day after, we also think it’s a hint that we’ll see the rumored Apple M3 chip.
Based on hints and rumors so far, that piece of silicon could be joining new Macs, including a redesigned iMac, a refreshed MacBook Air, and possibly new MacBook Pros with a supercharged version of the M3 chip.
And since Apple has been putting more and more emphasis on gaming lately, we wouldn’t be surprised if we see a bit of a gaming push to show off the power of its chip and next-generation computers. For a detailed overview of what to expect, visit our Apple Event Hub.