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Its easy to give into cynicism writing about tech. There are so many underwhelming announcements and iterative improvements. Companies toss the letters AI around like its a magic elixir sent down from the Gods. The layoffs are harsh. Sometimes, though, you find something simple, useful and fun that forces optimism. Thats where Im at with the Vizio MicMe. Its a soundbar that doubles as a karaoke machine. Thats a neat idea, right? The MicMe is being advertised as a two-in-one soundbar system that totally eliminates the need for a clunky standalone karaoke speaker. Its a legitimate 2.1 soundbar, complete with a subwoofer. Itll get the job done with regard to endless streams of Agatha All Along or Nobody Wants This. Vizio It also ships with two dynamic wireless microphones, and thats where the karaoke magic comes in. The company says that the soundbar enters karaoke mode when one of the microphones is removed from the charging dock, without the user having to fiddle with anything. There is, however, an affiliated mobile app for making sound adjustments. This app also allows access to six different vocal effects. Each microphone boasts eight hours of battery life per charge, which means a solid 8PM to 4AM karaoke session. Vizio says MicMe will have access to 80,000 songs via the proprietary app. It also integrates with many standalone karaoke apps, like Stingray. There should be no shortage of songs to ruin or master. The soundbar hybrid is compatible with Vizios QuickFit technology, which allows it to attach to the companys TVs without any tools. Its also fully compatible with any smart TV with eARC. The MicMe costs $350. You can order one now but it wont ship until the end of November. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/vizio-just-announced-a-soundbar-that-doubles-as-a-karaoke-machine-130016592.html?src=rss
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Amazon, in what it described as a "difficult decision," is winding down Kindle Vella and shutting it down completely in February 2025. When the company launched the serialized story platform in 2021, it said Vella was a way for readers to discover new fictional stories and a new way for authors to earn from the Kindle Direct Publishing service. But it hasn't caught on as it had hoped, Amazon explains on its website, and it has decided to throw in the towel three years after Vella's debut. Authors can only publish stories on Vella until December 4, which is also the last day readers can purchase tokens. While readers will no longer be able to purchase tokens after that, they can continue using those tokens to unlock episodes until the program closes in February. The good news for those who've been following specific authors or stories on Vella is that they won't lose their access to whatever episodes they've already unlocked even after the platform shuts down. They can always read the stories they've purchased in their library in the Kindle app for iOS and Android, though they can no longer open them on the web. Any token they don't use by February will be refunded. Responses to Vella have been pretty lukewarm since it became available. Some authors liked the fact that they could use it to earn money from unfinished stories, while some readers said they'd prefer getting a whole book instead of paying for installments. Personally, as someone who follows a lot of indie authors, I only know of one who publishes on Vella and very, very few readers who actually use it. Amazon tried drumming up interest earlier this year by making the first ten episodes of a story, instead of just three, available to readers for free. The company has also tried keeping authors on the platform by giving away bonuses, but its strategies probably didn't work enough to make it consider keeping Vella around longer. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/amazon-is-shutting-down-its-kindle-vella-serialized-story-platform-in-february-2025-120030125.html?src=rss
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Apple Intelligence, the companys all-encompassing branding for its AI tools, features and curios, is finally here. Did you think Apple launched this ages ago? It was announced in June, and drip fed to beta testers, first in the developer preview, then the open preview. It was even a big part of the iPhone 16 sales pitch at launch, but Apples newest phones lacked those AI features until now. Arriving as part of Apples updates to iOS, iPadOS and macOS, its not everything teased at WWDC (no making your own emojis for now), but its a tract of new features showing how the company is tackling AI in its software. As well as new proofreading and rewriting tools, theres live transcription for phone calls and Notes audio recordings. Apple Intelligence also adds text summaries for websites, emails and all those transcriptions. Theres also my personal favorite: notification summaries. Well be taking a closer look at what Apple Intelligence is capable of, but broadly (and from our experience testing the preview builds), the additions wont change your smartphone life. Some of them are very useful, while others, like photo editing, fall behind rivals like Google and Samsung. Mat Smith The biggest tech stories you missed Grok can try to explain Elon Musks terrible jokes Youll get another chance to pre-order the retro-themed PS5 today The best iPhone accessories Get this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! The iMac gets an M4 refresh for faster Apple Intelligence It has the same design as the last two models. Apple In time for those new features, Apples new iMac includes new colorways and the latest Apple silicon. The new model has the same display and design as previous models, but theres a new nano-texture glass screen option for a proper splurge. Apple says the M4 inside the new iMac makes the computer 1.7 times faster for daily productivity and up to 2.1 faster for more demanding tasks (i.e. gaming and photo editing) than the M1-powered iteration. The M4 iMac will be available on November 8, starting at the same $1,299 as its predecessor. Continue reading. Netflixs latest feature makes it easier to share and rewatch your favorite scenes Moments is a lot like clips on YouTube. Netflix is rolling out a new feature called Moments, which lets you save, share and rewatch certain scenes from shows and movies. For now, its mobile only, starting on Netflixs iOS app and coming to Android in the next few weeks. Netflix says episodes and films will start playing from bookmarked scenes when you rewatch them, with an array of share buttons for messaging and social media apps. Its perfectly timed for my recent binging of Kath and Kim. All four series, done. Continue reading. Google starts selling refurbished Pixel phones It's only Pixel 6 and 7 handsets for now. Google is selling refurbished Pixel 6, Pixel 6A and Pixel 7 handsets directly through the Google Store. Discounts are up to 40 percent compared to new models, but we are on Pixel 9 now, so there are no brand new Pixel 6s on sale, at least not from Google. Prices start at $339 for the Pixel 6. Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111641713.html?src=rss
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