Carl Pei thinks there is something wrong with the smartphone industry. Like many of us, Pei is starting to feel that new phones aren’t as special as the devices of five or ten years ago. He thinks the big players are all circling the same ideas in smartphone design. (Something true for at least a decade.) And that’s where his new company, Nothing, comes in. Pei wants to bring some originality back to mobile engineering design. “Maybe we can lower the brain slightly and increase intuition,” Pei said. Watch our full interview with the former OnePlus co-founder.
Nothing
While we haven’t properly tested the device yet, the Nothing Phone 1 is already available for pre-order – all you need is an invite. Warning: Nothing has been said that the Phone 1 won’t officially come to North America after a closed beta for a handful of private community investors. The device should work but will not have full support.
Me? Well, I live in the U.K. Sorry about that.
— Matt Smith
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Contrary to reports, it is still in its early stages. The company’s co-chief Ted Sarandos confirmed at the Cannes Lions Festival that Netflix is adding an ad-supported tier with a lower price. He stressed that the option wouldn’t bring ads to Netflix “as you know them now” — as with rivals like Peacock, you can still avoid marketing altogether. Sarandos has not shared any further details. However, The Wall Street Journal reported that Google and NBCUniversal are the “top candidates” to help Netflix build its advertising plan. A Netflix spokesperson told Engadget that the company was “still in its early days” developing the ad-based tier and hadn’t committed tto the approaches yet. It’s all “speculation at the moment,” the rep added.
With a new chip and display.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is preparing a new HomePod speaker that looks like alikethe original 2018 model. According to Gurman, the new model may feature Apple’s upcoming S8 chip and an updated display on the speaker’s top with multi-touch capabilities. While the original had some sisplay, it didn’t rhow any information beyond a Siri orb. As you may recall, the company discontinued the HomePod in 2021 without announcing an immediate replacement.
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It has delayed the FDA’s ban on its vape pens and pods.
Juul successfully convinced the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to defer the Food and Drug Administration’s ban on its products. After an extensive two-year review, the agency recently banned Juul from selling and distributing its e-cigarette pens and pods in the U.S. Despite Juul’s accusation that the administration’s ban was “arbitrary and erratic,” the FDA banned the company’s products because it had not submitted sufficient evidence showing that potentially harmful chemicals do not leak from the patented capsules into the drug. The vapor that users inhale.
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The Thiomargarita magnifica is as long as a human eyelash.
Jean-Marie Volland/Berkeley Lab
A bacterium classified as the largest ever discovered needs no special tools to be visible to the naked eye. Thiomargarita magnifica, as it is called, has a filament-like appearance and can be as long as a human eyelash. The BBC explained that it is larger than more complex organisms, such as tiny flies, mites, and worms. Our editorial team, independent of our parent company, has selected all products recommended by Engadget. Some of our stories contain affiliate links. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy something through one of these links.
