ICYMI: The 7 biggest tech stories of the week, from the launch of Apple iPad Mini 7 to the big Amazon Kindle refresh
Welcome back folks. This week has been a busy week in the tech world. We tested a new smart ring for our Oura Ring 4 review, we got four new Kindles from Amazon, and LG updated the 2023 for free.
To keep up to date with the biggest stories, we’ve rounded them up below so you can scroll through the highlights, with links to the wider stories if you want to find out more.
Once you’re ready, check out our guide to the seven new movies and TV shows you can stream this weekend (October 18).
7. The iPad mini 7 has finally landed after a long wait
Just as we were about to see a new iPad mini someday, Apple announced a new version for the first time in more than three years – and it seems like a good choice for anyone who needs an 8.3-inch tablet.
Naturally, the mini 7 is mainly there to support Apple Intelligence functions, which it can realize thanks to the A17 Pro chip (from last year’s iPhone 15 Pro series) and 4 GB of RAM. Apple has also doubled the tablet’s base storage (which now starts at 128GB) and added support for the Apple Pencil Pro.
The downside is that there’s no ProMotion display (the screen tops out at 60Hz) and EU buyers don’t get a charging brick in the box. But otherwise, the new iPad mini meets most of the needs of traveling creatives who need a backpack-friendly tablet.
6. We tested the Quest 3S, but the Quest 3 remained our favorite
We tested the Meta Quest 3S extensively and awarded it four and a half stars in our Meta Quest 3S review. Overall, it’s a fantastic VR headset for the price, apart from a few drawbacks.
The most important are the images. While everything is displayed just as well thanks to an identical chipset and RAM, the less sharp 1832 x 1920 per eye screen can’t match the Quest 3’s 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye dual-display setup, and the differences are a lot bigger. noticeable than we expected. The more expensive headset is also less bulky and feels a little more comfortable.
For a little extra, the Meta Quest 3 offers major visual upgrades that make the better model more than worth it. But if you’re looking for a more affordable option, the Meta Quest 3S is the headset you’ll want to buy instead.
5. We tried the best ChatGPT prompt
This week, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took the unusual step of recommending a ChatGPT prompt that went viral on Reddit with the simple words “love this” on its X.com account. The recommendation was for a tweet from a writer named Tom Morgan, who simply said: ‘Ask ChatGPT ‘What is one thing from all our interactions that you can tell me about myself that I might not already know about myself?’
Most users found that this provided a surprising revelation about themselves that they had never really thought about. The results were truly inspiring, with Reddit user Newmoonlightavenger saying: “It was the best thing anyone has ever said about me.” So if you fancy a free bit of therapy, head over to the ChatGPT.com and try the prompt today!
4. The DJI Air 3S took off
Just over a year after the dual-camera Air 3 hit the skies, DJI has followed it up with an iterative update, the new DJI Air 3S. Building on the best all-round drone, the Air 3S delivers an improved main camera that uses a larger 1-inch sensor, in addition to the secondary camera which is a 3x telephoto zoom for those times when you need a better perspective on your subjects. T
The latter is identical to the one in the Air 3, with a smaller 1/1.3-inch sensor. Each of these cameras can record 4K video at up to 120 fps, in D-Log M color profiles, with a dynamic range of up to 14 stops, which is an excellent set of features for aerial photographers.
In addition to a better main camera, the Air 3S is the first omnidirectional obstacle-detecting DJI drone equipped with forward-facing LiDAR. This allows the Air 3S to automatically identify and avoid obstacles during its flight and return routes, for daytime and now nighttime imaging, along with ‘next-gen’ Smart Return to Home (RTH).
Otherwise, there’s not much new in the Air 3S, which, as our review says, isn’t a bad thing. The Air 3S is a solid, if not transformational upgrade that comes closer to perfection. For Air 3 owners it’s not really worth the upgrade, but for everyone else it’s now the best all-round drone out there.
3. New Kindles came our way…
Amazon delivered more new Kindles in one day than ever before, even breaking new ground. Yes, we finally have the long-rumored color Kindle, the Colorsoft, which uses an E Ink filter to deliver 150ppi color for comics, magazines and more.
The good news is that you still get the full 300 ppi black and white E Ink performance (you’ll pay $279.99 for it, though).
In the shadow of that big e-reader sits the new Kindle Paperwhite 12th Generation, the fastest E Ink page turner we’ve ever seen. AI finally arrived on Kindles in the form of some generative tools for the newly painted Scribe.
Finally, there’s the updated base Kindle, which is most notable for that fancy new Macha color. Just think of a nice green e-reader that fits in your back pocket.
2. …And we also have a new Fire Stick
In addition to four new Kindles, Amazon has also surprisingly streamlined its range of Fire TV Sticks. The all-new Fire TV Stick HD replaces both the Fire TV Stick Lite and Fire TV Stick in a fairly simple way, but packs a major upgrade in the box.
It now comes with an Alexa Voice Remote for $34.99 / £39.99 / AU$69, which lets you control the experience with your voice and control the TV functionality all remotely.
Of course, it’s still a Fire TV Stick at its core and can stream content up to 1080pHD with support for major visual standards like HDR. All the mainstays in the streaming world also have apps for the Amazon Fire TV platform.
1. LG has updated its OLED TVs
LG surprised everyone earlier this week by rolling out an update to some of its 2023 TVs, which it originally promised for sometime in 2025.
The update in question, which will first appear on some of its 2023 premium TVs such as the LG C3 and LG G3, will see the existing smart TV platform, webOS 23, upgraded to the current version, webOS 24 ( found in 2024 TVs like the LG C4), which features an improved design, better accessibility options, and other new features, including a handy sports portal.
The update is part of LG’s commitment to five years of smart TV platform upgrades for its TVs, although older TVs will always have a version of the software behind the latest and greatest TVs – you’ll want to make sure you stick with those new models buy. , right?
The updates for other TVs are still scheduled for 2025, but it’s nice to see that LG clearly intends to deliver on this promise.