ICYMI: The 7 biggest tech news stories of the week, from Disney Plus password sharing to the smart RingConn Gen 2
This week in tech, we’ve been treated to exciting new products, some disturbing price hikes, and leaks that tease future gadgets we can’t wait to try out.
Keeping up with all of this and more is a monumental task, so let us catch you up on all things tech. We’ve gathered the seven biggest stories of the week right here so you can browse through the most important announcements.
Next week, Google will be showing off some brand new Pixel 9 smartphone tech, so be sure to check back here for all the latest info. For now, let’s take a look at what’s happened in the past seven days.
7. Google was declared a “monopolist” in search
Google was taken over by a US federal judge this week because of its position as the world’s largest search engine. The judge specifically criticized the way Google pays companies to make it a default option for their products.
This decision will likely be appealed, but regardless of which way things ultimately go, the big question is how much this decision will actually change things, as Apple’s own Senior Vice President of Services, Eddy Cue, say“I don’t believe there’s a price in the world that Microsoft could offer us. They offered to give us Bing for free. They could give us the whole company.”
This could mean that Google remains the default, but no longer has to pay for the privilege.
6. Google Killed the Chromecast with an All-New TV Streamer
This week, Google said goodbye to the Chromecast and introduced a new Gemini streaming box: the Google TV Streamer.
This more feature-packed machine costs $99.99 / £99 / AU$159.99, but offers 4K footage at 60fps, support for HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision video standards alongside Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos audio standards, a faster processor than the old Chromecast with Google TV, plus 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.
You can pre-order it now and it will ship from September 24th.
5. Google redesigned the Nest Learning Thermostat
In addition to the Google TV Streamer, there’s also the new Nest Learning Thermostat 4th Gen, which features the most significant redesign of the technology we’ve seen yet.
Instead of a flat face, the nearly all-screen glass front resembles a wall-mounted Pixel Watch, and it still features intuitive rotation controls. It also has Smart Schedules, which suggest adjustments to your cooling and heating routines based on your habits and local weather conditions to help you save money on your bills.
It costs $279.99 (it’s optimized for heating systems in the US and Canada, so a global launch isn’t planned yet) and includes a temperature sensor. Additional sensors cost $29.99.
4. Disney Plus has announced when the stricter password sharing rules will go into effect
Whether it’s annual price hikes, the cancellation of popular TV shows, or other frustrating creative decisions beyond our control, the world’s best streaming services are testing our patience.
Of all the bizarre consumer decisions to come our way in recent years, none was more infuriating than Netflix’s clampdown on household account sharing. Now Disney Plus is following in its footsteps, with the streaming giant confirming that its own stricter approach to password sharing will go into effect globally in September.
Frankly, we are already fed up with this new streaming-based gatekeeping and we really hope other platforms don’t follow suit. Otherwise, we might give up on streaming altogether.
3. Garmin’s Run Coach just got a whole lot smarter
Garmin’s latest beta update to its top running watches (the Fenix, Epix and Forerunner lines) tests a new, improved Run Coach feature that uses Garmin’s proprietary algorithms.
Rather than a plan designed by an actual running coach that remains static, the updated Run Coach feature looks to be fully integrated into the Garmin Connect app, using its intelligence to take into account your training readiness and sleep scores. Had a bad night’s sleep or pushed yourself too hard? Your running plan can be altered to take into account your recovery stats and previous training load.
The feature is still in beta, but once it officially launches, it will likely roll out to more running watches via a free update.
2. RingConn Gen 2 broke Kickstarter records
The launch of the Samsung Galaxy Ring not only gave us a new smart ring to marvel at, but it also seems to have reignited interest in this area of wearable tech among other brands – with the Kickstarter for the RingConn Gen 2 breaking records.
Popularity isn’t the only reason you should pay attention to this smart ring. We gave the previous model four stars in our RingConn Smart Ring review, calling the budget-friendly option a “solid alternative to the Oura smart ring.” Sure, it’s missing some bells and whistles, but it’s only $279 (around £219 and AU$418), a fair bit cheaper than the $399 / £399 (around AU$750) Galaxy Ring.
The Gen 2 features an extended 12-day battery life and new sleep apnea tracking tech, among other health and fitness tracking for just $299 (£234 / AU$460) – or $209 (£164 / AU$322) if you pre-order it before the deadline – so you might want to consider it if you’re into a smart ring.
1. DJI’s lightest drone ever flown in new leaks
DJI has launched some amazing drones over the past decade, but it could soon be launching its most fun plane yet – if this week’s leaks of the DJI Neo are true.
The Neo looks to be DJI’s lightest drone yet, but it still manages to pack a 4K camera, AI-powered subject tracking, and potentially support for FPV headsets. That’d be quite a combination, not least because the Neo is also expected to be pretty cheap for a DJI drone ($329 according to the rumors, or around £320 / AU$515).
When can we see the Neo land? This week’s leaks suggest August 20 is the date to look out for – with a new Action 5 Pro action cam following just over a week later on August 28.