August, 2020

• 25 August

  The Nomad Base Station Pro is what Apple’s AirPower hoped to be

  

  Announced back in September 2017, Apple’s perpetually delayed AirPower three-device wireless charging mat was officially canceled last year. While some version of it may someday be released, Nomad’s new $230 Base Station Pro ably fills the void for those hankering for a high-end wireless charging pad. Incorporating cutting-edge technology from start-up Aira, the Base Staton …

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• 25 August

  Google’s AR update lets you unleash ancient creatures in your living room

  

  The Opabinia, a 500-million-year-old creature with five eyes, can visit your living room in all its weird glory, thanks to an AR update to the Google Arts & Culture app. Google partnered with a variety of history and art museums to add a collection of prehistoric creatures, cultural artifacts and historic artwork as augmented reality objects that you can view …

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• 25 August

  Everything Fitbit just announced: Sense, Versa 3 and Inspire 2 for health tracking

  

  There are three new Fitbits on the horizon that promise to be your 24/7 health companions, from monitoring your activity during the day to tracking your sleep at night. The new Fitbit Sense smartwatch adds stress and heart-health monitoring to the mix, along with temperature and blood oxygen tracking during sleep. The company also launched a new Versa 3 which …

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• 25 August

  Save 25% on keepsake photo books and more at Chatbooks

  

  Yesterday I extolled the virtues of digital photo frames, which provide a running slideshow of your favorite photos. But there’s much to be said for photo prints, especially when they’re collected in a keepsake book. Sometimes you just want to sit down and flip through pages of lovely memories — or give a gift to a friend or relative so …

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• 25 August

  Here’s a back

  

  Along with hand sanitizer and toilet paper, affordable laptops are on the list of items that are in short supply these days. Kids are headed back to school, and it seems that everyone is trying to refresh their laptop for the fall. With limited laptop inventories, it seems like you are generally limited to choosing between a thousand-dollar Windows laptop …

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• 25 August

  Epic wins order against Apple protecting Unreal Engine in Fortnite fight

  

  Apple won’t be required to restore Fortnite to its App Store, but a judge’s temporary restraining order against the company late Monday prevents it from revoking access to Epic’s Unreal Engine developer tools. The legal battle between the two companies stems from a dispute over collecting revenue from in-app purchases, resulting in Apple — and Google — removing the game …

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• 25 August

  Microsoft brings transcriptions to its Word documents app, but there are catches

  

  Microsoft’s Word writing tool will soon be able to record and transcribe audio, marking an evolution long requested by everyone from students to reporters to Microsoft executives. However, it has strikingly limited features when compared with competitors. The new transcription technology, which will be made available for free to Microsoft 365 subscribers writing with Word via a web browser, allows …

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• 25 August

  Do dishes in the sink of the future: Install a touch

  

  No one enjoys doing dishes, but doing them in the right sink can make the chore a lot more bearable. If your faucet doesn’t have dual modes (stream and spray), a pull-out extendable head, and tap-to-start touch activation, then perhaps you might want to upgrade. Gappo’s Touch Kitchen Faucet does all that and is on sale right now for just …

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• 25 August

  Facebook removes Oculus name from its annual VR conference, renames its AR/VR business

  

  Facebook’s AR and VR businesses are about to sound a lot more Facebookish. The company’s annual Oculus Connect VR conference is happening Sept. 16, as a free online event. But the name is changed: it’s Facebook Connect now, and it’ll be focused on a wider range of VR and AR experiences. Facebook’s also officially renamed its AR/VR division to Facebook …

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• 25 August

  Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra: How to buy Samsung’s latest phones right now

  

  Samsung’s latest high-end flagship Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra phones are on sale now. You won’t find the same preorder bundle offers now that the phones are widely available, but carriers and retail partners will surely run promotions of their own in the coming days and weeks. Samsung is also planning to introduce a preorder sale for the Galaxy Z …

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